Caius Cosades gives me some money and tells me to buy some new armour, weapons and clothing, so I take his money and put it deep inside my pockets. His coin will not be seeing the sun anytime soon. He gives me a quest and sends me on my way but it’s early days yet, and I decide instead that it’s probably a good idea to sharpen my sword on something smaller before engaging with the beast that is the main storyline. I walk around the town eventually find myself inside the South Wall Cornerclub. I have a brief conversation with those inside and learn that the South Wall Cornerclub is the local hideout of the Thieves Guild. I’m interested, and am told to Sugar-Lips Habasi. She’s impressed with my skills and let’s me join up. My first job is to bring her a diamond and she points me towards Nalcarya of White Haven’s house.

Sure, ‘any diamond will do’ but after joining the Thieves Guild I’m quite keen on picking a few locks. So I head on over to Nalcarya’s place. She lives in the cool part of town not far from the Hlaalu Council Manor. The rich part is located on a higher plain than the rest of the town, presumably so that if the river running through the center were to flood the wealthy would survive, whilst the poor would be swept away.

Nalcarya’s house isn’t hard to find, and before I make my way upstairs and steal everything of worth I have a little chat with her. She’s a bit uptight and not very nice at all, she gives me a rubbish price on the various bits and bobs I’d picked up on my way to Balmora, so I don’t feel bad when I sneak upstairs and pick my way into her jewellery box…

I find three diamonds, and rather than take just the one I take them all. Sugar-Lips is impressed, and give me another job; to get the key to Nerano Manor. Whilst talking to her about the job she explains some of the rules of the Thieves Guild:

After some conversations with a few others I learn that there is, in fact, more than one way of getting the key to the building. Nerano has a key, but so too does Sovor Trandel. I find him in the Council Club but he’s not all that keen on me. I consider picking his pockets but he’s standing in a large group and there doesn’t seem to be an easy way into his pockets.

So instead I make my way to Nerano’s and find him pacing the room downstairs. I walk past him, up the stairs, and begin stealing my way around the building. His house is full of expensive books and clothing, ripe for the taking. I take as much as I can then sell it to the pawnbrokers at the bottom of the hill. She looks rather dashing in her new expensive gown.

I return to try and steal the key from Nerano, but fail. Before he can catch me I run for the door and make it out to the street. I hide in the Fighters Guild, and figure whilst I’m here I might as well join up. I’m told to kill some wild rats in a house on the other side of the river. I gather my gear and leave, confident that I can achieve the task that has been given to me.

When I leave the weather has improved significantly. The clouds have broken, and everything seems lighter, brighter. I turn to admire the new texture I’ve put in to replace the dark black hole of a sun. It hasn’t worked. The dark sun bores into my eyes. I turn away from it and try to enjoy the rest of the day. I make my way to Drarayne Thela’s house, deal with the rats, and proceed to steal all of her belongings.

She has a lot of cushions…

Eydis Fire-Eye is happy with my progress and gives me a new job. I’m to head to Shulk Egg Mine and deal with the egg poachers there. I decide to try my hand as some alchemy before leaving, so I head back over to Nalcarya’s and buy some alchemy gear.

She’s not happy to see me (as usual), but she sells me what I need and I proceed to make a huge amount of restore fatigue and luck potions, which I then sell to her for a good profit.

After selling all my gear and repairing my equipment I’m ready to deal with some poachers. I prepare to leave.