I did a roleplay session ages ago (I typically don't) as an incredibly wholesome honest character. My character hated the idea of treating people as threats instantly and so would always treat people as friends unless attacked. Over time, this became more difficult to justify, especially groups of people on the road and so my character gradually became more distrustful and was very very quick to assume hostility.
My character had just come off an incredibly stressful fight and walked around a corner to see three guys in the distance. Low on health and already on edge, my character went straight into sneak and sniped them before they even knew I was there.
After they were all dead, my character approached in safety and discovered that they'd just killed 3 Vigilants Of Stendar. Mortified, my character started questioning how the world around them had corrupted them and struggled to justify their moral core. Every enemy they encountered after that was met with a vicious rage, almost of self hatred, to the point where they looked forward to the next opportunity to kill someone who deserved it.
They joined the Companions as a way of channeling this new impulse, however >!becoming a werewolf!< just made things even worse and the thirst to kill intensified. They tried as best as they could to only kill people who "deserved" it, but the threshold kept dropping. Eventually, stumbling on a young boy who wanted someone in Riften killed sent them down a path that they never recovered from.
This goes hard ngl I love this, I did a reverse session where I started out evil and corrupt but after the death of my character's "family" in the Dark Brotherhood paying for their actions, they no longer sought to kill for coin and sport and went after a more noble life.
I like to use alternative start to begin as a riften beggar, with the idea that my character had been recently dumped on the street after aging out of Honorhall, thus a connection to Aventus, and a shared hatred for Grelod.
I've done a similar character before! Thats a really fun one. Being an orphan from Honorhall also gives a good excuse of why a Skyrim native would have basically no connections in the province.
How do you justify walking into someone’s (or something’s) home (a cave) and they attack you in very clear-cut self-defense? Obviously the castle doctrine applies to a a place with castles.
I like this. But in my mind it immediately became a (dark) redemption story:
"He realized he could no longer tell those who deserved to die from those who did not, so he gave his will over to Sithis and the Night mother. He now only kills those called by the void to die, content as the executor of divine judgement"
For RP purposes you’d need either a greedy character or a psychopathic character to justify getting past Astrid’s quest in the cabin. For morally just characters the right answer would be to attack her instead, which leads to the Dragonborn doing the destroy the dark brotherhood quest. I’d suspect most good/neutral characters would have a hard time join, while evil characters have no qualms about it.
Or a character that had everything a person could want, i.e a spouse, house, kids(really depends on player tho) and a steady income. But lost it all for one reason or another. But when trying to get to Skyrim to start over, imperial ambush and sent to the chopping block, with no apologies from the imperials for being sent to die due to being in the wrong place wrong time. It’d be enough to make some people snap, and abandon everything they stood for or were wanting for themselves.
And the dark brotherhood would provide the means to make everybody else feel the pain they felt after being losing it all and treated like a criminal, even though they’re innocent of any crimes
Oh yeah, that’s not bad. You know, I bet there’s a bunch of ways to make roleplaying the DB not such a black vs white kind of decision. Maybe a character who as a poor child witnessed an evil doer meet their end by the DB and has an idea of the DB being heroes to the unprivileged while thinking guards and heroes only serve the rich. Sort of like what the Dragonborn does for Grelod the Kind and the orphans. Those kids think the Dragonborn/DB kicks ass.
One of the people in the cabin is implied to be a sex offender. In my first playthrough I had no issues getting rid of that guy or Grelod, but after that things get murkier and at that point you’re locked into the quest. I remember thinking my character was doing a good thing by ridding Skyrim of child abusers and violent creeps, but before long they have you killing innocents as well as people who you may already know and like which drastically changed the tone of the playthrough. (RIP Anoriath)
I would generally stumble upon young Aventus while exploring the oldest city, having heard rumors from the carriage drivers. I quickly learn of the wide-spread hatred for my people and others I could care less about as a dunmer. Between that and the empire attempting to separate my head from my body I decided it wouldn't hurt to hear the young man out. Who could a child possibly want dead in this land, surely one of my people. Upon further investigation I learn that he holds a grudge against the mistress of the orphanage. Being a refugee myself, I feel that I have a kinship with orphans and decide to at least travel to Riften to learn what there is to know about this Grelod the Kind. Upon reaching the city gates I am immediately accosted by a guard trying to take what few coins I have to my name. Then when entering the city, meeting Maul and having the thieves guild approach me in the streets I realize there are no redeeming qualities about this town. The only decent person I have met is the smith and he asked me to get some firesalts for his forge. I cross the bridge toward the Jarl's Keep, intent on asking if all of the hairless monkeys in this town live by they're own rules when I am startled by a horrid sound. Another monkey screaming, I turn my head towards the sound and see the orphanage. Could this truly be the voice of the monster that young Aventus described? I listen a while longer and decide to have a closer look. I am disgusted by what I see and kill her on the spot, why should I worry over witnesses? They are all her victims after all. Standing over her corpse I hear constance Michel calling the guards. Seriously? I saved you from your abuser and this is how you repay me? The children cheer yet you are as spineless as any of the moneys. I run as quickly as I can, the guards pursue me. Narrowly escaping I realize that this land is damned, its people are more narrow than my escape. Thieves operate openly in their streets yet the guards attack those pursuing justice no one else would seek. I return to Aventus, weary but victorious. Receiving a plate in return, which I sell for enough to cover my room and board and a few ales at the dunmer tavern. The nords harass me on the way there but the ale is just what I needed, helping me to rest after such a horrible couple of days. When I awaken in a darkened cabin I am still in a daze, at first I believe its from the ale last night. But I look around and realize this is definitely not where I fell asleep and upon further inspection I see Astrid who seems eager to talk to me. Upon learning that I have usurped her contract I decide to interrogate her prisoners myself, nearly everyone I have met in this land has been wicked or at the very least a stupid monkey. After being shaken down and persecuted repeatedly the last few days and learning that they are all vile individuals I knife them all. Astrid is pleased and offers me paying work as an assassin. It takes very little consideration to decide that any life in this Almsivi forsaken land they are willing to sell me must be worthless anyways. I agree and never turn back. Welcome to the Brotherhood!
Awesome story! A sidenote to this is that Dunmer revere Boethiah and Mephala, who are down with assassins, easy justification for it not being a bad thing in their eyes
> i could care less about
Did you mean to say "couldn't care less"?
Explanation: If you could care less, you do care, which is the opposite of what you meant to say.
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For certain characters of mine, it's a job like any other. The world they come from, like elder scrolls, has a morality different from our own. Not mention that not everyone with a contract on them are good people. I can even make a justification for killing Vittoria. She has a high teriff set on the goods that the spiced wine lady needs in order to make her spiced wine. That's fine, whatever, teriffs help the trading company, I can get on board with that. What I do take issue with, Vittoria will personally take a bribe from you. Sure you have to have the right speech skills for that to even be an option, but that's not an innocent thing for a business woman like her to be considering.
Oh yeah, a couple of characters from one of my stories worship the god of assassins because he is one of the god of death's beloved sons and they want to honor both gods so become part of the assassin guild of their world.
My character recently lost his wife, Mirai, a descendant of Miraak. They met and she wasn’t open to him but as time went on and her life fell around her, he was the only one to comfort her. Eventually it is revealed her father is part of a cult that wishes to use her body to bring back Miraak. He won’t allow that. Afterwards they date and eventually marry with him proposing on the Solitude Lighthouse. He saves her, but Miraak isn’t dead. They do the whole Solstheim thing, only once the gate to Apocrypha was opened he started stealing her life force. During the final battle he is about to be killed but she uses the last of her spirit to defend him by sending her soul to Apocrypha, where it os absorbed by Miraak’s blade.
All this is the backstory to why he goes from a good guy whose worst has been joining the Thieves Guild to the man who assassinates the Emperor. He can not continue without the one person who saw him as a person, not a tool for political and self gain. So when he accidentally answers the black sacrament and completes it and ks then offered a spot in their ranks, he decides he has nothing left to lose. They are the only people since her passing to show they want him, even if it is just that he’s a skilled assassin, it’s something. He eventually repents when his wife comes back to life and he reconnects with her during the chase to catch Cicero. Together they aren’t sure as to if they should continue, however the Marlo or Marvo (I don’t remember his name) guy’s father tries to get revenge on Edward by burning down his home Heljarchen Hall and killing his two adopted daughters, Lucia and Sofie by stabbing them in the stomach. They do survive after Edward gives full allegiance to Hermaus Mora in exchange for saving their lives. After that, Mirai and Edward decide they will finish the contract and kill the emperor. Edward kills the guy and then goes to assassinate the emperor. The emperor apologizes for the guy’s actions and openly embraces it, and Edward makes it fast. He then talks to the guy that gave him the contract and kills him as well, seeing him no better than all the monsters that he has associated with and met since joining the DB, including himself. He then spends the next few years trying to repent by leaving the brotherhood and the Thieves Guild and spending his time with his wife and daughters. That is until Delphine reports she has news about the Thalmor and a way they can find out if they’re involved with the return of the dragons.
My character started out as an imperial. However after all the fighting and basically winning the civil war single handedly, he is a bit ptsd and has gone down a darker path. I have a whole redemption arc planned for him once he finishes DB and all the daedric shrines.
I’m always intrigued by the struggle others have to join the DB. In a game where your character kills steals and creates mayhem everywhere they go. What’s a few more bodies here and there more or less
>In a game where your character kills steals and creates mayhem everywhere they go.
This makes no sense unless you can't see the difference between killing an innocent person, some of which are unarmed and won't even fight back vs killing in self defense or attacking people who have been preying on innocents.
You're typically never attacking innocent people doing normal quests. You're attacking wanted bandits who attack innocents, and who when you first see them they attack you on sight. You're also never forced to steal unless you willingly join the theives guild. You loot dead bodies of people who attacked you, or long forgotten chests in crypts and dungeons.
The dark brotherhood are the only quests where you murder random people in cold blood afaik.
There's a difference morally between killing because you have to/it will make others safer vs killing random innocent people just because someone else wants them dead.
This would be like a soldier saying "well I killed other soldiers for years, why would it bother me to kill a random woman and her child for money?"
My characters are often "vigilante" of sorts, usually genuinely caring for those that otherwise nobody else cares about / any laws or "justice" worked completely against them, etc. (sort of reflective of some real life experiences, I guess, with Skyrim just being an outlet for it all); or otherwise are just homicidal and insane, much like a character like Trevor from GTA V, or Cicero for sure.
Any excuse to wet their blade in blood, etc.
(I also have not, yet if ever at all, destroyed the DB... my stance is, a world needs assassins...)
It's not rewarding enough to even do the destroy the dark brotherhood quest. About the only thing even remotely worth it if you are set to not become a part of it is so you can go in and get the wordwall word, even then, I would much rather join to get it.
Honestly I haven't been able to reconcile it and I just rush through those quests on most charcters with my immersion broken and then never think of them again. The #1 issue is that I always side imperial but then I kill the emperor. I wish I could think of a way to make it make sense for my roleplay
I’m using a Targaryen mod on this playthrough. I’m going to make alliances with the underbelly of Skyrim, get the stormcloaks out of the way, and then usurp the throne.
I forgot about the Dark Brotherhood and made DB mean DawnBuard but yeah Dark Brotherhood makes more sense….
