Skyrim Thieves Guild: how to join, every quest and the armor
The Skyrim Thieves Guild lives under Riften, in a tavern called the Ragged Flagon at the bottom of the Ratway sewers, with the real headquarters, the Cistern, behind it. Joining starts with one man, Brynjolf, who works the Riften market by day and drinks in the Bee and Barb at night.
Below you will find the Skyrim Thieves Guild quests in order with each destination linked on our map, the three Skyrim Thieves Guild armor sets (standard, Guild Master's and Nightingale) and exactly when each is handed to you, the fences you unlock along the way, and what it takes to become Guild Master.
Skyrim Thieves Guild main quests in order
| Quest | Given by | Where it sends you | What happens |
|---|---|---|---|
| A Chance Arrangement | Brynjolf | Riften market | Steal Madesi's silver ring from his stall strongbox and plant it on Brand-Shei while Brynjolf distracts the crowd. 100 gold and an invitation |
| Taking Care of Business | Brynjolf | The Ragged Flagon, via the Ratway | Collect debts from Keerava (Bee and Barb), Bersi Honey-Hand (Pawned Prawn) and Haelga (Bunkhouse) without killing anyone. You are now a member and Tonilia gives you the Thieves Guild Armor |
| Loud and Clear | Brynjolf | Goldenglow Estate | Burn exactly three beehives (no more) and take the bill of sale from Aringoth's safe. Leveled gold |
| Dampened Spirits | Maven Black-Briar | Honningbrew Meadery | Poison the skeever nest and the mead vat so Sabjorn is arrested. Mallus Maccius takes over and becomes a fence |
| Scoundrel's Folly | Mercer Frey | Solitude: Winking Skeever, East Empire Company Warehouse, Brinewater Grotto | Track Gulum-Ei and learn that a woman named Karliah is behind the guild's bad luck. Gulum-Ei becomes a fence and Tonilia upgrades one armor piece |
| Speaking With Silence | Mercer Frey | Snow Veil Sanctum | Enter the barrow with Mercer. Karliah paralyzes you with an arrow, Mercer stabs you and leaves you for dead. Karliah saves you and hands over Gallus's encoded journal |
| Hard Answers | Karliah | Winterhold (Frozen Hearth), then Calcelmo's lab in Understone Keep | Enthir needs a Falmer translation. Take a rubbing of the stone tablet in Calcelmo's tower. Karliah gives you the Nightingale Blade and Enthir becomes a fence |
| The Pursuit | Karliah | Riftweald Manor, Riften | Break into Mercer's house and read his plans: he is after the Eyes of the Falmer. The sword Chillrend is inside the manor |
| Trinity Restored | Brynjolf | Nightingale Hall | Swear the oath to Nocturnal with Karliah and Brynjolf. You receive the Nightingale Armor set at the armor stone |
| Blindsighted | Brynjolf | Irkngthand | Fight through the Dwemer ruin, kill Mercer Frey and take the Skeleton Key and the Eyes of the Falmer. Karliah gives you the Nightingale Bow |
| Darkness Returns | Karliah | Twilight Sepulcher | Walk the Pilgrim's Path and return the Skeleton Key to the Ebonmere. Choose one Agent power from Nocturnal |
| Under New Management | Brynjolf | The Ragged Flagon Cistern | After the four city quests, you are named Guild Master. Rewards: Guild Master's Armor, Amulet of Articulation, Tribute Chest key |
How to join the Thieves Guild in Riften
Go to Riften and find Brynjolf. During the day he stands at a stall in the market square; at night he is inside the Bee and Barb. He asks you to steal Madesi's ring and plant it on Brand-Shei. You can also drop the ring and tell him you lost it, which spares Brand-Shei and still gets you in.
Brynjolf then tells you to meet him at the Ragged Flagon. The way in is the Ratway, the sewer entrance on Riften's lower canal level. Fight or sneak past the lowlifes inside, and the Flagon is the lit tavern at the far end. Vekel the Man runs the bar, Dirge is the bouncer, Tonilia is the fence, and Delvin Mallory and Vex hand out jobs. Once you finish Taking Care of Business, the door behind the Flagon opens into the Cistern, the guild's actual home, and a shortcut through the Riften Hall of the Dead opens up.
