A Knife in the Dark

A Knife in the Dark is a quest in . The Dark Brotherhood is always looking out for cold-blooded murderers to join their cause. When the Hero of Kvatch murders an innocent, the Brotherhood notices, and Lucien Lachance appears to test them.
==Walkthrough==
To begin the quest, the Hero must kill an innocent NPC. Nearly any non-hostile target will do. When they do this, a message will appear on the screen saying "Your actions have been observed by forces unknown." The next time they sleep in any bed, Lucien Lachance will approach them and say that they are invited to the Dark Brotherhood, provided they can pass the test by killing Rufio in the Inn of Ill Omen.
===Inn of Ill Omen===
Head to the Inn, and talk to the innkeeper Manheim Maulhand and ask about Rufio. Manheim will reveal that Rufio is downstairs in his room. Take the trapdoor (near the front door) to the lower floor.
The Hero can kill Rufio immediately; any weapon will kill him with one strike. They can also choose to talk with him first. When asked, Rufio will deny that he did anything. If the Hero replies, "Oh, but you have, Rufio," he will plead that he "didn't mean to do it...She struggled!" He will then run away from the Hero and cower beside the bed.
===The Sanctuary===
With the target slain, the Hero only needs to go to sleep again to meet once more with Lucien. Sleeping in Rufio's bed is the quickest way to achieve this. Lucien will tell them to head to the Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary in Cheydinhal.
Go to the Abandoned House in Cheydinhal, enter through the front door, then go into the basement. Knock on the door inside and say "Sanguine, my Brother" when asked a question. Enter and talk to Ocheeva. This will complete the quest and begin Welcome to the Family.
==Refusing to Join==
If the Hero doesn't wish to join the Dark Brotherhood after killing Rufio, there is a way to leave the guild. After going to sleep and waking up, Lucien Lachance will appear and talk to the Hero. After the conversation, he becomes invisible and walks away, but is still present. Attack and kill him, and the journal will update saying it is now impossible to join the guild.
==Journal==
A Knife in the Dark – Dark01Knife	A Knife in the Dark – Dark01Knife
ID 	Journal Entry
10 	While sleeping, I was visited by Lucien Lachance, a representative for the assassins guild known as the Dark Brotherhood. He said that if I wish to join his "family," I must go to the Inn of Ill Omen, find a man named Rufio, and kill him. If I simply leave Rufio alone, Lachance will never visit me again.
20 	The man named Rufio is dead. The next time I sleep in a location he deems secure, Lucien Lachance will visit me once more, and complete my entrance into the Dark Brotherhood.
30 	I must now go to the abandoned house in the city of Cheydinhal, and attempt to open the door in the basement. When questioned, I must answer with "Sanguine, my Brother" to gain access to the secret Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary. Once inside, I should speak with Ocheeva.
40 	I have gained entrance into the Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary. I must now speak with Ocheeva.
100 	I have spoken with Ocheeva.
*Quest complete
115 	Lucien Lachance, the Dark Brotherhood's representative, has been killed. He was my link to the mysterious assassins guild, and now that link has been severed... forever.
*Quest complete
==Trivia==
*The person who ordered Rufio's death is Claudius Arcadia.Journal of Claudius Arcadia
*The title of this quest is identical to the title of the eleventh chapter of the novel Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, where the four hobbits stop at an inn and are almost killed by the Ringwraiths.
==Bugs==
* Lucien can show up absolutely anywhere to meet the player after they sleep. This includes the Dreamworld during the quest "Through a Nightmare, Darkly," or the Shivering Isles. Appearing in the latter causes him to experience the "No Greeting" bug, meaning he will have no dialogue options, stalling the quest.
==References==
==Appearances==
*
de:Ein Messer im Dunkel
es:Un cuchillo en la oscuridad
ru:Нож во тьме
pt:Uma Faca no Escuro