The Dainty Sload (Quest)
Quest Giver	Delvin Mallory
Location	Dainty Sload Solitude
Prerequisite	5 small jobs set in Solitude
Next Quest	None
Reward	Leveled item A fence for the Thieves Guild
Faction	Thieves Guild
Type	Thieves Guild side quest

Contents 1 Summary 2 Objectives 3 Walkthrough 3.1 Speaking with Erikur 3.2 Speaking with Sabine Nytte 3.3 Acquire Balmora Blue 3.4 Planting the Balmora Blue 3.5 Report back to Erikur 4 No Stone Unturned 5 Trivia 6 Bugs

Summary

After completing at least five Small Jobs for the Thieves Guild in Solitude, speak to Delvin Mallory in the Ragged Flagon. There, he will inform the Dragonborn of a 'special job' in Solitude. The Dragonborn is directed to speak with Erikur, a businessman in Solitude.

Objectives

1. Speak to Erikur.
2. Speak to Sabine Nytte.
3. Acquire Balmora Blue.
4. Plant the Balmora Blue.
5. Speak to Erikur.

Walkthrough

Speaking with Erikur

Travel to the Blue Palace in Solitude and speak with Erikur. He may be at his home if it is late at night. It is not advisable to break into his house; this may lower the relationship rank. It is better to wait until morning, where he can be found in the Blue Palace.

He is not particularly polite, and seems to doubt the Dragonborn's skills, saying that he demanded Delvin's best man for this job. By speaking further with him, Erikur will eventually tell the Dragonborn that a man called Volf cheated him over a business transaction. Volf is the captain of a ship called the Dainty Sload, and Erikur asks the Dragonborn to frame him for a crime.

He then directs the Dragonborn to plant an illegal drug known as Balmora Blue in the captain's footlocker inside the ship. The plan is to frame Volf for possession of an illicit substance, so Volf will be promptly sent off to jail, thus satisfying Erikur.

Speaking with Sabine Nytte

The next stop is the Red Wave, docked in Solitude's harbour outside the East Empire Company Warehouse. On the deck of the ship, Sabine Nytte is found, who claims to be the only one who can obtain Balmora Blue. She will sell its location and the key for 1500 Gold. The location and key can be purchased or stolen. By choosing the purchase option, skip the rest of this section and see the Acquire Balmora Blue section below.

If the Balmora Blue is stolen, Sabine Nytte has two keys you can use in the quest. Pickpocket her for either or both the keys, or pick the locks instead.

A safe containing a note about the Balmora Blue is in the bottom-most deck of the Red Wave (the ship Sabine Nytte is on). Pick the lock of the safe (master) or pickpocket Sabine Nytte for the key to the safe. The note reveals that "I stashed the Balmora Blue in a chest under the Wave. I put the best lock on it that money can buy."

Acquire Balmora Blue

Sabine's chest, with Balmora Blue, is in the water directly beneath the dock running parallel to the Red Wave. It can be lockpicked (Expert) or opened with another key pickpocketed from Sabine Nytt. Once the Balmora Blue is acquired, the next stop is at The Dainty Sload. Erikur will speak to the Dragonborn after leaving the docks, but it may be required to chase after him. It is not necessary to speak to Erikur at this time.

NOTE: The Red Wave has high valued jewels and items can be pickpocketed from the crew, many Iron Ingots and a few Steel Ingots on a shelf, and potions, a few Iron Weapons and other loot lying around the ship.

Planting the Balmora Blue

Leave The Dainty Sload, anchored out towards open water. There are two Corsairs guarding the entrance to the interior of the ship. Either defeat them or sneak past them. One remains looking out to sea, whilst another roams the deck. Wait until he disappears behind the cabin and slip through the unlocked door. Inside, there are more Corsairs to deal with. With a sneak skill high enough, it is fairly easy to sneak past the guards. Go down the stairs into the bottom of the ship, then back up again until the quest marker is reached.

The ship's First Mate stands near the objective, the Captain's Footlocker. The Adept lock on the footlocker can be picked, but it's easier to simply defeat the First Mate and take the key from his corpse. On the table near where the First Mate was, there is a Stone of Barenziah. Plant the Balmora Blue and go back to the entrance. On your the way back, there is an Adept level chest opposite the top of the stairs. There is also an unlocked chest by the door to the outside.

Report back to Erikur

Travel back to Erikur at the Blue Palace, who seems a lot happier for your labors, or rather the fruits of them. He'll give a reward with a random Spell Tome, and the assurance that he will re-open any doors the Guild needs for its return. Fast travel back to the Thieves Guild and into the Ragged Flagon, where Delvin is waiting for the news. Speak to him to end the quest; he seems delighted at the progress the guild is making. There will be a new merchant/service in one of the alcoves of the Flagon.

