Oblivion Remastered: How to join the Dark Brotherhood
How to join the Dark Brotherhood and start killing NPCs
Wondering how to join the Dark Brotherhood in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered? If you're the wicked sort with a penchant for wetwork, there's nothing like joining the Dark Brotherhood, Oblivion's one and only assassination guild. Led by the mysterious Night Mother, the Dark Brotherhood provides assassination contracts on specific targets and gives you access to a variety of unique and high level items that you can't find elsewhere.
Joining this shadowy organisation takes a bit of work and is not for the kindhearted. In this guide, we'll explain what you need to do to join the Dark Brotherhood in Oblivion Remastered, and we'll also list some of the benefits that come with membership.
How to join the Dark Brotherhood in Oblivion
To join the Dark Brotherhood, you need to kill an NPC, which is a seemingly simple task. However, this NPC cannot be a bandit or any other enemy who is trying to attack you. It must be an innocent civilian, and the best options are beggars or lone travellers who are in out-of-the-way areas and won't attract attention from guards who will proceed to throw you in jail.
Additionally, you should avoid killing anyone who runs a shop as well as questgivers, since you don't want to find yourself locked out of items or quests in the future. You should also steer clear of Essential NPCs, who have a crown icon above their heads when you interact with them.
Once you've killed someone, go sleep in a safe place, like the abandoned house in the Imperial City Waterfront. You should receive the message: "The air grows chill and a shadow approaches..." Then you'll awaken to see Lucien Lachance, a sketchy Dark Brotherhood guy who offers you the Blade of Woe and the choice to join his cult by completing the quest "A Knife in the Dark."
Lucien wants you to kill a target named Rufio, who can be found in the Inn of Ill Omen, north of Bravil. At the inn, you can ask the innkeeper for Rufio's location or you can simply check the trap door basement to find him. Killing him is an easy affair; once you're done, sleep in his bed and Lucien will greet you again.
You'll now have to travel to Cheydinhal and search for an abandoned house near the eastern gate of the city. Pick the lock on the boarded up door and search for the basement door that's marked with a creepy skull and a red handprint. You'll be asked a question at the door; say "Sanguine, my Brother" in response. This will give you access to the Cheydinhal Sanctuary and official Dark Brotherhood membership.
Dark Brotherhood benefits
The Dark Brotherhood offers up some fun evil quests, and is a great faction to join if you've decided to become a vampire and embrace the lawful evil side of life in Cyrodiil. The brotherhood also offers the following benefits for those willing to get their hands dirty:
- The Cheydinhal Sanctuary serves as a hangout for fellow Dark Brotherhood members, but it also lets you purchase from M'raaj-Dar, a khajiit mage who offers an excellent variety of magical spells which are pretty cheap for what you get. He also offers Poisoned Apples, which will kill any non-essential NPC who eats them and are excellent at fulfilling future contracts.
- You'll get the swanky Shrouded Hood and Shrouded Armor after joining the Dark Brotherhood, which both look cool and are well-suited for sneaky melee characters. After successfully completing additional contracts and quests, you'll get access to other items, including some potent daggers - the Dagger of Discipline, the Sufferthorn Dagger, and an enchantment on the Blade of Woe that amplifies all of its stats considerably.
- After completing the final Dark Brotherhood quest, Honor Thy Mother, you can have your very own hireling in the form of a Dark Brotherhood Murderer. This follower is intensely loyal to you, respawns after death in a week's time, and serves as a handy meatshield if you need one.
If you decide to join the Dark Brotherhood alongside Oblivion's other factions, such as the Thieves Guild, be sure that any targets you intend to kill aren't related to the other guilds. Also, it's worth noting that the Dark Brotherhood is very much an illicit faction that gives you Infamy points, and if your Infamy exceeds your Fame level, you won't be able to heal at any of the temple altars scattered around Cyrodiil.
There you have the details on how to join the Dark Brotherhood in Oblivion Remastered. If you'd rather investigate other ways to advance your character, check out our guides on how to change your appearance, how to raise all of your stats, or how to start the many Daedric Quests that encompass Oblivion's epic plot.