Path of the Thief is not something that will appear in the quest log, but is being used to categorize this section of the questline.
Once the player has been introduced to the Hero Stones inside of the Soul Sanctum, and are given the opportunity to choose one, they can activate it to have the Geode Guardian tell them more about the corresponding Spirit. Activating the stone a second time will open the nearby gate, and lock in this Spirit as the next one the player will pursue.
Confirming the Thief's stone will give the player the objective to traverse the shadows. The Path of the Thief is indicated by the color green in both lighting and other visual elements; it leads through a doorway to the right of the Sigil Geode.
After the player traverses the hallways past the initial door, they will pass through a load screen.
In this new section, in front of the player will be a barrier blocking their path into the next room, similar to the one that previously blocked them from leaving the Soul Sanctum. There they'll hear an echoing voice speaking to them from a character they will later see named "Apparition".
The dialogue spoken during this segment will depend on what order the player is pursuing this spirit: first, second, or last.
After the voice finishes, the barrier will lower and allow the player to proceed.
The player can then fight their way through a series of sewer tunnels. Occasionally the player will run into various enemies and barriers blocking their path. Once the player defeats the enemies, the barriers will be lowered, allowing them to proceed.
Eventually the player will come to a waterway that drops over an edge. The player will fall a huge height and land in a pool of water. The only way forward will be to swim underneath.
When they emerge, they will find themselves in an impossible tree-lined village, yet roofed inside of a cave.
Rounding the first corner to their right, the player will find a familiar misty barrier, and to their left, the player will find a pair of staircases leading up to a platform. At the back center of the platform, they'll find a coffin standing vertical.
As the player approaches, the coffin will open and a corpse will stumble out with a dark glow effect around its skull. The corpse will stand up wielding a unique mace and begin fighting the player.
After defeating the corpse, the player will receive the objective to pick up the Gentlemen's Cudgel. Once they do, the Apparition will appear and the objective will update to speak to her.
Like the initial voice heard when entering this dungeon, the dialogue spoken during this segment will depend on what order the player is pursuing this spirit: first, second, or last.
After the player has finished speaking to the thief, they will receive the objective to use a Power Attack to trigger the mace's special ability - blinking the player forward and then back, as well as a backwards power attack to launch a pulling projectile forward. Both of these moves can activate items with green magical cracks.
For a full walkthrough, see the videos below.
Grave of a Forgotten Thief Playthrough
Grave of a Forgotten Thief Hidden Path Playthrough (Dungeon Plus Optional Puzzles)
There are multiple paths through the large open chamber available, depending on the player's perks and desired challenge. Below are two additional paths through that section.
Grave of a Forgotten Thief - Trial Room - Stash Path
Grave of a Forgotten Thief - Trial Room - Puzzle Path
The player will next need to exit the Soul Sanctum to pursue their objective southeast of Markarth in the Nordic ruins of Sorgensgrav.
If this is the first spirit the player is pursuing, the Geode Guardian will trigger a conversation as they head towards the exit of the Soul Sanctum.
The entrance to Sorgensgrav looks like a simple cave, inside the player will find a gong with glowing green cracks on it, signaling to the player they need to hit it with the Gentlemen's Cudgel.
Sorgensgrav is a new location added by Sigil of the Fallen. The entrance will be present, regardless if the player has done any of the questline, but without the Gentlemen's Cudgel, the player will not be able to proceed through the entire dungeon.
After hitting the gong with a blunt weapon, it will ring out and trigger the spears blocking another gong above the doorway across from it to lift - revealing another gong. For this one, the player will need to use the Gentlemen's Cudgel's power attack to reach it.
Hitting this will cause the door to open and allow the player to proceed further into the dungeon.
For a more thorough walkthrough, see the videos ahead.
The player will then reach a large square room with four staircases leading downward to a chest in the middle of the room. As the player approaches, if the player does not have the Gentlemen's Cudgel equipped, an objective will remind them to do so.
When the player approaches the chest with the Cudgel equipped, it will begin to glow green, a barrier will appear around the room, and the Guide Spirit will tell the player to hit the chest to release the spirit.
Doing so will trigger the Thief Spirit to appear and will force a conversation with the player.
