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One of the most iconic factions inOblivion Remastered, the Dark Brotherhood offers a uniquely dark questline to players with a penchant for stealthy murder. Soon afterjoining the Dark Brotherhood, you will be offered the quest “A Watery Grave”.
This quest requires players to kill a pirate captain, and as it is the first Dark Brotherhood contract,Oblivion Remastereddoes not offer players a bonus for killing the target under specific circumstances. This complete “A Watery Grave” quest walkthrough guidesOblivion Remasteredplayers through each step of this quest anddetails the rewards you will receivefor killing Captain Gaston Tussaud.
How To Start “A Watery Grave” Quest
To start “A Watery Grave”,Oblivion Remasteredplayers must first join the Dark Brotherhood andgain access to the Cheydinhal Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary. Once you pass the Ancient Black Door, find Vicente Valtieri to pick up this quest, the first Dark Brotherhood contract inOblivion.
Full “A Watery Grave” Contract Walkthrough
How To Complete “A Watery Grave” & Get The Contract Bonus
“I’m not sure how you feel about pirates, but you’ve got to kill one. A captain, in fact. On his ship. Surrounded by his crew. Interested?”
Your goal in “A Watery Grave” is to kill Gaston Tussaud, a Captain of a pirate ship that’s currently docked in the Imperial City Harbor, in the Waterfront District. Though it does not matter how you kill the Captain,Oblivion Remasteredplayers will only fulfill the Bonus requirements for this Dark Brotherhood Contract if they manage to kill him without being seen by his crew.
Before you leave the sanctuary to start this contract, check in with your fellow Dark Brotherhood members to see if they have any insights on your mission.
Step One: Find The Pirate Ship Location
To find the Marie Elena location,Oblivion Remasteredplayers must head to the Waterfront District of the Imperial City. From the gate that leads back into the city, where you will spawn in if you fast-travel to the Waterfront, turn left and walk along the path until you see a group of pirates next to their ship at the end of the dock.
As Vicente Valtieri suggests, there is a box here that you can sneak inside to smuggle yourself onto the ship. Look for this box at the very end of the dock, past the group and the bow of the ship. A prompt should automatically appear when you walk close. Choose to hide in the box, then you will be transported into the cargo hold of the ship.
You can also choose to simply walk onto the deck of the ship and enter the captain’s quarters. The pirates will become aggressive if you board the ship directly like this, but if there are any nearby Guards, they will immediately become aggressive to the Pirates and clear the way for you.
Step Two: Sneak Through The Marie Elena
If you choose to hide in the box at the end of the dock, you must sneak through the bowels of the pirate ship to reach the captain’s cabin. Sneak through the lower levels until you find a ladder, then climb up to the second level. Here, you will encounter two pirates in the middle of a conversation. They block the path forward, so wait until they are done talking, then Sneak past once they have gone back to their patrol.
Because there is no bonus for this initial Dark Brotherhood contract,Oblivion Remasteredplayers can also choose to engage the two pirates in direct combat.
Either way, once you get to the other side of the second level, you will see a hatch that leads up into the captain’s chambers. Take this ladder up to find the pirate Captain’s location.
Step Three: How To Kill Captain Gaston Tussaud
Once you enter the Captain’s quarters, whether by smuggling yourself onto the ship or walking directly past the pirates at the dock, Captain Tussaud will immediately become aggressive if you are not sneaking. Dispose of the Captain however you see fit – but the easiest and fastest method is to use a Sneak Attack.
After you kill the Captain, exit through the rear door that leads out onto a patio, then jump into the water. After a few moments, two pirates will knock on the captain’s door, then enter to see what’s wrong, so be sure to exit the ship as fast as possible to avoid combat.
If you are able to sneak onto the ship without being seen, and can reverse pickpocket aPoisoned Appleinto the Captain’s pocket, then remove every other Food item from his room, the Captain will eventually eat the apple and die. This does not alert any pirates or guards, though it can be tricky to set up.
“A Watery Grave” Quest Rewards
Once you’ve killed the Captain, head back to the Dark Brotherhood sanctuary in Cheydinhal and talk to Vicente Valtieri again. He will congratulate you on a successful first contract and reward you with the Black Band, which passively grants Fortify Light Armor, Fortify Security, and Resist Magic passive buffs when equipped.
You will also get one Infamy point, which changes how certain NPCs react to your presence, and you will unlock the next part of theOblivionDark Brotherhood questline. Talk to Vicente Valtieri again to pick up your second contract: “Accidents Happen”.
This next part of the Dark Brotherhood questline sees players set up an assassination to look like an accident, and requires you to sneak by an armed guard and get out of the house without being seen.
