Skyrim:Shadowmarks (Thieves Guild)

Shadowmarks are a series of symbols that the Thieves Guild inscribes for a variety of reasons—usually around doors or specific buildings. They act as a series of codes that previous thieves have left to assist future thieves, such as warning of danger or pointing out houses with valuables inside. The legend for the code is outlined in a book of the same name, authored by Delvin Mallory, which is found within The Ragged Flagon - Cistern.

Marks

The marks are as follows:

• Guild: Denoting the building or NPC nearby is part of the Guild.
• Safe: Denoting the area is safe for the Guild.
• Danger: Denoting someone nearby or inside does not take kindly to the Guild.
• Escape: Denoting that following this mark leads to escape (usually from a jail cell).
• Protected: Denoting the area or people are under Guild protection (usually involved in a Thieves Guild quest).
• Fence: Denoting there lies a fence inside.
• Cache: Denoting a Thieves Cache (usually on a barrel that appears once you finish the special job for a city).
• Loot: Denoting valuables or riches lie inside or nearby.
• Empty: Denoting there is nothing of value inside and has already been looked over.

Whiterun

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

Map of Whiterun

• Danger

1. Amren's House, on the left of the door, marked because he is a skilled warrior (but see bugs).

2. Guard Barracks, on the bottom right corner along the eastern edge of the building; marked for obvious reasons.

3. Hall of the Dead, bottom of the first left pillar before the door; marked for the skeletons found in the catacombs inside.

4. Jorrvaskr, on the right-hand pillar before the door; marked for skilled warriors within.

• Empty

5. Heimskr's House, on the right of the door, marked for the lack of notable loot inside.

6. Olava the Feeble's House, on the left of the door, marked due to the lack of valuable items inside.

7. Uthgerd's House, on the left of the door, marked because of the lack of notable items inside.

8. Ysolda's House, on the far left of the door in the bottom corner; marked due to the lack of valuable loot inside.

• Loot

9. Arcadia's Cauldron, on the right of the door; marked for being a store.

10. Bannered Mare, on the bottom right of the door; marked for being a store.

11. Belethor's General Goods, on the right of the door; marked for being a store.

12. Carlotta Valentia's House, on the bottom right of the door; marked for a chest upstairs and an Enchanting book between the bed and left nightstand.

13. Carlotta's stall in the market, next to where she stands; marked for being a merchant, though she has a limited inventory.

14. Drunken Huntsman, on the bottom right of the door; marked for being a store.

15. House Gray-Mane, on the left of the door below a carved eagle; marked for five chests and miscellaneous jewelry found upstairs.

16. Severio Pelagia's House, on the top right of the door; marked for very minor loot.

• Protected

17. House of Clan Battle-Born, on the right of the back door; marked due to the Guild helping the family during Imitation Amnesty.

• Cache

18. Ysolda's House, along the southwest side behind some chopped logs, where there is a small chest containing possible gold, furs, and miscellaneous items.

19. The Bannered Mare, on a barrel along the eastern edge of the building.

20. Carlotta Valentia's House, on a barrel behind the house.

21. House Gray-Mane, on a barrel in the southeastern corner of the stone wall.

Not on map

• Safe
  • Under the bridge at the entrance.
  • At the left, gated end of the stream of water that goes under the bridge.
• Escape
  • Dragonsreach Dungeon, in one of the cells, next to a grate that leads to an escape route out of the dungeon.
• Fence
  • Honningbrew Meadery, left of the door, marked for the presence of the fence Mallus Maccius inside. (Note: appears only after Dampened Spirits is completed.)
• Loot
  • Honningbrew Meadery, left of the door, marked for the gold, silver necklace, silver ingots, and Honningbrew Decanter behind an expert-locked door inside. (Note: replaced after Dampened Spirits is completed.)

Riften

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

Map of Riften

• Danger

1. Aerin's House, just to the left of the door. Marked for Mjoll the Lioness, a skilled warrior who despises the Thieves Guild.

2. Riften Marketplace, along the bottom of the wall behind Grelka; marked for Grelka being a skilled warrior.

• Empty

3. Beggar's Row, on doorstep's right side; marked for a lack of any notable loot inside.

• Guild

4. The Ratway, on the left side of the ground before the gated door to The Ragged Flagon; marked for being the headquarters for the Thieves Guild in Riften.

