While the Agent is a relatively new, and well defined Class, there is some discrepancy between Morrowind, and Oblivion (The 2 titles it appears in.) Rather than just crank out 1 blanket build for the class, I thought I'd add different "Paths." Like Paladins, they beg the question "Agent of Whom?"
"Agents are operatives skilled in deception and avoidance, but trained in self-defense and the use of deadly force. Self-reliant and independent, agents devote themselves to personal goals, or to various patrons or causes." Morrowind Description
General Build
Races: Unless defined by the Faction, Dunmer, Khajiit, and Bosmer all make excellent Agents. Argonians would too, if they were allowed in Cities.
Major Skills: Sneak, Archery, Illusion.
Minor Skills: Alchemy, Lockpicking, Speech
Guardian: Stealth Specialists, they're governed by the Thief, but also use Mage, and Warrior skills.
Standing Stones: The Lady, Shadow, Serpent, or Tower.
Shouts: Unrelenting Force, Whirlwind Sprint, Aura Whisper, Throw Voice, Ice Form, and Become Ethereal.
Stats: Preferring Stealth, and Subterfuge to open combat, they can defend themselves, but get more use out of Stamina and Magicka.
Important Perks
For the classic skill set, more specific Factions may add, or drop skills as needed.
Sneak: Stealth, Backstab, Deadly Aim, Silent Roll, and Silence.
Illusion: Expert, and Quiet Casting.
Archery: Overdraw, Eagle Eye, Steady Hand, Quick Shot.
Lockpicking: None. Used to get into doors, and chests, but doesn't require any investment, and Unlocks more points for other skills.
Speech: Persuasion, used more to talk their way into places, and out of trouble than save money. (Speechcraft, but not Mercantile.)
Alchemy: Poisoner, Snakeblood.
One Hand: Optional, Assassin's Blade.
Spellbook
Illusion: Calm, Fear, Fury, Muffle, Pacify, Rout, Frenzy, Invisibility. A well placed Terror effect can clear a room, or stop a fight you'd rather not be in. Peace can tell everyone to chill, and even let you pick their pockets for a Quest Item.
Alteration: Oak-Ebonyflesh, Paralyze, Telekinesis, Detect Life/Undead. Optional, but very handy for Stealth/Magic classes.
Conjuration: For Bound weapons which can be smuggled in anywhere, and cannot be disarmed.
Role Playing an Agent
These characters are ideal for an immersive experience. So, go wild with the Background, Motivation, and Rationales. Not just for you, but your Faction, what are your Orders, and how do they serve the motives of your Organization? Say you're going into Cidnha Mine. Of course, you the Player wants the Gauntlets of the Old Gods, but why is the Agent there? To kill Madanach, or Free him? Who wants him freed, and how did they communicate this to you?
Handlers Who do you to report to. Getting the information does no good if it doesn't get back to those who can use it. With some, like the Stormcloaks, and the Empire, there's obvious choices like Rikke', or Jorleif. Don't worry about the lack of Dialog options, but report back whenever you find something, or complete a Sabotage mission to get your next Orders. Fortunately, Delphine makes you to report back to The Sleeping Giant whenever you finish a Mission.
Cover Story. You don't have to come up with Aliases, and ID papers unless you're internationally reknowned like James Bond (Actually a Bad example of an agent, because everyone noticed him whenever he walked into a room.)
Uniform At least change into something else whenever you're infiltrating an opposing Faction. There's no in-game effect, other than comments from Guards, but for Role Play reasons, it becomes painfully obvious, though possibly hilarious when you infiltrate in Uniform:
..."Like right behind you?"
The quests you chose would likely depend on your Faction, and Mission, but at least one comes to mind that's right up any Agent's alley. Infiltration, just the name pretty much says it all, but it also gives you 2 Spell Tomes that might be handy, Bound Sword, and Detect Life. Treva's Watch can even be Cleared completely by stealth, and gives you some nice XP while you're training up to present yourself to a Faction:
Agent of Nocturnal
The Faction, and Quests that most personify the Agent class, I got "Agent of Nocturnal" straight from the game. Contrary to popular belief, they are Spies, not Assassins, though they can kill by stealth as well. The Thieves' Guild also provides several items which compliment the skillset, and role play opportunities so you don't have to make up Missions for yourself.
