To join the Dark Brotherhood in Oblivion, you must murder an innocent NPC, then sleep in a bed so Lucien Lachance can visit you and offer the initiation quest, which leads to the Cheydinhal Sanctuary.

How to Join the Dark Brotherhood in Oblivion

Quick Scoop

  • Commit one deliberate murder on an innocent, non-hostile NPC (enemies and creatures do not count).
  • Make sure the game recognizes it as murder (you’ll see a special notification and it must be a “crime,” not self-defense).
  • Sleep in a safe bed; you’ll be awakened by Lucien Lachance, who gives you the quest “A Knife in the Dark.”
  • Complete his contract (kill Rufio), sleep again, then travel to the abandoned house in Cheydinhal to enter the Sanctuary and fully join.

Step-by-step: From Nobody to Assassin

1. Commit a qualifying murder

You can’t just kill bandits or monsters; the Dark Brotherhood only notices if you kill someone considered “innocent.”

  • Pick a non-hostile NPC (townsfolk, some quest NPCs after their quests, etc.).
  • Use a normal weapon or spell and strike them down while they are not attacking you first.
  • You should see a message like “Your killing has been observed by forces unknown” indicating it counts.

For a smoother run, many players choose:

  • An isolated NPC with no nearby witnesses, to avoid bounty and guards.
  • An NPC who becomes fairly expendable after a quest, so it doesn’t break your plans later.

Once that message appears, you’re marked.

2. Go to sleep

After your qualifying murder:

  1. Find a real bed: an inn room, guild bed, house bed – anything that lets you “sleep,” not just “wait.”
  2. Sleep for at least one hour.

When you wake:

  • A cutscene-like encounter triggers.
  • Lucien Lachance of the Dark Brotherhood appears at your bedside.
  • He explains that Sithis has noticed your deed and offers you a place in the Dark Brotherhood.

He gives you a task: prove your worth by killing a specific target named Rufio.

3. Complete the Rufio contract

Lucien sends you to:

  • Track down Rufio , who is usually hiding in a low‑rent inn room (commonly in the Imperial City region).
  • Find him in his private room and kill him.
  • This is your “trial” assassination and is designed to be straightforward and self-contained.

Once Rufio is dead:

  • You’re effectively accepted, but you must sleep again in a safe bed.

4. Sleep again to finalize recruitment

After killing Rufio:

  1. Sleep in a safe location once more.
  2. Lucien returns and confirms your success.
  3. He directs you to Cheydinhal , to an abandoned house near the eastern wall.

At this point, you are functionally one of them, but you still need to physically reach the Sanctuary.

5. Enter the Cheydinhal Sanctuary

In Cheydinhal:

  • Find the abandoned house by the eastern wall.
  • Enter and go down into the basement.
  • There you’ll see a strange Black Door marked with a skull/hand motif.

Interact with the door and it will ask a question (the Dark Brotherhood’s password challenge).
Answer with the proper phrase given by Lucien (for example, a line invoking Sanguine and brotherhood). If you respond correctly:

  • The door opens.
  • You step into the Cheydinhal Sanctuary , meet your new “family,” and gain access to Dark Brotherhood contracts, gear, and rewards.

From then on, you’re on the full Dark Brotherhood questline.

Mini Tips & Roleplay Angles

Practical play tips

  • Save before your first murder in case you regret the NPC choice.
  • Try to avoid witnesses; otherwise you may incur a bounty and need to pay or go to jail.
  • Joining early can be strong for stealth builds, thanks to enchanted gear and gold from contracts.

Roleplaying flavor

  • If you’re running a morally grey or evil character, that first murder can be a defining story beat.
  • Some players pick a character their hero “secretly hates” to make the moment more personal.
  • Others wait until late-game, when their character has “fallen” or become disillusioned, and then turn to the shadows.

Forum Discussion & “Trending” Talk

On forums and discussion threads, players often:

  • Debate the “best” first victim – someone isolated vs. someone they already dislike.
  • Share stories of accidentally triggering the Brotherhood by killing the “wrong” NPC.
  • Compare doing it in classic Oblivion vs. remastered or modded setups.

There’s a recurring sentiment: even in 2026, joining the Dark Brotherhood remains one of the most memorable faction intros in any RPG, and players still trade tips on how to roleplay that first step into the dark.

TL;DR

  • Kill an innocent NPC (not an enemy).
  • See the special “observed by forces unknown” murder notification.
  • Sleep in a bed to meet Lucien Lachance.
  • Kill Rufio for him, then sleep again.
  • Go to Cheydinhal , enter the abandoned house, use the password at the Black Door , and step into the Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary.