Dark Brotherhood (Oblivion)

The Dark Brotherhood is a cult and assassins' guild in The Elder Scrolls game series, including The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall, The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.

Description
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.

The Morag Tong was founded in Morrowind by the Chimer in the First Era. Initially it was a semi-religious means to prevent, with selectively calculated killings, massive internal bloodshed which the Chimer could ill-afford, having been a small faction at the time. Although they were a society of murder, they utilized strict internal laws and an extensive system of checks and balances to ensure that they stayed true to their original intent. Early on in the history of the order, however, a splinter group broke away, composed primarily of sociopaths and sadists who had been wrongfully inducted into the Tong; they would later take to calling themselves the Dark Brotherhood. Abandoning the values and stringent conservatism of their parent organization, they turned completely from their semi-virtuous past and quickly devolved into a death cult. From the original worship of their patron Mephala, they took to worshipping Sithis, the Serpent God of Death, who represents the worst of Daedric aspects. Their patron became Mehrunes Dagon, the Daedra Prince of unmitigated destruction and chaos. Their murders were no longer motivated solely by altruism or even by money, and they frequently abducted innocents whose souls would be sacrificed in Daedric and Necromantic ceremonies.

As the order began to expand, its expenses began to increase, and soon the Dark Brothers took a page from their almost unrecognizable past; they turned to enterprise. Instead of randomly selected victims, the Brotherhood began to conduct secret interviews and make its services available to those with money; before long, a thriving business had sprung up, and the profits allowed the order to afford more manpower and to employ more elaborate schemes. In modern nights, the Brotherhood is one of the most feared organizations in Tamriel, and rightfully so; even other sinister or deadly groups avoid contact with them if at all possible. The Necromancers fear their volatility, preferring a slow and methodical approach to the Dark side of magic. Lawful organizations and even criminal cartels shun them, at least officially, as there are few who would willingly risk association with such practices. Unofficially, however, such high-profile organizations as the Fighters' Guild and even the Imperial Legion make frequent use of the timely and often indispensable commodity they deal. If there is one contemporarily extant group which does not outright loathe the very mention of their name, it is likely the Dunmeri House Telvanni.

The Morag Tong, on the other hand, is now limited to operations within Morrowind Province, as this is the only part of the Empire that recognizes it as a legal guild. As the Dark Brotherhood doesn't trouble itself with legalities, it has spread across the continent. They now have a monopoly across the empire, and often abduct and eliminate Morag Tong members and informants when found outside of Morrowind.

The Five Tenets
A member of the Dark Brotherhood must follow 5 rules known as 'The Five Tenets'. If they break one, they will need to defeat "The Wrath of Sithis" to return to the Dark Brotherhood. The five tenets are:


 * 1) Never dishonour the Night Mother. To do so is to invoke the wrath of Sithis.
 * 2) Never betray the Dark Brotherhood or its secrets. To do so is to invoke the wrath of Sithis.
 * 3) Never disobey or refuse to carry out an order from a Dark Brotherhood superior. To do so is to invoke the wrath of Sithis.
 * 4) Never steal the possession of a Dark Brother or Dark Sister. To do so is to invoke the wrath of Sithis.
 * 5) Never kill a Dark Brother or a Dark Sister. To do so is to invoke the wrath of Sithis.

A number of books are found describing these tenets within the sanctuary.

A member undertaking the Ritual of Purification is not beholden to any of the Five Tenets, and may violate any of the Tenets without invoking the Wrath of Sithis. This might also apply to members holding the ranks of Silencer or above.

Many members of the Brotherhood are also vampires, and feeding on fellow members is not considered illegal within the guild, so long as the one being fed upon is not killed-such would violate rule five.

Sithis the Dread Father
Sithis is referred to as the dread Father and is the patron being of the Dark Brotherhood. According to the Brotherhood's belief, every soul murdered by a Dark Brother or Sister joins Sithis in "The Void". His bride is the Night Mother who serves as grandmistress of the Dark Brotherhood.

