Fighters Guild History , 1st Ed . Content . In the 283rd year of the 2nd Era , Potentate Versidue - Shaie was faced with a disintegrating empire . The vassal kingdoms throughout Tamriel had reached a new height of rebellion , openly challenging his rule . They refused his taxes and led sorties against the Imperial garrisons throughout the land . At the destruction of his fortress in Dawnstar , he gathered the Imperial Council in what would be called the Council of Bardmont , after the town south of Dawnstar where they met . There the Potentate declared catholic and universal martial law . The princes of Tamriel would dissolve their armies or face his wrath . The next thirty - seven years were perhaps the bloodiest in the violent history of Tamriel . In order to crush the last of the royal armies , Versidae - Shaie had to sacrifice many of his best legions , as well as spend nearly every last piece of gold in the Imperial treasury . But he accomplished the unthinkable . For the first time in history , there was but one army in the land , and it was his own . The problems that immediately surfaced were almost as staggering as the triumph itself . The Potentate had impoverished the land by his war , for the vanquished kingdoms had also spent the last of their gold in defense . Farmers and merchants alike had their livelihood ruined . Before the princes of Tamriel would not pay his taxes - now , they could not . The only persons who benefited from the war were criminals , who preyed upon the ruins of the lawless land , without fear of arrest now that all the local guards and militia were gone . It was a crisis the Akavir had seen coming long before he destroyed the last of his subjects ' armies , but for which he had no solution . He could not allow his vassals their own armies again , but the land was deeper into the stew of anarchy that it had ever been before . His army sought to fight the rise of crime , but a central authority was no threat against the local underworld . In the dawn of the year 320 , a kinsman of Versidae - Shaie , Dinieras - Ves " the Iron , " presented himself with a host of companions before the Potentate . It was he who suggested an order of mercantile warriors - for - hire , who could be hired by nobility in lieu of a standing army . The employment would be temporary , and a percentage of the fee would go to the Potentate ' s government , thus putting salve on two of Versidae - Shaie ' s greatest pains . Though it was then called The Syffim , after the Tsaesci word for ' soldiers , ' the organization that was to be known as the Fighters Guild had been born . Dinieras - Ves " the Iron " initially believed that the entirety of the order should be composed of Akaviri . This belief of his is not disputed by any historian , though his motivation is often debated . The traditional , simple explanation is that he knew his countrymen well , trusted them , and felt that their tradition of fighting for profit would be of use . Others believe , with reason , that he and the Potentate sought to use the order to effectively complete the conquest of Tamriel begun over five hundred years earlier . When Akavir attacked Tamriel in the 2703rd year of the 1st era , they had been beaten back by the Reman Dynasty . Now they had a Potentate on the throne , and with Dinieras - Ves ' s machinations , the local armies would also be Akaviri . What they had failed to do by combat , they would have successfully accomplished by patience . A traditional strategem , many scholars suggest , of the immortal snake men , the Tsaesci of Akavir , who always had time on their side . The point , however , is largely academic . Though the Syffim did establish themselves in some kingdoms neighboring Cyrodiil , it became quickly apparent that local warriors were needed . Part of the problem was simply that there were not enough Akaviri for the work that needed to be done . Another part was that the snake men did not understand the geography and politics of the regions they were assigned . It was evident that some non - Akaviri were needed in the Syffim , and by the midpoint of the year , three Nord s , a warrior - sorceress , a rogue , and a Knight were admitted into the order . The knight , whose name has been lost in the sands of time , was also a great armorer , and probably did more to strengthen the organization than anyone but Dinieras - Ves himself . As has often been stated , the Akaviri , particularly the Tsaesci , understood weaponry better than armor . Even if they could not wear it themselves , the knight was able to explain to the other Syffim what the weaknesses were in their opponent ' s armor , explaining to them how many joints there were in a pauldon and a grieve , and the differences between Aketons and Armkachens , Gorgets and Gliedshrims , Palettes and Pasguards , Tabards and Tassettes . With this knowledge , they made long strides in defeating the brigands , doing far better than their meager numbers would suggest . It is a joke among historians that if Akavir had a Nord armorer in their employ in the first era , they would have won the invasion . The success of these first three outsiders to the Syffim opened the door for more local members . Before the year was through , Dinieras - Ves had spread his business throughout the Empire . Young men and women , for a variety of reasons - because of desperate poverty , for love of action and adventure , in order to aid their crime - stricken neighbors - joined his new order en masse . They received training , and were immediately put to work helping the aristocracy ' s problems , assuming the roles of guards and soldiers within their locality . The early success of the Syffim in combating crime and defeating local monsters so inspired Potentate Versidae - Shaie that he entertained representatives from other organizations interested in Imperial sanction . Though formed much earlier , the Mages Guild had always been viewed with suspicion by the government . In the 321st year of the 2nd Era , the Potentate gave his approval to the Guilds Act , officially sanctioning the Mages , together with the Guilds of Tinkers , Cobblers , Prostitutes , Scribes , Architects , Brewers , Vintners , Weavers , Ratcatchers , Furriers , Cooks , Astrologers , Healers , Tailors , Minstrals , Barristers , and the Syffim . In the charter , they were no longer called the Syffim , however : bowing to the name it had become known as by the people , they were to be called the Fighters Guild . All the Guilds , and those that followed by later sanctions throughout the second and third eras , would be protected and encouraged by the Empire of Cyrodiil , recognizing their value to the people of Tamriel . All would be required to pay to expand their influence throughout the land . The Empire was strengthened by their presence , and the Imperial coffers were filled once again . Shortly after Versidae - Shaie ' s death , only three years after the Guild Act , his heir Savirien - Chorak , allowed the reforming of local armies . The Fighters Guild was no longer the principal arm of the local aristocracy , but their worth had already been established . Though there were certainly strong individuals who sought their own fortunes in the past , many historians have suggested that Dinieras - Ves was the ancestor in spirit of the modern phenomenon of the Adventurer , those men and women who dedicate their lives to questing for fame and fortune . Thus , all owe a debt of gratitude to the Fighters Guild - - not only its members , and the people who have been helped by its neutral policy of offering strong arms for a fee within the boundaries of the law . Without them , there would be no guilds of any kind , and it may be argued , no model for even the independent Adventurer .