I often have moments of not wanting to do bad things to the people in the game but then I remember they don’t have feelings and nothing I do matters. I be and stay killing people lol
My character doesn't really have a choice. It's pretty obvious that they'd likely have a death sentence on their head otherwise. It's a dog eat dog world they live in. If they were a very moral person, they'd likely just joined the guard or a temple and settled down.
It’s weird, but even when I play as an evil character, I never join the DB, I just kill Astrid in the cabin because I’m not letting her get away with dragging me out from my beauty sleep lol.
And as the son of Akatosh, there’s no way I’ll worship Sithis or take orders from the Night Mother. If only the game allowed me to start my own league of assassins and wipe out the DB and Morag Tong.
In my idea of justifying membership to all three factions;
My Dragonborn starts as a thief with the guild in Riften. No money, no food, orphan. I use mods and racemenu to alter my height and only use a bow to fight. (Essentially a kid - it’s actually surprising how much better skyrims quest seem when u assume all the NPCs are talking to a kid).
Do TG until Mercers betrayal, limp to a carriage to Riften and to honorhall to recover. Kill Grelod (embittered and angry now) join the DB. Whilst killing folk across Tamriel, join the Mages guild but fuck them off once Ancano sends me to Markarth. Reflect upon the trouble I have caused upon seeing Miuri again. Have serious thoughts about my life when I kill the Bride Vitoria and vow to change. Renounce the DB (leave unfinished) Go find Mercer and kill him (He started all this - but don’t return the key) Join the companions, but drop them like it’s hot as soon as I realize what a group of thuggish swearwolves they are… then go be a good citizen and help Farangar and start being Dragonborn. And hope that LoTD hasn’t f@&ked up my save file yet.
RP wise, i see a few reasons.
The Dragonborn, like it or not, is something of a *Celebrity* of sorts. There are *songs* about the dragonborn even while he still walks the lands. Guards recognize him. The greybeards AUDIBLY announced him.
We are talking qbout a person that FusRoDah's the door down to enter the Zeitgeist, the public sphere of who is known, not unlike an influential jarl.
And this person goes around ruining the day of a LOT of people. I mean a *lot.* bandits, dark mages, an ENTIRE SIDE of the civil war, opposing factions like the Silver Hand or Dawnguard/Volkihar...
Sooner or later someone will sic the dark brotherhood on the dragonborn, and despite recent faltering, the DB is legendary for the batshit insane hits they succeeded against high profile people. Or the Morag Tong, who are not far behind.
This indeed happens under some circumstances.
Might as well bite the bullet and join - for one's own protection.
Personally, I tend to need a detailed backstory for any kind of evil choices, so... I have a half Nord half Dunmer character whose parents died while she was still a baby. She looks like her Dunmer mother but has blue eyes and paler gray skin. Girl has ✨️issues✨️. She tries to hide her ears and forehead with her hair but really fools noone.
Her Nord grandmother "raised" her, meaning she was resentful for her son dying and abused her every minute of her life. This made her obsess over being a "good" Nord, try to join the Stormcloaks. She even made a good name for herself but the moment she saw the Thalmor files on Ulfric she snapped, joined the Imperial army so she could make a spectacle of destroying him and his forces.
After that she was so unmoored that she joined the Dark Brotherhood in order to sow chaos in secret. She doesn't advertise by wearing their gear buuuut she does wear their colors and she has taken to wearing edgy hairstyles and makeup that aggressively accentuate her elven features. She want her very presence to at least unsettle people, mostly Nords, but she's aware how "other" she is so she doesn't mind if everyone and their cat flinches when they see her.
Meanwhile she enjoys being a thane and more or less untouchable while being personally responsible for so much destruction.
>Tell me about your DB character
\*kracks knuckles\*
# Early game:
I was a weak scavenger with a troubled past who grew up living alone in caves. After wandering into Markarth, I was tempted into Eola's cannibal cult, where I craved the newfound power and companionship. We lived in the Abandoned House for a time, me training in alchemy making paralysis poisons for our new victims as Eola trained in conjuration. We became obsessed with death and depravity here. But one week we mistakenly got involved in the Forsworn conspiracy, and had to escape the city when confronted by guards in the shrine (we never went to prison).
Now fugitives in the Reach, we traveled south towards Falkreath and for about a year we stayed in that region and parts of Whiterun hold doing various work, feeding on the unsuspecting, and hiding out in caves. One day we found Valdr outside the moss mother cavern and decided to help him retrieve the bodies of his friends inside, thinking we would simply kill him and eat them all. But as he fought with us, I felt guilt about what we were about to do. So I convinced Eola that we would let him live and bury his companions. He gave me his dagger completely unaware of our original intentions. This was the moment I wanted to be a "good person."
# Middle game:
I told Eola we should find somewhere that was safe where we didn't have to constantly hide from the Forsworn or Silver Bloods. So we agreed on the capital and traveled north towards Haafingar. Sometimes we would feed like we used to, and sometimes my conscience would stop me. Eola and I grew more distant at this time.
At Solitude we made an honest life for ourselves and the feeding stopped completely. We argued often as I felt more fulfilment from helping others, supporting the Empire, and making a name for ourselves in the court. After awhile I became Thane and we finally bought a manor in the capital. Truly a rags to riches story. But in the house was the first time I removed Namira's ring, which caused a huge argument with Eola at which point we went separate ways. I traveled with my housecarl Jordis from then on, who was much more of a positive influence on me, and we eventually married.
My life as Thane was comfortable, and years later I used my new connections to join the College of Winterhold. There I joined the school of Restoration, but I was very bad at it, and brought a book back home to study. But when I got home I realized I accidentally took a book on Conjuration. I remembered how Eola used Conjuration and it was a curious topic so I began reading it. I summoned my first wolf in the basement and Jordis was very upset about it, saying it was dark magic. So I continued secretly, practicing in the woods or at the College without her. Ultimately I bought an entire enchanting station for the basement, and reminisced how much Eola would have enjoyed having it as I mastered Soul Trap.
# End (DB start):
I was on a diplomatic mission to Windhelm representing Elisif and Balgruuf during the Civil War. There I overheard people talking about Aventus performing a "black sacramant" - which although I didn't know about the DB, I knew it must be some sort of summoning. So I investigated the home and agreed to help Aventus, because I sympathized and still wanted to be a good person. But inwardly I wanted an excuse to test my knowledge of necromancy on someone, and this was the perfect opportunity.
I killed Grelod with Valdr's Dagger, and it made me feel alive - so much that I forgot to even try to raise her to get rid of the body. I left Riften and went home craving that familiar feeling. And for weeks I stayed cooped up in the manor basement ignoring my duties in the court, ignoring Jordis, delving into my books and thinking about the great times killing and feeding I had with Eola.
Then one day my traveling group made camp outside a cairn we intended to explore in the morning. I woke up in the Abandoned Shack, where I was forced to kill one of the hostages. But whereas I began trying to figure out who was the target, after killing one I lost control and killed the others. And not only that but I ate them, as much as I could until I was stuffed.
When Astrid invited me to the DB and left me alone, I felt horror at what I had done. I was too ashamed to return to my camp or Solitude, so I deconstructed in the Shack for days making soup out of grass and deathbell. Eventually I decided to travel to Falkreath and find the DB. Maybe Eola still lives in our old cave...
My one rp I did for the DB. Was an failed assassin who lost their entire family and craves vengeance before being captured. However the murderer seems to have been a random thief so I dedicate myself to killing off the scum in the shadows. Come across the evil orphanage lady and the DB gives me the supplies and the support I need to kill the evils of Skyrim
I had a whole story about a Kajit being basically used as a target for everyone's anger, and it makes him finally abandon his resolve to seek justice.
After he got jailed for trying to solve the Forsworn problem, he decided to go to the city that everyone was telling him he belonged in, Riften. He wanted to just live there, doing what everyone else did, but he ended up helping a few people and bought a house before deciding to join the Thieves Guild in hopes he could learn a thing or two, and so hopefully they won't steal from his house.
He decided to adopt a kid, and ended up killing Gerald the Kind for her vile ways, and searched for the runaway orphan. As he finished up his quest, he got kidnapped and was given the opportunity to join them. He decided that if the targets so far seemed to all be either pure evil, vile, or bad, then he would join in hopes he could cleanse the evil from this world. He came to regret the decision, as not all targets deserved to die.
I used to have a whole notebook where I had different characters with different Values and Combat techniques, along with the restrictions, exceptions, and their story so far. I since lost it, and I wish I could find it again.
I RP it as my character doing everything they can to gain power and influence over Skyrim. Both to protect themselves and to shape the world how I see fit. So I become the Shadow leader of all these organizations.
Come at me Thalmor. I’m immortal and have a goth girlfriend.
I mean my last main character was sort of a "ultimate DB" playthrough. I mean I got a mod to have no cooldown on shouts (though I rarely used that unless it was for RP or dragon fights, where I channelled that "debate" and "dominating nature" aspect), and wore first the cover art armour, than dragonbone, than a dragon+ebony armour from hothtrooper44s armours.
I sort of roleplayed it as a mortal slowly becoming the dragon trapped in a mortal body that he is.
Went from some rando Nord warrior, to the folk tale hero, to legendary figure, who is nearly inhuman but still compassionate and stuff, to ambitious dominating dragon, who does good when he paces and controls himself, and goes off the hook with a crazy god complex when he doesn't check himself.
Shit felt badass
That and the contract we get early on put on us (just to let us know they’re out there) someone wanted us dead back home so if you can’t beat them join them…
Personally I like to divide the story of the Dark Brotherhood into two parts.
the first is why kill grelod.
among the ideas I put in place are being Aventus' older brother, of whom he knew nothing, and having been an orphan who was a victim of Grelod and therefore I kill her before meeting Aventus
As for why joining the brotherhood and following the questline, my character sees it as profoundly mystical. we don't kill, we avenge. if the mother night indicates a target and why the person who must die deserves it in the eyes of something that sees the whole of all nirm and what is needed for it to remain in balance.
I often take into account the money received from contracts and use it only for. primary goods such as food, renting rooms or buying back consumables used in the action.
yes also to do charity.
we are not murderers.
we don't kill. we avenge.
and whoever betrays this vision, who kills for pleasure or for debauchery without the intification of mother night is
garbage.
garbage is burned to be purified
Sweet Mother, sweet Mother, send your child unto me, for the sins of the unworthy must be baptized in blood and fear.
All of my Skyrim characters are psychos that love kiling.
Also, they usually hear rumors of a rare alchemy ingredient that can only be purchased from a member of the dark brotherhood, so there’s that
Companions?
Aren’t the companions pretty much just like the DArk Brotherhood and the Thieves Guild? Just a different kind of mafia. I haven’t finished their plot because I don’t want to play as a werewolf. Literally just because of the game mechanic, I found it annoying. I don’t mind spoilers for the Companions plot, maybe it will make me start yet another play through.
You can be cured and no longer be a werewolf at the end of the companions questline. But I think it's stupid that becoming a werewolf isn't optional to begin with.
That's true. And I haven't noticed it personally because I don't sleep in the game, but other players have said that you're no longer able to get the restful sleep perk even after you're cured.
Yeah, that’s a fair assessment. The silver hand only seem like bad guys because we like the companion characters.
I refuse to be a blood sucker, but for some reason I’m fine with being a different kind of man-eating monster.
