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Starting Hail Sithis
Approaching The Katariah
Reaching Emperor Titus Mede II
Completing Hail Sithis
The Dark Brotherhood's main Sanctuary in Skyrim has been destroyed, and most of its members were killed. Still, the last contract given to your organization has not been completed. The Emperor is still alive, and it is up to you to end him.
Related: Skyrim: The Taste Of Death Daedric Quest Walkthrough
Thanks to the Night Mother, you return to Amaund Motierre to reaffirm your commitment to his contract and to find out where the Emperor is. He gladly tells you that your target is on his ship and safely behind his personal guard. If there is ever a time to pull out a guide, this is the one.
Starting Hail Sithis
The final major quest for the Dark Brotherhood starts at the end of Death Incarnate. The Night Mother tells you to look for Amaund Motierre at the Bannered Mare in Whiterun to find the Emperor's location so that you can complete the contract.
A little more prodding lets you learn that Commander Maro, the man responsible for the destruction of the Sanctuary is nearby, should you wish to have your revenge.
He is relieved to see you, worrying that his attempt had failed after the Sanctuary was destroyed. After some reassuring, he tells you that the Emperor is still at the Solitude Docks aboard his ship, the Katariah.
Approaching The Katariah
While tempting to fast travel directly to Solitude, doing so will land you right in front of the guards. To ensure a stealthy approach, travel to the Abandoned Shack where you first began your journey with the Dark Brotherhood. It is a quick walk to the ship from there.
To board the ship, swim over and look for the anchor's chain, indicated by the quest marker. Interacting with it will allow you to climb aboard. If you would like to kill Commander Maro, you have to do it before entering.
Killing Commander Maro
You will find him standing on a pier near the East Empire Company Warehouse. The easiest way to approach him would be to swim up to the south end and look for a set of stairs leading behind him. With his back turned, stealthily killing him will not be an issue.
With that done, approach the Katariah to continue with the mission.
Reaching Emperor Titus Mede II
The chain leads you to the Katariah's cargo hold. You will need to navigate your way through crew members and Penitus Oculatus agents to reach your target. They are either found individually or in pairs. While this is a good chance to flex your prowess at stealthy murder, it is not required, and you can charge through as violently as you want.
The Emperor is on the third floor of the ship, relative to the entrance. Not only is his chamber protected by a Master lock, but there is no direct route to it. The fastest way would be to climb onto the main deck to reach the third floor. This route is difficult to sneak through and will be dangerous.
The door leading to the Emperor's chamber brings you to a room once secured by an Adept lock. Find Lieutenant Selvarus on the left of the area and kill him for the Katariah Master Key. It will unlock the Emperor's door and allow you to reach him.
The Emperor is waiting for you inside. He had believed that his death was inevitable and made his peace with it. It will only take a single hit to kill him.
As men speaking to their own murderers go, he is surprisingly respectful and resigned to his fate. You can kill him immediately, or you could hear him out. Instead of pleading for his life, he asks you to kill the person who organized the assassination.
To escape, take the door behind him and jump into the water. You will be able to swim to safety from there.
Completing Hail Sithis
The last part of the quest has you return to Amaund Motierre to claim your reward. He is waiting at the Bannered Mare where you had last seen him. Pleased to hear the news, he tells you that the reward is in Volunruud, where you first met.
If you would like to honor the Emperor's last wish, close the door and sneak attack Amaund. Without any witnesses, he will die without much trouble. While there is no reward, you can loot valuable gems from his body.
Retrace your steps into Volunruud and reach the indicated urn. There, you will find 20,000 gold as your reward.
Finally, bring the news to Nazir at the newly re-established Dawnstar Sanctuary. He will not take any money, though he will mention that you could invest some of it into rebuilding the Dawnstar Sanctuary by speaking to Delvin Mallory.
A full renovation of the Sanctuary will cost 19,000 gold, almost the entirety of the reward. You could spend all the gold on yourself instead, though upgrades will get you followers and treasure.
This concludes the Dark Brotherhood's story, though there are still more contracts to pursue if you are willing.
Next: Skyrim: Proving Honor Companions Quest Walkthrough
