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How do I start Speaking With Silence in Skyrim?

To start Speaking With Silence in Skyrim, make your way to Snow Veil Sanctum and have a chat with Mercer who is waiting outside, and he will inform you that Karliah is held up inside Snow Veil Sanctum, so lead the way to the door, which Mercer will unlock, and head inside. This quest is a crucial part of the Thieves Guild storyline, and completing it will require you to navigate through the Snow Veil Sanctum and interact with various non-playable characters (NPCs), including Mercer and Karliah.

Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions

How do you get the door locked in Speaking With Silence?: If Mercer won’t open the puzzle-ring lock, try waiting for an hour and walk back to the gate; it should reset and he should begin to walk slowly towards the puzzle. Alternatively, use the console command SetStage TG05 50 while standing by the door.
How do I get Mercer Frey to stop attacking me?: Try sprinting into Mercer while he is near the door or use Unrelenting Force if you have it. You can also try hitting Mercer until he attacks back and then sheathe your weapons to make him stop attacking you.
How do you talk to Karliah in Skyrim?: Use the console commands prid 58F1A and then moveto player to talk to Karliah and continue the quest. Alternatively, try swimming and bumping into Karliah repeatedly to knock her into the correct path and out of the water.

Quest-Related Questions

Where is Karliah after Speaking With Silence?: After the quest ends, Karliah is talking to the player in a small camp next to Snow Veil Sanctum. Once the conversation is finished, in version 2.0.1a Karliah remains at the camp, but in version 2.0.2 Karliah walks back into the Sanctum.
How do I start the Silenced Tongues quest?: You will find Volunruud North of Whiterun, on the mountain where the snow starts. Once inside, read Heddic’s Volunruud Journal to begin the quest.
Is it possible to marry Karliah?: Yes, Karliah is marriable and can be a follower, compatible with Hearthfire but doesn’t require it.
Why won’t Karliah do the mission?: Karliah sometimes gets stuck at Winterhold Inn instead of being in the Ragged Flagon at the beginning of the quest. This may happen if you leave the cellar before Karliah does and/or complete other quests before continuing with this one.

Thieves Guild Quests

How do I start the Nightingale quest?: To start this quest, head to The Ragged Flagon and talk with Karliah. She will tell you about plans to execute Mercer since he betrayed the Thieves Guild.
What to do after Speaking With Silence?: After speaking with Karliah as she tends your wounds, she will give you Gallus’ Encoded Journal, which will serve as the reward for the quest and lead you into the next quest, titled Hard Answers.
How do I get rid of hostility in Skyrim?: To stop random NPCs attacking you, use the console command tdetect to turn off AI detection, then click on the NPC and type setav aggression 0 while detection is off.

Miscellaneous Questions

How do you force start the Whispering Door?: The quest The Whispering Door isn’t available until your character is level 20 or higher. You must also have completed Dragon Rising.
How do I fix the Trinity Restored glitch?: After Brynjolf accepts the terms of becoming a Nightingale, Karliah will ask you if you accept. Accept the terms, and Karliah will then turn and head to the gate. Immediately interrupt her and ask her any question to let Brynjolf move ahead of her and fix this bug.
What to do if Karliah walks away?: If you do nothing, she will start towards the gate but after a few steps turn around and leave, leaving the gate closed and the quest incomplete. One way to resolve this is to click Karliah again as soon as she turns and heads toward the gate.
Why can’t I start the Under New Management quest?: The quest will not begin until you complete all prerequisites, including performing small jobs in four holds of Skyrim: Haafingar, The Reach, Whiterun, and Eastmarch.
Can you marry Vex from Skyrim?: No, it’s not possible to marry Vex. However, there are other eligible characters in Skyrim that you can marry, such as Aela the Huntress, who is considered by many to be the best wife in Skyrim due to her unique character and skills.