Skyrim:Diplomatic Immunity
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[edit] Quick Walkthrough
- Talk to Delphine in Riverwood.
- Meet Malborn in Solitude and give him any equipment you want smuggled into the embassy.
- Meet Delphine at the stables, wear the party clothes and hop in the carriage for a ride to the embassy.
- At the embassy, create a diversion and slip away from the party with Malborn.
- Recover Thalmor intelligence files from the ambassador's office.
- Go down to the dungeon and recover the rest of the documents.
- Obtain the key to the trapdoor and escape.
[edit] Detailed Walkthrough
[edit] Paranoia
After the encounter with Alduin and Sahloknir near Kynesgrove, the paranoid Delphine will be overly quick to point out the Thalmor as being responsible for the return of the dragons. She reasons that, since the Thalmor are part of the Aldmeri Dominion and nearly destroyed the Empire during the Great War, they were the ones with a motive for rescuing Ulfric from the axe back in Helgen, simply in order to keep the war raging. Even if her theory seems more than personal, you will have no other choice but to follow her plan. She aims to infiltrate the Thalmor Embassy for possible evidence of their connection with the dragons. She then reveals that she has no idea how to get into the heavily barricaded embassy, and asks you to meet her back in Riverwood. At this point, the Diplomatic Immunity quest starts, so travel to Riverwood and head down to the basement of the Sleeping Giant Inn.
[edit] The Thalmor
If you choose to walk with Delphine all the way back to Riverwood, she will readily explain the complex background story about the Blades and how the Aldmeri Dominion wiped out all Blades during the Great War. While her memory of past events seems flickered at best, she at least provides some background information behind her hatred towards the Thalmor and a valid reason on why she suspects them for being responsible for the dragon attacks. Once back in Riverwood, she will go down to her secret basement and reveal that she has a plan. She will tell you about Thalmor Ambassador Elenwen who often throws parties for the upper-class citizens of Skyrim. You are to meet her ‘man on the inside’, Malborn, who will help you to the best of his abilities. He will meet you at the Winking Skeever in Solitude, prepared to help you out. In the meantime, Delphine will work on getting you a formal invitation to the party, so travel to Solitude and see Malborn.
[edit] The Wood Elf
According to Delphine, the Thalmor killed Malborn’s entire family back in Valenwood, giving him plenty of good reason to help you out. You will find him inside the Winking Skeever, trying to keep a low profile. He will be quite surprised that she picked you for such a dangerous infiltration job, but will explain the situation. You are to carefully choose some equipment that he can smuggle into the embassy, preferably stealth-based, and he advises you not to try to bring anything yourself. When you’re ready, hand him your best equipment and he will get up and leave.
Delphine will now be waiting for you at Solitude Stables, just southwest of Solitude. Once you arrive, she will ensure that everything went smoothly with Malborn and will then hand you an official invitation along with a set of party clothes and boots to look the part. After you have changed she will take your remaining equipment and you will automatically board the carriage to the Thalmor Embassy.
[edit] High-Class Party
The carriage driver will drop you off in the courtyard of the embassy and you will be greeted by the drunken ramblings of a Redguard named Razelan, apparently a high-ranking officer in the East Empire Company. As you approach the entrance, a Thalmor Soldier will ask for your invitation, so show it and go inside. Once you enter, party host Elenwen will be quick to seek you out and ask too many questions. Luckily, your friend Malborn is standing right behind her and will soon interrupt the embarrassing conversation and point Elenwen’s attention elsewhere. Talk to Malborn who will brief you; you are to create a scene so he can unlock the back door unnoticed.
