The Ragged Flagon is a gloomy tavern tucked inside the Ratway, the tunnels under Riften. It’s the public face of the Thieves Guild, where shady types drink around a shallow pool and plan their next job. If you want guild work, a fence or a fresh set of lockpicks, this is the place – just bring coin, because the barkeep doesn’t do charity.
What you’ll find
- Guild quest-givers – Vex and Delvin Mallory hand out jobs, while Brynjolf is never far away.
- The fence – Tonilia buys stolen goods and sells thief supplies.
- The bar – Vekel the Man serves food and drink.
- Guild members – Cynric Endell, Dirge, Niruin, Rune, Thrynn, Vipir the Fleet and others, plus Sapphire once “Stabilized” is done.
- Extra merchants – every special job for Delvin brings a new trader to the niches around the pool: Herluin Lothaire (alchemy), Vanryth Gatharian (weapons and armour), Syndus (archery) and Arnskar Ember-Master (smithing).
- The secret door – a fake cabinet behind the bar opens a tunnel to the Cistern.
- Galathil, a character appearance editor (Dawnguard).
Quests
Most of the Thieves Guild questline passes through here, from Vex’s and Delvin’s side jobs to the big story missions. During “A Cornered Rat“, Keerava points you to the Flagon as the place where thieves go to drink and stab each other – charming.
Notable items
- Lockpicking skill book Advances in Lockpicking, on a barrel in the north-east room of the Cistern.
- Two notes on a table: one about a stash of arrows, and a very pointed warning from Vex to Delvin about peeking while she bathes.
Tips
Nobody here sleeps, so the shops are open around the clock – ideal for midnight fencing. None of the merchants can be invested in, but most benefit from the Master Trader perk. Even non-members can trade with Vekel and train with Delvin. Finish all the city influence quests and most loose items in the tavern stop counting as stolen. And whatever you do, don’t start a fight: every merchant and trainer will defend the guild, whoever threw the first punch.
Good to know
It’s the only underground tavern in Skyrim. After the guild questline ends, a Shrine of Nocturnal appears in the Cistern.
Details checked against community wiki articles and the Skyrim game files, summarised in our own words.