Since unlocking hax is not something that can be objectively measured in units of force, the only way we have to compare the hax of the two artifacts, is to determine which one is more useful. The issue here, is that this thread is not a combat scenario or a contest of raw power, it's a contest of which one has 'the better unlocking hax'. The Keyblade has a significant edge in raw power, that much has been established since page one of this thread. In his hands, there's no telling what he's capable of.' We'll have to find another way around.'īrynjolf: 'Mercer was able to knock this thing down? Gods.' Karliah: 'The only reason to do that would be to block pursuit. Thus not only does it follow logically that the Key is responsible for what he can do but it's also stated to be directly:īrynjolf: 'So this is what we heard. There's also no way that Frey could do all this on natural skil alone and we have a perfect explanation for his abilities in the form of the Skeleton Key's ability to unlock hidden potential.

Furthermore even if he had been allowed to keep them, they still wouldn't have allowed him to pull half the things he did as not only does he do many things not explained by the Nightingale abilities (collapsing ceilings and towers and the like) but also the Nightingale abilities don't match the similar abilities he uses in-game (their range, how casually he can use them, that he has all of them at once etc). Given his far more serious crimes, there's no way Mercer was allowed to keep his powers. She had to beg Nocturnal to restore her status and even a modicum of said abilities as without them they'd have 'no hope' of beating Mercer. We see this clearly with Karliah, who upon disappointing Nocturnal in a far more minor manner than Mercer, had her Nightingale status revoked and relevant abilities that come with it removed despite having acquired them beforehand just like Mercer. As a result he no longer bore any divine aid or any of the powers normally available to a Nightingale.

Here's the thing, by killing his fellow Nightingale violating his oaths and closing the Ebonmere, Mercer had fallen out of Nocturnal's favor. Attributing Mercer's feats to his being a Nightingale is wrong.

Master key vs skeleton key