by Sigillah Parate

For three hundred years, I have been a priestess of Azura, the Daedric Prince of Moonshadow, Mother of the Rose, and Queen of the Night Sky. Every Hogithum, which we celebrate on the 21st of First Seed, we summon her for guidance, as well as to offer things of worth and beauty to Her Majesty. She is a cruel but wise mistress. We do not invoke her on any Hogithum troubled by thunderstorms, for those nights belong to the Mad One, Sheogorath, even if they do coincide with the occasion. Azura at such times understands our caution.

Azura’s invocation is a very personal one. I have been priestess to three other Daedric Princes, but Azura values the quality of her worshipers and the truth behind our adoration of her. When I was a Dark Elven maid of sixteen, I joined my grandmother’s coven, worshipers of Molag Bal, the Schemer Princess. Blackmail, extortion, and bribery are as much the weapons of the Witches of Molag Bal as is dark magic. The Invocation of Molag Bal is held on the 20th of Evening Star, except during stormy weather. This ceremony is seldom missed, but Molag Bal often appears to her cultists in mortal guise on other dates. When my grandmother died in an attempt to poison the heir of Firewatch, I re-examined my faith in the cult.

My brother was a warlock of the cult of Boethiah, and from what he told me, the Dark Warrior was closer to my spirit than the treacherous Molag Bal. Boethiah is a Warrior Princess who acts more overtly than any other Daedroth. After years of skulking and scheming, it felt good to perform acts for a mistress which had direct, immediate consequences. Besides, I liked it that Boethiah was a Daedra of the Dark Elves. Our cult would summon her on the day we called the Gauntlet, the 2nd of Sun’s Dusk. Bloody competitions would be held in her honor, and the duels and battles would continue until nine cultists were killed at the hands of other cultists. Boethiah cared little for her cultists. She only cared for our blood. I do think I saw her smile when I accidentally slew my brother in a sparring session. My horror, I think, greatly pleased her.

I left the cult soon after that. Boethiah was too impersonal for me, too cold. I wanted a mistress of greater depth. For the next eighteen years of my life, I worshiped no one. Instead I read and researched. In an old and profane tome, I came upon the name of Nocturnal: Nocturnal the Night Mistress, Nocturnal the Unfathomable. As the book prescribed, I called to her on her holy day, the 3rd of Hearth Fire. At last, I had found the personal mistress I had so long desired. I strove to understand her labyrinthine philosophy, the source of her mysterious pain. Everything about her was dark and shrouded, even the way she spoke and the acts she required of me. It took years for me to understand the simple fact that I could never understand Nocturnal. Her mystery was as essential to her as savagery was to Boethiah or treachery was to Molag Bal. To understand Nocturnal is to negate her, to pull back the curtains cloaking her realm of darkness. As much as I loved her, I recognized the futility of unraveling her enigmas. I turned instead to her sister, Azura.

Azura is the only Daedra Princess I have ever worshiped who seems to care about her followers. Molag Bal wanted my mind, Boethiah wanted my arms, and Nocturnal perhaps my curiosity. Azura wants all of that, and our love above all. Not our abject slavering, but our honest and genuine caring in all its forms. It is important to her that our emotions be engaged in her worship. And our love must also be directed inward. If we love her and hate ourselves, she feels our pain. I will, for all time, have no other mistress.

A Study of Daedra Worship

by Haderus of Gottlesfont

Daedra worship is not prohibited by law in Cyrodiil. Primarily, this is a result of the Imperial Charter granted the Mages Guild permitting the summoning of Daedra. Nonetheless, chapel and public opinion is so strongly against Daedra worship that those who practice Daedric rituals do so in secret.

However, opinions about Daedra worship differ widely in other provinces. Even in Cyrodiil, traditional opinions have changed greatly over the years, and some communities that worship Daedra survive. Some more traditional Daedra worshipers are motivated by piety and personal conviction; while many modern Daedra worshipers are motivated by a lust for arcane power. In particular, questing heroes of all stripes seek after fabled Daedric artifacts for their potent combat and magical benefits.