AKA Nightingales, the eponymous Uniform, Blade, and Bow are as much signs of prestige as useful enchantment carriers. Add:
One Handed for the Gloves, and Blade.
Light Armor: Agile Defender, Custom Fit, Unhindered, Wind Walker.
Agent of Strife, Shadow, or Subterfuge. I usually go with Strife, especially with Illusion in my repetoire. One of the most powerful Absorb Health effects available.
Other than the Thieves' Guild, you might also want to try: Destroy the Dark Brotherhood to get your hands on the Shrouded Cowl, which matches, and adds to your Bow's Damage as well as the Gloves, which don't match, but are full of OPness. The siblings of Sithis could also be considered Competition.
Under Saarthal for the Amulet Fragment, and Drevis Neloran, the only vendor that sells the Invisibility spell.
Your Handlers would probably be Brynjolf, then Delvin Mallory, and Karliah.
Agent of the Emperor
Not supported by the lore, but some have said his Agents are everywhere, so perhaps they are just good at their job? Obviously want to join the Civil War, then work their way up to Destroy the Dark Brotherhood. Unfortunately, you'd have to kill one of the Penitus Oculatus to get some of that spiffy armor, but why be so Obvious? Though the Legion will take anyone, Imperial is also a good racial choice for a daily Calm power.
Add Block, and possibly Restoration to take advantage of their natural talents. Other Role Play Quests may include Joining the Stormcloaks to infiltrate them, and get a few doses of Ice Wraiths Bane.
Just for a couple quests, your mission was to discover the location of The Jagged Crown, and deliver it to Rikke', all along. I supposed that being a Secret Society, and all, the Shrouded/Jester's Clothes aren't commonly known to be specific to the Dark Brotherhood. As a High Elf, it's not too much of a Stretch to pose as a Wizard to find the location of The jagged Crown, not to mention pick up a few doses of Ice Wraiths Bane. This sort of Turncloak strategy is Stock in Trade for the Agent.
Agent of Windhelm
Meaning the Stormcloaks' cause, they don't like to talk about it much, but Ulfric, Galmar, and even Raloff mention getting some information from them at various times. Though the vast majority of their army consists of Nords dressed up in modified Windhelm Hold Guard armor, you'd think at least once someone with the concepts of subtlety, and persuasion had walked into the Palace of the Kings to join the fight.
I went with Two Handed, to fit in, and Alchemy to Fortify Backstab (The Perks don't work with greatswords.) with Paralysis/Lingering Damage poison. The Great Critical Charge/Silent Roll combo really helps too.
Cover: Don't need any, a Nord doesn't seem out of place anywhere in Skyrim, and would be the last one suspected as an Infil/traitor. Other than their side of the Civil War, I also suggest Diplomatic Immunity as a personal favor to Ulfric. Too bad you can't strap Elenwen down, and torture her for information, eh?
Handlers: Report to Jorleif, or Ulfic in the Palace of the Kings, and Galmar, or Raloff in the field.
Left Hand of the Dominion
"The one hand moves in the open so that the other may work unseen." ~Elenwen. Okay, I totally made that up, but in my retconned pseudo-lore, the Thalmor are the Military/Executive Arm, while the Hands, well lets just say I don't know what you're talking about.
Not unlike the Soldiers, and Wizards of the Thalmor, these also use Bound weapons, so they can be searched, stripped, and searched again, yet always have a weapon at hand. Alteration is also useful in addition to the traditional tools of Speech, and Illusion.
I can't get over the irony of the last hope of defeating Alduin actually IS a mole for the Dominion, but there really is no other way to Infiltrate what's left of the Blades. Perhaps as far as Kynes Grove, where you have to absorb a Dragon's Soul to prove "You really are Dragonborn!".
I actually went Bosmer, since everyone seems to "know" that All the agents of the Dominion are High Elves, and people seem to forget that Valenwood is the other ally. Also, the bonuses to Archery, and Sneak are a big help early on. For Handlers, I went with Ancano, and Ondolemar, since Elenwen (The highest ranking officer in Skyrim) is hard to reach. For cover, "I'm just a Hunter in town to sell some Hides, and buy some Arrows... So, ever heard of the Blades?"
