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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 [ edit ]

The marks are as follows:

Guild: Denoting the building or NPC nearby is part of the Guild.

Guild: Denoting the building or NPC nearby is part of the Guild. Safe: Denoting the area is safe for the Guild.

Safe: Denoting the area is safe for the Guild. Danger: Denoting someone nearby or inside does not take kindly to 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).

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).

Protected: Denoting the area or people are under Guild protection (usually involved in a Thieves Guild quest). Fence: Denoting there lies a fence inside.

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).

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.

Loot: Denoting valuables or riches lie inside or nearby. Empty: Denoting there is nothing of value inside and has already been looked over.

Whiterun [ edit ]

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 ghosts, etc. found 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.

6. Olava the Feeble's House, on the left of the door.

7. Uthgerd's House, on the left of the door.

8. Ysolda's House, on the far left of the door in the bottom corner.

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 [ edit ]

Riften [ edit ]

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 entrace 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.

Loot

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

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 shop.

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 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. Honeyside's cache is a barrel at the northwestern corner of the garden.

21. The canalside walkway's cache is a barrel across from Valindor's House.

22. Mistveil Keep's cache is a barrel on the outdoor walkway of the Keep. To reach it, 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 [ edit ]

Escape Riften Jail, on a wall in the cell.

Escape

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.

Guild

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

Loot

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

Safe

Protected Black-Briar Manor, on the bottom right of one door and a gate. Black-Briar Meadery, on the bottom right of the door.

Protected

Other Places [ edit ]

Bugs [ edit ]