I personally discovered one community worshiping the Daedra Lord Azura, Queen of Dawn and Dusk. A researcher curious about Daedra worship might investigate in several ways: through a study of the literature, through exploration and discovery of ancient Daedric shrines, through questioning local informants, or through questioning worshipers themselves. I used all these means to discover the shrine of Azura.

First, I read books. References like this one may provide a helpful general background concerning Daedric shrines. For example, my researches led me to understand that in Cyrodiil, Daedric shrines are generally represented by statues of Daedra Lords. They are generally situated in wilderness locations far from settlements. Each shrine generally has associated with it a community of worshipers, often referred to as a "coven." Shrines have associated with them a particular time, often a day of the week, when a Daedra Lord might be solicited. A Daedra Lord will usually not deign to respond unless they regard a petitioner of sufficient prowess or strength of character. They will only respond if given the proper offering, the secret of which offering is often known only to the community of worshipers. In return for the completion of some task or service, the Daedra Lord will often undertake to offer an artifact of power to a successful quester.

Then I questioned locals with an intimate knowledge of the wilderness. Two classes of informants I found especially useful: well-traveled adventurers (who might come across shrines in their travels), and scholars of the Mages Guild. In the case of the Shrine of Azura, both sources were profitable. I discovered a Cheydinhal hunter who had chanced across a strange epic statue in his travels. It depicted a woman with outstretched arms. In one hand, she held a star; in the other hand, she held a crescent moon. He had shunned the statue out of superstitious fear, but had marked the location in memory: far north of Cheydinhal, northwest of Lake Arrius, high in the Jerall Mountains. After proceeding to the local Mages Guild with a description of the statue, I was able to confirm from its description the identity of the Daedra Lord worshiped.

Having discovered the location of the shrine, I visited it and discovered there the community of worshipers. Because of the strength of opinion against Daedra worship, the worshipers were at first reluctant to admit their identity. After I had won their trust, they were willing to divulge to me the secrets of the times when Azura would hear petitions (from dusk to dawn), and that the offering required by Azura was glow dust, a substance obtained from the will-o-the-wisp.

I am, of course, nothing more than a scholar, so it did not lie within my power to find a will-o-the-wisp to obtain glow dust. Nor am I certain that Azura would have found me worthy to make such an offering, even had I proffered it. Despite this, I was assured that if I had been able to make such an offering, and if it had been accepted, Azura would have given me some sort of quest. Upon its completion, I might have earned the reward of Azura’s Star, a Daedric artifact of legendary magical powers.

I have since heard rumors of the existence in Cyrodiil of several other Daedric shrines, the Daedric Lords to which they are dedicated, and the Daedric artifacts that might be won by questing heroes. Hircine the Huntsman, for example, is linked in legend to the Savior’s Hide, a powerful enchanted armor. The hammer Volendrung is associated with Malacath, Lord of Monsters, and the eponymously named Mace of Molag Bal is also thought to be the object of Daedra worship. Other Daedra Lords, their shrines, and their worshipers remain to be discovered by earnest and persistent researchers.

A brief account of Lamae Bal and the Restless Death

Mabei Aywenil, Scribe

Translation by University of Gwylim Press; 2E 105

As brighter grows light, darker becomes shadow. So it passed that the Daedra Molag Bal looked on Arkay and thought the Aedra prideful of his dominion o’er the death of man and mer, and it was sooth.

Bal, whose sphere is the wanton oppression and entrapment of mortal souls, sought to thwart Arkay, who knew that not man, nor mer, nor beastfolk of all Nirn could escape eventual death. The Aedra was doubtless of his sphere, and so Molag Bal set upon Nirn to best death.

Tamriel was still young, and filled with danger and wondrous magic when Bal walked in the aspect of a man and took a virgin, Lamae Beolfag, from the Nedic Peoples. Savage and loveless, Bal profaned her body, and her screams became the Shrieking Winds, which still haunt certain winding fjords of Skyrim. Shedding a lone droplet of blood on her brow, Bal left Nirn, having sown his wrath.

