Elder Scrolls: Best Dark Brotherhood Quests

For those who adore tranquil moments punctuated with intrigue, Bethesda’s games offer an appealing escape through the Dark Brotherhood.

This guild of assassins-for-hire is happy to have another blade in the dark, if you wish to join.

Under your mother’s instructions, you will be dispatched on covert missions, often involving assassinations for financial gain; however, on rare occasions, these tasks serve the purpose of improving Tamriel as a whole.

The secretive Dark Brotherhood isn’t encountered until the Tribunal expansion, but the Morag Tong, a guild of assassins more commonly known in your neighborhood, have the blessing of the Dunmer government. Though they maintain a clandestine nature like the Dark Brotherhood, their role remains essentially the same.

10. Kill Lurbuk

Too Much Of A Bad Thing

Game Skyrim
Questgiver Nazir
Location Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary

Once you become a member of any of the Elder Scrolls’ assassin guilds, you’ll be given several assignments and directives to eliminate Non-Player Characters scattered throughout the game. This can include powerful mages, influential leaders, formidable warriors… or in this instance, an exceptionally poor bard.

Questionably, just how off-key can one’s vocal performance be to secure a chart-topping single? I find this mission, with its preposterous premise, particularly amusing. The fact that it’s paired with another assignment to eliminate a bloodsucking creature only adds to the absurdity.

Someone seriously had it out for Lurbuk.

9. Execute Severa Magia

End The Competition

The creepy ruin of Ald Sotha, where Severa is hiding from your blade.
Game Morrowind
Questgiver Eno Hlaalu
Location Morag Tong Guildhall (Vivec)

In a manner similar to Morrowind, as the final stage of the Morag Tong’s storyline approaches, it’s time to wrap up rival factions. Grandmaster Eno Hlaalu instructs you to take out the Dark Brotherhood’s “Night Mother”, thereby solidifying your position as the dominant force in Vvardenfell, maintaining the bloody monopoly over the region.

In comparison to the Night Mother depicted in later games, Severa Magia takes on a role closer to the “Night Mother” who oversees the Dark Brotherhood’s Vvardenfell cell. Concealed deep within Ald Sotha’s lower levels, locating her is already a significant challenge, making the approach a substantial part of the struggle.

This mission takes you to one of Morrowind’s less complex ruins, but it boasts a powerful idea and an exceptional prize. Eno rewards you with the Black Hands Dagger – one of the game’s highest-damaging weapons because of its enchantments – upon informing you about Severa’s death.

8. Writ For Feruren Oran

Kill For Acceptance

Game Morrowind
Questgiver Eno Hlaalu
Location Morag Tong Guildhall (Vivec)

After locating the Morag Tong’s secret base within the Arena District of Vivec, their leader presents you with a challenge: a “writ.” To demonstrate your prowess and gain access to the guild, you must hunt down and eliminate the dark elf named Feruren Oran who resides in Vivec’s Hlaalu Canton. This deed will grant you entry into the Morag Tong.

In essence, it appears as though you’re engaging in a murder—but here’s the twist: if the guards discover you, Grandmaster Eno clarifies that the Morag Tong carries out sanctioned murders. Essentially, that writ functions like a “pass” for freedom from imprisonment post-Oran’s killing.

In my gaming experience, it makes perfect sense for this peculiar quest to fit right into the world of Morrowind. After all, Morrowind is all about immersing us in a bizarre land filled with alien cultures. Guess what? Even something as unconventional as legal assassinations can be found within its borders.

7. A Knife In The Dark

Joining The Brotherhood

Game Oblivion
Questgiver Lucien Lachance
Location Anywhere

As a gamer, I stumbled upon the Morag Tong, who seem to keep up a façade of respectability. But let me tell you, these assassins aren’t exactly friendly neighbors. To earn a spot among them, I found myself having to carry out an unspeakable act – I had to cold-bloodedly eliminate an innocent civilian.

Perform the task at hand, and you’ll find Lucien Lachance standing over you upon your next awakening. Fear not, for no reprimand is intended (at least not from Lucien). He’s intrigued by your murders and desires you to commit another one.

In the realm of Oblivion, The Dark Brotherhood stands apart as one of the cruelest factions without a hint of disguise. They eschew any facade of benevolence or striving for a better world. If you are a killer, they find your services appealing.

“A Knife in the Dark” sets the tone well for the game’s later Dark Brotherhood quests.

6. Bound Until Death

No Honeymoon Necessary

Game Skyrim
Questgiver Astrid
Location Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary (Falkreath)

In the captivating world of Skyrim, one intriguing assassination mission requires you to eliminate an Imperial woman during her wedding ceremony in Solitude. Rather than fostering unity between the loyalists and the Stormcloaks through this union with a Nord, your killing spree aims to exacerbate the already high tensions.

The numerous methods available for missing your mark, Vittoria Vici, is what adds an entertaining twist to this adventure. On a personal note, I particularly enjoy the tactic of placing the gargoyle statue on top of her.

