Beyond Skyrim:Cyrodiil/Garceus Avoci

Garceus Avoci (RefID: xx06D95F)
Location	Bruma Western Watchtower
Race	Imperial	Gender	Male
Level	PC×1.25 (range=35-75)	Class	Guard
RefID	xx06D95F	BaseID	xx06D95E
Other Information
Health	50+(PC)×?	Magicka	50
Stamina	50+(PC)×?
Primary Skills	Block, Heavy Armor, Light Armor, One-handed, Sneak
Class Details	GuardImperial
Morality	No Crime	Aggression	Aggressive
Faction(s)	CrimeFactionImperial; CYRBrumaCastleFaction; CYRCrimeFactionBruma; CYRGuardDialogueFaction; CYRGuardFactionBruma; CYRTownBrumaFaction; IsGuardFaction

Garceus Avoci

Garceus Avoci, an Imperial guard, is the ranking officer at the Bruma Western Watchtower. A veteran of the Great War, he takes pride in his job and isn't too interested in career advancement, unlike his rival eastern counterpart Ereia Snow-Fist.

During the related quest, he will ask you to retrieve the sword of a local bandit leader, to help improve morale at the tower. If Adius Vilius is deposed as guard captain during Service Rewarded and you either helped Garceus recover the blade, kept it for yourself or did not yet make a decision, he technically takes control of the Bruma Guard, though bugs restrict this in practice.

Garceus spends most of his day, from 8am till midnight, patrolling the watchtower, only breaking off at 7pm for an hour-long dinner. At midnight he heads to bed on the middle section of the tower and sleeps until 7am, when he has a quick breakfast before starting his guard duties. If he becomes guard captain, after his breakfast he will instead head over to Bruma to occupy Adius's old spot at the foot of the stairs leading to the castle. The trip takes him about an hour, and he will spend the entire day there before heading home at midnight and immediately going to bed.

Garceus is armed with an Imperial sword, a steel dagger and an Imperial bow with 12 steel arrows. He is equipped with a full set of Bruma guard armor: cuirass, helmet, gloves, boots and shield.

Related Quests

• Blade of the Cutpurse: Help Ereia Snow-Fist or Garceus Avoci deal with a bandit gang.
• Dartaqto misc task: Help a poor cat burglar clear his name.

Dialogue

When meeting him, he will first mutter:

"Ereia been talking herself up to impossible heights as usual? Don't let her get to you."

"I've been in this business for a long time. I'm not here to boast... though we are certainly better than Ereia's motley crew."

"Don't listen to Ereia. She's brash and bold. We're wise. And resilient as ever."

Who's this Ereia you've been talking about?

"She's a brash, chest-pounding fool, that's what. Guard commander over at the Eastern Watchtower. She thinks she's better than us. I'm a veteran. I've been doing this for a long time, and Bruma hasn't fallen yet. I was here during the Great War, I'm still here now. And I'm not going anywhere."

Ereia also has no time for Garceus:

"Garceus been filling your head full of goblin dung? Don't listen to him. We're the best and brightest out here. He's one of those people who thinks that because he's been doing it for the longest, he must be the best. He thinks he's the one - he and his guards - who protect Bruma the most vigorously from the gravest threats. But he couldn't be more wrong. Obviously. He may have been out here longer, but we're just better."

Quest-Related Dialogue

If you ask him about life at the tower, he will explain with pride:

What are things like out here at the Western Watchtower?

"Not much happens out here, truth be told. But we still fulfill an important duty. Villagers from Applewatch use these roads every day, so they need to be kept safe. Traders, merchants, travelers, they all need these roads too, since we're so close to Bruma and Cyrodiil's so bustling. So it's a shame that threats keep cropping up constantly. Take just recently, for instance. Got some fresh-faced, upstart bandits wandering the Jeralls and harassing travelers. No idea why they've suddenly come up here, but we need to get rid of them. We've finally gotten resupplied, so hopefully we should be prepared to take them out next time we get the chance."

Good luck taking them out.

"Thank you, traveler. I hope they come around soon, so we can finally make the Jeralls a bit safer."

I could kill the bandits for you.

"You'd do that? Well, if you feel you're capable, I certainly won't refuse the help. However, if you would, could you do me a favor? The leader of those bandits has a magical sword. If you can, bring it back with you. As a trophy, it'd be incredibly good for morale around here."

Agreeing to help him will start Blade of the Cutpurse. Once you've defeated the bandits near Dragonclaw Rock and taken the enchanted sword, one of Ereia's men will rush up to you:

"Ereia Snow-Fist's the commander at the Eastern Watchtower. She's been wanting the bandit's blade for a while. If she's right, the trophy will impress the powers that be in the castle, get us reassigned to a better job when one opens up. I know Garceus probably asked you to kill these bandits - probably for 'morale' - and I can't force you to do anything. But I'd appreciate it if you'd give the sword to Ereia instead."

Why should I give the blade to your commander?

"Listen. Garceus is a good man, but he's also old and overly-cautious. He may be thoughtful and patient but he's ineffective. Some call Ereia brash, but that's all a load of hogwash. She's bold, sure, and she'd definitely a risk-taker, but Bruma doesn't need some soft old man rising through the ranks."

If you instead received the quest from Ereia, one the guards under Garceus's command will instead say:

"Garceus Avoci's the commander at the Western Watchtower. He's wanted these bandits dead for a long time. I bet Ereia sent you here for the blade, so she can go boast to the nobles. Listen, she wants to be reassigned and I understand that. But Garceus needs the sword more. Morale is really suffering over there - I know you'll make the right call."

Why should I give the blade to your commander?

"Garceus is cautious. Tempered. Takes his time with things - doesn't jump to conclusions or hurry to action. Ereia, on the other hand, is brash. She may take no prisoners, but she does take too many chances. She may be efficient and effective when the push comes to the shove, but do we really want someone so brazen rising through the ranks?"

Return to Garceus and he will eagerly ask:

"Ah... do you have the blade?"

Why should I give this to you instead of Ereia?

"The blade? Ah. I'm sure your ears have been filled with aspirational tales about rising through the ranks. Listen. I'm happy out here. If I get reassigned thanks to the sword trophy then so be it. But I want it for morale, not anything else."

At this point, you can choose whether to hand the sword over, keep it for yourself, or instead give it to Ereia:

Here it is.

"Phenomenal. This should do wonders for morale. Here, some coin for your trouble. This may impress the Bruma nobility - we shall see - but it's good to see the bandits gone."

Actually, I'm keeping the blade for myself.

"I... traveler, it would be good for morale, so I do urge that you reconsider, but if that's your decision, I can't stop you."

No, sorry. I'm keeping the blade for myself.

"I... I understand. Morale won't be improved, but I imagine you might make use of the blade yourself. Oh, well. Thank you for your aid killing the bandits anyway, traveler. Godspeed."

Bugs

• Even if Garceus technically becomes the new guard captain after Service Rewarded via your actions in Blade of the Cutpurse, this only extends to his schedule changing so that he spends his days on duty in Adius's old spot just down the steps from the Castle. However, there are a number of issues:
  • If you start Convince Cerendil to drop the charges against Bentior, you will be pointed in the direction of "guard captain Ereia" instead of Garceus. The quest will then run without issue.
  • Garceus will still be able to give you the Dartaqto misc task quest, however there are no voice files for those lines. In addition, the quest stages and dialogue still mention Adius being the captain, and Garceus has no further relevant dialogue, meaning that you cannot finish the quest.
  • Finally, Garceus has no specific dialogue referencing his new position, nor do any other Bruma citizens. ^?
• In the event that Adius Vilius is taken by the Thalmor during Service Rewarded, if you have not started Blade of the Cutpurse then Ereia becomes the new guard captain by default and the Dar'taqto and Cerendil quests will run through her. However, it will actually still be Garceus who takes up Adius's old spot near the castle during the day. ^?