Skyrim:Vittoria Vici

thumb|right|Vittoria at work 
Vittoria Vici is an Imperial citizen of Solitude and the first cousin to Emperor Titus Mede II. She oversees the East Empire Company's holdings in Solitude and is influential and wealthy enough to be invited to Elenwen's upper-class party at the Thalmor Embassy. She is also engaged to a Stormcloak, Asgeir Snow-Shod from Riften, and a huge wedding is in the works. Due to the couple's differing political stances, the wedding is considered a precursor to end the civil war and is expected and celebrated by many. Unfortunately, the wedding has also attracted the attention of the Dark Brotherhood who deems it the perfect opportunity to regain their reputation.

Vittoria lives in one of the exclusive mansions in Solitude, neighboring Proudspire Manor, and she sleeps there every night between midnight and 8am. After waking up she heads down to the dockside and finds her stall near the entrance to the East Empire Company Warehouse where she spends twelve hours. At 8pm she returns to her house where she wanders around until midnight. There is one major exception to this daily routine, specifically during the quest Bound Until Death. Once initiated, Vittoria Vici will be in the courtyard outside the Temple of the Divines busy being the bride of the much anticipated wedding.

Her everyday attire consists of a set of fine clothes along with a pair of fine boots. She wields a steel dagger and carries the key to her house, a belted tunic, and a selection of upper-class items and gold. During her wedding, Vittoria wears a unique wedding dress, wedding sandals, wedding wreath, and her wedding band.

If you meet her on the streets of Solitude she will immediately defend herself: ''"Some say I got my position because my cousin is the Emperor. Nonsense. The man's given me nothing. He can't even be bothered to attend my wedding." She will then tell you: "Good business for the East Empire Company means all the more gold for the Empire." She will then hint on her status: "I don't have time for anyone too lazy or cowardly to make their own way in this world." Should you approach her while she is at work, she may say: "Hmm? Sorry, I was lost in thought. I'm planning my wedding, you see. So many details to work out."

With the civil war roaming across the land, the upcoming marriage between Vittoria Vici, an Imperial with obvious ties to the Legion, and Asgeir Snow-Shod, whose family staunchly supports the rebellion, is an event known all over Skyrim. Their union is seen as a step toward reconciliation and peace, and the wedding and celebration is expected to go on for days. All over Skyrim, the patrolling guards, both Stormcloaks and Imperials, will happily tell you: "The Emperor's cousin Vittoria Vici is getting married soon. The reception will be public - anyone in Solitude can attend." In the Solitude market, local merchant Evette San and Silana Petreia will have a joyful conversation about the wedding, with Silana saying: "Nice to have something happy in the midst of the war.", and Evette replying: "Vittoria is practically glowing." Even at the party at the Thalmor Embassy, the guests will mention: "Did you know Vittoria is the Emperor's cousin? Best stay on her good side." and "Did you know Vittoria's getting married? They say the Emperor might even come to Skyrim for the wedding!" In the wilderness, you can encounter two confused travelers from Cyrodiil, Plautis and Salonia Carvain, on their way to the wedding ceremony, although they have some problems locating Solitude:

Plautis: "Come along, no more stops, we need to find our way to Solitude." 
Salonia: "Why are we even going to a wedding at this far flung end of the Empire anyway?" 
Plautis: "I told you, it's the wedding of Vittoria Vici, an extremely well connected merchant with the East Empire Company. The Emperor's cousin? Remember? Hopefully these gifts will put us in her good graces, secure that import deal, and lead the way to an audience with the Emperor."

Related Quests
 
 
 

