If you’ve made it far enough into Skyrim’s Thieves Guild questline, you’ve almost certainly hit the fork in the road that makes you pause and ask: do i tell Brynjolf about the Nightingales? It’s not a throwaway choice, either. What you pick will shift how key characters interact with you for the rest of the questline, and even unlock or block small, unique details you might miss otherwise. I’ve run through this quest at least seven times across different playthroughs, so I’ve tested both choices inside and out to break down exactly what you can expect from each option.
What Happens If You Tell Brynjolf About the Nightingales?
If you choose to be honest and share the Nightingale secret with Brynjolf, his first reaction is surprise, not anger. He’ll admit he’s suspected Mercer Frey was hiding something from the guild for months, so your story lines up with his own observations. Brynjolf will not report you to Mercer Frey no matter what, even if you’re worried about retaliation early on. He also hands you a 500 gold bonus as a thank you for trusting him enough to share the risky secret.
The benefits don’t stop there, either. Later in the questline when you confront Mercer about his betrayal, Brynjolf is far quicker to take your side if you told him the truth earlier. He’ll even mention that you warned him about the larger scheme months prior, which makes the rest of the guild more likely to trust your side of the story right away. I was shocked the first time I told him, because I fully expected he’d run straight to Mercer to rat me out, but he actually laughed and said he’d suspected there was something bigger going on with Mercer for months. That small dialogue moment made my first playthrough feel so much more immersive, like I was actually building trust with a character instead of just checking off quest boxes.
Consequences of Hiding the Nightingale Secret From Brynjolf
If you choose to lie and say the Nightingale business is none of his concern, he won’t press you for details, but he will be visibly annoyed. He’ll make a comment about you keeping dangerous secrets that could hurt the guild, then drop the subject entirely. There is no permanent negative outcome to hiding the secret, so you don’t have to worry about him turning on you later or blocking you from quest progress. The only immediate downside is that you won’t get that 500 gold bonus, and his dialogue will be a bit colder for the next few quest steps.
When you confront Mercer later, Brynjolf will still side with you, but he’ll make a snarky comment about how you could have saved everyone a lot of trouble if you’d shared what you knew earlier. That’s the only real long-term difference. On my most recent chaotic playthrough, where my character only cared about getting rich and didn’t trust anyone, lying to Brynjolf felt way more natural. He crossed his arms and said I was keeping dangerous secrets, but he didn’t push the issue, which fit his laid-back, loyal-to-the-guild-first personality perfectly.
Key Factors to Help You Pick the Right Choice
There’s no objectively “correct” answer here, but you can narrow down what works for you by weighing a few simple factors. If you’re still torn on do i tell Brynjolf about the Nightingales, run through this list and see which option aligns most with your current playthrough goals.
- Your character's core personality: If you play a loyal, honest thief who values their guild allies, telling the truth is the natural fit. If you play a secretive, self-serving thief who doesn't trust anyone with their plans, hiding the secret makes more sense.
- Desired rewards: If you want the extra 500 gold and earlier access to Brynjolf's discounted vendor stock, telling the truth is the better pick. The bonus gold can be a huge help if you're still gearing up mid-questline, especially if you’re saving up for lockpicks or new armor.
- Roleplay goals: If you're aiming to become the guild's respected leader with strong ties to all core members, being honest with Brynjolf builds that reputation far faster. If you're just in it for the Nocturnal benefits and don't care about guild relationships, hiding the secret won't hurt your progress at all.
I always recommend going with whatever fits your character first, even if it means missing a small reward. Skyrim’s best moments come from staying true to the role you’re playing, not chasing every small piece of loot. I once skipped the 500 gold bonus just because my current character had a backstory of being betrayed by a former guild leader, so they refused to trust anyone with their secrets. It made the playthrough feel far more personal, even if I missed out on a bit of extra cash.
Common Misconceptions About This Choice
A lot of players spread false rumors about what this choice actually affects, so let's clear up the most common ones. A lot of new players worry that picking one option over the other will ruin their playthrough, but that’s never the case when it comes to the question of do i tell Brynjolf about the Nightingales. You will not get locked out of the Nightingale questline no matter which choice you pick. I've tested both options multiple times, and you'll still get invited to the Twilight Sepulcher, get the Nightingale armor, and unlock the Nocturnal blessings either way.
Hiding the secret will not make Brynjolf hostile to you later. He might be a bit grumpy for a few dialogue exchanges, but he'll still follow you through the rest of the Thieves Guild quests and support you as the new guild master. I’ve never had him refuse to work with me, even when I picked the lie option on three separate playthroughs. Telling Brynjolf the truth does not spoil the Nightingale secret for other guild members, either. He keeps the information completely to himself until the big reveal with Mercer, so you don't have to worry about word getting out early and ruining the quest.
I used to believe the rumor that hiding the secret would let you get a unique Nightingale weapon later, but that's just a made-up modded feature, not part of the base game. You get the same exact Nightingale gear and rewards no matter which choice you pick, so don’t base your decision on fake rewards you saw in a random social media clip.
At the end of the day, the answer to do i tell Brynjolf about the Nightingales depends entirely on what you want out of your playthrough. Neither choice breaks the quest, and both fit different playstyles perfectly, so you don't have to stress about picking the "wrong" option. If you're still stuck, just go with whatever your gut tells you your character would do in that moment. You'll have a far more memorable playthrough than if you just pick the choice with the slightly better reward.
