Across Tamriel, massive nations and alien divine powers are vying for control, and many factions exist. These include the honorable Companions and the devious Dark Brotherhood. However, one of the longest-standing factions within the series is the emperor’s guards, the Blades.
Hailing from the eastern continent of Akivir, these samurai-inspired warriors have appeared and disappeared from the mainline games while involving themselves in the main questlines. Here is a breakdown of the Blades, their history, and their role in the Elder Scrolls franchise.
The Story of The Blades
The Blades are essentially the Empire’s “CIA.” As his guard, they answer directly to the Dragonborn Emperor and seek out threats to their state. While their founding is shrouded in myth, they have existed in recorded history since the second era. Across the land, they garrison many strongholds, such as Cloud Ruler Temple in Cyrodiil and Sky Haven Temple in Skyrim.
While most factions on Tamriel hail from the continent or are founded by a cosmic being, they are one of the few organizations originating from another continent, Akivir. It is one of the most mysterious locales in the game’s lore, filled with snow golems and lizard people. However, it was heavily implied that the original “Dragonguard” of the Blades hailed from a vaguely Japan-inspired nation from the continent, as shown by their irimoya roofs and katanas.
Despite their services to the Empire, they eventually faced their downfall after the Oblivion Crisis. After the Great War between the Empire and the Aldmeri Dominion of the High Elves, the Emperor disbanded the Blades. Furthermore, the despised elf supremacist Thalmor hunted their remnants to near extinction. However, by the time of Skyrim, several secretive branches had remained.
Their Elder Scrolls Series History
Throughout the series, the Blades are an important faction that guides the player characters and their quests. Their first appearance was in the cult classic Morrowind, where they aided the Nerrevarine during the opening scene at the Emperor’s behest.
Their largest role to date would be during the Oblivion Crisis of the eponymous game. Early on, the order inadvertently frees the protagonist during their failed attempt to escort Emperor Uriel Septim VII to safety. Afterward, the hero goes to their base, Cloud Ruler Temple, where the area serves as their base of operations for most of the game. Additionally, they offered multiple sidequests and missions.
Two hundred years afterward, their remnants would form. The warrior Delphine and scholar Esbern would assist the Dragonborn in reclaiming Sky Haven Temple to fight Alduin. Infamously, at the end of their role in the story, Delphine gives players the optional quest to kill the redeemed dragon Paarthurnaux, one of the most beloved characters in the game. As such, many players resented their faction for this demand.
The Spinoff Game
Eventually, the Blades would receive a more prominent spotlight than before with the aptly titled roguelike The Elder Scrolls: Blades. Released in 2019, this mobile game followed a former order member as they had to protect and rebuild a small town. Outside the main questline, the game also featured an endless dungeon mode, Abyss, and a PvP mode, Arena.
However, upon its release, gamers infamously panned the game. To many critics, it exemplified the worst pitfalls of a dungeon crawler, with its constant grinding, repetitive dungeons, and even its use of microtransactions. Even worse, the actual order does not play a prominent role beyond the main character. Overall, these warriors are a powerful link between the main stories of each game.
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