The Ultimate Heist

This quest opens up as an option after you have sold at least 1,000 gold worth of stolen goods to any guild fence.

Make sure you have a bow on hand. You will need to fire one arrow during this quest--it doesn't even have to be a GOOD bow, it just needs to be *A* bow.

It would also behoove you to have the Skeleton Key if you don't have it already. There's going to be a ton of lockpicking in this quest, more so than others.

Wait for 24 hours in the Imperial City and Amusei will come and tell you to go to Othrelos' house in the Elven Gardens district. So fast-travel there.

Turn left and walk along the path there. When you reach the end of the end, make a right--Othrelos' house is right around the corner.

There's a lot of instructions from the Gray Fox, but basically, he's going to have you steal an Elder Scroll.

First, fast-travel to the Imperial City Palace and enter the Elder Council Chambers. Make a left and go all the way to the end. Pick the lock on the door there and get into the basement.

There is a guard patrolling this area, but there's a center room where you can hide if you need to (though sometimes the guard will come in here too). The goal here is the same as in the previous area--to make a round of the corridor and get to the Glass of Time at the other end.

Activate it when you're there.

Now leave, and fast-travel to the Imperial City Arboretum. Go forward and turn right; follow the arced path and take the first path on your right.

Next to a tree on your left will be an entrance to the sewer--take it.

Go down the stairs, through the corridor, and pick the lock on the gate. Go down another flight of stairs. There's a door on your left and a crank on your right. Activate the crank and then go through the door.

Go on down into the sewer and turn left. Head through the opening and go up the first set of stairs ('beware' of crabs) on the right, and through the opening on the right. There's a Door to Beneath the Bloodworks that you should take there.

Turn right, and then turn left and go across the bridge. Go to the bottom of the stairs, and then through the door ahead. You'll know you're in the right room if you see corpses on the wall. Turn left and go through that opening.

Go straight ahead and keep going until you reach a room with a crank. Go through the door ahead. (You'll probably run into a vampire at this point. I did.)

Keep going through the corridor ahead and go down the stairs. Turn right at the bottom of the stairs and go through the opening in front of you into a room with another set of stairs. Go into the opening at the top right of the room, and keep going straight (and down a curvy corridor), until you reach a room with icky sewer water.

Go straight ahead and into a room with a crank. Activate it. Now leave the room and get into the icky sewer water. Turn right and go through the opening with the chains.

Go up the stairs and across the bridge, and then into a corridor.

At the end of it is a room with a manhole cover to the Palace Sewers. Take it!

Go straight, open the gate, and go down the stairs. Turn right, go through the opening, and open the gate. You should be in a LARGE room with a circular hole and some icky sewer water in the middle. Go down the ramp and through the only opening there. Turn right once in the next 'room' and go into the only other opening there.

In this room is a Strange Door to the Old Way. Go through it.

Go down the stairs and make your first left. Go all the way down it and take the door. Turn right, and jump down into the lower area. Go straight through the broken stone brick wall.

Go straight and head for the top left of that area where there is a well. Make a left at the well and head on until you see (on your left) another broken stone wall. Go through the opening there.

Go up the stairs there, and turn left. Go through the broken stone wall opening there and on down the little corridor to another door.

Turn left, and then go around the corner. Then go right into a small area (where you will likely find a ghost). At the top left of the room is a corridor, which you should go into.

Turn right once in a room, and go to the top left of the room where there'll be another short corridor. Take a right once you pass it, go straight until you hit a wall. Make a left and then an immediate right into a room with support beams. Go on down amongst the beams, and go up the stairs at the top left of the area.

Turn right and go down the corridor there. Go straight and take a left into a room. Go to the top right of the room and go through there. Turn left immediately once you do and go straight until you hit a wall. Turn left and then immediately right. Go straight and then right again into a room. Stick to the left side and go straight into the left of the two corridors. Turn left once inside and then go straight and right once you get into a room.

Take a downward corridor that is on the right side. Turn left and go straight once in a room. Turn right and go straight again.

You'll be in a very large room now. Go straight ahead to find an Iron Gate that is obviously opened remotely. Shoot. Well, turn around and go back into the large room.

Equip the Boots of Springheel Jack. Walk over to the "stairway" on your right and jump onto the upper platform. Turn right and activate the little switch with a blue center, and then turn in the opposite direction. Make a giant U-turn and hit another switch just like it, then go back down into the room towards where the Iron Gate was. Go forward, through a door (doesn't the tree on it look like the emblem of Minas Tirith?) marked Hall of Epochs.

Go straight until you reach a large room with three staircases in it. Go up one of them, turn left, go straight until you hit the wall. Go straight, then left again. Straight, and left again. On your right there will be a gate--go through it once you pick its lock.

Make an immediate left and push the block. Now jump over the rails and down into the room--which you should go to the top left of. The block's activation opened a little tunnel here, so go through it.

Go left, then right, then right again. Then left through a Hall of Epochs door.

Go through one of the gates into the open room. On the top right of the room there's a door of sorts. Now go through it and down the stairs. Go straight and when you get into the room, turn left. Go straight, and then left and down some stairs. Turn right once into a room, and push the block at the end of the room.

