The Psychgeist Of Pop Culture: The Elder Scrolls

Guilds, Cults, and Brotherhoods are a central theme throughout the Elder Scrolls series. The presence of the Tribunal in Morrowind as a silent guiding hand to the player, the struggle against the Mythic Dawn cult in Oblivion, and even the Nord/Imperial conflict that serves as the backdrop for Skyrim, the Elder Scrolls Series is famous for taking the player in and having them side with a specific group. One of the unique and compelling parts of the Elder Scrolls series is the ability for it to time and again offer a chance for the player to engage with a world filled to the brim with distinct and captivating organizations with wildly varying goals and values. While the reasons for joining a particular faction may vary from group to group and player to player (Thieves Guild, Imperial Legion, Dark Brotherhood?), that innate drive to jump into the fray with our NPC comrades is one of the parts that keeps players coming back to play these games again and again.

What is it that drives our desire as players to join into these specific groups? What makes this style of narrative so enticing to players even on a 50th playthrough? In this chapter, we look into some of the group dynamics that make these guilds so compelling, how this works to makes the Elder Scrolls games such a classic collection, and how this sense of community and belonging tends to appear outside of the games as well.