Innocence Lost Alternative
⚪ Last updated 2013⚠️ Install Order · 3 steps
Install in this order, then this mod last — most mods fail to load without their framework and dependencies in place.
Preview

🔍 Analysis
- 👍 8.0% endorsement rate — high engagement, a strong quality signal
- 🏆 #6 of 41 Quests and Adventures mods in this game by downloads
📋 About This Mod
Are you playing as a good hero in Skyrim and want to destroy the Dark Brotherhood, but you refuse to kill Grelod for Aventus, no matter how nasty she is? Well this mod allows you to report it to the guards for them to arrest her! However, she refuses to be taken in, and attacks the guard, forcing the guard to retaliate and kill her. Details ============================================================================================ When you install this mod, there will be a new guard NPC outside of the Honorhall Orphanage (look at pictures in the description for exact location). When you start the Innocence Lost quest, you will be able to talk to the guard and report her in. He will then run into the orphanage, where you must speak to him again to initiate the scene where he attempts to arrest her, but she resists and attacks. As for the actual Innocence Lost quest, I did not touch or change any part of the quest except for the objective which states you can report Grelod to the guard. So when you talk to Aventus after the fact and when you get captured by Astrid, the dialogue still slightly reflects that you murdered her. In my opinion, the dialogue options available to you are good enough. IMPORTANT ============================================================================================ SAVE BEFORE YOU START TALKING TO THE GUARD!!!!!!!!!! There are small issues that occur randomly sometimes when initiating the dialogue and once inside the orphanage (see below). Save before activating him, and if you do come upon a problem, just reload your save and it should all work. Small Issues ============================================================================================ If you talk to him without letting him say his lines, or move too quickly from one location to the other without letting the scripts perform, the guard could simply walk away and not run into the orphanage. It would be a good idea to go inside the orphanage first and watch the scene where Grelod talks to the kids. This scene only happens the first time you enter the orphanage, so after you watch it, then it would be safe to go back out and talk to the guard. If not, both scenes could conflict with each other and cause some weird bugs. You can talk to the guard without going into the orphanage at all in the past, but be careful not to walk too far into the orphanage. That is how the Grelod talking scene starts and you DO NOT want it to start before you initiate the second line of dialogue with the guard. *No matter how much I tried, I could not get a quest marker on the guard himself. You will just have to find him. Don\'t worry, he doesn\'t go more than 5 feet away from his original position.
Innocence Lost Alternative lets good-aligned Skyrim players report Grelod to the guards instead of killing her, preserving their hero status while still progressing the quest. With 982 endorsements and over 12,000 downloads, it's a popular quest tweak for roleplayers who refuse to murder, even a nasty orphanage matron.
✨ Key Features
📊 Pros & Cons
✅ Pros
- Community favorite with 982 endorsements and over 12k downloads
- Perfect for good-aligned playthroughs where you refuse to kill Grelod
- Keeps the quest moving without breaking your character's moral code
⚠️ Cons
- Last updated in 2013, so it may have compatibility issues with newer Skyrim versions or DLC
- Only affects one quest, so it's a niche fix rather than a broad overhaul
- Potential conflicts with other mods that alter the Innocence Lost quest or guard behavior
For Skyrim roleplayers who want to stay heroic and avoid killing Grelod, this mod is a must-have. It's also great for completionists who want to experience all quest alternatives. Skip if you're fine with the vanilla kill or if you're playing an evil character.
💡 Beginner Tips
- Make sure to load this mod after any other quest overhaul mods to avoid conflicts.
- If you're using the Special Edition, you may need to port the mod or find a compatible version.
- Test the quest early in your playthrough to ensure the guard dialogue triggers correctly.
📊 Mod Details
- Game
- Skyrim LE Mods
- Author
- mvplayer277
- Version
- 2.0
- Downloads
- 12,293
- Endorsements
- 982
- Category
- Quests and Adventures
- Created
- 8/3/2013
- Updated
- 8/3/2013
🔧 How to Install Skyrim LE Mods
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