Weak In The Knee
Obligatory Disclaimer: I do not in any way, shape, or form own The Elder Scrolls. It is the property of Bethesda. This is just a bit of silliness that wouldn't leave my head.
As the Dragonborn (or Dovahkiin, but Dragonborn was easier to pronounce) traveled throughout the holds of Skyrim, in talking to the (mostly friendly) soldiers there, the story was often the same. "I used to be an adventurer like you, then I took an arrow to the knee."
He noticed that this happened an awful lot. Apparently, a lot of adventurers-cum-soldiers had fallen victim to arrows into their knees while in action, and thus been too crippled to continue seeking fame, fortune, and glory and were forced to join the army.
This perturbed the Dragonborn, because he had no desire to for the same fate to befall him that had befallen so many others.
So, he made sure to wear reinforced knee guards everywhere he went, and lectured others on their importance.
This quickly became a popular trend in Skyrim, and a lot fewer adventurers took arrows to their knee joints.
However, as an unintended side effect, recruitment into the army declined considerably.
A/N: You'd think that they'd consider knee guards...yeah, I know, it was lame, but eh. At least it's out of my head.