- Not to be confused with Cicero Verus or Cicero Eudoxius.
- "...Is there singing in the Void? Dancing...? Surely the Dread Lord will at least allow poor Cicero to caper..."
- ―Cicero[src]
Cicero is a lethal jester and the Keeper of the Night Mother's coffin. He is found on the road north of Whiterun, near Loreius Farm, transporting the coffin of his "mother." After confrontation, he may be found within the Falkreath Sanctuary or the Dawnstar Sanctuary, depending on the Dragonborn's progress through the Dark Brotherhood questline. He is the secondary antagonist of the Dark Brotherhood questline.
Personality
Cicero and the Night Mother
- "He he he... Crazy? Cicero? He he he he! That's... madness...[laughter]"
- ―Cicero[src]
Widely regarded as bothersome, obnoxious, strange, and insane, Cicero sports flamboyant attire and often speaks with a high-pitched voice. Cicero speaks to both himself and the Night Mother's remains often, and as such, he is considered mad. As Keeper of the Night Mother, Cicero takes his vocation very seriously, willing to wound or kill anyone who questions or ignores the Night Mother's authority, although he was not always like this; as evident from his first two journals, before becoming Keeper, Cicero was quite sane, comparatively speaking. His final contract involved killing a jester, and slowly, while most of his fellow assassins were being killed in Cyrodiil, Cicero descended into madness, obsessing over the jester, and adopting aspects of the jester's persona.
Interactions
Delayed Burial
While traveling north of Whiterun, the Dragonborn may encounter a peculiar man in a jester's outfit with a broken-down cart. It turns out his name is Cicero and he will beseech them to aid him, stating he needs repairs for his wagon wheel to move his mother's (The Night Mother's) corpse to a new burial site.
Whispers In The Dark
Cicero arrives at the Sanctuary with the Night Mother's remains.
Cicero is suspected of treason against the Dark Brotherhood when he continuously locks himself in a room with the Night Mother. He can be heard mumbling, but no one can hear what he is saying. Suspecting that Cicero and another member of the brotherhood are conspiring to betray the other members, Astrid sends the Dragonborn to investigate. The Dragonborn hides in the Night Mother's coffin, eavesdropping on Cicero and his conspirator. While hiding, the Dragonborn learns that Cicero is, in fact, speaking to the Night Mother's remains, although she does not speak back; his private sessions with her were his attempts to verify himself as being the Listener, the one person who can hear the Night Mother speak. Shortly after this discovery, the Dragonborn hears the Night Mother's voice, becoming the Listener. Exiting the coffin, Cicero at first suspects the Dragonborn of defiling the Night Mother's remains, but soon realizes that she has selected the Dragonborn as the Listener. Bitter that he was not made Listener, he still congratulates the Dragonborn.
Astrid barges into the room, accusing Cicero of conspiring against the Brotherhood. Cicero explains that the Dragonborn is the new Listener; however, despite this Astrid gets ready to attack him. Violence is averted when the Dragonborn explains that the Night Mother spoke to them. Astrid sends the Dragonborn on several contracts, until she can sort out the mess.
The Cure for Madness
Cicero's begging not to be slain.
After killing Gaius Maro on his inspection route, the Dragonborn returns to the Falkreath Sanctuary, finding Veezara wounded, Arnbjorn missing, and Astrid quite disgruntled. In a fit of defiance, Cicero attacked Astrid for challenging the Night Mother's authority, but was intercepted by Veezara. Surviving the skirmish, Cicero fled to the Dawnstar Sanctuary, Arnbjorn following close behind. Arriving at the sanctuary, the Dragonborn finds Arnbjorn bleeding heavily and searches the sanctuary for Cicero. Battling through several Spectral Assassins, the Dragonborn finds Cicero, wounded and babbling. The Dragonborn has the option to kill Cicero, but if they decide not to, Cicero remains at the Dawnstar Sanctuary, even after the Penitus Oculatus destroys the Falkreath Sanctuary.
Cicero's Journal
Cicero has five journals that are scattered throughout his room at the Falkreath Sanctuary, telling the story of his slow descent into madness.
Background
The Lucky Old Lady statue in Bravil, previous resting place of the Night Mother.
