Oblivion:Methredhel

Methredhel is a Wood Elf archer and a Pickpocket of the Thieves Guild. She is one of three female newcomers sharing Methredhel's House in the Waterfront District, the others being Adanrel and Carwen. The three of them came to the Big City for fame and fortune, but while the other two are more or less discouraged with their lack of success, Methredhel has a different agenda and is determined to make a career in the Thieves Guild. Should you want to join the Thieves Guild, Methredhel is one of the adversaries in a race for Amantius Allectus' diary. Afterward, as you and she advance through the ranks of the guild, she sometimes acts as your guild contact, eventually becoming the messenger for the Gray Fox himself.

Eager to advance in the Guild, Methredhel will begin her criminal career in a humble way: At the beginning of the game, on all nights between 11pm and 3am, she can always be found in Dareloth's garden behind the Abandoned Shack with competitor Amusei and Thieves Guild Doyen Armand Christophe, awaiting the arrival of a third competitor. This, however, is a break in her normal routine and will stop once you complete May the Best Thief Win, regardless of the winner.

Her regular routine is a complicated one and takes her to many destinations in the big city. Typically for a Thieves Guild member, she stays up all night long and goes to bed at 6am in her house in the Imperial City's Waterfront District. She gets up at noon and starts the day with a two-hour lunch inside her house. At 2pm, on all days but Turdas, she will exit the shack and wander around in the District while chatting with the other inhabitants or the pirates on the dockside. On Turdas, she will, at 2pm, head to the Market District and stroll around there. At 6pm on all days, she will enter the Bloated Float Inn for a four-hour dinner. At 10pm, she returns to her house and wanders around until midnight. When the clock strikes midnight and the day turns into Morndas, Middas and Fredas, she will leave the Waterfront and travel to the Talos Plaza District where she will wander around near Umbacano's backyard until 5am, when she returns to her house. At midnight on Tirdas and Turdas, she will travel to the Elven Gardens District and just stroll around the entire area until 5am. On Loredas and Sundas, she just stays inside her house, wandering around all night while talking to Carwen and Adanrel. She always goes to bed at 6am and all her activities happens regardless of weather. There are several exceptions to this routine. See the section Quest-related Events for further details. 

After you have completed the Thieves Guild quest line, Methredhel finally reaches her goal and becomes a Master Thief in the Guild. She will, however, keep a low profile and cancel all of her nightly trips around town. Instead, right after her usual dinner at the Bloated Float Inn, she will, like many other Guild members, enter Dareloth's House behind the Abandoned Shack and will wander around the basement area until her bedtime at 6am. This behavior will continue for the rest of the game, every day except Loredas and Sundas. On Loredas, she will head there after dinner, but leave at midnight to go spend the rest of the night at home. On Sundas, she will stay home until midnight early on Morndas, only then heading to the guildhouse and staying until 6am as usual.

Members of the Guild are expected to hide in the shadows and remain undetected, but if anything goes wrong, Methredhel will be more than ready. She wields three leveled, but unenchanted, weapons of very high quality (up to ebony depending on your level): a bow, a dagger and a mace. For the bow, she carries nine steel arrows. When she is venturing outside, she wears a leather cuirass with matching gauntlets, pants and huntsman moccasins. When she is relaxing inside her house on Loredas and Sundas evening and when she is asleep, she un-equips the cuirass and gauntlets and slips into a more comfortable huntsman vest. She carries her house key, seven lockpicks, and a small amount of gold. 

When you meet her for the first time, before having started the Thieves Guild quest line, Methredhel will act very much like her two cohabitants: ''"My name is Methredhel. I've come to the Imperial City to make my fortunes." When asked about her city of choice, she will hint at things to come: "I think I'll do just fine. I'm a natural. Finder's keepers, right? And I'm a pretty good finder."'' If you approach her while she is waiting in Dareloth's garden, she will show her eagerness: "Is it midnight yet?". Speaking to her, you will realize just how determined she is: ''"So you are looking for the Thieves Guild as well. Armand Christophe will decide who is worthy and who is not. I've been preparing to join the guild for years. If you're nice to me, maybe I'll show you a few tricks."''

Related Quests





Career
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Methredhel is a Pickpocket from the beginning of the game.
She is promoted to Footpad when you begin The Elven Maiden.
She is promoted to Bandit when you begin Ahdarji's Heirloom.
She is promoted to Prowler when you begin Lost Histories.
She is promoted directly to Shadowfoot at the beginning of Taking Care of Lex, but demoted back to Cat Burglar after you receive your instructions from S'krivva.
She is promoted directly to Master Thief at the beginning of Arrow of Extrication, but demoted back to Shadowfoot after Amusei delivers his message to you.
She is permanently promoted back to Master Thief when you begin Boots of Springheel Jak.

Quest-related Events
May the Best Thief Win
thumb|right|Methredhel gets ready to race
When Armand reveals the initiation rules, Amusei will loudly complain, while Methredhel, already proclaiming her victory, will say: ''"Hah! I'll have it before sunrise!"'' Once Armand finishes his speech, Methredhel's disposition towards you will drop by 10, and she will run as fast as she can in order to get to the diary first. If you get near her she will brusquely push you aside, saying: "Get out of my way." If you actually speak to her, she will yell: ''"Don't try to slow me down. I'm going to get that diary before you." When she moves on she will call back to you: "Outta my way."'' She will proceed to cross the waterway, enter the Temple District, and run directly towards Amantius Allectus' house. Once inside, she will sneak towards the desk with the diary and if she manages to grab it, she will disappear into the basement with the words. "Hah! You are too late. I have the diary!" Once she reaches the trapdoor in the basement, she will teleport back to her house, carefully placing the diary in her chest. If you approach her at this point, if you did not directly witness her theft, she will proudly inform you: ''"I've got the diary, and I will turn it over to Armand the next chance I get. It's well hidden, so don't even think about trying to steal it back from me!" If you ask her about the test, she will give you a bit of friendly advice: "You should drop out now. You know I'm going to win."'' 

At this point, she will resume her normal schedule, except that once either she delivers the diary to Armand or you steal it from her, she will begin to attend the midnight meetings at Dareloth's Garden again. If you fail to steal the diary from her, she will wait until at least one midday has past since she deposited the diary in her chest. Once this has happened, she will wait until midnight before delivering the diary to Armand at Dareloth's Garden, proclaiming: "I have the diary!" Armand will then welcome her to the Thieves Guild: "Methredhel, you have earned the right to join the Thieves Guild." If she returns it to Armand successfully, he will tell you of her reward: ''"Methredhel has delivered the diary to me. She has earned her place in the guild. You did not do so well. Since we rarely get three potential recuits at the same time, I'll give you one more shot. Amusei is a bungler and won't get this offer. The first one to bring back Rohssan's sword will become a member. But, this is the last chance. The loser gets nothing. Do you accept?"

If you plan on stealing the diary, a beggar may give you a hint to getting back the diary if Methredhel has it: "Always glad to do a favor for you. She lives on the Waterfront. Wait 'til afternoon to find her. She sleeps from sunrise 'til noon." If you beat her to the diary during the initial race – or if you steal it from her chest – her disposition will drop by 20 and she will hiss: "Thief! You stole that diary from me. Now I have to wait to get into the guild." Whichever way, once you give the diary to Armand she will resume her normal schedule.

The Elven Maiden
Once you have fenced enough stolen items to start this quest, Methredhel will show suspicious behavior, signaling another Thieves Guild operation coming up. When talked to, she will say: "I'm rather busy on a... I'm busy. What do you need?" Once you have stolen the bust and made your way back to the Waterfront, you will get a quest update saying that the place is crawling with Imperial Watch. Once that happens, Methredhel, now a Footpad in the Thieves Guild, will break off her schedule and start running around searching for you everywhere as long as you are not in prison. If you speak to another Thieves Guild member before she can find you, they will tell you, "He's in hiding. I hear Methredhel is looking for you, though." Once she finds you she will initiate conversation: "Thank goodness I found you. I assume you know that Hieronymus Lex has issued an arrest warrant for Armand Christophe." When you ask her where Armand is, she will tell you: "He is in hiding. Armand is accused of stealing the bust of Llathasa Indarys from  . They say Count Indarys himself filed the charges."'' 

When you ask her what you should do with the bust, she will reveal Armand's real scheme: ''"There never was a client that commissioned the guild to steal Llathasa's bust. Armand used you to flush out an informant that infiltrated the guild."'' Upon further inquiry, she will reveal the informant's identity: "Myvryna Arano. Now Armand needs your help to neutralize her. You are going to pin the theft of the bust on Myvryna. She lives in the Waterfront." When you ask how, she replies: ''"Plant the bust in her cupboard. Make sure she doesn't see you. Then go tell   Lex that she is the thief. He probably won't believe you, so you may have to persuade him. Hopefully he will at least go and check it out." After this speech, she will resume her normal schedule like nothing has happened, securely knowing that you will sort things out.

Misdirection
thumb|right|"Welcome to my hideout"''
When S'krivva informs you about the situation in the Waterfront during Misdirection, she will tell you of Methredhel's leadership: ''"Hieronymus Lex has vowed not to leave until the Gray Fox is in custody. The Fox is safe, but the Thieves Guild cannot do business like this. The poor of the Waterfront are kindred to the Gray Fox, and will not betray him. However, cubs soon get hungry. Soon someone will break. Many guild members could be jailed. Find Methredhel in the Imperial City. She is co-ordinating the guild's response."'' After this information, Methredhel, now a Bandit in the Thieves Guild, will relocate to the Talos Plaza District and hide out on the ground floor of Dynari Amnis' house.  If you ask a beggar where Methredhel has gone, they will tell you (after a bribe): ''"She's hiding in Dynari Amnis' house in the Talos Plaza district. She's one of the few that escaped when Lex invaded the Waterfront." As seen on the Waterfront Tax Records, Methredhel must pay two gold in taxes. If you approach Dynari Amnis inside her house, she will point you towards her temporary tenant: "I'm busy now. You need to talk to Methredhel."

