Oblivion:Armand Christophe

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Armand Christophe
(RefID: 000352A0)
Home City Imperial City, Waterfront District
House Armand Christophe's House
Race Redguard Gender Male
Level 8 Class Pilgrim
RefID 000352A0 BaseID 00034870
Other Information
Health 100 Magicka 85
Responsibility 0 Aggression 0
Essential Until The Ultimate Heist is completed
Faction(s) Imperial City Waterfront Resident; IC Citizens; Thieves Guild Cat Burglar(Cat Burglar Cat Burglar)
Armand Christophe

Armand Christophe is a Redguard pilgrim and one of the Doyens of the Thieves Guild working for the Gray Fox.

As expected from a high-ranking member of the Thieves Guild, Armand lives a secluded existence and spends most of the day inside his little shack located in the Waterfront District of the Imperial City. Like most other Guild members, he goes to bed early in the morning, sleeping from 6am until noon and always starts the day with a two-hour breakfast in the security of his house. Once he is full, he spends three hours strolling aimlessly around in the shack until 5pm, when he heads to The All-Saints Inn in the Temple District for a two-hour dinner. Once the sun starts to fade, he leaves the inn and returns to his shack for a bit of wandering until 11pm, when he walks down to the Garden of the Dareloth for the nightly meeting with two potential Thieves Guild recruits, Amusei and Methredhel. The three of them will patiently wait for another competitor to show up until 3am, when Armand returns to his shack and strolls around until his bedtime at 6am.

On Loredas, he skips his dinner in the Temple District and instead secludes himself inside his house all day long, and only heads outside at 11pm for the nightly meeting in the Garden of Dareloth. On Sundas, after waking up, he immediately travels to the Market District, where he spends the next six hours roaming around, occasionally chatting with the other townsfolk. At 6pm he returns to his house, where he stays until it is time for the meeting at 11pm. There are a couple exceptions to this routine; see the Quest-Related Events section for details on the exception during the quest The Elven Maiden. The only other exception is that he will stay in his house while the curfew is being imposed in the Waterfront district during the quest Misdirection.

At the end of The Ultimate Heist Armand will change his routine completely, and will, after waking up at 12pm as usual, enter the House of Dareloth, where he spends the next twelve hours wandering around the second floor and only takes a break at 5pm to have his two-hour dinner.

When he is traveling around the big city, he wears a pair of coarse linens along with a leather cuirass and matching boots. However, when he feels safe he will swap his cuirass for a more comfortable coarse linen shirt and a pair of stitched leather shoes. He also carries an extra pair of huntsman leather pants as well as an un-enchanted, leveled mace, his torch, 12 lockpicks, and a key that grants him access to the Imperial Trading Company's dockside office and the two warehouses. The Waterfront Tax Records show that Armand pays 4 gold for his taxes.

Dialogue[edit]

Before having joined the Guild, you may hear him call out to other citizens, depending on his Disposition:

"I'm not sure I can trust you. Why don't you just move along."
"You look like someone I might be able to help."

He will take his leave from them by saying:

"You've taken up enough of my time."

When approached by you, depending on his disposition, he may say:

"I don't like the look of you. Keep moving."
"Psst. Over here."

When you engage him in conversation, he will be rather rude:

"Do I know you?".
"I really don't have time for the likes of you."
"Oh. You Again."
Imperial City
"A little tip. People who ask a lot of questions around here tend to be not very popular."
Gray Fox
"He's just a name on a wanted poster. I don't trust you enough to say more than that."

He will always close the conversation with a premonition:

"Somehow I think we will meet again."

Quests Given[edit]

Related Quests[edit]

Quest-Related Events[edit]

If at any time you wish to join the Thieves Guild, there are several ways in which you can do so (see Finding the Thieves Guild). If you receive a mysterious note from Myvryna Arano, Armand will direct you to a meeting at the Garden of Dareloth:

Mysterious Note
"Not here. Not now. Garden of Dareloth. Waterfront District. Midnight."

