I have encountered a horrible bug that is preventing me from continuing in the game. I'm at the Stout Mine entrance. Whenever I hand over my Writ, the Stout behind the bars begins the dialogue loop for both entering and leaving the Mine. The game then loads the Mine map but a split second later reloads the overland map. I am unable to get into the Mines.

I have tried the following solutions all to no avail:
1) Handing over the Writ multiple times at various points in the dialogue/s. I can alter the loop (sometimes cycles twice, etc.) but does not help.
2) Casting vanish in the split second I am on the Stout map or just before the transition. I do not move.
3) Reinstalling the game and patch. No good.

It is the save game itself that appears to be corrupted. I had already played the game once and I can load that save game and enter the Stout Mines with no problem. However, as soon as I reload my current game, it goes back into the loop. I do not have a non-corrupted save from before the bug and the bug happened long before my last trip into town (i.e. restoring will not help) If anyone has any additional ideas how to escape this loop or someway to hack into the state of that NPC and correct this bug, please let me know. Thanks.

Dear Rahvin,

Are you running the patch? This was one of the bugs that was (allegedly) supposed to be fixed in the patch.

-Sazerac

I had a similar but getting out. Somewhere in the mines my writ just disappeared and I had to hack a
savegame file to put it back. But I must have done it a bit wrong as when I gave it to the gatekeeper
he opened the door to outside but then immediately shut it and opended the door to inside! However, he
also game me a writ back, and next time I tried, with that one, it worked OK.

You can also get in by bribing the gatekeeper with Boogre Brew, if you have any. To get some I think
you have to go to the Boogre mines.

In answer to your questions:
1) Yes, I am running the patch.
2) I have tried bribing him with Boogre Brew. This gets me another Writ but does not solve the problem.
3) I have tons of Writs. Every time I try to enter the Mine I hand over one Writ and get two back (one from each dialogue, entry and exit).

Thanks for your speedy replies. If I am not able to fix this bug, I will need to restart the game - not a prospect I savor. Thanks again.