When you approach Methredhel, she will say to you: "Welcome to my hideout." When you speak with her, she will greet you warmly: "It's good to see you." When you ask her about the Waterfront, she will reveal that she is in charge and fill you in on the crisis there: "These are foul times for us. Armand is under house arrest, again. Our business in the Waterfront is totally shut down. We need to get Hieronymus Lex to lift his siege. I have put together a plan." When you inquire further: "You and four other operatives will stage high profile thefts, all at the same time. Hopefully that will force Lex to reassign the Watchmen. Your target is the Arcane University. We've had our eye on Hrormir's Staff for some time, but have been waiting for the wizards to be distracted. This is the perfect time. Will you help us?" When you accept, she will continue: "I knew the Gray Fox could count on you. The staff is in the Archmage's room. He sleeps between one and seven in the morning. Take this note. Leave it in his nightstand. Bring me the staff when you get it." If you opt to wait until later to help her, she will urge you to return soon: "Don't wait too long. We really need the help."

If you ask her about the Gray Fox at this point, she will provide a bit of useful information about the Gray Fox and the cowl he wears: "I didn't think much about him when I first joined the Thieves Guild. Lately I've been hearing odd things though. That Gray Cowl he wears was stolen from Nocturnal herself. Can you imagine having the nerve to steal from a Daedric Lord?" If you stay near her in the house, she may randomly say two things: "The situation is not good. We have to act now." and "A string of thefts should do the trick." Speaking to her again will yield the greeting: "I'm glad you're here. We have work to do."

Once you return with the staff, she will ask: "You have the Icestaff?" If you do not have the staff yet, she will be annoyed: "Don't play games with me. This isn't the time for it." If you do, she will be overwhelmed with joy: "Excellent. Yours is the last item on the list. Now we just wait for the powers that be to pull the plug on Hieronymus Lex's  ." When asked what to do in the meantime, she will hand you another task: "Good question. I want you to spy on Hieronymus Lex. Make sure you stay close enough to overhear any conversations. Sooner or later they will order him to return the guards to their original posts. When that happens, come and tell me." After having witnessed Lex being humiliated in front of his own men, return to Methredhel and get the next task: "He's been ordered to evacuate the Waterfront? Excellent. I have one last task for you. As a sign of good faith, the Thieves Guild needs to return Hrormir's Icestaff to the Arcane University. However, the wizards are not to be trusted. I'm sure they are watching for us to put it back where you got it. They would have no qualms about killing you once they had the Icestaff back. Instead, I want you to put Hrormir's Icestaff into Ontus Vanin's safe chest. He keeps one in his home. Ontus is a former University researcher." When you ask about your paycheck, she will say: "Greedy bastard, aren't you. I like that in a thief. You'll have to see S'krivva about that. I'm just running the scam." After this acknowledgment, she will get out of her chair, resuming her regular schedule a few moments later.

Turning a Blind Eye
Once you have fenced over 600 gold and received a quest update in the Independent Thievery quest, Methredhel, now a Cat Burglar in the Thieves Guild, will actively seek you out. She will search for you as long as you are in any major city except Bruma, and as long as you are not in jail or in the Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary. When she finds you, it becomes apparent that she is now a personal messenger for the Gray Fox and she will be brief and to the point: "I have a message for you from the Gray Fox." When you ask her to elaborate, she will just point you towards Bruma: "The Gray Fox has a task for you. Meet him at Helvius Cecia's house in Bruma."'' Once the conversation is over, she will head back to her usual routines in the Imperial City.

Notes
Methredhel begins as a pickpocket in the Thieves Guild, but this may be an oversight as she is explicitly added to the guild at this rank if she wins the quest May the Best Thief Win or when you begin Untaxing the Poor. 
Methredhel's evening clothing while she is at home, the huntsman vest, appears as a bra and armband on females. This could give the impression that she is running around semi-naked, but it is in fact just how the vest looks.
Methredhel should say the unique line: ''"I've won the competition! My membership into the guild is assured." when approached after she has beaten you to the diary. However, the "Get out of my way." dialogue always takes precedence. Also, if you stole the diary from her she was supposed to let Armand Christophe know: "I had the diary, but one of them stole it from me." Armand would then chastise her for whining: "Stop whining, Methredhel. You'll get another chance soon enough. Why should the Thieves Guild turn down a recruit for stealing?"'' This conversation, however, can never be heard in the game because Methredhel returns to her 11pm routine in Dareloth's garden when you steal the diary. 

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