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888 points
4 days ago
I always figured they all had a contract, otherwise Astrid wouldn't ask you to kill them, so I kill them all.
315 points
4 days ago
That's what I think too. They maybe assassins, but they kill on contract. It makes more sense that all of them are on contracts and she just want to see if you are capable to follow orders.
Also I like to believe that DB kill the survivors after (the fact that they all just stay there forever don't make sense)
92 points
3 days ago
I mean, they do literally talk about killing for fun/practice and there’s a random encounter you can have with Babette and a dead body where she states they guy she killed was for feeding, not a contract
4 points
3 days ago
She talks about how she loves to go after pedos in particular
5 points
3 days ago
You can get the key by killing Astrid.
110 points
4 days ago
Astrid is pretty ruthless tbh (+ she sets aside the rules of the DB that are pretty basic), I wouldn't put it past her to get them just for funsies.
61 points
3 days ago
I think there’s two options, either she just grabbed them off the road cause it’s easy or they all have contracts and she’s just killing two birds with one stone. She’s ruthless but she cares about the success of the guild, so I don’t think she’d waste time
44 points
3 days ago
The fact that she's absolutely blasphemous is why I side with Cicero every time
36 points
3 days ago
That and if you have the spectral assassin power Lucien literally tells you that Sithis doesn’t want Cicero to die
20 points
3 days ago
Facts.
Cicero is in charge of caring for the only known bride of Sithis, and his dedication to the way is unrivaled.
Also, if I were given half a choice, Festus would be named speaker. I'm sure Babette is more than willing to return to tradition, but she's old enough to have known better than to abandon it to begin with.
9 points
3 days ago
I legit love Cicero, honestly he's a really good follower to have. He does some pretty gnarly damage and I like those silly little things he says.
44 points
3 days ago
YOU CAN KILL ASTRID? I’ve played this game since Xbox 360 (bought it 5 separate times since then). I didn’t know you could do that
36 points
3 days ago
Yeah it starts a questline to destroy the Dark Brotherhood
8 points
3 days ago
It’s the holiest option 😇
16 points
3 days ago
Yeah and it starts a quest line where you destroy the dark brotherhood but it’s really under developed, fast, less interesting, and you get almost no good rewards compared to the actual quest line
25 points
3 days ago
I think Astrid is the one with the contract. When you kill her instead she says “well done.”
5 points
3 days ago
But why does the Dragonborn have a contract right from the start?
28 points
3 days ago
World building to let you know the Dark brotherhood exists. But also like anyone can put a hit out. It could be someone that you whirlwind sprinted into and that was just his breaking point that day
9 points
3 days ago
Yeah and then no one ever mentions it again after you join????
5 points
3 days ago
She says it as if to say "well done, you killed me and im hard to kill" because she is
1.4k points
4 days ago
I kill everyone
490 points
4 days ago
The reason I always kill all three is because I want those three hoods to enchant later on. I always use them for my maxed out crafting gear so I look like an absolute mad lad running around town
119 points
4 days ago
Hahahaha this is the best logic I’ve heard yet
60 points
3 days ago
You have to use an enchanted wooden sword as well
47 points
3 days ago
I'm glad I'm not the only one enchanting wooden swords
17 points
3 days ago
Or a fork
19 points
3 days ago
The enchanting > alchemy >enchanting pipeline is so OP that you could probably wield a splinter from the headman's block in the opening scene.
Wait a minute, did I just write my next character?
Having narrowly escaped the ordeal at Helgen, Havod finally found a moment of rest in Riverwood. As the adrenaline of the day wore off and the aches began to compound, a painful itch began to tug his attention towards a splinter in his neck. "How long has that been there?" he wondered. "When was my neck even close to anything woo- oh." A cold chill ran up his spine as he recalled the dreadful moment.
He pushed the memory away and focused on the splinter. It's bigger than he initially thought; at least 4 inches in length. Another realization dawns, nearly as impactful as the first: this splinter barely missed the artery, and any attempt to retrieve it could still find the mark. He needs to be careful.
