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Scenarist Guild

The Scenarist Guild is an ancient guild with a presence across all of Tamriel. The Guild is for troubadours, bards and minstrels; guild members are called Scenarists. The guild has a presence in every significant city across the provinces, but it is based in a citadel nestled in the Dragontail Mountains, which is protected from trespassers by a magical barrier. The guild is ruled with an iron fist by Nesmyt, but it had existed for hundreds of years before he took command.

The guild offers guided tours in the cities, and helps people traverse the provinces physically, interactively, spiritually and historically. It also answers riddles and puzzles. The notes and observations made by the Scenarists have been compiled into a thousand impressive volumes. A neutral guild member not associated with any geographic entity acts as an observer, keeping others' accounts honest and free from inborn or regional bias. In 3E 370, Nesmyt created a sect of Imperial scribes who were charged with recording all historical events, beginning with the defeat of Jagar Tharn. Smuggled out by an anonymous renegade guild member, the book, now known as The Daggerfall Chronicles, was hidden in a shrine to the Oracle. The guild possesses a Monster Watch Grid, which was used to locate the thousands of dark minions which were released by the Underking in the events leading up to the Warp in the West.

School of Julianos

The Schools of Julianos are the temples dedicated to Julianos. Because Julianos is the god of wisdom, his temples are organized like academies. The Schools of Julianos are of the most knowledgeable research institutions in Tamriel, probably second only to the Mages Guild. The military wing of the temple are the Knight Mentor.

Selenu

Selenu is one of the vampire bloodlines of the Iliac Bay area.

Shadow Legion

The Shadow Legion is a division of the Imperial Legion consisting of the Imperial Battlemages. It serves in the Imperial Guard, but had close ties to the Mages Guild. The Guild had the authority to send battlemages onto the field, often to deal with violent rogue mages, but the battlemages ultimately obeyed the orders of their superiors in the Legion.

The Shadow Legion were once trained in the Battlespire, a battlemage academy located in a thin slipstream between Oblivion and Mundus, which was used as a testing facility. Apprentices were sent here to prove themselves. During the Imperial Simulacrum, the Battlespire was invaded by the forces of Mehrunes Dagon, who killed nearly all battlemages stationed there. The Daedra blocked access to the Battlespire through the use of a Daedric Sigil, which prevented the Shadow Legion from entering and reclaiming the academy. Two battlemage apprentices fought their way into Oblivion and followed the retreating army, eventually banishing Dagon to the Void and causing the destruction of the Battlespire.

The Imperial Battlemages also have a presence in the Imperial City, where they are assigned to guard the Arcane University. They patrol the university grounds and occupy an Imperial watchtower there. In 3E 433, Watch Captain Hieronymus Lex briefly commandeered the Battlemages, along with many other members of the Imperial Guard, to search the Imperial City Waterfront for the Gray Fox. The Gray Fox's appearance was a lie circulated by the Thieves Guild, who used the opportunity to pull off several major heists around the unguarded city; the absence of the Imperial Battlemages allowed for the theft of Hrormir's Icestaff from the Arch-Mage's Tower, which was later returned by the Thieves Guild. The theft enraged the Mages Guild, who demanded that Lex call off his search and return the battlemages to the university grounds. That same year, the Imperial Battlemages helped the Mages Guild to catch a rogue mage along the Gold Road, and helped fight against the Order of the Black Worm.

After the destruction of the Battlespire and the dissolution of the Mages Guild, it is unknown where the Legion was based during the Fourth Era.

Shadowscales

The Shadowscales are a special part of the Dark Brotherhood. In the Argonian homeland of Black Marsh, those born under the sign of the Shadow are taken at birth and presented to the King of Black Marsh. A Shadowscale hatchling is then trained in the arts of stealth and assassination by the Dark Brotherhood, and lives a life in service to the mighty kingdom of Argonia. Any Shadowscale who lives to come of age is accepted into the Dark Brotherhood as a full member of the family.

Shadowscales probably follow the same five tenets traditionally followed by members of the Brotherhood. However, the only ones that are known to be true are, never disobey or refuse to carry out an order from a superior and never kill a fellow Shadowscale. The only difference between these is that, if a member of the Dark Brotherhood kills a fellow family member he must fight the Wrath of Sithis to earn forgiveness. With Shadowscales, however, refusing to fulfill a contract is viewed as treason, and the traitor will be put to death. With the death of the last known living Shadowscale, it is possible that the Shadowscales have been entirely wiped out.

Silver Hand

The Silver Hand were a group of werewolf hunters . They were enemies of the Companions, as they were aware that the mercenary group's elite members are lycanthropes. Hunters affiliated with the Silver Hand were known to brandish silver swords and sought to rid Skyrim of werewolves. However, while the Silver Hand solely hunted werewolves and members of the Companions, it was evident that the group was overzealous at best, and at its worst was no better than a group of bandits, murdering unarmed civilians and torturing their captives, even those not suffering from lycanthropy.

Skaal

Skaal Village circa 4E 201

The Skaal are an offshoot tribe of Nords living in a village in northeastern Solstheim. They are known as a trusting and hospitable people, welcoming strangers into their village without any suspicion. Their village is located to the east of the Isild River, along the Felsaad Coast just north of Lake Fjalding. The Skaal are descended from the Nords who served the Dragon Cult on Solstheim, and built tombs to honor the Dragon Priests who ruled over them. They get all that they need from the land around them and do not often accept coin in trade from travelers.

