The Forsworn were definitely a missed opportunity, in a lot of ways. Yes, they sided with Hagravens, and empower their champions by cutting their hearts out and making them undead killing machines. But that always struck me as the actions of a desperate people, who were pushed to the very edge of extinction. Going further, who are the "Old Gods"? My take? The Reachmen (not just the forsworn) worship Daedra, not unlike the Dunmer. Specifically I am thinking Hircine and Namira. After all, Hagravens are closely tied to the Forsworn, and they (or at least the Glenmoril Coven) serve Hircine. Beyond that, Hagravens seem to share a lot of traits and characteristics that line up with Namira's Spheres, what with their hatred of 'pretty things' and general isolationist repulsiveness. Further, Namira is also the Daedric princess of the Lost, The Wretched and the Forgotten. Who does this sound like?
Building on that theme, I think the Forsworn would have been a much better 'host' for the Werewolf quest lines, rather than the companions. The werewolf story always felt kind of tacked on at the last minute, in an otherwise unremarkable guild. But if say, the Forsworn made a pact with the witches of Glenmoril and Hircine, to empower a few of the tribes with lycanthropy as a sort of secret weapon, it all falls into place much better. In fact, given the Forsworn's tendency towards guerrilla warfare and more individual agents and cells performing surprise attacks within the city, imagine the potential with werewolves. Rather than Weylin charging at Margret with a knife, killing her and then getting hacked to pieces, he shapeshifted into a werewolf and ripped her apart, and then cut a bloody swathe out of the city wreaking havok?
Keeping with that theme of guerrilla fighting, I don't think the Forsworn would be leading any armies to march on the enemy forts in the Civil War, the way the imperials and stormcloaks do. I think they would favor individuals (the main character) or small commando teams infiltrating and assassinating the leaders. Imagine if just such a team all had the stealth and subtlety of a Forsworn hunter, and the ferocity of a werewolf. Two or three Forsworn could sneak into a Stormcloak fort through one of the numerous un-guarded sewer entrances, and either split up for maximum chaos and confusion, or stay together for a concentrated attack, then turn into werewolves and clear out the keep. This fits their fighting style, and their more.... rag-tag make up, since I always got the feel that they were kind of scattered and didn't have the population or infrastructure to support a large, conventional army.
Also, to add on a few more points about Hircine and Namira: When asked about the coven, Eola states that it has been around for thousands of years, and it is not hard to imagine certain Forsworn tribes would be driven to cannibalism and dwelling with creepy-crawlies during hard winters and lean times. And as for Hircine, a fully garbed Forsworn male cuts a very striking image, very very similar to that of Hircines. Especially if you replace the body armor with the Savior's Hide. All of these aspects, while suppositions and speculation on my part, would allow the Forsworn and the Daedric Princes to mesh extremely well. We have the Huntsman and Father of Man-Beasts on one hand, and the Lady of the Forgotten on the other. This duality creates an interesting parallel to the Shor/Kynareth relationship, as well as syncing up nicely with the two major 'leader' types in Forsworn culture, the (male) Briarheart, and the (female) Hagraven.
Building on that theme, I think the Forsworn would have been a much better 'host' for the Werewolf quest lines, rather than the companions. The werewolf story always felt kind of tacked on at the last minute, in an otherwise unremarkable guild. But if say, the Forsworn made a pact with the witches of Glenmoril and Hircine, to empower a few of the tribes with lycanthropy as a sort of secret weapon, it all falls into place much better. In fact, given the Forsworn's tendency towards guerrilla warfare and more individual agents and cells performing surprise attacks within the city, imagine the potential with werewolves. Rather than Weylin charging at Margret with a knife, killing her and then getting hacked to pieces, he shapeshifted into a werewolf and ripped her apart, and then cut a bloody swathe out of the city wreaking havok?
Keeping with that theme of guerrilla fighting, I don't think the Forsworn would be leading any armies to march on the enemy forts in the Civil War, the way the imperials and stormcloaks do. I think they would favor individuals (the main character) or small commando teams infiltrating and assassinating the leaders. Imagine if just such a team all had the stealth and subtlety of a Forsworn hunter, and the ferocity of a werewolf. Two or three Forsworn could sneak into a Stormcloak fort through one of the numerous un-guarded sewer entrances, and either split up for maximum chaos and confusion, or stay together for a concentrated attack, then turn into werewolves and clear out the keep. This fits their fighting style, and their more.... rag-tag make up, since I always got the feel that they were kind of scattered and didn't have the population or infrastructure to support a large, conventional army.
Also, to add on a few more points about Hircine and Namira: When asked about the coven, Eola states that it has been around for thousands of years, and it is not hard to imagine certain Forsworn tribes would be driven to cannibalism and dwelling with creepy-crawlies during hard winters and lean times. And as for Hircine, a fully garbed Forsworn male cuts a very striking image, very very similar to that of Hircines. Especially if you replace the body armor with the Savior's Hide. All of these aspects, while suppositions and speculation on my part, would allow the Forsworn and the Daedric Princes to mesh extremely well. We have the Huntsman and Father of Man-Beasts on one hand, and the Lady of the Forgotten on the other. This duality creates an interesting parallel to the Shor/Kynareth relationship, as well as syncing up nicely with the two major 'leader' types in Forsworn culture, the (male) Briarheart, and the (female) Hagraven.