Skyrim Thieves Guild armor sets and how to get them
Thieves Guild Armor
Tonilia gives you the full set (armor, boots, gloves, hood) at the Ragged Flagon when you finish Taking Care of Business. The chest piece has Fortify Carry Weight 20. After Scoundrel's Folly, Mercer has Tonilia upgrade one piece of your choice: the improved chest piece has Fortify Carry Weight 35 and a slightly better armor rating.
Nightingale Armor
You get this set during Trinity Restored, when you take the oath in Nightingale Hall outside Riften. The armor enchantment scales with your level when the quest starts: at level 1 to 18 it gives Fortify Stamina 20 and Resist Frost 15, at 19 to 31 Fortify Stamina 30 and Resist Frost 30, and from level 32 Fortify Stamina 40 and Resist Frost 50. The cuirass has an armor rating of 34 and wearing all four pieces adds a 25 point set bonus. If you want the best version, wait until level 32 before starting Trinity Restored.
Guild Master's Armor
The darkest variant, with an armor rating of 38 on the chest piece and Fortify Carry Weight 50. It is only given at the end of Under New Management, so you need Darkness Returns done plus all four city influence quests (see below).
Fences: who buys stolen goods and where
Fences are the only merchants who buy stolen items. Each one is unlocked by a quest:
- Tonilia, the Ragged Flagon, from the start once you are a member.
- Mallus Maccius, Honningbrew Meadery, after Dampened Spirits.
- Gulum-Ei, the Winking Skeever in Solitude, after Scoundrel's Folly.
- Enthir, College of Winterhold, after Hard Answers.
- Endon, the silversmith in Markarth, after Silver Lining.
- Niranye, the Windhelm market, after Summerset Shadows.
City influence jobs and becoming Guild Master
Delvin and Vex give unlimited radiant jobs. Doing five jobs in one city unlocks that city's special quest, and the four special quests are required for Under New Management:
- Whiterun: Imitation Amnesty
- The Reach (Markarth): Silver Lining
- Eastmarch (Windhelm): Summerset Shadows
- Haafingar (Solitude): The Dainty Sload
Each finished city quest adds a merchant to the Ragged Flagon (Syndus, Herluin Lothaire, Arnskar Ember-Master and Vanryth Gatharian) and lets you bribe guards in that hold. Once all four are done and Darkness Returns is complete, Brynjolf holds the ceremony in the Cistern and you become Guild Master, with a key to the Tribute Chest that slowly fills with gold and loot.
Vex also runs No Stone Unturned, the Stones of Barenziah hunt, and Delvin buys the unique Larceny Targets you find around Skyrim.
On the map: 16 locations
Falkreath Hold 1
The Pale 1
The Reach 1
The Rift 6
Whiterun Hold 1
Winterhold 2
Skyrim Thieves Guild: how to join, every quest and the armor: FAQ
How do I join the Thieves Guild in Skyrim?
Talk to Brynjolf in the Riften market (or in the Bee and Barb at night), do A Chance Arrangement, then go through the Ratway to the Ragged Flagon and finish Taking Care of Business. There is no level requirement.
How many Skyrim Thieves Guild quests are there?
Twelve main quests, from A Chance Arrangement to Under New Management, plus four city special quests and unlimited radiant jobs from Delvin and Vex.
How do you get the Nightingale Armor?
It is given during Trinity Restored in Nightingale Hall. The enchantment scales with your level when the quest begins, and the top tier (Fortify Stamina 40, Resist Frost 50) needs level 32 or higher.
How do you get the Guild Master's Armor?
Finish Darkness Returns and all four city influence quests (Imitation Amnesty, Silver Lining, Summerset Shadows, The Dainty Sload), then Brynjolf makes you Guild Master in Under New Management and hands over the set.
Where is the Ragged Flagon?
At the far end of the Ratway, the sewer tunnels under Riften. Enter from the lower canal level of the city. After joining there is a shortcut ladder in Riften's Hall of the Dead.
Who are the fences in the Thieves Guild?
Tonilia (Ragged Flagon), Mallus Maccius (Honningbrew Meadery), Gulum-Ei (Winking Skeever, Solitude), Enthir (College of Winterhold), Endon (Markarth) and Niranye (Windhelm).
Can I keep the Skeleton Key?
Only until Darkness Returns. You can put that quest off and use the unbreakable lockpick as long as you like, but the guild questline does not finish until it is returned to the Twilight Sepulcher.