The Blades are a fictional organization in The Elder Scrolls game series, including The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. They were originally intended to be a fighting team from Dune, Elsewyr in the original concept of Arena, but when Arena's plot and gameplay were reworked to be what it is now, the Blades were adopted instead as the guardians of the Emperor [148].

Description and Impact on the Series

The Blades are an elite group of spies in the service of the Emperor of Tamriel. They have secret branches across Tamriel, gathering intelligence on the Empire's enemies. They are fiercely loyal to the Emperor; they only take orders from the Emperor himself and the Elder Council has no power over them. The Blades also serve in a public light as the Emperor's bodyguards, as seen in Oblivion.

In Morrowind the organization plays a great role in the main quest. The player's first quest is to report to a man named Caius Cosades in the city of Balmora. As it turns out, Caius is the provincial leader of the Blades and invites the player to join the Blades at the request of the Emperor. Thus, the Blades become one of the first guilds that the player can join within the game of Morrowind. In Morrowind the Blades are tasked with learning more about the Nerevarine legends, as the emperor believes the prophecies and sees a useful ally in the Nerevarine. The player's ultimate mission within the Blades in Morrowind is to fulfill the Nerevarine prophecies, mostly to ensure the loyalty of the Morrowind province within the Empire of Tamriel.

In Oblivion the Blades play an important role in the main quest after the death of the emperor. Players must go to Jauffre and save the last heir to the throne, Martin Septim, and the Amulet of Kings. Much of the main quest involves taking quests from the Blades and Martin to stop the invasions from the plane of Oblivion. In their home province of Cyrodiil, they have a fortress to protect themselves and the emperor called Cloud Ruler Temple. In Oblivion, a Breton named Jauffre is the Grandmaster of the Blades and gives the player a chance to join the Blades. The Blades are heavily influenced by the Akaviri as they are seen wielding Akaviri katanas and armor, and the Cloud Ruler Temple fortress they reside in is also of Akaviri architecture (which itself is based on Japanese architecture).

Blades strongholds

In the game Oblivion, the Blades have numerous strongholds and bases throughout Tamriel. Some of them may be common knowledge, like Cloud Ruler Temple, but others aren't, and act as secret strongholds. An example of these lesser known Blade bases is Weynon Priory; other Priories of the Order of Talos as bases as well.