Garan Marethi is a Dunmer vampire and one of the senior members of Lord Harkon‘s court at Castle Volkihar. Around four centuries old, he once belonged to House Dres, one of the great Dunmer houses of Morrowind. If you join the Volkihar Clan (Dawnguard), he is the courtier who sets you on your first real errand for the clan.
Where to find them
He lives in Castle Volkihar with the rest of the court. He goes with you to the Chalice at the start of your first task and is waiting in the castle when you return.
Quests
In The Bloodstone Chalice you deliver Harkon’s short message (“It is time”) to Garan. He explains that the Chalice can boost a vampire’s powers and that Harkon has ignored it for ages, so the request means something big is happening. He then sends you to fill it at the bloodspring in Redwater Den. When you get back, he calmly explains why Stalf and Salonia tried to kill you: both Orthjolf and Vingalmo want the throne, and each sent an underling to steal the Chalice. He then sends you on to Fura Bloodmouth.
Later he gives radiant work: The Hunt (discreetly kill a Dawnguard spy posing as a traveller), Culling the Beast, Protecting the Bloodline (destroy a feral vampire who has joined necromancers) and Destroying the Dawnguard. He worries the hunters will grow bolder now that Auriel’s Bow has been found, so he wants their leaders dead.
After Kindred Judgment, with the castle in your hands, Garan asks whether you would like the blocked passage to the courtyard cleared. Say yes (or that you don’t care) and he removes the rubble. That gives you easy access to the courtyard and the portal to the Soul Cairn.
Personality & relationships
Garan sees himself as above the court’s squabbles. He watched more than enough scheming in House Dres and is tired of it, both back then and now. He is a firm believer in magic and can’t understand why Nords are so attached to their weapons. He can be cutting too: try to bluff knowledge of the Chalice and he tells you it only makes you look foolish. He serves Harkon loyally and clearly approves when the rivals’ plots fail.
Good to know
He is essential if you join the vampires. If you side with the Dawnguard, he stops being essential once the story turns the court against you. In a fight, he likes to remind you that he has survived 400 years.
