Skyrim:Vex

Vex (RefID: 00028938)
Home City	Riften
Location	The Ragged Flagon
Race	Imperial	Gender	Female
Level	PC×1 (range=10-50)	Class	Thief
RefID	00028938	BaseID	0001CD90
Services
Training
Other Information
Health	125+(PC-1)×8.3
Magicka	50
Stamina	50+(PC-1)×6.7
Primary Skills	Light Armor, Lockpicking, Sneak, Archery, One-handed
Class Details	TrainerLockpickMaster
Moral.	No Crime	Aggress.	Unaggressive
Essential	Yes
Faction(s)	CrimeFactionThievesGuild; FavorExcludedFaction; Lockpicking Trainer; Riften Ragged Flagon Faction; Riften Thieves Guild Headquarters Faction; Skill Trainer; ThievesGuildFaction 0(Agent)

Vex

Vex is an Imperial thief and an important member of the Thieves Guild in Riften. She is always at The Ragged Flagon, located within The Ratway in Riften. Like other patrons of the bar, she does not sleep.

Vex's outfit consists of a set of Guild Master's armor, including matching pairs of gloves and boots. She also carries a leveled dagger (up to Elven quality), three leveled gems, two lockpicks and up to 45 gold.

Vex is the Master trainer for Lockpicking. After joining the Thieves Guild, she will tell you that she handles all the burglary, shill, sweep, and heist jobs - "the ones that involve breaking and entering." If you ask her how extra jobs will help the Guild, she will exclaim: "Are you kidding me? Ever since the Guild's luck turned sour, we haven't had a coin to our name. And when the coin dried up, that's when people started to leave. We had the best of everything down here... the Ratway was a damn palace. The only way this place will ever return to its glory days is if we can finish these extra jobs and start the gold flowing again." Inquiring about what the glory days were like, she will continue: "The Flagon was once a city beneath a city. We had our own smith, our own alchemist... you name it. If we can make a name for ourselves in Skyrim once again, I can almost promise you those merchants would return. Best of all, we'd have enough gold to throw around so we can start living in the lap of luxury again."

She also triggers the quest No Stone Unturned, started after finding one of the unusual gems. Vex will reveal to you the location of Isabelle Rolaine's whereabouts as part of the quest Drowned Sorrows.

Related Quests

Thieves Guild Quests

• Meet the Family: Speak with some of the members of the Thieves Guild and pick up your gear.
• Loud and Clear: Send a message to a former Thieves Guild client.
• The Pursuit: Break into Mercer Frey's house and search for clues.
• No Stone Unturned: Find the 24 gems to restore the Crown of Barenziah.

Radiant Quests

• The Burglary Job: Steal a special item from a wealthy home.
• The Heist Job: Steal a particular item from a store.
• The Shill Job: Place an item as evidence inside a wealthy home.
• The Sweep Job: Steal three specific valuable items from a wealthy house.

Miscellaneous Quests

• Drowned Sorrows: Find Isabelle, Ranmir's lost love.

Quest-related Events

Note: If you talk to Vex after A Chance Arrangement, but before completing Taking Care of Business, she will dismiss you by saying: "You need advice? Talk to Brynjolf... I got better things to do." or "I'm not here to hold your hand. Figure this one out for yourself." Vex will however not provide Master training for Lockpicking until you have officially joined the guild.

Meet the Family

"One, I'm the best infiltrator this rathole of a Guild's got, so if you think you're here to replace me, you're dead wrong."

After you successfully complete Taking Care of Business, you are officially initiated into the Thieves Guild by Mercer Frey. You are now able to introduce yourself to your fellow guild members, including Vex. When you initiate conversation with Vex for the first time since joining the guild, she will remark: "Before we begin, I want to make two things perfectly clear. One, I'm the best infiltrator this rathole of a Guild's got, so if you think you're here to replace me, you're dead wrong. And two, you follow my lead and do exactly as I say... no questions, no excuses." When you tell her that you'll keep that in mind, she will go on: "Then we understand each other... good. Now, it's time to get your feet wet and I don't want to waste a lot of time talking about anything but business." Asking what sort of business, she will explain: "I'm not going to sugar-coat it for you. We're in a bad way down here." Also asking her if she has any idea why, she will remark: "Who knows. Old Delvin thinks it's some kind of a curse. I think he's crazy. If you want my opinion I say it's just plain old bad luck." Offering your help, she will tell you: "You can get out there and start making a name for us again... make them start fearing us like they did long ago. And, while you're at it, make a little bit of coin on the side. Not a bad deal, eh?" You are now able to accept burglary, shill, sweep and heist jobs from Vex to help the guild make a name for itself again.

Loud and Clear

Before you head out to Goldenglow Estate, you may want to speak with Vex beforehand to learn what she knows about the estate. When you bring up how she ran into trouble, she will say: "Hmph, yeah I did. That wood elf s'wit... he's a lot smarter than I expected. Can you believe that fetcher had more than tripled the guard? There must be eight of them in there. It was like he was daring us to come and get him." If you ask her for any tips on how to get into the estate easily, she will tell you about an old sewer tunnel: "Well, there's an old sewer tunnel that dumps into the lake on the northwest side of the island. That's how I slipped in there. Should still be unguarded." Now there will be an optional map marker added leading towards the sewers beside the Goldenglow Estate.

The Pursuit

During the quest The Pursuit, as you enter the Cistern along with Karliah, you will be confronted by a hostile Brynjolf, Delvin and Vex. Brynjolf will initiate the conversation first by making accusations towards Karliah:

"That door has the best puzzle locks money can buy. There's no way it can be picked open."

"That son-of-a-bitch! I'll kill him!"

Karliah: "You better have a damn go so we can speak. I have proof that you've all been misled!"
Brynjolf: "No tricks, Karliah or I'll cut you down where you stand. Now what's this so-called proof you speak of?"
Karliah: "I have Gallus's journal. I think you'll find its contents disturbing."
Brynjolf: "Let me see. No, it... can't be. This can't be true. I've known Mercer too long..."
Karliah: "It's true, Brynjolf. Every word. Mercer's been stealing from the Guild for years, right under your noses."
Brynjolf: "There's only one way to find out if what the lass says is true. Delvin, I'll need you to open the Vault [sic]."

At this point, all four thieves will start to make their way towards the guild's vault to confirm what was written in Gallus' journal:

Delvin: "Wait just a blessed moment, Bryn. What's in that book? What did it say?"
Brynjolf: "It says Mercer's been stealing from our vault for years. Gallus was looking into it before he was murdered."
Delvin: "How can Mercer open up a vault that needs two keys? It's impossible. Could he pick his way in?"
Vex: "That door has the best puzzle locks money can buy. There's no way it can be picked open."
Karliah: "He didn't need to pick the lock."
Delvin: "What is she on about?"
Brynjolf: "Use your key on the vault, Delvin. We'll open it up and find out the truth."
Delvin: "I've used my key, but the vault's still locked up tighter than a drum. Now use yours."
Brynjolf: "By the Eight! It's gone, everything's gone! Get in here, all of you!"
Delvin: "The gold, the jewels... it's all gone."
Vex: "That son-of-a-bitch! I'll kill him!"
Brynjolf: "Vex! Put it away... right now. We can't afford to lose our heads... we need to calm down and focus."
Delvin: "Do what he says, Vex. This isn't helpin' right now."
Vex: "Fine. We do it your way. For now."
Brynjolf: "Delvin, Vex... watch the Flagon. If you see Mercer, come tell me right away."

At this point, all four will depart from the vault. If you approach Vex at any other time during the quest, she will greet you with: "If I see Frey, I'll pluck his eyes from his skull with my bare hands!", "Need to stay focused in case Frey comes back, make it fast." or "We can talk after I find out what's going on."

---

No Stone Unturned

When you obtain one of the possible 24 unusual gems, you will be directed to speak with Vex to get it "appraised". If you present one to her and ask if it is worth anything, she will tell you: "Been a while since I've seen one of those. What you've got there is a Stone of Barenziah." Asking if it's worth anything again, she will respond: "Not like that it isn't. The stone was pried off of Barenziah's ceremonial crown by a thief in order to cover his tracks." If you ask her how many there are, she will elaborate: "I think there were twenty-four in all. Most people keep them as a curiosity. Some of the Guild members have tried to locate them over the years, but they haven't been successful... well, until now." If you ask if she will buy it, she will continue: "Look, I only buy things I can turn around quickly for a profit. And no one wants those stones unless they have the whole set. Tell you what, if you find the rest of them, talk to me again. Otherwise, keep it and maybe it'll bring you luck."

