With Skyrim's depth of lore, every character comes from somewhere. War veterans, lowly farmers, reformed criminals, proud thieves — the land has them all. Some characters are glad to share their stories with the Dragonborn, while others' backstories must be gleaned by eavesdropping or leafing through diaries.
Plenty of major characters have rich and detailed histories that play vital roles in major quests; yet, some details are only available through rare dialogue or hidden clues. Similarly, some of Skyrim's less prevalent NPCs have backgrounds just as rich. Here are just a few characters with aspects to their backstories that players might have missed.
10 Bothela
An alchemist in Markarth, Bothela is a native of the Reach. When asked about the Forsworn, she will tell the Dragonborn she has lost friends and family because they chose to join.
In fact, Odvan, a Cidhna Mine's inmate, is Bothela's grandson (though she sometimes refers to him as her nephew). Odvan claims his murder charges are false; he says he was "sleeping off mead in his aunt's house" at the time of the crime. This may refer to Bothela, trying to prevent the loss of yet another loved one.
9 Roggvir
The first time the player visits Solitude, they will stumble upon an execution. Roggvir, the city guard who allowed Ulfric to escape after killing King Torygg, faces the chopping block for his crimes. The crowd of onlookers all have their own opinions on whether he is a traitor or a true Nord hero.
Speaking to the citizens of Solitude will shed light on Roggvir's history and personality. Sorex Vinius at the Winking Skeever describes how Roggvir used to bully him incessantly, adding that he never outgrew his immaturity or cruelty.
8 Endon & Kerah
The Dragonborn encounters Markarth-based silversmith Endon in a Thieves' Guild quest, in which they must retrieve his stolen silver mold. The player may also remember Kerah, Endon's wife, as a witness to a murder in "The Forsworn Conspiracy." The couple lives with their daughter, Adara, but they have another child as well.
One family conversation references Endon and Kerah's son, Cade, who is away fighting for the Stormcloak army. Even after the war ends, Cade is never seen in-game. This heavily implies he was killed during the conflict.
7 Rune
A member of the Thieves' Guild, Rune will regale the Dragonborn with a fascinating story if they ask about his name. He was discovered as an infant in the wreckage of a sunken ship, with a stone in his pocket inscribed with runic writing. The man who found and raised him named him Rune, after those markings.
Despite years of investigation, Rune has never deciphered those symbols. Some dialogue suggests that a quest surrounding Rune's background may have been planned, but no such quest exists, leaving his history a mystery.
6 Falion
Morthal's resident mage, Falion was once a member of the College of Winterhold but left due to disagreements with Savos Aren. Phinis Gestor, the College's current Conjuration master, is Falion's former student.
Some in Morthal fear Falion, speculating that he practices necromancy. Since he holds the only cure for vampirism, this may not be entirely false. Furthermore, both his adopted daughter and the Jarl of Morthal's son have premonitions of Falion engaging in strange or sinister activities, further lending weight to the rumors.
5 Lynly Star-Sung
Working at Ivarstead's Vilemyr Inn, Lynly seems fairly inconsequential at first. She serves drinks and plays the lute, serving a dual role as barmaid and bard. However, her identity is false.
If the Dragonborn visits Sibbi Black-Briar in the Riften jail, he will reveal that he had an affair while engaged to a girl named Svidi. When Svidi's brother confronted Sibbi, Sibbi murdered him and threatened to murder Svidi too. Sibbi tasks the player with finding his former lover — who is, in fact, Lynly Star-Sung.
4 Olava the Feeble
Each major contract in the Dark Brotherhood storyline contains an optional bonus objective, granting an extra reward. In "Breaching Security," this reward is a token that the player can exchange for a psychic reading from Olava the Feeble.
Upon giving the player their bonus, Gabrielle will call Olava an "old and dear friend," a sentiment Olava echoes. This strongly suggests that Olava is or was connected to the Dark Brotherhood. Perhaps she was even an assassin herself before her age caught up with her.
3 Glover Mallory
Raven Rock's resident blacksmith seems like an average guy at first. If the player asks about the Shadowmark on his door, he will talk about his time in the Thieves' Guild with his brother Delvin. However, his story goes even deeper.
If the player enters his basement, they will discover an unsent letter from Glover to Sapphire, another member of the Thieves' Guild, in which he explains he is her father. The player can bring the letter to her, but sadly, there is no way to reunite the two.
2 Delvin Mallory
Despite his prominence in multiple storylines, there are hidden details to Delvin's background. He acts as a go-between, providing Thieves' Guild services to the Dark Brotherhood. Astrid tells the player that Delvin and the Brotherhood have a history, but no more than that.
In his early days with the Guild, Delvin attempted a robbery that resulted in him committing murder. Gallus, hoping to protect Delvin, sent him to serve the Brotherhood for a few years while the heat died down. Here, he made connections and had a brief relationship with Astrid.
1 Cicero
Despite his prominent role in the Dark Brotherhood questline, not all players pick up the details of Cicero's backstory. However, in his private quarters, the Dragonborn will find journals detailing his descent into madness.
Cicero served the Dark Brotherhood in Cyrodiil during the years of its collapse. One by one, other members abandoned Cicero or died, leaving him in isolation with the Night Mother's corpse for years before he fled to Skyrim. Cicero spent these years talking to himself and the Night Mother, obsessing over his last contract: a jester.