If you instead speak with a beggar about the guild, he will say:

Gray Fox
"Quiet, you fool. The Garden of Dareloth, on the Waterfront. Midnight. Be there."

In both cases when spoken to again he will simply say:

"Are you confused?" (Disposition below 40)
"Yes... you might do."

Once you meet him at the Garden, his introduction will depend on how you heard about the Guild:

Mysterious Note
"Ah, yes. Another scoundrel who served time in an imperial jail. The Gray Fox is offering you a chance to join the Thieves Guild."
Gray Fox
"You say a beggar told you to seek me out? Good enough for me then. The beggars are the eyes and ears of the Gray Fox. He is the King of Thieves in Cyrodiil. You could think of him as our guildmaster, although he would deny that title."

The Join the Thieves Guild topic will now be available, though if his Disposition is below 40 he will still brush you off:

"You don't look very trustworthy. I have no idea what you are talking about."

If you speak to him at the Garden about it and one of the other two competitors has not arrived, he will say:

Join the Thieves Guild
"Be patient and wait for the others. I need both the Wood Elf and the Argonian before I can begin."

Once everyone has arrived, he will proceed to give you the task that you need to fulfill in order to gain membership...

May the Best Thief Win[edit]

After you ask to Join the Thieves Guild, he will proceed to explain the task that Methredhel, Amusei and you need to accomplish in order to be accepted into the Guild:

"Everyone is here. Let's begin. Each of you is seeking membership in the Thieves Guild. The Thieves Guild is not a myth. We are followers of the Gray Fox, and I am his Doyen. Merely by finding me, you have passed the first test. It's unusual for us to have three potential recruits at the same time. Rather than the normal test of skill, I'm going to make this a contest. Methredhel, you know the rules. However, for Amusei and the newcomer, let me state them clearly. Whoever brings me the the [sic] diary of Amantius Allectus, without killing him, will be invited into the guild. It's somewhere in the Imperial City. The beggars will help you locate it, for a price. I can sell you lockpicks if you need them. One more thing. You cannot kill each other during this trial. We may be thieves, but we're not murderers."

If you speak to him now you will be able to ask him about a few topics:

Thieves Guild Test
"You don't have the diary. Stop wasting my time!"
Lockpicks, 5 gold each
"You don't have enough coin to buy one." (if you don't have sufficient gold)
"Here you go."

During the challenge, if you speak to Armand once you have already found the location of Amantius Allectus' house from beggars, asking about the Gray Fox away from the garden will now yield the following reply:

"This is neither the time nor the place."

He will also now say goodbye to you with:

"Now get out of here."

If you are successful in turning in the diary of Amantius Allectus without killing him, he will be thrilled and immediately give you membership in the Guild:

Thieves Guild Test
"Congratulations! You have returned with the diary. You have earned the right to join the Thieves Guild. You now owe your loyalty to our guildmaster, the Gray Fox. He has three rules you must follow."
Three rules
"First, never steal from another member of the guild. Second, never kill anyone on the job. This is not the Dark Brotherhood. Animals and monsters can be slain if necessary. Third, don't steal from the poor. The peasants and beggars are under the personal protection of the Gray Fox, particularly here on the Waterfront."

At this point, many dialogue options will open, and Armand has quite a bit of information for you (see below).

If you have the diary but killed Amantius in the process, you will need to pay the blood price for him:

Thieves Guild Test
"Congratulations! You have returned with the diary. Unfortunately, you were stupid enough to kill Amantius Allectus in the process! Now you must pay his blood price to enter the guild. However, because you are not yet a member, it is only half of what it would normally be."
I cannot pay it yet.
"We should not speak of this again until you can pay the blood price."
I'll pay the blood price.
"Your generosity restores your honor within the guild. You may now seek membership. As a new member, you now owe your loyalty to our guildmaster, the Gray Fox. He has three rules you must follow."

If the Wood Elf, Methredhel, beats you in returning the diary, Armand will accept it from her and say:

"Methredhel, you have earned the right to join the Thieves Guild."

