Here's a thought, Bethesda...

How about a little change to the Daedric Quests for those who want to be goody too-shoes (like me this time around). Working for the Vigilants of Stendarr to collect the Daedric Artefacts (having them assist you in getting around the need to kill for the Daedra). Then, when you collect the vile artefact you give it to the vigilants and they destroy it and give you an artefact of the Divines instead as payment for helping them rid the world of yet another Daedric creation.

I am aware there are more Deadra than Divines, but maybe we can get more than one from any number of divines.

(p.s. I don't expect this to be implementable, I just wanted to put it out there) Thoughts?

I support this message. Maybe you can live in their house? Join them or something similar? Would be a nice change from the Daedra quests.

Not sure if many of their artifacts can be destroyed. That being said I think most Daedra would have some form of foresight and wont choose of Vigilant of Stendarr as their champion. But I still like the idea of working for them and even have their own quests to "root out" Daedra followers and cultists.

Agreed. It would be nice to have something to strive for if you want to play a good-natured character. Obviously you have the choice of NOT doing the Daedric quests, but it would be nice to have an option on the other end of the scale.

They should be fleshed out as far as a questline goes.

This. Bethesda, take notes please. I like the idea about rooting out Daedra followers and cultists.

Work for the daedra, retrieve the arifact, go to Vigilant, take twenty lashing and ten hail Mary for cleansing, lose artifact, and get new artifact. What a cycle?

Certainly having specific individual quests for some of The Nine (Not like in Knights of the Nine) would be a great addition to the overall game.

Good point. Going after Daedra Cults I like.

The VoS really strike me as something that was considered as being a joinable faction, but possibly cut due to time constraints (or perhaps simply abandoned).
They're ubiquitous, have a history and a hideout- a lot of wasted potential.
As it stands, it seems they only exist to feed the bears.

Do you think they would allow someone to join them who is also a werewolf? I happened upon one of them while roaming the wild-forests of the Rift in such form...

Werewolves were definitely on their 'No' list...

Oh dear. My list of enemies is increasing in Skyrim

If you want to join the Vigilant of Stendarr, then screw a Daedra over to get an artefact, thereby break the rules of the Vigilant of Stendarr, come back and ask for forgiveness and to kiss their feet again, then you can just worship a Daedra all the same. It is no different.

I'd like this idea. I don't want to be a Daedra's puppet yet that quest can't stay in my log forever.

There are only two factions in this game I've wanted to join. The first is the Forsworn. The second is the Vigilants of Stendarr.

And I can't join either one.

Sigh.

This.

It's a great idea, but I don't think you should get an Aedric artifact, they're next to nonexistent. Just powerful artifacts will do, like some of those we collected in Morrowind for the imperial cult.

It really does make me wonder why they even have a headquaters. I went there expecting a quest or to join them, but all I got were a bunch of basic NPC's.
Also, why even make the vigillants point you there if there is nothing there? Maybe it was a scrapped Idea?

Also they seem to be very lenient on the summoning of dremora in their HQ.

Also, on destroying Daedric artifacts, they cannot be destroyed. The same rule that applies to Daedra applies to their artifacts; when destroyed on Mundus, they are sent to their respective plane of oblivion where the prince there then does whatever they see fit with it.

Maybe there is a way of storing them..? Not sure about that. Or maybe you can just root out the cultists instead without the need to capture the artifact.

It would be nice to have some reason for having the Vigilants in Skyrim... aside from food for my Lycan. Ahem.

I was actually very surprised they weren't. I'm holding out for a spiffy DLC. Or even an expansion.

I'm hoping for a DLC. Especially since it seems odd that they would be given such a strong presence (and headquarters) without any intention of developing them further.

I don't get why the Vigilants are even in the game. They seem the perfect candidates for a faction, but as it is they are just there, you can go to their HQ but there's nothing to it. As a big RPer it's cool to have them there though, but odd for Bethesda seeing as everything in the game usually has some kind of purpose other than going round telling you to be a good boy. Just something like having them hunt you down if you are a Vampire or Werewolf (or even if you say complete all the Daedric quests) would've been cool.

Hopefully someone will create a mod to give them a questline.

Yes, I'm put off by having all of these factions, but not being able to really interact with them. I can go to the Thalmor HQ, or the Vigilants, but cant join them. Same with other factions, like the Forsworn, or even Witches/necromancers/vampires. There are mods and console commands though that can allow this.