Mourning Never Comes

Mourning Never Comes is a quest available in in which the Dragonborn, on behalf of the Dark Brotherhood, is contracted to kill Alain Dufont by a woman named Muiri who has performed the Black Sacrament.
==Background==
Astrid has given me my first proper contract. I am to contact Muiri, the apothecary's assistant in The Hag's Cure, in Markarth. Muiri has apparently performed the Black Sacrament, and is trying to contact the Dark Brotherhood.
==Objectives==
#Speak with Astrid
#Talk to Muiri
#Kill Alain Dufont
#Kill Nilsine Shatter-shield (optional)
#Talk to Muiri
#Report back to Astrid
==Walkthrough==
This quest is received by speaking with Astrid in the Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary after completing at least one of the first three contracts assigned by Nazir.
Muiri requests that Alain Dufont be killed. She will also provide an optional target, Nilsine Shatter-Shield, however Nilsine does not have to be killed to complete this quest. Furthermore, if Alain was killed prior to the start of the quest, Muiri will become intimidated and not offer the optional part of this quest. 
===Talk to Muiri===
After Astrid assigns the contract and points out who to speak to, the quest continues in Markarth, where Muiri can be found. During shopping hours, she can often be found at her place of work, The Hag's Cure. She will explain the situation, express why she wants it done and her feelings on the people she wishes dead. The quest markers will now appear on the map. If the Dragonborn exhausts all dialogue options, she will supply two vials of Lotus Extract.
===Kill Alain Dufont===
In Raldbthar, a bandit is found sleeping on the left once the Dragonborn walks in (there may also be several bandits outside, depending on the Dragonborn's level). Once inside, Dufont can be reached in two ways: by moving past the flames to a leveled locked gate, and directly into a room with Dufont and two bandits; or by working around the ruin using stealth. Working up and around the ruin, going through a second Master level gate will lead to a platform above Dufont. On this platform there will be two levers, and next to them are the Dwarven ballista traps they fire. These fire explosives down at Dufont and his bandit comrades if the levers are activated.
====Strategies====
*In the same room Dufont is in, on the upper platform are two large Dwarven crossbows. Each has a nearby switch that is used to activate them. The explosions from these may ignite the oil below. One is aimed almost directly at one of the bandits sitting in the chairs (being off enough to one side to possibly hit the other bandit as well), while the other is aimed behind Dufont, but on the other side of the oil puddle. Strangely though, the two bandits that are sitting down will not be killed by the exploding crossbow bolts as long as they are sitting in the chairs.
*Most (if not all) can be killed instantly by luring them towards the fire (by firing an arrow at the camp fire or using Throw Voice on the fire), and then triggering the giant crossbow aimed at them.
*To avoid a fight without a high Sneak level, it is much easier to go directly through the flames at the beginning (or squeeze around the right side of the right-hand post from where the flames originate) than to go around the ruin. Dufont can be taken out easily with a bow, and his fellow bandit likely won't look for the assailant for too long.
*Beneath Dufont is a small amount of oil. A fire spell might be able to burn him (and the two other bandits) in one attack. The bandits upstairs may not hear the fire or any subsequent fight.
*With high enough Sneak skill, it is possible to shoot arrows to lure his friends upstairs, then once they're walking up the stairs, do a forward roll repeatedly to reach Dufont. He can then be killed silently (with a dagger, bow, etc.). Once he is dead, it is possible to sneak back out of the room.
*With a high enough Sneak level, Throw Voice, and Silent Roll, it is possible to sneak through the area with multiple bandits. Throw Voice, used in the sleeping area, will cause everyone to run into the room to investigate. At that point it is possible to roll past. Note that people getting out of bed may still detect the Dragonborn if they face the doorway that must be passed.
*If a Werewolf, simply transform in the room before Dufont and then run in and use Howl of Terror. This will make all the bandits (including Dufont himself) easy pickings, due to the effects of the Howl. Continually using Howl of Terror will prevent retaliation, due to the enemies' running and trying to hide from the player.
*If a mage, sneaking and using the Conjure Flaming Familiar spell from afar (coupled with the Illusion perk Quiet Casting) will make things significantly easier, due to the nature of the Flaming Familiar. In this way, all of the bandits around Dufont can be killed without them detecting the Dragonborn, though one may need to use Fury on Dufont to make the Familiar target him, as he is not hostile unless he is attacked first.
====Reward====
Muiri will provide the Dragonborn with 600–1200 depending on their level for the successful assassination of Dufont
===Kill Nilsine Shatter-Shield (optional)===
There is a bug that may prevent completion of this quest unless the quest "Blood on the Ice" is completed first.
This part of the quest is located in Windhelm. The easiest way to locate Nilsine is to make this quest active, then follow her quest arrow. If Dufont is killed before beginning "Mourning Never Comes," the optional objective to kill Nilsine will not be available, even if she is also killed beforehand.
====Strategies====
*To do this without getting a bounty, one method is to wait until 9:00 PM when Nilsine will go to the Windhelm Hall of the Dead or the Temple of Talos (praying for and mourning her dead sister). There she can be killed in one hit using the lotus poison provided by Muiri without raising any suspicion.