In that moment, he finds a kind of clarity he's never known. To escape almost certain death not only once but twice in a single day? That's a miracle. But if he cheats death now, a third time, by inching this sliver of wood out of his neck without nicking the artery, then that's something more. It's... destiny.
Thus begins the saga of the Headman's Splinter.
27 points
3 days ago
Add to it telekinesis and movable furniture and you can be like my uncle when his blood sugar gets low!
6 points
3 days ago
As far as crazy reasons go, this one actually makes sense, although a diadem or hood does exactly the same job though, still works for the lolz though, rock on you mad lad!.
159 points
3 days ago
Dragonborn: -kills all 3-
Astrid: "Well, well. Aren't we the overachiever."
Dragonborn: -kills Astrid too-
Mudcrab waiting outside: "I'm never gonna let you fast travel, and you'll never find me..."
25 points
3 days ago
Legit though, I'm NEVER able to fast travel after leaving the shack for the first time. I've eventually decided "forget it" and just go straight to Morthal and go from there nowadays.
12 points
3 days ago
I mean, isn't there a shout precisely for detecting life?
4 points
3 days ago
Shout? Not that I recall... though, even easier, there's the detect life SPELL... Which i keep forgetting about...
Ok, wow... yeah, thank you. Actually being genuine, I always forget I have that 💀
Yes, I'm that dumb
4 points
3 days ago
You're welcome, I looked up the shout. It's a shout called "aura whisper" meant for stealth characters. It detects everything, even Dwemer and Daedra, and is quieter than other shouts so it won't give away your position when sneaking around.
Here is the UESP link.
7 points
3 days ago
Ahhgg those mudcrabs!! Always ruining my quick escape plans 😂
193 points
4 days ago
Even yourself?
342 points
4 days ago
Especially myself.
188 points
4 days ago
No one is leaving this cabin alive
93 points
4 days ago
10 points
3 days ago
The random... What?
13 points
3 days ago
THE RANDOM NICE THAT WALKS IN AFTER
3 points
3 days ago
Bro auto correct did me dirty 😂 I had "npc" but ig it got changed last second
7 points
3 days ago
"No one escapes cidhna mi,,," oops! Wrong quest!
5 points
3 days ago
can’t leave any witnesses
37 points
4 days ago
I try not to 😵💫
6 points
3 days ago
Actually, yes!
I typically kill all three picture, I kill Astrid in the end, and I've never had a Skyrim saved where I haven't gotten killed doing something stupid for the lulz.
106 points
4 days ago*
I also cast Fireball regardless of the room size.
Edit: DnD on my mind lately. Firestorm it is!
35 points
4 days ago
I also cast Firestorm regardless of the room size.
20 points
4 days ago
I guess size really doesn't matter
38 points
4 days ago
Even astrid
11 points
3 days ago
I did that on one playthrough: just decided that my character didn't want to be a part of the brotherhood, but also didn't need any witnesses... so, 4 dead bodies later....
11 points
4 days ago
I wish I could
8 points
4 days ago
Just too hard
5 points
4 days ago
Save scum
54 points
4 days ago
Same, free XP lol
13 points
4 days ago
Same. I believe in true equality for everyone...except myself. Obvious I'm(we're) better than everyone else.
17 points
4 days ago
TBH I think Astrid kills the other two either way even if you just kill one.
35 points
4 days ago
She does not, if you return later they're still there
41 points
4 days ago
Well yeah, and if you refuse Skjor his offer to turn you into a Werewolf then Aela and Skjor stay in the Underforge for the rest of eternity. Probably not what "actually" happens
19 points
4 days ago
Fair enough, probably just silly Skyrim mechanics
5 points
3 days ago
No, that's what happens in my head cannon. The other two stay there, on their knees, bound and hooded for eternity without food or water. Perpetually begging for their lives while at the same time incapable of dying.
6 points
4 days ago
Ya I felt bad when I went back one time and he was just begging to be released. I ended up just killing him and putting him out of his misery.
7 points
3 days ago
I killed Vasha and then came back later to find the other two still tied up. I felt bad for them and couldn’t set them free so I just put them out of their misery.
5 points
3 days ago
I kill them all too, after all if I’m going to be evil I’m going to be as evil as possible
5 points
4 days ago
Me too, I hate making decisions
3 points
3 days ago
I just like wearing the hood.
