Missable Skyrim Quest Makes Dark Brotherhood's Cicero So Much Worse
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim's "Delayed Burial" implies Cicero as a darker character than first thought, but can be entirely missed as a quest.
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim is full of weird and wonderful characters that the Dragonborn can meet and interact with throughout the game world, and the Dark Brotherhood's Cicero is one of the more interesting quest-givers. Despite this, his most interesting feature in terms of character development can be entirely missed. Along with the likes of Astrid, Nazir and Festus Krex, Cicero is part of the handful of Dark Brotherhood members in the sanctuary near Falkreath, with his main role being the keeper of Skyrim's Night Mother, leader of the Dark Brotherhood. With a closer look, however, Cicero harbors a darker side to him that goes far beyond what one would expect when first meeting the cheery, eccentric jester.
Should the Dragonborn meet Cicero on the roads of Skyrim before starting the Dark Brotherhood questline, the true nature of the jester is revealed. North of Whiterun, the player can encounter Cicero with a cart nearby Lorieus Farm. If spoken to, he will ask the Dragonborn to aid him in transporting his mother's coffin (actually the Night Mother) and help with fixing the broken wheel. This will activate the quest "Delayed Burial", and from this point, a choice will have to be made by the player to either persuade the patron of Lorieus Farm to help, or to report the suspicious Cicero to the lone guard patrolling the area. Should the player choose the latter and have Cicero arrested, Vantus Lorieus will pay a small reward and thank them for clearing the area of the strange jester. However, after some time, a gruesome event will transpire on the farm.
If the Dragonborn chooses to return to Lorieus Farm days following Cicero's arrest, they will notice that Vantus, as well as his whole family, have been murdered. It is not directly stated that Cicero was responsible for these murders, but given his history and affiliations, it can be inferred that it was either his or the Dark Brotherhood's doing. Should the Dragonborn prove their loyalty to Skyrim's Dark Brotherhood following "Delayed Burial", it can lead to some interesting interactions. If Cicero was arrested, he will express anger at the player upon meeting, but this will not result in any long-term effects. On the other hand, should Cicero have been assisted with his cart, the jester will be excited to see the player again and reward them with coins.
Cicero Proves To Be One Of Skyrim's Darkest Characters
Considering the impact that Cicero's gruesome murders will have on the mind of the player when they meet the Dark Brotherhood jester again, it is surprising and disappointing that for many a player, this quest is entirely missable. Should the Dragonborn progress through the Dark Brotherhood storyline, to the point of the quest "With Friends Like These...", this quest will no longer be available. This is frustrating, as "With Friends Like These..." (should "Delayed Burial" not have been completed) is the second quest in the Dark Brotherhood, following "Innocence Lost".
With Cicero's character development through the Dark Brotherhood, going from quirky, strange jester to traitor and attacker of the leader of the group, the quest "Delayed Burial" shows the true nature of the seemingly harmless character. Considering that many who have played Skyrim consider Cicero one of the worst characters even without discovering his actions on Lorieus Farm, the quest can make the decision at the end of "The Cure for Madness" that much easier. Love him or loathe him, Cicero and his unique nature will live long on in the memory of The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim fans for years to come.
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