How did the Dark Brotherhood get contracts without the Night Mother?

[David]

That's one thing I didn't really understand during the quest. The game has you believe that the DB is still receiving contracts via the black sacrament, even though they have no communication with the Night Mother (which is necessary). Many people assume that they're just talking contracts by word of mouth like the Thieves Guild, and thus skip the communication via the Night Mother. However, how does that explain Astrid's knowledge of the sacrament performed by the boy in the first quest? How does she know that you accept the quest in their place?

[Death Knight]

You make a good point, i was thinking of that myself, from my understanding the night mother is supposedly the daedric "prince" Mephala. And im assuming it was word of mouth,which is how you found out about it, and alot of people have contact with the DB, low borns, all the way upto the black briars, and on her way to receive the contract, you deal with it, and if you notice, some guards mention about the orphange owner, Grelod the-not-so-kind-after-all, being murdered, "hey, didnt i see you coming out of there after that?" just as a passing by dialouge, or commuication dialouge either way, word of mouth is likely how she gets contracts, and finds out about it, and if astrid really doesnt care for the night mother, which she seems to not, doesn't that mean shes more among the lines of the morag tong ? I know theres extreme differences, and similarites between the two guilds, but why instead of posioning the ways of the DB just join the MT and destroy the DB, or is the MT purely Dunmer ? I never played morrowind unfortanately.

[David]

That makes sense, but it doesn't explain how they knew the kid summoned you via the black sacrament (and was therefore their turf). From what the guards say, for all they would know it was just another murder/death. Then again, there might have been something mentioned about it that I just don't remember.

[Death Knight]

If i hear any more about it, or read anything i'll let you know Traaginen, not sure what else i'll hear since i tend to execute the entire brotherhood for three grand. But i'll keep an eye open.

[Ratone]

Astrid sort of endorses the theory that the Dark Brotherhood has "ears and eyes" everywhere, and I feel this is the case with the boy;I've first heard that there was a boy named Aventus who needed help while I was in Riverwood (it was one of the first quests I received), arriving in the town, there were a girl and her mom/nanny talking about the boy... I remember the adult said something like he was doing "bad things/evil/black magic things". When you kill Grelod, some of the kids tell you that "Aventus Did It!" that he said he would kill her and he made it...From what I hear, Aventus was making quite a bang on his crusade to kill Grelod. During the Dark Brotherhood quests, you see that they have pretty good "ears", usually they know exactly how your contract turned out even before you tell about it. So probably, even before you took the quest, they already knew it.And the ritual is sort of "clumsy", I mean, you have to dig a whole skeleton/body. Probably the DB just keep some "hall of dead" workers bribed as they do with guards (many guards go whispering "hail sithis!" around you, after you join)Since Astrid and almost all the brothers/sisters don't have much respect for the traditions, probably they were just ignoring the boy. Thinking it would be a kid thing with a kid payment.Since you did the contract, you either could be a precious asset for the organization (that is not going well) or maybe a dangerous competition. Astrid seens to love to play with the whole "smoke and mirrors" kind of intimidation.How they identified you, probably because one of the kids pinpointed you. Or maybe Astrid was on your tail all along.The Dark Brotherhood is composed almost entirely by minorities; So, they probably have a real easy time "talking to their fellow unhappy minorities" of Skyrim.And (as creepy as this sounds) Babette and Astrid seen to have their way with men. Astrid "hides" even from the DB people that she is married and some people talk about her in a very "hunmm, I missss her" kind of way. So probably she has her way.Pretty long winded response, but this is what I thinkAnd, if you didn't follow the DB, I recommend making a "side" save game and playing their mission. They are the most "exotic" missions on the game. There are some creepy/scary moments, and probably the story has some prety disturbing moments... The whole "Torture Dungeon" part of the DB Lair is probably the most "mature" thing i've ever seen in a mainstream videogame.

[David]

That's a very good way to look at it Ratone, thank you for posting. Welcome to the site by the way. :)It will be interesting to see how powerful the Dark Brotherhood is in the next TES installement after the return of the Night Mother and the old ways. I imagine they'll be at least as widespread as they were in Oblivion.

[Death Knight]

So, i'm in the brotherhood this time around, and they DO go by ear/word of mouth to get contracts, they hear about them eventually, and them make a deal with the person.

[Blake]

Meh I have problems believing the whole word of mouth thing. I can't imagine everybody who would be doing the Black Sacrament would let it slip that they were.

[Death Knight]

definately controversial, but it's what they supposedly go by.

[Blargenflarg]

Well there IS proof that they aren't able to actually attend all contracts.If you break into the black briar meadery basement, there's a note where Maven complains that she has performed the ritual yet has received no answer for a long while.In the case of Aventus, it sort of happened in the reverse order.Astrid said that the first thing she heard was that "a woman got killed in her own Orphanage? Half of Skyrim knows".So FIRST she heard about Grelod dying, THEN after that, rumors spread that it was the dark brotherhood, Astrid probably traced the information to the kids, asked them, they likely mentioned Aventus who then likely mentioned you and well, badabing boom.http://uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:To_the_BrotherhoodThough I'm not too sure about this letter, it implies that this complaint happens AFTER she has already contacted the brotherhood about the contract. But yeah, I think they definitley were getting them through rumors spreading of people performing the black sacrament.