No Stone Unturned

It is possible to acquire a Stone of Barenziah while on this quest. Just past the box that you plant the Balmora Blue in, there is a table where the first mate of the ship is sitting. The stone is right in front of him.

Trivia

• The Balmora Blue will still be in the Dainty Sload if it is revisited after completing the quest. It will be in the chest the Dragonborn planted it in, and will not be considered stolen upon retrieval.
• If you visited the Dainty Sload before you started this quest line, it is possible to clear the location (ie, kill everyone on board) and can now just run straight through and plant the Balmora Blue in the foot locker.
  • Notice that if you doing that too long before starting the quest line, ennemies will have respawn, and then you can't just run throught the boat.

Bugs

•  PS3   When the Dragonborn leaves Erikur's house after speaking to him, if it is not through the marked door, the quest objective marker will point the Dragonborn to return to his house through the door in which he/she has exited.
  • Solution: To fix this, enter through the door that was exited (the one that is now marked) and leave through the marked door from inside his house. The quest object marker should now point to the Red Wave/Balmora Blue.
•  360   Sometimes there will be a bug in which Erikur can be found either in his home or The Blue Palace, however when you speak to him, he only offers two dialouge options, neither of which are relevant to this quest. Currently no fix for this one.
•  PC   360   PS3  If the Dragonborn uses the Balmora Blue while it is still in the chest, the quest block will not occur and it will be consumed. The quest will still update and it will tell the Dragonborn to plant the Balmora Blue. Since it would have been consumed, reloading and retrieving it from the chest without consuming it is necessary in order to continue.
•  PC   360   PS3  Erikur may appear to be east of Solitude inside the Karth River, under the quest marker.
  •  PC   Solution: Using console and typing player.moveto 000198A9, he can be located. He will not talk under while he is under water. He can be herded out of the water by bumping into him repeatedly; the quest can then be continued. Also, using the console and typing player.placeatme 00013272 to place him in the Dragonborn's area, but may make a clone.
  •  360   This bug happens before The Dragonborn is given instructions by Erikur, and before getting the Balmora Blue. A thorough search of the area under the quest marker revealed no Erikur. When outside Solitude, the compass quest marker shows his location through a door into the city. From inside the city, he appears to be out of doors somewhere to the ENE of the city but cannot be reached. The world map shows him in the middle of the river. Erikur's support is needed to bring in the last of the four great cities in which the T.G. has risen to its former glory; without it, the Guild never finishes its rebuilding and the player never gets its leadership.
  • Solution: Exploiting the geometry hole mentioned below works perfectly, just get down there & follow the quest arrow out into the water to find Erikur. It also seems one can complete this quest even if the Dainty Sload crew has been killed.
  • Solution: A way to get around the "sunken Erikur" bug on the Xbox 360 is to climbing rooftops to reach a glitched roof that lets the Dragonborn drop under Solitude. The video does not show it, but one can find Erikur this way. After speaking to him, fast-travel away from Solitude to escape the "below Solitude" area. Confirmed.
  • Solution: Immediately fast travel to the Blue Palace while exiting the Dainty Sload after planting the Balmora Blue. Erikur will then appear at or near his home. After planting it, one can find Erikur by going through the glitched roof again, since he is not accessible by ordinary means.
•  360   If the Dragonborn has sided with the Stormcloaks and immediately after the Solitude victory, Erikur will be relocated to the Blue Palace where the Dragonborn will be able to speak with him and continue on with the quest for the thieves guild.
•  PC   360   PS3  If the Dragonborn has killed Erikur before doing the quest, Delvin tells the Dragonborn about the special quest but never activates it. However, one can accept other normal quests.
•  PC   360   PS3  The very last vocal piece by Erikur (something about getting it done) sounds like a completely different voice than every other line he said previously.
•  PC   360   PS3  It is possible that when the Dragonborn has to plant the Balmora Blue that the Dragonborn will not be able to actually stand on the ship's deck and just fall straight through it. However if the Dragonborn can climb across the barrels and other items that remain floating in midair it is still possible to jump at the door and activate it while in midair.
• Even at a high level an extremely low level item may be rewarded

Thieves Guild Quests (The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim)
Main Quest	A Chance Arrangement • Taking Care of Business • Loud and Clear • Dampened Spirits Scoundrel's Folly • Speaking With Silence • Hard Answers • The Pursuit • Trinity Restored Blindsighted • Darkness Returns
Delvin's Small Jobs	The Bedlam Job • The Fishing Job • The Numbers Job
Vex's Small Jobs	The Burglary Job • The Heist Job • The Shill Job • The Sweep Job
City Influence Jobs	Imitation Amnesty • Summerset Shadows • Silver Lining • The Dainty Sload
Other	Deliver Moon Sugar to Ri'saad • The Litany of Larceny

Even at a high level an extremely low level item may be rewarded

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