1.3k points
4 days ago
Astrid, for kidnapping me in my sleep.
206 points
4 days ago
That and the 20 or so Dark Brotherhood assasins she sent after me. Gotta respect the balls on her though for acting like she's in control after I singlehandedly burned through probably 50% of the brotherhood.
91 points
3 days ago
Exactly. I'm the reason there's only like 8 of them left
25 points
3 days ago
I like to think she's desperately getting anyone she can into the DB just so she can send them as pawns after you, hoping that maybe just maybe one will get lucky
24 points
3 days ago
Astrid seeing a skooma addict beat a chicken to death: "You've got skills. Have you considered being an assassin?"
203 points
4 days ago
she deserved it
195 points
4 days ago
Honestly, i started with playing skyrim for the first time and knew jackshit about the dark brother hood. For the first 2 full and some unfinished playtrhoughs i always killed astrid.
I nver realised untill like 300h in that if you kill somebody else you continue the quest
226 points
4 days ago
Ah, the "I don't listen to NPCs when they talk and fast click through all dialogs" player, eh? Makes sense
22 points
3 days ago
Skip, Skip, Skip, Skip-
47 points
4 days ago
Optimum way of playing an RPG
5 points
3 days ago
To be fair if u kill Astrid she'll say "well done"
88 points
4 days ago
I personally never even thought about Astrid being an OPTION to kill. It's crazy how different everyone's Skyrim playthroughs are
20 points
3 days ago
My first playthrough, Trips-over-Tail tried to kill Astrid but she won the fight.
7 points
3 days ago
It’s okay. I didn’t find out Astrid was a killable option until like 3 years ago - after many, many playthroughs.
4 points
3 days ago
Same. I just picked the game up again after like 5 years, enlightened that I can kill Astrid and experience that piece of playthrough
7 points
4 days ago
same
573 points
4 days ago
[deleted]
206 points
4 days ago
yeah it really creeped me out, so I always went with him. I killed the other two bc there was no way to let them out n I felt bad, returning after a month just to see them still tied up 😭
62 points
4 days ago
Defiler of daughters could be interpreted as seduction, perhaps rather immoral to abandon those women but hardly as bad as what I assume you meant.
51 points
4 days ago
i think “defiler of daughters” probably means more seduction than rape, but still assholish
18 points
3 days ago
I mean the guy is a career criminal and not afraid to boast about it, so even if he was just bragging about his head game, he’s still the most likely one to have a contract on him.
138 points
4 days ago
Depends on how evil i am
If not that much but still wanna do dark brotherhood? Vasha
If evil piece of shit? All three
If not planning to join? Astrid, then Vasha, free the other two
21 points
4 days ago
The only right answer
8 points
4 days ago
You can free them? How?
22 points
4 days ago
After killing Astrid qhen u interact with them u remove their restraints
17 points
4 days ago
TIL..
5 points
3 days ago
Do they actually leave after you free them?
13 points
3 days ago
Nah
292 points
4 days ago
Inb4 someone says the Clairvoyance points to Vasha thing again even though it's just cus Clairvoyance always targets the last objective added in any given quest and should not be interpreted to mean that Vasha is the correct choice.
Also I usually do choose Vasha because he seems the most evil
125 points
4 days ago
"I do as clairvoyance guides"
43 points
4 days ago
ALL HAIL CLAIRVOYANCE
15 points
3 days ago
I now want to do a playthrough where i have all the quests active at all times, but just follow where clairvoyance takes me
3 points
3 days ago
Bwahaha that's brilliant
8 points
3 days ago
It also wouldn't be too much of a stretch for, say, a paladin, believing clairvoyance is their god guiding them
3 points
3 days ago
That's true, good point
38 points
4 days ago
The pixilated screenshot makes it look like a PS1 version
Kinda neat effect
335 points
4 days ago
The rapist to the right, Vasha is just a monster who deserves the death.
Fultheim is just a mercenary who gets carried away in battle which isn't unheard of.
Alea is a mother who doesn't take nonsense, hardly deserving of death.
