Guilds in Daggerfall

Origin of the Mages Guild, by Salarth

The idea of a collection of Mages, Sorcerors, and assorted Mystics pooling their resources and talents for the purpose of research and public charity was a revolutionary concept in the early years of the 2nd era. The closest organization to what we today know as the Mages Guild was the Psijic Order of the Isle of Artaeum. Magic was something to be learned by individuals, or, at most, in intimate covens; mages were, if not actual hermits, usually quite solitary.

The Psijic Order served the rulers of the Sumurset Isle as counselors, and chose its members by a complex, ritualized method not understood by the common people. Its purposes and goals were likewise unpublished, and its detractors attributed the worst evil as the source of its power. The religion of the old order could be described as ancestor worship, an increasingly unfashionable philosophy in the 2nd Era.

When Vanus Galerion, a Psijic of Artaeum and student of the famed Iachesis, began collecting mages from around öSumurset Isle, he attracted the animosity of all. He was operating out of Firsthold, and there was a common (and not entirely unsensible) attitude that magical experiments should be conducted only in unpopulated areas. Even more shocking, Galerion proposed to make magical items, potions, and even spells available to any member of the general public who could pay. No longer was magic to be limited either to the aristocracy or intelligensia.

Galerion was brought before Iachesis and the King of Firsthold, Rilis XII, and made to state the intentions of the guild he was forming. The fact that Galerion's speech to Rilis and Iachesis was not recorded for posterity is a tragedy, though it does allow the opportunity for historians to amuse one another with lies and persuasions Galerion might have used to found the ubiquitous organization. The charter was approved.

Almost immediately after the guild was formed, the question of security had to be answered. The Isle of Artaeum did not have to have a force of arms to shield it from invaders interested in stealing its treasures -- when the Psijic Order does not wish someone to land on the island, the öisland and all on it become insubstantial. The new Mages Guild had to hire guards. Galerion soon discovered what nobles have known for thousands of years: money alone does not buy loyalty. The knightly Order of the Lamp was formed the following year.

Like a tree from an acorn, the Mages Guild grew branches all over Sumurset Isle and then to the mainland of Tamriel. There are many records of superstitious or sensibly fearful rulers forbidding the Guild in their kingdom, but their heirs or their heirs' heirs recognized the wisdom of allowing the Guild to practice. The Mages Guild was a powerful force in Tamriel, a dangerous foe if a somewhat disinterested ally. There have been only a few rare incidents of the Mages Guild actually becoming involved in local politcal struggles. On these occasions, the Guild's participation has been the ultimate decider in the conflict.

By tradition begun by Vanus Galerion, the Mages Guild as a singular institution is presided over by a council of six Archmagisters. Each guild location is run by a Guildmagister, assisted by a counsel of two, the Master of Incunubula and the Master at Arms. The Master of Incunubula öpresides over a counsel of an additional two mages: the Master of Academia and the Master of the Scrye. The Master at Arms also has a counsel of two: the Master of Initiates and the Palatinus, the leader of the Order of the Lamp.

One need not be a member of the Mages Guild to know that this carefully constructed order is often nothing more than an illusion. As Vanus Galerion himself said bitterly, leaving Tamriel to travel to other lands, "The Guild has become nothing more than an intricate morass of political infighting."

Guild Skills: Alteration, destruction, illusion, mysticism, restoration, thaumaturgy.

Training Skills: Alteration, destruction, illusion, mysticism, restoration, thaumaturgy, mysticism, daedric, dragon, orcish, harpy, spriggan, impish.

Features: Weapon and armour repairs at (10- rank) /10 * normal-cost. Gold rewards for quest are more lucrative, default_reward* (10+rank) /10

How to join: You need at least 22% in one of the GUILD skills.

Guild Skills: Archery, blunt weapon, giantish, long blade, orcish, short blade.

Training Skills: Archery, blunt weapon, giantish, long blade, orcish, short blade, critical strike, swimming, running, jumping.

Features: Weapon and armour repairs at (10- rank) /10 * normal-cost. Gold rewards for quest are more lucrative, default_reward* (10+rank) /10

Confessions of a Thief, by Anonymous

I'm a thief. Now, don't get me wrong. I ain't saying this out of pride, but I ain't ashamed of my occupation neither. Thieves got a perfect right to exist in the Empire. People say we're dishonest. Of course, those people are usually either merchants or priests, which really slays me. Sort of the snake calling the worm legless. Rulers like us. Crime in moderation is good for the economy. The trick is to keep it at a good even pace, with a well timed lull and a minor wave to keep the fat bottoms from becoming compacent. Of course, stupid, but talented thieves will keep stealing, empty their pockets, and steal some more. This ain't good for no one. That's where the guilds come in. A thieves guild is what they call a crime regulator. We protect each other and punish the clumsy and greedy. The kings depend on us to keep the amateurs out of business. Yeah, occasionally, a king will come down on us. I've even seen my Thieves Guildmaster get himself stuck in prison once or twice. Some cohort of mine said her first Guildmaster got himself hanged. Then the Thieves Guild has to get foul on the king, and, let someone who knows tell you, the results ain't pretty. I got into the guild, the way I've seen most thieves do it. It öwas a few years back, when that bully Jagar Tharn was sitting on the throne only everyone thought he was the Emperor. My parents farm turned into eight acres of dust and rock, and they threw me and my brothers out. I was always a skinny thing, but by the time I made it to the closest town, I was a good deal more skinnier. Just cause the town had some dirt that plants could grow on didn't make them that much richer than my folks were. I tried to get all kinds of jobs, but the hungrier and more raggedier I got, the quicker anyone who might have work would kick me out. When the rainy season finally came, it came like a sea, and I didn't have nowhere to stay. Lucky I found the unlocked cellar door. Turns out that the owners of the house slept like old dogs, cause I robbed them blind (and tripped into things like I was the blind one) and they never woke up. I sold all the stuff at a dirty pawners I knew and spent the next two days living like a potentate. Then I got my first visit from the local thieves guild. I remember what the guy looked like, but not exactly what he said. Something like, "Hey, kid, if you want to steal in these parts, you're going to have to join the Guild. Otherwise, I or someone like me is going to break your skinny arms so you can't steal." I've know some people who've refused membership in the Guild and kept on stealing anyhow. I've broken someone of their arms. As for me, this was the first offer I'd had for a career since my pa told me that if I didn't milk the cow, he'd rip my head off. In comparison, this guy at the tavern was almost a gentleman. I agreed right away. Sure, I had to prove my worth to the Guild before I could join and even now. But having two working arms is only part of the benefit. They trained me, taught me, and kept me out of prison. How many other guilds can boast a forgery expert on the premises? So the next time you're calling some swindling merchant or usurious priest a thief, think about it. There is honor among thieves -- I should know.