Violated and comatose, Lamae was found by nomads, and cared for. A fortnight hence, the nomad wyrd-woman enshrouded Lamae in pall for she had passed into death. In their way, the nomads built a bonfire to immolate the husk. That night, Lamae rose from her funeral pyre, and set upon the coven, still aflame. She ripped the throats of the women, ate the eyes of the children, and raped their men as cruelly as Bal had ravished her.

And so Lamae, (who is known to us as blood-matron) imprecated her foul aspect upon the folk of Tamriel, and begat a brood of countless abominations, from which came the vampires, most cunning of the night-horrors. And so was the scourge of undeath wrought upon Tamriel, cruelly mocking Arkay’s rhythm of life and death through all the coming eras of the et’Ada, and for all his sadness, Arkay knew this could not be undone.

From the Journal of Mjahlar Virian

For as long as I can remember, my life has been devoted to one thing: taking the lives of others. These were not random killings. Only those who fell afoul of the law, who wronged the Houses of Morrowind, or who desecrated the sacred teachings of the Tribunal were fair game.

Their lives were mine to take. Given to me, you might say, because they deserved to die. And I was very good at killing.

My victims were mostly unaware that I was coming for them. Some knew they had wronged others: murdered an innocent, stole from the Houses, even bedded another’s lover. But they would always claim they had done nothing wrong. That I was mistaken. That I had the wrong man or woman. With a blade at a throat, however, it’s amazing how honestly and completely one makes a confession.

One after another, I ended them. A swift slice across the throat. The shallow flesh parted, the thin veins severed cleanly. They would try to scream, but they would only choke on the crimson gore that filled their lungs.

I delighted in death. It filled me with a pleasure I could find in no other activity. This was my life. This was who I was.

People feared me. Loved me. And my brothers and sisters. Pushed us away, and then embraced us as the need arose.

Some days we were hailed as heroes. Others, as murderers. Those in power fell to our secret blades. And then those who gave us the orders followed.

But there was a mistake. A flaw in our process. We had grown too perfect. We had extracted justice from innocent blood.

Such is the way, even with the most clear-cut contract. There is always a chance that the law is wrong. That it made a mistake. The contract never lies, but it isn’t always correct, either. Even the smallest of actions, harmless as they may seem, can cause a tidal wave of destruction for those following behind.

A fool’s pride veils his judgment. In a moment of passion, blood scrawled upon the wall says it all. "Morag Tong." Those words scream out, loud and insistent. They echo throughout the world, labeling us as ruthless killers that follow no rules, that have no laws.

The Tong, always hidden, working in secret, suddenly fell under scrutiny. They wanted to drag us out of the shadows and into the light. We withdrew, deeper into the shadows. Our contracts became fewer, our jobs turned into small tasks. We ran errands for bored House nobles. We endured.

And we obeyed. We remained loyal. We swore on our lives to uphold the cause, and we would not turn our backs on it now, no matter the level of difficulty facing us. Even if the world had turned its backs on us, we would stay the course.

Our leaders whisper to us. They tell us to practice patience. They assure us that the day shall come when our hand of justice once again reaches out to grasp the world. A coming darkness will soon sweep the land.

And the Morag Tong will once more be needed. Will once again become relevant.

But I am old and my days wind down. I prepare for my trip to Vounoura, and I must pass this mantle to someone younger now. Someone less experienced, less wise. My son and my daughter will soon take up the dagger, but they have not seen our greatness. They must forge a new path for the Morag Tong.

The darkness of war comes, and no one shall be spared from its wrath.

The Morag Tong must put aside the wrongs it has endured. We must be ready.

By Magistrix Vox

A number of powerful healing relics are associated with Saint Veloth the Pilgrim. Of these, perhaps the most famous and well-remembered artifact remains the Judgment of Saint Veloth. This mighty Daedric warhammer stands as a shining symbol of everything Veloth embodies as the patron saint of outcasts and seekers of spiritual knowledge.

