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A Guild Well Done: The Dawnguard

    • 3 posts
    January 20, 2016 5:05 PM EST

    I think the Dawnguard are largely forgettable because you are just a soldier in their ranks, not the leader or anything. That combined with the fact that 90% of the DLC has you working with Serana no matter what. You do all these great things and it's like "That's cool and all, but Isran is the head hancho."

    Being in the Dawnguard is a lot like being in either side of the Civil War. You lead almost every battle, but your just a soldier.

    • 3 posts
    January 20, 2016 5:13 PM EST

    For me, the Dark Brotherhood was the most enjoyable quest-line. Not saying it was complex. I just enjoyed it the most. It had the most "atmosphere" imo.

    I wouldn't say the Dawnguard are 'good'. They are rather neutral. Like the Vigilant of Stendar. They aren't 'good' either. However, the Volkihar are definitely bad. Only the Thalmor come close to how bad they are.

    • 700 posts
    January 20, 2016 8:03 PM EST

    Ah, right, that's the excerpt I was looking for, thanks. I can see how a fanatic might interpret "protect the weak" as "exterminate everything that threatens the weak". Which...has some interesting implications. That all mortals are weak, relative to Daedra and, vampires, and werewolves? I don't think it's an entirely incorrect statement. Generally speaking, it's true. 

    • 54 posts
    January 20, 2016 9:04 PM EST

    Dawnguard is definitely a noble cause. As some have mentioned, compared to the vigilantes, they are amazing. I always had a dislike for them, as is obvious in my contest build coming out. (Shameless advertising? I don't care.)

    • 122 posts
    January 21, 2016 1:14 AM EST
    Which is certainly a nice change of pace after instance after instance of being the 'leader in training' or 'Chosen One'.
    • 1595 posts
    January 21, 2016 3:55 AM EST

    In fairness and in reference to my "viewed as a fluffy god of cuddles" statement, Stendarr has always been a bit of an asshat. From Stuhn's idea of mercy -"hey, let's sell 'em!" - to Stendarr as revered by the Legion - "let's legitimise our dominance by claiming Stendarr is a god of righteous rule by might and merciful forbearance", has he ever been simply a god of mercy?

    He wasn't so merciful to that knight, Cassimir, who lost his temper with a beggar. Fair enough punish him but did you really have to curse his entire bloodline? So now he is seen as a hunter of the wicked and it actually seems quite fitting, no? I can't wait until TES VI when we get to read his Malleus Maleficarum. Because that seems to be where he's headed from here

    • 27 posts
    March 3, 2016 12:53 PM EST

    So, I know this particular thread hasn't seen action in a bit, but this is my 2 cents as I am finally going through the Dawn guard quest line. I at first wasn't going to do the DG play through during the first half of my character's career. As a matter of fact I was pointedly ignoring the threat as I was building up the Thieves Guild and making it my own. Well I made it as far as finishing the main quest line in defeating Mercer and Leading the Guild. Decided to go ahead and do the little side missions for a bit with Delvin and Vex. But lo and behold as I arrive at Riverwood, I get to witness the wife of the Blacksmith get butchered while the guards were attempting to fight off the attack. Poor blacksmith cries out watching the blood suckers get her and then I finally made the choice. I mean she was a good wife and offered food etc before. Yeah I actually sympathized with the NPCs and decided it was finally time to act. Of to Ft Dawnguard I go.

    I meet Isran, listen to him and think, wow this guy is seriously zealous. Ok, hey, he is one dedicated guy. I'll buy off, but really, I get no motivation from behind it. Like, nothing pertains to losses, or why he chose to revive the DG. On top of which, when I go to recruit some of his prior followers, both elude to him basicly telling them to go jump off a cliff and that he didn't need them. But wait, now he does. Kind of like when he says the same thing to that Stendaar priest in the beginning. But still no clue as to what his under laying motivation to put so much time and effort into cleansing Skyrim of the Vampires. See, in the lore sense, I built up a friendly rapport with the Riverwood folk. They liked me, I liked them. When they started to suffer, I figure I have the means to do something about it, so that's my story. But what's his?

    He talks a big game, but really if he were that intent on burning all the vampires, he would have put Serana to the stake as well, whether she was an asset or not because eventually she would be seen like all the rest...as a blood sucking monster.

    Ultimately while I'm enjoying the quest line, the characterization of Isran is lacking in depth.  The guild itself is kind of cool, but what happens when vampires are no more? Purpose ends and it's disbanded? He doesn't seem to have Leadership qualities in what I understand to be a good leader. Everything and everyone around him is a tool. I see him as a user and nothing more. Now, if the writers gave some context into where he was honestly coming from instead of a 2D cardboard cut out of batman then maybe I could be a little more forgiving. But they really didn't go into it enough to make all the long walks worth understanding him.

    Ultimately, I see my character as a driving force. He can be realistic...sees Serana as a potential ally and hunts down the rest partly because of what I term as the Riverwood massacre and then on the pragmatic side because they interfere with his operations as the Thieves Guild Leader (I for one wouldn't want to have my business infiltrated by blood suckers). Yes, I try o justify why or why not my toon joins or does things in the game. I have yet to do the Dragonborn scenario lol.

    • 140 posts
    March 3, 2016 2:54 PM EST

    I have to agree that the Dawnguard are very underrated.

    With that in mind, I will also admit that I only really use them for Crossbows and Huskies. I mostly just play their questline up until Chasing Echoes or just after Beyond Death, then move on to other questlines. Every once in a while one of my Characters will make it far as Touching the Sky, but it rarely gets further than that.

    • 743 posts
    March 3, 2016 7:27 PM EST
    I think the Dawnguard guild is pretty noble. It's heart is in the right place, and they accept good vampires (Serena).