Look around the room and check out the guests. When asking around, you will quickly notice that the guests are either hateful Thalmor or high-ranked denizens of Skyrim who only participate in the party for personal benefit. With the exception of the hostess Elenwen, the drunken Razelan, the servant Brelas and the bard Illdi (if Illdi is dead she will be replaced by Grete), the guests are often randomized or determined from your previous actions before even starting the quest. Furthermore, a total of eight guests can provide the needed distraction- but only if you meet the requirements, or if they like you enough:
   
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[edit] Infiltration
In the kitchen, the Khajiit cook Tsavani will complain about Malborn bringing a stranger into the kitchens, at least until Malborn reminds her of her secret Moon Sugar addiction. Malborn will then lead you into a room where you can receive the items you asked him to smuggle in. As soon as you exit through the door, Malborn will lock the kitchen area behind you and you are on your own, with the objective to find dragon-related intelligence. In the first hallway, you can eavesdrop on a conversation between two Thalmor Guards, hinting that Delphine may be wrong about the Thalmor:
Guard #1: "Did you see those robes march in this morning? Who're they with? More of the Emissary's treaty enforcers?"
Guard #2: "No. They're high mages, just in from Alinor. I guess Herself is finally getting worried about all the dragon attacks."
Guard #1: "Ah, good. I've been wondering how we were supposed to defend this place from a dragon."
Guard #2: "If a dragon does show up, maybe we'll get lucky and it will eat the mages first. Might give us enough time to kill it."
Guard #1: "Ha. I'd like to see those arrogant bastards taken down a notch. Always looking down their noses at us lowly footsloggers."
After a bit of mean-spirited laughter, one of the guards will say, "Well, we'd better get back to our rounds." and they will both return to their duties, unfortunately in the room you will have to pass through. Note that the full set of Thalmor clothes in the adjacent room was supposed to make you harder to detect, but due to a bug, the clothes don't work, as the desired effect was wrongfully set to the Hooded Thalmor Robes. You can claim a set of hooded robes from the Thalmor wizard in the upstairs area from the first room, but chances are he will detect you and call upon the two guards from downstairs. Regardless, you can choose between two strategies; either take the stealthy approach, with or without the hooded robes (see this section), or go on a rampage and kill everybody.
The first room contains the two talkative guards, with the Thalmor wizard patrolling the second floor. Right after their conversation ends, they will both turn their back to the door and return to their positions, giving you a chance to sneak upstairs and attempt to claim the robes by killing the wizard quietly. If not, you will have to take out the two guards and the wizard, and pick one of the two available doors leading to the outside courtyard. The area is patrolled by three Thalmor soldiers with another wizard standing guard near the front door to your target destination, the Solar of Elenwen. If you wear the hooded robes, the guards will not notice you, but the wizard is not to be avoided and will see through your disguise. Fight them all, then enter sneak mode and enter the Solar.
[edit] The Informant
Once you get inside Elenwen’s Solar, the true face of the Thalmor will start to show, although not in the way Delphine expected. When the door closes behind you, you should hide behind the plant in the southwestern corner and eavesdrop on the conversation between the Thalmor torturer Rulindil and his informant Gissur in the neighboring room. The conversation centers on a prisoner named Etienne and an unnamed old man:
Gissur: "But, I need that money! I earned it. I have my own expenses you know..."
Rulindil: "Silence! Do not presume, Gissur. You are most useful, but do not presume. We have other informants who are less... offensive."
Gissur: "But no one else has brought you such valuable information, have they? Etienne, he's talked, hasn't he? He knows where that old man is you're looking for, he told me himself."
Rulindil: "You'll get the rest of your money when we confirm his story. As agreed."
Gissur: "So he has talked! I knew it!"
Rulindil: "Everyone talks, in the end. Now, I have work to do. Leave me to it, if you ever want to see the rest of your payment."
Gissur: "Can I... I could help you. He'd talk to me. He trusts me."
Rulindil: "You'd like to come downstairs with me, is that it, Gissur? Shall we loose his bonds and put you in a cell together? You can ask him anything you like, and see how he answers."
Gissur: "No, no. I'll... I'll wait outside."
Rulindil: "That would probably be best. Now get out!"