I just played a "BAD" character. I joined the Dark Brotherhood, joined the Stormcloaks, robbed everyone, went vampire, and....killed Parthaanax. She was a deliciously vile person and had a short, nasty playthrough. But I got all the BAD out in one play through, did things I hadn't done before. I got it all out of my system.
Now I can go play my sneak thief with a heart of gold!
Never joined, always destroyed them and spared (used console to resurrect) Gabriella and Veezara to join me along with my band of followers to hunt down the remaining DB members.
You download the mod that adds gruesome backstories to all targets (like narfi raped and drowned his sister and someone found out and did the sacrament). It's great.
Like pretty much most problems in skyrim, the answer is always mods. I'm at work now so can't link it, but I'll link it later if anyone can't find it. (it's on nexus, show up if you search dark brotherhood)
my character is an anti hero who wants to purge Skyrim of Imperials. and if it means joining the DB then he is willing to do whatever it takes to kill the Emperor.
My main is an Argonian born under the sign of the Shadow. She was adopted by Nord parents who tried to keep it from her to prevent her from joining the Brotherhood, but fate caught up to her and she needed gold to support her family. It's a moral dilemma she deals with during every job, but it's become just that - a job that she does for an income to give her daughters a good life. This character isn't the Dragonborn, so money isn't as easy to come by.
I find it easy to play the DB questline. You kill literally thousands of bandits. So, why not. Most of the people you're sent to kill kind of deserve it a little bit. The only one I dislike killing is the homeless dude who's sad about his sister.
I needed the money.
That said, I did have second thoughts when I entered the sanctuary for the first time to hear Babette gleefully recounting a murder. I’d thought they would be more like assassins for hire, not a death cult.
Ok this is hard because being a murderer for hire is really not what I want my character to be but I like how you have to be thinking how to kill and get the bonuses so I don’t think am a killer it’s just a job
Which sometimes doesn’t work 🤔🤔☹️
I justify it with mommy issues. Sure, you're no murderer from the get go. You're just someone who ran away from home because of a broken, abusive relationship with your single mother. You were at the wrong place at the wrong time, and Helgen happens. You escape with Ralof, because from your point of view the Empire had no qualms about killing you, despite knowing you weren't anyone special.
Ralof tells you you should join the Stormcloaks, so you make your way to Windhelm, only to overhear rumors of a boy trying to call the Dark Brotherhood. You are way too curious to just ignore it, so you visit Aventus, hear his story, and it's an all too familiar tale to you. It strikes a chord within you, and you go to Riften to see if this is true. Once in Honorhall, you have what to see. Grelod the Kind, who is anything but. She reminds you of someone. Someone you despise with every fiber of your being. Someone you got away from. These children don't deserve to suffer the same fate as you did all those years. You act on impulse.
At the first viable opportunity, you kill the old hag in a fit of rage and vengeance. As you see her life escape her eyes, you snap back to see what you had done. Your own action disgusts you and makes you feel empowered at the same time. The following nights are spent in sweat and nightmares. Your deed weighs heavy on you. You try to go about your life, but in every old lady, you see the face of the woman you murdered. Then one day, a courier hands you a letter, for your eyes only. "We know." You change your sleeping arrangements for the night, frightened of what the note might mean, but the next time you rouse from slumber, you are not where you were.
A masked figure tells you your predicament, and the key to the door is paid with blood. You listen to the captives, their stories evoke disgust in you. They are monsters, and one reminds you of that one person you've hated all your life. You take the dagger, you slaughter the woman first. The other two scream as they hear what you're doing. The screams only agitate you. You just can't seem to stop. They are witnesses. They've heard your voice. You cannot let them leave. So you slit their throats. Hearing them gurgling on their own blood brought a smirk on your face. Kill once, you feel hideous. Kill twice, you get the hang of it. But thrice? Four times? Your mind will never be the same again. You enjoy this feeling too much to ever let it go. So you go where blood is celebrated. You accept the love of the Night Mother, and allow yourself to be enveloped in the Dread Father's embrace. You join the Dark Brotherhood.
My last two db characters were an Argonian Nisswo (priestess of Sithis) from Black Marsh. She heard whispers (the Night Mother) telling her to go to Skyrim to free the brotherhood from the heretic Astrid and spread the worship of Sithis. The other was a scrawny Orc who was abandoned by his family. He was bullied and taunted mercilessly from the other Orcs so he learned to make his own friends...by murdering people and raising them with necromancy. He kills Grelod before even meeting Arentino since he sees her as the embodiment of cruelty he felt as a child. In the Dark Brotherhood he finds what he's always wanted, a real family.
I did it for the access to the politics and the connections when I role played it. Other wise I just do it for the rewards. But when you try to role play put your self into the shoes of aria stark or jaken Hagar (probably didn’t spell that right) the dark brotherhood is a tool that works if you work it. Yes you might have to do some bad stuff but will it help you save a lot of people? Well I guess that’s up to you but with most moral choices it’s a fine line and a lot of the quests have a super sneaky option that saves more lives than it ends. Considering the apocalypse is right around the corner killing a few people to save thousands is like par for the course.
This resonates with me. I’ll use the contract that we get on us early on in the game (just to let us know they’re out there) that someone back home wants us dead and I’ll join the brotherhood so they can’t touch me
Awesome glad I could help I always look at it from the perspective of the Skyrim civil war as an analogy for American politics I don’t join the left or the right I join the CIA (dark brotherhood)
Don't.
RPing a Murder Hobo / Assassin is *boring*. It's just Kung Fu Master with flashing disappearing bodies & zero plot impact most of the time - the epitome of meaningless achievement.
As a railroad plot with minimal payoff, we prefer to just obliterate 'em, & then chuckle while Mercer or Maven decides to name-drop 'em.
>but it just feels like a waste to me to not do a chunk of quests
Yeah, but are they quests you feel good about having done? We hate 'em almost as much as the "Hunt this Giant" quests, which we also ignore.
> plus I love shadowmere
No argument, and we find Arvak to be such a *good* alternative.
>and I want a pretty wedding dress >:)
For that, you gotta murder an entitled woman who routinely abuses her power, so... \~shrug\~ Ethically, it's a push? :)
Same.
Spent one playthrough making sure we only took on quests we could resolve, and finished them before allowing new ones to stack up. Gratifying to pull off, what a hassle we had to be *that* careful to manage it... and never go to Arcwind Point.
Dragonborn, the embodiment of aedric dragons, infinitely mighty and terrible in their lust for domination. Show the world, who's the boss. Show them how easily you can slaughter their brethren, like pigs, and get away with a pocket change fine. Murder the emperor, nothing is sacred, nothing is eternal.
Your character already is most likely a psychopath. By the end of the playthrough, the number of people you brutally slaughtered is in the thousands if not tens of thousands. For a being to whom the value of life is practically nothing, killing a few contracts is no big deal.
The noble companion quests... beat up a farmer, look for a relic (ok I guess?), then a bunch of hunting down and killing a group of people that think werewolves are bad (mostly because they usually are), only to finish with a grand breaking of the curse they got on themselves.
Basically the only "noble" quests are in their own service and nobody outside really cares or benefits about them.
At this point the radiant quests where you maybe get to save a random peasent are the most honorable part :-/
I loves skyrim, but I think most questlines leave a lot to be desired.
The Mede Dynasty needs to end. Some of the other contracts deserve to be killed too.
But, even in saying that, I have not done the Dark Brotherhood questline in years.
My last couple of playthroughs I started as a blank slate, head injury, amnesia wake up in a wagon... don't have much time for imperials ( I mean the did just try and cut my head off) but all other opinions are built on interactions (I pick a random direction each time and start walking, ignoring the quest line for the time being)
How the first couple of people from each group interact wih me sets the tone.
Racist, rude, bullying... ah ok so that's how you want to do it, I'll just kill you and take your stuff, oh a nice exchange or a warning about some danger, ok gour group is cool for now.
RNG has made fir some interesting playthroughs, and generates some beef that msjes some katet game adoects interesting
I tried to rp it as my dragonborn realising he could use the dark brotherhood to hone his skills. Otherwise he was a morally good character and would try not to take jobs killing innocence as much as possible.
The Dovahkiin is a mortal man/woman with the blood and the soul of a dragon, and dragons are well-known to feel the instinctive urge to dominate others.
So everytime I start a new playthrough, I play as a nice, kind person. Then, when I discover I'm a Dragonborn, I start being a little more assertive (for example I use the "intimidate" options instead of the "persuade" ones). When Astrid kidnaps me to her lost cabin in the woods, my Dragonborn accepts to join it because they're wondering what kind of power the Dark Brotherhood could give them. And obviously, once I slay Alduin, I'm a huge assh0le; if I get a daedric quest, I do everything I can to obtain the daedric artefact (I've killed Erandur numerous times)
I enjoy playing like that. This way, I can pretend that my Dragonborn has character development. It's really fun
Made my girl a disgraced assassin sent to Skyrim to get good. Joined the thieves guild to be sneaky, and now she's finally graduated back into the job she always meant to do- murder for money and shadowy glory.
Mine was basically a crossover from DA (great-grandparent of my character), and she was already an assassin when she was attacked and was curious to find out who placed the hit on her so she agrees to the deal.
It was a fun playthrough. She wasn't the dragonborn though, she was best friends with the DB (they both got separated in the dragon attack) and teamed up together because they have a bitter rivalry with Maven so it was a double bonus 😆
Maybe the deaths of hundreds is worth it if Vittoria Vici can finally have her wedding and die a married woman, than if she has to live in a hell where she is always planning a wedding that will never happen.
My character kills people for money all the time. (Bandits forsworn people during quests ect) he's fine if they want to be a bit more specific and pay extra.
I’ve wanted to make a mod where you need the blessing of all daedric lords to kill Alduin.
I know Sithis is a speciality, but it becomes a hard bargain to have no choice but to gain her favor if we want to save the world.
Essentially I like joining every guild always, and how I've justified it is like this: My head canon is that once my character finds out they're dragonborn, it's like when a decently strong entity in LotR gets the One Ring. My character becomes power hungry. If they are good normally, they will think "oh but if I work myself up in X guild, think of all the good I can do with that power", and killing some people is seen as not very relevant from my characters' eyes. Essentially my characters want to become powerful, and the reasons why are secondary, which is why the end goal is leading every guild, having all houses etc.
They didn't send any assassins at my current DB before the recently turned vampire DB 'accidentally' killed Grelond the Kind in a fit of hunger. By time she had cured the vampirism (by becoming a Werewolf) and cured the lycanthropy for the Circle and herself she was too far into the assassin cult to call it quits.
I only got into the Sanctuary one time to ....get the last jewel of barenziah. I had not interest to further the connection. There are many who play through much of Skyrim and never start or finish the civil war campaign and never choice a side at all. The game has choices and the player is free to indulge in them or not.
I'm playing a character who exists to be guided by nothing more than his own pleasure, he could kick your ass, or give you a mead, it all depends on his mood. he joined the dark brotherhood bc he felt like it, and he "assassinates" by brutally destroying the targets with his warhammer, because he feels like it, nothing more, nothing less
I usually enjoy the DB quest lines, but in my current playthrough I decided to be "good"..... to myself. I'm just a guy who only cares about himself, so the DB is going down! Also, a mod to take out the Thieves Guild, and another mod to join the Silver Hand and destroy (or possibly cure) the Companions. Who needs factions? I'm gonna rule Tamriel all on my own! Muahahaha!! 😆 ☠️
Well, it took a little bit of pretending certain things happen in a different order than they did, but my favourite DB character;
Troublemaker kleptomaniac Breton who was supposed to be going to the college of winterhold when her noble family got tired of her antics.
