Dark Brotherhood (Skyrim)

The Dark Brotherhood is a group of assassins for hire that carry out contracts in the name of Sithis. Their headquarters in Skyrim is the Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary, located near Falkreath.

Before you join the Brotherhood in Skyrim, you may be attacked by some of their assassins. If you loot their bodies, you will find a note stating that, "The Black Sacrament has been performed", and that payment has already been received for the contract.

Background
The Dark Brotherhood has been operating in Tamriel for many centuries, at one time having many clandestine sanctuaries across the Empire. They worship Sithis, the avatar of entropy and chaos, as well as the Night Mother, who is the spiritual leader of the Dark Brotherhood. The Dark Brotherhood is called upon by those in need of their deadly services through a ritual called The Black Sacrament.

Joining/Destroying the Dark Brotherhood
While on your travels in Skyrim, go to any inn, ask for the latest gossip from the innkeeper. The innkeeper may tell you that there is a child trying to perform the Black Sacrament in Windhelm.

If you happen to be in Riften, speak to a man named Maul. He will be standing against a post to the left as soon as you enter the city. After sharing some tough words with you, he gives you information on both the Thieves Guild, and the Dark Brotherhood; for a price, of course (if you pass a persuasion or intimidation speechcraft test, this information is free).

Alternatively, you can talk to Idesa Sadri inside Candlehearth Hall in Windhelm and ask about a cursed child performing the Black Sacrament. Idesa can also be overheard talking to Grimvar Cruel-Sea about the child, Aventus Aretino, outside the Aretino Residence.

Aventus can be found performing the Black Sacrament inside the Aretino Residence. The child will offer you the Innocence Lost quest, which will lead to the quest With Friends Like These....

After Innocence Lost has been completed, a courier will appear and give you a note with the imprint of a black hand and the words "We know." written beneath it. If you do not receive the note, wait for a couple of days. Once you receive the note, sleep in any bed. Thereafter, you are abducted by a Dark Brotherhood Assassin, taken to an Abandoned Shack, and asked to kill one of three people in the room (With Friends Like These... ). Killing one, two, or all of the potential victims will earn you an invitation to join the Dark Brotherhood. You may also take the opportunity to destroy the organization by attacking the Dark Brotherhood representative, Astrid. This will initiate the quest Destroy the Dark Brotherhood! (This is the only chance you will get to destroy the dark brotherhood, because after you join their/your members are otherwise unkillable.)

Dark Brotherhood Quests

 * Delayed Burial
 * Innocence Lost
 * With Friends Like These...
 * Sanctuary
 * Contract: Kill Beitild
 * Contract: Kill Narfi
 * Contract: Kill Ennodius Papius
 * Mourning Never Comes
 * Sentenced to Death
 * Whisper In The Dark
 * Contract: Kill Lurbuk
 * Contract: Kill Hern
 * The Silence Has Been Broken
 * Contract: Kill Deekus
 * Contract: Kill Kill Ma'randru-jo
 * Contract: Kill Anoriath
 * Bound Until Death
 * Breaching Security
 * The Cure For Madness
 * Recipe For Disaster
 * To Kill An Empire
 * Death Incarnate
 * Hail Sithis!
 * Where You Hang Your Enemy's Head
 * The Dark Brotherhood Forever

Dawnstar Sanctuary
Upon finishing Hail Sithis!, the Dark Brotherhood quest line will be complete. However, you may report back to Nazir to retrieve other minor quests that do not have significance to the faction's storyline and the player also gains access to The Dark Brotherhood Forever quest from the Night Mother which loops indefinitely, rewarding 500-1200 gold per assassination. At this point, you will also unlock the Dawnstar Sanctuary since the hideout near Falkreath has become uninhabitable.

Once you inform Nazir of the move to the Dawnstar Sanctuary, he will give you the following quest: Where You Hang Your Enemy's Head. This quest is not essential, but allows you to furnish the faction's new headquarters. Nazir will tell you of Delvin Mallory, a man who is able to acquire and sell you the furnishings that will make the Dawnstar Sanctuary habitable. These furnishings include a fully stocked laboratory and a master bedroom which can be used to store your items. After the sanctuary has been entirely outfitted, Nazir will recruit two more Dark Brotherhood members. Both of these new members can be found around the hideout and may be recruited as your companions. The total upgrade of the sanctuary will cost you 19,000 septims, allowing you to use the 20,000 septim reward for completing the Hail Sithis! quest to pay for the improvements.

Dark Brotherhood Apparel
Something that the Dark Brotherhood is recognized for is their Shrouded Armor, which gives strong bonuses to many skills that are necessary to being a good assassin. For example, if you combine the Shrouded gloves (2x damage with backstab) with the Sneak perk Assassin's Blade (Level 50 sneak required, gives sneakattacks with daggers 15x damage.) you will be able to one hit many enemies. If you one hit an enemy it will prove in a 3rd person or 1st person assassination animation. (To so examples, watch this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOafwkHzz9E)

Notable Members

 * Astrid
 * Nazir
 * Cicero
 * Babette
 * Gabriella
 * Festus Krex
 * Arnbjorn
 * Veezara
 * The Night Mother