Okay it may just be me, but has anyone else noticed how different the factions have changed in terms of tradition?

The Blades are greedy and paranoid. In Oblivion they treated Martin, essentially a Dragonborn, like a god. And now it seems that they half the respect and loyalty they used to have. Not quoted word for word, but they basically tell you if you don't kill Paarthanax we don't want anything to do with you. So much for protection from the "Dragonguard".

The Dark Brotherhood are just a band of cut throats with little to none discipline and honor in what they do. Again in Oblivion they treated Sithis and the Blood Flower(Night Mother) like they were God and Jesus. And when the corpse of the Blood Flower gets to the Sanctuary, there like "eh, whatev's".


With this, The Dominion, the fall of the Empire, no more Septims, and the Civil War, it just seems like TES is heading further into a dark part of history. Think that was the goal? Opinions would be great.

Eh, the homeland Blades acted more as bodyguards, while the ones outside of Cyrodiil were "The eyes of ears of the emperor." By that, all Blades outside of Cyrodiil were spies, with covers ranging from nobles, beggers, bandits, mages, and so on. Also, Oblivion had a heavy heaping of "This faction is a paragon of virtue, while this one is the epitome of evil."

As for the Dark Brotherhood, the highly fanatical worship is a bit out of the normal bounds. In general, they're the monopoly of assassins, and put gold as their highest master. Yeah, they were a split off from the Morag Tong, but in general, they're more secular, with agents who are god worshipers being Melphala cultists.

All comments previously stated being true, I would also emphasisize that yes, TES V seems to be much darker in how it portrays... well, nearly everyone. The Companions, the Empire, the Stormcloaks, the Thalmor, and of course the Dark Brotherhood. Even the Thieves Guild, come to think of it.

It would seem beloved TES "universal neutrality" has been taken a step further, as it were. :mellow: