The Ultimate Heist The Ultimate Heist is a quest in . The final piece the Gray Fox needs to complete his unrevealed grand scheme is an Elder Scroll from the Imperial City Palace . To start , he will give the Hero the Boots of Springheel Jak , which he believes will be needed at some point . He will also give the Hero the Arrow of Extrication , which supposedly should unlock something . Walkthrough . As preparation , it is recommended bring a bow , torches , a few arrows and plenty of lockpicks . The Skeleton Key , received from Nocturnal , is also very useful to have if already acquired . If the Hero is a bowman , make sure to also bring silver arrows , and leave behind the least needed items if one wishes . Imperial city . First , go to the Imperial City Palace in the Imperial City . Head inside , make a left and pick the lock on the door to the Palace Basement . Once inside , walk a few feet , turn right , and head to the other end of the room ( north side ) ; watch out for a patrolling guard . Activate the giant hourglass , the Glass of Time to unlock the ' Old Way ' escape tunnel . This step is optional , due to a game glitch that will allow the Hero to enter the sewers regardless , however the map will not update unless the hero activates the Glass of Time . Then , go back the way you came and head to the Arboretum and continue to the northeastern gate . A grate on the ground by a tree is the entrance to the South East Tunnels . Inside , go on to the Beneath the Bloodworks area . Beware of vampires throughout this area , as well as several other creatures . If you contract Porphyric Hemophilia , seek a cure immediately , using a cure disease potion or pray at a city chapel . Once arriving at a set of stairs stairs , make a right , continue to go straight , and then find the a door on the left . Open the gates with nearby turn wheels to get to the Imperial Palace Sewers . Once inside the Sewers , cross the bridge and head down the stairs . Watch out for the Wraith s in this area . Go through the northwest hall and the Hero will come to a large circular room with a pool of water . Go through the hallway to the next room , then go through the next hallway and through the gate . Head through the Strange Door to the Old Way , using the Glass of Time . The Old Way . In the Old Way , watch the ground carefully for traps . The ruins are populated with leveled undead . Go down the hall , then make a left and go through the door into another room called Old Way . Be cautious , as more enemies will appear , mostly skeletal and Ethereal Undead . Slay then and make way through the rooms and corridors , then go towards and enter The Lost Catacombs . If it is difficult to find , look for the hole in the wall , climb through and there will be two zombies . Again , fight or sneak through ; there is only one way to go . Head north , then east through a large area with a few enemies in the lighted center , then north again . When arriving at two tunnels , take the right one . Follow it through to reach a large elvish - origin room . Use the Springheel Jak Boots to get on the ledge , which will activate the switches to open the first gate . Continue ahead and go through the door to the Hall of Epochs . Inside the Hall of Epochs , go straight up the steps to the three statues . There will be a message that the Hero will need to find the keyhole . Go around back to the large walls , which are similar looking to pillars , to get a message needed to lower the walls . Face south and head through the gate , then press the button found there . Then , continue until another room named the Hall of Epochs is reached . In the room , push the button to open the secret wall to the south east . In the last chamber , where there are two catacomb rooms on each side , there will be a chest and a button above it . Press it , then head back to the large room with the statues . Once the big walls are down , fight the two zombies who will appear . Afterwords , stand on the square on the small bridge , looking straight across at the big center statue a hole to shoot arrows through ( the keyhole ) . Aim directly at the statue ' s nose for a perfect bulls - eye . However , it is recommended to practice with a few regular arrows first . When hitting the hole with an arrow , a loud " thunk " sound will be heard , marking a hit . It is recommended to save first before shooting the Arrow of Extrication in through the keyhole . Once the Hero approaches the door , the two statues will come alive and will become aggressive if interacted with . Defeat them , then sneak through the door back to the palace . It is recommended to save your game at this point . Imperial Palace . The Hero will end up in the Imperial Palace Guard Room , where four guards are sleeping regardless of the time of day . They will awaken immediately and automatically change into full armor , even with a Sneak level over 100 . There are several ways to handle this : use chameleon spells / potions , invisibility spells / potions ( however , the effect will wear off the moment you interact with anything - including opening doors ) , or kill the Palace Guards and earn a bounty . Using frenzy or summoning spells on the guards will help level the playing field for the hero , as an additional guard will run in from the hall , presumably due to the sound of combat , so the hero will have to battle five simultaneously . Sneak out and make a right into the Library , following the pathway up ( the left door goes to the Elder Council Chambers and requires a key ) . Sneak forward to reach a door to the library on the left . Pick the lock on the door , enter and make a right , then follow the hallway . Pull the lever behind the blind priest , and go back around to the front of the priest gate and into the library . Sit on the chair . Beware , if the Hero tries to talk to the blind priests , they will raise the alarm and will have to escape the palace without the scroll . It is advisable to save frequently , as failure will require a replay through the entire quest . A Blind Priest will come down and give the Hero the Elder Scroll . Do not talk to any of the priests , as they will not give over the scroll and the quest can ' t be finished . Look far enough around to bring up the cross hair and activate it so the Hero can read and then take the Elder Scroll . Save at this point : PS3 users may encounter a quest - breaking during the next steps . Sneak up the stairs . The priests may not notice , even if the Hero is directly in front of them . Pick the lock , then make a left and pick another lock , leading into the Moth Priest ’ s Chambers . Go around and pick the lock to the Imperial Battlemage ’ s Chambers . It may seem advisable to look around and loot if one desires , as the Hero won ' t be able to go back here again . There , the Hero might run into a female mage wearing a red velvet blouse and pants . She is a member of the Mages Guild ; pickpocket ing her may result in expulsion if the Hero is a member and is caught . The bloodprice will be taken off by the Gray Fox . Pick the lock into the bedroom , and make sure to wear the Boots of Springheel Jak to better handle the upcoming falls . Go to the fireplace and escape through there , then fall to the Old Way . Some guides mention getting arrested as the easy way out . Do " not " get arrested . This can cause a quest - breaking glitch , causing the quest not to update past the point of being discovered . Regardless , the Hero can keep the boots of Springheel Jak ( high agility required ) . Alternatively , an extremely high acrobatics skill will make the falling damage tolerable ( potions , spells , and scrolls to increase acrobatics are all very helpful . Any gear besides the Boots that can increase acrobatics also works , but be sure to save before you try this method ) . Once fallen down , return to the Gray Fox with the Scroll . He will ask the Hero of one last favor before the reward : take a Wedding Ring to Countess Millona Umbranox in Anvil and gauge her reaction . If she asks who it is from , respond by saying it is from a stranger who wants them to have it . Revelation at Castle Anvil . Head to Castle Anvil and give the wedding ring to her . She will discover that it is her husband ’ s ring and that she deeply misses him . The Stranger will walk up , and will turn into the Gray Fox . He will take off his mask , and reveal that he is Count Corvus Umbranox , her long - lost husband . He wore the mask ten years ago when it was inherited from the former Thieves Guild guildmaster , and lost his identity for that decade . Corvus will then renounce his life of thievery , and name the Hero the new guildmaster , giving them the no longer cursed Gray Cowl of Nocturnal . Wearing it in public will cause guards to attack , however , others will not recognize that they are the Gray Fox if the mask is removed in front of them . Corvus also reveals that Emer Dareloth is the true thief of Nocturnal ' s cowl . History , having been altered by the magic of the Cowl , now allows the Thieves Guild to have formed a guildhall at the ruins of Dareloth ' s house at the Imperial City Waterfront , where the Hero first met Armand .