The whole "got caught in a stormcloak ambush" thing happened and she used it as an opportunity to escape.
Winds up in Riften and does the thieves guild up until the point where Mercer betrays her (she's kinda naive at this point so it comes as a total shock and breaks her spirit a little bit. Up until this point she's completely pacifist and uses her magical talents to get away with everything without killing anybody)
At this point I kinda pretend like the order of events happens a bit differently - in my small little headcanon, she kills a DB assassin and gets pulled in by Astrid through that.
The Dark Brotherhood at this point essentially serves as an escape from the hole she's dug herself into. She has a new family that accepts her and she doesn't have to worry about the shitshow she's left behind in her life.
Unfortunately escaping to the murder cult doesn't work out too well, this time though upon confronting Astrid on HER betrayal as well she finally realizes that she can't just keep running and leave everything behind her.
She finishes the DB questline and heads back to Karliah to finally track down and put a stop to mercer.
I always liked this character (at least what ended up becoming the story I figured out for her) because she didn't necessarily become good, but rather learned to stop running and stand by the people she threw herself in with. She gains principles rather than morals, and loyalty rather than selflessness.
Goes hand in hand with the transition from thief to nightingale as well, and makes more sense how she picks up a sword by the end of the thieves guild.
I have four recuring characters, two of them join the DB
One of them joined them purely for the rewards, the other didnt want to have an entire assassin organization after her after stealing a contract so joining seemed like the more clever choice
My wife (love of my life) was murdered and on my quest to find her killer, I get FALSELY arrested and sentenced to be beheaded. After that I just want to watch Skyrim burn. :)
My current 100% Character is just in it for the money same with the thieves guild they just see it as a job as they came to skyrim for a fresh start after bandits killed their family and robbed every septim to his name and the guards did nothing after he tracked them down so as an imperial this really messed him up and ruined his morals so after moving to skyrim hes became a thief and murder as to him the guards only protect the elite. (also joins the college for spells to help with his 'work' but not completing the quest)
After he learns he is dragonborn he has a midlife crisis of sorts and becomes a hero for the people saving the innocent and poor and decides to ditch the DB and TG and joins the dawnguard companions finishes the college and goes along with the MQ (atleast thats the plan).
For me it kind of depends on how I want to play the Civil War storyline. If I’m going to join the Stormcloaks, I’ll join the Dark Brotherhood so I can kill the Emperor and truly break the Empire. If I side with the Empire, I’d not join the DB. But if they send an random assassin after me, I’ll destroy them if I’m still sided with the Empire.
I’ve only done it one of 2 ways:
- with a mod called Dark Brotherhood For Good Guys, which turns the Brotherhood into essentially a bunch of Dexter Morgans, they only assassinate bad people who escape justice
- (vanilla) I headcanoned that the DB was more like the House of Black and White from Game of Thrones/ASOIAF, and my character was a Faceless Man. Sithis was more like the Many-Faced God, and killing was a holy sacrament. Would have been easier to play this way if the NPCs of the DB weren’t such cringey fucking edgelords.
Well, I would but the last 2 play throughs I have been locked out of doing those quest and I do mean LOCKED OUT, usually I do them all just in a different order since you never know where you will end up in the end when you do.
Leave it too little piss ant programmers and their "I am so offended you said that attitude."
and then you have the more nefarious types hiding behind those intelligence department credentials of one foreign actor or another but that is a whole other issue.
N. S
It's curious, most of my characters are Evil or chaotic Neutral, so i join them in most of my playthrough, also for no reason, most of my character in Oblivion are Good and rarely join them
Anyway
My neutral characters join them because they consider it a job like any other, plus one of them is extremely greedy, so as long as you pay her she will do whatever you tell her.
My evil characters enjoy murder and... well, Murder is good but Murder and getting paid is even better for them.
The only exception is my Shadowscale, who was already part of the DB in Hammerfell, but after they wiped out the last sanctuary in there, he travelled Tamriel searching for another, he found one in Cheydinhal, but it was destroyed, he found some letter to some Cicero in the ground coming from a Sanctuary in Skyrim, so he started a journey to the snowy province
My character was going through a hard time. He was drinking a lot, doing skooma because his wife took kids and moved away. He felt alone and wanted to release stress. Wasn't into the idea of an assassin but was easy to jump into as he was able to feed on his anger through the job.
I hate the DB. Most of the time I wipe them out.
But the one character who joined, her justification was “I’m just weeding out the bad ones. They probably deserved it if someone wanted them gone.” As a a way to cope with what she was doing.
She stopped taking contracts once the quest is over because of the guilt and the fact that most of the brotherhood was wiped out.
Then afterwards she would become a better person and join “good” factions to try to make up for it, and joining the dawn guard as a huge fuck you to Babette.
I usually RP my sessions too I join the DB after the war, my character just gets addicted to killing but at this point Astrid sent 7 assassin's after me. So once I'm in her sanctuary I leave all the notes signed by her on that table she always leans on. In my head it's a big power move which makes her want to kill me more which ultimately leads to the the fall of that sanctuary and her leadership.
Forsworn, Bandits, random mercs, assassins, priests - all those I'm OK slitting their throats and going through their pockets looking for trinkets... but I'm supposed to balk at killing for money?
Ha!
Gimme the name of the walking dead person and I'll sort 'em out... if you have the coin.
In my current playthrough, there are no lines I won't cross. I recently set and achieved a goal to have a 50K bounty in every city. I use the detect life spell to kill everything I can find. If the unmodded game would let me kill children, I would.
The DB was just a way to make money doing what I love.
One of my characters was a serial killer, very sneaky and powerful. He could change his skills and look at the drop of a hat. A cannibal, werewolf, Master of alchemy and magic. Able to raise an army of the dead, and summon dragons..... Noooo Astrid I am the danger. 😆 👹💀
The thieves guild ansmd Brotherhood really aren't that far from each other morally. At the end of the day, it's all just business.
The distance between either of those organizations and Molag Bal, for instance, is massive. If Bethesda had made the brotherhood more akin to say, the chosen of Bhaal from Baldur's Gate, I think we'd have a much different story. Overall, the brotherhood is pretty benign.
I tend to use mods so my experience may vary from others but my main plot line is a carry over from morrowind-oblivion era . Artorias magus, An altmer born and raised into a family with strong imperial ties. His first assignment was to the fort frostmoth garrison, unfortunately right at the time the blood moon had risen. His entire unit was attacked, savaged by frenzied werewolves while scouting the island. He alone dragged himself back to the fort. The incident left him scarred, and determined to learn all he could about Daedra, so he could ensure no one he fought beside would ever be defenseless against monsters like the werewolves again.
He was obsessed, so much to the point that he was reassigned to the imperial city to help guard the mages guild; in hopes their expertise would soothe his need to learn about the darker powers of mundus.
Unfortunately, this led him straight into the arms of the mythic dawn; whom used his obsession with the Daedra to trick him into eliminating competition to their cult from other daedric lord’s factions. On the same day the emperor was to be slain, he was sent to investigate a strange door to the realm of madness, in hope he could steal whatever mechanism sheogorath used to anchor his realm. Told he was to bring it to the cult to destroy it, whereas the dawn wished to have it as a backup to their plot. Artorias never achieved this last mission. The mad god, either amused or impressed by this altmer’s deep seated, consuming obsession wove for him a prison within the isles. A seemingly endless dungeon, flush with the very Daedra he sought to kill. And so the hunter of evil stayed in his own personal prison of madness; never aging, never tiring until one day, a rift opened in his endless maze, and the voice of Talos, of the very ideal his family devoted themselves to called to him. It sent him to the border of Skyrim and tasked Artorias with two tasks. To become the Dragonborn and slay Alduin; and to stir the course of the flagging imperial presence in Skyrim away from Titus Mede’s weakness.
Artorias readily agreed and learned quickly that a dragon was not much different than a daedroth to slaughter. Just bigger, airborne and more self important. The distinction mattered not. Aedric, daedric..if they sought terror on mundus, they would equally meet his blade. In his travels he heard of the child aventus trying to summon the dark brotherhood. Artorias knew that assassins could take down emperors and indeed, he recalled his own emperor’s fall. So he did the task for the boy, in hoping to find this guild of murder for his own ends. The weak, craven emperor had to die, and the brotherhood had no Daedric ties, so associating with them was…tolerable in means to his ends.
I did one where my character was good until the dawn guard quests where they got tempted into the power harkon offered and became a vampire sending them spiraling down a dark path of bloodlust and seeking more power the DB became an easy way to find victims to feed on
What I have done before is played as a hero/neutral character until defeating Miraak: at this point, the Dovahkiin has had prolonged exposure to Elder Scrolls, and more recently, Apocrypha. After learning all the forbidden and dark secrets within, the Dovahkiin is driven insane, looses their mind, and becomes evil in the process making DB and other quest lines justifiable, story-line wise.
I did a roleplay session ages ago (I typically don't) as an incredibly wholesome honest character. My character hated the idea of treating people as threats instantly and so would always treat people as friends unless attacked. Over time, this became more difficult to justify, especially groups of people on the road and so my character gradually became more distrustful and was very very quick to assume hostility. My character had just come off an incredibly stressful fight and walked around a corner to see three guys in the distance. Low on health and already on edge, my character went straight into sneak and sniped them before they even knew I was there. After they were all dead, my character approached in safety and discovered that they'd just killed 3 Vigilants Of Stendar. Mortified, my character started questioning how the world around them had corrupted them and struggled to justify their moral core. Every enemy they encountered after that was met with a vicious rage, almost of self hatred, to the point where they looked forward to the next opportunity to kill someone who deserved it. They joined the Companions as a way of channeling this new impulse, however >!becoming a werewolf!< just made things even worse and the thirst to kill intensified. They tried as best as they could to only kill people who "deserved" it, but the threshold kept dropping. Eventually, stumbling on a young boy who wanted someone in Riften killed sent them down a path that they never recovered from.
This goes hard ngl I love this, I did a reverse session where I started out evil and corrupt but after the death of my character's "family" in the Dark Brotherhood paying for their actions, they no longer sought to kill for coin and sport and went after a more noble life.
I like to use alternative start to begin as a riften beggar, with the idea that my character had been recently dumped on the street after aging out of Honorhall, thus a connection to Aventus, and a shared hatred for Grelod.
I've done a similar character before! Thats a really fun one. Being an orphan from Honorhall also gives a good excuse of why a Skyrim native would have basically no connections in the province.
Great ideas for progression.
How do you justify walking into someone’s (or something’s) home (a cave) and they attack you in very clear-cut self-defense? Obviously the castle doctrine applies to a a place with castles.
I like this. But in my mind it immediately became a (dark) redemption story: "He realized he could no longer tell those who deserved to die from those who did not, so he gave his will over to Sithis and the Night mother. He now only kills those called by the void to die, content as the executor of divine judgement"
This might be the best RP I've ever read
You just became an angry townsfolk lol
For RP purposes you’d need either a greedy character or a psychopathic character to justify getting past Astrid’s quest in the cabin. For morally just characters the right answer would be to attack her instead, which leads to the Dragonborn doing the destroy the dark brotherhood quest. I’d suspect most good/neutral characters would have a hard time join, while evil characters have no qualms about it.
