The Dark Brotherhood, a clandestine circle of assassins plotting in the shadows, represents one of the more macabre sides of Bethesda's famous title, Skyrim. By imbuing all the missions of this group of assassins with an aura of mystery, the game's developers have made it rather complex to enter the Brotherhood. This guide explains how to join the Dark Brotherhood of Skyrim.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Complete the "Innocence Lost" mission
Step 1. Get the mission "Talk to Aventus Aretino"
This quest will be added to your journal - under the "Miscellaneous" category - after talking to a character who will tell you about Aventus, a child who lives in Windhelm and is trying to summon the Dark Brotherhood. Follow one of these methods to get the "Talk to Aventus Arentino" mission.
- Talk to the city guards all the time.
- Talk to innkeepers or innkeepers, asking them if they've heard rumors about something new in town.
- Talk to orphans at Riften's Honorhall Orphanage.
Step 2. Set "Talk to Aventus Aretino" as an active mission
You will see a marker appear on the compass and on the map. This will make it much easier to find the baby. In the "Miscellaneous" section of your diary, move the cursor to "Talk to Aventus Aretino" and select the mission.
Step 3. Go to Aventus's house in Windhelm
Once you enter through Windhelm's main gate, go up the stairs on the right and pass the house on the right (Brunwulf Free-Winter's house). Immediately turn left, then pass Brunwulf Free-Winter's house. You will see a large arch. The entrance to Aventus's house is the door to the left of the arch (under the smaller arch).
- The walking journey is very adventurous and allows you to find ingredients for making potions along the way.
- Outside the main cities you can buy a horse to get around faster.
- Book a wagon ride; you can usually do this near the stables, where you can buy horses.
- You can also use fast travel if you've been to Windhelm in the past.
Step 4. Pick the lock on Aventus's house
The door has a beginner's lock, so you'll need to use a lock pick to open it.
Step 5. Talk to Aventus
He will assign you a mission: to kill Grelod the Gentile at the Orphanage of Honorhall.
Step 6. Go to Riften's Honorhall Orphanage
You can reach the city on foot, on horseback, by fast travel (if you have already visited it in the past) or by wagon. Once you pass the main gate of Riften, advance and take the wooden walkway on the left bypassing the Black Rovo Mansion. Honorhall Orphonotrophy is the part at the end of the path that passes the Mistveil Fortress.
Step 7. Kill Grelod the Gentile
Once inside, find the woman and kill her with the method of your choice. Don't worry about the children being present, they will be happy to see her dead.
If you don't attack anyone else inside the orphanage, killing Grelod is not considered a crime
Step 8. Go back to Aventus's house and give him the good news
This way, you will complete the mission.
Step 9. Wait 1 to 3 days of play
Continue your adventures for some time. Eventually, you will be stopped by a courier who will deliver you a letter. All it contains is the phrase "We know", written under a black hand, the symbol of the Dark Brotherhood.
Step 10. Sleep in a bed
You can do this using any bed in the game. Upon awakening, you will find yourself in an abandoned shed with Astrid, the leader of the Dark Brotherhood and three other prisoners tied up.
If you are not transported to the abandoned shed, wait a few days to play, then sleep again
Part 2 of 2: Complete the "With Friends Like These" mission
Step 1. Talk to Astrid
He will tell you to kill one of the prisoners. You can eliminate one, two, or all three.
- You can talk to the prisoners and hear their stories.
- Kill whoever you think deserves to die. Your decision has no impact on the game.
Step 2. Talk to Astrid
She will congratulate you and comment on your decision regarding the killing of the prisoners, then order you to meet her at the Shrine of the Dark Brotherhood.
Step 3. Go to the Shrine
It is located in the southwestern part of the map, just west of Falkreath.
Step 4. Activate the Black Door
This is the door with a skull, the entrance to the Shrine of the Dark Brotherhood. The door will ask you a riddle: "What is the music of life?".
Step 5. Select "Silence, brother" as the answer
This is the correct answer to the riddle and is the first option on the menu. The Black Door will reply "Welcome home", then it will let you enter the Sanctuary.
Step 6. Talk to Astrid
Once inside, find Astrid and talk to her, who will officially introduce you to the Dark Brotherhood.
At this point, you will be able to complete assassin contracts to earn money (usually a few hundred gold coins)
Advice
- Start using stealth mode early in the game, as many of the Dark Brotherhood missions rely on your ability to stay undetected.
- If it is a long time after completing the "Innocence Lost" mission and the courier still hasn't delivered the Brotherhood letter to you, try waiting somewhere for 24 hours of gameplay.
- Joining the Dark Brotherhood gives you the ability to complete new missions and earn unique weapons, armor, and followers.
- By completing the Dark Brotherhood missions, you will also get a black horse with bright red eyes called Shadowmere, who will become a reliable companion. Shadowmere has a lot of hit points, high stamina, and will help you in combat. If you lose it, it will reappear outside the Shrine of Dawnstar or outside the Shrine of the Dark Brotherhood.
Warnings
- Don't kill Astrid. Eliminating it will start the mission "Destroy the Dark Brotherhood!" and you will no longer be able to enter the Brotherhood.
- There is a bug that can prevent you from buying a house in Windhelm and that occurs, in some cases, once the mission "Innocence Lost" is started. By eliminating Grelod you can correct it, but it is possible that you will never be able to buy a house again, consequently missing the opportunity to become a thane. For this reason, try to become a thane before visiting Aventus.