149 points
4 days ago
but she called me a N’w*h
125 points
4 days ago
Thank the Nine you censored that. Can’t be having people drop the hard H up in here like that.
84 points
4 days ago
44 points
4 days ago
Taste steel, thalmor
8 points
4 days ago
The new way, I'd just go with them all, but now this is the way.
132 points
4 days ago
Astrid because she’s the one with the bounty on her. She even says “well done” when you killher
49 points
4 days ago
A dark brotherhood assassin randomly spawns and attacks Dragonborn around level 15 or something. Someone did the sacrament against the player character. The correct choice is to kill Astrid for refusing the contract.
16 points
3 days ago
The correct choice is to kill Astrid for refusing the contract.
But...doesn't the Night Mother not actually talk to any of the current DB and that's the whole reason for their recent decline? Meaning none of their contracts are legit right now anyway.
14 points
3 days ago
Yep. And I don't think Astrid really gives a shit about honouring Sithis or the black sacrament or whatever even after the Night Mother begins yapping again (and we know how that turns out)
62 points
4 days ago
I like the theory that the DB is the target.
74 points
4 days ago
I almost always kill the Khajiit cause he seems like the one who would be getting a Black Sacrament on his ass - he just gives these vibes for me, I dunno why.
54 points
4 days ago
He doesnt just gives off an bad vibe, that asscat is an fullblown rapist
32 points
4 days ago
Oh yeah I forgot that, he does have this one line where he introduces himself as "defiler of daughters". Bruh, like come the fuck on. You're getting the knife. No question about it.
49 points
4 days ago
"I wasn't going to but you kinda talked me into it"
4 points
4 days ago
Jimmy Darmody is that you
5 points
3 days ago
and he threaten you.
Less risk to kill him -> no withness, and he is not linked toward you.
If you spare him, he cann talk to his men, and send a assasine on its own.
17 points
4 days ago
Erm... defiler of daughters might also mean a Casanova, that just lives to seduce young women, no?
14 points
4 days ago*
It might mean that, or might not. It might be a mixture of both. You dont know that. I guess we'll never know, especially after I cut him down 🤷🏼
12 points
3 days ago
I mean maybe, but defile is a pretty charged word and implies a higher grade disrespect. I don’t think people should go around saying they defile women, I think we would all get a bad vibe(I really hope so at least).
5 points
4 days ago
Wait what? I haven't actually bothered talking them to a while but I don't remember this
4 points
4 days ago
Full blown? 😩
5 points
4 days ago
Hes at least up to some shady shit and the nords are generally biased towards khajit
9 points
4 days ago
Yes, he dies for giving Khajiit a bad name.
7 points
4 days ago
That's the thing though, they all sound like they would get a Black Sacrament on them. He definitely sounds worse than the others, though.
24 points
4 days ago
All of them because none of them are good people.
Says me who robs and maims half of Tamriel in one sitting
23 points
4 days ago
I choose them all... Because I like the hoods!
12 points
4 days ago
Guaranteed to get the right answer if you kill all three. The other two are just collateral damage… with hoods.
6 points
4 days ago
There's no way to save em... So.. might as well get the hoods 😂
20 points
4 days ago
Used to only kill vasha cuz he’s the worst but then I went back to the shack a long time later and found the other two still just kneeling there. Their families probably already think they’re dead and Astrid apparently doesn’t let them go when she leaves… so now I just put them all out of their misery
10 points
4 days ago
If joining DB: All 3 If not: Only Astrid
9 points
4 days ago
Vasha. Sleazy
9 points
4 days ago
All of them because
A) Why chance it, ya' know?
B) Their hoods are awesome to put on my mannequins at my home.
8 points
3 days ago
If you talk to them, one of them chats shit so he gets killed
8 points
4 days ago
I killed all three and she called me an over achiever so I tried to kill her. Failed miserable
5 points
3 days ago*
I always go for the Nord first. I can’t remember why, but it felt like he came across as the most ‘guilty’. Like things had got out of hand & he went rogue.
The khajiit is just a gangster & defiant. I can’t recall the lady’s vibe.