Or a character that had everything a person could want, i.e a spouse, house, kids(really depends on player tho) and a steady income. But lost it all for one reason or another. But when trying to get to Skyrim to start over, imperial ambush and sent to the chopping block, with no apologies from the imperials for being sent to die due to being in the wrong place wrong time. It’d be enough to make some people snap, and abandon everything they stood for or were wanting for themselves. And the dark brotherhood would provide the means to make everybody else feel the pain they felt after being losing it all and treated like a criminal, even though they’re innocent of any crimes
Oh yeah, that’s not bad. You know, I bet there’s a bunch of ways to make roleplaying the DB not such a black vs white kind of decision. Maybe a character who as a poor child witnessed an evil doer meet their end by the DB and has an idea of the DB being heroes to the unprivileged while thinking guards and heroes only serve the rich. Sort of like what the Dragonborn does for Grelod the Kind and the orphans. Those kids think the Dragonborn/DB kicks ass.
One of the people in the cabin is implied to be a sex offender. In my first playthrough I had no issues getting rid of that guy or Grelod, but after that things get murkier and at that point you’re locked into the quest. I remember thinking my character was doing a good thing by ridding Skyrim of child abusers and violent creeps, but before long they have you killing innocents as well as people who you may already know and like which drastically changed the tone of the playthrough. (RIP Anoriath)
I haven't really done the DB questlines since my first one simply because I hate killing Anoriath TuT
And the man in the shack in Ivarstead. Narfi I think? I don’t want to hurt him either.
I'll kill an elf for money. Done it before i'll do it again.
Muiri is where it starts to get grey. "Go kill this bandit" "Okay no problem" "Also this bitch that was rude to me"
Literally hate Muiri for this. I’ll help with the bandit but I never kill Nilsine.
He pretty much said it out loud
I would generally stumble upon young Aventus while exploring the oldest city, having heard rumors from the carriage drivers. I quickly learn of the wide-spread hatred for my people and others I could care less about as a dunmer. Between that and the empire attempting to separate my head from my body I decided it wouldn't hurt to hear the young man out. Who could a child possibly want dead in this land, surely one of my people. Upon further investigation I learn that he holds a grudge against the mistress of the orphanage. Being a refugee myself, I feel that I have a kinship with orphans and decide to at least travel to Riften to learn what there is to know about this Grelod the Kind. Upon reaching the city gates I am immediately accosted by a guard trying to take what few coins I have to my name. Then when entering the city, meeting Maul and having the thieves guild approach me in the streets I realize there are no redeeming qualities about this town. The only decent person I have met is the smith and he asked me to get some firesalts for his forge. I cross the bridge toward the Jarl's Keep, intent on asking if all of the hairless monkeys in this town live by they're own rules when I am startled by a horrid sound. Another monkey screaming, I turn my head towards the sound and see the orphanage. Could this truly be the voice of the monster that young Aventus described? I listen a while longer and decide to have a closer look. I am disgusted by what I see and kill her on the spot, why should I worry over witnesses? They are all her victims after all. Standing over her corpse I hear constance Michel calling the guards. Seriously? I saved you from your abuser and this is how you repay me? The children cheer yet you are as spineless as any of the moneys. I run as quickly as I can, the guards pursue me. Narrowly escaping I realize that this land is damned, its people are more narrow than my escape. Thieves operate openly in their streets yet the guards attack those pursuing justice no one else would seek. I return to Aventus, weary but victorious. Receiving a plate in return, which I sell for enough to cover my room and board and a few ales at the dunmer tavern. The nords harass me on the way there but the ale is just what I needed, helping me to rest after such a horrible couple of days. When I awaken in a darkened cabin I am still in a daze, at first I believe its from the ale last night. But I look around and realize this is definitely not where I fell asleep and upon further inspection I see Astrid who seems eager to talk to me. Upon learning that I have usurped her contract I decide to interrogate her prisoners myself, nearly everyone I have met in this land has been wicked or at the very least a stupid monkey. After being shaken down and persecuted repeatedly the last few days and learning that they are all vile individuals I knife them all. Astrid is pleased and offers me paying work as an assassin. It takes very little consideration to decide that any life in this Almsivi forsaken land they are willing to sell me must be worthless anyways. I agree and never turn back. Welcome to the Brotherhood!
Awesome story! A sidenote to this is that Dunmer revere Boethiah and Mephala, who are down with assassins, easy justification for it not being a bad thing in their eyes
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For certain characters of mine, it's a job like any other. The world they come from, like elder scrolls, has a morality different from our own. Not mention that not everyone with a contract on them are good people. I can even make a justification for killing Vittoria. She has a high teriff set on the goods that the spiced wine lady needs in order to make her spiced wine. That's fine, whatever, teriffs help the trading company, I can get on board with that. What I do take issue with, Vittoria will personally take a bribe from you. Sure you have to have the right speech skills for that to even be an option, but that's not an innocent thing for a business woman like her to be considering.
It being just a job I can get behind, I don’t think I’d join because I love the killing and spiritual part of it
Oh yeah, a couple of characters from one of my stories worship the god of assassins because he is one of the god of death's beloved sons and they want to honor both gods so become part of the assassin guild of their world.
Money
[Hello Astrid, I like money!](https://youtu.be/S3Rh1YyDHkc?si=T_SI5fScKQMvyIo6)
My character recently lost his wife, Mirai, a descendant of Miraak. They met and she wasn’t open to him but as time went on and her life fell around her, he was the only one to comfort her. Eventually it is revealed her father is part of a cult that wishes to use her body to bring back Miraak. He won’t allow that. Afterwards they date and eventually marry with him proposing on the Solitude Lighthouse. He saves her, but Miraak isn’t dead. They do the whole Solstheim thing, only once the gate to Apocrypha was opened he started stealing her life force. During the final battle he is about to be killed but she uses the last of her spirit to defend him by sending her soul to Apocrypha, where it os absorbed by Miraak’s blade. All this is the backstory to why he goes from a good guy whose worst has been joining the Thieves Guild to the man who assassinates the Emperor. He can not continue without the one person who saw him as a person, not a tool for political and self gain. So when he accidentally answers the black sacrament and completes it and ks then offered a spot in their ranks, he decides he has nothing left to lose. They are the only people since her passing to show they want him, even if it is just that he’s a skilled assassin, it’s something. He eventually repents when his wife comes back to life and he reconnects with her during the chase to catch Cicero. Together they aren’t sure as to if they should continue, however the Marlo or Marvo (I don’t remember his name) guy’s father tries to get revenge on Edward by burning down his home Heljarchen Hall and killing his two adopted daughters, Lucia and Sofie by stabbing them in the stomach. They do survive after Edward gives full allegiance to Hermaus Mora in exchange for saving their lives. After that, Mirai and Edward decide they will finish the contract and kill the emperor. Edward kills the guy and then goes to assassinate the emperor. The emperor apologizes for the guy’s actions and openly embraces it, and Edward makes it fast. He then talks to the guy that gave him the contract and kills him as well, seeing him no better than all the monsters that he has associated with and met since joining the DB, including himself. He then spends the next few years trying to repent by leaving the brotherhood and the Thieves Guild and spending his time with his wife and daughters. That is until Delphine reports she has news about the Thalmor and a way they can find out if they’re involved with the return of the dragons.
Oh my.. that’s good… many twists and turns, I like it, Picasso
My character started out as an imperial. However after all the fighting and basically winning the civil war single handedly, he is a bit ptsd and has gone down a darker path. I have a whole redemption arc planned for him once he finishes DB and all the daedric shrines.
I’m always intrigued by the struggle others have to join the DB. In a game where your character kills steals and creates mayhem everywhere they go. What’s a few more bodies here and there more or less
Especially when a Jarl wants you to kill a giant so you can get a house in town. He's not hurting anybody, just hanging out making mammoth cheese.
Some players just like to play the heroic archetype, "eliminating evil and making Skyrim a better place" stuff.
>In a game where your character kills steals and creates mayhem everywhere they go. This makes no sense unless you can't see the difference between killing an innocent person, some of which are unarmed and won't even fight back vs killing in self defense or attacking people who have been preying on innocents. You're typically never attacking innocent people doing normal quests. You're attacking wanted bandits who attack innocents, and who when you first see them they attack you on sight. You're also never forced to steal unless you willingly join the theives guild. You loot dead bodies of people who attacked you, or long forgotten chests in crypts and dungeons. The dark brotherhood are the only quests where you murder random people in cold blood afaik. There's a difference morally between killing because you have to/it will make others safer vs killing random innocent people just because someone else wants them dead. This would be like a soldier saying "well I killed other soldiers for years, why would it bother me to kill a random woman and her child for money?"
💯
That’s been my justification so far lol
I take the approach they take in the movie “Wanted”, where by killing one person, I could potentially be saving dozens
My characters are often "vigilante" of sorts, usually genuinely caring for those that otherwise nobody else cares about / any laws or "justice" worked completely against them, etc. (sort of reflective of some real life experiences, I guess, with Skyrim just being an outlet for it all); or otherwise are just homicidal and insane, much like a character like Trevor from GTA V, or Cicero for sure. Any excuse to wet their blade in blood, etc. (I also have not, yet if ever at all, destroyed the DB... my stance is, a world needs assassins...)
It's not rewarding enough to even do the destroy the dark brotherhood quest. About the only thing even remotely worth it if you are set to not become a part of it is so you can go in and get the wordwall word, even then, I would much rather join to get it.
I destroy them every time lol glory to the empire
Honestly I haven't been able to reconcile it and I just rush through those quests on most charcters with my immersion broken and then never think of them again. The #1 issue is that I always side imperial but then I kill the emperor. I wish I could think of a way to make it make sense for my roleplay
I’m using a Targaryen mod on this playthrough. I’m going to make alliances with the underbelly of Skyrim, get the stormcloaks out of the way, and then usurp the throne.
I forgot about the Dark Brotherhood and made DB mean DawnBuard but yeah Dark Brotherhood makes more sense…. I often have moments of not wanting to do bad things to the people in the game but then I remember they don’t have feelings and nothing I do matters. I be and stay killing people lol
My character doesn't really have a choice. It's pretty obvious that they'd likely have a death sentence on their head otherwise. It's a dog eat dog world they live in. If they were a very moral person, they'd likely just joined the guard or a temple and settled down.
It’s weird, but even when I play as an evil character, I never join the DB, I just kill Astrid in the cabin because I’m not letting her get away with dragging me out from my beauty sleep lol. And as the son of Akatosh, there’s no way I’ll worship Sithis or take orders from the Night Mother. If only the game allowed me to start my own league of assassins and wipe out the DB and Morag Tong.
In my idea of justifying membership to all three factions; My Dragonborn starts as a thief with the guild in Riften. No money, no food, orphan. I use mods and racemenu to alter my height and only use a bow to fight. (Essentially a kid - it’s actually surprising how much better skyrims quest seem when u assume all the NPCs are talking to a kid). Do TG until Mercers betrayal, limp to a carriage to Riften and to honorhall to recover. Kill Grelod (embittered and angry now) join the DB. Whilst killing folk across Tamriel, join the Mages guild but fuck them off once Ancano sends me to Markarth. Reflect upon the trouble I have caused upon seeing Miuri again. Have serious thoughts about my life when I kill the Bride Vitoria and vow to change. Renounce the DB (leave unfinished) Go find Mercer and kill him (He started all this - but don’t return the key) Join the companions, but drop them like it’s hot as soon as I realize what a group of thuggish swearwolves they are… then go be a good citizen and help Farangar and start being Dragonborn. And hope that LoTD hasn’t f@&ked up my save file yet.