As is detailed by his journals, Cicero was once a member of the Bruma Sanctuary before it was destroyed and later a member of the Cheydinhal Sanctuary, and was renowned for his cloak-and-dagger killing style. He mentions riots in Bravil leading to the death of Alisanne Dupre, the Night Mother's previous Listener, and the desecration of the Night Mother's crypt beneath The Lucky Old Lady. Voted Keeper of the Night Mother by the remaining Brotherhood members, Cicero fulfilled one last contract before starting his new duties; he was scheduled to kill a jester, with whom he slowly became obsessed. His attire and flamboyant manner mimic this jester.
He ordered Garnag, a fellow Brotherhood assassin, to murder Rasha, a member of the Black Hand, who had falsely claimed to be the next Listener. Eventually, through the months after the last Listener's death, the remaining Brotherhood members left the Sanctuary to look for contracts or food and never returned, leaving Cicero trapped alone in the Cheydinal Sanctuary. Eventually, he grew more and more insane from obsessing over his last kill, isolation, and due to trying to talk to the Night Mother and become her Listener. Eight years later, he wrote letters to Astrid in Skyrim to appeal for sanctuary, fleeing from Cheydinhal to Skyrim with the Night Mother's coffin.
As a Follower
| Stats at level 50 | |
|---|---|
| Health | 558 |
| Magicka | 132 |
| Stamina | 295 |
| Archery | 97 |
| Block | 20 |
| Heavy Armor | 20 |
| One-Handed | 100 |
| Two-Handed | 15 |
| Smithing | 15 |
| Alteration | 61 |
| Conjuration | 15 |
| Destruction | 20 |
| Illusion | 15 |
| Restoration | 25 |
| Enchanting | 20 |
| Alchemy | 15 |
| Light Armor | 97 |
| Lockpicking | 15 |
| Pickpocket | 15 |
| Sneak | 100 |
| Speech | 15 |
If the Dragonborn chose to spare his life, Cicero is found upon exiting the Dawnstar Sanctuary after "Hail Sithis!," where he becomes a possible follower. Cicero is flagged as essential before "The Cure for Madness." If he is spared, he becomes essential again, making him unable to be killed.
While following the Dragonborn, he makes several off-beat jokes and humorous observations about the current location or quest. While not following the Dragonborn, he lurks around the sanctuary near the Night Mother's sarcophagus, talking to himself and tending her.
Cicero is a unique follower in the fact that he will often, for no reason, start to dance if he is a follower. This can happen at any time, anywhere, regardless of what outfit Cicero is wearing.
Cicero is also unique in that he is the only named follower, other than Serana, who cannot be recruited into the Blades. The only other followers who cannot join the Blades are the Dark Brotherhood Initiates.
Equipment
His default outfit has no defense, and as such he will wear any armor given to him.
It is still possible to get Cicero's clothes after sparing him. Although it is not possible to take his clothing while he has it equipped, even with the Perfect Touch perk, by telling him to follow and then giving him any armor. He equips it, making it possible to pickpocket his clothing if he is relieved as a follower, but in this case the inventory tells that the chance to pickpocket the hat, the shoes, and the clothes is 0%. Having him follow the Dragonborn once more allows for their armor to be retrieved. This can be used to get multiple sets of Cicero's clothes since each time armor is removed from him, his original clothes return.
A copy of Cicero's default equipment, called the Jester's Outfit, lies on a table in the Dawnstar Sanctuary, meaning it is not necessary to kill, pickpocket, or use console commands to obtain his outfit. However, the enchantments on this equipment are weaker and its value is less.
