Dark Brotherhood (Skyrim)

The Dark Brotherhood is a group of assassins who are willing to assassinate anyone that they are paid to.

Before you join them in Skyrim you may have to kill one or two of their assassins. If you loot their bodies you will find a note stating that somone wants you dead and that they have already paid.

Background
The Dark Brotherhood has operated in Tamriel for centuries, having many clandestine sanctuaries across the Empire. They worship Sithis, the serpent god 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."

This faction's operations in Skyrim are based out of a sanctuary located in the Pine Forests in the hold of Falkreath, west of the city. They are powerful, and it may be best to avoid their quests until you have leveled up a few times.

Notable Members:


 * Astrid


 * Nazir


 * Cicero


 * Babette


 * Gabriella


 * Festus Krex


 * Arnbjorn


 * Veezara


 * The Night Mother

Joining/Destroying the Dark Brotherhood
While on your travels in Skyrim, go to any inn and ask for the latest gossip. The innkeeper will tell you that there is a child trying to perform the Black Sacrement in Windhelm. If you happen to be in Riften, speak to a man named Maul. He will be standing against a post 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.

You could alternatively talk to Idesa Sadri inside Candalhearth Hall in Windhelm and ask about a cursed child performing the Black Sacrement. Idesa can also be overheard talking to Grimvar Cruel-Sea about the child, Aventus Aretino, outside the Aretino Residence. Aventus Aretino can be found inside the Aretino Residence, which has a novice-level lock. 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 the Dark Brotherhood, taken to an Abandoned Shack, and asked to kill one of three people in the room (With Friends Like These... ). Killing one 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!.

Dark Brotherhood Contracts
Upon visiting the Brotherhood's secret sanctuary, Astrid will inform you that she doesn't have a primary contract for you and instructs you to speak with Nazir for work. Nazir will give you the first three Dark Brotherhood contracts:

Contract: Kill Narfi

 * Narfi is the crazed beggar living in the ruined house in Ivarstead.
 * He does give you a completely different quest, so unfortunately if you don't finish that quest before even starting the contract, you won't be able to finish it, as the only speech options will be Dark Brotherhood related.

Contract: Kill Ennodius Papius

 * Ennodius Papius is located at a camp near Anga's Mill (west of Windhelm).

Contract: Kill Beitild

 * Beiltid can be found at Dawnstar at the far north of Skyrim. She is located on the east side of town and wanders between her house and the smelter.

Once you've completed the first three contracts you can speak to Astrid to get your first "primary" contract.

Mourning Never Comes

 * 1) Speak with Astrid
 * 2) Talk to Muiri in Markarth.
 * 3) Kill Alain Dufont
 * 4) Kill Nilsine Shatter-shield (Optional)

Whispers in the Dark

 * 1) Talk to Astrid about Cicero's possible treachery and suspiciousness
 * 2) Hide inside the Night Mother's coffin and Eavesdrop on Cicero.
 * 3) You are appointed Listener of the Dark Brotherhood, by the Night Mother. The Night Mother then tasks you to go find Amaund Motierre in Voluruund
 * 4) Report back to Astrid and tell her what happened
 * 5) Astrid will then task you to go to Nazir to get more contracts while she thinks over what happened.

Contract: Kill Lurbuk

 * Lurbuk is an orc bard. He can be found in the Marthal Inn and will move to the back room eventually.

Contract: Kill Hern

 * Hern is a vampire located at Half-Moon mill (north of the Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary). During the day he can be found in the house adjacent to the mill. His female companion Hert is in the house with him so you'll need to kill them both. Hert will occasionally work at the lumber mill in the early mornings which leaves Hern vunerable in the Half-Moon mill. Hern will sometimes come out at night (Unknown if they move together or Hern is alone in each instance). Remember, vampire's are weak to fire.

The Silence Has Been Broken

 * 1) Speak with Astrid, she tells you to go speak with Amound Motierre
 * 2) Amound Motierre wants the Dark Brotherhood to kill several people, all of whom lead to a primary target - the Emperor himself.
 * 3) Report back to Astrid with the letter (you can open and read the letter beforehand; Astrid will comment about that before she sends you to kill Vic) and the amulet.
 * 4) Go to the Ratways in Riften and show Delvin Mallory the amulet.
 * 5) Report back to Astrid

Bound Until Death

 * 1) Go to the wedding of Vittoria Vici
 * 2) Kill Vittoria Vici (You get bonus for killing Vittoria while adressing the crowd)
 * 3) When you arrive, follow the pair up the in the door and kill her for bonus. Then get down fast and run away from the Guards. Get out of Solitude and fast travel back to Astrid.
 * 4) An alternative route is to get up on the wall above and behind her and her husband while she is addressing the crowd. There are stairs to get on the wall in in the courtyard outside and to the left of the yard where the wedding takes place. On the wall directly above her is a conveniently placed loose gargoyle which can be pushed on to her. This method has a much smaller risk of getting caught. There is also a doorway at the back in the courtyard leading up to a balcony right opposit of where she will speak. This is an excellent spot to shoot her from, and there is even a bow and arrows there.

