Nightingale Boots
| Nightingale Boots | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Armor Rating | 10 |
| Weight | 2 |
| Value | 5434 |
| Slot | Feet |
| Set | Nightingale |
| Level | 1-18; 19-31; 32+ |
| Class | Boots |
| Skill | Light Armor |
| Unique | Yes |
| Item ID | 000fcc0c, 0005db85, 000fcc0d |
| Game/DLC | Skyrim |
The Nightingale Boots are unique light armor boots from the Nightingale set of the Thieves Guild. They have a base armor rating of 10, weigh 2 and muffle the wearer's steps. Karliah's ritual in Nightingale Hall, near Riften, hands them over from the Armor Stone during Trinity Restored in the Thieves Guild questline.
Armor Enchantment
The wearer is muffled and moves silently. The strength of the muffle grows with the level when Trinity Restored begins.
The Enchantment Effects page lists every armor enchantment.
Nightingale Boots Map Location and Quest Guide
Nightingale Boots map location:
The Nightingale Boots are taken from the Armor Stone inside Nightingale Hall, near Riften. They are the reward for Trinity Restored in the Thieves Guild questline.
- Speak with Brynjolf and Karliah in the Ragged Flagon - Cistern.
- Meet Karliah at the standing stone just outside Riften.
- Enter Nightingale Hall with Karliah and Brynjolf.
- Activate the Armor Stone to take the Nightingale set.
- Equip the armor and follow Karliah's instructions.
Map credit by Map Genie.
The enchantment is set by the character level when Trinity Restored begins.
How It Plays
The Nightingale Boots carry the most useful enchantment a thief can wear on the feet: Muffle. The wearer moves silently. Armor makes noise as a character walks, and that noise can give away a sneaking thief. With the boots on, that noise disappears.
Sneaking is a game of light and sound. Shadows hide the body, and slow steps keep the noise down. Muffle removes the sound side of the problem. A thief can then move faster while sneaking and still stay unheard.
The boots stay useful from the moment they are taken until the end of the game. The muffle effect never grows weaker, and stealth matters in every dungeon. A thief who wears them saves the cost of the Muffle spell and the Magicka it needs.
The boots are light armor and weigh little. Their own armor rating is small. Their place in the full Nightingale set adds to the light armor set bonuses.
Perks and Builds
The Sneak Skill tree has a perk named Muffled Movement. It reduces the noise of worn armor by half. The boots already silence the wearer, so a thief who wears them can spend that perk point elsewhere. Light Foot stops pressure plates from firing, and Silent Roll lets a sneaking character roll forward while sprinting.
Deadly Aim, Backstab and Assassin's Blade multiply the damage of hidden attacks. Those perks reward a thief who gets close unseen. The boots make getting close easier, because footsteps are silent.
The Light Armor Skill tree covers the armor. Custom Fit adds a bonus when the head, chest, hands and feet are all light armor. Matching Set adds a further bonus for a full set of one kind. The Nightingale set fills all four slots.
Compared with Other Boots
Several unique boots carry the same Muffle effect. The Shrouded Boots and the Ancient Shrouded Boots of the Dark Brotherhood are the best known. Predator's Grace is a unique pair found in the wild. Cicero's Boots and the Jester's Boots also muffle the wearer.
The effect is the same on each pair. The choice comes down to armor rating, weight and the look of the set. A Nightingale thief keeps these boots to match the rest of the outfit. A Dark Brotherhood assassin keeps the Shrouded pair for the same reason.
The Thieves Guild Boots and the Guild Master's Boots improve pickpocketing instead. A thief who lifts purses often may wear those. A thief who sneaks through dungeons prefers silent steps.
Quest Background
The boots come from the Armor Stone in Nightingale Hall during Trinity Restored. The hall lies behind a standing stone just outside Riften. Karliah, Brynjolf and the Dragonborn swear the Nightingale oath there to Nocturnal.
The questline ends with Darkness Returns. Karliah sends the new Nightingale to the Twilight Sepulcher to return the Skeleton Key. The ghost of Gallus waits at the entrance. He is fading, and only the return of the key can save him.
The Pilgrim's Path runs through the Sepulcher. It holds five tests on the way down. Traps, shadows and corrupted Nightingale Sentinels guard the way. Silent boots help in this place more than almost anywhere else in Skyrim.
At the end of the path lies the Ebonmere. The Skeleton Key reopens it, and Nocturnal speaks from within. Gallus then passes on to the Evergloam, where the spirits of the Nightingales join the shadows. Nightingale Hall becomes the order's home, with a portal to the Sepulcher.
Lore
Nocturnal is the Daedric Prince of night and darkness and the patron of thieves. The Nightingales serve her in life and guard her shrine after death. Karliah says the Nightingale dead are believed to guide the luck of the living. That is why the Ebonmere had to be reopened.
The old trinity was Gallus, Mercer Frey and Karliah. Mercer murdered Gallus and stole the key, and Karliah was blamed for the crime. The new trinity, made of Karliah, Brynjolf and the Dragonborn, wears the same dark armor as the old one.
Gameplay Tips
- Start Trinity Restored at level 32 or higher. The character level at the start of the quest, not when the set is taken, decides which version is granted.
- Temper them at a workbench with one Void Salts. The Arcane Blacksmith perk is needed.
Smithing Guide
Enchanted weapons require the Arcane Blacksmith Perk to upgrade.
Upgrades
Nightingale Boots are improved at a workbench with one Void Salts per improvement. An enchanted copy can only be improved with the Arcane Blacksmith perk.
| Quality | Smithing | Armor |
|---|---|---|
| Fine | 14 | +1 |
| Superior | 31 | +3 |
| Exquisite | 65 | +5 |
| Flawless | 100 | +7 |
| Epic | 134 | +8 to +9 |
| Legendary | 168 | +10 |
Armor Set
Nightingale Boots belong to the Nightingale set. The table shows every piece of the set.
| Name | Image | Slot | Armor | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nightingale Armor | 
|
Body | 34 | 12 |
| Nightingale Boots | 
|
Feet | 10 | 2 |
| Nightingale Gloves | 
|
Hands | 10 | 2 |
| Nightingale Hood | 
|
Head | 15 | 2 |
Armor Categories
All Boots
Light Armor
All light armor boots are listed below with their armor rating, weight, set and upgrade material.
Heavy Armor
All heavy armor boots are listed below with their armor rating, weight, set and upgrade material.