Quotes
| Quote | Audio |
|---|---|
| "...ho ho ho, and hee hee hee, break that lute across my knee... and if the bard, should choose to fight, why then I'll set his clothes alight..." | |
| "Riften. Cicero likes Riften. Cheats and ruffians and cutthroats abound. Finally, some fun." | |
| "...Cicero never understood thieves, really... take someone's things before you kill them? And they call me crazy..." | |
| "Brrrr... Chilly." | |
| "Oohhh... Cicero's heard about the Butcher. Interesting knifework. Just... Stab, stab, stab, stab, stab! And then... Stab, stab, stab, stab, stab!" | |
| "Hmph. 'Solitude.' Lonely Cicero could tell you a thing or two about solitude..." | |
| "...the High King's court needs a jester... But not me. No, not Cicero. The Fool of Hearts is busy enough, thank you very much..." | |
| "...I saw a dwarf! I did! I did! Cicero saw a dwarf! There... Oh. No, sorry. No dwarf..." | |
| "...Forsworn think they're so scary... Cicero will show you who's scary... Stupid Forsworn..." | |
| "...Oooh... Cicero wants some Skyforge Steel! Sharp sharp, for easy stabbing..." | |
| "Oh! Oh! Maybe Cicero will go to Jorrvaskr and dance for the Companions! They'll... Um... On second thought... maybe not." | |
| "He he he he he he he he he he." | |
| "He he he... Crazy? Cicero? He he he he... That's madness..." | |
| "...and if I spy a singing bird, I'll snap its neck before it's heard..." | |
| "...and I said to the baker, 'You're not dead! You're a faker!' But if that's your wish, I'll oblige..." | |
| "...oh if I chance to see a cat, I'll feed its corpse to my pet rat... " | |
| "...and he says to the man, 'That's not a horker! That's my wife!' Ha ha ha ha ha... Ah... I love that one... " | |
| "...when I next meet, that fair maid Nelly, I'll plunge my knife into her belly..." | |
| "...tra la la, tra la lee, da da dum dum, dee dee..." | |
| "...madness is merry, and merriment's might, when the jester comes calling with his knife in the night..." | |
| "...What? Mother? Is that your voice I hear? Hmm... No, no... Just my head playing tricks... Foolish Cicero..." | |
| "(Whistling)" | |
| "Our sweet Lady is maiden, mother... and crone..." | |
| "...need to sharpen my blade... make it shiny, gleamy, and oh so deadly..." | |
| "...dear Cicero will keep you from harm, sweet Mother. Forever and always..." | |
| "...Cicero is hungry... ...need a sweetroll... or a carrot..." | |
| "...need to get Mother some flowers... pretty, pretty flowers..." | |
| "...must oil Mother soon... ...get all the hard to reach places..." | |
| "Cicero is at your service, oh great and powerful Listener!" | |
| "Let's kill someone." | |
| "Cicero can talk for a moment. Just a moment. Then Mother must be... tended to." | |
| "Oh, I do wish to get to know you better. But I must tend to mother. Maybe we can talk for just a moment..." | |
| "Yes, Listener? How can Cicero be of service?" | |
| "Humble Cicero lives to serve." | |
| "Home again, home again! I'll return to the Night Mother straightaway!" | |
| "Oh, of course. Mother needs me, after all." |
Trivia
The Night Mother's remains. Cicero brought them to Skyrim from Bravil.
- His name may be a reference to Cicero, a Roman politician, writer, and philosopher known for his linguistics.
- During the quest "Destroy the Dark Brotherhood!" Cicero and Babette are the only members of the Dark Brotherhood to not be killed by the player.
- The Specter of Lucien Lachance warns against killing Cicero, because the "Keeper" is a sacred position in the Dark Brotherhood and, in another quote, that Sithis does not want him dead. After completing the questline for the Dark Brotherhood, Cicero becomes a Follower if left alive. If Cicero is slain, his unique clothing can be looted.
- In one of his journals, Cicero states that he posed as a "Starstruck fan" to the Grand Champion during "the Arena contract," and then later killed said Champion. This is a reference to the Adoring Fan of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.
- If the Dragonborn returns to the Loreius Farm after joining the Dark Brotherhood and reports Cicero to a Hold Guard in the quest "Delayed Burial," the inhabitants can be found dead -- likely from Cicero murdering them.
- If Cicero is resurrected as a Dead Thrall, his mannerisms stay intact. Unlike other undead, he continues to dance and comment as he would if he were a follower.
- If one manages to get Cicero up to his feet during "The Cure for Madness," he is considerably smaller than he was previously. Often this makes the player character have gargantuan properties.
- Like most named Imperials in Skyrim, the name Cicero derives from Latin. The meaning of Cicero is "Farming Peas."
- Like Anska and Barbas, Cicero has a tendency to bump into and subsequently push the player forward. This can be dangerous around traps or deep precipices, so care should be taken.
- When speaking, Cicero almost always refers to himself in third person.
- Unlike most followers, Cicero has no dialogue for finding Dwemer Ruins, caves, or Nordic Tombs. He also has no dialogue when being healed or when Illusion spells are cast on him.