He will then greet you with:

"So, you've come back."
Thieves Guild Test
"Methredhel has delivered the diary to me. She has earned her place in the guild. You did not do so well. Since we rarely get three potential recuits at the same time, I'll give you one more shot. Amusei is a bungler and won't get this offer. The first one to bring back Rohssan's sword will become a member. But, this is the last chance. The loser gets nothing. Do you accept?"
Maybe some other time.
"You walk a dangerous path. Keep the secret of the guild... or else. If you change your mind, I'll be here."
I will join the competition.
"Good. Remember, you may not kill anyone while doing this. If you need any lock picks, I can sell you some."

After you have retrieved the sword, he will proceed to proclaim you a Pickpocket in the Thieves Guild:

Thieves Guild Test
"It took two tries, but you finally made it. You have earned the right to join the Thieves Guild. You now owe your loyalty to our guildmaster, the Gray Fox. He has three rules you must follow."

If you have killed Rohssan, he will say:

Thieves Guild Test
"Well, you finally returned with Rohssan's sword. Unfortunately, you were stupid enough to kill Rohssan in the process! Now you must pay her blood price to enter the guild. However, because you are not yet a member, it is only half of what it would normally be."

Either situation results in the same options as above.

Once you are accepted into the guild, he will now bid you farewell with:

"Shadow hide you, Pickpocket."

When you approach him, he will now say:

"Ah! Our newest member."
"Can I help you, Pickpocket?"

He will also greet you with:

"Ah, our newest pickpocket."

Untaxing the Poor[edit]

Before you have fenced 50 gold worth of stolen goods, he won't talk to you about the next quest:

Thieves Guild special jobs
"You need more experience before I can use you on a commission job. Ongar tells me that you haven't turned in much loot yet. When you've contributed enough to the guild coffers by selling stolen items to Ongar, I might have something for you. Come back then."

Speaking to Armand away from the Garden of Dareloth, he will greet you with:

"I might have something for you, but we can't talk about it here. Meet me at the usual place, and at the usual time."
Thieves Guild special jobs
"Maybe I wasn't clear before. You only talk business with me in the Garden of Dareloth around midnight."

After you have fenced enough stolen goods to Ongar the World-Weary in Bruma, you may speak to Armand about the job he has. He will greet you:

"I'm glad you stopped by. I have a... situation that you might be able to help with."
"The Gray Fox has asked me to take care of a problem, and I'm putting you on it. Hieronymus Lex actually collected taxes from everyone living here on the Waterfront! Your job is to recover those taxes. Are you up for it?"
This seems awfully noble for thieves.
"The people of the waterfront are very poor. Traditionally the city has not collected taxes from them, even though by law they could. The money the city would collect would barely cover the cost of collecting. The Gray Fox has always guaranteed protection to the poor of the waterfront. He doesn't want to let this injustice stand. It's a matter of principle."
Why does the Gray Fox care?
"The Gray Fox has led our guild for over 300 years now. He has always guaranteed protection to the poor of the waterfront."
Who is Hieronymus Lex?
"He is a fool of a Captain in the Imperial Watch. He's a real law and order type. He has a grudge against the Thieves Guild and the Gray Fox in particular. Lex has made it his personal mission to capture him. The Gray Fox has led our guild for over 300 years now. He has always guaranteed protection to the poor of the waterfront."

At this point you can either reject or accept the job:

Not right now.
"I suppose it can wait for a while. Let me know if you change your mind."
Sure. I'll do it.
"Good. Find out where he's keeping the taxes and bring them to me. I'll also need the tax records of what each citizen paid so we can return it."

Speaking to Armand after this will have him greet you:

"Have you recovered those taxes?"
Not yet.
"Let me know when you have the money and the tax records"
Yes. Here they are.
"Ah! The Gray Fox will be very pleased. We will make sure this gets back to the people. Can you believe that fool even bothered to collect this paltry sum? You can keep it. I merely wanted the Watch to know they went too far. I think its [sic] time to promote you to Footpad. Congratulations on your new guild rank."