Whenever a member breaks one of the five tenets of the Dark Brotherhood, a spirit called the Wrath of Sithis will attack that person in his or her sleep. The Dark Brother or Sister must defeat this ghost in order to gain readmission into the Dark Brotherhood. It is unknown whether this spirit is actually from or related to Sithis, or if it is merely a tool used by the Brotherhood to keep members in line.

The actual, literal truth surrounding Sithis is very difficult for the player to interpret, as virtually everything said about Sithis is allegorical. He has been defined as definitely not a god, but rather, something "else". He has been compared to an extremely cold, cloudless midnight, as well as the state of mind involved in the act of cold-blooded murder. He has been associated with Dagoth Ur of Morrowind, and an in-game book within the video game Daggerfall describes Sithis as a twisted corruption of the concept of the "void", viewed as peaceful, safe, and holy by the High Elves. Due to this high level of ambiguity, it could be postulated that perhaps this is an actual aspect of Sithis. Though he is spoken of as an actual entity, he could, in theory, be merely an anthropomorphic interpretation of unconscious, non-sentient thoughts, emotions, or phenomena, as is the case in certain interpretations of several Hindu deities in the real world. He is also called the "Serpent God of Death", and is associated by some scholars with the constellation of The Serpent. Additionally, some players have noted the similarities between some of his alleged features and the Egyptian demon Apep. It is unknown how or even if Sithis fits in with the religious chaos/order dualism featured throughout The Elder Scrolls.

In the in-game book, "The Definitive Guide to Daedra", Sithis is described as the state of Nothingness before the creation of Nirn. However, Vincente Valtieri,a member of the Dark Brotherhood in the game Oblivion, claims Sithis is 'No Daedra'.

In the book "The Annotated Anuad", it describes a series of events in which creation began. Anu and Padomay were the first "beings", being Stasis, and Change respectively. The book is highly allegorical, though it is possible that it may be literal. In it, Anu creates a perfect, unchanging universe. Padomay, seeing this and hating it, attacks Anu. A fight ensues, and the blood spilled by the two mixed and created the Aedra and Daedra. As, the book is quite ambiguous in itself, being more of a children's story book, it is unknown what actually happened to Padomay and Anu, but many believe that Padomay, who represents change, is also Sithis. This would imply that Sithis is not only NOT the "God of Death" that the Dark Brotherhood so reveres, but is rather the creator of the life of Tamriel as we know it today. This is backed up by the book "Sithis," found in the official "Vile Lair" expansion, which more or less explains that Sithis is the creator of all life. Obviously, this book is a bit biased as it seems to be written by the Brotherhood, but it would seem that this is not far from the truth. Whether or not Sithis/Padomay is an actual entity as opposed to a concept is unknown, but he is revered by human kind, who's philosophy generally sticks with the idea that their own life is a gift, because without Padomay, they would never have existed in the first place. The Elves, on the other hand, seem to despise this idea, seeing it instead as an act of sabotage, with Sithis having stolen the immortality that Anu had bestowed upon his perfect creation.

To put it simply, Sithis is everything that "isn't," or the void, as it is put in the game itself. To describe him as a being may very well be incorrect, due to his nature. Since all of his primary characteristics seem to be in some sense antithetical, it may be more useful simply to avoid rigorously dogmatic pronouncements about him, as many of his own followers seem to do.

