Thieves Guild (Skyrim)



"Our access to those bits of luck are what separates us from common bandits."

- Gallus Desidenius

The Thieves Guild is an organization of professional thieves based in Skyrim that provides mutual support for the illegal endeavors of its members and their clients. It is one of several factions that the Dragonborn can join in.

Background
Based in Skyrim and headquartered in The Ratway beneath the city of Riften, members of the Thieves Guild are renowned for causing trouble in the city and are held largely responsible for the corruption of the city's markets. Members of the guild specialize in stealing objects of varying value or loaning septims to potential entrepreneurs or to help someone pay off their debts, in hopes of a payback. Most citizens view them unfavorably; Mjoll the Lioness has made it her duty to maintain order in Riften and pledges to dismantle the guild. Maven Black-Briar, the affluent and unscrupulous owner of the popular Black-Briar Meadery, consorts with the guild in exchange for their financial aid and protection. The guild has an uncanny luck due to certain members striking up a deal with the Daedric Prince, Nocturnal, to serve as her guardians.

The guild has a strong hold in politics and law enforcement due to their ability to bribe, intimidate and extort the officials and guards of any hold by exploiting their greed or by threatening to reveal embarrassing and potentially damning secrets to the public.

Origins
Little is known about when and how the Thieves Guild of Skyrim was founded, but it is rumored to have been around as long as Riften has. As the Fourth Era continued, the Thieves Guild slipped further and further into obscurity and the members and regular clients began to leave (with the exception of Maven Black-Briar).

The guild was previously believed to be completely fictional; in, if asked about the guild, guards would simply state that there was no such thing. However, the Thieves Guild has become well known and, in fact, well renowned for their thievery and exploitation.

The guild has some close association with the Dark Brotherhood which becomes apparent in "The Silence Has Been Broken" quest for the Dark Brotherhood, in which the Dragonborn must bring an amulet given by Amaund Motierre to Delvin Mallory, a member of the Thieves Guild.

Second Century
In 4E 176, which is twenty-five years before 4E 201, when the quests of the Thieves Guild in Skyrim take place, the Thieves Guild was in a golden age. Their headquarters was a palace, in which they had their own blacksmith, alchemist, traders, fences, and many associates throughout Skyrim. The Thieves Guild was very powerful and dominant and was feared and respected by most of Skyrim. Even with the Guild being in a Golden Age, the Guildmaster Gallus Desidenius was slowly and carefully organizing and planning long-term heists which included heists on museums, art galleries, stores, and government treasuries in an effort to continue and strengthen the Guild's presence in Skyrim. One of these heists included the heist of the Eyes of the Falmer, which required a deep understanding of the Falmer and their language and writing system.

Third Century
By 4E 201, the Guild was in havoc and was falling apart, with the people of Skyrim becoming bolder and less fearful of the organization. The Guild had made plans to bring itself back to its former glory and establish itself as a major faction in Skyrim. A great number of small jobs were needed to be completed; this was followed by the completion of a contract by a notable person found in Whiterun, Solitude, Windhelm and Markarth. A special request was not needed to be completed in Riften, because the Thieves Guild already had a major presence in the city and was preeminently dominant throughout the area.

Nocturnal's Curse
When the first group of Nightingales sought guidance from Nocturnal, she accepted, but in return, the Guild would have to keep the Skeleton Key safe in its chamber. However, when Mercer Frey secretly assassinated the current Guildmaster Gallus and took the key from its chamber, the Guild lost Nocturnal's favor. The curse was then activated, causing the Guild to go to a state of decay and ill-repute among their clients.

Shadowmarks
One of the major aspects of the Thieves Guild in Skyrim was their use of a code that the members of the Guild used to communicate with each other without speaking. This unique code is known as Shadowmarks. The code was composed of nine different symbols each with their own meaning. These Shadowmarks were commonly placed on door-frames on the fronts of buildings which indicated to a Guild member if the building was safe, dangerous, contained important items or loot, housed another member of the Guild or another thief, as well as other important uses that could help a Guild member or other thieves.

Connection with the Dark Brotherhood
The Thieves Guild has a strong connection with the Dark Brotherhood, and this is especially evident with the Dark Brotherhood and the Thieves Guild in Skyrim. Despite their differences in organization, purpose, and policies, the Thieves Guild and the Dark Brotherhood rely on each other for support. It is notable that Delvin Mallory and Astrid of the Brotherhood have had a good relationship, both as friends and as business associates.

