I recently gained access to the shatter spell, and have been using it to pilfer the contents of every chest I find in peoples houses. This causes a guard to immediately teleport into the room and start attacking. I find it very easy to simply run away from this guard, however when I return to the room where I stole the contents of the chest it seems the guard is there every time.

This also causes the owner of the chest contents to become hostile. Does this hostility ever go away over time, or will they be angry forever? Since you can steal from chests in quest givers houses this is obviously potentially very bad.

Thanks in advance for any help here.

I would also like to know this.

Short answer: No.
Long answer: Nooooooooooooooooooo.


All city chests of that type have a trap on them. The trap summons a city watchman, always.
Only the Thief can steal, as only he can disarm traps.

Now you CAN kill everyone on that map, no one else will go hostile. You'll loose morality and sometimes a quest giving NPC, but it can be done.