- "With the Emperor's arrival in Skyrim now a certainty, his security service, the Penitus Oculatus, will need to begin its preparations immediately. Security is being handled by a Commander Maro. Astrid and I have devised a plan to break the man, and in doing so, cripple the Emperor's protection."
- ―Gabriella[src]
Breaching Security is a quest available in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim in which the Dragonborn must assassinate the son of the commanding officer of the Penitus Oculatus in Skyrim, Gaius Maro, as a means of weakening the morale and effectiveness of the Emperor's security during his visit, so as to allow for his assassination.
Background[]
I must kill Gaius Maro, an agent of the Emperor's security force. Once he's dead, I must plant a letter on his body that will incriminate him in a plot to kill the Emperor. If I wish to earn a bonus, I must not kill him in Dragon Bridge, or on the road, but in one of the cities he visits.
Objectives[]
- Speak with Gabriella
- Steal Gaius Maro's travel schedule (optional)
- Kill Gaius Maro
- Plant the Incriminating Letter on Gaius Maro's body
- Report back to Gabriella
Walkthrough[]
The first step of the quest is for the Dragonborn to speak to Gabriella in the Sanctuary. She says that Commander Maro will be in charge of the Emperor's security when he comes to Skyrim, and that the Dark Brotherhood wants Maro distracted during the Emperor's visit. The way to achieve this is to kill Commander Maro's son, Gaius Maro, and plant false evidence on his body of a plot to assassinate the Emperor. Not only will this cause Commander Maro to be distracted, it will also give the Emperor a false sense of security: since he will believe that an assassination plot has already been foiled, he will not be expecting another one. Gabriella also says that if the deed is done in a major city, Astrid has authorized her to give the Dragonborn a token to give to Olava the Feeble, a friend to the Dark Brotherhood that will enable her to tell the Dragonborn's future. An Incriminating Letter will be added to the inventory.
If she is asked about his schedule, she will say that there is a written copy in the Penitus Oculatus Outpost in Dragon Bridge that can be stolen.
Dragon Bridge[]
The Dragonborn must go to Dragon Bridge for Maro to start his travels, but killing him there will prevent the bonus from being received. He can be observed in front of the Penitus Oculatus Outpost, saying goodbye to his father, and his wife from the Four Shields Tavern. After he leaves, the Dragonborn can steal Gaius Maro's Schedule by sneaking inside the outpost and waiting for the guard inside to move away from the table with the schedule.
- Note: Gaius Maro will not leave Dragon Bridge until after he is heard talking to his father and wife. He will only appear in another town if the Dragonborn waits to steal his schedule, after he begins walking. He moves slower than the Dragonborn, so care is needed to avoid getting too close and alerting him that he is being followed. It is much easier to fast travel to one of his destinations and lay in wait.
Places and methods for killing Maro[]
As Maro is inspecting Skyrim to assess the security of the Emperor during his visit, he will be in several of the capital cities of Skyrim as well as the roads in between. Certain locations may prove to be easier to kill him, while others have heightened security and will therefore be more challenging. There are various methods of assassination that can be employed at various points in his journey.
Solitude[]
Should it be Morndas as per Gaius' schedule stolen from the Penitus Oculatus Outpost, he will be in Solitude overlooking Castle Dour's courtyard and the Emperor's Tower during the day. By evening, he will retire to the barracks below where General Tullius and Legate Rikke are normally found. This is a good spot to attempt to stealth kill him as he normally sits at the table just around the corner from the stairs. The Hold Guards will be asleep, and therefore, unaware of any attempt on Gaius, unless it is around 8:00 AM or 8:00 PM. Both these times are when the changing of the guard normally occurs, and the area will be full of Hold Guards retiring for some sleep while their relief gets up to head out on patrol. It is especially risky if Captain Aldis is himself coming in for the night, which could cause him to see the murder and trigger a bounty. This is especially so if sitting with Gaius when he is killed. A bow or crossbow, if Dawnguard is installed, may be the best option here by hiding in the shadows near the barrels in the kitchen area.
A good opening is when Aldis stands up to walk to the far end of the beds. With his back turned, an opening is made to stealth kill Gaius. Even if Aldis or the Hold Guards hear it, with a sufficiently high Sneak skill, the Dragonborn should remain undetected. However, if Gaius is spoken to and made hostile, the Hold Guards will awaken and come to the Dragonborn's aid, as they will see Gaius as the criminal due to attacking the Dragonborn first. In this case, the Dragonborn will need to deliver the final blow before Gaius becomes non-hostile again, risking a bounty should he remain alive and regain his health.