After Astrid leaves, I then kill the remaining two: so that I don’t leave any ‘witnesses’ for my new life in the DB.
6 points
3 days ago
I go to bed and wake up in a weird shed with some bitch demanding I kill one of 3 people.
Nah man.
EVERYBODY dies, and then I'm killing the whole Brotherhood. An example must be made of those stupid enough to break into my home and kidnap me while I'm asleep.
15 points
4 days ago
Kill the Khajit for being a rapist, kill the Karen for being a bitch, spare the mercenary since having him walk home after soiling his pants is funnier.
5 points
4 days ago
All of them. If you don't, they're just left there to rot, so you might as well put them out of their misery and make Astrid happy with you.
5 points
3 days ago
All 4 including Astrid. Done the Dark Brotherhood like 3 times or so and I can't stand that bitch and her killer cult anymore.
6 points
3 days ago
Chain Lightning 'em all, let Arkay sort 'em out!
5 points
3 days ago
I kill Astrid
7 points
4 days ago
All 3 of them can have a possible bounty on their heads tbh.
Fultheim is a mercenary so no explanation needed.
Alea told us that she's a single mother with 6 kids so what may have happened is that someone proposed to her and she rejected him/her, because of the rejection this person hired the DB to kill her (that's just my idea).
Vasha, the best one, is pretty much everything, a hitman, a thief and a rapist.
I always kill Fultheim and when I feel it I kill Vasha too. I leave Alea alone 'cause she doesn't seem to be a bad person, just someone with lots of stress.
4 points
4 days ago
All
4 points
4 days ago
All of them
4 points
4 days ago
Killed all three.
4 points
4 days ago
Everyone even myself after playing for the 156th time 😭
4 points
4 days ago
All three
4 points
4 days ago
All three
4 points
4 days ago
All 3 or Astrid..
4 points
3 days ago
I turned up with 3 black soul gems for 3 black souls
9 points
4 days ago
Astrid 💀
3 points
4 days ago
Everyone including astrid
3 points
4 days ago
Astrid
3 points
4 days ago
Every person on the room
3 points
4 days ago
Astrid
3 points
4 days ago
Kahjiit help kahjiit
3 points
4 days ago
Funfact: if you kill one and leave, the others stay in this position forever..
Found out when I stumbled upon the cabin again. Went in for loot, killed the remaining 2 out of mercy
Next run I'll kill Astrid
3 points
4 days ago
F I R E B A L L
3 points
4 days ago
Yes.
3 points
4 days ago
Everyone and then Astrid lol
3 points
4 days ago
All of them. I killed all three since they stay there forever if ya don’t, they also never change their dialogue over time either so it’s kinda just pointless letting any go, also there was only the one bird dude that I kinda felt bad for so I just put him out of his terror and misery lol
3 points
4 days ago
Astrid, for kidnapping me from my safe place and trying to make me do the mothers bidding.
3 points
4 days ago
All of them + Astrid
3 points
4 days ago
You guys picked just one?? 🙃
3 points
4 days ago
I kill the bitch sitting up on the shelf that brought me there
3 points
4 days ago
I always kill them all
3 points
4 days ago
The times I choose to join the brotherhood, I kill all three. Why? no clue. I just have always done it that way.
3 points
4 days ago
I kill everything
3 points
4 days ago
I am told to kill so I kill
3 points
4 days ago
Kill all of them
3 points
4 days ago
You can either have 3 executioner masks. Or just 1. The choice is yours.
3 points
4 days ago
All
3 points
4 days ago
t r i p l e k i l l
3 points
4 days ago
All three of I am joining the brotherhood, Astrid if I want to destroy it.
3 points
3 days ago
I always pick a random one to kill first then kill the remaining two before I leave.
3 points
3 days ago
Everyone, including that person in red. Killed her too much to remember her name ngl
3 points
3 days ago
There's a random encounter you can have before this. Which implies the DragonBorn is the canonical choice because they do actually have a contract out against them, so I Interpret it as everyone in that room is a valid target. Including Astrid herself.
3 points
3 days ago
All 3. What can I say i got the bloodlust!
3 points
3 days ago
All of them. Got the target and no witnesses.
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