I have done this blackwater swamp quest with many different characters and have logs of them in different situations. Sometimes fighting the aggro bandits next to Arguhs and sometimes not. The quest has always initiated after I nod at him, but this time it did not.

The Character in Question is Norington, Spymaster.




An orc wades in the waters of the swamp.
Large and bulky, this orc sneers at your presence.
Arguhs the Battle-Scarred says 'Puny one! Ya wen work fer orc?'

wilderness <100%hp 100%m 84%mv 7730tnl (26.38%)>
You dodge an orc bandit's chop.
An orc bandit is in perfect health.

wilderness <100%hp 100%m 84%mv 7730tnl (26.38%)>
nod arg
You nod at Arguhs the Battle-Scarred.
An orc bandit is in perfect health.

wilderness <100%hp 100%m 84%mv 7730tnl (26.38%)>
You parry an orc bandit's chop.
You stop walking gently.
You trample around loudly again.
An orc bandit parries your slash.
Your pierce EVISCERATES an orc bandit!
An orc bandit has a few scratches.

wilderness <100%hp 100%m 84%mv 7730tnl (26.38%)>
In the heat of battle, an orc bandit explodes into a berserker's rage!
An orc bandit is in perfect health.

wilderness <100%hp 100%m 84%mv 7730tnl (26.38%)>
An orc bandit's chop maims you!
An orc bandit's chop maims you!
Using a large steel axe, an orc bandit disarms you and sends a jeweled broadsword flying!
An orc bandit dodges your punch.
Your pierce EVISCERATES an orc bandit!
An orc bandit has a few scratches.

wilderness <84%hp 100%m 84%mv 7730tnl (26.38%)>

***After not seeing the quest initiate immediately after the first nod, as I am familiar with, I nod again.

nod arg
You nod at Arguhs the Battle-Scarred.
An orc bandit has a few scratches.

wilderness <84%hp 100%m 84%mv 7730tnl (26.38%)>
An orc bandit makes some soft grunting noises.
An orc bandit's chop MUTILATES you!
You dodge an orc bandit's chop.
Your punch mauls an orc bandit.
An orc bandit has a few scratches.

wilderness <76%hp 100%m 84%mv 7730tnl (26.38%)>
take 1.
You get a jeweled broadsword.
An orc bandit has a few scratches.

wilderness <76%hp 100%m 84%mv 7730tnl (26.38%)>
flee
Arguhs the Battle-Scarred yells 'Puny not return! Else eat flesh no spit bones!'
The Fringes of Blackwater Swamp
The surrounding area looks dead with twisted trees as you hear the sounds of
an owl hooting in the wind. Under the minimal night of the night sky you see
the black waters of the swamp. The stench of the swamp assaults your sense of
smell. The trees twist and turn together to the west making it impossible to
travel in that direction. There is a large tree growing here with moss growing
along the base and trunk of it. You hear the sound of parting water followed by
silence.


You flee from combat!
You fled north.

wilderness <76%hp 100%m 82%mv 7730tnl (26.38%)>
An orc bandit has arrived.

wilderness <78%hp 100%m 89%mv 7730tnl (26.38%)>
An orc bandit yells 'Norington! Now you die!'
An orc bandit's chop misses you.
You dodge an orc bandit's chop.
An orc bandit has a few scratches.

wilderness <78%hp 100%m 89%mv 7730tnl (26.38%)>
An orc bandit's chop MUTILATES you!
You dodge an orc bandit's chop.
You have become better at hand to hand! (25% learning bonus)
Your punch mauls an orc bandit.
Your pierce DISMEMBERS an orc bandit!
Your pierce DISMEMBERS an orc bandit!
An orc bandit has some small but disgusting cuts.

wilderness <70%hp 100%m 89%mv 7728tnl (26.40%)>
An orc bandit makes some soft grunting noises.
An orc bandit's chop MUTILATES you!
You barely manage to avoid an orc bandit's chop.
An orc bandit dodges your punch.
Your pierce EVISCERATES an orc bandit!
An orc bandit is covered with bleeding wounds.

wilderness <61%hp 100%m 89%mv 7728tnl (26.40%)>
You dodge an orc bandit's chop.
An orc bandit's chop devastates you!
An orc bandit tries to disarm you, but fails.
An orc bandit parries your punch.
An orc bandit stops your punch with a solid blow.
An orc bandit is covered with bleeding wounds.

