Taking Care of Lex

This quest opens up to you after you sell 500 gold worth of stolen goods to one of the guild fences.

Have some invisibility potions or spells handy.

S'krivva will tell you that Countess Umbranox in Anvil is looking for a new Captain of the Guard, and Lex fits the bill perfectly. She'll tell you that the steward told a lie to the Countess and said that the list of candidates suitable for the job hadn't arrived yet. This is good for you, though--it'll make it easier to get things done.

Fast-travel to Anvil and find a beggar. They'll tell you for free when you ask about Dairihill that they wouldn't know, but anyone in the castle would. They also will say something about secret ways, and finish in telling you to find the blacksmith.

Go to the castle and enter.

Turn right once inside and go into the small hallway to a door marked "Smithy."

Talk to Orrin. He'll say that you must be the cat burglar he was told to expect, and to follow him, so do that.

He'll go through the opening ahead of you, and then once at its end will make a right. Then he'll turn left, towards a sort of pillar on the wall. He'll open a secret passage there that will let you bypass more guards.

Go into the secret passage and up the stairs which are all going to be on your left. Now get into sneak mode and pick the lock on the Private Quarters door. Head up more stairs that will again be on your left.

You'll see a wall with two pillars very similar to the one Orrin opened for you. SAVE NOW!

The left pillar is the switch, so activate it. The wall will fall away.

Head to your left, and move quickly. Use an invisibility potion or spell if you have it ready.

Pick the lock on the wooden door, and go inside. Shut the door behind you to avoid a random passing guard seeing you. Sneak around to the other side of the desk and look at the area just in front of the chair marked Dairihill's desk--it's like a small sliding drawer area where you'd put pens and whatnot, if you have a desk like this.

Pick the lock and take the list. Now scurry back to the tunnel you came in here from and head on out of the castle.

Find another beggar. Bribe them for 15 coins to learn he (the forger) lives near the Mages Guild. Ask about the forger again to learn this residence is also down the road from the Chapel of Dibella.

Face the Chapel and take the path that turns right--and when you hit the corner, turn left and go that way. When you pass the Mage's Guild, turn into the area there with a broken wall and a wooden gate. This is the place.

Go up the stairs and into the house. Go up the stairs and open the door to find The Stranger. This is the forger you were meant to see.

Talk to him about the quest and he'll say it'll take a day to forge the papers. After which he will expect payment in full from you. That will be 500 coins.

A day later, return with his fee. He'll tell you that Hieronymus Lex now has a glowing recommendation due to his work.

Now you have to fast-travel to the Imperial City Prison District to get an official seal from the Imperial Legion Office. When you go there, turn left and walk that way. It's the first door on your left.

Even if you do it in the LATE evening, have invisibility potions/spells ready. You never know when a guard might surprise you walking in. I did this about 1 am and had a guard standing behind me as I prepared to pick the door's lock. I ended up having to use Moonshadow (a once a day 60 second invisibility spell that Bards get right away) just so he wouldn't see me. (As a note, Moonshadow wears off if you pick a lock or pick something up, but it doesn't wear off until AFTER the lock is picked, so it's safe for this purpose)

Pick the lock and go inside. Turn to your right, where there is a Wooden Door. Pick its lock as well.

There's a desk in front of you much like Dairihill's desk. On top of the desk to the left, just behind a silver goblet, is the Imperial Seal we need. Press space to get the quest notification that the seal has been applied.

Now you have to deliver the forged list to Countess Umbranox herself.

Fast-travel to Castle Anvil and go in the doors, going straight until you see the Countess herself on her little throne. Talk to her and select the New Guard Captain conversational option.

She'll say that normally handling missives such as this are Dairihill's work, but will make no issue of it. She'll say that Dairihill will tip you (honestly, it is only 20 gold and not much worth the hassle of locating him) and that she was close to giving the position to a cousin of Dairihill.

Now you get the supreme joy of going and telling Hieronymus Lex the wonderful news. (Even the quest information that tracks your progress says 'The look on his face should be priceless.')

Fast-travel to the Imperial City Waterfront. Turn right and keep going until you see the sign of the Bloated Float, which is basically a tavern in a ship. Go inside.

Speak to Lex and tell him about his reassignment. He'll of course blame the Gray Fox and add that he hopes fate will deliver the Gray Fox to him in Anvil. (Ha, ha.)

All that's left to do is to go back to S'krivva. Your reward is 1,000 gold, +2 infamy, and another promotion. You can now also use...tada, ORRIN!...as a fence. Yup, Orrin, who was such a big help to us.

S'krivva will tell you now if you inquire about special jobs that you're now of a level that the Gray Fox himself will send for you if he has need of you. Yes, that is correct, your new Doyen is the guild leader himself!