Quest-Related Events
Diplomatic Immunity
thumb|right|"How dare you! You disgusting pig!"''
If you meet the requirements for Vittoria to be at Elenwen's fashionable party at the Thalmor Embassy, you can find her wandering around among the other guests, obviously only waiting to get out of there. If you approach her she will admit: "I find these parties such a dreadful bore." and "One thing everyone can agree on. This war is bad for business." When asked if her company does business with the Thalmor, she will explain: ''"A delicate question, to be sure. I'm the Emperor's cousin, and the Empire has little love for the Thalmor. On the other hand, the Thalmor have considerable funds and are looking to expand their shipping. I haven't signed any deals yet, but I'm sure my cousin will want a cut if I do. What better way to soothe his wounded pride?" When asked what she is doing at the party, she will admit: "Just between us, I've got more important things to do than attend these meaningless parties." Due to you being undercover, you will have to cause a distraction in order to sneak away from the party unnoticed. However, Vittoria will only help you with the distraction if you have completed The Spiced Wine and have a Speech skill of 50 or above. First you will have to ask for her help, and the option will not appear without completing The Spiced Wine: "Oh? Something interesting, I hope?"'' If you choose to say 'never mind', she will say: ''"Yes, that's probably for the best. I really shouldn't risk getting on Elenwen's bad side." If you want her help, you will have to explain that you need a distraction: "I don't know... I don't want to do anything that might offend Elenwen. There is a lot of money at stake, after all." If you exit conversation, she will say: "Come and visit me in Solitude sometime."
If you still want her help, you will have to persuade her. If you have too low a skill in Speech, she will reject you with: "I don't think so. Sorry. I would love to help you, but Elenwen can be very vindictive. I wouldn't want to get on her bad side." If you meet her requirements, she will instead say: "Well. Anything to relieve the boredom. As long as it doesn't get back to me." and add: "Don't worry. I'll play my part." She will then head over to party drunk Razelan and whisper: "Just play along." She will then create a scene in front of everybody:

Vittoria: "How dare you! You disgusting pig!" 
Razelan: "What? I didn't... hmm? No, listen, you must have misunderstood... I don't mean to say I wouldn't be interested... what I mean is..." 
Vittoria: "The head office will hear of this, Razelan! You're a disgrace to the East Empire Company, and to the Empire itself!" 
Elenwen: "Razelan. And you promised to behave yourself this time. Remove him. He's disturbing the other guests." 
Razelan: "I protest! This is an insult to the dignity of my person! This time I'm completely innocent!" / "This is preposterous. Disrespect... insulting! I am tired of being hounded from all sides!" / "Madame Ambassador, you know that I would never have behaved... that is to say... well I swear I'm innocent this time!" 
Vittoria: "Oh, Ambassador Elenwen, that won't be necessary. It is just Razelan, after all. I'm sure he'll behave himself for the rest of the evening, won't you dear?" 
Razelan: "Absolutely not! I protest... uh, that is, yes, of course. I still don't understand what just... oh never mind." / "That is absolutely untrue! Uh, that is, yes, of course. What... I don't understand why everyone... never mind."

The Spiced Wine
Before the wedding gets underway, pay a visit to the Solitude market and talk to local vintner Evette San to start the quest The Spiced Wine. She will admit having problems with a shipment of spices for her special wine, saying: "I've got a shipment of Spices the East Empire Company is holding up. I need someone to convince them to release it."'' When you accept to help her out, you will be pointed towards Vittoria Vici, who handles the shipments. When approached about Evette's problem, Vittoria will respond: ''"Ah yes. If she wants to pay the two thousand gold tariff   we'll be all set." Should you exit conversation, Vittoria will bid you farewell with the words: "I really need to get back to planning my wedding.." and "Now if you'll excuse me. The East Empire Company has several accounts, and it's up to me to balance them." 

You will then have three options; either pay, persuade, or bribe:


Bound Until Death
While Solitude prepares for the celebration, the once feared and dreaded Dark Brotherhood is nothing but a shadow of its former self, and is in desperate need of a way to regain its reputation in and around Skyrim. An offer from the mysterious Amaund Motierre, who wants Emperor Titus Mede II assassinated, puts new hope into Brotherhood leader Astrid, who quickly reckons the upcoming wedding of the Emperor's cousin the perfect opportunity to get to Titus himself. Once you have talked to Delvin Mallory to confirm Amaund's identity, you will find that Astrid has already come up with a plan: ''"Now then. I hope you have something nice to wear. Because you're going to a wedding." She will then share her plan: "Well, more like the public reception. It should be a lovely affair. You'll mingle with the guests, eat some cake... stab the bride. Oh yes. You've got to kill the bride. At her wedding. And they say romance is dead." You can then choose between three responses, all of which will lead her to elaborate on the macabre task:

Who's the target? 
"Her name is Vittoria Vici. She oversees the East Empire Company's business holdings in Solitude. The wedding is being held in that city, at the Temple of the Divines. Her death will cause an uproar, which is exactly what we want. Vici is likely to address her guests frequently, as is the wedding custom. Kill her when she does that, and I promise you a significant bonus. Now go. And give my best to the bride."