wilderness <55%hp 100%m 89%mv 7728tnl (26.40%)>
quest
Completed Quests:

*This is where I notice I failed it because I fled, which does not seem right to me. I've started the quest before while in combat with a bandit, and have a log to prove it works when doing so from a past character.
Failed , Blackwater: Arguhs
Failed , Feanwyyn Weald: Margoesh the Poor Adventurer
Success, Moudrilar's Monastery: Qendriko's Meditation
Success, Moudrilar's Monastery: Feristle's Lecture
Success, Hamsah Mu'tazz: Habib's Rat Problem
Success, Hamsah Mu'tazz: Reagents for Keiiah
Success, Aldevari: Wolf Hunt for Sutton
Success, Academy: Simon's Delivery Quest
Success, North Road: Kariliun's Will and Note
Success, Academy: Fine Leather Gathering
Success, Aldevari: Gralan's First Task
Success, Aldevari: Gralan's Second Task
Success, Hamsah Mu'tazz: Completed the Mosaic
Success, Hamsah Mu'tazz: Flower for the Stablemaster
Success, Udgaard: Deliver Saldria Horseshoes
Success, Violet Woodland: Mysterious Runes
Success, Village of Barovia: Thief Guildmaster's Task
Failed , The Pass: Kill Udgaard Sentries for Sula

Quests In Progress:
<40> Khardrath's Planar Sanctum: Investigate Malikoth's disappearance
+ Find out who killed Malikoth


I would like to complete the quest for EXP and reward, but I am unable to at the moment. If it is not able to be fixed, then I do not understand what went wrong.

I looked through the code.

1. As far as I can tell, he won't respond to nodding ever.
2. If you are in combat, he'll ignore you.
3. If you flee without answering, you fail the quest.

So long, and thanks for all the fish!

>I looked through the code.
>
>1. As far as I can tell, he won't respond to nodding ever.

You nod at Arguhs the Battle-Scarred.
Arguhs the Battle-Scarred says 'Puny one not dumb har! Go find orc locked by woody elfies. Kill weak orc, get banner, return quick!'
Arguhs the Battle-Scarred says 'Orc name be Hooshar, him be one-eyed, only clue is.'

<30> Blackwater: Arguhs
+ Blackwater orc:
Find one-eyed orc named Hooshar, kill him and return with his war banner

*** No orc bandits near Arguhs that time.

>2. If you are in combat, he'll ignore you.
*** strange, because he rewards you if you're in combat. I've handed him the banner and completed the quest while fighting a bandit.
>3. If you flee without answering, you fail the quest.

He doesn't respond to Yes, yea, yar, okay, or anything acknowledging. Nodding has been the only thing to work ever without fail.

>>I looked through the code.
>>
>>1. As far as I can tell, he won't respond to nodding ever.
>
>You nod at Arguhs the Battle-Scarred.
>Arguhs the Battle-Scarred says 'Puny one not dumb har! Go find
>orc locked by woody elfies. Kill weak orc, get banner, return
>quick!'
>Arguhs the Battle-Scarred says 'Orc name be Hooshar, him be
>one-eyed, only clue is.'

And today I learn something new about the code. Looks like we have an infrastructure beyond normal progs for some basic communication which is why nodding actually works...that said...

>
><30> Blackwater: Arguhs
>+ Blackwater orc:
>Find one-eyed orc named Hooshar, kill him and return with his
>war banner
>
>*** No orc bandits near Arguhs that time.
>
>>2. If you are in combat, he'll ignore you.

This is why it didnt' work in your example.

>>3. If you flee without answering, you fail the quest.
>
>He doesn't respond to Yes, yea, yar, okay, or anything
>acknowledging. Nodding has been the only thing to work ever
>without fail.

All of those should work...if you're not in combat.

So long, and thanks for all the fish!

Remind me to talk to you about this one and make sure we're on the same page.

>I looked through the code.
>
>1. As far as I can tell, he won't respond to nodding ever.
>2. If you are in combat, he'll ignore you.
>3. If you flee without answering, you fail the quest.

I'm not sure about number 1, but for 2 and 3 that has been my experience with any character capable of doing the quest.