The Night Mother
At the real "head" of the Dark Brotherhood hierarchy is the Night Mother, an immortal spirit who is revered and worshipped by the Brotherhood. She is only ever met face-to-face in very exceptional circumstances. When a person prays for the death of another, the Night Mother hears, and passes on the details of the prayer to her Listener. At this point, the Listener informs a Speaker, who then goes to meet the hiring party in order to draw up a contract. It is said that the Night Mother and her children were the first sacrifices to Sithis many years ago, and that she now guides her Listener through the Statue of the Lucky Old Lady in Bravil. Death], the Night Mother is identified with the Daedra Lord Mephala. W

The Black Hand
Beneath the Night Mother are five elite members of the Dark Brotherhood, known as the Black Hand. The Black Hand is made up of four Speakers and one Listener, representing the four fingers and the thumb of the Black Hand. Each of the Speakers gets his/her personal assassin, known as 'Silencers'.

Listener
The Listener is the highest ranked member of the Dark Brotherhood, second only to the Night Mother herself. The Night Mother speaks directly to the Listener, informing him/her of the names and locations of those who have prayed to the Night Mother for a killing to be carried out. The Listener then gives these names to a Speaker.

Speaker
When a Speaker has received a name from the Listener, the Speaker must then seek out that individual to work out the details of the assassination. It is also the responsibility of the Speakers to recruit new members into the Dark Brotherhood.

Silencer
Outside of the Black Hand itself, the rank of Silencer is virtually unknown. Each Speaker has his or her Silencer, a personal elite assassin employed to carry out the Speaker's personal 'business'. The Silencers represent the "talon/nail" ('Lucien Lachance' of Oblivion) of each finger of the Black Hand.

Other ranks
There are five known ranks outside of the Black Hand. Upon entering the Dark Brotherhood, the new recruit has the rank of "Murderer", the lowest of the Brotherhood ranks.


 * Murderer
 * Slayer
 * Eliminator
 * Assassin
 * Executioner (The rank of "Executioner" is shown in the Construction Set for Oblivion, and appears in game when the player is asked to perform a "Purification" ritual. The player is advanced to that rank before the ritual is carried out. It is also listed as the rank between Assassin and Silencer.)

Story
In Oblivion, the player is recruited into the Brotherhood by Lucien Lachance, Speaker of the Black Hand. After a series of assassinations, the player is contacted by Lucien again, who says that the Brotherhood has a traitor in its midst. The player is forced to do a Purification ritual, where the player must kill all of their Brothers and Sisters. Afterwards, the player is given 'Dead Drops' by Lucien, where they must go to a designated location, find the name and location of the target, and the location of the reward and the next orders. However, after killing the eighth target, Lucien appears again, angry at the player. The player learns that the Dead Drops have been swapped, and they have been killing off members of the Black Hand! The most recent member was none other than the Listener. The surviving members, thinking that Lucien is the traitor, is now after him. The player locates the traitor's hideout, and learns that the traitor is a member of the Black Hand. The player goes to the place where Lucien said he would be waiting, only to find him dead. The Black Hand brings the player to the city of Bravil, to the tomb of the Night Mother, in order to restore the Black Hand. However, the traitor reveals himself, kills two members of the Black Hand and/or Silencers, and tries to kill the Night Mother. The player kills the traitor, and is appointed Listener, the highest rank in the Dark Brotherhood.

Recruitment
Two of the Dark Brotherhood's recruitment methods are revealed in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. When a person commits murder in cold blood it is likely that the Dark Brotherhood have been watching from the shadows. The next time the murderer sleeps in a location deemed to be secure, a Speaker will approach the murderer and ask him/her to join the Brotherhood. Secondly, when an Argonian from Black Marsh is born under the sign of the Shadow, he/she is trained by an order known as the "Shadowscales", and pending the end of their training may be recruited by the Dark Brotherhood.

Additionally, the Dark Brotherhood has been known to recruit through proxy. In The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall, when a spate of murders is committed in cold blood and without an arrest, the Brotherhood instigates an investigation. Usually the serial killings must only go on so long as it takes the Brotherhood to discover the identity of the killer, at which point they dispatch a courier with a letter requesting the murder of a specific person. Once this murder has been carried out, another letter is dispatched requesting the secret murder (i.e. a murder which is untraceable) of another specific person. If this is accomplished to satisfaction, the Brotherhood dispatches a third courier to provide contact information.

