How to fix Savlian Matius stuck in Battle for Castle Kvatch courtyard in Oblivion

If you’re diving into The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and tackling the Battle of Castle Kvatch quest, you might run into a pesky problem. Picture this: you’ve just fought hard to clear the courtyard of enemies, but Savlian Matius, the brave captain of the Kvatch guard, won’t budge. He stands there, stubbornly repeating lines about charging the courtyard, leaving you scratching your head and wondering how to move the story along. Sound familiar? You’re not alone. This bug has been tripping up players since the game’s original release, and it’s still around even in the remastered version on platforms like PS5 and PC. Luckily, there are a few tricks to get past it.

The issue seems stems from the game’s scripting, as highlighted by some players. Sometimes, it doesn’t register that you’ve wiped out all the enemies in the courtyard. Savlian gets stuck waiting for a cue that never comes. It’s frustrating, especially when you’re eager to storm the castle and save the day. But don’t give up yet — here’s how you can fix it.

One of the simplest solutions is to take matters into your own hands and push ahead without him. Head into the castle and search for the Count’s bedroom. There, you’ll find the Count’s body—face down, easy to miss if you’re not looking closely. Grab his signet ring and bring it back to Savlian in the courtyard. Here’s a video guide that you can follow:

For many players, this does the trick. The quest updates, and Savlian snaps out of his daze. Many players like Reddit user Zygy255, shared this tip, saying, “It’s good to know that they still haven’t fixed this bug. If memory serves, you just have to run ahead and get the counts ring.” It worked for them, and it might work for you too.

But there’s a catch. Sometimes, the ring that spawns isn’t the right one — it’s just a generic ring, not the quest item Savlian needs. If he doesn’t react when you hand it over, don’t panic. Try this workaround: loot everything from the Count’s body, leave the area by heading back to the main hall, then return and check the body again. The correct signet ring should appear this time. This fix has saved plenty of players from tearing their hair out.

If you’re on PC, you’ve got an extra tool up your sleeve. Open the console by pressing the ~ key and type this command: set ms49.courtyardkilled to 9. Hit enter, and the game will think all the courtyard enemies are gone, nudging Savlian to move on. A Steam user named Saoth pointed this out, noting, “open the console with ~ Type ‘set ms49.courtyardkilled to 9’ without quotes and it should cause him to run up and talk to you.” It’s a quick fix for those who don’t mind a little behind-the-scenes tinkering.

For console players, like those on PS5, you’re limited to the ring method since console commands aren’t an option. Double-check that you’ve got the right ring, and you should be good to go. If all else fails, consider loading an earlier save from before the bug kicked in. It’s not ideal, but it might save you from being stuck forever.

Let me know if these tips helped you move forward with the quest.