In the dark alleys and hidden corners of Riften, the Thieves Guild once held unmatched power and influence. Known throughout Skyrim as a feared criminal organization, the guild has since fallen into ruin, plagued by internal strife, betrayal, and weakened leadership. Restoring the Thieves Guild to its former glory is not only one of the most intriguing storylines in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, but also a satisfying journey that blends stealth, persuasion, and underworld politics. Taking control and rebuilding the guild is a rewarding challenge that affects gameplay, worldbuilding, and the player’s legacy in Tamriel.
Starting Your Path in the Thieves Guild
Locating the Guild in Riften
The journey to restore the Thieves Guild begins in Riften. Players can initiate the questline by speaking to Brynjolf, who usually hangs around the marketplace. He’ll offer a small job as a test, involving theft and a distraction. Completing this leads to the player being invited to the Ragged Flagon, the Thieves Guild’s hidden base in the Ratway beneath Riften.
Passing the Initiation
Once inside the Ragged Flagon, a few more tasks must be completed to prove loyalty. This includes tracking down a traitor named Gulum-Ei and helping recover critical assets. Successfully completing these missions earns you a spot within the Thieves Guild and access to its facilities, such as fences and trainers.
The Guild’s Decline and Your Role
A Broken Network
At the time the player joins, the Thieves Guild is a shadow of its former self. Their influence has dwindled, their presence in other cities is almost nonexistent, and internal trust is fractured. The guild’s leader, Mercer Frey, is revealed to be corrupt, embezzling from the guild and murdering former leaders.
Uncovering Betrayal
The turning point in the restoration effort is discovering Mercer Frey’s betrayal. Players must infiltrate his hideout, track his crimes, and ultimately confront him in a dramatic showdown. Removing Mercer and reclaiming key artifacts sets the stage for true leadership to emerge and the guild to begin rebuilding its empire.
Restoring Influence Across Skyrim
City Influence Quests
Once Mercer is defeated, the real restoration work begins. The Thieves Guild’s revival depends on reestablishing influence in major cities across Skyrim: Whiterun, Markarth, Solitude, Windhelm, and even back in Riften. To achieve this, players must complete a series of small jobs in each city typically involving pickpocketing, burglary, shill jobs, or smuggling.
After completing five radiant jobs in one city, a special influence quest becomes available, which is unique to each location. Completing these special quests unlocks new fences and restores the guild’s reputation in that city. As each city falls back under the guild’s control, the Ragged Flagon becomes more prosperous, reflecting the guild’s growing power.
List of Influence Quests
- Whiterun: Silver Lining
- Markarth: The Bedlam Job and quest to retrieve a family heirloom
- Solitude: The Dainty Sload
- Windhelm: Summerset Shadows
Each of these missions not only helps rebuild the guild’s operations but also ties into the criminal networks, political intrigues, and unique identities of the cities involved.
Becoming the Guildmaster
The Path to Leadership
Completing the influence quests in all four major cities unlocks the final quest in the Thieves Guild storyline: ‘Under New Management.’ In this mission, the player is formally recognized as the new Guildmaster, marking the completion of the guild’s restoration. A special ceremony is held in the Cistern, and you receive the Guildmaster’s Armor one of the most powerful light armor sets available for stealth-based characters.
Benefits of Being Guildmaster
- Access to all fences throughout Skyrim, with increased gold capacity
- Improved vendors and infrastructure in the Ragged Flagon
- Respect and recognition across Skyrim’s underworld
- Guildmaster’s Armor with enhanced enchantments
Being Guildmaster also unlocks additional dialogue options and reinforces your role as a major player in Skyrim’s political and criminal landscape.
Why Restore the Thieves Guild?
Gameplay Rewards
Restoring the Thieves Guild offers unique gameplay benefits. It grants players access to valuable items, gold, services, and unique gear. It also enhances fast travel locations and expands your network of allies. For players who prefer stealth, persuasion, or roleplaying as a rogue, the restored Thieves Guild becomes a home base for all things sneaky and lucrative.
Story and Immersion
The storyline to restore the Thieves Guild is rich with betrayal, revenge, and power struggles. It offers one of the most dynamic questlines in the game and lets the player affect real change in Skyrim. Seeing the Flagon transform from a dim, empty ruin into a bustling hub of criminal activity is rewarding and adds immersion to the open-world experience.
Dynamic Worldbuilding
As the guild grows stronger, the world of Skyrim responds. NPCs start to speak about the return of the guild’s power. New fences appear, and old relationships are repaired. It adds a layer of progression and consequence that’s often missing in open-world RPGs. Players can feel their influence spreading and take pride in the revitalized state of the Thieves Guild.
Tips for Efficient Restoration
- Focus city by city.Don’t accept radiant jobs in multiple cities at once. Finish five in one before moving to the next.
- Save before accepting jobs.If you’re aiming for a specific city, save your game and reload if the job is located elsewhere.
- Visit fences frequently.Fences offer large sums of gold and allow you to sell stolen items that other merchants won’t accept.
- Use stealth skills wisely.Invest in pickpocketing, lockpicking, and sneaking to complete jobs more effectively.
Restoring the Thieves Guild is more than just a side quest in Skyrim it’s a rich journey of redemption, leadership, and strategy. As you rise through the ranks, confront betrayal, and reestablish the guild’s hold on Skyrim, you’re not just rebuilding a criminal empire you’re carving out your own legacy. For players who enjoy immersive storytelling, stealth mechanics, and a lasting impact on the world, the Thieves Guild questline offers some of the most satisfying content in the entire Elder Scrolls series. Don’t let the guild remain in ruins step into the shadows and bring it back to power.