Black-Briar (Riften) or Silver-Blood (Markarth), Which one?

  • Welcome to Skyrim Forums! Register now to participate using the 'Sign Up' button on the right. You may now register with your Facebook or Steam account!

Daelon DuLac

How do you backstab a Dragon?
Black-briar, Riften. I absolutely love Maven and her whole family.

The Silver-Bloods are a bunch of hoods and act like they're the official Mafia. They have corrupted everything in Markarth for their own profit (don't get me wrong, Maven has done the same, but she's not kidnapping people and torturing them and using them for slave labor). Plus they're attitude is reprehensible. My biggest turn-offs for them are that: 1) the entire Karthwasten thuggy extortion situation (I am always happy to kill off those mercenaries); 2) Using the Forswarn with false promises as terrorists to manipulate the city and it's citizens (don't get me wrong, I'm not a Forswarn fan, but, still); 3) Framing me for a crime I didn't commit just so they can continue with their corruption.

I'll stick with Maven. She's straigh-up a b***h and I love her for it. Sure she's corrupt, but she's a heck of a lot more dangerous than the silver-bloods will ever be and she's smart enough to use her assets and keep them happy instead of abusing them and maintain strong connections to the entire Empire rather than sit on a bunch of shiny rocks like kings of the walk and think they're better than thou.
 

Seanu Reaves

The Shogun of Gaming
Maven pays the bills. Much better than the Silver-Bloods.

Plus her daughter is kinda cute...

But yeah the Black-Briar clan just feels like the better option. People "know" Maven runs things. But you know the Silver-Bloods are pulling strings more openly. Plus Thugs... vs Thieves Guild and Dark Brotherhood. Gotta stay with the family... This time the family happens to be with the Black-Briars.
 

AS88

Well-Known Member
Staff member

Ivory

Let's Player
Maven. She may be corrupt and annoying as hell, but she still knows her place and limits.
 

TheLonelyWolve

My precious
Black Briars hands down, I mean come on, Maven gave me a dagger, beats a ring any day.
 

Wildroses

Well-Known Member
Probably the Black-Briars because of Ingun. My first playthrough of Skyrim I ran around talking to every single person I could see, with the result that I'd heard a lot about Ingun Black-Briar before I met her. I was really intrigued by this character who had been born into wealth and influence, as well as expectations she would help her family gain more of each, but had instead found the courage to defy them because she wanted to be a simple alchemist instead.

I was actually disappointed when I met Ingun and discovered that rather than being the rebel following her dreams and defying her evil family I had envisaged, she was instead just a mildly creepy girl in expensive clothing who was a bit too keen on poisons.

But enough of my starry eyed imaginings have survived to make me prefer her family over those Silver Blood jerks who threw me in prison then expected me to feel grateful for them granting me a pardon and tossing me a ring after I'd fought my way out single handed with ragged robes and a shiv.
 

DrunkenMage

Intoxicated Arch-Mage
Black-Briars. Maven has connections with the Dark Brotherhood, the Thieves Guild and the Elder Council in Cyrodiil. She's basically untouchable and can manipulate politics far better than the Silver-Bloods.

The Silver-Blood family are just thugs, who are only powerful because of a mine. All mines dry up sooner or later. The head of their family just sulks in the palace going "The Silver-Blood family will be heard!" the second of the family is being influenced by potions from his wife.

Maven on the other hand... She knows how to pull the strings, and at least she controls the city without needing to shout about getting attention. Maven is far more scary than any Silver-Blood.

fought my way out single handed with ragged robes and a shiv.

That is just a normal Saturday night for you.
 

Raijin

A Mage that loves a Templar
Black-Briars. Maven has connections with the Dark Brotherhood, the Thieves Guild and the Elder Council in Cyrodiil. She's basically untouchable and can manipulate politics far better than the Silver-Bloods.

The Silver-Blood family are just thugs, who are only powerful because of a mine. All mines dry up sooner or later. The head of their family just sulks in the palace going "The Silver-Blood family will be heard!" the second of the family is being influenced by potions from his wife.

Maven on the other hand... She knows how to pull the strings, and at least she controls the city without needing to shout about getting attention. Maven is far more scary than any Silver-Blood.

For once I can 100% agree with you. Maven knows how to scare this Dragonborn off.
 