Joining
To join the Thieves Guild the Dragonborn must enter Riften and speak to Brynjolf, a red-headed Nord male, who can be found during the day in the Riften Marketplace between 8:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m or in The Bee and Barb at night. Once the Dragonborn is within proximity, Brynjolf will automatically attempt to strike up a conversation in which the Thieves Guild prerequisite quest "A Chance Arrangement" can be started. Alternatively, in the evenings past 8:00 p.m., the Dragonborn can encounter Brynjolf at The Bee and Barb inn, at which time he will tell the Dragonborn to speak with him during the day at his stall in the Riften Marketplace.

Brynjolf, when encountered during the daytime, will give the Dragonborn instructions to steal Madesi's Silver Ring from the strongbox located under his stall and then plant it inside of the pocket of Brand-Shei, the local general stall owner. He is identified as the only male Dunmer in the crowd. Brynjolf will start a distraction by calling everybody within the area to listen to the story of his latest product that he is selling, which is obviously a ruse. During this time, carry out the plan as discussed with Brynjolf. Planting the ring will instantly end Brynjolf's tale he is telling to the crowd thus dispersing it. He will now tell the Dragonborn to meet him in the Ragged Flagon down in the Ratway to discuss membership.

Even if the Dragonborn fails to acquire the ring, joining the Guild is still possible because Brynjolf says he still believes the Dragonborn has what it takes despite failure of the quest. It will however make a few members of the guild treat the Dragonborn with more disdain, initially.

Main quests

 * 1) A Chance Arrangement
 * 2) Taking Care of Business
 * 3) Loud and Clear
 * 4) Dampened Spirits
 * 5) Scoundrel's Folly
 * 6) Speaking With Silence
 * 7) Hard Answers
 * 8) The Pursuit
 * 9) Trinity Restored
 * 10) Blindsighted
 * 11) Darkness Returns
 * 12) Under New Management

Small jobs
Delvin and Vex offer an unlimited number of radiant quests known as "jobs." The target item and location for each are generated randomly within Whiterun, Markarth, Windhelm, Solitude and Riften. Jobs can be accepted and denied at will. It is possible (and efficient) to run a job for Delvin and one for Vex simultaneously (the Tips section below has more information). The reward for each mission is leveled, between 50 and 800. After performing five small jobs in a single city, excluding Riften, a special job will be unlocked for it. Killing those crucial to the job results in a failure, and no payment is received. Since there are no count statistics provided for these jobs, the only ways to determine how many have been done are to go through the completed jobs in the quest log and read the objective for each, since they list the city in which the job was done, or to keep track manually.

With installed, jobs such as "The Bedlam Job" can also be generated in Raven Rock on Solstheim, although there are no special jobs nor city influence quests on the island.



Delvin Mallory's jobs

 * The Bedlam Job – Steal enough items to get a five hundred coin value within the assigned hold. Legally taking an item from a house may not count towards it.
 * A very effective method is stealing an expensive item, going to a secluded location, then dropping it and picking it up a few times. Each time the item is picked up it counts as theft.
 * An easy yet slightly rare method of reaching the required goal is to accept a 'Sweep Job' from Vex at the same time, and then quit and retake the jobs until they are both in the same city. When the sweep job is completed, the bedlam job will be done as well.
 * If the Dragonborn has not yet collected all of the Stones of Barenziah, finding and stealing one is enough to reach the goal by itself.
 * Another easy way is to steal from forges. 500 worth of something can easily be found.
 * Yet another easy way is to raid the palaces of the Jarls.
 * Depending on dragon attacks and what quests the Dragonborn has completed, there may be houses in each Hold which are no longer occupied due to NPC death. These houses will respawn loot. Example: Nepos' House is unoccupied after completing "The Forsworn Conspiracy," and contains enough loot to complete a bedlam job by itself.
 * Pickpocketing items does not count.
 * ​The Fishing Job – Pickpocket an item from a given target.
 * Can be difficult, but the quest item has usually a higher success percentage for pickpocketing than is normal, hence it is great training for this skill.
 * Saving before pickpocketing the item allows cases where the Dragonborn is caught to be forgotten.
 * These are also good jobs to take to unlock the Thief achievement.
 * A rather tricky fishing job is to steal Olava the Feeble's silver ruby ring, due to the fact that usually, when she is not asleep, she is sitting on a bench with almost no way to sneak up to steal her ring. However, one does not need to be completely hidden to successfully pickpocket.
 * The Numbers Job – Modify the ledger book at a given business. This is the easiest of Delvin's three jobs to complete. Near the ledger book, there might be a business safe box containing some.



