The Blades

[DaKizmasta]

In morrowind and oblivion the blades played major roles and i really hope that in ES V they don't play such a significant role, id like to see some other faction have the top spot in the storyline.

I'd like to know your opinion with this

[Vendetta]

"Dragon Born" Is in blades armor :/

[ronenum]

"Dragon Born" Is in blades armor :/

Not necessarily, the Blades wear Akaviri armor so the Dragon Born is probably not wearing "Blade's armor" but more likely well crafted nordic armor inspired by Akaviri high culture which influenced the nords as well as the imperials...

[mulder]

The Blades never appealed to me, I don't care if they are left out, even though I don't think they will be left out as the game is set in Skyrim

[TK421]

Does everybody hate the blades? I think that they should be trying to restore the empire or some thing

[mulder]

I don't hate them, it's just that they don't seem interesting to me

[TK421]

Well they have been in all the games so maybe there should be some thing new but i still think they should play a role in the game

[Demonchick344]

I think the blades shouldn't be involved heavily in Skyrim - they've been central in the last two games and it gets boring quickly. Maybe some new, Skyrim specific guild/order?

[nyk45]

I'd very much a new faction to take the plot spotlight this time. After two games with The Blades, I'm guessing it gets old.

But I would still like The Blades to be there. More for older players' sake. It'd be cool to be exploring the map and coming across a remote Blades base somewhere, especially if you've played Morrowind and Oblivion.

[Demonchick344]

I'd very much a new faction to take the plot spotlight this time. After two games with The Blades, I'm guessing it gets old.

But I would still like The Blades to be there. More for older players' sake. It'd be cool to be exploring the map and coming across a remote Blades base somewhere, especially if you've played Morrowind and Oblivion.

That would be cool. Maybe if you were able to help them with missions and stuff, unlike in Oblivion where they didn't give you any quests.

[gamermanblue]

I like 'The Blades' and hope they're in this one too. I just don't want them to be central to the main quest. I'd love if you could join them as a faction and do some quests for them. Outside of Cryodil, they're supposed to be the Emperor's eyes and ears. I think it would be cool to do some intelligence quests. Not stealing or assassinating, just findning a nice shady area from which to listen Now I know the line is broken, but I also think that having some quests trying to hold the empire together would be great. It wouldn't matter (to me at least) if you failed, it would probably even be better, knowing that, (as you the player, not the character) you can't win.

[Symphonic]

I'd very much a new faction to take the plot spotlight this time. After two games with The Blades, I'm guessing it gets old.

But I would still like The Blades to be there. More for older players' sake. It'd be cool to be exploring the map and coming across a remote Blades base somewhere, especially if you've played Morrowind and Oblivion.

Agreed. Another potential twist would be to see a re-imagining of the Blades. Possibly a new faction comprised of members of the Blades, reformed with a new/slightly altered goal since the events of Oblivion. Or possibly a KOTN-style straight revival by a different group and leader, but again, with new standards and goals, to keep it different and interesting. I always liked the Blades, but I really felt they needed way more development as a faction.

[Coupaholic]

Since Skyrim isn't Cyrodiil I would have thought that the Blades wouldn't have a strong presence, I mean how can they protect (well, TRY to protect) emperors and what-not from different countries...

...BUT this whole new game supposedly revolves around the 'Dragon Born' - which must be the emperors bloodline, as in Dragonblood right? If that's the case maybe the Blades will feature, perhaps to seek this guy out to crown him the new emperor since the thrown is empty.

It could go either way, personally I agree with most of you guys - maybe it is time for them to take a back seat, like a guild faction or something.

[Master of Puppets]

Since Skyrim isn't Cyrodiil I would have thought that the Blades wouldn't have a strong presence, I mean how can they protect (well, TRY to protect) emperors and what-not from different countries...

...BUT this whole new game supposedly revolves around the 'Dragon Born' - which must be the emperors bloodline, as in Dragonblood right? If that's the case maybe the Blades will feature, perhaps to seek this guy out to crown him the new emperor since the thrown is empty.

It could go either way, personally I agree with most of you guys - maybe it is time for them to take a back seat, like a guild faction or something.

One flaw. Skyrim is set 200 years after Oblivion's ending, meaning they would not have had an emperor for 200 years. I doubt that would happen, so they would have already crowned a new emperor (as in the case where there are no blood-line emperors, the Elder Council can appoint an emperor).

[JockoBeans]

If Skyrim does take place 200 years after Oblivion then the Blades are probably extinct.

If there is a new emperor then he could have disbanded them like Consatine I, the Great, did with the Praetorian Guard by replacing them with the Scholae Palatinae.

Just speculation since Bethesda made the Septim Empire similiar with the Roman Empire in some aspects.

