Elder Scrolls
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Elder Scrolls
Cheydinhal Fighters Guild

The Cheydinhal Fighters Guildhall, one of the guild headquarters of the Fighters Guild.

For other uses, see Factions.

Factions or guilds are organizations of people with a common goal in Cyrodiil. The Hero of Kvatch can join several of these factions. Upon joining, specific tasks, known as quests can be administered by a higher-up or leading official of the faction.

Most factions have multiple guildhalls or headquarters that remain static for the entire storyline, other factions only have the one headquarters. Each faction has a clear leader, such as Arch-Mage Hannibal Traven for the Mages GuildJauffre as the Grandmaster of the Blades and Sheogorath as the leader of the Court of Madness.

Comparisons with other games[]

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion shares the same three core factions as the previous The Elder Scrolls games: the Thieves Guild, the Fighters Guild, and the Mages Guild. While the religious orders dedicated to the Divines are featured in the game, this time the player cannot join any of them, the only exception being the Knights of the Nine, introduced with the DLC of the same name. There are a number of chivalric military orders that the player is able to join, similar to the Knight Orders of The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall. The Dark Brotherhood was introduced as a joinable faction, replacing in function the Morag Tong from The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind.

Oblivion is the last game in the series to feature the same core factions, as of the three only the Thieves Guild makes an appearance in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. While the player is not able to join the Imperial Legion, the faction is joinable in both the preceding and the succeeding title. The Blades are one of the few factions present in all of the games.

Perks of joining factions[]

Some factions, such as the Knights of the Nine grant a special uniform upon joining which can be worn optionally either to reap the bonuses of the armor or for role-playing aesthetic. More extreme benefits, such as becoming a Pilgrim's Grace can only be achieved by joining factions.

Other factions may provide amenities to the Hero of Kvatch, such as sleeping quarters, containers that never reset for safe item storage, and followers. Once a member attains a certain rank, they can freely take any items from the guild hall.

Certain guild-mates cannot be unlocked as followers unless a given faction is joined. For example, the Mages Guild has two possible followers that can be unlocked. These are Mage Apprentices.

Because guild members can come and go at any hour of the day, joining a faction is wise for vampires, since there will be an abundance of sleeping guild-mates that can be accessed without breaking and entering, trespassing, or sneaking. Additionally, they provide safe havens that can be quickly entered to avoid sustaining Sun Damage.

Expulsion and availability[]

Factions possess some integral rules. Members cannot steal, murder, or attack other members of the guild without risking expulsion, arrest, or the faction's members becoming relentlessly hostile toward the Hero of Kvatch. Some will desist if the bounty is cleared.

While most factions can be joined at any time throughout the main storyline, some factions can only be joined for a limited amount of time or are entirely unavailable upon joining another faction. In the former example, the Blackwood Company can be temporarily aligned during the fighters guild questline, similar to the Hero of Kvatch joining the Mythic Dawn to temporarily advance the questline.

List of factions[]

Joinable[]

Faction Headquarters Leader Conditions
The Blades Cloud Ruler Temple Grandmaster Jauffre Asking Jauffre to join after the quest Weynon Priory
Thieves Guild Dareloth's Basement Gray Fox After the quest May the Best Thief Win
Mages Guild Arcane University Hannibal Traven, Arch-Mage After the quest Join the Mages Guild
Mythic Dawn (temporary) Lake Arrius Caverns Mankar Camoran Only during the quest Dagon Shrine
Fighters Guild Guild halls in all the major cities Guild Master Vilena Donton Head to the main guild halls in either Anvil, Cheydinhal or Chorrol. Speak to the respective head of the guild and join.
Dark Brotherhood Crypt of the Night Mother Night Mother/Black Hand After the quest A Knife in the Dark
Order of the Dragon The Emperor After Completion of the main quest
Order of the Virtuous Blood Seridur's House Seridur After completing Order of the Virtuous Blood
Arena Arena Bloodworks Grand Champion During the quest Arena
Knights of the Nine Priory of the Nine Divine Crusader/Pelinal Whitestrake Exclusive to Knights of the Nine, complete Priory of the Nine
Knights of the Thorn Knights of the Thorn Headquarters Farwil Indarys If Farwil Indarys survives during the Cheydinhal part of Allies for Bruma
Knights of the White Stallion White Stallion Lodge Count Marius Caro After the quest Knights of the White Stallion
Nine Divines Chapels in all the major cities Martin Septim Exclusive to The Elder Scrolls IV: Knights of the Nine, automatically through the Knights of the Nine questline
Blackwood Company (temporary) Blackwood Company Hall Ri'Zakar During the Fighters Guild quest Infiltration
Court of Madness Shivering Isles Sheogorath Exclusive to The Elder Scrolls IV: Shivering Isles, automatically when arriving on the island.

Non-joinable[]

Faction Headquarters Leader
Adventurers of Orsinium Unspecified Gortwog gro-Nagorm
Black Bows Telepe Black Brugo
Blackwater Brigands Unspecified Selene
Crimson Scars Deepscorn Hollow Greywyn Blenwyth
Cult of the Ancestor Moth White-Gold Tower Unspecified
Imperial Legion Imperial Legion Offices Adamus Phillida/Giovanni Civello
Knights of the True Horn Battlehorn Castle Lord Kelvyn
Order of the Black Worm Echo Cave Mannimarco
Elder Council Elder Council Chambers High Chancellor Ocato
Order of Talos Weynon Priory Jauffre
Glenmoril Witches Unspecified Melisande
Drothmeri Army Varsa Baalim Frathen Drothan
Daedric Forces of Destruction Deadlands Mehrunes Dagon
Apostle The Howling Halls Ciirta
Daedric Forces of Madness Shivering Isles Sheogorath
Daedric Forces of Order Realm of Order Jyggalag
Duelists Sickly Bernice's Taphouse Unspecified

Trivia[]

See also[]

Appearances[]

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