While an insulted Gissur obeys orders and leaves the building, Ruldindil will head downstairs and enter the dungeon, leaving the patrolling soldier alone with you. You can either sneak past him or kill him, as your objective is the chest in the northwestern corner. Open the chest and claim the interrogation chamber key, the Thalmor's intelligence on Delphine, Ulfric Stormcloak and the revealing document dragon investigation, which proves the Thalmor are investigating the dragon attacks as well, with Rulindil in charge of interrogating a suspect in the cells.
[edit] Torture Session
Go down the stairs and enter the dungeon, where you will arrive at a balcony overlooking a bloodstained torture room and a number of cells. Rulindil will be seated at the desk, while a Thalmor Soldier will do the dirty work and torture Etienne Rarnis while Rulindil asks a series of questions:
Etienne: "Stop. Please. I don't know anything else. Don't you think I'd have told you already?"
Soldier: "Silence. You know the rules. Do not speak unless spoken to. Master Rulindil will ask the questions."
Rulindil: "Let's begin again."
Etienne: "No... for pity's sake... I've already told you everything..."
Rulindil: "You know the rules."
Etienne: "Noooooo!!!"
Rulindil: "Start at the beginning, as usual. If you persist in this stubbornness I'll have..."
Etienne: "No, wait! I was just... catching my breath... why wouldn't I tell you again? I don't even know anything... There's an old man. He lives in Riften. He could be this Esbern you're looking for, but I don't know. He's old and seemed kind of crazy. That's all I know."
Rulindil: "And his name is...?"
Etienne: "I don't know his name. Like I've told already a hundred- Ahhhh!"
Rulindil: "You know the rules. Just answer the questions. And where can we find this nameless old man?"
Etienne: "Like I said, I don't know! I've seen him down in the Ratway. Maybe he lives down there, but I don't know for sure."
Rulindil: "That will be all for now. I must say I continue to be disappointed in your lack of cooperation. I hope next time you will do better."
Etienne: "What else do you want from me? I've already told you everything. Listen, if you let me go I can take you to Riften, show you where- Gaaaaah!!!"
Soldier: "Silence, prisoner!"
With that last punch, Etienne finally loses consciousness and the Thalmor will leave him alone. Rulindil will stay behind his desk while the Thalmor Soldier will start patrolling the area. This time around, you will have no choice but to kill both of them, as your objective is the chest right next to Rulindil. From your spot on the balcony, head down the stairs and attract the attention of the soldier, then kill her as quickly as possible. Rulindil may notice this, but if not, sneak up behind him and cut his throat. He is a powerful wizard with countless spells at his disposal, so get rid of him quickly, then loot his body for a wide array of items such as spell tomes, poisons, and enchanted jewelry. Now is a good time to save the game, if you want an old friend to survive and get another quest later on.
[edit] Escape the Embassy
When everything is quiet, enter Etienne's cell and tell him that you are here to help. Cut him loose and ask him if he knows anything of importance; he will then tell you about Esbern and the quest will update. You can also ignore Etienne and look in the chest by the back wall to the right of his cell; there is a book there titled Thalmor Dossier: Esbern, if you read it, the quest will also update. When that happens, take a quick run up the eastern set of stairs, where you will find Malborn, now exposed for his treachery, and two Thalmor Soldiers. They will kill him on the spot if needed, so kill both of them quickly and don’t hit Malborn. After the battle, search the corpses for the trap door key and return to Etienne who will be waiting near the trap door, or just go to the trap door. You will now have up to two followers, completely unable to fight, but unlock the trap door and enter Reeking Cave. Down there, a troll resides, so run ahead of the fugitives and kill it before they even notice it (as they will try to fight it and get killed in the process). If you have a follower currently following you, he or she will probably enter the cave at this point from the other side, and help to kill the troll. Lastly, locate the tunnel with a dead conjurer, the Illusion skill book Before the Ages of Man and an Unusual Gem. Find the exit and prepare to deliver some surprising news to Delphine back in Riverwood.