Stored with other holy artifacts in the protected vaults of the Tribunal Temple, the Judgment of Saint Veloth served the prophet and mystic well in life, but has gained legendary powers since his ascension to sainthood. The God-Kings of Morrowind watch over the relics, keeping them ready for the day when their powers would be needed in defense of the realm.

Saint Veloth personifies daring, and those who follow the lessons of his life and teachings learn boldness and cultivate an adventurous outlook. He defined the difference between good and evil Daedra, and even negotiated the original arrangements with the good Daedric Princes. This ability to distinguish the good from the bad was a hallmark of the living saint, as was his penchant for healing and healing items. Both of these aspects combined into his personal symbol of power, the warhammer known as Judgment.

Veloth’s Judgment rang with authority throughout the land, using its enchantments to cleanse corruption from the souls of those it struck down. It was a weapon, of that there can be no doubt. But Veloth was able to wield it with the same precision that a surgeon uses to wield a scalpel, removing the corruption from a soul and leaving the remainder alive and healthy. The warhammer stored the corruption for a time, turning it into energy that could be used by the wielder to enhance the power of the weapon.

Of course, in the wrong hands such a powerful artifact could accomplish more harm than good. For this reason, among many others, the Tribunal keeps the Judgment and other artifacts locked away. It has been suggested that instead of being used as an instrument of healing, the Judgment could be used to siphon a living creature’s entire soul, thus making the wielder infinitely more powerful. This conjecture has never been put into practice, and if the Tribunal has its way, it never will.

An Overview of Gods and Worship in Tamriel

By Brother Hetchfeld, Associate Scribe at the Imperial University, Office of Introductory Studies

Gods are commonly judged upon the evidence of their interest in worldly matters. A central belief in the active participation of Deities in mundane matters can be challenged by the reference to apparent apathy and indifference on the part of Gods during times of plague or famine.

From intervention in legendary quests to manifestations in common daily life, no pattern for the Gods of Tamriel’s activities is readily perceived. The concerns of Gods in many ways may seem unrelated or at best unconcerned with the daily trials of the mortal realm. The exceptions do exist, however.

Many historical records and legends point to the direct intervention of one or more Gods at times of great need. Many heroic tales recount blessings of the divinity bestowed upon heroic figures who worked or quested for the good of a Deity or the Deity’s temple. Some of the more powerful artifacts in the known world were originally bestowed upon their owners through such reward. It has also been reported that priests of high ranking in their temples may on occasion call upon their Deity for blessings or help in time of need. The exact nature of such contact and the blessings bestowed is given to much speculation, as the temples hold such associations secret and holy. This direct contact gives weight to the belief that the Gods are aware of the mortal realm. In many circumstances, however, these same Gods will do nothing in the face of suffering and death, seeming to feel no need to interfere. It is thus possible to conclude that we, as mortals, may not be capable of understanding more than a small fraction of the reasoning and logic such beings use.

One defining characteristic of all Gods and Goddesses is their interest in worship and deeds. Deeds in the form of holy quests are just one of the many things that bring the attention of a Deity. Deeds in everyday life, by conforming to the statutes and obligations of individual temples, are commonly supposed to please a Deity. Performance of ceremony in a temple may also bring a Deity’s attention. Ceremonies vary according to the individual Deity. The results are not always apparent but sacrifice and offerings are usually required to have any hope of gaining a Deity’s attention.

While direct intervention in daily temple life has been recorded, the exact nature of the presence of a God in daily mundane life is a subject of controversy. A traditional saying of the Wood Elves is that, "One man’s miracle is another man’s accident." While some Gods are believed to take an active part of daily life, others are well known for their lack of interest in temporal affairs.

It has been theorized that Gods do in fact gain strength from such things as worship through praise, sacrifice and deed. It may even be theorized that the number of worshipers a given Deity has may reflect on His overall position among the other Gods. This is my own conjecture, garnered from the apparent ability of the larger temples to attain blessings and assistance from their God with greater ease than smaller religious institutions.