Enough talk. Just tell me who to kill. 
"Very well. The target's name is Vittoria Vici. She oversees the East Empire Company's business holdings in Solitude. The wedding is being held in that city, at the Temple of the Divines. Her death will cause an uproar, which is exactly what we want. Remember, we want people to notice. Kill Vici while she's addressing her guests, as is the custom, and I can promise a bonus. Now go. And give the bride a special kiss, from me."

(Remain silent) 
"Your target's name is Vittoria Vici. She oversees the East Empire Company's business holdings in Solitude. The wedding is being held in that city, at the Temple of the Divines. Her death will cause an uproar, which is exactly what we want. Vici is likely to address her guests frequently, as is the wedding custom. Kill her when she does that, and I promise you a significant bonus. Now go. And give the city of Solitude a celebration they're not likely to forget."

thumb|right|"And they say romance is dead."
You can then ask Astrid a slew of additional questions to make the task easier, and why Vittoria has to die. First of all, she will provide more details on the contract: "This is a public kill. How you do it is entirely up to you. Arrow to the throat? Knife in the belly? Your choice, so long as it's loud and messy. Because of the current political climate, people are going to assume the murder is related to the bad blood between the Legion and Stormcloaks. In any event, when Vici dies, it's going to be complete pandemonium. Best have your escape route planned out in advance." Astrid will also reveal that she has little interest in the ceremony itself, and wants you to hit during the public banquet. When asked when the wedding will start she will explain: "Soon. I'm not exactly sure when. But not to worry - the ceremony itself is being followed up by a public banquet that will last for several days. Both Vittoria and her husband will be there for the duration, and everyone in Solitude is invited to attend. You'll have plenty of opportunity." Last, but not least, she will explain who Vittoria is, and her relations to the Emperor: "An excellent question. Vittoria Vici is the first cousin to our dear Emperor, Titus Mede II. Vici has obvious Imperial connections. Her husband has ties to the Stormcloaks. Their union is a step toward reconciliation. So if there's a murder at the wedding... Not only will it stall the peace process - it will send shockwaves throughout the entire Empire. The Emperor's hand will be forced. He'll have to travel to Skyrim to deal with the aftermath... and he'll find the Dark Brotherhood waiting."'' While Astrid cares little about the civil war or the casualties in its wake, she will explain why the Emperor isn't attending the wedding of his cousin: ''"He had a trip to Skyrim planned for months, and canceled at the last minute. Much to his cousin's dismay. Seems the Emperor realized his presence would necessitate a more direct role in the ongoing hostilities. A role he was, obviously, unwilling to take. All that will change with his cousin's murder. Everyone will think it was motivated by the conflict between the Imperial Legion and Stormcloaks. And the Emperor will be forced to come clean up the mess."

When you arrive in Solitude, Vittoria Vici and Asgeir Snow-Shod have been pronounced husband and wife and the subsequent festivities are in full swing in the courtyard outside the Temple of the Divines. Vittoria Vici and Asgeir Snow-Shod will host the banquet seated at a small podium, at times walking up to the overhanging balcony where Vittoria will share her love and joy to the numerous people present. She will say three lines, each of them randomly picked from three options:
thumb|right|"May you all be as happy in your lives as I know I will be in mine."



The guest list includes numerous Solitude citizens of all classes and statuses, from local beggar Noster Eagle-Eye to Jarl Elisif the Fair. While most of them enjoy the banquet immensely (see this section for full details), the parents of the newlyweds, Vulwulf Snow-Shod and Alexia Vici, will be engaged in the expected, heated political debate:

Vulwulf: "Typical Imperial rot. You speak of Skyrim like you know the land, know its people. You're from Cyrodiil! You know nothing about us! Nothing!" 
Alexia: "Oh, I know enough. I know those trouble-making Stormcloaks refuse to submit to Imperial authority. Such seditious behavior. Why it's treason!" 
Vulwulf: "And when the elves marched into your beloved Cyrodiil, and everyone took up arms against them, wasn't that treason? Against the Dominion? Huh?" 
Alexia: "Why that's not the same thing at all. The Dominion were invaders. Conquerors. We had to fight them, to preserve our own way of life." 
Vulwulf: "My point exactly."

