Ahdarji's Heirloom

The next quest is available once you have sold 200 gold worth of stolen goods to the guild fences. Be sure to buy a single lockpick as well, you will need it for this quest.

It would also be EXTREMELY HANDY if you have already done the Skeleton Key quest and have the item. It makes this and all other Thieves Guild quests much, much easier. Just look further back in my guide for how to get it. It would also be handy to have an invisibility potion or spell.

Ask Armand Christophe about special jobs to get redirected to S'krivva of Bravil. Go find S'krivva, and she'll tell you that a widow named Ahdarji has had her ring stolen by someone. She'll also say that the guild frowns on "independent thievery" and that she wants you to help the poor widow and get the ring back.

Agree, and fast-travel to Leyawiin. You can find and talk to Ahdarji by finding and bribing a beggar, or like me, run across her at random. She will tell you that she'd like it if the thief, Amusei, was killed. When you tell her that guild rules prohibit killing, she'll say that if you can't do that, that she'd at least like him to suffer.

Bribe any beggar in Leyawiin to find out that Amusei tried to swindle the Countess and has been jailed. He'll be found in the castle dungeon.

Fast-travel to the castle, and ascend the stairs at the other end of the room.

At the top of the stairs, before the next room, is a small room. Take a right and go down the stairs to the dungeon door.

Go down the stairs and turn right. Sneak behind the guard and then sneak around the corner to the stairs. If your sneak skill is high enough you won't be seen. Then head down and take the second left down to the dungeon door.

Pick the lock and go on in. Amusei is in the last cell on the right side of the room. Speak to him and offer him a lockpick. He'll tell you that the ring was stolen from the Countess of Leyawiin, and he was told as much from a fence who said it was too hot to be bought. He tried to sell it back to the Countess but he was caught and sent to jail.

You'll have to sneak into the castle, what fun!

Go back to the guard that you were sneaking past, and finagle his disposition up to at least 80. He'll tell you that the Countess is away from the 15th-17th from the month, that she's relieved to have it back, and so on.

Go back upstairs now, and instead of going out the way you came into the castle, turn right and go into the throne room area.

If it's late at night, you will have to wait.

Hlidara will descend the stairs around 9:30 am, so go speak to her in the throne room area then. Get her disposition up to at least 70 and she will tell you that the Countess takes the ring off for baths and sleeping.

You CAN go up the stairs and pick the lock of the Private Quarters door, but this way that I am about to detail will put you towards a path upon which you are less likely to encounter guards.

Now look behind and to the right of the throne room for the door to the basement. Go through this door and down the stairs, to a small room.

Look for the short barrel that is beneath a torch at the end of the room. It has a lever in it which you should activate. Once you go inside the door that opens up, activate the switch that is just inside to close the door behind you.

Go up the stairs and pick the lock of the door to get into a rather...disturbing room. Turn to the right (there are some weapons on some tables in the room and in some chests if you want loot), go down the hallway and enter that door.

There's a lever in front of you, so activate it and enter the room. There doesn't seem to be anything of value in the area, so turn left and head up the stairs. Go up all the flights and save before you open the Wooden Door.

There is a guard patrolling this next area, so be VERY careful. If you have an invisibility potion or spell, now would be a good time to use it. Once in the room, turn left and sneak, very carefully, up the stairs. Pick the lock, and sneak into the room (be sure to shut the door behind you or the guard may see you). Go to the other side of the bed where the Count is sleeping; the jewelry box is on that side. Pick its lock and take that ring, a brass ring, and something called Divining the Elder Scrolls.

Go back the way you came, through all the secret passages.

When you leave the castle, go straight and through a sort of castle archway. Turn to the first large house on your right. Wait until about 8:30-9 to be able to go into the house without having to break in.

First tell her that Amusei tried to sell the ring back to the Countess, and then go back again and hand the ring back. This will get you 200 gold instead of the 100 that you would have gotten if you'd only given her the ring back.

Now go back to S'krivva. She will reward you with another 200 gold, +2 to your infamy, and a promotion.