ColleenG

When in doubt, follow the fox.
Can't I just kill them all?
 

AS88

Well-Known Member
Staff member
Black-Briars. Maven has connections with the Dark Brotherhood, the Thieves Guild and the Elder Council in Cyrodiil. She's basically untouchable and can manipulate politics far better than the Silver-Bloods.

The Silver-Blood family are just thugs, who are only powerful because of a mine. All mines dry up sooner or later. The head of their family just sulks in the palace going "The Silver-Blood family will be heard!" the second of the family is being influenced by potions from his wife.

Maven on the other hand... She knows how to pull the strings, and at least she controls the city without needing to shout about getting attention. Maven is far more scary than any Silver-Blood.

fought my way out single handed with ragged robes and a shiv.

That is just a normal Saturday night for you.

A*se, you beat me to it.

Also, the Silver-Bloods have some pretty strong ties to the Stormcloaks, while Maven has created a relationship with the Thalmor.

Silver-Bloods have that old-style power, stranglehold over the Reach's silver through force, and some kind of influence over Madanach and the Forsworn, making them able to pull more strings there. The Black-Briars have made some powerful friends, but make sure to keep their hands fairly clean, it seems, except for with the Thieves Guild, but Maven practically has them in the palm of her hand until a particularly gifted member comes along and changes the guild's course a little bit. I'd definitely say the Black-Briars, or Maven at least, have the advantage based on intelligence and guile.
 

T. Rakinson

A Brute among Beasts
I think the Silver-Bloods are tactical genius's. Maven has full protection ( guilds, imperial ascosiates). She only acts so haughty because she [think she's] untouchable.
Insufferable old B****.

The Silver-Bloods are in constant danger from forsworn assasinations, the cival war & whatnot, but they still shove crap down Dovahkiin's throat, chuck you in a prison for sticking your nose in their buisness, stick it to the "king of the Reach", & Overpower the poor & helpless folk not in the know. Unlike Maven's lot, I respect that clan.
Also, you've gotta admit, they're not the worst thing in Makarth by quite a shot. Thalmor are all throwing their weight around the place. One house is so haunted a VoS fought his way through the Reach to investigate it, & half the population ( none of which are Silver-bloods BTW) are friggin cannibals!

NOTE: To whoever said About DB & TG wiping them out, I'll point out both guilds are on their knee's at this point, while the Silver-Blood controlled Forsworn army are as strong & as pissed as ever.

I rest my case :)
 

Dradin

Tribunal Temple Acolyte
If you mean which one I would rather shove my sword down their throat and butcher them; Silverbloods.

Maven actually has done something for herself, the Silver Bloods took advantage of Ulfric's invasion of Markarth (Pre Civil War) to gain power and bully the native Reachmen.

When the Forsworn return the Silver Bloods will have a reckoning and face the true justice, instead ing of hiding behind "racial superiority".

The idea that they think they control the Forsworn is ridiculous at best. Proves their foolishness.

The Reach Will Be Ours Again!
- Dradin.
 

Kalin of High Rock

Faal Lun Vahdin
The reachmen would garner more support from outsiders if they didn't worship Hagravens and replace their own beating hearts with herbs. It's a public relations nightmare for an otherwise sympathetic group...of unwashed hill-dwelling lunatics. Bushwhacking any poor fools they happen to find on the road is also hurting their cause.

The Empire is too far stretched to even defend itself. Any help The Dominion would offer would come with enough strings attached to hang themselves. Blackmarsh is independent and powerful but insular, Morrowind is still recovering from the disaster of The Red Year. Both are on the other side of Tamriel and neither have love for outsiders. They could look west and over the mountains towards Daggerfall and Hammerfell. But Skyrim's so septic I doubt any of those two would want to get involved.

Honestly, the Reachmen should use their resources to help secure The Reach and all of Skyrim for The Empire. Once Skyrim is securely held by The Empire they can petition for control of The Reach as its own small province, like Orsinium. If The Empire sees Reachman support as helpful or even essential to their continued dominance in the north they will be more willing to make concessions to ensure that support continues.

The mouse needs to pull the thorn out of the lion's paw here. Also, the mouse needs to downplay the terrorism, brutal ritual disfigurements, black magic, human sacrifice and worship of hags. Silly mouse.
 

Recent chat visitors

Latest posts

Top