- Cicero does not have a default bow and arrows. If one wishes him to enter ranged combat, a bow and arrows must be given to him. However, unlike other followers, Cicero uses up arrows given to him, so his supply of arrows should be checked occasionally. This also applies to any enchanted weapon given to him. Over time, the weapon's charge will deplete.
- Although he accepts that the Dragonborn is named the Listener, Cicero still has delusions that he is hearing the Night Mother's voice, as evidenced by one of his quotes.
- During the Dragonborn's trek in the Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary during "The Cure for Madness," Cicero shouts to the Dragonborn that "Oh, but this isn't at all what Mother would want," that "You kill the Keeper or I kill the Listener. Now that's madness!" This is similar to Lucien Lachance's comments about Sithis not wanting Cicero to be killed.
- If Astrid is asked during the beginning of "The Cure for Madness" why the dilemma can't just be "worked out" she will reply that The Dark Brotherhood has always taken "rejects of society" and that she had no problem with Cicero's madness, just his adherence to "outmoded" ways.
- Although Cicero states in one of his journals that the Keeper of the Night Mother can not carry out contracts or otherwise kill again, this does not prevent him from fighting if he is a follower.
- When told to return home, he actually runs back to the Sanctuary, unlike other followers, who when dismissed merely walk back to their homes.
- When Cicero is told to "wait here," but then moves away from his original spot (such as when detecting a nearby enemy), afterwards he will walk back to the place he was told to wait originally, unlike other followers, who will continue to wait in another spot if they moved away from the place where they were originally told to wait.
- When max level, (50) Cicero has 132 Magicka and 61 Alteration. This is odd, considering that he does not cast any spells whatsoever.
- When exiting the Dawnstar Sanctuary during Where You Hang Your Enemy's Head, Cicero will run up and say that he is going to kill the player character for all the trouble they caused, before dissolving in laughter and saying that it was a joke, and saying that he and the Dragonborn are "best friends forever."
- Unlike the Dark Brotherhood Initiates, who will reply with "You shouldn't be here," if trying to speak to them whilst trespassing in someone's house, Cicero can be spoken to anywhere, trespassing or not.
- There are three versions of Cicero. The version of Cicero who appears in the Dawnstar Sanctuary (the one who you have the choice to kill or leave in The Cure for Madness quest), also Cicero as met in the Falkreath Sanctuary has base ID
0001BDB1, ref ID0001E64A. This Cicero is level 40, aggressive, has morality of "No Crime," and belongs to the DarkBrotherhoodFaction, Dawnstar Guardian Faction, and FavorExcludedFaction factions. The version who can become your follower has IDs as stated on this page. This version is taller than the other two (other two have a scale factor of 0.9). The third version is Cicero as met during the quest Delayed Burial, his base ID000550F0, ref ID000550F1. This Cicero is level 6, unaggressive, has morality of "Property Crimes Only," and belongs to the CrimeFactionPale and FavorExcludedFaction factions. - If asked about Cicero plotting with a conspirator during "Whispers in the Dark," Babette will admit that she finds him "quite charming."
Bugs
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This section contains bugs related to Cicero. Before adding a bug to this list, consider the following:
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- PC 360 When told to stop moving, Cicero continues to follow the Dragonborn only if his "waiting" dialogue is disrupted.
- 360 Cicero does not follow commands properly. He will do what he is told, such as using an Alchemy Station or sitting in a chair, but as soon as the player presses B or talks to him, he stops what he is doing and approaches the player character, instead of continuing to wait or do what he was told to, like other followers. The only command unaffected by this bug is when told to attack someone/something: he performs the task and the crosshairs return to normal.
- If Cicero is a follower, and is attacked while Shadowmere is nearby, Shadowmere will attack the Dragonborn.
- 360 In the quest "Contract: Kill Maluril," (if it hasn't been completed before the Dark Brotherhood main questline) if asked "I need you to do something," and ordered to kill Maluril, Cicero will refuse, regardless if Maluril is sitting or standing, or the distance from the player.
- 360 Cicero will occasionally refuse to enter water, regardless of depth. He will stand at the edge of the water and watch the player from the shore. This can result in him getting lost in the environment. Waiting an hour or two when far enough away from him will teleport him to the player's location.