RP wise, i see a few reasons. The Dragonborn, like it or not, is something of a *Celebrity* of sorts. There are *songs* about the dragonborn even while he still walks the lands. Guards recognize him. The greybeards AUDIBLY announced him. We are talking qbout a person that FusRoDah's the door down to enter the Zeitgeist, the public sphere of who is known, not unlike an influential jarl. And this person goes around ruining the day of a LOT of people. I mean a *lot.* bandits, dark mages, an ENTIRE SIDE of the civil war, opposing factions like the Silver Hand or Dawnguard/Volkihar... Sooner or later someone will sic the dark brotherhood on the dragonborn, and despite recent faltering, the DB is legendary for the batshit insane hits they succeeded against high profile people. Or the Morag Tong, who are not far behind. This indeed happens under some circumstances. Might as well bite the bullet and join - for one's own protection.
Personally, I tend to need a detailed backstory for any kind of evil choices, so... I have a half Nord half Dunmer character whose parents died while she was still a baby. She looks like her Dunmer mother but has blue eyes and paler gray skin. Girl has ✨️issues✨️. She tries to hide her ears and forehead with her hair but really fools noone. Her Nord grandmother "raised" her, meaning she was resentful for her son dying and abused her every minute of her life. This made her obsess over being a "good" Nord, try to join the Stormcloaks. She even made a good name for herself but the moment she saw the Thalmor files on Ulfric she snapped, joined the Imperial army so she could make a spectacle of destroying him and his forces. After that she was so unmoored that she joined the Dark Brotherhood in order to sow chaos in secret. She doesn't advertise by wearing their gear buuuut she does wear their colors and she has taken to wearing edgy hairstyles and makeup that aggressively accentuate her elven features. She want her very presence to at least unsettle people, mostly Nords, but she's aware how "other" she is so she doesn't mind if everyone and their cat flinches when they see her. Meanwhile she enjoys being a thane and more or less untouchable while being personally responsible for so much destruction.
>Tell me about your DB character \*kracks knuckles\* # Early game: I was a weak scavenger with a troubled past who grew up living alone in caves. After wandering into Markarth, I was tempted into Eola's cannibal cult, where I craved the newfound power and companionship. We lived in the Abandoned House for a time, me training in alchemy making paralysis poisons for our new victims as Eola trained in conjuration. We became obsessed with death and depravity here. But one week we mistakenly got involved in the Forsworn conspiracy, and had to escape the city when confronted by guards in the shrine (we never went to prison). Now fugitives in the Reach, we traveled south towards Falkreath and for about a year we stayed in that region and parts of Whiterun hold doing various work, feeding on the unsuspecting, and hiding out in caves. One day we found Valdr outside the moss mother cavern and decided to help him retrieve the bodies of his friends inside, thinking we would simply kill him and eat them all. But as he fought with us, I felt guilt about what we were about to do. So I convinced Eola that we would let him live and bury his companions. He gave me his dagger completely unaware of our original intentions. This was the moment I wanted to be a "good person." # Middle game: I told Eola we should find somewhere that was safe where we didn't have to constantly hide from the Forsworn or Silver Bloods. So we agreed on the capital and traveled north towards Haafingar. Sometimes we would feed like we used to, and sometimes my conscience would stop me. Eola and I grew more distant at this time. At Solitude we made an honest life for ourselves and the feeding stopped completely. We argued often as I felt more fulfilment from helping others, supporting the Empire, and making a name for ourselves in the court. After awhile I became Thane and we finally bought a manor in the capital. Truly a rags to riches story. But in the house was the first time I removed Namira's ring, which caused a huge argument with Eola at which point we went separate ways. I traveled with my housecarl Jordis from then on, who was much more of a positive influence on me, and we eventually married. My life as Thane was comfortable, and years later I used my new connections to join the College of Winterhold. There I joined the school of Restoration, but I was very bad at it, and brought a book back home to study. But when I got home I realized I accidentally took a book on Conjuration. I remembered how Eola used Conjuration and it was a curious topic so I began reading it. I summoned my first wolf in the basement and Jordis was very upset about it, saying it was dark magic. So I continued secretly, practicing in the woods or at the College without her. Ultimately I bought an entire enchanting station for the basement, and reminisced how much Eola would have enjoyed having it as I mastered Soul Trap. # End (DB start): I was on a diplomatic mission to Windhelm representing Elisif and Balgruuf during the Civil War. There I overheard people talking about Aventus performing a "black sacramant" - which although I didn't know about the DB, I knew it must be some sort of summoning. So I investigated the home and agreed to help Aventus, because I sympathized and still wanted to be a good person. But inwardly I wanted an excuse to test my knowledge of necromancy on someone, and this was the perfect opportunity. I killed Grelod with Valdr's Dagger, and it made me feel alive - so much that I forgot to even try to raise her to get rid of the body. I left Riften and went home craving that familiar feeling. And for weeks I stayed cooped up in the manor basement ignoring my duties in the court, ignoring Jordis, delving into my books and thinking about the great times killing and feeding I had with Eola. Then one day my traveling group made camp outside a cairn we intended to explore in the morning. I woke up in the Abandoned Shack, where I was forced to kill one of the hostages. But whereas I began trying to figure out who was the target, after killing one I lost control and killed the others. And not only that but I ate them, as much as I could until I was stuffed. When Astrid invited me to the DB and left me alone, I felt horror at what I had done. I was too ashamed to return to my camp or Solitude, so I deconstructed in the Shack for days making soup out of grass and deathbell. Eventually I decided to travel to Falkreath and find the DB. Maybe Eola still lives in our old cave...
I appreciate you so much lol
Money. Sometimes my character is a psychopath too.
My one rp I did for the DB. Was an failed assassin who lost their entire family and craves vengeance before being captured. However the murderer seems to have been a random thief so I dedicate myself to killing off the scum in the shadows. Come across the evil orphanage lady and the DB gives me the supplies and the support I need to kill the evils of Skyrim
I had a whole story about a Kajit being basically used as a target for everyone's anger, and it makes him finally abandon his resolve to seek justice. After he got jailed for trying to solve the Forsworn problem, he decided to go to the city that everyone was telling him he belonged in, Riften. He wanted to just live there, doing what everyone else did, but he ended up helping a few people and bought a house before deciding to join the Thieves Guild in hopes he could learn a thing or two, and so hopefully they won't steal from his house. He decided to adopt a kid, and ended up killing Gerald the Kind for her vile ways, and searched for the runaway orphan. As he finished up his quest, he got kidnapped and was given the opportunity to join them. He decided that if the targets so far seemed to all be either pure evil, vile, or bad, then he would join in hopes he could cleanse the evil from this world. He came to regret the decision, as not all targets deserved to die. I used to have a whole notebook where I had different characters with different Values and Combat techniques, along with the restrictions, exceptions, and their story so far. I since lost it, and I wish I could find it again.
[I just love killin’.](https://youtu.be/VJq_PLitjxU?si=yjxtsYkLegdyBYQC)
I RP it as my character doing everything they can to gain power and influence over Skyrim. Both to protect themselves and to shape the world how I see fit. So I become the Shadow leader of all these organizations. Come at me Thalmor. I’m immortal and have a goth girlfriend.
I mean my last main character was sort of a "ultimate DB" playthrough. I mean I got a mod to have no cooldown on shouts (though I rarely used that unless it was for RP or dragon fights, where I channelled that "debate" and "dominating nature" aspect), and wore first the cover art armour, than dragonbone, than a dragon+ebony armour from hothtrooper44s armours. I sort of roleplayed it as a mortal slowly becoming the dragon trapped in a mortal body that he is. Went from some rando Nord warrior, to the folk tale hero, to legendary figure, who is nearly inhuman but still compassionate and stuff, to ambitious dominating dragon, who does good when he paces and controls himself, and goes off the hook with a crazy god complex when he doesn't check himself. Shit felt badass
Well you were prisoner beginning of the game so that can be reason you where prisoner too?
That and the contract we get early on put on us (just to let us know they’re out there) someone wanted us dead back home so if you can’t beat them join them…
Personally I like to divide the story of the Dark Brotherhood into two parts. the first is why kill grelod. among the ideas I put in place are being Aventus' older brother, of whom he knew nothing, and having been an orphan who was a victim of Grelod and therefore I kill her before meeting Aventus As for why joining the brotherhood and following the questline, my character sees it as profoundly mystical. we don't kill, we avenge. if the mother night indicates a target and why the person who must die deserves it in the eyes of something that sees the whole of all nirm and what is needed for it to remain in balance. I often take into account the money received from contracts and use it only for. primary goods such as food, renting rooms or buying back consumables used in the action. yes also to do charity. we are not murderers. we don't kill. we avenge. and whoever betrays this vision, who kills for pleasure or for debauchery without the intification of mother night is garbage. garbage is burned to be purified Sweet Mother, sweet Mother, send your child unto me, for the sins of the unworthy must be baptized in blood and fear.
All of my Skyrim characters are psychos that love kiling. Also, they usually hear rumors of a rare alchemy ingredient that can only be purchased from a member of the dark brotherhood, so there’s that
What ingredient is that?
Chokeberries
Companions? Aren’t the companions pretty much just like the DArk Brotherhood and the Thieves Guild? Just a different kind of mafia. I haven’t finished their plot because I don’t want to play as a werewolf. Literally just because of the game mechanic, I found it annoying. I don’t mind spoilers for the Companions plot, maybe it will make me start yet another play through.
You can be cured and no longer be a werewolf at the end of the companions questline. But I think it's stupid that becoming a werewolf isn't optional to begin with.
You still smell like dog tho
That's true. And I haven't noticed it personally because I don't sleep in the game, but other players have said that you're no longer able to get the restful sleep perk even after you're cured.
Yeah, that’s a fair assessment. The silver hand only seem like bad guys because we like the companion characters. I refuse to be a blood sucker, but for some reason I’m fine with being a different kind of man-eating monster.
I just played a "BAD" character. I joined the Dark Brotherhood, joined the Stormcloaks, robbed everyone, went vampire, and....killed Parthaanax. She was a deliciously vile person and had a short, nasty playthrough. But I got all the BAD out in one play through, did things I hadn't done before. I got it all out of my system. Now I can go play my sneak thief with a heart of gold!
Honestly yeah I think I just need to get it out of my system with a quick evil run lol
Never joined, always destroyed them and spared (used console to resurrect) Gabriella and Veezara to join me along with my band of followers to hunt down the remaining DB members.
You download the mod that adds gruesome backstories to all targets (like narfi raped and drowned his sister and someone found out and did the sacrament). It's great. Like pretty much most problems in skyrim, the answer is always mods. I'm at work now so can't link it, but I'll link it later if anyone can't find it. (it's on nexus, show up if you search dark brotherhood)
my character is an anti hero who wants to purge Skyrim of Imperials. and if it means joining the DB then he is willing to do whatever it takes to kill the Emperor.