Vex's jobs

 * The Burglary Job – Steal an item from a house.
 * Can be done during the day or night easily; as the owner either sleeps or is at work
 * The best time to do this sort of job is around 7:30 PM, as there is no one at home or on the street.
 * The Heist Job – Steal an item from a business.
 * If tried during the day the shop owner will most likely follow the Dragonborn around.
 * The Shill Job – Plant a stolen item in a character's home.
 * Similar to burglary. Relatively easy, considering that the only "illegal" part of the job is trespassing, and getting caught by the guards any time during it does not result in failure.
 * The Sweep Job – Steal three specific items from a house.

City influence quests
After completing five small jobs in a city (with the exception of Riften and Raven Rock), Delvin will offer a special job to restore Thieves Guild influence in that city. These quests can be taken in any order. The city influence quests are necessary in order to complete "Under New Management" and assume the title of Guildmaster. When they are all completed, the guild can return to its former glory. (However, before completing them all, see the bugs reported for "Under New Management.") Becoming Guildmaster allows access to the Guild Master's Tribute Chest.

Each city influence quest that is completed will add a merchant stall to the Ragged Flagon. In addition, the gold available to fences throughout Skyrim gradually increases as these quests are completed, up to a maximum of 4,000. The third and fourth city influence quests will each add a new recruit to the Guild as well: first Garthar, and then Ravyn Imyan.

While related, "Deliver Moon Sugar to Ri'saad" is not itself a city influence quest. It is given by Tonilia rather than Delvin Mallory, and is not a prerequisite for "Under New Management."

Merchants
Although these unlocked merchants work for the guild, they do not act as fences and therefore do not buy goods marked as stolen. (Note: If the Windhelm quest is completed before all others, Herluin Lothaire may move instead of Syndus.)

Tips
The fastest possible method for completion is to disable automatic saves (on Travel, on Character Menu), take Numbers jobs from Delvin and take Burglary jobs from Vex. These are the two fastest respective job types to complete. Once one has factored in time lost from repeated saving and reloading the latter tip actually takes longer than speedrunning.

Alternatively, one can save before getting a new job, then ask for "Bedlam Jobs" from Delvin and "Sweep Jobs" from Vex (Hint: to avoid going through the conversation again, it is best to save once the dialogue is finished, but before the quest objective appears). As long as they are in the same city, once the Sweep Job is done, "The Bedlam Job" will be completed as well, essentially completing two tasks at once. If it is in a city whose influence quest has already been completed, quick loading and trying again is suggested.

Another way is to quit the job Delvin and/or Vex assigned, then ask for the job again. Generally, there are no negative repercussions for quitting jobs, excluding the multiple failed missions in the quest log and the short disapproving dialogue after each quit job. However, if the Dragonborn quits a "Sweep Job" in one place and then gets that job again later, they risk having difficulties stealing the items since the new/latest rendered item could spawn inside the old item that is left from the first job. For example, the Dragonborn could get a jeweled pitcher inside another jeweled pitcher. On PC this can be resolved by using the console and simply  the outer/old item from the previously quit job.

It is also very helpful to keep track of how many jobs have been done in each of the four holds that matter (Whiterun, Haafingar, Eastmarch, and the Reach). This makes it easier to choose the jobs to be kept or dumped to keep the relative numbers balanced. For example, if jobs are done in three holds, and yet all five jobs are left to do in the other hold, then it can be tedious to wait to be given jobs in that hold.

On PC, it is also possible to avoid doing the jobs altogether as city influence quests can be started using the  console command. Each quest can be started by using the appropriate quest ID and setting the stage to 10.

