2: A Watery Grave

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Guide - Dark Brotherhood

2: A Watery Grave

Accept a contract from Vicente Valtieri to complete 'Welcome to the Family.' First, you are to travel to the Imperial City Waterfront. Once there, you then must gain access to the pirate ship Marie Elena. Onboard, you'll have to kill Gaston Tussaud, the captain of the ship, and get out of there before his crew discovers his corpse and retaliates.

Make your way to the Waterfront in the Imperial City and locate the Marie Elena. There are a couple of ways to get onboard. Perhaps the most obvious method is to jump on to deck, then run when the crew members come after you while the Imperial City guards kill them. Then, you can just jump back on to the deck, open the door to the captain's cabin, and take out Gaston Tussaud. It's as simple as that.

The method more fitting of an assassin involves using one of the crates near the dock as a means of procuring a spot onboard. Approach the crates along the dock near the Marie Elena and a prompt will appear, giving you the option of hiding away in one of the crates. Doing so will allow you to be transported onto the ship, with the crew completely oblivious. This is definitely the best way to go, as all you really have to do is sneak past the crew on the lower deck of the ship, climb up the ladder to the captain's cabin, and kill Gaston Tussaud.

Hide in the open near the docked Marie Elena to get onboard.

If you choose to hide in the crate, you will be transported to the ship's hold. Enter Sneak Mode, move straight toward the ladder to the ship's mid-deck, and climb up. There are some crew members on this level, so remain in Sneak Mode, and don't use any spells that generate light. Just focus on getting to the captain's cabin. Ensure that the coast is clear before stepping out of the initial room. Then, open the wooden door at the other end of the hall, and hide in this room. Wait here until one or two crew members pass by before cautiously exiting the room. Make your way over to the ladder at the other end of the deck, and climb up.

Once you have gained access to the captain's cabin, locate Gaston Tussaud and take him out. With the target dead, immediately make your way to the door and exit the cabin to avoid being discovered by Tussaud's crew. If you haven't already dealt with Tussaud's crew member, they will attack once you exit the captain's cabin. Just run and let the Imperial City guards take care of them.

Return to the Cheydinhal Dark Brotherhood sanctuary. Speak to Vicente there and tell him of your success to complete the contract. Vicente will hand over the Black Band ring as a reward. The 'Blood of the Damned' will then be added to your quest list; accept another contract from Vicente to complete this quest.

Sneaking onboard the Marie Elena and killing Gaston Tussaud