The happy couple wisely ignores their bickering parents and keeps the party running, both of them overwhelmed with joy. If you approach Vittoria, she will welcome you with open arms: "What an amazing day this has been. I hope you're enjoying the festivities. I'm... I'm just so overwhelmed. Such kindness... for me."'' As you are on a quest for the Dark Brotherhood, you can choose between three possible responses, although Vittoria's happiness will overshadow all your attempts: 
thumb|''"I'm... I'm just so overwhelmed. Such kindness... for me."
The Stormcloaks say hello!  "Oh! Well, you tell your Stormcloak friends "hello" right back at them! This is a day of healing! Legion, Stormcloaks - all are welcome here!"

Hail the Imperial Legion!  "Ha ha ha ha! Yes, yes indeed! Hail the Imperial Legion! Hail the Stormcloaks! Hail Solitude and the Eight Divines! On this glorious day, we honor everyone! Ha ha ha ha!"

(Remain silent)  "Oh, no need to be shy! My day is your day! Please - eat, drink, make merry! We're all friends here!"

After that, she will proceed with the wedding and will, when greeted, almost declare the civil war over: "Please, enjoy the festivities! This is a day of peace and happiness, when Imperials and Stormcloaks join together, as equals!" Her husband will constantly be by her side and will be equally joyful. If you are male, he will remark: "Now now, fella. Let's not get too close to my new bride, eh?" If you are female, he will jokingly say: "Well aren't you a pretty thing? Should my new bride   worried? He he he he." When asked if he thinks the party is good, he will respond: "The best. Vittoria's a good woman. Any man should be so lucky. I know my father's not happy about me marrying an Imperial, but that's his problem."
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thumb|left|"My wife is dead! Dead!"
When Vittoria dies, the party will change from joy to horror and all of the guests, including the Penitus Oculatus agent, will start running around in panic. Guards will arrive and look for the killer, and Brotherhood member Veezara will arrive and provide unexpected help on behalf of Astrid. If approached, the widowed Asgeir Snow-Shod will be shocked and repeat: "My wife is dead! Dead!", while all the party guests will have specific reactions to the tragic kill.

Upon your arrival back to the Sanctuary, Astrid will rejoice in the deed: "Haha! The news is everywhere! Vittoria Vici, the Emperor's cousin, butchered at her own wedding! Let's see his eminence try to ignore this." When spoken to again, she will then congratulate you on your success: "With Vici's murder, you've started us down a path the Dark Brotherhood hasn't traveled in centuries. The assassination of an Emperor. And now, your reward. A unique spell to summon a legend of the Dark Brotherhood. His soul serves us now in death, as his body once did in life. This spell will allow you to summon a powerful spirit to fight by your side. He serves the Brotherhood now in death, as he once did in life."

In Solitude, the wedding decorations will be gone and all the guests will have returned to their daily life, although hope for peace will be gone. None of the citizens will speak of the tragic event, although the guards will comment: "The cousin of the Emperor was murdered! In Solitude, at her own damn wedding. Not a chance we would have let that happen here.", "I heard you were at the wedding of the Emperor's cousin. In Solitude? Gods, that must have been horrible..." and "Look, that Vici woman had a bodyguard. I know it's terrible she got murdered at her own wedding, but the city guard is hardly to blame..." Widower Asgeir will have returned to Riften and will never speak of the tragedy again, while his deceased wife will be buried in the Solitude Catacombs, still wearing her wedding dress.

Wedding Dialogue
The guest list is quite long, and everybody has something to say about the event or the newlyweds, or they will just reflect on the brief moment when the civil war seems very far away. All of them will have greetings related to the wedding, and the majority of them will answer whether or not they are having fun at the banquet. Naturally, they will also have a comment to the tragic end to the biggest wedding in Skyrim history. The table below displays all possible comments from the guests:


Notes

Killing Vittoria before The Spiced Wine is started will make it impossible to complete.
Vittoria was supposed to be involved in two conversations while working on the dockside. The first conversation,  , involves the three Argonian dockworkers, Deeja, Jaree-Ra, and Gulum-Ei, although all three of them can respond to Vittoria when she says: "Big shipment coming in later tonight. I need you three working late." To which one Argonian will say: "Oh, we'll make sure it's emptied out by morning. You can trust us!" and another will continue with: "Yeah, we'll get the valuables out of there, no problem!" Due to the extreme conditions of the conversation, it will practically never take place.  The second conversation,  , involves Greta, who never goes near the docks, so her plea: "Got any work? I ain't begging. I just need a job. Anything."'' And Vittoria's answer: "Sorry, I have everyone I need at the warehouse. Times are tight." will never be heard.

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