AWKWARD ZOMBIE

Was a smidge predictable though.

"Oh look a slightly evil looking new gu-YOU MEAN HE TRIES TO KILL US?! WHAT?!"

Every single Thalmor was predictable. It got to the point where I assassinated from the shadows on reflex instead of waiting to find proof of them being evil bastards.

Also:
"Oh no, the archmage has been killed!"
"Hey you, new guy, you're the archmage now."

I just chalked that one down to "Hey it's the responsibility of the Archmage to protect this school and we're all lazy, cowardly bastards so let's toss it on this guy!"

That is absolutely the truth.

To be entirely fair, that is basically how every quest for everyone has ever gone.

"oh look you have skills that are a necessity for living in this world. mmwell you're better than us guess you're the leader noowwww"

And to be fairer you are pretty much the most compitent person in the entire game.

Shoot a guard and they'll look for you for a minute or so then dismiss it.

Shoot me and I will hunt down the fucker no matter how long it takes.

You're bodaciously the most competent person in bodaciously the whole of the known world.

This is achieved through not being completely fucking stupid, and also through the absorption of immortal souls who are linked to the very essence of time itself.

Tell that to my Whirlwind Step off a cliff when I thought I had Night Vision mapped.

still smarter than the people who rush an elder dragon completely unarmed

There is a difference between slowly progressing through the ranks and instantly getting appointed the leader.

You know what would be cool?
If you could actually enchant weapons for the guards that ask you.
That'd be a great way to level up enchanting.

There aren't ranks for any of them though. For the Dark Brotherhood, Thieves Guild, Companions, and Mage College, there's just everyone and a leader.

And also every single faction is in some sort of crisis that deprives them of their leaders, so obviously the hyper-competent new guy who avenged or killed or fixed all of their problems is the natural choice.

Alternatively, it's a video game that stretched itself in so many directions that it never got very far in any one.