Expansions
I would like nothing more than for this to become a place for others to submit their ideas and concepts for various Factions, both in Skyrim, and the surrounding provinces. Let me be clear, though this is superficially similar to Ponty's Paths of the Paladins, these are not Paladins. Individual Agents may work for Factions with, or without a Patron D/Aedra, but they work for the Organizations, not the Gods themselves. (In some instances, the Factions may inadvertently work against the wishes of their Patrons, so in these cases default to your Orders, and the wishes of the Faction.)
Beyond the Vanilla Game, either of the major DLCs add factions, and items which may be right up your Agent's alley. If someone is more tolerant of storylines involving Vampires conspiring to blot out the Sun, I could really use suggestions for Agents of House Volkihar, and the Dawnguard. For now, I'm focusing on Dragonborn:
I'm switching to the Agent Class as represented in The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. (As suggested by RuneRed)
Major Skills: Speech, Sneak, Light Armor, One Handed.
Minor Skills: Conjuration, Block, Illusion.
Race: Dunmer, the skills are a dead giveaway. Most of the Factions are Great Houses, they would likely not trust any N'wah Outlander enough to employ them for such critical work.
As you can see from the Skillset, they swap "Short Blade" for "Marksman", so these are much more up-close, and personal than the Archery based counterparts from Cyrodiil. A little too much like a Nightblade for my taste, but to me, the difference is appropriately enough more Subtle. A Nightblade is a magic/Assassin, their skills, dagger, and spells are used to Kill, preferably for money. A Thief/Mage would use them to Steal for Profit, while the Agent is mostly concerned with the Mission. Be it stealing important documents, eliminating a target, or even acts of Sabotage, it's all for their Faction, and Cause. That's why I haven't included the Dark Brotherhood, or Morag Tong.
House Redoran
Associated with the Fighters' Guild, this is the de facto Ruling House of the Capitol of Darklight, Ald'Ruhn on Vvardenfel, and Raven Rock on Solstheim. Possible missions to Skyrim may include infiltrating their Competition in Jorvaskr, and recruiting among the Dunmer to raise a force to re-invade Morrowind against the Argonians.
Not real fond of the "Saxhleel", because of opportunistically invading after the last eruption, and driving them from their homes. Pretty much any one of the People of the Black Marsh are a potential target. Even if not specifically on your list, taking them out is understandable so long as it doesn't jeopardize your primary Mission.
Because of their association with the Fighter's Guild, Weapon Skills, and Light (Chiton) Armor are prioritized over Illusion, and Sneak, as long as you have the bare minimum of both to get the job done. Their Agents' Methods tend to be more direct, and less subtle. Bound Dagger, and Sword are their signature spells, though they're not above Summoning Ash Spawn, and even Dremora once Stealth is no longer needed.
Which isn't to say they are no nonsense Skirmishers, just that they may be more apt to make an example with Massacres, and by burning enemy installations to the ground. After the mission is achieved, the information gotten, target eliminated, or item acquired, the destruction may even conceal the original motive for a time.
Cover Story: They may pose as Reavers (Bandits) Mercenaries, or other Warrior types to distract attention from their subtler skills.
House Hlaalu
On Vvardenfell, their capitol was the Trade Hub of Balmora. As such, they're most associated with Commerce, Logistics, and the Thieves' Guild (Of Morrowind) Therefore, they stress the Skills of Speechcraft (Not just the Persuasive branch, but also Mercantile Perks up to Master Trader.) Lockpicking, and Pockets.
After the Red Year, and Argonian Invasion, House Redoran attempted a Coup which eventually stripped them of their standing as a Great house. However, there may still be some remnant working to regain their former glory, and dominance over Trade throught the Inner Sea...
A likely Misson is to infiltrate their Nordic counterparts in Riften, up to, and including discovering the Nightingales. They have no Uniform, though the Guild's would well serve them to fit in with their targets. Also, the Nightingale Bow would be a great prize for it's unique manufacture. As always, they would love to report back with new Trade opportunities as they are discovered. The house most closely tied to the Empire, they may also seek assistance from their traditional allies in Solitude, and the East Empire Company.
