Part 56: The Elder Updates LV - Thieving and Murdering

Thieving and Murdering


Right, so it looks like Thieves Guild business will be taking us to Cheydinhal. We still need to report back to Ocheeva to report our success in murdering an entire house party, so that's just as well.



First thing's first, let's hit up one of Cheydinhal's beggars for information.


We find out that it's in the church basementchapel undercroft, but that there's a guard. Oh no, how are we to get past a guard?




Oh, right. Stealth.


Pictured: two arrows, crossing one another, hanging in midair. No collision. They don't register as items that I can pick up, so I'm not even sure they can be called arrows.


And the best part? I can think of no bow-wielding NPC would enter this cell, no reason that these arrows, WHICH DO NOT SEEM TO ENTIRELY EXIST, would have any business hanging in the air in this undercroft.



Anyway, the bust is pretty close to the entrance. Just take the first left, by which I mean follow the quest arrow.


The guard's on a very tight patrol route, so a potion of invisibility is definitely a good idea. Simple operation, really!


With that done, let's see about getting a new assassination quest.


I lay upon you now the Night Mother's Blessing. May she walk with you always, and guide your hand as you act in accordance with the Five Tenets.
Instead of a magical item, we get a permanent +2 to Acrobatics, Blade, Marksman, Security, and Sneak. Beats the hell out of the Fancy Shirt of Speechcraft we got a while back.


Got another contract for me?
Do you recall the name Adamus Phillida? The Imperial Legion pest? It's time he joined Sithis in the Void. Think you're up to the task?
Khajiit is always up to the task.
Adamus Phillida has spent his entire career investigating the Dark Brotherhood, interrupting our contracts, killing our family members! We tried to eliminate Phillida, of course, but failed on three separate occasions. He's a powerful man, and was surrounded by powerful associates.


Phillida now resides in Leyawiin, in the City Watch barracks, an honored guest of the soldiers there. He is, in fact, more vulnerable than ever.
I will kill him like the pig he is!
Ha ha ha ha ha! Yes! Yes! The Black hand has sanctioned the Rose of Sithis. it is an enchanted arrow that will kill Phillida...instantly!

As long as the arrow hits Phillida, he will die. But it cannot pierce armor! Shoot while Phillida is armored, and the Rose will be wasted.
Hmm.
Travel to Leyawiin. Track Phillida. Learn his schedule. Observe when he removes that blasted Legion armor! And then, let fly the Rose of Sithis!
You don't need to break it down for me like that.
Kill Phillida in any way, Rose or not, and the contract is complete. But to receive a bonus, you must go beyond murder. You must send a message!
A message?


Deposit this finger in the desk of Phillida's successor in his office in the Prison Barracks in the Imperial City! Do this, and the bonus is yours!
Got it.


We've fed recently, so no sense wasting any time on the road. Off to Leyawiin!


Now, we COULD do all that talking and legwork to figure out when and where to strike at ol' Phillida...



...but this is Oblivion, so we're just going to go with an easier method.


There he is.


Er...is that Adamus Phillida? How's his retirement going?
The old man? Ha! He's easy to protect. Every day's the same. He visits the Coast Guard station, goes for a swim...never puts himself in harm's way.
Hmm!


A swim, eh?


I'll just keep my eye on you...



Ha! Just as the guard said.





Too easy.



Eugh...this is a bit messier than I imagined.
I feel I should point out how tacked-on the bonus objective feels here. I have just murdering the man with an ostentatious magic superarrow that screams "calling card", an act which required me to do so in broad daylight in front of his bodyguard. You'd think this would count as sending a message. You'd think that finding out when Phillida removes his armor and shooting him then would be the actual bonus objective, since that's a difficult alternative to just hitting him with your sword.


But no, that's not unique enough, doesn't require enough of the player for whatever reason. You get to go halfway across the world map with this guy's finger.


And you'll do it, too. You'll do it because they give you a compelling reason to do so, by rewarding you with magical items.


It's a great way of doing things. I mean, hell, I'll take the magic item every time, but it's nice that you have an easy way out of it if you just want to progress the questline.


I know what you're thinking.


Why am I so worked up about this? The whole business with the finger might be questionable, sure, but this is Oblivion. That's par for the course here, right?





Also, apparently Experts in weapon skills can do that. It's rather impressive.


But lemme tell ya somethin'. The bonus for this quest?


It's gold. IT'S JUST GOLD, because for once in their lives Bethesda couldn't be fucked to make a magic item for once. Just give me the fucking Boots of Eternal Loathing or whatever, with +5 to some shit. Look at that, I just made a magical item. There's no excuse!

Oblivion's Not That Bad Points: ((-5 + - + (3 * ))/) + SUMMON THE BRETHREN)^


Aaaaaaaaaaand we can't pay off our bounty. Happy anniversary, thread!