5. Riften Cemetery, found as a button to the secret entrance to the Cistern; both windows of the crypt are also made into the "Guild" Shadowmark.

6. Riften Marketplace, found on the barrel right of Brynjolf when first meeting him; marked because the stall is owned by Brynjolf.

7./8. Riftweald Manor—one is on the bottom left of the front door post, and another is on the stone to the top left of the back door; marked due to the manor being owned by Mercer Frey, the initial guildmaster of the Thieves Guild.

• Loot

9. The Bee and Barb, right of the northernmost door; marked for being a store.

10. Bolli's House, to left of the door; marked for unknown reasons but presumably due to his wealth.

11. Elgrim's Elixirs, on the stone to left of the door; marked for being an Alchemy shop.

12. Marise Aravel's House, on the bottom right on the doorstep; marked for a minor chest inside.

13. The Pawned Prawn, along the inside right of the doorframe; marked for being a store.

14. Riften Marketplace, on the bottom right corner of the right side of Madesi's stall; marked for jewelry in a case and loot behind a locked sliding door in back of stall.

15. Riften Marketplace, on the top left corner of the front of stall in front of Brand-Shei; marked for loot in a strongbox and behind a sliding door.

16. Romlyn Dreth's House, on a wood beam to the right of the door; marked for a chest inside as well as a coin purse behind the bed.

17. The Scorched Hammer, to the right of the door; marked for being a smithing shop.

18. Snow-Shod Manor, to the right of the door; marked for a mammoth tusk on the first floor, one chest on the second floor, and miscellaneous loot around the house.

19. Valindor's House, along the left side doorstep; marked for a minor chest inside.

• Cache

20. On a barrel in the northwestern corner of Honeyside's garden.

21. On a barrel across from Valindor's House, along the canalside walkway.

22. On a barrel on the outdoor walkway of Mistveil Keep. To reach this cache, go into the Mistveil Keep Barracks, up the stairs, and then outside again. It will be directly in front of you in the corner.

Not on map

• Danger
  • Riftweald Manor, the cellar entrance to The Ratway Vaults, which leads to the Ragged Flagon, the headquarters of the Thieves Guild in Riften.

• Escape
  • Riften Jail, on a wall in the cell, marked due to the presence of an escape route out of the Jail. (Note: due to a bug, the escape route cannot be used. See Riften Jail#Bugs.)

• Guild
  • The Ratway Vaults, found to the left of the Ragged Flagon door; marked because the Ragged Flagon is the headquarters for the Thieves Guild in Riften.
  • Shadowfoot Sanctum^CC, found on a banner within; marked because Shadowfoot Sanctum was initially owned by the Thieves Guild.

• Loot
  • The Ratway Vaults, above the chest in the northwest room.

• Safe
  • On two birch tree stumps south of Riften, leading to Nightingale Hall.

• Protected
  • Black-Briar Manor, on the bottom right of one door and a gate; marked because Maven Black-Briar has strong ties with the Thieves Guild.
  • Black-Briar Meadery, on the bottom right of the door; marked because Maven Black-Briar owns the meadery and has strong connections to the Thieves Guild.