Now go back to the room with the three sets of stairs.

Go up a set of stairs and go around the left side to where the large blocks used to be. There's a square platform there, which is where you need to stand. (You'll know it's where you need to stand because you will get a quest notification about it)

Some of the enemies that were in the room (inside the blocks that moved) have arrows, so take them. You'll need to test-shoot these to get your aim right before using the Arrow of Extrication.

Stand on the platform.

Aim your bow so that the left and right lines of the crosshair lines up with the sword-hilt of the statue that you're aiming at.

If you get it right, you'll get a notification and the statue will raise up. Go forward--you'll have to face two Ayleid Guardians, but once you do, go down the stairs under the statue and through the door marked Imperial Guard Quarters.

There'll be an open set of doors on the left--go through them. Then left, and into a long corridor at the end of which is a door. There'll be a guard patrolling here, but there is an along the wall to hide in. Be sure to save your game when you go into it, because you never know when the guard will catch you.

Go through the door.

There's another guard patrolling this C-shaped corridor--the door that you want is about halfway down it, on your left.

Turn right and go all the way to the end (DO NOT SPEAK TO THE PRIEST) where there will be a switch to pull.

Now go back to the door you came in from, only turn left this time. There'll be a door on your right at the end which you should go through (the switch lets you get through).

You can steal lots of stuff in this room without worry--the monk sitting inside is blind, so no worries. It's mostly books, though.

When you're done stealing, sit in the chair and wait. An Elder Scroll will be brought to you.

This next part will be extremely tricky.

Sneak up the staircase. At the top of the stairs is a circular room. There's only one door up here so you go either left or right to get to it, depending on how many monks there are on one side or the other.

You'll pick the lock of course.

Turn left and go through the door at the end, being mindful of the guard.

You'll have to pick the lock.

Another C-shaped room with alcoves, a blind monk and a door at the end whose lock you'll have to pick. You know what to do. :)

There's a guard in this next area, but there are alcoves so you'll be fine.

Keep sneaking along until you see a Wooden Door on your left. Pick the lock and go through (be sure to shut the door behind you just in case the guard might walk by).

This is a good time to mention that there is no blood price...but the guards WILL come after you, so try to avoid being spotted.

Pick the lock of the door ahead of you.

There's a fireplace there and below the logs is a loose grate.

Equip the Boots of Springheel Jak now (or not, if you have sufficient acrobatics skill or a LOT of HP). Then use the loose grate.

You'll fall...

...and the boots will be destroyed.

Now look at the flight of stairs you just landed up. Stand at the top and go on ahead to a door that leads to the Palace Sewers.

Go back across the bridge, through the gate and keep to your left. Turn left into an opening, go straight, and then turn right and go up the ramp. Once up at the top, make a little U-turn and go through the opening with a gate.

Go straight, then up the stairs. Then up a ladder.

Go straight into the room with the icky sewer water, and get into the water and turn right. Go through the opening with the two chains. On the right side of the room is a door and a crank. Activate the crank, and go through the door.

Go down the corridor and after that just go straight until you hit a staircase, which you should go up.

Go through the door and across the bridge in the next room. Then make a left, and a right into a room with some bashed up boxes and a barrel. Turn left, and take that exit.

This isn't the most direct exit, however, it's a quiet spot where you'll have time to (if you are like me) free up inventory space by using up any alchemy ingredients that you may have picked up to make potions.

When you're done, fast-travel to the Elven Gardens district and go back to Othrelos' house.

When you turn in the scroll, the Gray Fox will give you a wedding ring and ask you to give it to the Countess in Anvil. He wants you to report how she reacts to it. Strange request, but he's the boss, right?

So fast-travel to Anvil and go turn in the ring.

*SPOILERS AHEAD*



Apparently, it's her husband's wedding ring! She can't seem to remember his name or his face. Strange, right?

You'll see The Stranger behind you and the Countess will say to herself that he looks familiar.

He'll (Corvus is his name apparently) will proceed to explain to his wife that ten years previous he inherited Nocturnal's Cowl from the former guildmaster, and also inherited its curse. The curse is that the wearer's name shall be stricken from history and no one will remember the wearer even with the cowl off.

He goes on to say that he stood next to his wife and said he was her husband, and she would only look at him in some confusion.

The Countess will refuse to allow him to return as long as he is the Gray Fox. He renounces his life and crime and gives YOU the Cowl! You're now the guildmaster!

...and the Gray Fox has had the last laugh. Remember Lex? He's now working for the guy he was trying to put away! Talk about irony.

Your reward is +10 infamy, the promotion, and the the Cowl of Nocturnal (fortifies Sneak by 25, Feather 200, and Detect Life for 120 feet).

You can also put it on, and do whatever you like. When guards come running take the mask off and they will not arrest you. Very handy!

You'll also get a key to the guild hall which is on the waterfront. What's it mean? A free bed, basically. Always a good thing.

Remember where Methredhel's house is? Behind it's a door to Dareloth's basement. Take it. Once in there, head on until you find stairs. Then you'll be in the main level of the house. Go upstairs to find the Guildmaster's room...your room.

On the desk is a book that will increase your Security skill, so read it.

And that's really all you need to know. Sleep in the bed if you like.