[mulder]

I thought Skyrim was a direct sequel to Oblivion?

[JockoBeans]

i did too, but I keep hearing two stories.

I think the answer might be revealed in the Game Informer article coming out next month, since it is supposed to be BIG.

[OblivionDuruza]

Sorry to necro-post but I found this thread and thought I might try and resurrect it rather than start a new one as we know a lot more about Skyrim and I have a few questions I'd like opinions on.

So if Esbern is the last of the blades than is there any chance that they will ever rise again?
If Titus Mede has taken over as emperor (of a notably smaller empire) who are his 'blades'? (may have been mention in The Infernal City)
If the blades die out, will Bethesda continue it's tradition of having the PC a member of the Blades for the main questline in later titles (they still might in Skyrim as Esbern is one although the main quest faction could be the Greybeards)? And if not, what do you think they replace it with?

Edit: colour

[Haravikk]

It sounds like the Blades aren't going to be too numerous, but it's been confirmed I think that the narrator of the trailer is a blade who will act as main guide/advisor through the main quest. I doubt we'll see many other blades except perhaps at the blade's sanctuary where Alduin's Wall is located.

The purpose of the Blades isn't directly to protect the Emperor, it's to protect the Dragonborn and their line, originally to ensure that the dragon-fires were preserved to protect the world from Oblivion realms. Until after the events of Oblivion the Emperors and their descendants just happened to be the only Dragonborn, but with Martin Septim dead that's obviously no longer the case.

[OblivionDuruza]

Actually I think it was to protect the line of Tiber Septim (who was a dragonborn but not the only one from what I've drawn from info released in relation to Skyrim). Have a look at my previous post for my questions on this issue.

[Haravikk]

In any event, the various interviews have confirmed Esbern as being one of the surviving Blades, rather than referring to him as the last, and also mentioned a Blades sanctuary in Skyrim where Alduin's Wall is located. So while the Blades are certainly much diminished I doubt they're gone for good yet.

I wouldn't mind still becoming an honorary Blade again, even though it's become a bit clichéd, but only if there if the Akaviri armour and weapons in Skyrim are badass enough of course, and preferably stays competitive in gameplay terms, as in Oblivion it annoyed me that usually by the time I actually got a set of Akavri armour there were better alternatives available.

[Da_BossMaN69]

In any event, the various interviews have confirmed Esbern as being one of the surviving Blades, rather than referring to him as the last, and also mentioned a Blades sanctuary in Skyrim where Alduin's Wall is located. So while the Blades are certainly much diminished I doubt they're gone for good yet.

I wouldn't mind still becoming an honorary Blade again, even though it's become a bit clichéd, but only if there if the Akaviri armour and weapons in Skyrim are badass enough of course, and preferably stays competitive in gameplay terms, as in Oblivion it annoyed me that usually by the time I actually got a set of Akavri armour there were better alternatives available.

Amen to that. I only wore the blades Armour, and what I liked about the Oblivion's level scaling was that even though weapons and Armour became better as you leveled, so did your enemies, you were never really going to go against any one stronger than you. So essentially I could wear whatever I wanted without getting too much of a penalty for doing so. Besides It was easy to keep it on-par with enemies, save before capturing a sigil stone, and load again and again til you got a stone that increased damage/armor points.

I think it should be better equipment, too. I mean now since the blades are numbered and they are the ELITE of the Imperial Guard, shouldn't their gear be equally as powerful as other gear in this one.

Plus I hope to see a cool updated version of it too.

[KneelBeforeZod]

Look, I just want the katanas, so that I can make various samurai/Ninja/Deadpool characters. Zatoichi and Musashi are gonna mess some dragons UP!

[OblivionDuruza]

In any event, the various interviews have confirmed Esbern as being one of the surviving Blades, rather than referring to him as the last, and also mentioned a Blades sanctuary in Skyrim where Alduin's Wall is located. So while the Blades are certainly much diminished I doubt they're gone for good yet.

I wouldn't mind still becoming an honorary Blade again, even though it's become a bit clichéd, but only if there if the Akaviri armour and weapons in Skyrim are badass enough of course, and preferably stays competitive in gameplay terms, as in Oblivion it annoyed me that usually by the time I actually got a set of Akavri armour there were better alternatives available.

Double checked and you were right, I was miss-remembering "One of the last remaining Blades" (the word last was just stuck in my brain and I think I have read somewhere that he was the last, probably someone just as uninformed as me ). I guess that there's still a hope that the PC might become a blade again, just for the nostalgia of it all. Regardless, I'm sure that there will be katanas and whatnot as they are really just Akaviri inspired weapons in the lore of the series (obviously in real life they're inspired by the Japanese).

Edit: typo

[VirtualWeasel]

One of the main characters is the last Blade. That's about the only Blades thing that's involved.