Faction Quests: The Dark Brotherhood
How to get in

By aceball69

You won’t play Oblivion very long without hearing the rumors of the Dark Brotherhood coming to killers in their sleep. This rumor is absolutely true. To gain access to the assassin’s guild, or killer’s cult, you have to kill somebody.

So now all you have to do is choose your victim. You are not told this, but it will have to be someone who doesn’t deserve to die.
You could easily walk in to the street or the nearest shop and eliminate the nearest NPC, but this could have effects on your future game play. For example, you don’t really want to kill a shop keeper because you never know when you will need to pay them a visit. Try to avoid killing the beggars because they are an essential part of the Thieves Guild Quest line. Also, it is important to not kill members of the faction you are currently a member of. This will result in a penalty that will make you regret you did it and finally, the most important and the most obvious don’t kill the city guards. They tend to swarm on you if you even look at them wrong! This will result in an extreme bounty that you probably don’t want.

Ideally, your best bet would be to kill someone that your going to have to dispose of anyway. Here are two people you can kill to get started: Tanasa Arano and Tolisi Girith, both servants at the Riverview mansion in Cheydinhal. Your best shot at a silent, clean kill is when they are asleep in the cellar between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. or you can wait until Sunday, when they both leave the house and spend most of the day, from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. at the Newlands Lodge. Keep in mind that those two are just suggestions and you can kill virtually anyone you want to. Just try not to get caught, as the Dark Brotherhood doesn’t visit inmates!

Once you sacrifice an innocent, simply go to sleep in the nearest inn or bedroll. You will awaken to a black-robed man standing at your side. He introduces himself as Lucien Lachance-a Speaker of the Dark Brotherhood.

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Faction Quests: The Dark Brotherhood
A Knife in the Dark

By aceball69

You must listen to what Lucien has to say before moving on. He explains that the Dark Brotherhood is more than your average guild. It’s a cult of death that worships the Dread Father, Sithis. To be initiated, you must kill an innocent man by the name of Rufio at the Inn of Ill Omen. Lucien can tell you a little about Rufio if asked about “Rufio.” Rufio is “old and weak and sleeps his days away,” says Lucien. “You could kill him before he even has a chance to wake.”

If you don’t think that the Dark Brotherhood is something you would be interested in anymore, just leave it alone. If you do NOT kill Rufio, Lachance will never speak to you again. If you feel the need to kill Lucien, be my guest. But do keep in mind that Lucien is a highly trained assassin and if you succeed in killing him, you can not access the Dark Brotherhood again.

If you want to join the Brotherhood, you should start by traveling to Bravil. Just up the road, towards the Imperial City, you will find the Inn of Ill Omen. Speak to what seems to be the owner, Manheim Maulhand about “Rufio” and you will learn that he is the only guest, and that you can find him downstairs in the private quarters. The trap door can be found on the ground behind the stairs. Rufio’s room is the last down the hall. His door is unlocked, and he is more than likely sleeping. Rufio is only awake from 2 a.m. to 6 a.m. You have two choices, take him out silently, or wake him. If you decide to just finish him off, note that he is exceptionally weak and can be taken out with one strike. If you decide to wake him, you can respond to his assertion of “I ain’t done nothing!” with “Oh, but you have, Rufio” to get an understanding of why he’s in hiding. (Return to the inn later, after the quest is complete, and his murder will have registered with the inn hands Maulhand and Minerva.)

To speak with Lucien again, just sleep. Lachance will now tell you to head to an abandoned house in the east part of Cheydinhal. Head down to the basement and activate the creepy red door. Use the secret password, “sanguine, my brother” and the door will open. Upon your entering, you will be greeted by Ocheeva.

Before you leave, ask a few questions and you will learn that the Black Hand that runs the Brotherhood consists of a Listener, and four Speakers. Also, you learn to not dishonor the Night mother, betray the Brotherhood, disobey orders, or kill or steal from any other member.

Rewards: A reference to Vicente Valtieri, two pieces of enchanted armor that fortify your Sneak, Illusion, Marksman, Blade, and Acrobatics skills by a total of 10 points.

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Faction Quests: The Dark Brotherhood
A Watery Grave

By aceball69

Vicente Valtieri explains that you must kill a pirate by the name of Gaston Tussaud. He is the captain of the ship, Marie Elena, which can be found docked at the Imperial City’s Waterfront District.
It’s at the east end of the docks. Upon your approach to the stairs that lead down to the ship, you will be confronted by the first mate, Malvulis. She warns you about snooping, and will attack you with her pirate deckhands if you get too close.

This means a direct approach is not going to happen. However, Vicente informs you that the pirates have been loading a lot of cargo lately and you just might be able to sneak your way on in a crate. At the east end of the docks, you will find a stack of crates. Stand near the crates and wait for a message to pop up inviting you to climb inside. Do this and you will end up in the lower deck of the Marie Elena. An alternate approach would be to jump onto the balcony on the east end of the ship from the east end of the dock. Pick the lock on the door to enter the captain’s cabin directly. 

So after your aboard the ship, make your way to the middle deck and then aft. A couple pirates are talking about the woman (Malvulis) on board. When they are finished talking, one of the pirates heads your way—the other will get into bed in the aft chamber- so backtrack to the trap door and wait until its all clear. Then climb up into the captain’s quarters.

Stay hidden and strike him quickly and powerfully with a spell or sneak attack. No matter how fast you take out the captain, two pirates on top deck hear the struggle and enter the cabin. Though the pirates are weak individually, it may not be wise to take them on together. So quickly take the key off the captain’s body and use it to unlock the chest atop his dresser. Then all you need to do is exit out the balcony door and jump off the ship. Swim to shore and make you way back to Cheydinhal to speak with Vicente.

Rewards: Nirnroot, if you take it off the ship.

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Faction Quest: Dark Brotherhood
Accidents Happen

The next contract that you get from Vicente tells you to go to Bruma to kill a Bosmer called Baenlin. In order to recieve a bonus this time, you have to make the death of Baenlin look like an accident. You are not required to do this and can just go to the house, murder Baenlin and his servant Gromm if you want to, but you won't earn a bonus.

When you listen to the details about Baenlin, you will hear that he likes to sit on his favorite chair everyday from 8:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. Above the chair however, is a mounted minotaur head. To make the death of Baenlin look like an accident, you have to loosen the ropes on the mounted minotaur head while Baenlin is sitting down on his chair.

Now the best way to do this is to enter Baenlin's house through the basement door in the back of the house. It is the safest place to enter the house from, and usually you will never find anyone there. Wait until it is 8:00 p.m. to start heading upstairs. Now quickly sneak towards a room at the southern end of the house's second floor and you will find a crawlspace. From here, just loosen the straps on the mounted minotaur head at the right time and you will hear someone dying. Now it's time to sneak out of the house and head back to the sanctuary.

Rewards: Based on your level, you will get a certain amount of gold. Also, if you do the bonus, then you will get Sufferthorn, which is a nice dagger.

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Faction Quest: Dark Brotherhood
Scheduled for Execution

Like always, talk to Vicente and you will receive your assignment. This time, you are told to kill Valen Dreth, who you should remember from when you were first in jail at the start of the game. Remember how he taunted you? Well it's time to get revenge. To get the bonus this time, you cannot kill any guards or be spotted.

You are given a key to the Imperial Prison Sewers, and once there you will basically be going through everything you passed during the tutorial at the beginning of the game. This time however there are a couple of detours that you will have to take, and you will have to watch out for guards. Most of the guards are easy to sneak by, except you have to take your time, stay in the shadows, and not rush. The only guard that will give you a challenge to pass will be one in the Imperial Subterranean, who is holding a torch. Once you pass him, you will be back at your old cell and across from you will be Valen Dreth.

Now there are several ways you can kill Dreth. The easiest is to just wait until the guard that is talking to him leaves, and then shoot him with an arrow or magic. If you have a good chameleon enchantment or good sneak then you can try shooting an arrow and killing him without the guard noticing. Also you can always steal the prison keys that are lying on a table, open his cell door, and then hit him with a weapon (be careful, since he will immediately try to run away). Either way once you kill him, it's time to leave.

You will have two ways to escape: the first is by sneaking back through the sewers again or by stealing the prison keys, going up the stairs, and leaving through the front door. The second option is the easiest since once you are in the main prison area it won't matter if you get spotted.

Reward: Gold based on your level, and if you did the bonus, then you get the Scales of Pitiless Justice.

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Faction Quests: The Dark Brotherhood
The Assassinated Man

By aceball69

All you have to do is fake the death of Francois Motierre in Chorrol. This quest is fairly simple. Head over to Motierre’s place which is on the left of the circle path on Chorrol’s main street. Just pick the lock and enter to be greeted by Francois. Apparently, from what he has told, time is short. The Argonian enforcer is already on his way to kill him. After he tells you the plan, unsheathe your poisoned dagger.

You will hear Hides-his-Heart threatening Motierre on the other side of the door. The smartest path to choose now would be to “kill” Motierre quickly and make a swift getaway through the door. Either that or you could engage in combat with the Argonian and likely go to jail.

At this point you should be standing outside Chorrol. Now, wait until after midnight for his body to be taken to the chapel crypt. Go there and you will find Motierre’s “dead” body. Revive him and he will thank you. He will proceed to tell you that his dead ancestors regard this as a desecration of their resting place and will rise to defend it. Fight them or evade them, either way you need to escort Motierre to the Gray Mare.

Return to the sanctuary and talk to Valtieri to complete the quest.

Reward: Cruelty’s Heart (amulet)
Ocheeva’s quest
Eliminator (promotion)
Well key to Sanctuary

Note: If Motierre or Hides-his-Heart dies during this quest, you will not receive a promotion or the well key until after the next quest.

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Faction Quest: The Dark Brotherhood
The Lonely Wanderer

By aceball69

You must murder a High Elf named Faelian who lives in the Imperial City. All Ocheeva knows is that he likes to walk; suggesting you talk with your brothers to learn more. She also urges discretion in this hit. The best advice you’ll find is from Valtieri. He says to talk to someone in the Imperial City’s Elvish Community. Any Elf in the Imperial City will tell you that he lives at the Tiber Septim Hotel, if they like you enough.

From here you have several options. Based on what you know, you can stake out the hotel, wait for Faelian to return to the Tiber Septim (8 p.m.) or leave again (1 a.m.) and get him outside. You will quickly see that Faelian can’t form an intelligible sentence, but he is focused on acquiring his drug of choice (skooma). He leaves you with the impression that he would be friendly if you could supply it. He’ll even give you a connection: Nordinor in Bravil sells it.

Of course skooma is skooma and you don’t have to travel to Bravil to find it. If you have any on you, that will do as good as any. If you’re up for a little crime and theft, you can find three bottles of it upstairs at Trenus Duronius’s (skooma addict) house in the Temple District.

Rendezvous with Faelian outside the Hotel with the skooma and he will invite you to his “special place” – Lorkmirs house in the Elven Gardens District – between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. He even gives you a key. This is the spot for your hit.

Another approach would be to follow Faelian and learn that he is in the abandoned house in the Waterfront District around 2-8 a.m. Then he wanders to Lorkmirs place around 11. Break in and explore while waiting for Faelian. The place has been plundered and Lorkmir has been knifed in the cellar.

A shorter approach would be to talk with the hotels hostess, Augusta Calidia, who confirms that Faelian lives with his rich girlfriend, Atraena. To further narrow the search for a discrete assassination location, talk to Atraena. She is a sad, pretty woman who spends all her time at the hotel. If she trusts you, she will tell everything. Kill Faelian finally and return to Ocheeva.

Reward: Gold
Enchanted Steel Bow (discretion bonus)

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Faction Quest: The Dark Brotherhood                                        Bad Medecine   

By aceball69

The Warlord Roderick  lays deathly ill in the mercenary stronghold of Fort Sutch- kept alive only by a potent medicine. Basically what you have to do is replace the medicine with the poison Ocheeva gives you- stay undetected as well.

Travel to Anvil, walk north along the Anvil-Kvatch road and, when the road turns east, cut north cross country. You will pass Lord Drad’s Estate and just down the slope to the north, you will see the fallen down Abbey Tower.

Once inside, you’ll see two guards: Neesha and Ulmog gro-Cromgog. You may think you have to sneak by these two, but in fact, you need them to open a locked gate behind you that leads to Roderick. Sneak up close enough to eavesdrop. When they are done talking, backpedal back up the hall and hide in the second niche in the side hall. They will not only open it, but will leave it open behind them. When Neesha veers left towards Roderick’s sick bed, you’ll see the medicine cabinet straight ahead.

Neesha stays at Roderick’s side while gro-Cromgog patrols around the cabinet. With a decent sneak skill and/or concealing magic, you should have little trouble.

Take the medicine and leave the poison substitute. Retrace your steps to the gate and exit via trap door.

Now, for those who don’t have the stats to sneak, there is still a way. One way would be to use concealing magic. Another way would be to wait until the guards open the gate and make a run for Roderick. Slash him and then drop into the big room below to make your exit.

Return to Ocheeva to complete the quest and receive your reward.

Reward: Leveled Gold
Deceiver’s Finery (if you remain undetected)

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