User:Maester mensch/Factions of Tamriel
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This article is about the different factions on the continent of Tamriel featured in the fictional The Elder Scrolls universe created by Bethesda Softworks. The factions listed below play either a major role in the storyline of the Elder Scrolls games or some can be joined by the player character.
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[edit] Thieves' Guild
The Thieves' Guild is a fictional association of petty thieves and criminals. The player can join the thieves' guild an climb up the ranks by undertaking various tasks for prominent guild members. After one has gained enough "experience" a title is granted by the leader of the guild, ultimately leading to obtaining the highest possible rank, Master Thief or in the case of the Cyrodiil thieves guild; Gray Fox.
[edit] Mages' Guild
The Mages' Guild is featured in all the Elder Scrolls games, with prominent roles in Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind and Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. The player can join this guild and be trained in the seven schools of magic available in the game: alchemy, mysticism, restoration, destruction, conjuration, illusion and alteration. Similar to the advancement in the thieves' guild the player character advances through various ranks by doing various tasks (presented as side quests) and favours for prominent guild members to become the leader of the guild.
[edit] Tribunal Temple
The Tribunal Temple is the fictional religion which plays a major role in the story of The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. The religion followers are nearly all Dunmer, a common term for the native people of Morrowind (dark elves) meaning that the religion's spread outside the province is limited. [citation needed]
[edit] Pantheon
The Temple worships the three so-called god-kings of Morrowind. The goddess Almalexia, the warrior-poet Vivec, and Sotha Sil the tinkerer. Together they are called the Tribunal or Tribune ALMSIVI. In addition to the main gods there are also the 'Good Daedra', being Azura, Boethiah and Mephala and the ancestors, who are revered rather than worshipped. [citation needed]
In addition to the God-Kings and Princes there are the so-called saints of the Temple:
- Greater Saints:
- Almalexia the Warden - Healers and Teachers
- Sotha Sil the Magus - Artificers and Wizards
- Vivec the Poet - Artists and Rogues
- Nerevar the Captain - Warriors and Statesmen
- Veloth the Pilgrim - Outcasts and Seekers
- Lesser Saints:
- Felms the Bold - Butchers and Fishmongers
- Llothis the Pious - Tailors and Dyers
- Meris the Peacemaker - Farmers and Laborers
- Roris the Martyr - Furnishers and Caravaners
- Aralor the Penitent - Miners and Tanners
- Delyn the Wise - Glassmakers and Potters
- Olms the Just - Sailors, Chandlers and Clerks
- Rilms the Barefooted - Pilgrims and Beggars
- Seryn the Merciful - Brewers, Bakers and Distillers
Opposed to the Tribunal and the saints are the 'Bad Daedra', called the 'House of Troubles', consisting of Malacath, Mehrunes Dagon, Molag Bal and Sheogorath. [citation needed] The most powerful foe and main antagonist of the The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind storyline is Dagoth Ur. [citation needed]
[edit] Ordinators
The Ordinators are a group of soldier guardsmen who work throughout the province of Morrowind and are dedicated to the Tribunal temple. They are featured prominently in The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, playing a decent role in the events that unfold in the game. [citation needed]
[edit] Buoyant Armigers
The Buoyant Armigers are a group of Tribunal serving guards featured in The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, whose base of operation is the Ghostgate. They guard pilgrims as well as warriors that help keep the blighted creatures from invading Vvardenfell. [citation needed]
[edit] Blades
The Blades are a fictional organization in The Elder Scrolls game series, including The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. They were originally intended to be a fighting team from the province of Elsewyr in the original concept of The Elder Scrolls: Arena, but when Arena's plot and gameplay were reworked to be what it is now, the Blades were adopted instead as the guardians of the Emperor. [citation needed]
The Blades, as an elite group of spies in the service of the Emperor of Tamriel, play a major part in the storyline of both The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. [citation needed]
[edit] Fighters' Guild
The Fighters' Guild is dedicated to combat arts and mercenary business, offering its services for a payment. The player can join the fighters' guild at one of the guild chapters spread across the continent of Tamriel and advance through the ranks by undertaking various side quests.
[edit] Camonna Tong
The Camonna Tong are a crime syndicate in the province of Morrowind and play a major, antagonistic role in the third game of the Elder Scrolls series. Although the Camonna Tong is a guild, it cannot be joined by the player character. [citation needed]
[edit] Morag Tong
frame|left|200px|Morag Tong seal
The Morag Tong is a secret society within the continent of Tamriel, and is based in, and largely operationally restricted to, the Imperial Province of Morrowind. As such the Morang Tong is prominently featured in The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. The name means "Foresters' Guild" in the same way that a forester walks observantly among the trees of the forest, before selecting the appropriate one and cutting it down. [citation needed]
This guild is responsible for contract killings and state endorsed assassinations. After joining the Morang Tong the player receives so-called "Writs of Execution" which represents the various side quests one can undertake for the Morang Tong. Presenting such a a writ to the authorities results in clearing any bounty that might be put on the player's head as a result of a murder, because the Morang Tong, though secret, is a legally sanctioned operation.