There are reports of the existence of spirits in our world that have the same capacity to use the actions and deeds of mortals to strengthen themselves as do the Gods. The understanding of the exact nature of such creatures would allow us to understand with more clarity the connection between a Deity and the Deity’s worshipers.

The implication of the existence of such spirits leads to the speculation that these spirits may even be capable of raising themselves to the level of a God or Goddess. Motusuo of the Imperial Seminary has suggested that these spirits may be the remains of Gods and Goddesses who through time lost all or most of their following, reverting to their earliest most basic form. Practitioners of the Old Ways say that there are no Gods, just greater and lesser spirits. Perhaps it is possible for all three theories to be true.

The Monomyth: The Altmeri — "The Heart of the World."

"Anu encompassed and encompasses all things. So that he might know himself he created Anuiel, his soul and the soul of all things. Anuiel, as all souls, was given to self-reflection, and for this, he needed to differentiate between his forms, attributes, and intellects. Thus was born Sithis, who was the sum of all the limitations Anuiel would use to ponder himself. Anuiel, who was the soul of all things, therefore became many things, and this interplay was and is the Aurbis.

"At first the Aurbis was turbulent and confusing, as Anuiel’s ruminations went on without design. Aspects of the Aurbis then asked for a schedule to follow or procedures whereby they might enjoy themselves a little longer outside of perfect knowledge. So that he might know himself this way, Anu created Auriel, the soul of his soul. Auriel bled through the Aurbis as a new force called time. With time, various aspects of the Aurbis began to understand their natures and limitations. They took names, like Magnus or Mara or Xen. One of these, Lorkhan, was more of a limit than a nature, so he could never last long anywhere.

"As he entered every aspect of Anuiel, Lorkhan would plant an idea that was almost wholly based on limitation. He outlined a plan to create a soul for the Aurbis, a place where the aspects of aspects might even be allowed to self-reflect. He gained many followers. Even Auriel, when told he would become the king of the new world, agreed to help Lorkhan. So they created the Mundus, where their own aspects might live and became the et’Ada.

"This was a trick. As Lorkhan knew, this world contained more limitations than not and was therefore hardly a thing of Anu at all. Mundus was the House of Sithis. As their aspects began to die off, many of the et’Ada vanished completely. Some escaped, like Magnus, and that is why there are no limitations to magic. Others, like Y’ffre, transformed themselves into the Ehlnofey, the Earthbones, so that the whole world might not die. Some had to marry and make children just to last. Each generation was weaker than the last, and soon there were Aldmer. Darkness caved in. Lorkhan made armies out of the weakest souls and named them Men, and they brought Sithis into every quarter.

"Auriel pleaded with Anu to take them back, but he had already filled their places with something else. His soul was gentler, granting Auriel his Bow and Shield, so that he might save the Aldmer from the hordes of Men. Some had already fallen, like the Chimer, who listened to tainted et’Ada, and others, like the Bosmer, had soiled Time’s line by taking Mannish wives.

"Auriel could not save Altmora, the Elder Wood, and it was lost to Men. They were chased south and east to Old Ehlnofey, and Lorkhan was close behind. He shattered that land into many. Finally Trinimac, Auriel’s greatest knight, knocked Lorkhan down in front of his army and reached in with more than hands to take his Heart. He was undone. The Men dragged Lorkhan’s body away and swore blood vengeance on the heirs of Auriel for all time.

"But when Trinimac and Auriel tried to destroy the Heart of Lorkhan it laughed at them. It said, ‘This Heart is the heart of the world, for one was made to satisfy the other.’ So Auriel fastened the thing to an arrow and let it fly long into the sea, where no aspect of the new world may ever find it."

