So over the past in-game week, I've had five different assassination attempts on my life. I haven't murdered anybody innocent or stolen anything; just killed bandits and the like. I'm not too far in the main quest either, and haven't joined any guilds apart from the Companions. Is it just random chance that I'm getting so many of these guys after me?

Edit: I think most, if not all of the attempts have happened while traveling to Ivarstead from Whiterun, if that changes anything.

It's a long held tradition: If your the Protagonist, someone wants you dead for some reason.

See Baldur's gate, Arcanum, Neverwinter Nights, Dragon Age, Final Fantasy, Chrono Trigger.


They are the DB anyway, and the desperate "We No Longer Give A F***" Variation of the DB. They could be trying to kill you for any number of reasons. Maybe it's the family of a bandit. Maybe it's someone from Helgen.


Also, it's a random spawn, which is usually rather fun to fight.

If they are assassins, then they should have a note on them with their orders, explaining who sent them and vaguely why they want you dead. Just playing through I think you will pick up people who want to kill you. I was surprised this morning by a Thalmor hit squad outside a bandit hideout. Up until then on that play through, I haven't even seen any Thalmor before this. (okay, one dead guy. but he was like that when I got there, I swear!)

I'm not very far in the main quest either. No spoilers, but I had just got back from Kynesgrove and I wanted to clean up my quest log a big before continuing on the main quest.

I find it funny that DB will send assassins at you through most of the game and then you can join them just fine.

Thalmor also occassionally will send a squad after you... but I don't mind that. More elven ears for my necklace.

Nah, there doesn't seem to be any apparent clue on who it is. All of my notes say the same generic thing:


It's a nice touch, but like I said, it seems to happen so much that I thought it might be a glitch. It's been almost once every in-game day lately.

EDIT: I just looked through some of my stuff and was reminded that I got a "Letter from a friend" talking about how I caused a stir in Ivarstead by using a shout. Maybe that explains why I've been attacked so much on my way there?

The Black Sacrament is a ritual performed by one who wishes to contact the Dark Brotherhood. The guys trying to kill you are other NPCs that are involved with the Dark Brotherhood. If you do main quests, or protagonist quests, they usually will keep sending one their members, or potential members, to kill you.

Law of averages, I guess. Out of all the possible random encounters, most people will get a healthy mix at all times. There will be a minority of players like you who get a chain of the same event at times.

It's completely random - it has nothing to do with your activites or progress along any questline. You could've gotten wolves yet again, but instead, an assassin.

"I've killed a dozen of your (airquotes) "assassins". Were you just trying to get my attention or are you just that incompetent?", would be what my character said In the end she decided to stick around and show them how it's done

I took care of two so far. Argonian assasins don't stand up too well against an Ice Storm spell.