Its illegal counterpart is the Dark Brotherhood, a splinter organisation introduced in The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall, featured as a major plot element in the [[The Elder Scrolls III: Tribunal|Tribunal expansion]] of the Morrowind game and also part of the The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion universe.
[edit] Dark Brotherhood
The Dark Brotherhood is a cult and assassins' guild introduced in The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall and subsquently featured in The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. The Dark Brotherhood is a group of assassins and dark wizards who split off from the Morag Tong. They do not follow the customs of the Morag Tong and are illegal throughout the empire. As such when the player joins the Dark Brotherhood and undertakes quests this will likely result in receiving a bounty on ones head as opposed to the government sanctioned killings that can be executed for the Morag Tong.
The Dark Brotherhood is featured prominently in the plot of Tribunal expansion - where the player is visited by Dark Brotherhood assassins during nighttime - and is a, more or less conventional guild in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. The brotherhood's power structure is reminiscent of a cult. The members abide by five core rules called "The Five Tenets", worship Sithis the Dread Father and the Night Mother and take orders from a group of elite members called "The Black Hand". [citation needed]
[edit] Imperial Legion
The Imperial Legion is a hierarchic military organization of the Cyrodiil Empire of Tamriel, inspired by the Roman legions that were the supreme military power of their time. The legion has many forts scattered across the continent of Tamriel, providing a safe haven for the player character. In The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, the player is able join the Legion, perform tasks for them and eventually rise in rank up to the highest one, the "Knight of the Imperial Dragon". While playing heavily into the previous installment of the series, Morrowind's sequel, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion gave the player no opportunity to sign up as a legionnaire. [citation needed]
[edit] Houses of Morrowind
There are six major political organizations, known as the Six Great Dunmer Houses, prominently featured in The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind and some of them are mentioned in The Elder Scrolls III: Oblivion. The houses collectively ruled, or had ruled in the past, over the province and three of them (Redoran, Telvanni and Hlaalu) can be joined by the player character. Much like the procedure common in the guilds of Tamriel, players can advance through a system of ranks and titles, ending in the establishment of a, house specific, stronghold and becoming the leader of a house. [citation needed]
[edit] House Redoran
House Redoran, also known as Great House Redoran, is a battle focussed warrior organisation and is joinable by the player.
[edit] House Telvanni
The Great House Telvanni is an isolationist circle of Wizard-lords who pursue wisdom and mastery in solitude, as such the House Telvanni is a magic centered organisation joinable by the player character.
[edit] House Hlaalu
Great House Hlaalu is one of the Six Great houses focussed on trade and religion. As opposed to many of the other houses they quickly embraced the coming of the Imperial Legion and as such show little respect for the Dunmer traditions, religion and folklore, as well as the other Great Houses. [citation needed]
[edit] House Dagoth
House Dagoth, also known as the Sixth House, is the house of Voryn Dagoth, who later became known as Dagoth Ur and prime antagonist of The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. [citation needed] House Dagoth incorporates the minions of Dagoth Ur known as "Dreamers" and as such is a faction which cannot be joined by the player character.
[edit] House Dres
House Dres is a house which concentrates on agriculture and the slave trade and is located in the south-eastern part of Morrowind. Its influence on Morrowind politics has weakened considerably since Morrowind's surrender to the Tamrielic Empire. [citation needed]
[edit] House Indoril
House Indoril is a staunch supporter of the Tribunal Temple, many of the Temple Ordinators and other Temple heroes are members of this House, this connection has given it a big influence on all political decisions in Morrowind. The great Chimer hero Nerevar was the head of this House during the early First Era. The Nerevarine prophecy revolves around the ancestor of Nerevar. [citation needed]
[edit] House Sotha
House Sotha was one of the minor Houses of Vvardenfell until its destruction by Mehruhnes Dagon in the times of Indoril Nerevar. [citation needed]
[edit] Religious organizations
[edit] Imperial Cult
The Imperial Cult is a religious organization devoted to worshipping the Nine Divines and the Emperor Tiber Septim (Talos). As the Imperials of Morrowind and their architecture are based on the Roman Empire, the Imperial Cult bears many similarities to Roman Catholicism, particularly in the architecture of their temples and their order of clergy (the Emperor of Tamriel could be considered similar to the pope)
[edit] Mythic Dawn
The Mythic Dawn is a daedra worshiping cult that features prominently in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Led by Mankar Camoran, these cultists attempt to destroy Tamriel and allow Mehrunes Dagon, the daedric prince of destruction, to rule it. Until the end of the Third Era Members would identify themselves to one another by code-phrases. One would say "Dawn is breaking." If the one addressed was a fellow cultist, he would respond "Greet the new day." Agents of the Septims eventually learned this code-phrase and used to infiltrate the cult.