If you killed someone on your way to getting the tax records, he will say:

Yes. Here they are.
"It seems you got carried away and killed someone. We do not condone murder in the Thieves Guild. You are no longer a Thieves Guild member until you pay the blood price. Guild tradition holds that you must pay it for each person slain."
I cannot pay it yet.
"Then get out of my sight until you do."
I'll pay the blood price.
"You have restored your honor within the Thieves Guild. Now I can pay you for your recovering the taxes and promote you to the rank of Footpad. We will make sure each person on these tax rolls gets their money back. Can you believe that fool even bothered to collect this paltry sum? You can keep it. I merely wanted the Watch know they went too far."

He will now greet you and take his leave with:

"Good to see you again!"
"Shadow hide you."

The Elven Maiden[edit]

If you try to take the quest before you have fenced stolen goods worth at least 100 gold, Armand will reject you:

Thieves Guild special jobs
"I do have need of a skilled operative. Perhaps if you were to get more experience I could use you. The fences report to me how much loot you have turned over to them. When you've added more to the guild coffers, come back and see me."

If you try to receive your new orders away from the Garden of Dareloth, Armand will tell you:

Thieves Guild special jobs
"You know better than to contact me here. Meet me at the usual place. Dareloth's Garden, at midnight."

Once you have fenced enough, Armand will request you to carry out a special arrangement the next time you speak with him at the Garden of Dareloth:

Thieves Guild special jobs
"The guild has received a 'request' to obtain a unique statuette. It is a bust of Llathasa Indarys, the recently slain Countess of Cheydinhal. You will be paid a modest sum. Do you want this job?"
I don't have time right now.
"That's unfortunate. Let me know if you change your mind.."
I'll take it.
"Excellent. Bring it back to me once you have it."

However, once you return to the Waterfront with the bust in your inventory, it will be crowded with several Imperial Legion Watch soldiers running around the Waterfront searching for Armand. You may hear Hieronymus Lex encourage his troops:

"Keep looking boys. Armand Christophe has to be here somewhere."

Meanwhile, guards can be heard responding, talking to each other or interrogating the locals:

"No sign of Armand Christophe, Sir."
"Any sign of Armand Christophe?"
"Can you tell me where Armand Christophe is hiding?"
"Have you seen Armand Christophe?"

While Armand is in hiding during The Elven Maiden, Thieves Guild members will direct you to Methredhel if you ask about Armand:

Where is Armand Christophe?
"He's in hiding. I hear Methredhel is looking for you, though."

Methredhel herself will elaborate:

"He is in hiding. Armand is accused of stealing the bust of Llathasa Indarys from Cheyhindal [sic]. They say Count Indarys himself filed the charges."

Armand is indeed in the Imperial Trading Company Warehouse's basement. If you try to return the bust to Armand directly, he may say:

"What are you doing here?"
"I'm in hiding from the Imperial Watch. Go find Methredhel. She has your instructions."
Bust of Llathasa Indarys
"It's not safe for me to handle the bust. I shouldn't even be talking to you. Go find Methredel [sic]. She has your instructions."

After you have exposed the spy to the Imperial Watch, Armand will resume his normal schedule. Once you speak with him he will now say hello with:

"You're a welcome sight."
"With your help I uncovered the informant that had compromised the Thieves Guild. I know I used you in this matter with the Llathasa's bust, but I couldn't be certain that you weren't working with Myvryna. Here is the reward you were promised. Even though the bust is gone, you've earned it. I'm also promoting you to the guild rank of Bandit, which will let you use Dar Jee of Leyawiin as your fence. Good work!"

