Summary

Having been invited to join the Dark Brotherhood, you are given your first assassination target. You need to eliminate the target in the Inn of Ill Omen to get your formal invitation. Visit the Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary to begin the full quest itself.

Walkthrough

Invitation by Murder

The Hero can join the Dark Brotherhood after they’ve murdered someone. There are a LOT of ways to do this. These are some recommendations. When you kill an appropriate target, you will see the message, "Your killing has been observed by forces unknown..."

• The most common trigger in any play through is completing the Arena Questline, because it culminates with the murder of the Grey Prince.
• You can also use the Adoring Fan for this by agreeing to let them follow you and killing them in the forest.
• Murder respawning Followers (could result in Guild suspension)
• Kill Aelwin Merowald after you complete “Go Fish”.
• Kill Alga in Olav’s Tap and Tack in Bruma (she respawns but it still counts)
• Future target Alval Uvani (allows you to skip “A Matter of Honor”).
• Arena Foes: Hit them with a Fear or Demoralize spell THEN kill them for it to count
• Arnora Auria: After talking with Jorundr during “Two Sides of the Coin,” kill her without speaking to her (avoids a bounty)
• Caminalda: Attack Caminalda during Anvil Recommendation before she attacks you to avoid a bounty
• Captain Renault: During the Tutorial, Captain Renault is scripted to die, just kill her before that point.
• Glenroy: He becomes non-essential at the end of the Tutorial, so he can be killed then.
• Daedra: Daedra killed in Cylame count as murder within the Shivering Isles. This only counts before initating the attack during “The Cold Flame of Agnon.”
• Glarthir: Kill him behind the church while meeting with him. Will also complete the quest: “Paranoia”.
• Hirrus Clutumnus: Offers a quest to murder him, “Final Resting”
• Hrol Ulggar and Nivan Dalvilu: Mephala’s Daedric Quest requires their deaths and that you frame them for killing each other.
• Imperial Legion Forester: Two can be found between Bruma and Applewatch or randomly in your exploration.
• Roxanne Brigette: Kill her inside the Skooma Den in Bravil. She’s the only “resident” who reports crimes (but you still need to be wary of Visitors)
• Umbra: Kill her at any point, this will initate the Clavius Vile Daedric Quest
• Yellow Team Captain: Hit with a Demoralize/Fear (Khajiit Eye of Fear) to mark this NPC as a murder target.
• Mythic Dawn Agents: Killing any Mythic Dawn inside Hrota Cave can count as murder

Getting into the Dark Brotherhood

Once you’ve killed an innocent NPC (such as during the final quest in the Arena Storyline… or the Adoring Fan when they step in front of your swing), you will get a notification, “Your killing has been observed by forces unknown…” Once you get this message, you will want to find a place to go to sleep.

When you awake, you are offered to join the Dark Brotherhood by Lucien Lachance. You are given an assignment: Kill Rufio who’s hiding in the basement of the Inn of Ill Omen. Lucien will also give you your Blade of Woe.

• The Blade of Woe is a quest item so you won’t be able to remove from your inventory until you complete the Dark Brotherhood Questline.

Eliminate Rufio

Travel out along the Green Road, going North from Bravil. It doesn’t take long to reach the Inn of Ill Omen.

Talk to the publican, Manheim Maulhand, about Rufio. He will explain that Rufio is hiding down in the basement.

Rufio only appears in the basement of the Inn of Ill Omen when this quest has begun. He does have a simple schedule:

• 6am-2am – Sleep
• 2am-6am – Wanders Room

If you talk to Rufio, in the time he’s awake, he’ll run into the hallway. It’s much easier to slip in and sneak up on him while he’s asleep.

Sleep Again

Now that you’ve eliminated Rufio, you will need to sleep in a location that Lachance considers safe. Just rent a room in the Inn of Ill Omen (it’s a location where you can sleep and NOT have to level up). Or just sleep in Rufio’s bed.

You are visited by Lucien Lachance after you wake up. He will give you a response to a question you will be asked: “Sanguine, my Brother.” He then sends you to Cheydinhal to visit the Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary, you need to visit the Abandoned House there.

The Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary

Travel to Cheydinhal, going to the East Gate. Head to the South and look Eastward. You’ll find the Abandoned House. This is where you can to go in. The door’s Locked (Easy), so a small hiccup.

Inside the house, go over to the right. Head to the door underneath the stairs. This will bring you to the Abandoned Basement. Follow the hallway to its end and to the stone door. Interact with the Ancient Black Door to Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary. Just interact with the door and it will ask the question: “What is the color of night, Brother.” Respond: “Sanguine, my Brother.”

Once inside, you are sent to talk with Ocheeva, an Argonian. She welcomes you in, then directs you to talk with Vicente Valtieri because he gives assignments to new family members. She then gives you the Shrouded Hood and Shrouded Armor. Each gives a LOT of bonuses that can be very helpful for your assignments.

Rewards

• +1 Infamy
• Shrouded Armor and Hood
• Blade of Woe

Shrouded Hood

Shrouded Armor

Video Walkthrough