Breaching Security

Breaching Security
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Quest Giver	Astrid
Location	Various
Prerequisite	Bound Until Death
Next Quest	The Cure For Madness
Faction	Dark Brotherhood
Reward	1,250 Olava's Token
Quest ID	DB06

Continuing the Dark Brotherhood quest line, this is the next in a series of quests that ultimately will lead to the assassination of the Emperor.

Walkthrough

The first step of the quest is 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 won't be expecting another one. She 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 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 Gaius 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. 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.

• 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 until he begins walking to steal his schedule. He moves slower than the Dragonborn, so care is needed to avoid getting too close and spooking him if 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 Gaius Maro

Riften

After fast traveling to Riften, the alleyway to the left provides an opportunity (the lock on the gate may need to be picked). As Maro leaves (around 1AM), shooting him with an arrow will avoid detection and any bounty. If the archery skill is at a low level, 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 around 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 bounty.

Palace of the Kings (or other Barracks)

Gaius Maro will sleep in the barracks with the guards in Windhelm. This can be one of the hardest places to get him without being detected. Around 10 PM, 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 continually shot without being discovered. Warning: The guards in the beds will sometimes get up and look as well, but will not see the Dragonborn in the shadows. After Maro is dead, once the guards settle down it is possible to creep over to his body and plant the Incriminating Letter. Sneaking back to the corner, then jumping over the beds with the guards in them until the doorway is reached, allows the Dragonborn to sneak out to freedom.

The Bannered Mare

In Whiterun, it is extremely easy to sneak into his bedroom in The Bannered Mare, as it seems to be the only time he isn't 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 Gaius Maro might fall behind in his itinerary schedule & therefore only makes 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 (10-11 PM) and heads straight to the hearth in the middle of the inn for a drink whilst enjoying the bard's performances.

With 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's the same room rented one from Hulda). Since this balcony is full of shadowy spots it is possible to hide in one of those and wait for Maro to charge upstairs looking for his assailant. Once he's touched the shadowy tendrils of poison emitted by the Ebony Mail, it's 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 won't notice him being slaughtered, even though they see the Dragonborn plainly. Citizens, however, will scold and sometimes turn hostile when they see Maro killed.

Approaching him directly

Another alternative method is for the Dragonborn to approach Gaius Maro and use the option of telling him how 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's best to confront him in view of a guard - so that it is seen that Gaius attacks first. However, if a guard wanders into view of the fight as it's 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 Gaius Maro in Riften, if he is provoked, fellow Thieves Guild members (and even Maven Black-Briar) will come to the Dragonborn's defense. They will finish him off. More generally, if Gaius is attacked in a town or city where friends are present, they will help to kill him.

Alternatively, if he is killed anywhere in a city where the Dragonborn is Thane, the Dragonborn's position as Thane can be used to remove the bounty.

During a Dragon Attack

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.

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 attack him. However, they will not kill him, but lower his health down to the point as to when he falls to one knee; he can then be killed with an extra swing or two.

Pickpocket

With 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 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.

Beast Form

While in Whiterun, after planting the incriminating letter on Gaius, he can be murdered using Beast Form. Afterwards, escaping to The Companions' Underforge, it is possible to wait until returning to normal appearance.

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, Gaius will go to the guard tower in Markarth. Once he's 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. After following him down, Gaius will attack once he's 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.

Conclusion

Upon returning to the Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary, Gabriella approaches, initiating dialog 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.

Gauis 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 - To be spent at your discretion
• Repeat (until I have recalled you personally)

The guards and Jarls of the cities have been informed of your arrival, and will leave you to your work. Study the guard patterns, examine any entrances and exits, and make note of any irregularities.

Talk to no one - the fewer people who know about your mission, the safer the Emperor will ultimately be.

Journal

Journal Entry
Astrid informed me that I should speak to Gabriella about my next contract, which has something to do with the Emperor's security. Objective: Speak with Gabriella
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. Objective: Kill Gaius Maro Objective: (Optional) Steal Gaius Maro's travel schedule Objective: Plant the Incriminating Letter on Gaius Maro's body Objective: Report back to Gabriella
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. Quest complete

Trivia

• Oddly enough, Gaius' father Commander Maro informed Windhelm (the Stormcloak Headquarters) of his son's arrival.

Bugs

Click to show

PC   360   PS3   Gaius Maro and his companion might attack instantly when the Dragonborn enters Dragon Bridge. This means that he can't be followed to a city, and thus the bonus is lost. Currently there is no patch. Reloading an earlier save prior to starting the quest has been known to work. With a high sneak skill and/or muffle boots, it is possible to sneak near where he is, usually at the front door of the Oculus outpost, talking to his father. No one must see the Dragonborn, which is not too hard since the town is not very populated.  360    PS3   If the Dragonborn fast travels to Dragon Bridge, a dragon may appear upon arrival which disrupts Gaius Maro's conversation with his father and wife that is intended to be overheard. After the dragon is killed, rather than finish his conversation, Gaius may wander (and swim) aimlessly for days, never arriving at a major city, which prevents the quest bonus from being obtained. If this problem occurs, waiting for around 2 hours or more should allow him to get back on track. Alternatively, loading a previously saved game, resting or performing other quests for a day or two, then timing the Dragonborn's arrival at Dragon Bridge for night, will prevent the dragon from spawning and the quest can be completed with the bonus.  PC   360   PS3   The Incriminating Letter might not be received at all. No known fix so far. Sometimes doing other quests helps, and the Incriminating Letter appears in inventory.  PC   The dialogue option to turn in this quest occasionally doesn't show up. Instead, Gabriella says "Gaius Maro still lives. I assumed you were more competent." Solution: Gaius Maro can be spawned outside the Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary using "player.placeatme 44050 1". Then he can be killed. Talking to Gabriella again finishes the quest. Possible Bug: If the Stormcloak quest line is completed before performing this quest, Stormcloak guards in Dragon Bridge will attack the Maro's and stay hostile after killing them, thus making it impossible to continue the quest. This appears to have been fixed on version 1.3.10.  PS3   If Gaius Maro is killed on the streets of Whiterun as he's leaving the Bannered Mare, even while invisible and undetected (no bounty), the next guards seen will attack and offer no dialogue options.  PS3   If fast traveling is done to Whiterun, while waiting at the Bannered Mare until about midnight, Gaius will not show. He may instead be taking a swim in the Dragonreach moat under the bridge entrance. To solve this, he will swin out if the Dragonborn goes near him. There is a rare bug where, if Gaius is followed from Dragon's Bridge, he will stop in the middle of the road just past Solitude. The walking animation will still continue, but he will not move. Killing him will result in no bounty, AND no bonus to be given.