The character is much more likely to be more of a free agent than have a Handler, though they may have contacts such as Teldryn Sero in the Retching Netch, Raven Rock, or Belyn Hlaalu in Windhelm.
House Telvanni
The House of Wizards, Necromancers, and other Dark Arts, they were distinct from the Mages' Guild, who were as much rivals as the other political Houses. Their capitol is Port Telvannis, and on the island of Vvardinfell, the Eldritch fungal city of Sadrith Mora. Fortunately, there is a representative at Tel Mythrin, who will no doubt serve as your Contact (Not to mention find some odd jobs for you to do around the tower.)
Master Neloth is probably the oldest surviving character from the Elder Scrolls. He remembers the Nerevarine, and Ghost Fence centuries ago, and considers the Archmage of Winterhold a Novice, not fit to boil his tea. However, it is possible they may have knowledge, worth study. For me, the primary target was The College of Winterhold. Neloth might want to see Keening again, as well as any other powerful artifacts one could smuggle out, such as the Staff of Magnus. ANY of the Black Books, or other Daedric Artifacts may prove insightful to the current events in Oblivion. Pretty much any, and all Unique magical items, books, lore, and Spells (Such as Flaming Familiar) would be valuable.
As to be expected, these Agents focus more on Spellcraft than Armors, or Sneaking. With Illusion, one can run full tilt, silent, and Invisible through any so called Opposition. Likewise, they can encase their foes in Ash, or warp the very air around them to throw enemies aside. (Add Destruction to replace Light Armor.) Bring Brelyas Maryon along, she'd fit right in, and probably welcome the opportunity to get back to her Roots.
Don't expect to be able to discern the motives behind all of your missions, and petty fetch quests. In House Telvanni, the flow of information is largely one way. You tell Neloth what you've discovered, and he tells you where to go next. You get used to it, but Questions of your superiors are not tolerated. In Character, the Telvanni are narcissistic, and dismissive enough to rival the Altmer.
While the Agent is a relatively new, and well defined Class, there is some discrepancy between Morrowind, and Oblivion (The 2 titles it appears in.) Rather than just crank out 1 blanket build for the class, I thought I'd add different "Paths." Like Paladins, they beg the question "Agent of Whom?"
"Agents are operatives skilled in deception and avoidance, but trained in self-defense and the use of deadly force. Self-reliant and independent, agents devote themselves to personal goals, or to various patrons or causes." Morrowind Description
General Build
Races: Unless defined by the Faction, Dunmer, Khajiit, and Bosmer all make excellent Agents. Argonians would too, if they were allowed in Cities.
Major Skills: Sneak, Archery, Illusion.
Minor Skills: Alchemy, Lockpicking, Speech
Guardian: Stealth Specialists, they're governed by the Thief, but also use Mage, and Warrior skills.
Standing Stones: The Lady, Shadow, Serpent, or Tower.
Shouts: Unrelenting Force, Whirlwind Sprint, Aura Whisper, Throw Voice, Ice Form, and Become Ethereal.
Stats: Preferring Stealth, and Subterfuge to open combat, they can defend themselves, but get more use out of Stamina and Magicka.
Important Perks
For the classic skill set, more specific Factions may add, or drop skills as needed.
Sneak: Stealth, Backstab, Deadly Aim, Silent Roll, and Silence.
Illusion: Expert, and Quiet Casting.
Archery: Overdraw, Eagle Eye, Steady Hand, Quick Shot.
Lockpicking: None. Used to get into doors, and chests, but doesn't require any investment, and Unlocks more points for other skills.
Speech: Persuasion, used more to talk their way into places, and out of trouble than save money. (Speechcraft, but not Mercantile.)
Alchemy: Poisoner, Snakeblood.
One Hand: Optional, Assassin's Blade.
Spellbook
Illusion: Calm, Fear, Fury, Muffle, Pacify, Rout, Frenzy, Invisibility. A well placed Terror effect can clear a room, or stop a fight you'd rather not be in. Peace can tell everyone to chill, and even let you pick their pockets for a Quest Item.
