When it comes to side quests in the Elder Scrolls series, some of the more memorable and fun are those that involve the Dark Brotherhood, the guild of assassins that worship Sithis and the Night Mother above every other deity in Tamriel. While the Oblivion quest "Whodunit?" is a particular high point in the series, the quests in the Skyrim version of the Dark Brotherhood are just as fun.
One major change from previous assassin guilds in the Elder Scrolls is that Astrid, the head of Skryim's Dark Brotherhood, has cast away all of the old ways of the guild, including the five tenets that they are supposed to live by. This, among other things, raises a few questions about the assassins struggling to stay afloat in Skyrim.
10 Why Was The Dawnstar Sanctuary Abandoned?
Towards the end of the Dark Brotherhood questline, the Falkrieth sanctuary is sacked and destroyed, but a new home for the assassins can be found in Dawnstar, hiding in plain sight just outside of the city. While it is a little more open and easier to find than the Falkrieth sanctuary, there isn't a reason given as to why the Dawnstar sanctuary was abandoned in the first place, as it seems that no one really cares that it is there, despite several people in Dawnstar knowing that a strange door is set into the mountainside.
9 Why Did Astrid Casts Aside The Five Tenets?
Despite tomes of the Five Tenets being placed in multiple locations around the Falkrieth sanctuary, they are almost impossible for the player to read as they are almost completely worn away over time. Astrid doesn't seem to mind, as she states that she has cast aside all of the old ways of the Dark Brotherhood in favor of her own, unique brand of leadership that results in her eventual death. There is no reason given for her to do this, however, and the Dark Brotherhood goes back to its old traditions after the conclusion of the guild's questlines.
8 How Did Gaston Bellefort Get Inside The Sanctuary?
In Lis' nest inside the Falkrieth sanctuary, there is the body of a man named Gaston Bellefort, who managed to infiltrate the Dark Brotherhood long enough to be devoured by Gabriella's pet Frostbite Spider. Considering how the Penitus Oculatus had trouble both locating and getting inside the sanctuary, the fact this lone man was able to raises a few questions.
Even the Last Dragonborn can't make it inside without first talking to Astrid, as they aren't able to obtain the password to get inside from anyone other than her. According to his journal, Gaston had been looking for the sanctuary for some time, seemingly only out of curiosity for what it looked like inside and there is no evidence on how he was able to get the drop on the Dark Brotherhood.
7 Why Did Astrid Make A Deal With Commander Maro?
As the leader of the Penitus Oculatus, the empire's group of soldiers specifically assigned to eradicate the Dark Brotherhood wherever they may be hiding, it seems very stupid for Astrid to make a deal with their leader, but that's exactly what she does. Thinking she can make a deal with Commander Maro to keep their guild safe, it ends up biting her in the behind, as anyone would have expected, and gets all but the player character, Babette, and Nazir killed in the onslaught. Why she made this deal in the first place is anyone's guess, as she doesn't survive long enough to give the player a good reason as to why she thought it was a good idea.
6 Why Doesn't Nazir Wear The Dark Brotherhood Armor?
Of all the members of the Dark Brotherhood, Nazir stands out from even the vampire child, Babette, as he is the only adult who doesn't wear the signature Dark Brotherhood attire or its mage variation. While this does mean that he doesn't stand out quite so easily from the others, it also means he looks more like the Alik'r, who are just as unwelcome inside city walls as the Dark Brotherhood. This could simply come down to him wanting to be more discrete and may have been the reason why he survived the attack by the Penitus Oculatus.
5 What Happened To The Assassin Of Old?
One of the hidden prizes that players can find during the Dark Brotherhood questline is the Ancient Shrouded Armor, which is a more powerful version of the Shrouded Armor that players obtain when they join the Dark Brotherhood. This armor is found on the dead body of a man simply called The Assassin of Old. What exactly happened to this assassin is never mentioned, though he is found trapped inside a ruin that is swarming with Hagravens, so it is fairly clear that he was overpowered by them, but the reason he was there in the first place is never given.
4 What Was Festus Doing Outside?
Festus Krex is one of the mage assassins of the Dark Brotherhood, who claims to have killed his wife on their wedding night because she didn't warm his bath enough. His morbid backstory aside, he is one of the more proactive members of the Dark Brotherhood and is also supposedly one of the first to die.
During the assault on the Falkrieth sanctuary, Festus can be found outside, riddled with arrows, and nailed to a tree. While his death is rather gruesome, there isn't a reason given as to why he was outside in the first place, as every other Dark Brotherhood member was inside the sanctuary at the time of the attack.
3 How Did The Dark Brotherhood Survive?
Before the events of Skyrim, the Penitus Oculatus successfully eradicated the Dark Brotherhood from every country under the Imperial rule at the time, with the only surviving members being Cicero and Skyrim's faction of the guild. Considering how quickly and easily they could be wiped out by Commander Maro, it's surprising that they lasted as long as they did.
2 Where Was Babette When The Dark Brotherhood Was Destroyed?
If players chose to destroy the Dark Brotherhood rather than join it, they can kill every member of the assassin's guild except two: Cicero and Babette. While Cicero's absence can be easily explained, as he isn't present at the beginning of the questline, Babette's absence isn't as easy to explain. The player can't kill children NPC's, which is probably the design choice of her not being in the sanctuary at the time, but there isn't a narrative reason given for her absence and she seemingly goes on killing people after the Dark Brotherhood is destroyed.
1 Why Don't They Wear More Inconspicuous Clothing?
The Shrouded Armor may be one of the best armor sets in the game for any Sneak focused characters, but it's not exactly inconspicuous. Even in radiant encounters with the Dark Brotherhood, the assassins can be seen from quite far away before they reach the player and never seem to bother with actually using stealth in their attacks. Nazir and Babette have the right idea in not always wearing this gear, which might be why they are some of the only survivors by the end of the questline.