Skyrim:Commander Maro

Commander Maro (RefID: 0004BCC5)
Home Town	Dragon Bridge
Location	Penitus Oculatus Outpost
Race	Imperial	Gender	Male
Level	PC×1 (range=10-30)	Class	Warrior
RefID	0004BCC5	BaseID	0001D4B5
Other Information
Health	50+(PC-1)×11.7
Magicka	50
Stamina	50+(PC-1)×3.3
Primary Skills	Heavy Armor, Two-handed, Archery, Block
Class Details	CombatWarrior2H
Morality	No Crime	Aggression	Aggressive
Essential	Yes, until Hail Sithis!
Voice Type	MaleCommander
Faction(s)	Commander Maro's Crime Faction; FavorExcludedFaction; PenitusOculatusFaction

Commander Maro

Commander Maro is an Imperial warrior and the leader of the Penitus Oculatus stationed in Skyrim, responsible for the Emperor's security on his visit. His son, Gaius Maro, is also a Penitus Oculatus officer: you will be ordered to kill him in the quest Breaching Security. Commander Maro later destroys the majority of the Dark Brotherhood in retaliation for his son's death, attacking their sanctuary and killing several members in Death Incarnate. It is possible to exact revenge on him in Hail Sithis!. You can find him during this quest on the docks outside Solitude. He will express shock and fear at the fact that you survived his purging of your Sanctuary and immediately attack you to finish the job.

Commander Maro wears a set of Penitus Oculatus equipment. This includes the Penitus Oculatus armor, a pair of Penitus Oculatus bracers, and a pair of Penitus Oculatus boots. He is equipped with a steel greatsword.

Related Quests

• To Kill an Empire: Attempt to assassinate the Emperor while disguised as the Gourmet.
• Hail Sithis!: One of the biggest contracts in Brotherhood history is yours to fulfill.
• Destroy the Dark Brotherhood!: Finish the Dark Brotherhood and rid Skyrim of their kind.

Quest-Related Events

Breaching Security

Commander Maro will have a conversation with his son Gaius Maro, regarding his safety before he leaves.

Gaius Maro: "Father, you worry too much. I'll be fine."
Commander Maro: "I know you will. But all the same, remember everything I said. Stay alert, and when you get to the cities, make your observations and move on."
Gaius Maro: "I understand, But you're being paranoid. I'm inspecting security, not charging off into battle. There's not a lot that can go wrong."
Commander Maro: "Son, when the Emperor's safety is concerned, anything could go wrong. Off with you, now. And good travels."
Gaius Maro: "Farewell, father. I'll return as soon as I'm able."

If you talk to Commander Maro when this conversation has finished, he will only say: "Trust me, we have nothing to say to one another."

To Kill An Empire

During this quest, Maro will be guarding the door to the Emperor's Tower. If you engage in conversation with him, he will say:

"Stop right there. The tower is off limits until further notice."

(Show Maro the Gourmet's Writ of Passage)

"What's this now? ...order of his eminence... ...possessor of these papers... the "Gourmet"... By Azura. The Gourmet!"

If you are wearing chef's clothing, Maro will continue with:

"I... I'm sorry! Your clothes... of course... I should have realized! Please, excuse my ignorance. Gianna, the castle chef, has been eagerly awaiting your arrival. You should proceed to the kitchens straight away."

If you're wearing any other clothes, he will instead say:

"I... I'm sorry! I didn't realize! We... we had no idea who to expect, you understand. You're not dressed as I would have suspected... But please, don't let me keep you. Proceed to the kitchens straight away. Gianna, the castle chef, has been eagerly awaiting your arrival."

Either way, Maro will end with:

"Gianna will be overjoyed to meet you. She's in the kitchens."

If you try to talk to him after this point, he will only say:

"Just go right into the tower, then straight ahead to the kitchen. Gianna's expecting you."

After you leave the Emperor's Tower in Solitude you will be ambushed by Commander Maro and three Penitus Oculatus Agents. Commander Maro will be clapping as you get near the ambush. He will then tell you:

"That man was, by far, the most insufferable decoy the Emperor has ever employed. I'm glad he's dead. Ah, but I'm even happier that you killed him. You, an assassin for the Dark Brotherhood, have just made an attempt on the Emperor's life. Would have succeeded, had it been the real man. Surprised? So was I, when a member of your "Family" came to me with the plan. We worked out a deal, you see. An exchange. I get you, and the Dark Brotherhood gets to continue its existence. But you know what? I've changed my mind. How about this? I kill you, and butcher each and every one of your miserable friends? Your Sanctuary's being put to the sword right now. That's what I think of this "deal." You killed my son! All of you! And now you'll pay the price. Kill him/her. And make sure there's nothing left to bury."

Commander Maro and his three Penitus Oculatus Agents will then attack you. You can defeat his three agents, but you can only knock Commander Maro unconscious.

Hail Sithis!

If you wait near him at the Solitude docks, you may overhear a conversation between him and another Penitus Oculatus agent, as seen below:

Penitus Oculatus Agent: "And the outpost at Dragon Bridge?"

Commander Maro: "It'll be shuttered by the end of the month."

Penitus Oculatus Agent: "Very good. And you'll be returning to... Well, if you don't mind me asking, where exactly will you be going now, sir?"

Commander Maro: "Hmph. Now there's an excellent question. An excellent question, indeed. Truth is, as soon as the Emperor sets sail, I'm resigning my position."

Penitus Oculatus Agent: "Oh... I see. Well then, let me be just say that it's been an honor serving under you Commander Maro."

Commander Maro: "The honor has been mine. You should be proud of what we've accomplished here. The Dark Brotherhood is no more. And the Emperor, finally, is safe."

Penitus Oculatus Agent: "Yes sir."

Upon seeing you at the docks, he will be very angry and will greet you by saying: "By the gods... you! But it can't be. You're dead. You... Yeaaaahhhh!" He will then initiate combat. Your only option now is to kill him; the guards may assist you.

Destroy The Dark Brotherhood!

After a guard has directed you to Maro, you can inform him of Astrid's death. Commander Maro will reply by saying:

"The leader of the Dark Brotherhood? You mean Astrid? Dead? And this is no jest? Ha! This is the stroke of good fortune. Long have I watched the Dark Brotherhood's movements... waiting for the time to strike. That time is now! My agents have recently acquired the passphrase to their Sanctuary. It is, "Silence, my brother." Every assassin in that hole must be put down! You, my friend. You've slain their leader. This honor should be yours. Do this, and you will be rewarded most handsomely!"

If you talk to him before all of the Dark Brotherhood lies dead, he will say:

"We have a chance to destroy the Dark Brotherhood, forever. It's all up to you."

When you have defeated all of the Dark Brotherhood members, you can report back to him and he will be overjoyed:

"By all I hold holy... Can it be true? Have you actually done it? This is a great day, my friend. You have struck a blow against darkness that will not soon be forgotten! Here, as promised - a most generous reward."

You will then get 3,000 gold as a reward for destroying the Dark Brotherhood. Afterwards, he will only have one greeting:

"I'll make sure the Emperor himself hears of all you've accomplished. You've made Skyrim a better place."

Notes

• It is possible to provoke Maro so that he attacks you, but even though he is a high-ranking military official, none of the local guards will help him.
• If not killed during Hail Sithis!, he will stand by the Solitude docks for the remainder of the game.
• During To Kill An Empire, Maro uses the expression "By Azura". This is odd, as the expression is usually associated with Dunmer, and indeed, Maro is the only non-Dunmer in the entire game to use it.