Alteration: Oak-Ebonyflesh, Paralyze, Telekinesis, Detect Life/Undead. Optional, but very handy for Stealth/Magic classes.
Conjuration: For Bound weapons which can be smuggled in anywhere, and cannot be disarmed.
Role Playing an Agent
These characters are ideal for an immersive experience. So, go wild with the Background, Motivation, and Rationales. Not just for you, but your Faction, what are your Orders, and how do they serve the motives of your Organization? Say you're going into Cidnha Mine. Of course, you the Player wants the Gauntlets of the Old Gods, but why is the Agent there? To kill Madanach, or Free him? Who wants him freed, and how did they communicate this to you?
Handlers Who do you to report to. Getting the information does no good if it doesn't get back to those who can use it. With some, like the Stormcloaks, and the Empire, there's obvious choices like Rikke', or Jorleif. Don't worry about the lack of Dialog options, but report back whenever you find something, or complete a Sabotage mission to get your next Orders. Fortunately, Delphine makes you to report back to The Sleeping Giant whenever you finish a Mission.
Cover Story. You don't have to come up with Aliases, and ID papers unless you're internationally reknowned like James Bond (Actually a Bad example of an agent, because everyone noticed him whenever he walked into a room.)
Uniform At least change into something else whenever you're infiltrating an opposing Faction. There's no in-game effect, other than comments from Guards, but for Role Play reasons, it becomes painfully obvious, though possibly hilarious when you infiltrate in Uniform:
..."Like right behind you?"
The quests you chose would likely depend on your Faction, and Mission, but at least one comes to mind that's right up any Agent's alley. Infiltration, just the name pretty much says it all, but it also gives you 2 Spell Tomes that might be handy, Bound Sword, and Detect Life. Treva's Watch can even be Cleared completely by stealth, and gives you some nice XP while you're training up to present yourself to a Faction:
Agent of Nocturnal
The Faction, and Quests that most personify the Agent class, I got "Agent of Nocturnal" straight from the game. Contrary to popular belief, they are Spies, not Assassins, though they can kill by stealth as well. The Thieves' Guild also provides several items which compliment the skillset, and role play opportunities so you don't have to make up Missions for yourself.
AKA Nightingales, the eponymous Uniform, Blade, and Bow are as much signs of prestige as useful enchantment carriers. Add:
One Handed for the Gloves, and Blade.
Light Armor: Agile Defender, Custom Fit, Unhindered, Wind Walker.
Agent of Strife, Shadow, or Subterfuge. I usually go with Strife, especially with Illusion in my repetoire. One of the most powerful Absorb Health effects available.
Other than the Thieves' Guild, you might also want to try: Destroy the Dark Brotherhood to get your hands on the Shrouded Cowl, which matches, and adds to your Bow's Damage as well as the Gloves, which don't match, but are full of OPness. The siblings of Sithis could also be considered Competition.
Under Saarthal for the Amulet Fragment, and Drevis Neloran, the only vendor that sells the Invisibility spell.
Your Handlers would probably be Brynjolf, then Delvin Mallory, and Karliah.
Agent of the Emperor
Not supported by the lore, but some have said his Agents are everywhere, so perhaps they are just good at their job? Obviously want to join the Civil War, then work their way up to Destroy the Dark Brotherhood. Unfortunately, you'd have to kill one of the Penitus Oculatus to get some of that spiffy armor, but why be so Obvious? Though the Legion will take anyone, Imperial is also a good racial choice for a daily Calm power.
Add Block, and possibly Restoration to take advantage of their natural talents. Other Role Play Quests may include Joining the Stormcloaks to infiltrate them, and get a few doses of Ice Wraiths Bane.
Just for a couple quests, your mission was to discover the location of The Jagged Crown, and deliver it to Rikke', all along. I supposed that being a Secret Society, and all, the Shrouded/Jester's Clothes aren't commonly known to be specific to the Dark Brotherhood. As a High Elf, it's not too much of a Stretch to pose as a Wizard to find the location of The jagged Crown, not to mention pick up a few doses of Ice Wraiths Bane. This sort of Turncloak strategy is Stock in Trade for the Agent.
