4: Untaxing the Poor

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Guide - Thieves Guild

4: Untaxing the Poor

Before this quest can be started, you'll need to steal at least 50 gold worth of items and sell them to Ongar the World-Weary in Bruma. Attaining this amount of gold via a fence is easy, and can be surpassed by breaking into the Slash N' Smash store in the Imperial City's Market District and stealing whatever you can get your hands on.

You can only barter with Ongar the World-Weary while he is in his house. If you spot him on the street, you won't be able to sell your stolen goods to him. He sleeps during the day, and disappears at nightfall. If it's not daytime, open up the wait menu and pass as many hours as necessary to make it so. While it's light out, enter Ongar's house. He should be sleeping in his bed; just wake him up to barter. Play the persuasion mini-game or bribe Ongar before selling to get more gold for your stolen goods.

Ongar the World-Weary is the first fence available in the Thieves Guild. Visit his house in Bruma to sell him your stolen goods.

The total amount of gold earned by selling stolen items will appear in the top right corner of the screen while conversing with Ongar. Once you have reached the first required amount, leave Ongar's house and speak Armand in the Imperial City Waterfront. If it isn't midnight, use the wait feature to pass as many hours as necessary to make it 12:00AM so Armand will appear. Speak to Armand and select the 'Thieves Guild Special Jobs' dialogue option to get started.

Hieronymus Lex, the Imperial Watch Captain, has collected taxes from the poor people living in the Waterfront, which has angered the Thieves Guild. You're tasked with stealing the Waterfront Tax Records, as well as the gold collected from the poor in the district. The document and gold can be found in the south tower in the Temple District. Fast travel to the Temple District; once there, turn right and follow the stone path to reach the tower entrance. Ensure that it is night time before entering the tower, as there won't be any guards on the first floor at night. Enter Sneak Mode and enter the tower while the sneak icon is faded, which indicates that you are not being watched.

Once in the south tower, approach the ladder on the first floor and climb up to the next level. Look to your left once up the ladder to spot another. Climb up the next ladder, and you'll come to a locked one. Use lockpicks to unlock the ladder, and climb up to reach the top floor. The desk that holds the tax records and gold will be to your right upon entering. Approach the desk and remove the Waterfront Tax Records and gold coins inside. Now all you need to do is climb back down the tower and report to Armand.

Look for the Watefront Tax Records in the locked desk in the South Watch Captain's Quarters.

If you weren't caught stealing, there shouldn't be anyone waiting for you as you climb down the ladder. Any guards that you do encounter will most likely not realize that anything has been stolen. If you do encounter conscious guards on your way down the tower, quickly take the next ladder down before they start to get angry.

When you reach the bottom floor, head out the door and fast travel to the Waterfront. If Armand isn't there, use the wait feature to pass as many hours as necessary to make it midnight so he will appear. When he is there, speak to him and inform him that you have completed the task.