This appears suspiciously as if it were staged. Not only do you earn extra points from Astrid for slaying Vici during her address, but it also enhances the public performance of the murder – and it’s an added bonus that you evade a bounty in the process.

5. Threads Of The Webspinner

Hunting Daedric Items

Game Morrowind
Questgiver Eno Hlaalu
Location Morag Tong Guildhall (Vivec)

Although it may seem like a typical collection mission, “Threads of the Webspinner” stands out as one of the exceptional fetch quests in the Elder Scrolls series. Just like the Stones of Barenziah in Skyrim, this quest tasks you with finding 27 items linked to Sanguine, a Daedric lord, which requires your exploration and investigation skills.

Unlike the Stones of Barenziah, these items prove beneficial even before completion of the quest. Each sanguine artifact serves as a potent enchantment, bestowing a 5-point boost to one of Morrowind’s 27 skills.

Instead, during regular Morag Tong assignments, you often come across these specific items. There’s no necessity to explore extensively across Vvardenfell. Simply focus on executing your targets, and make sure to return the “Sanguine” items back to Grandmaster Eno after each assignment.

Finish the job, and the protective deity of the guild, Mephala, will bless you with one of the game’s top spells. “Mephala’s Ability” offers you the exclusive means to enhance your attack power with the Fortify Attack spell effect.

Enhanced by Morrowind’s spell crafting features that make it stand out among other games in the series, this impact could prove to be extremely dangerous or harmful.

4. Innocence Lost

A Child’s Request

Game Skyrim
Questgiver Aventus Aretino
Location Windhelm

In stark contrast to my experience with Oblivion, the introduction to the Dark Brotherhood in Skyrim feels surprisingly understanding. Whispers in Windhelm guide me towards Aventus Aretino, a young man yearning for justice that seems to have been denied him in his orphanage. He asks for an assist in eliminating someone he considers a tormentor.

As stated by Aventus, a woman known as “Grelod the Kind” sternly looks after those under her care in Riften, taking pleasure in it with a hint of cruelty. If you comply with his demand to eliminate her, he will compensate you with a modest reward, according to him.

To put it differently, your action specifically attracts the notice of the Dark Brotherhood since you’ve taken their target. Interestingly enough, this act could provide you an opportunity to establish a connection with the Brotherhood, while simultaneously saving the orphans from further suffering.

3. Dark Brotherhood Attacks

Please, Just Let Me Sleep

Game Morrowind
Questgiver None
Location Anywhere

Although you can’t become a member of the Dark Brotherhood in Morrowind, the guild maintains a strong presence. Unfortunately, due to the Tribunal expansion, they may launch attacks whenever you attempt to rest.

1. Affirmatively, preventing recovery is a possible outcome.

2. Positively, such an occurrence isn’t confined to rural areas; cities, inns, and similar places can also be involved.

3. Negatively, regrettably, the guards will not offer assistance.

To halt the assaults, proceed with the primary quest of the Tribunal expansion and defeat the formidable boss residing in Mournhold. Keep in mind that even if your current character is fresh off the boat, these assassins could potentially target you.

Frustratingly intriguing indeed. There’s no denying it. On the brighter side, the assassins’ armor turns out to be rather pricey – a decent stash for beginners if you somehow succeed in taking one down.

2. The Purification

Assassinate Your Friends

Game Oblivion
Questgiver Lucien Lachance
Location Fort Farragut

It appears there’s a traitor hiding among the Dark Brotherhood members at the Cheydinhal Sanctuary, and your friend Lucien Lachance isn’t aware of their identity. The best strategy seems to be eliminating everyone in the sanctuary as a precautionary measure.

In any tale set within the Dark Brotherhood, this particular quest stands out as one of the bleakest moments. It’s an ideal fit for the assassin guild in Oblivion, given its sinister undertones. The act of eliminating allies and benefactors is far from easy, serving as a stark reminder of Lucien’s ruthless ambition.

Which may be relevant to later quests, when the traitor’s true identity becomes revealed.

1. Hail Sithis!

Et Tu, Dovahkiin?

Game Skyrim
Questgiver The Night Mother
Location Dawnstar Sanctuary

Whenever an emperor passes away, it’s quite a significant event. In the game Skyrim, you get the chance to make your mark on history forever by eliminating Titus Mede II, the Emperor of Tamriel.

The death of an emperor is always a big moment. In the game Skyrim, you can immortalize yourself in the annals of history by taking out Titus Mede II, the Emperor of Tamriel.

Unlike Brutus who had a group of assassins giving him additional weapons for the task, you’ll embark on this final mission all by yourself, infiltrating the emperor’s ship. Should you succeed, it will prove that the Dark Brotherhood is making a strong comeback, and the Night Mother will undoubtedly be content.

Greetings, Sithis! This concluding chapter offers tough adversaries amidst captivating scenery, all leading towards a goal that could significantly alter Tamriel’s destiny.

It seems quite unlikely that assassinating someone can be considered heroic, yet this mission undeniably highlights your influential role in shaping events – a role that appears to surpass Titus’ control.

Read More

2025-04-12 20:10