Agent of Windhelm
Meaning the Stormcloaks' cause, they don't like to talk about it much, but Ulfric, Galmar, and even Raloff mention getting some information from them at various times. Though the vast majority of their army consists of Nords dressed up in modified Windhelm Hold Guard armor, you'd think at least once someone with the concepts of subtlety, and persuasion had walked into the Palace of the Kings to join the fight.
I went with Two Handed, to fit in, and Alchemy to Fortify Backstab (The Perks don't work with greatswords.) with Paralysis/Lingering Damage poison. The Great Critical Charge/Silent Roll combo really helps too.
Cover: Don't need any, a Nord doesn't seem out of place anywhere in Skyrim, and would be the last one suspected as an Infil/traitor. Other than their side of the Civil War, I also suggest Diplomatic Immunity as a personal favor to Ulfric. Too bad you can't strap Elenwen down, and torture her for information, eh?
Handlers: Report to Jorleif, or Ulfic in the Palace of the Kings, and Galmar, or Raloff in the field.
Left Hand of the Dominion
"The one hand moves in the open so that the other may work unseen." ~Elenwen. Okay, I totally made that up, but in my retconned pseudo-lore, the Thalmor are the Military/Executive Arm, while the Hands, well lets just say I don't know what you're talking about.
Not unlike the Soldiers, and Wizards of the Thalmor, these also use Bound weapons, so they can be searched, stripped, and searched again, yet always have a weapon at hand. Alteration is also useful in addition to the traditional tools of Speech, and Illusion.
I can't get over the irony of the last hope of defeating Alduin actually IS a mole for the Dominion, but there really is no other way to Infiltrate what's left of the Blades. Perhaps as far as Kynes Grove, where you have to absorb a Dragon's Soul to prove "You really are Dragonborn!".
I actually went Bosmer, since everyone seems to "know" that All the agents of the Dominion are High Elves, and people seem to forget that Valenwood is the other ally. Also, the bonuses to Archery, and Sneak are a big help early on. For Handlers, I went with Ancano, and Ondolemar, since Elenwen (The highest ranking officer in Skyrim) is hard to reach. For cover, "I'm just a Hunter in town to sell some Hides, and buy some Arrows... So, ever heard of the Blades?"
Expansions
I would like nothing more than for this to become a place for others to submit their ideas and concepts for various Factions, both in Skyrim, and the surrounding provinces. Let me be clear, though this is superficially similar to Ponty's Paths of the Paladins, these are not Paladins. Individual Agents may work for Factions with, or without a Patron D/Aedra, but they work for the Organizations, not the Gods themselves. (In some instances, the Factions may inadvertently work against the wishes of their Patrons, so in these cases default to your Orders, and the wishes of the Faction.)
Beyond the Vanilla Game, either of the major DLCs add factions, and items which may be right up your Agent's alley. If someone is more tolerant of storylines involving Vampires conspiring to blot out the Sun, I could really use suggestions for Agents of House Volkihar, and the Dawnguard. For now, I'm focusing on Dragonborn:
I'm switching to the Agent Class as represented in The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. (As suggested by RuneRed)
Major Skills: Speech, Sneak, Light Armor, One Handed.
Minor Skills: Conjuration, Block, Illusion.
Race: Dunmer, the skills are a dead giveaway. Most of the Factions are Great Houses, they would likely not trust any N'wah Outlander enough to employ them for such critical work.
As you can see from the Skillset, they swap "Short Blade" for "Marksman", so these are much more up-close, and personal than the Archery based counterparts from Cyrodiil. A little too much like a Nightblade for my taste, but to me, the difference is appropriately enough more Subtle. A Nightblade is a magic/Assassin, their skills, dagger, and spells are used to Kill, preferably for money. A Thief/Mage would use them to Steal for Profit, while the Agent is mostly concerned with the Mission. Be it stealing important documents, eliminating a target, or even acts of Sabotage, it's all for their Faction, and Cause. That's why I haven't included the Dark Brotherhood, or Morag Tong.