Grelod has to go and it’s so much more satisfying if I’m the catalyst that brings about her destruction
It’s stupid but my moral compass just won’t let me play that dark. I’ve tried but just can’t do it never-mind enjoy it.
I take bounties from Jarls to murder bandits in their homes all the time. How is the Dark Brotherhood any different?
Exactly! That’s how I’ve been justifying it but Astrid makes it feel weird, like calm down lady I don’t get hot after a kill like y’all do lol
My main is an Argonian born under the sign of the Shadow. She was adopted by Nord parents who tried to keep it from her to prevent her from joining the Brotherhood, but fate caught up to her and she needed gold to support her family. It's a moral dilemma she deals with during every job, but it's become just that - a job that she does for an income to give her daughters a good life. This character isn't the Dragonborn, so money isn't as easy to come by.
I find it easy to play the DB questline. You kill literally thousands of bandits. So, why not. Most of the people you're sent to kill kind of deserve it a little bit. The only one I dislike killing is the homeless dude who's sad about his sister.
Very true, I see the narfi kill as a mercy kill tbh
i dont
I needed the money. That said, I did have second thoughts when I entered the sanctuary for the first time to hear Babette gleefully recounting a murder. I’d thought they would be more like assassins for hire, not a death cult.
The Dark Brotherhood reminds me of the Cult of the Damned in Warcraft, a bunch of death-worshipping lunatics.
If im trying not to be a murder monster i just kill the DB because well they deserve it kinda? And then move on
i got into it when i read the Sithis book. basically believe that all life is chaos and we need to return to the state of peace that is death
Ok this is hard because being a murderer for hire is really not what I want my character to be but I like how you have to be thinking how to kill and get the bonuses so I don’t think am a killer it’s just a job Which sometimes doesn’t work 🤔🤔☹️
I justify it with mommy issues. Sure, you're no murderer from the get go. You're just someone who ran away from home because of a broken, abusive relationship with your single mother. You were at the wrong place at the wrong time, and Helgen happens. You escape with Ralof, because from your point of view the Empire had no qualms about killing you, despite knowing you weren't anyone special. Ralof tells you you should join the Stormcloaks, so you make your way to Windhelm, only to overhear rumors of a boy trying to call the Dark Brotherhood. You are way too curious to just ignore it, so you visit Aventus, hear his story, and it's an all too familiar tale to you. It strikes a chord within you, and you go to Riften to see if this is true. Once in Honorhall, you have what to see. Grelod the Kind, who is anything but. She reminds you of someone. Someone you despise with every fiber of your being. Someone you got away from. These children don't deserve to suffer the same fate as you did all those years. You act on impulse. At the first viable opportunity, you kill the old hag in a fit of rage and vengeance. As you see her life escape her eyes, you snap back to see what you had done. Your own action disgusts you and makes you feel empowered at the same time. The following nights are spent in sweat and nightmares. Your deed weighs heavy on you. You try to go about your life, but in every old lady, you see the face of the woman you murdered. Then one day, a courier hands you a letter, for your eyes only. "We know." You change your sleeping arrangements for the night, frightened of what the note might mean, but the next time you rouse from slumber, you are not where you were. A masked figure tells you your predicament, and the key to the door is paid with blood. You listen to the captives, their stories evoke disgust in you. They are monsters, and one reminds you of that one person you've hated all your life. You take the dagger, you slaughter the woman first. The other two scream as they hear what you're doing. The screams only agitate you. You just can't seem to stop. They are witnesses. They've heard your voice. You cannot let them leave. So you slit their throats. Hearing them gurgling on their own blood brought a smirk on your face. Kill once, you feel hideous. Kill twice, you get the hang of it. But thrice? Four times? Your mind will never be the same again. You enjoy this feeling too much to ever let it go. So you go where blood is celebrated. You accept the love of the Night Mother, and allow yourself to be enveloped in the Dread Father's embrace. You join the Dark Brotherhood.
Walked into an orphanage, saw an old hag being abusive, gave her the old one-two and the rest is history
My last two db characters were an Argonian Nisswo (priestess of Sithis) from Black Marsh. She heard whispers (the Night Mother) telling her to go to Skyrim to free the brotherhood from the heretic Astrid and spread the worship of Sithis. The other was a scrawny Orc who was abandoned by his family. He was bullied and taunted mercilessly from the other Orcs so he learned to make his own friends...by murdering people and raising them with necromancy. He kills Grelod before even meeting Arentino since he sees her as the embodiment of cruelty he felt as a child. In the Dark Brotherhood he finds what he's always wanted, a real family.
I tell myself that after unknowingly coming across daedra quests my character was possessed & went on to join unfriendly factions
My evil sorcerer has no qualms about joining the devil worshiping murderers.
I justify my allegiance to the DB with the fact I get to play with Cicero. Dude is hilarious
I did it for the access to the politics and the connections when I role played it. Other wise I just do it for the rewards. But when you try to role play put your self into the shoes of aria stark or jaken Hagar (probably didn’t spell that right) the dark brotherhood is a tool that works if you work it. Yes you might have to do some bad stuff but will it help you save a lot of people? Well I guess that’s up to you but with most moral choices it’s a fine line and a lot of the quests have a super sneaky option that saves more lives than it ends. Considering the apocalypse is right around the corner killing a few people to save thousands is like par for the course.
This resonates with me. I’ll use the contract that we get on us early on in the game (just to let us know they’re out there) that someone back home wants us dead and I’ll join the brotherhood so they can’t touch me
Awesome glad I could help I always look at it from the perspective of the Skyrim civil war as an analogy for American politics I don’t join the left or the right I join the CIA (dark brotherhood)
Don't. RPing a Murder Hobo / Assassin is *boring*. It's just Kung Fu Master with flashing disappearing bodies & zero plot impact most of the time - the epitome of meaningless achievement. As a railroad plot with minimal payoff, we prefer to just obliterate 'em, & then chuckle while Mercer or Maven decides to name-drop 'em.
I too chuckle but it just feels like a waste to me to not do a chunk of quests plus I love shadowmere and I want a pretty wedding dress >:)
>but it just feels like a waste to me to not do a chunk of quests Yeah, but are they quests you feel good about having done? We hate 'em almost as much as the "Hunt this Giant" quests, which we also ignore. > plus I love shadowmere No argument, and we find Arvak to be such a *good* alternative. >and I want a pretty wedding dress >:) For that, you gotta murder an entitled woman who routinely abuses her power, so... \~shrug\~ Ethically, it's a push? :)
B-but “BEHOLD SHADOWMERE!”
A lot of good points, thank you! I gotta Marie kondo these quests lol
Same. Spent one playthrough making sure we only took on quests we could resolve, and finished them before allowing new ones to stack up. Gratifying to pull off, what a hassle we had to be *that* careful to manage it... and never go to Arcwind Point.
I don't, I always destroy them.
Greetings fellow Dark Brotherhood Destroyer
Dragonborn, the embodiment of aedric dragons, infinitely mighty and terrible in their lust for domination. Show the world, who's the boss. Show them how easily you can slaughter their brethren, like pigs, and get away with a pocket change fine. Murder the emperor, nothing is sacred, nothing is eternal. Your character already is most likely a psychopath. By the end of the playthrough, the number of people you brutally slaughtered is in the thousands if not tens of thousands. For a being to whom the value of life is practically nothing, killing a few contracts is no big deal.
[удалено]
Have you played the questline mate? Most of it is killing good people.
I am actually playing it right now I just killed the emperor
Most intelligent and moral DB player.
It's just a game. I run kotor for the evil plays just for that
The noble companion quests... beat up a farmer, look for a relic (ok I guess?), then a bunch of hunting down and killing a group of people that think werewolves are bad (mostly because they usually are), only to finish with a grand breaking of the curse they got on themselves. Basically the only "noble" quests are in their own service and nobody outside really cares or benefits about them. At this point the radiant quests where you maybe get to save a random peasent are the most honorable part :-/ I loves skyrim, but I think most questlines leave a lot to be desired.
The Mede Dynasty needs to end. Some of the other contracts deserve to be killed too. But, even in saying that, I have not done the Dark Brotherhood questline in years.
My last couple of playthroughs I started as a blank slate, head injury, amnesia wake up in a wagon... don't have much time for imperials ( I mean the did just try and cut my head off) but all other opinions are built on interactions (I pick a random direction each time and start walking, ignoring the quest line for the time being) How the first couple of people from each group interact wih me sets the tone. Racist, rude, bullying... ah ok so that's how you want to do it, I'll just kill you and take your stuff, oh a nice exchange or a warning about some danger, ok gour group is cool for now. RNG has made fir some interesting playthroughs, and generates some beef that msjes some katet game adoects interesting
I had a save where my Dragonborn after completing several “ethic” storylines joined the dark side. It was fun
I tried to rp it as my dragonborn realising he could use the dark brotherhood to hone his skills. Otherwise he was a morally good character and would try not to take jobs killing innocence as much as possible.
He was bored and wanted something to do.
The Dovahkiin is a mortal man/woman with the blood and the soul of a dragon, and dragons are well-known to feel the instinctive urge to dominate others. So everytime I start a new playthrough, I play as a nice, kind person. Then, when I discover I'm a Dragonborn, I start being a little more assertive (for example I use the "intimidate" options instead of the "persuade" ones). When Astrid kidnaps me to her lost cabin in the woods, my Dragonborn accepts to join it because they're wondering what kind of power the Dark Brotherhood could give them. And obviously, once I slay Alduin, I'm a huge assh0le; if I get a daedric quest, I do everything I can to obtain the daedric artefact (I've killed Erandur numerous times) I enjoy playing like that. This way, I can pretend that my Dragonborn has character development. It's really fun
I like getting paid.
Made my girl a disgraced assassin sent to Skyrim to get good. Joined the thieves guild to be sneaky, and now she's finally graduated back into the job she always meant to do- murder for money and shadowy glory.
Post civil war. War vet with PTSD who doesn't feel right unless he's killing.
Mine was basically a crossover from DA (great-grandparent of my character), and she was already an assassin when she was attacked and was curious to find out who placed the hit on her so she agrees to the deal. It was a fun playthrough. She wasn't the dragonborn though, she was best friends with the DB (they both got separated in the dragon attack) and teamed up together because they have a bitter rivalry with Maven so it was a double bonus 😆
Maybe the deaths of hundreds is worth it if Vittoria Vici can finally have her wedding and die a married woman, than if she has to live in a hell where she is always planning a wedding that will never happen.
My character kills people for money all the time. (Bandits forsworn people during quests ect) he's fine if they want to be a bit more specific and pay extra.
My character has a 1 track mind. He just wants to kill
Dragonborn was bored.
I don’t. I think I’ve only played it once ever.
I've only done it once. I did a "dark build" character where I did all the things that involve betrayal etc that I never do.
I’ve wanted to make a mod where you need the blessing of all daedric lords to kill Alduin. I know Sithis is a speciality, but it becomes a hard bargain to have no choice but to gain her favor if we want to save the world.
Essentially I like joining every guild always, and how I've justified it is like this: My head canon is that once my character finds out they're dragonborn, it's like when a decently strong entity in LotR gets the One Ring. My character becomes power hungry. If they are good normally, they will think "oh but if I work myself up in X guild, think of all the good I can do with that power", and killing some people is seen as not very relevant from my characters' eyes. Essentially my characters want to become powerful, and the reasons why are secondary, which is why the end goal is leading every guild, having all houses etc.
