Death Incarnate

Walkthrough
This quest begins once you complete Dark Brotherhood Quest: To Kill An Empire.

Sanctuary
Commander Maro’s men have found your secret sanctuary and are currently ransacking it. This terrible sight becomes all-too real as you enter the road close by the Sanctuary entrance, where at least four Penitus Oculatus Agents are milling about. You can:

Engage them in furious and brutal combat, slaying them all where they stand for desecrating your home.

You can sneak to the Sanctuary entrance without being spotted, ignoring the enemy so you can save your fury for the foes inside the Sanctuary or you can just kill them all; your followers will likely engage them anyway. Head for the Black Door and quickly enter your home. There is a thick sheen to the air. Force (or sneak) your way down to where you usually meet Astrid. Here, you’ll face two Penitus Oculatus Agents.



If you’re silent, you can overhear them talking about the spreading fire inside the Sanctuary and how an agent named Arcturus led some men deeper into the Sanctuary.

Kill the foes quickly, and watch out when you’re using fire-based attacks; the area is awash in spilled oil. The only way is down, into the flaming grotto, with more fighting against agents.

You’ll see the last moments of Arnbjorn’s life; now in werewolf form, he tears into two agents before being felled by arrows. There is nothing you can do to save him (it is actually possible to kill all of his attackers, though in that case, he will simply fall over dead). Quickly locate the dining hall, where Nazir (the only remaining Dark Brotherhood member you’ve found alive so far) is battling with more agents.

Nazir
Arcturus, one of Maro’s henchmen, is attempting to murder Nazir, so bound over to Nazir’s location and help him dispatch the Imperial. Next, kill any other agents who are near to either of you, then quickly stop to tell Nazir about the setup. Nazir had already figured this out. There’s little time for chitchatting; you need to flee the Sanctuary before you’re roasted.

Embrace the Night Mother
Follow Nazir to the southeast, into the connecting corridor above the stained-glass window. Amid the turmoil and flames, the Night Mother calls to you. She tells you to embrace her, as she is your only salvation.

Cut down any foes on your way to opening the iron door to the south, and enter the Night Mother’s chamber. Open her sarcophagus, step inside, and fall asleep. Nazir causes her coffin to fall through the window.



You survive in the coffin, and that gives Nazir a way out. It appears Nazir and Babette are maneuvering the coffin into an upright position. Just before the doors open, the Night Mother tells you to speak with Astrid, here in the Sanctuary.

The Dread Lord Beckons
As you step out of the coffin, Nazir tells you to slow down. You can reply in whatever way you wish, but moments later, you should move out of the grotto and up the stone stairs to the south, past the charred remains of the entrance chamber.

Turn right (west) and head north, where Astrid is waiting. Or more accurately, burned beyond recognition, surrounded by a flickering candle configuration used in the Black Sacrament. Astrid is almost unrecognizable but has much to say, and only moments left to say it. She betrayed you to the Penitus Oculatus, in return for their promise to spare the Dark Brotherhood.



You may react with seething rage, pity, or silence. Astrid knows what she has done was an unforgivable mistake, and the Dread Lord Sithis shall judge her accordingly. She also knows that there is still a chance, that you could rebuild the Dark Brotherhood and start over again.

She enacted a Black Sacrament and prayed for a contract. You lead this family now. Her Blade of Woe is yours, to see through the transfer of power, which is achieved by killing her. Killing her with your own weapon or the Blade of Woe does not matter.

Step over to Astrid’s ruined form and swiftly end her life. Although she wishes you to take the Blade of Woe, it isn’t necessary to kill her with it (but the weapon is well worth using from this point on). Once Astrid has found redemption in the Void, return to the Night Mother’s sarcophagus. Your rebuilding of the Dark Brotherhood begins now.

Items gained: Blade of Woe

Black Screen
A common bug on xbox 360 and PS3 during this mission is encountered when you enter the Night Mother's sarcophagus. Sometimes you will see a black screen and the game will appear to freeze. Sometimes it takes several minutes to go away, sometimes installing the game to your hard drive can stop it from happening, as can uninstalling it if you had it installed already. It is recommended that you save the game right before you enter, as you can just reload the save if you encounter a problem. Also if you click the backbutton while there is a black screen and wait for an hour or two the quest might continue.
 * Solution: A way to get through the bug is to press the "Xbox" button to open up the Xbox Guide a few times as soon as you enter the casket. Open and close it until you hear some movement and talking and then hearing that means it worked. If this doesn't work, disconnect the controller power supply and then reconnect it. Then press the "Xbox" button. (Works in most cases.)

Shadowmere
Shadowmere might wander erratically away from the entrance to the sanctuary or even disappear from the game if you park him outside the sanctuary during this quest.

Shadowmere may also attack you upon leaving the sancuary (only been reported in PS3)