Breaching Security

 * 1) Speak to Gabriella, she gives you a contract to kill Gaius Maro.
 * 2) She gives you a bonus contract to kill Gaius Maro, in one of the main cities.
 * 3) In order to do so, you must steal Gaius Maro's travel schedule in Dragon Bridge.
 * 4) Plant the Incriminationg Letter on Gaius Maro's body.
 * 5) Report back to Gabriella

The Cure For Madness

 * 1) Talk to Astrid. Cicero is now a traitor, and you must kill him.
 * 2) Search Cicero's room to find any leads to where is ran off too.
 * 3) Talk to Astrid, she tells you to go after her husband. Astrid also gives you her loyal horse; Shadowmere. Shadowmere cannot die, but it can be knocked down. (If this horse name sounds familiar its because Lucien Lachance gives it to you when you become his silencer. (In Oblivion.) It to was immortal, in the fact that whenever it died it would respawn outside the fort where you first see it.) (NOTE: Shadowmere did not "Die and respawn," it simply was knocked unconcious, also if he got knocked out and you didnt ride him as soon as he woke up, he would then run all the way back to the place you got him!)
 * 4) Locate Arnbjorn
 * 5) Talk to Arnbjorn
 * 6) Enter the Dawnstar Sanctuary where Cicero is located. The password for the sanctuary is "Innocence, my brother."
 * 7) Note that to get to Cicero you must pass through an elaborate set of traps and security sentinals
 * 8) *As you progress through the sanctuary you must deal with six seperate sets of enemies (most of whom are spirt sentinals)
 * 9) **The first enermy is a spirt sentinal who is stationed at the very beginning of the santuary, he is easily snuck passed)
 * 10) **The second enemy is just passed the first sential but located on the opposite side of the brightly lit bridge with has spike/spear traps. This bridge cannot be bypassed; the sentinal is most easily taken out with a sneak attack with a bow.
 * 11) **There are two sentinals located in a round room they can be easily taken out with more ranged sneak attacks. After you kill the sentinals you should sprint through the circle room as there will be a fire trap.
 * 12) **After the trap, you will enter a large, lit room with two sentinals waiting there. They will be facing your direction. If you are quick enough you will reach the room as the sentinels appear and may be able to take out one of the sentinels without alerting the other. the sentinal that can be taken out will appear from the left side of the dorr arch.
 * 13) **After this there is a frost troll that is extremely easy to sneak by, if you want to kill him I would stongly recommend that you use a fire spell, there are three fireball scrolls located behind a chest that is at a alter in the top section of the area that the troll is guarding.
 * 14) **Finally there is four more sentinals located in a well lit room.
 * 15) Kill Cicero, or leave the Sanctuary. Cicero begs for mercy and ask you to lie to Astrid that you killed him. (If you do not kill Cicero you will have the option to take him as a companion later on in the game.)
 * 16) Report back to Astrid
 * 17) And one more thing: The gear of Cicero has a value of over 2000-3000. Also the dagger is extremly powerful.

Recipe for Disaster

 * 1) Report to Festus Krex
 * 2) Question Anton Virane
 * 3) Kill Anton Virane
 * 4) Kill Balagog gro-Nolob
 * 5) (Optional) Drag Balagog's body to a hiding place
 * 6) Take Writ of Passage
 * 7) Report back to Festus Krex

To Kill an Empire
(Note: Be sure to remove all items you care about from the Pine Forest Sanctuary BEFORE completing this quest.)
 * 1) Report to Astrid
 * 2) Report to Commander Mare
 * 3) Report to Gianna while wearing a chef's hat
 * 4) Make the Patage le Magnifique
 * 5) Follow Gianna to the dining room
 * 6) Kill the Emperor
 * 7) Escape the tower!
 * 8) Return to sanctuary

Death Incarnate

 * 1) Enter the sanctuary
 * 2) Search for survivors
 * 3) Kill Nazir's attacker
 * 4) Speak with Nazir
 * 5) Escape the sanctuary
 * 6) Embrace the Night Mother
 * 7) Talk to Astrid

Hail Sithis!

 * 1) Talk to Nazir
 * 2) Talk to Amound Motierre
 * 3) Board the Katariah. You can board the Katariah through the anchor by swimming around to the back.
 * 4) Kill the Emperor!
 * 5) Report back to Amound Motierre
 * 6) Retrieve the payment (20,000 gold)
 * 7) (Optional) Kill Amound Motierre
 * 8) Report to Nazir

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. These quests are infinite and you may keep coming back for more. At this point, you will also unlock the Dawnstar Sanctuary since the hidehout 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 aquire 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 be 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.