Mathieu Bellamont is a Breton assassin in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion who resides within the cellar of the Anvil Lighthouse. He is the primary antagonist in the Dark Brotherhood quests. He is a long-serving member of the Dark Brotherhood, having joined the organization when he was a boy.
Background[]
- "Enough! Enough of this! You will all suffer for the pain you have caused me! I will destroy your Night Mother, and the Dark Brotherhood will fall!"
- ―Mathieu Bellamont[src]
Mathieu Bellamont joined the family with the sole intention of destroying it as revenge for the murder of his mother years earlier. His dark plans finally came to fruition when he was appointed to serve on the Black Hand as a Silencer. Using his position on the Black Hand, as well as the unknowing aid of a family member, Bellamont proceeded to wreak havoc on the Brotherhood, killing off one Black Hand member after another.
Early life[]
- "It's all right, mother. It's almost over. I'm close. So very close. How long have we struggled? How long have we waited? Too long, I know. But it's almost over. I promise."
- ―Mathieu Bellamont[src]
Mathieu Bellamont was raised by his mother from birth, and the two apparently shared a very close bond. Bellamont's parents appeared to have separated, and his father, angered by this, contacted the Dark Brotherhood in order to exact his revenge.
The Night Mother heard his father's prayers and sent Lucien Lachance to fulfill the contract. The young Bellamont witnessed Lachance behead his mother from underneath his bed. The sight of his mother's severed head drove Bellamont insane. He swore that day that he would destroy the Night Mother, the Dark Brotherhood, and in particular Lachance.
Welcome to the Family[]
- "I hate it! All this lying, all this pretending! Sithis and the Five Tenets be damned! How long do I have to live by their rules? How long before I get my chance? I saw Lucien Lachance yesterday. He was in the Sanctuary talking with Ocheeva. He was right there! So close I could have severed his spine in less than a heartbeat! Oh Mother, never before have I had to exercise such self-control. What's sickeningly ironic is that it was the Dark Brotherhood's discipline that allowed me to restrain myself. I've been a part of their "family" for so long it's a part of me, whether I like it or not. And in all that time I've fooled them all. They see me as a fellow member of the Brotherhood, a trusted family member. Some day soon I will learn the truth about the Night Mother, and when I do, I will use that trust to get close to her. Close enough so that I may render the head from her body, just as Lucien Lachance did to you so long ago!"
- ―Mathieu Bellamont[src]
The severed head of Mathieu Bellamont's mother.
Consumed by revenge, madness and grief, young Bellamont began forming an elaborate plan in order to exact his revenge. He began his vendetta with his father's "beating heart," thus earning the attention of the Night Mother (who observed Bellamont's murder). Later that night Bellamont received a visit from none other than Lachance.
Unaware of Bellamont's true identity and intentions, Lachance embraced him into the "family" like a brother. Bellamont was initiated as a murderer at the Cheydinhal Sanctuary where he quickly gained a reputation as one of the most ambitious family members the Brotherhood had ever produced.
At some point, Bellamont encountered the crew of The Serpent's Wake, who laughed at him and called him "a human rat." Enraged, Bellamont boarded the ship at night and slit the throat of every last crew member, leading the ship to become haunted. Locals of Anvil began referring to The Serpent's Wake as "The Ghost Ship of Anvil," much to Bellamont's amusement.
When an unidentified Speaker lost their Silencer to a contract, they began searching for a replacement. Lachance recommended Bellamont to the position. Soon afterward, Bellamont began to cut a bloody swathe through the family, killing many. It was only when Blanchard was killed Bellamont made a mistake: he was caught fleeing the scene in Dark Brotherhood robes, leading the Black Hand to put out the word that the Brotherhood had been infiltrated.
The Black Hand[]
- "Some wonderful news, mother! Advancement at last! Lucien Lachance paid a visit to the Sanctuary today, to talk with me! He told me the Black Hand needed my services. One of the other Speakers is looking to replace his assistant, who was killed fulfilling a contract. So Lucien Lachance suggested me! I met with the Speaker, and will serve as his new "Silencer." Ha! Lachance might as well have given me a contract to kill the Night Mother herself! I am now one step closer to realizing our dream. I will learn the Night Mother's identity and tear the heart from her chest. Oh yes, and I have something special planned for Lachance himself..."
- ―Mathieu Bellamont[src]
Some time later, Bellamont continued to kill unnoticed amongst the Brotherhood. When the Hero of Kvatch was named Lucien's Silencer, Bellamont decided to use this particularly ambitious family member for his own gains. He tracked Lachance down to one of his dead drops and began replacing the third one onwards, tricking the Hero - whom Bellamont called a "fool" – into killing members of the Black Hand, one by one.
As the Hero was Lachance's Silencer, the Black Hand began to suspect Lachance was the traitor. After writing the order for Arquen's death and sending Enilroth to place the contract in a barrel behind the mermaid statue in Anvil, he and the Black Hand tracked Lachance down to Applewatch Farm, where Bellamont, Arquen, Belisarius Arius and Banus Alor tortured and murdered Lachance, just in time before the Hero arrived with proof of his innocence.
