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Bugs and Bethesda RPGs pretty much go hand in hand, and even the latest Oblivion Remastered can’t catch a break. While the moment-to-moment feel and look of the almost-20-year-old original has been polished to a sparkly sheen, a surprising amount of bugs still remain. One that I’ve experienced, and one that seems to be cropping up a lot with other players, can be found in one of the main quests early on. Specifically, in Find the Heir, there’s a point where Savlian Matius locks up and just stands there repeating the same “Charge the courtyard” line of dialogue, which essentially puts a stop to your progress in the main story. So, for those looking for a fix to the Savlian Matius soft lock bug in Find the Heir, here’s what you need to do.
What Is the Savlian Matius Bug in Find the Heir?
After closing the Oblivion Gate in Kvatch and helping the soldiers battle through the monsters in The Battle for Castle Kvatch, the game will advise players to speak to Savlian Matius who is stood outside the Kvatch Castle Great Hall. When you speak to him, though, he simply tells the player repeatedly, “Charge the courtyard, leave none of them standing!”
While you may expect him to offer some support or further guidance, that’s the extent of his help and all he can do. Essentially, this is the soft lock bug, stopping you from progressing further, as Savlian Matius just won’t move an inch.
How to Solve the Savlian Matius Bug in Find the Heir
The key to fixing the bug is by manually proceeding further into the quest and reaching the next trigger point by finding the Count’s body on your own. To do this, head into the Kvatch Castle Great Hall. Be wary as there are plenty of enemies inside, with the most deadly being the two Fire Atronachs floating around the room. Once those have been dealt with, head past the throne, up the stairs, and enter the door to the Great Hall.
Keep proceeding forward, past the burning bookshelves, and head into the door to the Count’s Quarters. Here, you’ll find the body of the Count (Ormelius Goldwine), which is your objective. Once you interact with the body, the game will trigger the next part of the Find the Heir quest. This should fix the Savlian Matius issue for most players. However, there is another part that comes next that can bug out, too.
How to Fix the Unable to Talk to Savlian Matius Bug
Soon after finding the Count’s body, you’ll need to talk to Savlian Matius again to find out where Martin — the King’s heir — is residing. Thing is, Matius can still be soft locked for some players (like me). This means that when you speak to him, he just stands there and repeats the line, “Kvatch has been destroyed and rebuilt once. We can sure as hell rebuild it again.” without giving you any more information.
To fix this, you’ll need to manually head down to the Kvatch encampment at the bottom of the hill. If you’re unsure, simply fast travel to the “Kvatch” waypoint on the map, which is just below the Kvatch Oblivion Gate. Here, you’ll find Brother Martin hanging out with some of the other Kvatch residents. Speak to Martin to initiate the next part of the quest, which will fix the bug and allow you to progress.
So, there you have it! That’s everything you need to know about how to fix the Savlian Matius soft lock bug in Find the Heir. For more, here are all the Console Commands (Cheat Codes) in the game.
