The Dark Brotherhood has always been one of the most popular guilds inThe Elder Scrolls, even more so inOblivionwhen the organization was at the height of its power—with not only a Listener but all Speakers of the Black Hand were alive and active in Cyrodiil. The Dark Brotherhood’s base of operations was in Cheydinhal during the Oblivion Crisis, where Lucien Lachance was the Speaker who oversaw the Hero of Kvatch’s progression through the Brotherhood’s ranks, from recruitment to Lucien’s untimely fate, one which secured him a spot as a fan favorite and who make an unexpected return inSkyrim.
Lucien’s role as a mentor and loyal ally in theDark Brotherhood cemented him as one of the most beloved NPCs inOblivion. When the Hero begins killing members of the Black Hand, eventually even killing the Listener, Lucien confronts the Hero and believes them when they plead their innocence. He promises to resolve the mess and leave the Hero blameless in the aftermath, which makes his grisly end all the worse as the Hero discovers that the remaining members of the Hand blame him for the deaths and have exacted revenge on him, killing him and mutilating his corpse.
RELATED:How The Elder Scrolls 6 Could Improve The Dark Brotherhood
The Fate of Lucien Lachance in The Dark Brotherhood
200 years afterOblivion, the Dark Brotherhood found itself in shambles across both Skyrim and Cyrodiil. According to Cicero’s journals inSkyrim, the various Sanctuaries across Cyrodiil were sacked, and the last Listener was killed by a mob. The Last Dragonborn becomes the first Listener in years, and gains a variety of rewards along the way: a power that summons a Spectral Assassin, and Shadowmere, a horse unique to the Dark Brotherhood. Fans ofOblivionwill recognize the Spectral Assassin as the spirit of Lucien Lachance, and Shadowmere is the very same horse that he loans the player inOblivion.
Lucien’s voice actor fromOblivion, Wes Johnson, makes a return to voice the Spectral Assassin to round out the experience. Just having the character around gives Lucien a somewhat happier ending than what he had inOblivion, where he was met with death as a traitor.Though he now exists in the Void, he appears to be content with his fate and is happy to serve the new Listener as their summons.
Lucien’s Role in The Dark Brotherhood of Skyrim
Lucien is incredibly helpful as a Spectral Assassin as he counts as a follower rather than a summon, and therefore doesn’t have a time cap. Though he technically can’t be interacted with, he can be healed with Restoration spells like any other follower. He also provides valuable insight during Dark Brotherhood quests, such assuggesting not to kill Ciceroand to trust in the wisdom of the Night Mother. He also comments on various places across Skyrim, recalling moments from his life and giving vague references to the Hero of Kvatch.
Summoning Lucien with Shadowmere prompts Lucien to greet the horse as an “old friend”. Shadowmere was Lucien’s horse during the events ofOblivionand was loaned to the Hero of Kvatch.Shadowmere is clearly supernatural—when it appears inSkyrim, it appears over a pool of black water in black smoke with thunder and lightning. Shadowmere is one of the best horses in the game because of his durability and extremely high stamina; he’s an immortal horse that will outlast any other.
Lucien may have met a bad end as a traitor, but his role as a beloved character was not forgotten by players, who finally got a proper resolution tohis story through the Dark Brotherhood quest line. His role of providing guidance to new Dark Brotherhood members and playing a part in restoring the organization to its former glory is something that he would have been proud of in life.
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim - Anniversary Editionis available now for Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