How to join: Pickpocket 10 townspeople succesfully and then wait some days and the guild will contact you to do a mission for them. If you succed in the mission you are then pronounced member.

Guild Skills: Backstabbing, climbing, lockpicking, pickpocket, short blade, stealth, streetwise.

Training Skills: Backstabbing, climbing, lockpicking, pickpocket, short blade, stealth, streetwise, disguise, swimming, dodging, blunt weapon, jumping.

Features: (Rank + 1) chance out of 20 of bribing a judge (no jail time) for theft crimes only. Training is for members only. Quest are form members only also.

The Brothers of Darkness, by Pellarne Assi

As their name suggests, the Dark Brotherhood has a history shrouded in obfuscation. Their ways are secret to those who are not Brothers of the order (Brothers is the generic term: some of the deadliest of the assassins are female, but they are called Brothers as well). How they continue to exist in shadow, but can be easily found by those desparate enough to pay for their services is not the least of their mysteries. The Dark Brotherhood sprang from a religious order, the Morag Tong, during the Second Era. The Morag Tong were worshippers of the daedra spirit Mephala, who encouraged them to commit ritual murders. In their early years, they were as disorganized as cultists usually are. There was no one to lead the group, and as a group they dared not murder any of any importance. This changed with the rise of the Night Mother. All leaders of the Morag Tong, and then the Dark Brotherhood, have been called the Night Mother. Whether the same woman has commanded the Dark Brotherhood since the second era is unknown. What is believed is that the original Night Mother developed an important belief of the Morag Tong. This first belief is that, while Mephala grows stronger with every murder commited in her name, certain ömurders were better than others. Murders that came from hate pleased Mephala more than murders commited because of greed. Murders of great men and women pleased Mephala more than murders of unknowns. We can approximate the time this belief was adopted with the first known murder commited by the Morag Tong. In the year 324 of the 2nd Era, the Potentate Versidue-Shaie was murdered in his palace in what is today the Elsweyr kingdom of Senchal. In a brash move, the Night Mother announced the identity of the murderers by painting MORAG TONG on the walls in the Potentate's blood. Previous to that time, the Morag Tong existed in relative peace, like a witches coven. Occasionally persecuted, but usually ignored. In a remarkable syncroncity at a time when the Arena was a fractured land, the Morag Tong was outlawed throughout the continent. Every sovereign gave the cult's elimination his highest priority. Nothing more was officially heard of them for a hundred years. It is more difficult to date the era when the Morag Tong re-emerged as the Dark Brotherhood. Assassin guilds have sporadically appeared throughout the history of Tamriel. The first mention of the Dark Brotherhood that I have found is from the journals of the Blood Queen Arlimahera of Hegathe: she spoke of slaying her enemies by her own hand, or, if necessary, "with the help of the Night Mother and her Dark Brotherhood, the secret arsenal my family has employed since my grandfather's time." Arlimahera wrote this in 2E 412, so one can surmise that the Dark Brotherhood had been in existance since at least 360 if her grandfather truly used them. The important distinction between the Dark Brotherhood and the Morag Tong was that the Brotherhood was a business as much as a cult. Rulers and wealthy merchants now used the order as an assassin's guild. The Brotherhood gained the obvious benefits of a profitable enterprise, as well as the secondary benefit that no longer could rulers actively persecute them. They were needed. Even an extremely virtuous leader would be unwise to maltreat the Brotherhood. Not long after Alimahera's journal entry about them was penned came perhaps the most famous series of executions in the history of the Dark Brotherhood. The Colovian Emperor Potentate Savirien-Chorak and every one of his heirs was murdered on one bloody night in Sun's Dawn in 430. Within a fortnight, the Colovian Dynasty crumbled, to the delight of its enemies. For over four hundred years, until the age of Tiber Septim, chaos reigned over Tamriel. Though no comparably impressive executions have been recorded, the Brotherhood must have grown fat with gold during that age. öThe Dark Brotherhood has no shortage of business opportunities -- an accounting, I have been informed, is the Brotherhood's favorite euphemism for execution. While they are officially an unlawful organization in every corner of the Empire, like the Thieves Guild, they are almost universally tolerated.

How to join: Kill 3 townspeople or 15 guards. Then, like the Thieves Guild, wait a while and they will contact you. If you succed their mission you're a brother.

Guild Skills: Short Blade, archery, backstabbing, streetwise, disguise, stealth, climbing, destruction, deadric, critical strike.

Training Skills:Short Blade, archery, backstabbing, streetwise, disguise, stealth, climbing, destruction, deadric, critical strike, swimming, dodging, running.

Features: (Rank + 1) chance out of 20 of bribing a judge (no jail time) for murder. Each rank, reveal one graveyard on the region map. Training is for members only. Quests are for members only.