If you killed someone while trying to get the bust, he will say:

"Well, you managed to get Llathasa's bust, and you got Hieronymus Lex off my back. However, you broke the code of the Thieves Guild. You killed someone in the Chapel, and now you have to pay the blood price. Until you do, you are no longer a member of this guild. Don't bother to come back until you have it."
Blood Price
"Are you ready to pay the blood price for the murders you committed in Cheydinhal's Chapel?"
I cannot pay it yet.
"Then get out of my sight until you do."
I'll pay the blood price.
"You have restored your honor and that of the Thieves Guild. I can now officially pay you for your efforts and promote you to the rank of Bandit."

He will now greet you with:

"Glad to see you!"
"You've done well for yourself."
Thieves Guild special jobs
"Sadly, I don't have anything for you. I only work with the less experienced guild members. You should go see S'krivva in Bravil from now on. YYou can find her at the Lonely Suitor lodge. I wouldn't recommend bothering her at home, unless the door is unlocked."
S'krivva
"Are you deaf? Didn't I already tell you that she is in Bravil?"

Blood Price[edit]

Armand also handles the blood prices associated with the three Thieves Guild quests Turning a Blind Eye, Arrow of Extrication and Boots of Springheel Jak. When asking you if you're ready to pay the Blood Price, his response will vary depending on the quest:

"Are you prepared to pay the blood price?"
I cannot pay it yet.
"Then it is time for you to leave."
I'll pay the blood price.
"I accept this blood price and welcome you back into the Thieves Guild. I oughta break your neck though. Don't make this a habit."
"Are you here to pay the blood price?"
I cannot pay it yet.
"Then get out of here until you can."
I'll pay the blood price.
"It's about time. I guess I have to reinstate you now. Try not to repeat this mistake in the future. I am now allowed to grant you a promotion to Master Thief. Congratulations, I suppose. Be ready if the Gray Fox should need you again."
Will you pay the blood price?
I cannot pay it yet.
"Then begone."
I'll pay the blood price.
"This will help to erase the stain on the Thieves Guild. Here is the reward the Gray Fox promised you for fetching those boots."

Cast out of the Thieves Guild[edit]

If you are cast out of the Thieves Guild for whatever reason, you will need to find either him or S'Krivva and pay a fine to be reinstated, as fellow guild members will tell you:

Cast out of the Thieves Guild
"I heard what you did. So did the guild Doyens. You've been cast out of the Thieves Guild. Go talk to Armand or S'krivva. Pay the fine and you'll be reinstated."

Should you ask him about it, he will say:

Cast out of the Thieves Guild
"You have been cast out for mistreating your fellow Thieves Guild members. In order to be returned to the rolls you must make reparations. Are you ready to pay the fine?"
I'm still raising the money.
"Then I have no use for you. Begone until you can pay the fine."
I will pay my fine.
"Excellent! The guild accepts your... apology and welcomes you back into the fold."

Thieves Guild Information[edit]

As a doyen of the Thieves Guild, Armand has quite a bit of information to tell you if asked:

About the Thieves Guild
"What do you want to know?"
What is a Doyen?
"The Doyen are the hands and eyes of the guildmaster. You take your orders from them. You get your favors from them. I am one Doyen and S'krivva is the other."
Sources of Information
"The best source of information are the beggars. Their eyes and ears seem to be everywhere. However, be prepared to spend a little coin. They won't tell you anything for free. At least not anything true."
If I do steal from a thief?
"You are removed from the guild. You must pay a fine to one of the guild Doyen to get back in."
What if I do kill someone?
"Breaking any of the three rules means expulsion from the Thieves Guild. If you commit murder, you must pay the blood price to rejoin the guild. Blood price is for each person slain. You can pay any of the guild Doyen."
Thieves Guild Jobs
"Jobs? We're thieves, not masons or scribes. Look, you're on your own as a thief. Go find a likely looking house. Case the joint to see when the owner is gone. When he leaves, you break in and steal some stuff. You don't need special permission or orders to do that. However, you will find that you can only sell stolen property to one of our guild fences. Most other merchants won't take hot merchandise."
So we all work alone?
"Well, sometimes the guild gets a special commission. You know. Guaranteed pay to 'acquire' certain items for special clients. You should check in with your Doyen every once in a while to see if there are any commission jobs available."