After Arquen promoted the Hero to Speaker, she led the Black Hand to Bravil in order to consult the Night Mother on the Black Hand's future. When the Night Mother claimed Lachance was not the traitor and the true traitor was still among them, Bellamont revealed himself and killed Arius and Alor. He proceeded to attack the Night Mother herself. However, the ethereal specter of the Brotherhood's matron could not be harmed by physical means. At last, the Black Hand saw its true enemy and the remaining two Speakers killed Bellamont, finally bringing an end to his rampage.
Personality[]
- "We kill and kill and kill! All we know is death! It ends here!"
- ―Mathieu Bellamont[src]
Mathieu Bellamont was functionally insane. Witnessing the murder of his mother by Lachance severely unhinged him and filled his head with little beyond thoughts of vengeance, murder, and, on some occasions, suicide. However, he was very calculating and patient, having kept his plans for revenge very secret for so long, partly due to his disciplined training from the Brotherhood.
Bellamont kept a diary from the beginning of his time with the Dark Brotherhood which he wrote using the blood of various victims, whose bodies he kept stored in his cellar home, along with his mother's head, which he talked to, and believed spoke back to him.
If his mother's head is taken from the Anvil Lighthouse basement in the quest "Following a Lead," then dropped on the ground in Applewatch, Bellamont has some unique dialogue. Ultimately, he struggles to properly speak as he is distracted by the sight.
Bellamont despises the Dark Brotherhood and what it does. His ultimate goal was to 'kill' the Night Mother and destroy the Dark Brotherhood. He has managed to retain enough stability and humanity to fall in love with Maria, but even that was lost to the Dark Brotherhood, acting as the final nail in the coffin of his sanity.
Interactions[]
Following a Lead[]
The Hero must now travel to the city of Anvil. Once there, they should wait near the barrel behind the statue in the pond, and see who comes to set up this fake dead drop. They must then confront this person and find out why they've been tampering with the contracts.
Honor Thy Mother[]
After Lachance's death by the Black Hand, Arquen suggests that the Hero and the remaining members meet with the Night Mother to discuss the next steps for the Dark Brotherhood. The Hero is to speak with Arquen between 12 am and 3 am in Applewatch.
Combat[]
Bellamont wields a unique enchanted dagger called the "Dagger of Numbing" in combat and wears a Black Hand Robe and Black Hand Hood. They may be looted from his person after he is killed.
Dialogue[]
- Honor Thy Mother
"Hello, fellow Speaker. Welcome to the Black Hand. So nice to see you're in one piece."
- Lucien Lachance "You should take some time to admire his corpse. It really is a thing of beauty. The punctures and slashes are almost... poetic."
"May you always walk in the shadow of death."
If the Mother's Head is dropped in front of Bellamont:
"What... What is that? Is that a... a head? No... No, it can't be... I.... Um, Sorry, Speaker... I'm... distracted...."
Conversations[]
- Honor Thy Mother
Night Mother: "What is the meaning of this desecration? Who has disturbed my ancient slumber?" Arquen: "Dearest Night Mother! Most Unholy Maiden! Please, we beg your mercy in this, our time of need! The Black Hand seeks your guidance!" Night Mother: "Ah, yes, I have been expecting you. The Listener now kneels by Sithis, as does his successor. There is a traitor amongst you." Arquen: "The traitor is dead, dear Mother. We have come now to ask your blessing. Anoint one of us your Listener, so we can restore the Black Hand!" Night Mother: "Foolish little girl. Lucien Lachance served Sithis til his dying breath. The Black Hand remains tainted by betrayal. Restoration is impossible." Mathieu Bellamont: "Enough! Enough of this! You will all suffer for the pain you have caused me! I will destroy your Night Mother, and the Dark Brotherhood will fall!" Arquen: "What treachery? The traitor still lives! It is Mathieu Bellamont! Do not let him harm the Night Mother! Kill him!"
Trivia[]
- Mathieu Bellamont was voiced by Ralph Cosham, who also voiced most other male Bretons.
- There are signs indicating that Bellamont was a cannibal. (For example, there are severed body parts found in the Lighthouse where he lived as well as torn torsos and naked victims hung from closets.)
- He believed that his dead mother spoke to him, much like the Night Mother speaks to the Listener.
- His connection to his dead mother might be based on that of Norman Bates' relationship with his mother in Psycho.
- Ironically, Bellamont seems to have gotten what he wanted even after death, as the Dark Brotherhood was hunted into near-extinction during the Fourth Era.
- There are three major differences between the fake Dead Drop orders Bellamont wrote for the Hero and the official ones from Lachance. First, Bellamont's are in a more flourishing style of handwriting, closer to cursive than Lachance's block-print handwriting. Second, the false orders gave a small backstory and a reason why the targets were wanted dead, as opposed to the official ones simply giving names and locations. Third, Bellamont's orders always start with a compliment while the real ones do not.
- It is never revealed whom Bellamont served under as Silencer. He somehow knows about Alval Uvani's rare allergy to honey but can not pinpoint where Arquen resides, suggesting he served the former.
- That Bellamont began his killings as a member of Cheydinhal's Sanctuary may explain why the Black Hand suspected a traitor within. However, Bellamont had been promoted prior to the Sanctuary's Purification.
Appearances[]
- The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
- The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (mentioned only)