Regardless of the conversation outcome, the player will have to fight the spirit, who will be wielding an ethereal version of the Gentlemen's Cudgel.
After the Thief Spirit is subdued, he will blink away, become invulnerable, and activate several traps around the room.
Along the walls will be a series of animal etchings and gongs. Those matching the active traps will be lit up. Using the Gentlemen's Cudgel, the player must deactivate the traps to break the Thief's shield.
The player must repeat this pattern twice more - subduing the Spirit and then disabling the traps.
After the Thief Spirit is defeated, the player's objective will update to speak to the spirit. The spirit will tell the player they may keep the mace.
Finally, the Guide Spirit will speak to the Thief Spirit and absorb it into herself. The Guide will then ask the player to return to the Geode as soon as they can.
Sorgensgrav Hidden Path Playthrough (Dungeon Plus Optional Puzzles)
Once the player approaches the Sigil Geode next, the Guide Spirit will appear and move towards it. She will bow down before it and an effect will show energy leaving her body towards the Geode.
The Guide Spirit will then explain to the player that she can take on the form of the Thief Spirit; if the player asks after that, she will offer to show them right then. From this moment on, the Guide will have a new dialogue option in her tree to become one of the Hero Spirits. Outside of specific quest moments, the player can make use of this at any time to change her form, or back to her healing Guide Spirit form.
Next, a physical representation of a skill tree will appear and the Guide Spirit will ask the player to follow her to it. She will then explain that providing Ectoplasm will empower the Sigil Geode.
The player is then free to activate the various elements of the Skill Tree - these represent abilities the Guide Spirit will gain while taking on the form of the Thief Spirit.
See the Unlocking Power section for more details on this system.
After the player has invested at least 18 ectoplasm worth of unlocks, the Guide Spirit will speak to the player and tell them that the Geode stirs. A greenish energy orb will appear near the Geode and the player's objective will update to interact with it.
Upon touching the orb, the player will be brought into a strange pocket-dimension where they will find the Thief Spirit waiting for them.
The Thief Spirit will explain that the player is inside of the Sigil Geode and that empowering it has made some of their memories return.
The player is then tasked with observing these memories with the Spirit and another green orb will appear for the player to interact with.
The player will then proceed through a series of memories; each will play out similarly.
Here the player will witness Laughs-at-Locks being hired to crack a safe.
After the scene, the player will enter a conversation with Laughs-at-Locks' spirit and can ask several questions. During the conversation, a portal to the next memory will appear; a sound cue will help the player identify where.
Here the player will witness Laughs-at-Locks discussing his collection with the Orphan from the previous memory.
After the scene, the player will enter a conversation with Laughs-at-Locks' spirit and can ask several questions. During the conversation, a portal to the next memory will appear; a sound cue will help the player identify where.
Here the player will witness the death of the Apprentice.
After the scene, the player will enter a conversation with Laughs-at-Locks' spirit and can ask several questions. During the conversation, a portal to the next memory will appear; a sound cue will help the player identify where.
During the third memory of each hero, an additional element will appear and play a sound and visual effect. These appear as the player approaches the orb to move on to the next memory. This last element changes depending on the order done. The first hero's vision will have one labeled "Shimmer", the second hero's vision version labeled "Shatter", and the final hero's vision will have one labeled "Shadow". Interacting with any of these will trigger a series of effects or a scene, including a reaction from the Guide Spirit. These are intentionally missable, and offer some foreshadowing to the ending for players who are paying attention.
Here the player will witness Laughs-at-Locks in the Soul Sanctum offering himself to the Guide Spirit in her human form.
The last memory in each sequence does not have any interactive elements.
After the memory sequences are complete, the spirit will thank the player for helping them and transfer knowledge to the player of the Gentlemen's Cudgel, increasing the amount of damage it does the further the player is from the enemy when they first activate its power attack.
The player will then be returned to the Soul Sanctum.
The Guide Spirit will tell the player that they should continue to invest Ectoplasm into the Sigil Geode to help the spirit remember further.
If the player has remaining spirits to pursue, the corresponding stone(s) will become available so the player can start a new path.
If this was the first one the player has done, the quest Something Strange will complete and the quest The Others will start.
If this was the last stone, the quest The Others will complete, and the quest Grave Encounters will begin.