Other quests

 * No Stone Unturned
 * Paid in Full

Advantages to joining the Guild

 * Access to the Thieves Guild headquarters.
 * A suit of Thieves Guild Armor and later the Guild Master's Armor.
 * Nightingale Armor, the Nightingale Blade, and the Nightingale Bow after proceeding up the ranks.
 * Three interchangeable unique powers once the Nightingale story arc is complete.
 * Access to Chillrend.
 * Fences who will buy stolen as well as regular goods and can carry larger amounts of gold (4,000 after completing all four improvement quests; they have 1,000  initially).
 * Chests ranging from novice to master for building up the Lockpicking skill.
 * Free gold and lockpicks lying around the headquarters.
 * Unlimited thievery radiant quests which reward gold.
 * Master-level training in Lockpicking (Vex), Archery (Niruin), Pickpocket (Vipir the Fleet), and Sneak (Delvin Mallory).
 * The Amulet of Articulation can be obtained once the main quest line and the guild improvement quests are completed.
 * Dialogue option to avoid conflict with thieves encountered on the roads, later upgraded to thieves paying the Dragonborn tributes. (This appears in the Thieves Guild Master's tribute chest directly in front of the desk located in the Cistern).
 * Guards can be bribed even if the Dragonborn does not have the bribe perk.
 * When confronted by a guard, the Dragonborn can pay half of the bounty in the current city, stolen goods are kept, and the bounty is cleared. (Only if the city influence quest for that city is complete)
 * The Skeleton Key, an unbreakable lockpick (temporary).
 * The only way to learn one of the words of the Disarm shout is to complete the first six primary quests.

Trophy cases


Various unique items can be stolen during the Thieves Guild quests and sold to Delvin. As each is collected and sold to Delvin, they will be displayed on the shelves behind Mercer's Desk where they can freely be taken or left as decoration. By following the quest line, the items appear in the following order:
 * Queen Bee Statue in Goldenglow Estate
 * Honningbrew Decanter in Honningbrew Meadery
 * East Empire Shipping Map in East Empire Company Warehouse
 * Model Ship in Snow Veil Sanctum
 * Dwemer Puzzle Cube in Calcelmo's Laboratory in the Dwemer Museum in Markarth
 * Bust of the Gray Fox in Riftweald Manor in Riften
 * Left Eye of the Falmer in Irkngthand

Trophies also appear for completing a certain number of jobs assigned by Vex and Delvin:
 * Jeweled Candlestick appears after 5 jobs are completed.
 * Ornate Drinking Horn appears after 15 jobs are completed.
 * Golden Ship Model appears after 25 jobs are completed.
 * Golden Urn appears after 35 jobs are completed.
 * Jeweled Goblet appears after 45 jobs are completed.
 * Jeweled Flagon appears after 55 jobs are completed. (May receive Pitcher instead of the Flagon)
 * Jeweled Pitcher appears after 75 jobs are completed. (May receive Flagon instead of the Pitcher)
 * A safe appears after 125 jobs are completed. It contains random loot and sometimes special thief potions that improve the Dragonborn's stealth skills.

Finally, the Crown of Barenziah is placed on the bust between shelves upon completion of the mission "No Stone Unturned."

Thieves

 * Mercer Frey – Guild Master
 * Brynjolf – Second-in-Command
 * Delvin Mallory – Senior Member. Gives Small Jobs and Special Jobs, Master Sneak Trainer, sells upgrades to Dawnstar Sanctuary
 * Vex – Senior Member. Gives Small Jobs, Master Lockpicking Trainer
 * Tonilia – Fence
 * Sapphire – Appears around the Bee and Barb before "Speaking With Silence," wanders the Cistern after
 * Cynric Endell – Former Jailbreaker
 * Niruin – Master Archery Trainer
 * Rune – Member
 * Thrynn – Former Bandit
 * Vipir the Fleet – Master Pickpocket Trainer
 * Garthar – Joins after completing three Special Jobs for Delvin Mallory
 * Ravyn Imyan – Joins after completing four Special Jobs for Delvin Mallory; Morag Tong member
 * Etienne Rarnis – After completion of the quest "Diplomatic Immunity," when he is freed from the Thalmor
 * Molgrom Twice-Killed – Located in the Riften Jail
 * Thief – Unnamed thieves in Riften and other various places, they attempt to steal items from one of the stalls, leading to their swift death at the hands of a Hold Guard.
 * Karliah – Nightingale

