To prevent something like that from ever happening again, the Dark Brotherhood requires a show of commitment that would make most people turn away, thus assuring that the only threats to the Dark Brotherhood reside outside of its inner Sanctuary.Location: Bruma Enter Bradon Lirrian's house to begin this quest. The devastating betrayal of Mathieu Bellamont brought the once feared and powerful Brotherhood to the edge of extinction and the Night Mother's lesson was learned. The reason the Dark Brotherhood in The Elder Scrolls requires a candidate to kill someone prior to joining is to prove their commitment to the guild. An entry in the Dragonborn's journal afterwards highlights the intention of this initiation: " I have killed an innocent person, gained entrance into the Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary, and been officially welcomed into the Dark Brotherhood by Astrid. The Hero kills Bellamont, and the Night Mother reveals that she had known of his plan since his childhood but said nothing in order to teach the Brotherhood a lesson: that they are blind to potential threats that come from within the Dark Brotherhood.īetween the events of Oblivion and Skyrim, the surviving members of the Dark Brotherhood would eventually settle in Skyrim, where the Dragonborn would one day unknowingly fulfill a Black Sacrament contract. In Skyrim's "With Friends Like This." quest, the Dragonborn is brought to a shack where three people sit in front of them and Astrid, an assassin, states that one of the three must die to repay the stolen contract. Kill any or all of them, the choice doesn't matter, because result will always be an invitation to join the Dark Brotherhood, as the Dragonborn has proven to have the ability to kill innocent people without mercy, regret, or sorrow. One of these speakers was Mathieu Bellamont, who betrayed the Brotherhood and almost brought it to extinction. The Listener is part of the Black Hand, the Brotherhood's leadership, and is joined by four Speakers that assign contracts. In the "Honor Thy Mother" quest in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, the Hero is invited to join the brotherhood and, upon entering the Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary, is quickly discovered to be a Listener - someone who can hear the Night Mother's voice.
Elder Scrolls: Why the Dark Brotherhood Makes Everyone Kill Up Front Initially, prospects that were sought out were simply offered a position with the Brotherhood, but that all changed when a high-ranking member betrayed the Dark Brotherhood. One of the only known ways to get their attention is to show prowess in sneaking and murder - however, this still doesn't guarantee that the Brotherhood would reach out. The Dark Brotherhood's true history in The Elder Scrolls, practices, members, and recruitment process is shrouded in mystery. Related: The Elder Scrolls' Pantheon of Gods Explained Regardless, the leadership of the Night Mother made Dark Brotherhood rival the likes of The Elder Scrolls' Thieves guild in power and influence. It's possible that this figure founded the cult sometime before Tamriel's written history, but other theories suspect that she is either some kind of immortal spirit or a woman who lived during the Second Era who killed her 5 children to appease her husband Sithis. In-game scholars are divided as to how the group formed, but it is generally agreed that they worshipped the Daedric Prince Mephala whom some scholars feel is the infamous Night Mother. The Dark Brotherhood began as a religious cult known as the Morag Tong sometime before the First Era. It is, as the merchants say, simply business."
Night Mother Rituals!, one of the various in-game books in The Elder Scrolls, reveals that a Dark Brotherhood candidate must able to " kill an innocent victim.
They are a group of assassins who kill indiscriminately and pursue targets at the request of the Night Mother, who chooses targets through the Black Sacrament ritual. The Dark Brotherhood is one of the most well-known guilds in The Elder Scrolls franchise.