Hello all - I made an interesting discovery, thanks to Doc PGB - and have updated the recommended armor to Nightingale (a cape!).
You can skip most of the Thieves Guild quest line to get the armor (not to mention the Nightingale sword and Chillrend). In this trial, I had already backdoored the Snowviel Sanctum's word of Disarm...so when I tried to continue Karliah's quest "Hard Answers" I didn't have access to the Ragged Flagon Cistern. When I bucketed through that wall into the cistern, I was viewed as tresspassing. But - I was able to keep their dialogue going enough and escape (thanks become ethereal!) to proceed with the Nightingale portion.
Bottom line: you can skip most of the Thieves Guild quest line if you just want the Nightingale Armor. Start the Thieves Guild quest up to he part where you get the armor and access to the Cistern. Then backdoor Snowveil Sanctum, get shot/saved by Karliah and proceed with her quests as normal. It takes about 20 minutes and boom! Nightingale Armor!
Hello all - I made an interesting discovery, thanks to Doc PGB - and have updated the recommended armor to Nightingale (a cape!).
You can skip most of the Thieves Guild quest line to get the armor (not to mention the Nightingale sword and Chillrend). In this trial, I had already backdoored the Snowviel Sanctum's word of Disarm...so when I tried to continue Karliah's quest "Hard Answers" I didn't have access to the Ragged Flagon Cistern. When I bucketed through that wall into the cistern, I was viewed as tresspassing. But - I was able to keep their dialogue going enough and escape (thanks become ethereal!) to proceed with the Nightingale portion.
Bottom line: you can skip most of the Thieves Guild quest line if you just want the Nightingale Armor. Start the Thieves Guild quest up to he part where you get the armor and access to the Cistern. Then backdoor Snowveil Sanctum, get shot/saved by Karliah and proceed with her quests as normal. It takes about 20 minutes and boom! Nightingale Armor!