Historically there are 2 classes of guilds, arisocratic for merchants, professionals (doctors, lawyers) and certain highly-trained artisan (like goldsmiths and tanners); and plebeian for other semi-skilled craftspeople. The aristocratic guilds often sought political power and controlled many civic governments to the exlcusion of the plebeian guilds.

So in city mod design one wouldn't expect to see the weaver guild share any power, rank, status or privilege, let alone reside in upper class buildings.

I know this is old but it is interesting and as far as I know quite accurate. Oblivion uses the word guild in a very broad fashion. Should the Dark Brotherhood be called a Guild? It is a united, structured group so possibly it could be called a Guild. It can certainly call itself anything it wants to. The same thing holds for the Thieves Guild.

A Guild would be a group of people of like interests uniting together to protect those interests. They often made it difficult for anyone not belonging to the guild to operate. Theire would be a cost of some kind to join a guild. Unions serve the same purpose. A group of people united to protect themselves and achieve some power.

Merchant Guilds often had a great deal of power. Sometimes more than the nobility.

That's why I love seeing lore discussions kept for future reference.

Yep. Remember, in Oblivion, most people disputed whether there was a Thieves Guild or whether that was pure fiction. None of them were disputing whether or not there were thieves.

Yes, I remember that. Since I usually joined the thieves Guild I got a kick out of it. I Guilds had great power in medieval times especially the Merchants Guilds. The Guilds could dictate who could do what and usually had the economic power so even kings and nobles had to pay attention to them.

Especially when the guilds - particularly merchant guild - was financing what the kings and nobles wanted to do. ie, wars.

True