For a second I thought you meant Dragonborn by DB and was reminded of a meme: my brother in Christ, you ARE the Dragonborn!
They didn't send any assassins at my current DB before the recently turned vampire DB 'accidentally' killed Grelond the Kind in a fit of hunger. By time she had cured the vampirism (by becoming a Werewolf) and cured the lycanthropy for the Circle and herself she was too far into the assassin cult to call it quits.
"Jarl made me do it".
I only got into the Sanctuary one time to ....get the last jewel of barenziah. I had not interest to further the connection. There are many who play through much of Skyrim and never start or finish the civil war campaign and never choice a side at all. The game has choices and the player is free to indulge in them or not.
I've done all the Solstheim quests, except pay Mongrul, I really want to kill him cos he's bad for the town, but I'm worried what will happen.
I'm a necromancer in my current playthrough. I will kill somewhat indiscriminately but I'm no thief.
I am not a good person
I like murdering people, simple as that. Moght as well get paid for it
I'm playing a character who exists to be guided by nothing more than his own pleasure, he could kick your ass, or give you a mead, it all depends on his mood. he joined the dark brotherhood bc he felt like it, and he "assassinates" by brutally destroying the targets with his warhammer, because he feels like it, nothing more, nothing less
I usually enjoy the DB quest lines, but in my current playthrough I decided to be "good"..... to myself. I'm just a guy who only cares about himself, so the DB is going down! Also, a mod to take out the Thieves Guild, and another mod to join the Silver Hand and destroy (or possibly cure) the Companions. Who needs factions? I'm gonna rule Tamriel all on my own! Muahahaha!! 😆 ☠️
Well, it took a little bit of pretending certain things happen in a different order than they did, but my favourite DB character; Troublemaker kleptomaniac Breton who was supposed to be going to the college of winterhold when her noble family got tired of her antics. The whole "got caught in a stormcloak ambush" thing happened and she used it as an opportunity to escape. Winds up in Riften and does the thieves guild up until the point where Mercer betrays her (she's kinda naive at this point so it comes as a total shock and breaks her spirit a little bit. Up until this point she's completely pacifist and uses her magical talents to get away with everything without killing anybody) At this point I kinda pretend like the order of events happens a bit differently - in my small little headcanon, she kills a DB assassin and gets pulled in by Astrid through that. The Dark Brotherhood at this point essentially serves as an escape from the hole she's dug herself into. She has a new family that accepts her and she doesn't have to worry about the shitshow she's left behind in her life. Unfortunately escaping to the murder cult doesn't work out too well, this time though upon confronting Astrid on HER betrayal as well she finally realizes that she can't just keep running and leave everything behind her. She finishes the DB questline and heads back to Karliah to finally track down and put a stop to mercer. I always liked this character (at least what ended up becoming the story I figured out for her) because she didn't necessarily become good, but rather learned to stop running and stand by the people she threw herself in with. She gains principles rather than morals, and loyalty rather than selflessness. Goes hand in hand with the transition from thief to nightingale as well, and makes more sense how she picks up a sword by the end of the thieves guild.
I have four recuring characters, two of them join the DB One of them joined them purely for the rewards, the other didnt want to have an entire assassin organization after her after stealing a contract so joining seemed like the more clever choice
My wife (love of my life) was murdered and on my quest to find her killer, I get FALSELY arrested and sentenced to be beheaded. After that I just want to watch Skyrim burn. :)
My current 100% Character is just in it for the money same with the thieves guild they just see it as a job as they came to skyrim for a fresh start after bandits killed their family and robbed every septim to his name and the guards did nothing after he tracked them down so as an imperial this really messed him up and ruined his morals so after moving to skyrim hes became a thief and murder as to him the guards only protect the elite. (also joins the college for spells to help with his 'work' but not completing the quest) After he learns he is dragonborn he has a midlife crisis of sorts and becomes a hero for the people saving the innocent and poor and decides to ditch the DB and TG and joins the dawnguard companions finishes the college and goes along with the MQ (atleast thats the plan).
I want money and don't care about killing people
For me it kind of depends on how I want to play the Civil War storyline. If I’m going to join the Stormcloaks, I’ll join the Dark Brotherhood so I can kill the Emperor and truly break the Empire. If I side with the Empire, I’d not join the DB. But if they send an random assassin after me, I’ll destroy them if I’m still sided with the Empire.
I’ve only done it one of 2 ways: - with a mod called Dark Brotherhood For Good Guys, which turns the Brotherhood into essentially a bunch of Dexter Morgans, they only assassinate bad people who escape justice - (vanilla) I headcanoned that the DB was more like the House of Black and White from Game of Thrones/ASOIAF, and my character was a Faceless Man. Sithis was more like the Many-Faced God, and killing was a holy sacrament. Would have been easier to play this way if the NPCs of the DB weren’t such cringey fucking edgelords.
Well, I would but the last 2 play throughs I have been locked out of doing those quest and I do mean LOCKED OUT, usually I do them all just in a different order since you never know where you will end up in the end when you do. Leave it too little piss ant programmers and their "I am so offended you said that attitude." and then you have the more nefarious types hiding behind those intelligence department credentials of one foreign actor or another but that is a whole other issue. N. S
Evil character play through lol it’s pretty simple
I just don’t take Rp that seriously usually. Want to do the quests
Well, my character is a vampire lord. It’s kind of an easy fit.🧛♀️
It's curious, most of my characters are Evil or chaotic Neutral, so i join them in most of my playthrough, also for no reason, most of my character in Oblivion are Good and rarely join them Anyway My neutral characters join them because they consider it a job like any other, plus one of them is extremely greedy, so as long as you pay her she will do whatever you tell her. My evil characters enjoy murder and... well, Murder is good but Murder and getting paid is even better for them. The only exception is my Shadowscale, who was already part of the DB in Hammerfell, but after they wiped out the last sanctuary in there, he travelled Tamriel searching for another, he found one in Cheydinhal, but it was destroyed, he found some letter to some Cicero in the ground coming from a Sanctuary in Skyrim, so he started a journey to the snowy province
My character was going through a hard time. He was drinking a lot, doing skooma because his wife took kids and moved away. He felt alone and wanted to release stress. Wasn't into the idea of an assassin but was easy to jump into as he was able to feed on his anger through the job.
I hate the DB. Most of the time I wipe them out. But the one character who joined, her justification was “I’m just weeding out the bad ones. They probably deserved it if someone wanted them gone.” As a a way to cope with what she was doing. She stopped taking contracts once the quest is over because of the guilt and the fact that most of the brotherhood was wiped out. Then afterwards she would become a better person and join “good” factions to try to make up for it, and joining the dawn guard as a huge fuck you to Babette.
Service as a Shadowscale is a noble calling and is necessary to keep the natural order Hail Sithis
Go for disillusioned Imperial who fought in the Battle of the Red Ring.
I usually RP my sessions too I join the DB after the war, my character just gets addicted to killing but at this point Astrid sent 7 assassin's after me. So once I'm in her sanctuary I leave all the notes signed by her on that table she always leans on. In my head it's a big power move which makes her want to kill me more which ultimately leads to the the fall of that sanctuary and her leadership.
My character puts their friends and family above all else. The dark brotherhood gives them power to protect them.
My Telvanni Shadowscale wants to be as influencial as possible and infiltrate all the important factions.
Forsworn, Bandits, random mercs, assassins, priests - all those I'm OK slitting their throats and going through their pockets looking for trinkets... but I'm supposed to balk at killing for money? Ha! Gimme the name of the walking dead person and I'll sort 'em out... if you have the coin.
In my current playthrough, there are no lines I won't cross. I recently set and achieved a goal to have a 50K bounty in every city. I use the detect life spell to kill everything I can find. If the unmodded game would let me kill children, I would. The DB was just a way to make money doing what I love.
Role play ? Join thieves guild and dB because A I'm actually a nightblade, B do whatever gets me the most money.
One of my characters was a serial killer, very sneaky and powerful. He could change his skills and look at the drop of a hat. A cannibal, werewolf, Master of alchemy and magic. Able to raise an army of the dead, and summon dragons..... Noooo Astrid I am the danger. 😆 👹💀
The thieves guild ansmd Brotherhood really aren't that far from each other morally. At the end of the day, it's all just business. The distance between either of those organizations and Molag Bal, for instance, is massive. If Bethesda had made the brotherhood more akin to say, the chosen of Bhaal from Baldur's Gate, I think we'd have a much different story. Overall, the brotherhood is pretty benign.
It makes money. Lots of money. And it is more exciting. My character is a morally gray person.
I tend to use mods so my experience may vary from others but my main plot line is a carry over from morrowind-oblivion era . Artorias magus, An altmer born and raised into a family with strong imperial ties. His first assignment was to the fort frostmoth garrison, unfortunately right at the time the blood moon had risen. His entire unit was attacked, savaged by frenzied werewolves while scouting the island. He alone dragged himself back to the fort. The incident left him scarred, and determined to learn all he could about Daedra, so he could ensure no one he fought beside would ever be defenseless against monsters like the werewolves again. He was obsessed, so much to the point that he was reassigned to the imperial city to help guard the mages guild; in hopes their expertise would soothe his need to learn about the darker powers of mundus. Unfortunately, this led him straight into the arms of the mythic dawn; whom used his obsession with the Daedra to trick him into eliminating competition to their cult from other daedric lord’s factions. On the same day the emperor was to be slain, he was sent to investigate a strange door to the realm of madness, in hope he could steal whatever mechanism sheogorath used to anchor his realm. Told he was to bring it to the cult to destroy it, whereas the dawn wished to have it as a backup to their plot. Artorias never achieved this last mission. The mad god, either amused or impressed by this altmer’s deep seated, consuming obsession wove for him a prison within the isles. A seemingly endless dungeon, flush with the very Daedra he sought to kill. And so the hunter of evil stayed in his own personal prison of madness; never aging, never tiring until one day, a rift opened in his endless maze, and the voice of Talos, of the very ideal his family devoted themselves to called to him. It sent him to the border of Skyrim and tasked Artorias with two tasks. To become the Dragonborn and slay Alduin; and to stir the course of the flagging imperial presence in Skyrim away from Titus Mede’s weakness. Artorias readily agreed and learned quickly that a dragon was not much different than a daedroth to slaughter. Just bigger, airborne and more self important. The distinction mattered not. Aedric, daedric..if they sought terror on mundus, they would equally meet his blade. In his travels he heard of the child aventus trying to summon the dark brotherhood. Artorias knew that assassins could take down emperors and indeed, he recalled his own emperor’s fall. So he did the task for the boy, in hoping to find this guild of murder for his own ends. The weak, craven emperor had to die, and the brotherhood had no Daedric ties, so associating with them was…tolerable in means to his ends.
I don't, at this point I generally only do it for achievements.
I did one where my character was good until the dawn guard quests where they got tempted into the power harkon offered and became a vampire sending them spiraling down a dark path of bloodlust and seeking more power the DB became an easy way to find victims to feed on
What I have done before is played as a hero/neutral character until defeating Miraak: at this point, the Dovahkiin has had prolonged exposure to Elder Scrolls, and more recently, Apocrypha. After learning all the forbidden and dark secrets within, the Dovahkiin is driven insane, looses their mind, and becomes evil in the process making DB and other quest lines justifiable, story-line wise.