what quest gives you the skeleton key in skyrim
The Skeleton Key DOES exist but there is a catch. You get it in the 2nd to last Thieves Guild quest and you cannot possibly miss it. When you finish the quest, you get the Skeleton Key. However, in the very next quest in the Thieves Guild, you have to give it up. If you do that you cannot get it back. My advice: obtain the Skeleton Key, avoid the last mission for the Thieves Guild and use the Skeleton Key to get your Lockpicking Skill up to 100. Get the Unbreakable Perk so your lockpicks don't break.