In the secret basement underneath the Sleeping Giant Inn, Delphine will anxiously await your return. When you tell her the that the Thalmor have nothing to do with the dragon attacks, she will be quite surprised and ask for elaboration. When you tell her that they’re looking for someone named Esbern, she will be shocked: "Esbern? He's alive? I thought the Thalmor must have got him years ago. That crazy old man... Figures the Thalmor would be on his trail, though, if they were trying to find out what's going on with the dragons." It turns out Esbern is a former Blade, just like Delphine, and that it makes perfect sense for the Thalmor to blame him for the dragons. When you tell her about Esbern’s supposed location in Riften, she will immediately task you with tracking him down, before the Thalmor do. She will then hand you a secret word to gain Esbern’s trust, the Diplomatic Immunity quest will end, and the next quest, A Cornered Rat, will begin. Remember to claim all your belongings from Delphine’s chest before leaving for Riften.
[edit] Achievements
One achievement is unlocked when you complete this quest:
Diplomatic Immunity (20 points/Bronze)
[edit] Hooded Thalmor Robes Method
If you want to use the Hooded Thalmor Robes, as intended by the developers, either acquire some from the random Justiciars found in the wilderness, or aim to kill the wizard on the first floor. After you don the robes, you will be undercover if you're an elf, can walk past the guards (at a distance) if you are human, or will be immediately exposed if you are Khajiit or Argonian:
| Race | Question |
|---|---|
| High Elf | "Must be new around here." |
| Wood Elf | "Seems a bit short to me." |
| Human/Dark Elf | "You there. I don't think I've seen you around before." or "Come here. Let me see your face." or "Haven't seen him/her around before." |
| Beast Race (Khajiit or Argonian) | "Wait, is that a tail?" |
If you play as an Altmer, it's even possible to tell the wizard guarding the door to the Solar that 'Elenwen wants to see him', thus allowing free access to the Solar. Note that once you reach Elenwen's Solar, the patrolling guard is scripted to see through your disguise, regardless of race. However, this method is possible with a high Illusion skill (over 50 at least), as other races by using Calm spells[verification needed — only verified for Dunmer?]. When this is achieved speak to the Thalmor guard outside the Solar and say that it is your turn for duty and they will move on to the entrance of the Embassy. This is very useful for low-level players who may find the wizards are a handicap to their experience. It is unknown whether or not it will work for the scripted patrol guard inside the Solar though.
[edit] Notes
- The Unusual Gem must be retrieved on your first visit. It is located in the master bedroom on the second floor of Elenwen's Solar. It is possible to return to the embassy from the cave, but it may not be possible to go back far enough. Version 1.4 of the Official Skyrim Patch moved the Gem to the lower part of Reeking cave.
- During the party, you are not able to ready weapons, crouch, wait or, shout. After sneaking away from the party, these functions are re-enabled.
- Malborn and the two guards are not present until you pass through a trigger point. It is possible, either accidentally or deliberately, to miss/avoid the trigger point. In order for you to open the trap door you must cause those guards to spawn as they both carry the same keys to the escape trap door.
[edit] Bugs
- If by some chance the guards have died prior to this quest (a dragon attack, for example), they may not respawn for the quest once it starts and thus will not ask for your invitation and will not unlock the door, preventing you from proceeding from the quest.
- This bug is fixed by version 1.5 of the Official Skyrim Patch.
- Razelan may not speak with you for a distraction, preventing quest progress if there are no other guests to provide distractions. ?
- Sometimes the next quest will not be started after the completion of this quest.
- This bug is fixed by version 1.5 of the Official Skyrim Patch.
- Several party guest NPCs may not appear at all, or if they are currently involved in other active quests.
This bug is fixed by version 1.2.2 of the Unofficial Skyrim Patch.
- The Thalmor Robes are supposed to function as a disguise, but this does not work, even as an Altmer. Despite having the same effect, MQ201ThalmorDisguise, only the Hooded Thalmor Robes work. You can obtain one from the wizard upstairs. It is also possible to smuggle these robes into the Embassy and use them as disguise.