*Another good strategy is to pickpocket the key from her during the day, or to simply pick the master lock to her house (which requires a high Lockpicking skill). Sneaking into her house at night when she is in bed allows a sneak attack, which will kill her instantly and soundlessly.
*She can also be backstabbed while she is walking home from the Hall of the Dead. The small staircase connecting the residential district to the graveyard is shadowy, and guards do not often go there.
*One can also camp behind the wall of her complex, and shoot her with an arrow when she is heading home for the night (from a crouching position).
*Alternatively, a Fury spell can be used to make her attack the guards, who will then kill her. This will cause a bounty of 40 to be placed on the Dragonborn's head if the act is witnessed, but that is still a lot less than 1000 (if murdering her is witnessed). This can be done without being detected, if cast while sneaking, and the Illusion perk Quiet Casting has been acquired.
*Similar to a Fury spell, a Dragonborn with the Poisoned perk unlocked can easily reverse pickpocket a Potion of Frenzy on her while sneaking and under an invisibility spell or potion in the middle of the market and avoid any bounty.
====Reward====
Muiri will give the Dragonborn Muiri's Ring if Shatter-Shield is killed as an optional objective.
===Return to Muiri===
Muiri will provide the Dragonborn their reward or rewards after they return to her in Markarth to report the success of the contract. After the Dragonborn has talked to Muiri, speaking to Astrid will complete the quest and start "Whispers in the Dark."
==Journal==
Mourning Never Comes – DB03	Mourning Never Comes – DB03
ID 	Journal Entry
5 	
*Objective 5: Speak with Astrid
10 	Astrid has given me my first major contract. I am to contact Muiri, the apothecary's assistant in The Hag's Cure, in Markarth. Muiri has apparently performed the Black Sacrament, and is trying to contact the Dark Brotherhood.
*Objective 10: Talk to Muiri
20 	Muiri wants me to kill the bandit leader Alain Dufont, who is holed up with his gang of cutthroats in the dwarven ruin of Raldbthar. If Dufont dies, the contract will be completed, but Muiri will pay me some kind of bonus if I also eliminate Nilsine Shatter-Shield, in Windhelm.
*Objective 20: Kill Alain Dufont
30 	
*Objective 30: (Optional) Kill Nilsine Shatter-shield
40 	Alain Dufont is dead. I must now return to Markarth, and tell Muiri the deed is complete.
*Objective 40: Talk to Muiri
50 	I have spoken to Muiri, and been paid for the assassination of Alain Dufont. I must now report back to Astrid at the Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary.
*Objective 50: Report back to Astrid
200 	After contacting Muiri, the apothecary's assistant at the Hag's Cure in Makarth, I learned that she wished to hire the Dark Brotherhood to kill a slanderous ex-lover. I killed the man, the bandit leader Alain Dufont, and was rewarded for the contract
*Quest complete
==Trivia==
*If Raldbthar was already cleared out and Alain Dufont already killed before starting this quest, the dialogue options will be to simply inform Muiri that Dufont is already dead. She seems disappointed, as his death is something of an anti-climax since she was hoping to be the cause of his demise, but trusts that he is dead and pays the reward. However, this means the quest ends there and there is no option to kill Nilsine Shatter-Shield, making it impossible to obtain Muiri's Ring without console commands.
**In order to unlock the optional stage, one must use the console command setstage DB03 30, which will open the Nilsine objective. After killing Nilsine, type setstage DB03 40 which will forward the quest to the final stage, when it is time to talk to Muiri. Se will award the player with her ring and be eligible for marriage as well.
*If the quest is completed with both Dufont and Shatter-Shield killed, Muiri becomes a candidate for marriage.
*When the quest is completed, if Shatter-Shield is killed, then her mother Tova Shatter-Shield will commit suicide.
*If Nilsine Shatter-Shield is killed before Muiri asks the Dragonborn to, that part of the quest will still be complete, but it will not mark the objective as complete. However, Muiri's Ring will still be received.
*If Shatter-Shield is killed using the Ebony Blade after completing "Blood on the Ice," she counts as a trusted friend to charge the blade.
*If Shatter-Shield is spoken to when this quest is active, but before Muiri is met, it will still come up with the dialogue as if Muiri was spoken to.
==Bugs==
*Sometimes Nilsine Shatter-Shield will be flagged as essential, and can not be killed, making the bonus unobtainable.
*Sometimes, when looking for Nilsine, no quest marker will appear. However, if the console command player.moveto 0001B12A is used to find her, the Dragonborn will be transported to a strange room filled with corpses known only as "Unknown Location." She will be dead. The objective can still be completed, however, by using the "resurrect" command to bring her back to life, and then killing her again. A bounty may still be added. It is then possible to escape the room by typing in player.moveto xxx (xxx being a live npc code, for example player.moveto 000198F8 teleports the Dragonborn to Muiri).
*Very rarely, even if Shatter-Shield was not killed, she will be marked as killed, and Muiri's ring is presented as a reward.
==Appearances==
*
de:Leidloses Erwachen
es:El lamento nunca llega
fr:Un deuil impossible
pl:Zadanie:Nie czas na łzy
ru:Прощай, любовь
uk:Прощавай, кохання