Other Places

Place	Mark	Notes
Irkngthand	Empty	Grand Cavern, on a chest behind a gate in a southwestern room; marked because the chest is empty.
	Guild	Grand Cavern, on top of a table in front of the entrance.
	Cache	Slave pens, on top of some pipes, follow them all the way to the end. Items (usually leveled potions) are located on the ground beneath the pipes.
Markarth	Danger	Dwemer Museum, bottom right of door, marked due to the many aggressive guards inside. Silver-Blood Inn, top right of the door; likely marked due to the inn being owned by the powerful and dangerous Silver-Blood clan.
	Empty	Abandoned House, bottom left of the door; marked due to the absence of valuable items inside. The Warrens, top left of door; marked due to the lack of notable loot inside.
	Fence	Endon's House, left of the door; marked due to the owner, Endon, being a Thieves Guild fence.
	Loot	Arnleif and Sons Trading Company, top left of the door; marked for being a store. Hag's Cure, bottom left of the door; marked for being a store. Nepos's House, top right of door; marked for containing loot such as Fine Clothes, silver ingots, a greater soul gem, and an enchanted steel dagger. Ogmund's House, top left of the door; marked for containing an iron dagger, various pieces of iron armor, a flute, a drum, and a lute. Smelter Overseer's House, right of the door; marked due to containing valuables such as silver ingots and a chest with minor loot inside. Treasury House, bottom left of the door; marked due to containing silver ingots and an expert-locked safe inside.
	Protected	Endon's House, bottom left of the door; marked due to the owner, Endon, being a fence for the Thieves Guild.
	Cache	On a barrel on the landing outside Vlindrel Hall. On a barrel on the walkway between Understone Keep and Nepos's House. On a partially submerged barrel in the pool below Ghorza's blacksmith shop.
Raven RockDB	Guild	To the left of the door of Glover Mallory's House; marked due to the owner, Glover Mallory, being a member of the Thieves Guild.
	Loot	Barrel in the corner of basement inside Glover Mallory's House. Basement is initially locked and requires a key, which is obtained by completing Paid in Full. The barrel is actually a respawning Thieves Guild Cache, but erroneously uses the Loot shadowmark.
Silverdrift Lair	Loot	Two located above the alcove of a dead draugr, whose corpse can be looted for the Silverdrift Chest Key.CC
Solitude	Danger	East Empire Company Warehouse, right of the door; marked due to the presence of the aggressive East Empire Wardens inside.
	Empty	Jala's House, barrel left by the front door; marked due to the lack of valuable items inside of the house.
	Escape	Castle Dour Dungeon, on the floor next to the collapsible wall in the cell that you are sent to when arrested; marked due to the collapsible wall being an escape route.
	Fence	Winking Skeever, next to Gulum-Ei.
	Loot	Addvar's House, bottom left of the door. Bards College, across from the back door. [verification needed — What building is that?] (On the bottom of the stairwell to Bryling's House on the right railing) Bits and Pieces, bottom left of the door; marked for being a store. Solitude Blacksmith, top of the stairs/ramp; marked for being a store. Bryling's House, top of the stairs wall; marked due to containing loot including many strong potions. Evette San's House, right of the door. Radiant Raiment, bottom left of the door; marked due to being a store. Vittoria Vici's House, bottom left of the door; marked for containing loot including powerful potions. Winking Skeever, bottom left of the door; marked for being a store.
	Protected	Erikur's House, left of both doors, and on the barrel by the side door; marked due to the owner, Erikur, being a potential fence for the Thieves Guild.
	Cache	On a standing barrel near a woodpile behind Erikur's House. On a barrel in the alley behind Vittoria Vici's House. On a barrel in the back right corner between The Winking Skeever and Angeline's Aromatics.
Windhelm	Danger	Aretino Residence, bottom of the arch in front; marked because the resident, Aventus Aretino, performed the Black Sacrament inside to contact the Dark Brotherhood.
	Empty	Argonian Assemblage, bottom left of door; marked due to the lack of valuable items inside.
	Loot	Atheron Residence, bottom right of the door. Belyn Hlaalu's House, bottom left of the door; marked due to the Skyrim:Conjuration skill book 2920, Frostfall, v10 Blacksmith Quarters, right of the door; marked due to being a store. Brunwulf Free-Winter's House, bottom right of the door; marked due to containing of a set of hide armor, an iron greatsword, and some gold, along with some more minor loot. House of Clan Shatter-Shield, top right of the door; marked due to containing a steel sword and an Unusual Gem Two on Viola Giordano's House; one to the bottom right of the door, and another to the right in front of the arch in front of the house. The house is marked due to containing a Solution of Extra Magicka and a Potion of Regeneration. The White Phial, right of the sign; marked due to it being a store.
	Protected	Two on the House of Clan Cruel-Sea; one is to the top left of the door, the other on the bottom of the right pillar of the archway next to the house. The house is marked due to one of its residents, Torsten Cruel-Sea, having connections to the Thieves Guild.
	Cache	On a barrel in the northeastern corner of the courtyard between Calixto's House of Curiosities and Niranye's House. On a barrel, in the corner to the left of the door to Sadri's Used Wares. On a barrel, in the corner of the yard just northeast of the front door to Hjerim.

Bugs

• Due to the plants added in front of Amren's house in the Special Edition, his Shadowmark no longer appears.
  • The Unofficial Skyrim Patch, version 4.2.4, addresses this issue. (details) The mark has been relocated.