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where to join thieves guild oblivion

To join the Thieves Guild in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion , you need to make contact with Armand Christophe at the Imperial City Waterfront and complete a short “audition” theft quest.

Quick Scoop: How to Join

  • Go to the Imperial City Waterfront at midnight.
  • Find the Garden of Dareloth (a small courtyard on the southern side of the Waterfront).
  • Meet Armand Christophe there; he’ll offer you the quest “May the Best Thief Win.”
  • Steal Amantius Allectus’ diary in the Temple District and bring it back to Armand.
  • Turn it in to Armand to officially join the Thieves Guild and unlock fences and guild quests.

Main Ways to Trigger the Thieves Guild

You can naturally “discover” the guild in a few different ways while playing:

  1. Go straight to the Waterfront at midnight
    • After leaving the sewers at the start, head to the Imperial City Waterfront.
    • Wait until around 12:00 AM and look for a gathering in the Garden of Dareloth.
    • Armand will speak to you and two other hopeful thieves and start your initiation.
  2. Get in trouble and go to jail
    • Commit a theft (pickpocket, steal an item in view of a guard) so you’re arrested.
    • After you serve your sentence and then sleep/rest , a Thieves Guild contact may approach you and point you toward the Waterfront and Armand.
  3. Ask around about the Gray Fox / thieves
    • Read wanted posters about the Gray Fox in the Imperial City.
    • Ask guards or beggars in the city about him or about the Thieves Guild.
    • They’ll often direct you to the Waterfront and, eventually, the Garden of Dareloth at midnight.

What Happens at the Garden of Dareloth

  • Armand explains you’re competing with another thief to prove yourself.
  • Your target is Amantius Allectus , a citizen living in the Temple District.
  • You must:
    1. Travel to the Temple District.
    2. Find Amantius Allectus’ house (on the eastern side; one of the first houses on the right as you head toward the Arboretum).
    3. Pick the lock, enter, and grab his diary from inside.
    4. Return to Armand at the Waterfront.

If you’re faster than the other aspirant, you win cleanly.
If they beat you to it, you can still “out-thief” them by:

  • Pickpocketing the diary from them, or
  • Breaking into their home later and stealing it back.

Either way, once you bring the diary to Armand, you’re in.

Why You Want to Join Early

Joining the Thieves Guild early in a new playthrough is very handy:

  • You gain access to fences (merchants who buy stolen goods).
  • You can pay off bounties through the guild instead of dealing with guards.
  • Beggars give better rumors and tips once you’re a member.
  • The questline eventually ties into some of the most memorable stealth content in Oblivion.

Mini FAQ

Q: Minimum level to join?
You can join pretty much as soon as you exit the sewers ; no real level requirement, just be able to sneak and pick locks a little. Q: What if I can’t find the Garden of Dareloth?
Look on the southern edge of the Imperial City Waterfront; it’s a small, walled courtyard. If you have the related quest in your log, follow the quest marker at midnight. Q: Can I miss the chance to join?
No, the Thieves Guild isn’t missable. If you mess up the first contest, you can still get the diary back and hand it to Armand, or trigger the invitation another way (like jail + resting). TL;DR: Head to the Imperial City Waterfront , find the Garden of Dareloth at midnight , talk to Armand Christophe , steal Amantius Allectus’ diary in the Temple District , bring it back, and you’re officially in the Thieves Guild.