Associates

 * Vekel the Man – Runs the Ragged Flagon
 * Dirge – The Ragged Flagon's bouncer, the brother of Maul
 * Syndus – Arrows and weapons merchant
 * Herluin Lothaire – Alchemy merchant
 * Arnskar Ember-Master – Blacksmith and armor and weapons merchant
 * Vanryth Gatharian – Armor and weapons merchant
 * Gulum-Ei – Fence, external associate of the Guild and "inside man" for the East Empire Trading Company
 * Enthir – Fence and external associate of the Guild
 * Niranye – Fence and external associate of the Guild
 * Endon – Fence and external associate of the Guild
 * Mallus Maccius – Fence and external associate of the Guild
 * Athel Newberry – Associate
 * Glover Mallory – Blacksmith of Raven Rock, Delvin Mallory's brother, Sapphire's biological father
 * Erikur – Supporter of the Guild
 * Cruel-Sea Clan- Supporters of the Guild
 * Battle-Born Clan – Supporters of the Guild
 * Black-Briar Family – A powerful and rich family centered in Riften; they have a dominant presence in Riften and throughout most of Skyrim. The matriarch of the Black-Briar Family, Maven Black-Briar, has ties with both the Dark Brotherhood and the Thieves Guild, as well as having a source of the power behind the political, economic, social, and cultural affairs of Riften. If the Imperial Legion takes over the Rift, she later becomes the Jarl of Riften, and with it, allows the corruption in Riften to stay and expand and allows the Thieves Guild to operate freely without prevention, and even going so far as to help them with their operations.

Trainers

 * Delvin Mallory: Master Sneak trainer
 * Niruin: Master Archery trainer
 * Vex: Master Lockpicking trainer
 * Vipir the Fleet: Master Pickpocket trainer

Fences
Fences buy stolen goods. There are a total of nine different fences throughout Skyrim, including each Khajiit caravan:

Alumni

 * Gallus Desidenius - Previous Guildmaster

Armor sets
When completing quests in the Thieves guild questline, the Dragonborn can obtain five different armor sets.
 * Thieves Guild Armor (Obtained after "Taking Care of Business")
 * Guild Master's Armor Set (Obtained after "Under New Management")
 * Nightingale Armor (Obtained during "Trinity Restored")
 * Linwe's Armor Set (Obtained during "Summerset Shadows")
 * Blackguard's Armor (Obtained after completing both of Glover Mallory's requests, only in )
 * A full set of Thieves Guild Armor can be found on the shelves in the training room in the Cistern. The pieces of the set respawn over a period of time.

Expulsion from the guild
Thieves caught attacking other guild members or one of their associates are removed from the guild and none of the members speak to them. To rejoin the guild, speak to Vex, who will charge a fee of 1000

Trivia

 * Guards will occasionally mention that they know the Dragonborn is a member of the guild.
 * Occasionally, after joining the Thieves Guild, a random event occurs where an unnamed thief will attempt to lockpick a door in any city. Guards will attack the thief until they are dead or escape. The thief will never attack the Dragonborn, and they can be killed without any repercussions.
 * In the small training room in the Cistern, there are chests for each level of difficulty. These chests contain leveled loot, and will respawn after a few in-game days, providing the Dragonborn with a good source of money and training.
 * A book written by Delvin Mallory can be found in the Ragged Flagon and the Cistern, called Shadowmarks. Shadowmarks are carvings into buildings near their main doorways, and are very handy in pointing out locations around cities that have good loot.
 * Unlike the other factions, namely the Companions and the College of Winterhold, none of the Thieves Guild members can be married. This is also true with the Dark Brotherhood.
 * Sometimes when wandering out in the woods, the Dragonborn might be confronted with a thief from the Thieves Guild, who will attempt to rob them. The Dragonborn can mention they are from the guild, making the thief sheath their weapons and say how they remember seeing them in and around the Flagon or if the Dragonborn is wearing the Nightingale Armor, the thief will proceed to recognize it and offer their "share" of the deal.
 * If the Dragonborn gets rid of the Thieves Guild Armor that is obtained when entering the guild, then Tonilia will be lost as a fence when it comes time for her to upgrade the guild armor.
 * In the small training room it is possible to find another complete set of Thieves Guild Armor scattered around the room. The only piece not in plain sight is the armor on top of the cupboard closest to the targets. The boots are on a shelf, the hood in the far left corner of the room on the end table, and the gloves can be located on the barrels behind the chest.
 * No relationships in the guild are altered if the Dragonborn chooses to destroy the Dark Brotherhood, which is unusual as the two factions are rather closely associated. All NPCs within the guild will act normally towards the Dragonborn even if this is what they choose to do.
 * M'aiq the Liar is classified as a member of this faction.
 * After completing Tonilia's request to deliver the moon sugar to Ri'saad, she will speak from the voice of a different voice actor when spoken to in order to finish the quest.
 * The first member of the Thieves Guild one will see upon entering Riften for the first time is Sapphire.