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It Takes a Thief Sometimes

Protected by some and reviled by others, the Thieves Guild has long influenced the political landscape of Skyrim from their secret base in the sewers of Riften. Bribery and extortion are used quite effectively to sway the powerful and manipulate markets to their favor and the favor of those they contract with.

Knowing this, acquiring as many assets as possible goes a long way towards your advancement within the ranks of this secret society. Let's take a look at several ways to build up your inventory of stolen treasures and ill-gotten loot.

Stones of Barenziah Locations

Find Vex in The Ragged Flagon and return to her when you have all 24 stones.

Vex will first have you travel to Tolvald’s Cave, in which you have to find the Crown of Barenziah at the end.

Bring the crown back to Vex and she will imbue you with the perk Prowler’s Profit, which increases the rate of gems found in Skyrim.

Where to Do the Radiant Quests

In order to become the Guild Master and acquire all available fences in cities, you must do five Radiant Quests each in these four cities:

1. Markarth
2. Solitude
3. Whiterun
4. Windhelm

Once you reach five quests in a particular city, speak with Delvin and he will inform you of a quest for an influential member of the stronghold.

NOTE: All initial jobs need to be done in stealth and without killing anyone.

City Influence Quests

As you complete the 5 Radiant Quests per city and finish the quests for the future fences of the town, you get benefits for helping the Thieves Guild further its reach.

• One City Quest Finished= Fences have 1500 available gold and new archery merchant in Riften.
• Two City Quests Finished=Fences have 2250 available gold and new blacksmith merchant in Riften.
• Three City Quests Finished=Fences have 3000 available gold and new apothecary in Riften.
• Four City Quests Finished=Fences have 4000 available gold and armorsmith in Riften.

In each city that you complete the City Quest, you will be able to bribe and persuade guards to take care or overlook crimes.

If you wish to pay off a bounty without losing your stolen items, you can barter bounties for half price with guards as well.

Finally, Thieves Guild Shadowmarks appear in town on barrels with random treasures that refill.

Silver Lining (City Quest for Markarth)

Objectives:

• Speak to Endon the Silversmith
• Enter Pinewatch
• Recover Endon’s Silver Mold
• Return to Endon

Speak with Delvin after completing at least five Radiant Quests in Markarth. He will direct you to Endon, who needs help with some bandits.

Find Pinewatch and head to the locked house on your map. Break into the average lock (while hidden from view, of course), and do with Rhorlak what you need to in order to open the fake cabinet across from the fireplace. Head through the next open room and find the entrance to the Sanctuary inside.

Kill or sneak past some bandit ahead and head west to find a bandit camp. Take down Rigel Strong-Arm and take the keys from her to access the next room through a wooden door.

Sprint quickly across this bridge and dodge the traps ahead to find the room containing your target item, Endon’s Silver Mold, and the Silver Candlestick you can sell to Delvin back in the Ragged Flagon.

Leave the cave and make your way back to Endon in Markarth to complete the quest and unlock him as a Fence. He is generally walking around on the path leading towards Vindrel Hall, the purchasable home in town.

The Dainty Sload (the City Quest for Solitude)

Objectives:

• Speak with Erikur
• Acquire Balmora Blue
• Plant the Balmora Blue
• Return to Erikur

After completing 5 additional quests in Solitude, speak with Delvin and he will tell you about a man named Erikur in Solitude.

Erikur needs you to plant some contraband on the captain of the Red Wave, a ship found outside of Solitude.

To get the Balmora Blue, find Sabine on one of the ships in the East Empire Company Warehouse and either buy it or steal the key to find a safe containing it in the basement of the ship.

You must be careful on your way to the safe, as anyone who sees you will automatically attack you. Wipe them out if you want, but get the item from the safe under the water close to Sabine however you choose.

Head over to the Dainty Sload, where you must find your way to the chest in the Captain’s quarters. The easy method is to head in and kill everyone on board, but you can also attempt to sneak into the room in the bowels of the ship if you can.

After you plant the Balmora Blue, head back to Erikur in Solitude to finish the quest and open Erikur as the fence of the town.

Imitation Amnesty

Objectives:

• Speak to Olfrid Battle-Born
• Steal the Letter Incriminating Arn
• Forge the Prison Registry
• Return to Olfrid Battle-Born

After finishing 5 additional quests for Whiterun, Delvin will tell you to head to Dragonsreach to steal an important letter and forge it in order to save someone important to Olfrid Battle-Born in town.

Try not to make anyone mad and stealthily head towards the Jarl’s private quarters to steal the Letter from Solitude.

Return the letter to Olfrid to unlock him as a fence in Whiterun.

Summerset Shadows

Objectives:

• Speak to Torsten Cruel-Sea
• Speak to Niranye
• (Optional) Discover Leverage to Sway Niranye
• Travel to Uttering Hills Cave
• Recover Fjolti’s Silver Locket
• (Optional) Destroy the Summerset Shadow’s Banner
• Return to Torsten Cruel-Sea

After completing 5 additional quests for Windhelm, Delvin will point you towards Torsten Cruel-Sea in the area around the house of his family.

Find Niranye in town and attempt to get information from her through persuasion or intimidation. If you are unable to get her to talk the first time around, you can find a note in her safe in the basement of the House of Clan Cruel-Sea to make her reconsider.

After she gives you some information about the Summerset Shadows in Uttering Hills Cave, head over that way to look for the missing locket for Torsten.

Head down a staircase outside to find the entrance to the thieves’ eating area. If you want to, set fire to the banner and then find Linwe in a room off the main area.

Kill him and take the locket (and any of his named thieves armors) off him and return it to Torsten in Windhelm.

If you didn’t kill Niranye, she is now a fence inside Windhelm. You can find her at her stall in the market or at her home in the southwest of town.

Leadership Quest: Under New Management

After you complete 5 additional quests and their subsequent city quest for each of the towns of Windhelm, Whiterun, Solitude, and Markarth, and also completing the main questline ending with the Thieves Guild Quest – Darkness Returns, speak with Brynjolf about becoming the new leader of the Thieves’ Guild.

Meet the group in the center of the Cistern for a small ceremony and presentation of a few items.

Speak with Tonilla afterward and she will give you the Guild Master’s Armor, and now you have access to the Tribute Chest in the area, which is refilled with sellable gems and gold.

Moon Sugar Rush

If you speak with Tonilla after becoming a member of the Thieves Guild, she will ask you to deliver a bag of Moon Sugar to a road merchant named Ri’saad.

If you do this, any Khajiit caravaners you may run across will now buy stolen goods from you.

Serve Nocturnal well, Boss.

Becoming Thieves Guild Master Video

The Thieves Guild or The Dark Brotherhood

© 2018 Hal Gall