- Some quest related items will not be removed from your inventory when Delphine takes it. This includes weapons, such as Ulfric's War Axe.
- If Etienne Rarnis dies before talking to him, the quest will not progress to the next stage. Reload if this happens.
- You may not be able to retrieve your equipment, as the chest will be empty. ?
- Dragon priest masks given to Malborn may not appear in the chest in the kitchen. ?
- After Delphine takes your stuff and you exit the dialogue window, you may be frozen and unable to access your inventory, map, magic, or skill perks menu. You can access the start menu and fast travel but you will remain frozen. ?
- To fix this on the PC, use console command,
setstage MQ201 100
- It is possible that upon arrival to the embassy, you will be immediately be attacked. As you are unable to fight, you cannot progress. Reloading from an older save may fix this. ?
[edit] Quest Stages
| Diplomatic Immunity (MQ201) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Stage | Finishes Quest | Journal Entry |
| 30 | (Objective is assigned): Meet Delphine in Riverwood | |
| 40 | It seems that things are worse than even Delphine thought. Dragons aren't just coming back to life, they're being resurrected by other dragons. Delphine suspects that the Thalmor might be bringing dragons back for some sinister purpose. She's going to talk to her contacts about how we can infiltrate the Thalmor Embassy. (Objective is assigned): Meet Malborn in Solitude |
|
| 50 | (Objective is assigned): Give Malborn the equipment | |
| 70 | (Objective is assigned): Meet Delphine at the stables | |
| 100 | It seems that things are worse than even Delphine thought. Dragons aren't just coming back to life, they're being resurrected by other dragons. Delphine suspects that the Thalmor might be bringing dragons back for some sinister purpose. She's going to help me infiltrate the Thalmor ambassador's manor and find out what they know about the dragons. I should meet with her contact, Malborn, in the Winking Skeever Inn in Solitude. (Objective is assigned): Talk to Malborn |
|
| 110 | (Objective is assigned): Create a distraction and get away from the party | |
| 140 | It seems that things are worse than even Delphine thought. Dragons aren't just coming back to life, they're being resurrected by other dragons. Delphine suspects that the Thalmor might be bringing dragons back for some sinister purpose. Her contact, Malborn, smuggled some of my equipment into the Thalmor ambassador's manor. I infiltrated the manor posing as a guest at the ambassador's party. Now I need to search the ambassador's office to find out what the Thalmor know about the dragons. (Objective is assigned): (Optional) Retrieve your gear |
|
| 190 | (Objective is assigned): Search the torture chamber | |
| 210 | (Objective is assigned): Escape the Thalmor Embassy | |
| 230 | (Objective is assigned): Talk to Delphine | |
| 210 | It seems that things are worse than even Delphine thought. Dragons aren't just coming back to life, they're being resurrected by other dragons. Delphine suspects that the Thalmor might be bringing dragons back for some sinister purpose. With the help of her contact, Malborn, I infiltrated the manor posing as a guest at the ambassador's party. I've now learned that the Thalmor are just as in the dark as we are - in fact, they're searching Riften for a Blade named Esbern, who they believe knows what the return of the dragons means. | |
| 250 |  |
It seems that things are worse than even Delphine thought. Dragons aren't just coming back to life, they're being resurrected by other dragons. Delphine suspects that the Thalmor might be bringing dragons back for some sinister purpose. With the help of her contact, Malborn, I infiltrated the manor posing as a guest at the ambassador's party. I learned that the Thalmor are just as in the dark as we are - in fact, they're searching Riften for a Blade named Esbern, who they believe knows what the return of the dragons means. |
| 255 | |
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- The following empty quest stages were omitted from the table: 0, 1, 10, 15, 20, 35, 90, 95, 98, 102, 105, 108, 120, 130, 150, 160, 165, 170, 180, 185, 202, 205, 208, 215, 220, 222, 223, 225, 227, 240.
| Prev: A Blade in the Dark | Up: Main Quest | Next: A Cornered Rat |
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