How to Join the Dark Brotherhood in Skyrim

The Dark Brotherhood is one of the organizations in Skyrim that players can join to get unique rewards, get access to the Dark Brotherhood questline, and a ton of other benefits. 

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The Dark Brotherhood is an organization of highly trained assassins who carry out different assassination contracts based on a ritual called “The Black Sacrament.”  

There are many benefits if you join the Dark Brotherhood in Skyrim. Many players are eager to join the Dark Brotherhood, only to learn that there is no clear instructions on how to do so. 

To help players out, we have prepared a handy guide that shares details on how you can join the Dark Brotherhood in Skyrim.

How to Join The Dark Brotherhood in Skyrim

You can join the Dark Brotherhood in Skyrim by completing the quest called Innocence Lost that you get from an NPC called Aventus Aretino. You can find him in Windhelm at Aretino Residence or Honorhall Orphanage.

There are many ways to trigger the Innocence Lost quest and to meet Aventus Aretino. You can ask for Gossip from the Innkeeper at any Inn in Skyrim, and you will get a tip about a boy who is going to perform the Dark Brotherhood ritual called Black Sacrament. You can follow the tip and find the boy to eventually start the Innocence Lost quest. 

Alternatively, you can head to the Honorhall Orphanage in Riften and talk to the children at the Orphanage to find Aventus Aretino to trigger the quest, Innocence Lost. 

In the quest, you have to murder an NPC. Don’t worry, as you won’t be getting any bounty on you for this act. Once you have managed to complete the Innocence Lost quest, skip the time forward 24 hours, or simply wait for 24 hours. When you are in Riften, you will get a Courier with the message “We know.”

Go to an Inn or any location where you can sleep. When you are sleeping, people from the Dark Brotherhood will abduct you and move you to an abandoned shack. Now, this is the most crucial point in joining the Dark Brotherhood in Skyrim: You get two options when you wake up: 

• Attack the NPC named Astrid and destroy the Dark Brotherhood
• Listen to her and join the Dark Brotherhood

Simply talk to Astrid for the ability to join the Dark Brotherhood in Skyrim.

Skyrim is currently available on PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, Xbox, and Steam Deck platforms.