The Daring Dark Brotherhood of Elder Scrolls Explained

Across Tamriel, many guilds and factions are vying for control of the continent in the name of various gods and ideologies. However, few are as infamous as the Dark Brotherhood guild of assassins. To many players, they are the best example of how the Elder Scrolls series allows players to go down whatever path they want, regardless of villainy.

As befitting their ominous status, they have an equally unsettling backstory and morbid practices. Here is a breakdown of the iconic Dark Brotherhood from The Elder Scrolls series.

The Order

The Dark Brotherhood is a guild of assassins with strongholds across all of Tamriel. Whenever one performs a ritual prayer to the Night Mother, an assassin from the Brotherhood arrives to eliminate whoever they were called to. Their symbol is the "Black Hand," representing the five "speakers" who serve the Listener, the organization's leader.

While The Elder Scrolls has always allowed gamers to play as morally ambiguous characters, the Dark Brotherhood is easily the most unscrupulous joinable faction in the series. Compared to other "assassin's guilds," such as the Brotherhood from Assassin's Creed, these assassins view their duty as more of a business rather than a struggle against oppression.

The Dark Brotherhood also maintains a bitter feud with the Dunmer Morag Tong, servants of Mephala. What separates the Tong is legal sanctioning under Morrowind's government. However, given their shadowy businesses, they have strong ties to the Thieves Guild.

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The Dark Brotherhood's Lore

As with many elements from the series, the Dark Brotherhood's original foundation remains shrouded in mystery. One theory holds that the Brotherhood splintered off from the Morag Tong during the Second Era, while others suspect they were one for the Thieve's Guild. One more disturbing theory was that the god Sithis commanded a Dunmer woman, the original Night Mother, to sacrifice her children to him.

The Dark Brotherhood expanded its global reach throughout the Second and Third Eras. One of their most impressive feats was assassinating Emperor Pelagius Septim, grandson of Tiber Septim. However, the Fourth Era saw the Brotherhood face severe persecution on behalf of governments across Tamriel, waning their influence.

Their Ideology

Religiously, the Brotherhood worships Sithis, the god of the Void. According to legend, Sithis predates the Daedra and Aedra and embodies darkness and death, having stood against the original creator, Anu. Furthermore, the Brotherhood believes that the souls of those they kill are sent to the Void, Sithis' realm.

The Dark Brotherhood is led by the Night Mother, a whithered mummy who only speaks to the guild's leader, aptly named "the Listener." The Brotherhood maintains sanctuaries hidden across Tamriel, each guarded by a black door that asks a grim riddle to those trying to enter.

Despite their lack of ethics, they obey "the Five Tenets," a code of honor. These rules prohibit dishonoring the Night Mother, exposing the order's secrets, disobeying orders, and stealing from or killing another member. While the Dark Brotherhood ostensibly functions as a death cult, they perform "business" with other parties, such as serving the Black-Briar family of Riften.

Their Role Through Elder Scrolls

While the Dark Brotherhood has existed in some form since Arena, it could not be joined until Daggerfall. This was a simpler version, with quests consisting of simple assassinations. In 2016, Online released the Dark Brotherhood DLC, allowing players to join the guild, climb its ranks, and carry out contracts on its behalf.

They had a larger plotline during Oblivion, where players were invited simply by murdering any NPC. However, joining is risky due to the huge threat to your reputation. By the quest's end, Bethesda's writers deconstruct such an organization by showing how hard it would be to manage a guild of conspiring, backstabbing assassins. Furthermore, one quest even has players manipulate a "Whodunnit?" in a mansion.

They were a joinable faction in Skyrim, where players would receive the infamous "We Know" letter featuring their black hand. Without getting into spoilers, the Brotherhood plotline has players going after a shockingly high-profile target. Additionally, players could kill their leader, Astrid, during the opening quest and destroy the order on behalf of the Imperial Guard.

Illuminating the Dark Guild

As shown by their many practices and deeds throughout Tamriel's history, this assassin's guild earned its infamy among Tamriel and its players. Additionally, they have given insights into even the most obscure secrets of the series' cosmology. However, part of what makes this series of RPGs so compelling is the level of freedom players are given. With the sixth game on the horizon, Bethesda has shown many different ways to develop the guild and expand upon its role in the series.

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This article was written by Edward Fargis.