House Redoran
Associated with the Fighters' Guild, this is the de facto Ruling House of the Capitol of Darklight, Ald'Ruhn on Vvardenfel, and Raven Rock on Solstheim. Possible missions to Skyrim may include infiltrating their Competition in Jorvaskr, and recruiting among the Dunmer to raise a force to re-invade Morrowind against the Argonians.
Not real fond of the "Saxhleel", because of opportunistically invading after the last eruption, and driving them from their homes. Pretty much any one of the People of the Black Marsh are a potential target. Even if not specifically on your list, taking them out is understandable so long as it doesn't jeopardize your primary Mission.
Because of their association with the Fighter's Guild, Weapon Skills, and Light (Chiton) Armor are prioritized over Illusion, and Sneak, as long as you have the bare minimum of both to get the job done. Their Agents' Methods tend to be more direct, and less subtle. Bound Dagger, and Sword are their signature spells, though they're not above Summoning Ash Spawn, and even Dremora once Stealth is no longer needed.
Which isn't to say they are no nonsense Skirmishers, just that they may be more apt to make an example with Massacres, and by burning enemy installations to the ground. After the mission is achieved, the information gotten, target eliminated, or item acquired, the destruction may even conceal the original motive for a time.
Cover Story: They may pose as Reavers (Bandits) Mercenaries, or other Warrior types to distract attention from their subtler skills.
House Hlaalu
On Vvardenfell, their capitol was the Trade Hub of Balmora. As such, they're most associated with Commerce, Logistics, and the Thieves' Guild (Of Morrowind) Therefore, they stress the Skills of Speechcraft (Not just the Persuasive branch, but also Mercantile Perks up to Master Trader.) Lockpicking, and Pockets.
After the Red Year, and Argonian Invasion, House Redoran attempted a Coup which eventually stripped them of their standing as a Great house. However, there may still be some remnant working to regain their former glory, and dominance over Trade throught the Inner Sea...
A likely Misson is to infiltrate their Nordic counterparts in Riften, up to, and including discovering the Nightingales. They have no Uniform, though the Guild's would well serve them to fit in with their targets. Also, the Nightingale Bow would be a great prize for it's unique manufacture. As always, they would love to report back with new Trade opportunities as they are discovered. The house most closely tied to the Empire, they may also seek assistance from their traditional allies in Solitude, and the East Empire Company.
The character is much more likely to be more of a free agent than have a Handler, though they may have contacts such as Teldryn Sero in the Retching Netch, Raven Rock, or Belyn Hlaalu in Windhelm.
House Telvanni
The House of Wizards, Necromancers, and other Dark Arts, they were distinct from the Mages' Guild, who were as much rivals as the other political Houses. Their capitol is Port Telvannis, and on the island of Vvardinfell, the Eldritch fungal city of Sadrith Mora. Fortunately, there is a representative at Tel Mythrin, who will no doubt serve as your Contact (Not to mention find some odd jobs for you to do around the tower.)
Master Neloth is probably the oldest surviving character from the Elder Scrolls. He remembers the Nerevarine, and Ghost Fence centuries ago, and considers the Archmage of Winterhold a Novice, not fit to boil his tea. However, it is possible they may have knowledge, worth study. For me, the primary target was The College of Winterhold. Neloth might want to see Keening again, as well as any other powerful artifacts one could smuggle out, such as the Staff of Magnus. ANY of the Black Books, or other Daedric Artifacts may prove insightful to the current events in Oblivion. Pretty much any, and all Unique magical items, books, lore, and Spells (Such as Flaming Familiar) would be valuable.
As to be expected, these Agents focus more on Spellcraft than Armors, or Sneaking. With Illusion, one can run full tilt, silent, and Invisible through any so called Opposition. Likewise, they can encase their foes in Ash, or warp the very air around them to throw enemies aside. (Add Destruction to replace Light Armor.) Bring Brelyas Maryon along, she'd fit right in, and probably welcome the opportunity to get back to her Roots.
Don't expect to be able to discern the motives behind all of your missions, and petty fetch quests. In House Telvanni, the flow of information is largely one way. You tell Neloth what you've discovered, and he tells you where to go next. You get used to it, but Questions of your superiors are not tolerated. In Character, the Telvanni are narcissistic, and dismissive enough to rival the Altmer.