If you have a bounty, he'll offer to take care of it:

Pay off my fines and bounty
"You can pay your fines to the guards, serve your time, or pay me half and I'll fix them all."
I'll work out my problems on my own.
"It's your prison sentence, not mine."
I'll pay off my fines.
"Consider it done. I will get rid of all your criminal warrants."

Depending on what stage of the questline you are at, he will also provide information on available fences:

Where can I find a fence?
"The best fences are only available to the higher rank Thieves Guild members. Here's a list of who you can use."
Ongar the Fence
"Ongar lives in Bruma. He doesn't have much money, but he's the only place you can sell hot property if you are new to the Thieves Guild."
Dar Jee the Fence.
"Dar Jee lives in Leyawiin. He doesn't have much money, but he's got more than Ongar."
Luciana Galena the Fence.
"Luciana lives in Bravil. She is a decent fence. Better than Ongar and Dar Jee at least."
Orrin the Fence.
"Orrin is a respectable fence, if there is such a thing. He's got a decent amount of gold, but is a tough negotiator. Go to him instead of Luciana."
Fathis Ules the Fence.
"He is the best fence in the Thieves Guild. He operates from the Elven Gardens in the Imperial City."
"He is the best fence in the Thieves Guild. He spends time in the guild hall, and in the Elven Gardens."

Before you have completed the quest Taking Care of Lex, if you ask about Hieronymus Lex he will tell you:

"He's a Captain of the Imperial Watch. He is pursuing a personal vendetta against the Thieves Guild and the Gray Fox. Two years ago I made a fool out of him when he tried to arrest me. Lex has never forgotten it."

The story will be confirmed with a slight variation by the city's denizens:

Hieronymus Lex
"He is captain of the Imperial Watch. He is pursuing a personal vendetta against the Thieves Guild and the Gray Fox. I heard the Gray Fox personally humiliated Lex years ago when he tried to arrest Armand Christophe for theft. Lex has never forgotten it."

Once you can ask him about Nocturnal, he will say:

"You're kidding. Everybody knows Nocturnal. She is the daedra lord of shadows. The Mistress of Mystery. The Saint of Suspicion. Thieves Guild members revere and respect her power and influence. We give her blessing with the phrase 'may shadow hide you.'"

Rumors[edit]

While at the meeting at the Garden of Dareloth, Amusei and Methredhel will both hint at Armand's high up position in the Guild:

Amusei: "You wish to join the Thieves Guild too? Maybe we will soon be brothers in the shadow. Only Armand can say."
Methredhel: "So you are looking for the Thieves Guild as well. Armand Christophe will decide who is worthy and who is not. I've been preparing to join the guild for years. If you're nice to me, maybe I'll show you a few tricks."

Once you are a member of the Guild, they will direct you to Armand if asked about doyens or how to pay off your bounties:

What is a Doyen?
"The Doyen are the hands and eyes of the guildmaster. You take your orders from them. You get your favors from them. The current Doyen are Armand Christophe and S'krivva."
Pay off my fines and bounty
"Armand Christophe and S'krivva have special arrangements with the guards and judges throughout Cyrodiil. They can make all your outstanding warrants go away, for only half the price of the fines."

At the beginning of Misdirection, Methredhel will mention Armand's predicament:

"These are foul times for us. Armand is under house arrest, again. Our business in the Waterfront is totally shut down. We need to get Hieronymus Lex to lift his siege. I have put together a plan."

Unused Dialogue[edit]

  • There is an additional line for the Join the Thieves Guild topic which you will never hear:
"Not here. The Garden of Dareloth, on the Waterfront. Midnight. Be there."
  • In addition, faulty conditions linked to Methredhel's AI packages mean you will never hear Armand scold her should you steal the diary off her:
"Stop whining, Methredhel. You'll get another chance soon enough. Why should the Thieves Guild turn down a recruit for stealing?"
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