The Brotherhood in Cyrodiil
In Cyrodiil, at least one sanctuary (a kind of chapter house) of the Brotherhood is known to exist in the City of Cheydinhal. That sanctuary is under the leadership of Speaker Lucien Lachance. Other people of interest there include, listed by rank and name:


 * Executioner Vicente Valtieri, a Breton vampire, and quest-giver
 * Executioner Ocheeva, Argonian Assassin and quest-giver (is the mistress of the Cheydinhal sanctuary
 * Assassin M'raaj-Dar, a Khajiit Mage and merchant
 * Assassin Telaendril, a Bosmer Archer who is often away from the Sanctuary
 * Eliminator Gogron gro-Bolmog, an Orc who prefers direct combat to stealth
 * Assassin Teinaava, an Argonian Rogue who also has a small quest
 * Slayer Antoinetta Marie, a Breton Assassin

Furthermore, it is said that the Count of Cheydinhal, Andel Indarys, is aware of the secret Sanctuary, but that death threats and bribes have kept his mouth shut.

Other Sanctuaries in Cyrodiil
While their locations are never revealed (oddly, since the player may obtain the guildmaster position), it is stated that other Dark Brotherhood sanctuaries exist throughout Cyrodiil, possibly in each town. However, another locale in which the protagonist will travel in the Dark Brotherhood questline is the abandoned Fort Farragut in the Valus Mountains, east of Cheydinhal. It is there that Speaker Lucien Lachance takes up residence. A Bethesda-released plug-in which can be purchased from the official website contains a hideout called "The Vile Lair", also known as "Deepscorn Hollow". It is meant to provide a safe haven for characters that are oriented towards the darker aspects of the game (assassination, vampirism, etc.) The lair is built around "The Crimson Scar", a faction within the Dark Brotherhood glorifying vampirism. This faction strove to glorify vampirism in the Dark Brotherhood, making the disease a membership requirement. This faction was ended when all its members were killed during the second purification. Deepscorn Hollow also contains the only known altar to Sithis in Cyrodiil.

In-game Dark Brotherhood members throughout Cyrodiil beyond Cheydinhal and Fort Farragut include:


 * Ungolim, a Bosmer Assassin and Listener
 * Arquen, an Altmer Assassin and Speaker*
 * Banus Alor, a Dunmer Assassin and Speaker
 * Belisarius Arius, an Imperial Assassin and Speaker*
 * J'Ghasta, a Khajiit Speaker, and apparent practicioner of Ancestor Moth hand-to-hand combat
 * Fafnir, a Nord Assassin
 * Mathieu Bellamont, an Imperial Silencer and Speaker*
 * Alval Uvani, a Dunmer Battlemage and Speaker
 * Havilstein Hoar-Blood, a Nord Assassin and Silencer
 * Shaleez, an Argonian Silencer

* -this Speaker was a Silencer at the beginning of the game, but took the position of Speaker due to a previous Speaker's death.

The Brotherhood in Morrowind
The Brotherhood is also represented in the province of Morrowind. On the island of Vvardenfell, several operatives were scattered around some of the major towns; the local sanctuary was situated in an abandoned Daedric ruin, an appropriate hideout, considering the Brotherhood's sinister character. The headquarters for Morrowind was situated in the ruins of subterranean Old Mournhold, beneath the City of Mournhold, on the mainland.

In the Morrowind expansion Tribunal, Dunmer assassins attempt to kill the player in their sleep, which eventually allows the player to gain access to the city of Mournhold. The attacks continue randomly until the player completes the beginning of the Tribunal questline, regardless of the player's progress in the main quest.

An example of how dangerous the Brotherhood can be is presented by the reaction of others when the player voices their suspicions that they have been targeted by the Brotherhood. The player is simply advised to contact a guard and write their will.