The land ofSkyrimis host to many colorful personalities.Players will find a wide variety of characters, ranging from evil to benign. Some of these characters wear their hearts on their sleeves and are easy to understand, while others require an in-depth investigation. In certain circumstances,players will come across characters whose morality is difficultto determine. They may appear evil or cruel on the outside, but are in fact just misunderstood.RELATED:Skyrim: Creepiest NPCs, RankedThese morally grey characters are rare inSkyrimSpecial Edition,and players need to keep a sharp eye open to find them. Otherwise, players may miss them and paint them as just regular characters, when in fact they are some of the most complex in the story.
Braith Is A Neglected Child
Players can encounter Braith early on in the game,as soon as they reach the city of Whiterun. She can be found running around the streets, playing with other children in the city, and bullying Lars Battle-Born. She comes off as a rude child who is a bit of a bully to her peers. However, her behavior seems to be a cry for help, as her parents actively neglect her.
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Braith’s father Amren is obsessed with finding his family’s long-lost sword and focuses most of his attention trying to track it down. Her mother Saffir spends most of her time reading, and expects Braith to “toughen up.” When players are inside the family’s home with both mother and child present, they can witness Braith trying to get her mother’s attention only to be ignored. Considering that her parents pay very little attention to raising their daughter, it’s no surprise she’s an angry individual.
Commander Maro Is Just Doing His Job
Commander Maro is the leader of the Penitus Oculatus, the Emperor’s special protective force, and serves as the antagonist for the Dark Brotherhood questline. At many points during the questline, he appears boastful and openly taunts the players for his victories over the guild. His attitudes and behavior causes many players to paint him as a villain; however, Maro is just doing his job to protect the Emperor’s safety. He nearly succeeds in doing so, and it is only due to the Dragonborn’s involvement that he is unsuccessful.
In addition to being dedicated to his job, he is a loving father.During the Dark Brotherhood quest"Breaching Security," players will be ordered to kill a Penitus Oculatus member and plant some evidence on his corpse. As it turns out, the agent that the Dragonborn kills is Gaius Maro, son of the commander. He will have a letter from his father on his body wishing him luck on his mission, revealing that Maro is a loving and caring father.
Finally, if players choose not to join the Brotherhood and instead destroy it, Maro shows up as a guest at the players' wedding. His friendship in this scenario proves that he is only an enemy to those who pose a threat to the Emperor.
Bashnag And His Men Just Want To Study In Peace
At Southfringe Sanctum, players will encounter an Orc conjurer named Bashnag and his men. Bashnag and his gang of spellswords have made the dungeon their home, and appear to be no more than bandits — at least at face value. It is not until players venture deeper into the dungeon that they encounter Selveni Nethri. Selveni is a female dark elf who reveals that she was once a member of the tribe, but was banished on suspicions of being a Thalmor spy.
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She will reveal that Bashnag and his gang are actually necromancers who took refuge in the dungeon to study in peace. With the craft banned throughout the land,with the exception of the College of Winterhold, the group had found sanctuary at the dungeon under the leadership of Bashnag. While the group attacks players as they enter, they are technically trespassing on the group’s property, and its residents are just acting in self-defense.
Vahlok The Jailer Was A Benevolent Dragon Priest
Dragon Priests are generally regarded as evil beings, as they were the Dragons' servants and ruled over men under them. They generally have a bloody history, witheach Dragon Priest committing horrible atrocitiesback in the Merethic Era. However, one particular Dragon Priest encountered on Solstheim is an exception: Vahlok The Jailer. At first glance, he seems like the many other Dragon Priests of Skyrim, with little differences between him and his peers. But players will learn via some conversations and books found throughout the island that Vahlok was in fact the opposite of the other Dragon Priests.
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Vahlok was once the ruler of Solstheim, and was widely regarded as a fair ruler who cared for his people. According to legend, he was also the Dragon Priest who stopped Miraak from taking over back in the Merethic Era, and thus now serves as his jailer. He is also the only Dragon Priest that does not wear a mask.
Ondolemar Helps Players At The Thalmor Embassy
Onedolemar is a Thalmor agentfound at Understone Keep in Markarth. He is the leader of the Justicars and is charged with advancing Thalmor interests in the city. He is involved in a short quest where players will aid him in persecuting a Talos worshipper in the city. For the most part, players will perceive Ondolemar as an evil character, due to the Thalmor’s oppressive governing and beliefs in racial supremacy. However, he has a redeeming quality, provided players completed his quest prior to starting “Diplomatic Immunity” in the main quest.
During the quest, players will need a distraction which they will use to slip by from the Thalmor party unnoticed. If players have completed their quest, Ondolemar can be approached and asked to create a distraction. Moreover, he will regard players as his friend, allowing them to enter the Thalmor Headquarters in Solitude. Here, they take certain items inside the building without it being considered as theft.
