For example something like the Mages Guild Council of Mages or the DB Black Hand possibly replace The Elder Council?

A lot of mages in the Mages Guild are involved in politics; how else do they secure their monopoly of magic and allow members to kill others who practice outside, even if they're completely benevolent? Hell, Ocato used to be the Archmagister of the Mages Guild, but retired because the duties of being The Imperial Battlemage and Archmagister were too taxing together.

Also, the Dark Brotherhood have assassinated emperors before, but never replacing them. They're assassins and businessmen, not politicians.

Perhaps the a guild-leader is put in power and begins to put people from his guild into power around the Empire.

FREEMASONS!!!!! :ninja:

Ocato is an Altmer a long feared influence in tamrielic affairs , it is with the council the power resides and the imperial military establishment .
If any thing out side that , they would have considerable arcane powers and infuence .

COULD a guild take over the Empire? Yes.

DID they? Nope. Titus Mede cleaned house. He dissolved the old guilds and formed new ones, loyal to him. It was brilliant.

The Dark Brotherhood probably could, but wouldn't. Like Cardinal Mazarin, they have great power, but prefer to remain in the shadows as the 'Eminence Gris'. It is commented upon ( a number of references in the Imperial Library) to their services being used by various leaders and even, it is hinted, the Legion.

I doubt they would be as obvious though, as to take the prime roles openly.

The "Edict of Let Us Not" forbids this. A guild power grab would undermine the aurbis and cause the elder scrolls to write another universe, where guilds are at war a lot.


The best hiding spot is in the open.

Isn't Wasn't the Mages Guild council basically the Elder council, minus the governors of foreign lands?

Not to my knowledge, but I would be gladly proven wrong.

I think it's implied that a good number of politicians were from the MG, as noted in some literature that they became too bureaucratic and got involved in politics.

Only power stronger and deadlier than magica = Beurocracy

This.

no guild has the resources to. even the Mages guild is was stuffed full of mediocre alchemists.