Board Thread:Lore Discussion/@comment-97.90.194.178-20131128063853/@comment-5234191-20150111143144

We knew relatively few about the Silver Hand (we even have more refference about the elusive Nightingales than these guys). I have several theory on their existence, tho. I'd like to see what you guys think of them:

1. Silver Hands were originally tomb raiding bandits who use silver weapons to effectively fight the undead draugr and ghosts which become their occupational hazard (looking at their rather quick work in Dustman Cairn). They later make their werewolf-hunting known across the land so the Jarls have a reason to let them be, which secure a safe position for them to commit more banditry.

2. Silver Hands are a loosely organized bandits who have a common goal on fighting against the Companions. The group was formed when several criminal that have common history of surviving raids by the Comoanions agreed to form an alliegance to oppose the mercenaries themselves, as the group bolsters, they eventually have the knowledge of the Beast Blood within the Companions and have been tempering themselves by hunting werewolves since, in hope that one day they could take down the Lycanthrope-infested Companions which have been intercepting criminal operations across the wilds of Skyrim for a long while.

3. Personally I think the most unlikely theory, is that like the ancient Dawnguard, they were a group with noble cause that somehow fell into disorganization and eventually through went rogue. The group became profit oriented and started to do banditry and tomb-raiding to fund themselves for buying silver ores/ingots and other needs, while their hunt for werewolves are now done merely to secure their position in the face of local authority if not for making more money from people who like to buy the spoils of their hunt or hiring them to do the hunting itself.

I wish the next installment of TES would at least provide a book that explains their existence, they're such a potential subject for an intresting lore.