[edit] Tribunal Temple
- Main article: Tribunal Temple
The Tribunal Temple is dedicated to the worship of the three god-kings of Morrowind, the goddess Almalexia, the god-poet Vivec, and Sotha Sil The Tinkerer. It is the dominant religion in the province of Morrowind. With their Trinitarial style, veneration of saints, and use of icons and shrines, it would probably most closely resemble Eastern Orthodoxy, if it were to be compared with a real religion.
[edit] Ordinators
- Main article: Ordinators
The Ordinators are a highly trained group of soldier guardsmen who work for the Tribunal Temple. They feature prominently in The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind.
[edit] Buoyant Armigers
Unlike their counterparts, the Ordinators, the Buoyant Armigers do not serve the Tribunal Temple, but answer only to Vivec himself. Also unlike the Ordinators, who are uniformly grave and serious, Buoyant Armigers are typically lighthearted and jovial.
[edit] Knightly Orders
[edit] The Order of the Dragon
Originally founded by Tiber Septim, Champions of Cyrodiil. The Champions are the wearers of Imperial Dragon Armor, which usually only the emperor wears.
[edit] The Knights of the White Stallion
The Knights of the White Stallion is based in and around Leyawiin, the southernmost city of Cyrodiil, and is chartered by the Count of Leyawiin. The organization was founded to help protect the city and its residents from the dangerous Black Bow Bandits. The Count handpicks the members of the order and grants 100 gold for every black bow brought in as a proof of Black Bow members killed.
The player character and an Orc named Mazoga kill Black Brugo, leader of the Black Bow Bandits, during the course of the game. Both are made Knight-Errants of the Order and granted access to White Stallion lodge.
[edit] The Order of the Virtuous Blood
The Order of the Virtuous Blood is dedicated to ridding Tamriel of vampires, and compensates or hires people to hunt them. Their headquarters is in the Temple District of the Imperial City. The group pays a bounty of 250 septims for each vampire killed and membership is open to anyone who promises to help rid Tamriel of vampires. The organization was founded by the vampire Seridur as a ploy to misdirect vampire hunters and to use the group as a weapon against those who might discover his true identity. You have a choice to kill him. If you do in return you will become a member of The Virtuous Blood.
[edit] Order of Diagna
The Order of Diagna's major achievement was leading the siege of Orsinium. In fact their initiation ceremony is reinacting that siege[1]. The most famous member of the Order of Diagna was also the founder of the Imperial City's Arena Gaiden Shinji who died in the siege of Orsinium.
[edit] The Knights of the Thorn
The Knights of the Thorn are a group of knights that supposedly serve the needs of Cheydinhal County in Cyrodiil. In reality this Order has a reputation for doing little more than sitting in taverns and hassling the Cheydinhal Guard. There is only one known instance of The Knights of the Thorn taking part in serious combat: during the Oblivion crisis, Farwil Indarys led them on an expedition into an Oblivion gate. Most of the Order was killed during this mission, and unless the player manages to save Farwil and the other Knight, the only two survivors of the group, they are wiped out by the time the gate is closed. (In the expansion to Oblivion called The Shivering Isles there is another member living in one of the towns.)
[edit] Knights of the Nine
The Knights of the Nine are a group of nine knights in Cyrodiil introduced with Knights of the Nine who have dedicated their lives to retrieve and protect the "Relics of the Crusader;" powerful armor and weapons wielded by the Divine Crusader who defeated the evil Umaril the Unfeathered. However, in the beginning of the quest, it becomes apparent that Umaril has returned and will create chaos unless he is stopped. It is up to the player to retrieve the relics and stop Umaril once and for all.
[edit] Knights of Stendaar
An order of knights who serve in the name of Stendaar. They are often referred to as Paladins of Stendaar. They have many bases, most in temples, in the provinces of High Rock and Hammerfell.
