Nightingale Gloves
| Nightingale Gloves | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Armor Rating | 10 |
| Weight | 2 |
| Value | 1294 |
| Slot | Hands |
| Set | Nightingale |
| Level | 1-18; 19-31; 32+ |
| Class | Gauntlets |
| Skill | Light Armor |
| Unique | Yes |
| Item ID | 0005db87, 000fcc10, 000fcc11 |
| Game/DLC | Skyrim |
The Nightingale Gloves are unique light armor gauntlets from the Nightingale set of the Thieves Guild. They have a base armor rating of 10 and weigh 2. They make lockpicking easier and one-handed attacks stronger. 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
Lockpicking is easier and one-handed attacks do more damage, by the same amount for both. The strength depends on the level when Trinity Restored begins. It is 15% at levels 1 to 18, 20% at levels 19 to 31 and 25% from level 32.
The Enchantment Effects page lists every armor enchantment.
Nightingale Gloves Map Location and Quest Guide
Nightingale Gloves map location:
The Nightingale Gloves 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 Gloves are the thief's tools of the set. Their enchantment makes locks easier to pick. A lock with a wider sweet spot breaks fewer picks and opens faster. For a thief who opens every chest and door, the gloves save time, lockpicks and frustration.
The bonus helps most with expert and master locks. Those locks have a tiny sweet spot and break picks quickly. With the gloves, a thief can try them earlier in the game, before the Lockpicking perks catch up. Many of the best chests in Skyrim sit behind such locks.
The gloves are light armor and weigh almost nothing. They give modest protection on their own. Their real place is in the full Nightingale set, where they fill the hands slot for the light armor set bonuses.
The gloves are a utility piece, not a combat piece. A thief can wear them for lockpicking and swap to gloves with a combat enchantment when a fight starts. The swap takes a moment in the inventory and keeps both benefits at hand.
Perks and Builds
The Lockpicking Skill tree builds on the gloves. Novice Locks, Apprentice Locks, Adept Locks, Expert Locks and Master Locks each make one level of lock easier. Quick Hands lets a thief pick a lock without being noticed. Wax Key copies the key of a lock once it is picked. Unbreakable makes lockpicks impossible to break.
The Pickpocket Skill tree is the sister of Lockpicking. A full thief build takes both trees. The Thieves Guild Gloves and the Guild Master's Gloves also improve lockpicking, so a thief can choose the look that fits.
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 for both perks.
Compared with Other Gloves
The Thieves Guild Gloves improve lockpicking too, and the improved version comes after a few city jobs. The Guild Master's Gloves come with leadership of the guild and improve lockpicking more. The best version of the Nightingale Gloves matches the improved Thieves Guild Gloves.
Tumblerbane Gloves are another unique pair with a lockpicking enchantment. A thief may own several such pairs and keep the one that matches the outfit.
For combat, gloves with Fortify One-Handed or Fortify Archery serve better. The Shrouded Gloves of the Dark Brotherhood double sneak attack damage with one-handed weapons. A thief who kills from the shadows may prefer them, while a thief who steals prefers the Nightingale Gloves.
Quest Background
The gloves come from the Armor Stone in Nightingale Hall during Trinity Restored. After the oath to Nocturnal, Brynjolf and Karliah choose the Dragonborn to replace Mercer Frey once he is dealt with. They meet next at Irkngthand, a vast Dwarven ruin.
Blindsighted follows Mercer through Irkngthand. The ruin is full of Falmer, Dwarven spheres and traps. Karliah and Brynjolf join the hunt in the Grand Cavern. Mercer leaves a mocking message along the way: "One step ahead".
In the sanctuary at the bottom, Mercer pries the Eyes of the Falmer from a great statue. He collapses the ledge and fights. During the fight he turns Brynjolf against Karliah with the power of a Nightingale, keeping both out of the battle.
When Mercer dies, a wave of magic bursts from his body. The chamber begins to collapse and fill with water. Take the Skeleton Key and the Eyes from his body and wait for the water to rise. A hole opens in the roof above the statue's head, and a short passage leads out to Bronze Water Cave.
Lore
The Skeleton Key of Nocturnal is the treasure behind the whole story. It opens any lock, and it unlocks hidden potential as well. Mercer stole it from the Twilight Sepulcher. Its loss drained the luck of the guild for years.
The Nightingales are three agents of Nocturnal who guard her shrine. Mercer was one of them until he murdered Gallus and betrayed the order. The gloves that Karliah hands over belong to a trinity that has to be rebuilt from scratch.
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 Gloves 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 Gloves 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 Gauntlets
Light Armor
All light armor gauntlets are listed below with their armor rating, weight, set and upgrade material.
Heavy Armor
All heavy armor gauntlets are listed below with their armor rating, weight, set and upgrade material.
