Cicero ' s Journal - Volume 3 Content . 23rd of Sun ' s Dusk 4E 188 Now that things have settled down , the reality of our situation has finally come to bear - we are a Dark Brotherhood without a Listener . With no Listener , the Black Sacrament will go unheard . Surely the Night Mother will speak to someone soon , thus choosing a new Listener to take Alisanne Dupre ' s place . Until that happens , though , we must take to the streets . We must hear the pleas of the desperate and vengeful . The people of Tamriel must not know , must never know , that their prayers to the Night Mother are going unheeded . 24th of Morning Star 4E 189 It is a new year , and two months since the Night Mother first arrived here at the Cheydinhal Sanctuary , and still the Unholy Matron has not seen fit to speak to any one of us . And so , Rasha has decided to revive an ancient Dark Brotherhood tradition - the appointing of a Keeper , a guardian whose sole duty is the safeguarding of the Night Mother ' s remains . The remaining members of the Black Hand will make their decision tomorrow . 25th of Morning Star 4E 189 I have been chosen . By some incomprehensible twist of fate , the Black Hand has named me the Night Mother ' s Keeper . In all honesty , I am both incredibly honored and deeply saddened . This means the end of my contracts . I ' ll be lucky to lift a blade again . Thankfully , Rasha has promised me one final contract before I accept my new duties . 30th of Morning Star 4E 189 . The jester lies dead . My final contract has been completed . Oh , how he laughed and laughed . Until he didn ' t . 3rd of First Seed 4E 189 I have settled well into my new role as Keeper . It is my duty to not only keep the Night Mother ' s shrine clean , and the candles lit , but to tend to the body as well . The Night Mother ' s crypt was a consecrated place - shroud - kissed , absent of sunlight , and safe from the world above . Removed from there , the remains are subject to the filth and corruption of the living . The body is perfectly preserved , so the concern is not physical , but rather spiritual - the remains must be sanctified regularly , so that they may continue to serve as a conduit for the Night Mother ' s soul . Our Matron ' s eternal spirit may travel the Void freely , but it is through her own earthly remains that she communicates with the Listener . And so , I wash the corpse weekly with the requisite oils , recite the ancient incantations , and personally see to the extermination of any insects or rodents . If the Night Mother does not speak , it will be because she chooses not to - not because she is unable . This is my responsibility . This is my vow . 12th of Mid Year 4E 189 Months and months and months and no Listener . Why won ' t the Night Mother speak to me ? I am worthy as Keeper , but not as Listener ? I protect our Lady , keep her sanctified , but still she will not grace me with her voice ? 4th of Sun ' s Height 4E 189 So long since I worked my blade . So long since I saved a soul . But I am now Keeper . No longer a taker . I think back fondly on my hours with the jester . His laughter , his screams , his pitiful cries . And then , as the end drew near , his laughter once more . Merry in death as well as life . I was honored to know him .