[edit] Other
[edit] Blackwood Company
The Blackwood Company is a mercenary organization featured in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. It was founded by Argonians who where sent back to Black Marsh on an Imperial contract. After unsuccessfully ending the contract, they decided to set up shop in the City of Leyawiin in Cyrodiil. Their headquarters in Leyawiin is located on Guild Plaza, directly opposite of the local Fighters' Guild chapter, further annoying the heads of this ancient Imperial organization. The Company has established itself as the primary competitor to the Fighters' Guild regarding mercenary services, as they are known to take on any contract, even those that the Fighters' Guild refuses. This leads to a hot rivalry that develops between the Fighters' Guild and the Blackwood Company that will expand during the protagonist's journey through the Fighters' Guild questline. The name of the company is possibly a reference to the US military contractor Blackwater USA. There is also the possibility of the name referring to the elite mercenary group in Glen Cook's The Black Company, the mercenary company the Black Band, the Franconian mercenary group The Black Company who fought in the peasant revolt of the 1520's in Germany, or to Sir John Hawkwood's White Company who served many Italian kings in the 14th century. In game, the name is most likely derived from the Blackwood; the name of the wooded area around Leyawiin.
[edit] Twin Lamps
The Twin Lamps are an abolitionist group in Morrowind. The terms of the treaty by which Morrowind was annexed into the tamrielic empire allowed Morrowind to maintain its laws and culture which includes the legality of slavery. While the Imperials frown upon slavery, they are forced by the terms of the treaty to tolerate it within Morrowind. The Twin Lamps, which existed before the Imperials' rule of Morrowind, found aid in the form of the Imperial Thieves' Guild and specifically their leader, Gentleman Jim Stacey, who will often give players missions that aid the Lamps' goals. In addition, if players gain the keys to the slaves' bracers, they can free them, aiding the Twin Lamps significantly.
The player is not directly able to join the faction, but players may stumble across the opportunity to do several freeform quests for members of the guild as they progress through the game. To discover this opportunity the player has to have freed a certain number of slaves from custody. There are several user-made mods for Morrowind which add the Twin Lamps as a fully joinable faction offering a multitude of quests, similar to the standard guilds already in the game.
[edit] East Empire Company
| Company Ranks |
|---|
| Underling |
| Clerk |
| Stewart |
| Fixer |
| Agent |
| Negotiator |
| Officer |
| Deputy |
| Factor |
The East Empire Company is a massive "monopolistic mercantilist" trading company with holdings in many eastern territories of the Cyrodillic Empire, such as Morrowind or Solstheim. It is likely inspired by the real world 'East India Company'. It has a monopoly over trade in the Eastern Provinces, this is primarily due to the fact that the company is chartered (and probably funded) by the Emperor of Tamriel.
A chance to join the Company is provided in Fort Frostmoth on the frozen island of Solstheim in the Bloodmoon expansion of Morrowind. Numerous decisions and challenges await a player who decides to take up the East Empire Company quest.
Many senior ranking officers in the company are seen as corrupt and resented by some people in the provinces who see the businessmen as Imperial fatcats who rob the local natural resources. Otherwise, the East Empire Company does what it can to provide employment and financial stability for the Empire. House Hlaalu has ties with the Caldera Mining Company (an offshoot of the East Empire Company) in the ebony mining town of Caldera due to Hlaalu's acceptance of the Empire.
The East Empire Company has offices in Ebonheart, Caldera, Fort Frostmoth and the new ebony mining colony on Solstheim, Raven Rock. It is headquartered in the Imperial City in Cyrodiil and has large warehouses in the Waterfront District of the city. The East Empire Company may also control the trade of kwama, Telvanni bug musk, mazte, sujamma and other local products of Morrowind as well as imports like flin and Cyrodiilic Brandy. The high price of imports like flin may be attributed to the East Empire Company's complete control on price, due to lack of major competition. One of the possible reasons the East Empire Company flourishes in Morrowind is the legality of slavery in the mines and plantations in the province.
Every company chapter is headed by a Factor who directs and controls the affairs of the company in his area of influence. As a high-ranking official of the company, he has the right to construct an estate on the company premises. For instance, there is a large Factor Estate adjacent to the company's ebony mine in Raven Rock, Solstheim.
[edit] Census and Excise
The Census and Excise is an organisation operated by the Empire in an attempt to manage census counting and for tax/excise purposes. Imperial taxes are based on head counts of citizens; Census and Excise is responsible for both head counts and tax assessment and collection. Census and Excise officers also administer many Imperial licenses, e.g. importation, mercenary company incorporation.
They are typically found in many major ports across Tamriel, such as Seyda Neen in Vvardenfell. This faction is not joinable and has very little representation.
Template:TES-organizations