Riften[]
If Gaius is inspecting this particular city on Middas, the alleyway to the left provides an opportunity (the lock on the gate may need to be picked). As Maro leaves (around 1:00 A.M.), shooting him with an arrow will avoid detection and any bounty. If the archery skill is at a low level or the player does not have the necessary perks (especially the sneak perk allowing 3x damage with stealth attacks, he may not die with one sneak attack, so there may be a fight. Another option is to wait in the corner of Riften Castle's courtyard, behind the small grouping of trees, and wait for him to exit (he exits that side every time at approximately 11:30 A.M., although the actual times may vary). He will be alone and far enough away from any guards to allow him to be killed without any worry about a bounty.
Palace of the Kings (or other guard barracks)[]
Gaius Maro will sleep in the barracks with the guards in Windhelm while there for his rounds on Tirdas, despite it being the rebel capital for Ulfric and his Stormcloaks. This can be one of the hardest places to get him without being detected. Around 10:00 P.M., in the corner by the sleeping guard, he can be shot with a bow (preferably after having coated the arrows with poison). Each time he is shot, he will get up and look around the room. He can be shot multiple times without being discovered. The guards in the beds will sometimes get up and look as well, but as is the case with the Solitude barracks, possessing a sufficiently high Sneak skill causes them to ignore the Dragonborn. After Maro is dead, it is possible to creep over to his body and plant the Incriminating Letter when the guards return to their routine. Sneaking back to the corner, then jumping over the beds with the guards in them until the doorway is reached, allows the Dragonborn to slip out to freedom. Naturally, should Gaius be made hostile by speaking to him, the Hold Guards will awaken and support the Dragonborn since Maro made himself a criminal in their eyes by attacking the Dragonborn first.
The Bannered Mare[]
In Whiterun when he is there on Turdas, it is extremely easy to sneak into his bedroom in The Bannered Mare, as it seems to be the only time he is not bunking in a castle or in barracks. He can be killed in his sleep with the door shut, and then the letter planted. This does not result in a bounty.
However, there is a high chance that Maro might fall behind on his itinerary schedule and therefore only make a brief stop at The Bannered Mare, for some drinks, before continuing on to Markarth. In this case he normally arrives alone on Turdas evening (10:00–11:00 P.M.) and heads straight to the hearth in the middle of the inn for a drink, whilst enjoying the bard's performances.
Employing a high level of Sneak and the Ebony Mail, while sneaking he can be shot using a ranged weapon from the balcony of the room overlooking the hearth (it is the same room rented from Hulda). The player can also use offensive spells such as Frost to drain his stamina, and then Flames. Since this balcony is full of shadowy spots it is possible to hide in one of those and wait for Gaius to charge upstairs looking for his assailant. Once he has touched the shadowy tendrils of poison emitted by the Ebony Mail, it is just a matter of waiting for him to fall lifeless. Then the Incriminating Letter can be planted and the scene left with no alarm raised.
Obviously, this technique can also be used in other dark locations as well. A word of caution though: killing him in public usually leads to collateral damage, so there will be some bodies on the way out of the inn.
Sometimes, he can be killed in full view of guards and citizens. The guards will do their normal "What was that?" routine, but will not see him actually being slaughtered, even though the Dragonborn is plainly in their vision range. Citizens, however, will scold and sometimes turn hostile when they see Gaius Maro killed.
Direct provocation[]
Another alternative method is, where the Dragonborn can approach Maro and use the option of telling him that he will be killed, and then the Emperor. After this, Gaius will begin to attack. Letting him strike the first blow, then fighting back and killing him will not cause a bounty. This method can be used in any major city in order to receive the bonus. If using this method, it is best to confront him in view of a guard – so that it is seen that Gaius attacks first, and the Hold Guards come to the Dragonborn's defense. However, if a guard wanders into view of the fight as it is proceeding and the first blow he sees is struck by the Dragonborn, a bounty will be earned.
If the Dragonborn is a member of the Thieves Guild and happens to encounter Maro in Riften, he can be provoked, and fellow Thieves Guild members (and even Maven Black-Briar herself) will come to the Dragonborn's defense. They will finish him off. Similarly, should the Dovahkiin be a Companion and Maro is seen in Whiterun, he can also be talked into attacking, thus the warriors will slay him. More generally, if Maro is attacked in a town or city where friends are present, they will help to kill him. If he happens to enter the Dragonborn's house or homesteadHF, the housecarls and stewards (depending on whether or not stewards have been appointed) can also be immensely valuable, since they will fight him off too. The same will apply to essential followers.
It may also be possible to have him killed in the midst of a random Vampire attack, which can occur in most holds but has a higher chance of happening in Riften or Whiterun, or he can also be a collateral target if there is a thief in Riften. Both the vampire and thief would trigger an attack from guards.
Dragonsreach[]
An easy way to kill Gaius without good combat skills is when he is in Dragonsreach, in Whiterun. He can be approached and provoked. Once he attacks, the entire court of Whiterun will retaliate against him. However, they will not kill him, but lower his health down to the point as to when he falls to one knee. This allows the player to slaughter him with an extra blow or two.
Pickpocket[]
With a high enough Pickpocket skill, it is possible to plant the Incriminating Letter on Gaius before killing him. This allows him to be killed at range and in the open, and the quest completed without physically approaching his body. With the pickpocket perk Poisoned, poison can also be placed in his pocket along with the note. The Lotus Extract poison from the mission "Mourning Never Comes" is ideal for this.
Immediate hostility[]
Gaius can be attacked while outside a major city but not killed, by running away and losing him. Once he has entered a major hold, he will attack the Dragonborn on sight. Since he attacked first, he can be killed with impunity. The guards will either help the Dragonborn or not do anything.
Markarth[]
At some point while in town on Fredas, Gaius will go to the guard tower in Markarth. Once he is back out of the tower, Unrelenting Force (preferably all three words) will launch him off of the high point that the guard tower is on. The player can augment this with Force Without Effort and/or Dragonborn Force to enhance its effects. After following him down, Gaius will attack once he is back on his feet, causing the guards to see this as a crime and attack him until he yields. He can then be simply finished off, and the Incriminating Letter planted.
Schedule changes[]
Whenever Gaius sees the Dragonborn he begins taking an alternate route. This can make the quest quite hard as he will turn away from a city if he sees the Dragonborn anywhere near it. If this happens, waiting in a tavern in a city on his route will allow him to eventually resume his normal journey.
After assassinating Maro[]
Upon returning to the Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary, Gabriella will approach, initiating dialogue and congratulating the Dragonborn on completing the mission. She then gives all due rewards. This completes "Breaching Security" and automatically starts "The Cure for Madness," in which something has gone wrong in the Sanctuary. Also, if the bonus (Olava's Token) was earned, the miscellaneous quest "Receive a reading from Olava the Feeble" is started.
Maro's schedule[]
- Morndas – Solitude, the Emperor's Tower
- Morndas Evening – Solitude, Castle Dour (food and sleep)
- Tirdas – Windhelm, the Palace of the Kings
- Tirdas Evening – Windhelm Barracks (food and sleep)
- Middas – Riften, Mistveil Keep
- Turdas – Whiterun, Dragonsreach
- Turdas Evening – Whiterun, The Bannered Mare (food and sleep)
- Fredas – Markarth, Understone Keep
- Fredas Evening – Markarth, guard tower (food and sleep)
- Loredas & Sundas – Unknown (at Maro's personal discretion)
- Repeat
Journal[]
| Breaching Security – DB06 | |
|---|---|
| ID | Journal Entry |
| 5 | Astrid informed me that I should speak to Gabriella about my next contract, which has something to do with the Emperor's security.
|
| 10 | I must kill Gaius Maro, an agent of the Emperor's security force. Once he's dead, I must plant a letter on his body that will incriminate him in a plot to kill the Emperor. If I wish to earn a bonus, I must not kill him in Dragon Bridge, or on the road, but in one of the cities he visits.
|
| 20 |
|
| 200 | I have killed Gaius Maro, and planted the Incriminating Letter on his body. This will surely disrupt the security plan for the Emperor's visit, ruin Commander Maro emotionally, and make the Emperor believe that the only plot to kill him has been foiled.
|
Trivia[]
- The bonus can also be received just outside a city. If a dragon attacks just outside a city, he can be killed while the guards are fighting the dragon, resulting in no bounty. The bonus will still be counted.
- Gaius can be murdered using Beast Form or if the player is a Vampire Lord, and the bonus still counted, as long as the Dragonborn reverts to their normal appearance in a place where they cannot be seen.
- It is possible to plant the Incriminating Letter on Gaius first, even as early as him leaving Dragon Bridge.
- Oddly, Commander Maro informed Windhelm (the Stormcloak Headquarters) of his son's arrival, when the Letter to be placed on Gaius is about him plotting with the Stormcloaks.
- This quest is an easy way to level Sneak, especially with the Thief Stone active, as remaining hidden while following behind him on his route will continually raise Sneak.
Bugs[]
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This section contains bugs related to Breaching Security. Before adding a bug to this list, consider the following:
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Appearances[]
| Dark Brotherhood | |
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| Main Quests | |
| Contracts | |
| Others | |