Summary

Accepting the first contract from Vicente Valtieri will give you the assignment to slay Gaston Tussaud. His ship is found in the waterfront district of the Imperial City. The Hero needs to slip onboard the ship, eliminate the captain, then report back to Vicente Valtieri.

Walkthrough

• The mini-quest “Welcome to the Family” is the prelude to this contract “A Watery Grave.”

Accept the Contract – Welcome to the Family

Make your way into the Cheydinhal Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary and find Vicente Valtieri. Ask him about a “Contract.” He will explain that someone has targeted Captain Gaston Tussaud.

Gather Information

Take a little time to talk with the other members of the Dark Brotherhood. Talking with the other

Infiltrate the Ship

There are 2 main ways to get into the ship the “Marie Elena.”

1. Stowaway – Sneak in using the crates that are getting loaded onto the boat.
2. The Balcony – Wait until nightfall and leap onto the balcony at the back of the ship.

Stowaway

Stowing away in a crate to be carried onto the ship is easier to execute but does take longer. Go along the walkway nearby the ship. Get to the end of the walkway and look to the crates. One of the crates will allow you to slip onto the ship by stowing away in it.

You arrive inside the ship and it’s time to start sneaking if you want to minimize the additional fatalities. Head forward along this walkway. You can search the sides to find a few chests to loot. Climb up the ladder to reach the Marie Elena Mid Deck.

On the Mid-Deck, turn to the North and start slipping down the hallway. You’ll hear a pair of pirates talking. They’re supposed to move along after some time (sometimes they don’t). If they do move on, great. Otherwise, quickly eliminate them and look along the left-hand side of this hallway. You’ll find the ladder leading up to the Captain’s Quarters.

The Balcony

Teinaava will make the suggestion of using this balcony. This is more demanding skill-wise, but very fast to execute overall. Wait until nightfall. Run and jump for the balcony.

Once you get on the balcony, you can easily slip over to the Locked Door (Very Hard).

The Captain’s Cabin

Inside this area, you need to head over to the Northern. You can easily see Gaston Tussaud here, usually. If you are coming in from the balcony, he’ll be right in front of you. If you’re coming up the ladder, just move a little to the right to see down into the cabin itself.

Gaston Tussaud’s Schedule:

• 6am-2pm – At his desk
• 2pm-8pm – Pacing his cabin
• 8pm-12am – Dinner
• 12am-6am – Sleeps in bed

Slipping in while he’s asleep makes things the simplest. But he’s not immediately hostile so you can approach him.

Once he’s eliminated, loot his body for his key. Be aware that a pair of pirates will come to check claiming they heard a noise no matter how quick and quiet the kill was.

Take some time to head to his bed after that. Look for the chest, Tussaud’s booty. You can find a large amount of gold. Look to the desk in this area and search for the rare book Fall of the Snow Prince and the Note there. Be sure to grab the Nirnroot on his dining table as well on your way out.

The door out from the cabin to the Waterfront District is Locked (Very Hard). But if you’ve taken the Captain’s Key, you can just open the door. Once outside, you can easily jump from the balcony onto the nearby shore.

Return to Vicente Valtieri

Make your way back to the Cheydinhal Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary. Go through the Abandoned House to reach it. Just final and talk with Vicente Valtieri.

Rewards

The Black Band

Video Walkthrough