After 50 hours in Oblivion Remastered I’ve finally invented middle-management in Cyrodiil, and now have an army of henchmen led by the Adoring Fan

While immersed in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, I’ve also been learning fascinating facts about nature. For instance, alpha male chimpanzees require approval from their female counterparts to lead their community. Similarly, certain pigeons are more likely to sway the direction of their flock. This leads me to think that hierarchy, an ancient method of command, is as common in nature as it is in Cyrodiil.

In the principal mission of Oblivion Remastered, you’re tasked with gathering allies for Bruma before it gets attacked by daedra. However, the Imperial Council refuses your request, instead urging you to ask other cities for assistance. Although they claim their soldiers are overextended, battling other Oblivion gates, it’s quite clear that this is a classic example of passing on responsibilities they don’t wish to handle themselves, due to the structure of their hierarchy.

Motivated by the crafty maneuvers of the Imperial Council, I came to understand that I’ve been overlooking opportunities for additional labor. In Oblivion, there are several companions who can be recruited, and it’s possible to travel with multiple ones simultaneously. Instead of always doing the work myself, why not delegate tasks to a group of assistants, or lackeys? This, my emerging management mindset suggested, would simply establish a clear chain of command. After all, that seems like the most logical approach in any scenario.

Hostile takeover

Initially, I head straight to the Arena within Imperial City. In games like Oblivion and Skyrim, I usually disregard companions as they can be more of a hindrance than help – causing friendly fire issues – but my devoted fan, the Adoring Fan, is still hanging around. It’s been quite some time since I became Grand Champion in-game, yet here we are. Today is his long-awaited day: come with me, my spiky-haired follower, and unite with your champion to protect Cyrodiil. By any chance, are you insured for this adventure?

Accompanied by my trusty companion, I journey westward to swiftly liberate Battlehorn Castle, a stronghold under siege by rogue bandits. The fortress is in dire straits and cries out for salvation, while I find myself burdened with an overabundance of loot from sealing Oblivion gates. It’s a perfect match! Just minutes later, Battlehorn Castle is mine, and – arguably more crucial – so are the recruitable Men-at-Arms within its walls.

With the leaders of Cyrodiil agreeing to send their soldiers to Bruma, it seems like an excellent opportunity to put my newly acquired minions to the test. A modest army of guards is standing by, eager to join forces with the Blades, the future Emperor Martin, a fervent fan, and a security guard I’ve temporarily recruited from Battlehorn Castle. Even though Oblivion Remastered is having trouble handling such a large number of characters, I choose to remain optimistic – if the game can’t handle this many NPCs, then Daedra like Mehrunes Dagon will be caught off guard by our assault.

Three gates of Oblivion appear around the city, unleashing waves of daedra onto pristine Cyrodiil. The frame rate of my game plummets, causing it to almost freeze, so I choose to fight with a sword instead – even in the face of lag, people would be upset if I used fireballs and ended up harming their comrades. The defenders of Bruma behave like swarming rats, summoning Storm Atronachs and arrows-ridden minions with sheer numerical strength. In the brief moments between slow gameplay, I ponder if there truly is something to this camaraderie?

As I step up to the last Oblivion portal, my loyal Knight is standing steadfastly beside me, yet my Fan is conspicuously absent. This gate is ticking – we must seal it before Mehrunes’ siege engine can breach Cyrodiil, leaving no room for delay in managing my knight through the inferno. Remarkably, he manages to keep step, aiding me in slashing through Spider Daedra and Daedroth until he falls in the climactic struggle under a barrage of lightning. I suppress any feelings of guilt – such emotions are not part of leadership – and retrieve the Sigil Stone, sealing the gate and saving Bruma.

It’s a mixed triumph for me. Upon my return to Cyrodiil, the Adoring Fan is nowhere to be found. I can only surmise he was either lost among the piles of fallen guards and daedra on the battlefield, or left behind in the realms of Oblivion. In any case, he’s no longer alive. However, witnessing Bruma’s defenders fight fiercely against their enemies reminds me that I’ve been operating at a beginner level. If I aim to play the high-stakes game, I will need more followers to assist me.

Recruitment phase

To postpone replacing my right-hand fan, I decide to wrap up the Oblivion Remastered Dark Brotherhood questline first. I’ve made significant progress in it while transforming Oblivion into a virtual tourism destination. In just a few in-game days, I’m on the hunt for the Brotherhood’s traitor within a basement now used as a murder scene. Surrounded by gruesome corpses and a severed head displayed on a platter, I jump out of my skin when an Adoring Fan appears silently in the basement with me. It wasn’t a joyful encounter; instead, I was so startled that I instinctively swung my sword at him, forcing me to complete the task before he could alert the guards.

It seems that even though I did kill the Adoring Fan, it doesn’t make much difference because he keeps coming back to live and die by my side. With his second resurrection, I’ve managed to grow our operations considerably. Apart from the Adoring Fan, I’ve also enlisted a member of the Dark Brotherhood who knows when to keep his distance using a bow, while staying far from my unpredictable fireballs and erratic sword swings. Additionally, another Man at Arms joined us, though he doesn’t seem to be as skilled in keeping his distance. I’ve also started using Conjuration magic, which means that there’s usually an undead ally helping out. The diverse group turns out to be quite efficient and follows Bruma’s philosophy of attacking the same enemy all at once.

In Cyrodiil, my team, the Avengers, hasn’t encountered a major adversary yet, but I’m intrigued to test their abilities against Mannimarco, the Mage’s Guild’s formidable foe, without my direct intervention. This could lead to the recruitment of two powerful mages as allies, fostering growth for my cause. Additionally, this strategy saves me money on healing potions since my underlings are taking the brunt of the damage. Of course, I may need to occasionally resuscitate a fallen subordinate at the Dark Brotherhood sanctuary or Battlehorn Castle, but every successful enterprise requires some level of sacrifice. If you find my approach a bit cold-hearted, rest assured: there are no labor laws in Cyrodiil to violate! After all, hierarchy is a fundamental aspect of any system.

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2025-05-19 20:10