The Skooma Monks or the The Order of Sheogorath. A group of monks based in elesweyr who treat skooma as religious and believe that a "Cat on Skooma" is truly a worthy disciple of Lord Sheogorath.
But thats not all they do.
They hunt keepers of order such as guards, priests, and even jarls. They are especially effective at taking down athoratarian rule. Because of their hate of rulers they have no leader other that addiction and borderline schizophrenic tendencies They are also hated by most Skooma and Moon Sugar dealers because of their tendency to give it away for free as a blessing from the Mad God.
I would propose the Wispbound Collective, a knightly guild operating out of the Soul Cairn to bring order to the mortal plane. There'd be scribes, knights and scouts all creating a peaceful, otherworldly settlement while eliminating chaotic leaders and retrieving destructive weapons from Mundus to be stored in the Collective's vaults. So, all playstyles welcome.
The morality twist would be that they serve the Ideal Masters, and in service must send them a set number of souls by Evening Star every year so they don't cut off their connection to Nirn and let the Wrathmen in.
Can't say a lot about it, one day I might finally get to write something about them. But a mercenary guild that could potentially evolve into a full mercenary company, a private army. Their loyalty, as all proper mercenaries, is dictated solely by gold. Led by a human (a Nord) and a Khajiit.
I also have plans for another guild, only Dunmers allowed. Can't say much about them either. I really want to write about those two, but I have no time.
Base in reality? You mean in this game where there's bipedal cat people and not-lizard-not-fish-not-bird-and-not-tree-but-all-of-them bipedal beings that grow feathers instead of hair, can breathe underwater, talk to trees and shoot flames from their fingers?
That must really have a solid base in reality.
I dont think she's looking for a strict adherence to our reality in a fantasy game. What shes suggesting is that fantasy or not a blade attachment on a crossbow might not be all that practical.
You're probably going to counter by suggesting they could be used as bayonets. But consider this. As a melee weapon a cross bow doesnt have much reach. Bayonets work well for a rifle because those things are pretty long. Not quite so with a cross bow.
How much of that is because of how the Dunmer just twist things up? I mean, when you think of paladins the last thing the word conjures up are grim and threatening Ordinators:
The noblest and most honorable of the Great Houses live in giant shell houses. The Dunmer are the race which defy all archetypes and are a far cry from the comparatively boring drow of D&D.
I'd like a Hunter's Guild. I'm aware there's a mod by the same (or similar) name, but what i'd want is much simpler than what that mod offers. I would base them in Falkreath, owing to the lush verdant forests thick with game (probably moving into the old Dark Brotherhood (post-questline) hideout, after rebuilding it to be somewhat safe for habitation). Skill trainers in relevant hunting skills (Archery, sneak, alchemy, possibly one-handed and light armor too), and members trading skins and other parts from their kills. This would actually be quite useful: if you can't find snow foxes to use their pelts for some of the cloaks from the WiC: Cloaks mod, but have an abundance of, say, bear pelts, it seems fair to trade.
Hunter/Huntress followers would be available, which you could use as backup to help hunt some of the more fierce beasts out there (ever tried to hunt a Mammoth by yourself without the use of OP poisons?)
Rival guilds? I'm not sure. Possibly the Companions - why hire an expensive Companion to get rid of that sabre cat from your property, when a professional hunter will do it for half the cost? Also possibly the Thieves Guild. The Hunter's Guild is a noble and honourable guild that abhors the abuse of stealth for personal gain, and the stigma that comes with stealth-artists. I hate when guards chide me with "Hands to yourself, sneak-thief!" just because my Huntress is good at moving quietly when stalking her game. So if a Hunter gets a chance to pluck a thief from the shadows whilst deer-hunting, then so much the better.