"Been a while since I've seen one of those. What you've got there is a Stone of Barenziah."

However, once you have managed to obtain all 24 Stones of Barenziah, and have returned to Vex, she will exclaim: "Unbelievable! You must be the first person to set eyes on all twenty-four of them in... well, the last two eras." Asking if the stones are now worth something, she will again correct you: "When I told you the set had to be complete, I left out a small detail... I honestly didn't think you'd ever get this far. If the stones were remounted on the crown, it would be of great benefit to the Thieves Guild." Asking if the benefit is wealth, she will go on to say: "Not exactly. The crown is what the Guild calls a paragon; an object that enhances our thieving abilities. At least, that's what I'm told it does... there hasn't been a paragon in this Guild for hundreds of years." If you ask her if the crown still exists, she will notify you: "I have it on good authority that the crown is within Tolvald's Cave; dropped by a Dunmer caravan leaving Morrowind long ago. If you can bring it back, we could restore the paragon... and reap its benefits." Sarcastically stating that she had this planned all along, she will openly admit: "If we want to stay on top in Skyrim, the Guild needs that paragon back. Without it, we're just a bunch of petty thieves."

When you have recovered the Crown of Barenziah from Tovald's Cave, she will acknowledge your feat: "I knew you had it in you. After all, finding the Stones was no easy feat. Well, I'm not one to welch on a deal, so here's your reward. I hope you put it to good use. I know I have." You will now gain a permanent effect: the Prowler's Profit.

Drowned Sorrows

During the quest Drowned Sorrows, when Haran tells you that Ranmir believes Isabelle Rolaine ran off with a person named Vex, go and speak with Vex in the Ragged Flagon. If you ask her if she knows Isabelle, she will reply vaguely: "Who's asking?" You can choose out of two ways to approach her question:

Your Dialogue	Vex's Dialogue
"I'm just trying to find her."	"Well, ain't gonna find her here. Haven't seen her in a while."
"Someone named Ranmir is looking for her."	"Not him again. He came nosing around Riften a while back, making a lot of noise about me. He was... persuaded to leave before he found me. Funny, I'd have thought she would've gone back to him by now."

Exclaiming that she does know Isabelle, Vex will now tell you what she knows: "She came through a while ago, wanted to know where she could get her hands on something valuable. Anything, really. I told her it was a bad idea, that she wasn't cut out for what'd be necessary, but she wouldn't hear it. So I gave her some advice, pointed her towards Hobs Fall Cave and that was that." If you choose to approach her anytime afterwards and ask again where she was, Vex will remind you: "Like I told you, last time I saw her she was headed for Hobs Fall Cave. No idea what happened to her."

---

The Burglary, Shill, Sweep and Heist Jobs

If you tell Vex that you are looking for some extra work, there are four types of jobs available to choose from: burglary jobs, shill jobs, sweep jobs and heist jobs. If you choose to do one of these four jobs, she will reply with one of the following lines of dialogue:

The Burglary Job	"Pretty simple. Break into a house, grab a specific item and get out before they realize what's going on. The catch is you can't kill anyone who lives there or you forfeit the payment. You ready for some good old-fashioned burglary?"
	"We're looking to recover an heirloom for a client. They claim ownership of it, and as long as they're paying we don't really care. You in?"
	"We've been trying to get this item for a while, but no one with the skills has come along to claim it. Can I count on you to get it?"
	"Have a house with a good bit of valuables inside, but one particular item's caught my eye. You up for it?"
	"Got a tip on a desirable item at this location. We want you to break in there and bring it to us. What do you think?"'
	"Good, got a buyer in a rush for this item. If you hurry we can turn it around and make a quick profit. Can you get it?"
	"Sure, sure. We're always looking to get our hands on items from all over Skyrim. How about this one?"
	"As long as you can keep things quiet and don't get yourself killed in the process, this place has exactly what we're looking for. You in?"
	"We've actually stolen this item before and somehow it ended up back in some other mark's house. Guess it's time to reclaim it, eh?"
The Shill Job	"When a client needs us to eliminate another, we don't operate like the Dark Brotherhood. We find alternate means to get them out of the way. We send you to plant some phony evidence in the mark's house, and then tip off the town guard... the rest takes care of itself. Sound like you can handle it?"
	"Someone wants to see this mark suffer. They're paying a good bit of coin to have us plant the evidence in their house. You in?"
	"This one should be easy. Get in, plant the goods and get out. Quiet and neat. Sound like your kind of job?"
	"The mark must have ticked-off our client badly. He's impatient and keeps asking if the job's done. Can you get him off my back?"
	"Got a good one here. Personal score to settle between myself and this mark. You up for it?"
	"Brynjolf finally got some dirt on the mark and the evidence to back it up. Think you can give him a hand?"
	"This one angered someone pretty high up in the keep. Can I count on you to get this done for me?"
	"Got another personal score to settle and I'd consider it a favor if you'd take the job. Think you can help me out?"
	"Sure, sure. Got one that should be pretty easy, as long as you keep your weapon sheathed. Can you handle it?"
	"Yeah. Someone ticked off Maven and she wants to teach them a lesson... our way. You in?"
The Sweep Job	"One of the quickest ways to make some coin in Skyrim is to clear out some of the wealthier homes of their valuables. If you're interested, I could point out a good place that could use a little housecleaning. What do you say?"
	"I think we have a nice wealthy home for you to break into. Think you can clear the place of valuables and keep it quiet?"
	"These people just inherited some heirlooms from a relative. Good timing for us, bad timing for them, eh?"
	"Just got a tip on this house... should be stuffed with loot. Care to head over there and find out?"
	"Got a message from one of my people that this place just came into some coin. Should be a good target. Want to take it?"
	"Someone with connections to our Guild wants us to hit this place and send a message by clearing it of valuables. You want to handle it?"
	"Good timing. The people in this home recently got one of your fellow Guild mates sent to jail. How about you make them pay for it. [sic]"
	"You can give this house a once over. I hear they're fairly well-off and probably have lots of good stuff ripe for the picking. Sound good?"
	"The owner of this place just got an inheritance from a relative lost in the war. Sound like something you can sink your teeth into?"
The Heist Job	"Every now and again, we like to remind the shopkeepers that we're in charge. If that means breaking into their strongboxes and stealing something valuable from them, then so be it. Feel like doing a bit of shopping... the Guild way?"
	"Got a shop owner with a very choice item a client wants to get his hands on if you do the dirty work."
	"Got a good one here involving a shop, a waylaid shipment of goods and an angry client. You fill in the blanks. You want in?"
	"I have just the place. The owner likes to stash some lovely trinkets in his strongbox like this beauty. Can you get it for us?"
	"The owner of this place just inherited an heirloom from a relative. You want in?"
	"Sure. A client's relative lost this item in a gambling match and they're paying us to get it back. So much for fair play, huh?"
	"The owner of this shop stiffed us on their last protection payment, but we're taking it anyway. You want to help us on this one?"
	"'Jiit caravan brought this shop a nice piece from Elsweyr. Think you can break into their strongbox and get it for us?"
	"Got a client in desperate need for this item. He won't say what it's for, and we don't care. Can you take this one?"

"You idiot. He said "firs" not "furs". It was a damn logging caravan!"

Conversations

Sometimes around the Ragged Flagon you may overhear several random conversations that Vex has with the other members of the guild:

Vex: "Delvin, that last shipment we heisted on the Cyrodiil frontier was worthless!"
Delvin: "That's impossible. I distinctly heard that lout in the tavern say it was a full shipment of furs. They should be worth a fortune."
Vex: "You idiot. He said "firs" not "furs". It was a damn logging caravan!"
Delvin: "Oh my... umm, you won't let Mercer hear about this will you? Ahem."

Delvin: "Would an old codger like me have any chance with a fine young woman like you?"
Vex: "Sure you would."
Delvin: "Really... what would it take to make that happen?"
Vex: "You in your grave, and me standing over it!"

Notes

• There is a note signed by her that is addressed to Delvin found on a table in the Ragged Flagon.