» Sat Jan 26, 2013 8:29 am T1: Black Brotherhood and Black Hand's status.
In Skyrim the Dark Brotherhood was weak, crippled and shattered. It was devoid of any true tradition and seat of power. Astrid ruled without a thought about the Night Mother, and when she apeared saw her as a threat instead of a gift. In TES:O I want the Dark Brotherhood to be filled with traditions, respected rules, clear lines of power and a reputation that can fill any person with dread and paranoia.
T2: Where are they? Where is the Night Mother? Bravil is contested!
As we know the Night Mother was placed unerneath the Lucky Old Lady in Bravil in the Elder Scrolls: Oblivion. But in TES:O was is waged arcross these places, so where is she? This is something that will decided by the lore team. But it can affect the game play. I suggest that at this point the Dark Brotherhood have a Keeper that can take care of her body. And pilgrimiges throughout Tamriel seeking out the Sancuaries for the members to be in her precense. Alternativly she could be placed within some HQ that the Black Hand is currently having.
T3: The Contracts
Many has assumed that the Contracts will be purerly PvE based and cannot be made for players. However, I want to say; That sounds silly. We are the Dark Brotherhood! We are assassins secluded from the rest of the world, we hide our true intet for others too ignorant to understand our passion. To join the Dark Brotherhood is a lifestyle, which will change the way the game works for you.
This is how I imagine the whole system of a contract to work:
S1: My first suggestion is that there are some purely PvE Contracts that will not force to you kill other players, they will most likely be daily quest which secure your position and influence in the family. NOTE: The Black Hand will promote members to new ranks. Murderer - Slayer - Eliminator - Assassin - Excecutor - Silencer - Speaker. The Listener, the highest playable position, will be chosen by the Night Mother; whom of course have to be controlled by some kind of special engine.
S2: But for those who are not sissies and do not fear to work for Sithis and his glory, can do PvP contracts. Contracts that are given to the Brotherhood from other players who have preformed the Black Sacrament. With a dagger, nightshade, heart, flesh, bones and candle circle and of course the chant itself.
These contracts will give greater rewards, but are also more risky. Because while working on a contract you have to kill a player, and if not carefully planned will result in either the player resist your intent or the guards will spot your actions and arrest you; I doubt one can escape from the guards easily. They will give a sum of gold to the assassin him-/herself and the rest will be transfered to the Black Hand and stored by them. (I will talk more about their wealth distrupution later).
T4: How will the Tenets work?
The Tenets will must be upheld in game, by co-players. All of them will result in the Judgment of the Black Hand - because the Wrath of Sithis from Oblivion was just way too easy. What I mean is that if someone, ex, steals from another Dark Brother or Sister another player must report to the leader of that Sancuary, or it will not have consequences. The Black Hand are not overpowered, they are also just players.
T5: Role and gameplay for the Black Hand.
The Black Hand will be hand picked by the Night Mother when they are implemented - they will not be present at launch ( Which is good or I'd never reach max level). Instead of making them into NPCs, which would be lame, allow players to be them! The most active players in beta and on forums (HINT, HINT). will be picked at their release, but if they do not stay that active and do not preform their duties.
As a member of the Black Hand you will be even more reclusive and unkown than any other member of the Dark Brotherhood. You home will be a top-secret Sancuary that only members can enter ( as you need an ring to enter, Band of the Nightweaver, or something) were they live. If you thought being a Dark Brotherhood member was a lifestyle, this is a whole other level. If you are the Listener you will have to daily go to the Night Mother, who might be located within the Sancuary, in order to know who should be initiated and what contracts have been created.
The Speakers will get orders from the Listener about who that the Night Mother wants into the family as well as they will roam around to the other Sancuaries in order to know how their statuses are. They will be able to get contracts, and so will the Listener, but these will only be very hard contracts; e.g Assassination of powerful Guild Leaders.
The Silencers will be the top assassins which is the conection the Speakers have with the outside world, these players will be very free compared to the Speakers and Listener because the only thing they must answer to is their Speaker.
As I mentioned above the gold generated by contracts will be given to the Black Hand to distribute. All members will get a weekly, IRL time, salary. Also the wealth will be used to craft Shourded Armor and Robes, as well as weapons enchanted with a Woe enchant - health stealing. They will also have to supply members with needed consumables and daily life items, e.g beds, arrows, food, drinks etc. There will be in-game tools for them to easily plan how gold will be scattered among the members.
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This is only the begining Brothers and Sisters, post your comments and suggestions down below and pray to the Dread Father that the devs sees these suggestions and make a perfect Dark Brotherhood for our game; We don't want our family ruined.