Though they are Nords by race, the Skaal developed their own culture and religion, based around worship of the All-Maker. They believe when something dies, be it an animal or a person, the spirit of the deceased is returned to the All-Maker, who then reforms it into a new being and returns it to the mortal plane, to live out a new life, in a new body. As such, the Skaal do not view death the same way as other Nords and, as such, have not created the extensive tombs seen throughout most of Skyrim. All life is sacred to the Skaal, and they try to live in harmony with nature, impacting their environment as little as possible. They only hunt out of a necessity to eat, never for enjoyment or practice, and gather their firewood from dead trees that have already fallen. The antithesis of the All-Maker is a being known as the Adversary. The Adversary has many aspects, each one of them designed to test the Skaal, to push them so that they do not become lazy and weak. One aspect of the Adversary is Thartaag, the World-Devourer, likely the Skaal's version of Alduin, the World-Eater. Legend says that Thartaag will return at the End of Seasons, and bring an end to all of creation.

Early in the third century of the Third Era, a group of Skaal left the village, hoping to return more to their roots. These Skaal were led by Hrothmund the Red, and founded Thirsk Mead Hall, a settlement on the southern shore of Lake Fjalding (though some local Nords believe the history of the hall dates back to the late Second Era).

For more information, see the Lore article.

Stormcloaks

The Stormcloaks were the main organization of rebels in Skyrim's Stormcloak Rebellion. Strongest in eastern Skyrim and based in Windhelm, they are those who followed Ulfric Stormcloak after he killed High King Torygg and called for an end to the ban on Talos worship and action against the Empire and the Thalmor. The Stormcloaks claimed to be the only ones who could call themselves true Sons (or Daughters) of Skyrim.

Summerset Shadows

A group of thieves from the Summerset Isles who attempted to set up shop in Windhelm around 4E 201. Much like the Thieves Guild, they forbade their thieves to murder while on a job. Of course, the Thieves Guild of Skyrim did not greet this incursion with pitchers of mead. On behalf of a client, they shamed the group by slaying their leader and embarrassing them, quickly bringing about an end to their organized presence in Skyrim.

Sword-singers

The Sword-singers (or Sword singers) were a group of expert Redguard warriors from Yokuda and, for a while, Hammerfell.

The origins of the singers lie in a group of desert artisans, originally recruited from among the offspring of high Yokudan families. They built a temple to the gods of war and a training hall named "The Hall of the Virtues of War" in which they could practice their combat skills and the art of forging powerful swords. In 1E 617, the emperor Randic Torn started a divide between the singers and the common people by restricting the wearing of swords to the singers.

Men joining the group were known as "Brothers of the Blade" and women as "Maidens of the Spirit Sword". Two sources suggest that new members were recruited into the order at age eleven, but is unclear whether all recruits joined at this age. Certainly, one of the most celebrated singers, Frandar Hunding, was so skilled in swordsmanship by age 14 that he could use his abilities to provide for his mother and four brothers.

The greatest of the sword-singers were known as Ansei, or "Saints of the Sword" and formed their own training schools to pass on their skills. To become an Ansei of the first rank, a sword-singer had to demonstrate an ability to form the Shehai, a sword formed out of the singer's own spirit. Higher ranks were also possible. The study of the Shehai was known as "Shehai Shen She Ru", the Way of the Spirit Sword. When formed by a high-level Ansei, the Shehai was "an unstoppable weapon of great might" and made the singer capable of astonishing feats of swordsmanship.

In around 1E 780, the Yokudan Emperor Hira became afraid of the threat he perceived from the singers and launched a campaign to wipe them out. Frandar Hunding devised a strategy he called the "Hammer and Anvil", and eventually won a decisive victory against the emperor at the foot of Hattu Mountain. The war made the singers aware that they were no longer welcome in the land, and they set sail from the port of Arch, eventually arriving in the land they named Hammerfell.

By the 2nd century of the Third Era, the Way of the Sword was still being studied but many of the ancient secrets had been almost lost, with even the most venerable masters only capable of forming insubstantial Shehai. The ways of the Ansei are still admired by other warriors, and at least one artifact has been named in their honor.

The Syffim

The Syffim were the forerunner of the Fighters Guild, founded by the Akaviri Potentate Versidue-Shaie and his kinsman Dinieras-Ves. Although it began as an Akaviri-only organization, named after the Tsaesci word for 'soldiers', it eventually opened its doors to all races. The Syffim became the Fighters Guild when it received its charter in 2E 321.

Synod

The Synod is one of the organizations formed after the dissolution of the Mages Guild at the start of the Fourth Era, the other being the College of Whispers. The two groups are rivals, and constantly strive to earn the favor of the Elder Council. The Synod played a part in defending the Imperial City from Umbriel circa 4E 40.

The Synod is headed by a Grand Council. Ranks within the Synod include Attendant and First Adjunct. One of the divisions within the Synod is the Binder's Conclave, which enchanted a focusing crystal for use at the Oculory of Mzulft. Both the College of Whispers and the Synod have attempted to form alliances with the College of Winterhold, but despite pressures the independent organisation has remained neutral. In 4E 201, the Synod attempted to use the Oculory of Mzulft to locate artifacts of great magical power, but the Eye of Magnus prevented the Oculary from working correctly. The Eye was being held at the College of Winterhold at the time, which may have embittered relationships with the Synod.