By the intercession of St. Alessia, you may be so filled with grace, and the strength and wisdom that come from grace, that through these teachings you may come to the true meaning of the Eight Divines and Their glories. To convey to man’s mind all the manifold subtleties of truth and virtue may not be done, were all the seas ink, and all the skies the parchment upon which Their wisdoms were writ. Yet Akatosh, in His wisdom, knowing how impatient is man, and how loath he is to travel upon the hard roads of truth, has allowed these nine simple commands to be made manifest with powerful clarity and concise definition.

1. Stendarr says: Be kind and generous to the people of Tamriel. Protect the weak, heal the sick, and give to the needy.

2. Arkay says: Honor the earth, its creatures, and the spirits, living and dead. Guard and tend the bounties of the mortal world, and do not profane the spirits of the dead.

3. Mara says: Live soberly and peacefully. Honor your parents, and preserve the peace and security of home and family.

4. Zenithar says: Work hard, and you will be rewarded. Spend wisely, and you will be comfortable. Never steal, or you will be punished.

5. Kynareth says: Use Nature’s gifts wisely. Respect her power, and fear her fury.

6. Dibella says: Open your heart to the noble secrets of art and love. Treasure the gifts of friendship. Seek joy and inspiration in the mysteries of love.

7. Julianos says: Know the truth. Observe the law. When in doubt, seek wisdom from the wise.

8. Akatosh says: Serve and obey your Emperor. Study the Covenants. Worship the Eight, do your duty, and heed the commands of the saints and priests.

9. The Eight say: Above all else, be good to one another.

If only each man might look into the mirror of these Commands, and see reflected there the bliss that might enfold them, were he to serve in strict obedience to these Commands, he would be cast down and made contrite and humble. The obedient man may come to the altars of the Eight and be blessed, and may receive the comfort and healing of the Eight, and may give thanks for his manifold blessings.

Heedless, the wicked man turns away, and forsaking the simple wisdoms granted to him by the All-Wise and All-Knowing Eight, he lives in sin and ignorance all the days of his life. He bears the awful burden of his crimes, and before Men and God his wickedness is known, and neither blessing nor comfort may he expect from the altars and shrines of the Eight.

Yet the wicked and foolish are not doomed, for in their infinite mercies, the Eight have said, "Repent, and do Good Works, and the Fountains of Grace shall once more spill forth upon you."

Repent your crimes! Tender unto the Emperor the fines of gold, that they may be used to spread the Faith and its Benefits to all Men!

Do yourself good works! Redeem your infamy by shining deeds! Show to all Men and the Eight the good Fame of the Righteous Man, and you may once again approach the altars and shrines of the Chapel to receive the comfort and blessings of the Eight.

Who is ALMSIVI?

Morrowind is holy country, and its gods are flesh and blood. Collectively, these gods are called the Tribunal, the triune ALMSIVI, three deities exemplifying Dunmeri virtues. Almalexia is Mercy, Vivec is Mastery, and Sotha Sil is Mystery. Vivec is easily the most popular of them all. Vivec is also the most public, for he is the beloved Warrior-Poet of the True People, paradoxically beautiful and bloody. Vivec is an artistic violence. Vivec is represented in Temple literature and liturgy as one of the divine kings of Morrowind. He guards the sacred Velothi subcontinent of Vvardenfell, and stands guard over Red Mountain. He is part of the holy Tribunal, a god of the New Temple, and an aspect of the blessed and righteous ALMSIVI.

This explicit presentation of Vivec the Guardian God-King and Warrior-Poet is the one most accessible and familiar to Westerners. However, it is important to remember that Vivec is also known to the Dunmer as the transcendent evolution of the Daedra that anticipated him, Black Hands Mephala, a foundation figure of the earliest Chimer. This darker side of Vivec does not appear in the popular literature and liturgy, but is instinctively understood and accepted by the Dunmer as an integral part of Vivec’s divine aspect. A more complete appreciation of the complex nature of Vivec requires an understanding of the nature of Vivec’s Anticipation, Mephala, and the darker themes represented by this Daedra Lord’s modes and motivations.

Who is Mephala?

Each of the three Tribunes of the Temple were represented in the dawn of Chimeri culture by their Anticipations. These Anticipations are known to the West as the sinister Daedra Lords Azura, Boethiah, and Mephala. In Temple theology, however, Azura is the Anticipation of Sotha Sil, the Mage-Lord of Almsivi. Boethiah is the Anticipation of Almalexia, Almsivi’s Mother and Lady. Mephala is the Anticipation of Vivec. According to legend, under the guidance of these three Daedra Lords, a discontented throng of Altmer transformed themselves into a new people and founded a new land. And while Boethiah, the so-called Prince of Plots, provided the revolutionary methods needed to bring about this transformation, Mephala was the shadowy implementer of those methods.

As known in the West, Mephala is the demon of murder, sex, and secrets. All of these themes contain subtle aspects and violent ones (assassination/genocide, courtship/orgy, tact/poetic truths); Mephala is understood paradoxically to contain and integrate these contradictory themes. And all these subtle undercurrents and contradictions are present in the Dunmer concepts of Vivec, even if they are not explicitly described and explained in Temple doctrine.

The Dunmer do not envision Lord Vivec as a creature of murder, sex, and secrets. Rather, they conceive of Lord Vivec as benevolent king, guardian warrior, poet-artist. But, at the same time, unconsciously, they accept the notion of darker, hidden currents beneath Vivec’s benevolent aspects.

For example, one of the most striking persistent myths associated with Vivec is the story that Vivec conspired with his co-rulers Almalexia and Sotha Sil in the murder of Lord Nerevar, the greatest of Dunmer heroes and generals. The story is derived from Ashlander oral tradition, and is flatly contradicted by all Temple traditions. Nonetheless, the tale is firmly established in the Dunmer imagination, as if to say, "Of course Vivec would never have conspired to murder Lord Nerevar, but it happened so long ago … who can know the truth?"

The public face of Vivec is benign, sensitive, compassionate, and protective of his followers. At the same time, the Dunmer seem irrationally comfortable with the hidden aspects of Vivec, the darker components of violence, lust, and conspiracy associated with the more primitive and ruthless impulses of the Anticipations.

By Warlock Endil

This collection contains privileged information regarding the Daedric Prince Mehrunes Dagon. In case you’ve been living in an Ayleid ruin since the dawn of recorded history, involvement with Dagon and his ilk is frowned upon quite fiercely by most populations of Tamriel. Having this book or its companion volume in your possession could earn you suspicion from your neighbors as well as agents of the law. In many districts worship of the Master of Razors is illegal, and communion rituals involving the Daedric Prince are punishable by death.

Amongst even the Daedric Princes, none are more openly concerned with the suffering of mortals. Whenever Dagon appears he leaves destruction in his wake, and contact with the Master of Razors often results in death for the conjurer—along with everyone in the vicinity. Sudden floods, thunderstorms, and other natural disasters all over Tamriel have been tied to communions with Mehrunes Dagon, and the most detailed account I’ve read about occurred in Eastmarch.

Hranvard Frostfinger, a witch of Eastmarch, is said to have sacrificed thirteen innocents to Dagon in a single night, prompting the Daedric Prince to briefly open a portal from the Deadlands to Skyrim. The only witnesses were members of the Direfrost family, a clan of witch-hunters, who managed to find and slay Hranvard. Immediately following, they came under a mysterious and brutal attack themselves. Their leader, Yllothon, was the only survivor, who later wrote in his memoirs:

"We followed the stench of burning flesh for a half-mile, and we caught up to (Hranvard) at nightfall, by the Sea of Ghosts. She lay cackling among her thirteen victims, whose bodies had been stacked in a mass grave, encircled by spidery writing. Slaying her was an easy task—all it took was a single silver bolt. But when the deed was done, the air suddenly began to boil and crack. Fearing some residual spell, I had my men retreat up the nearest pass, where we watched the snow below catch fire, and the sky split apart with flame. We turned to flee, but it was too late. Fire poured from the wound in the air and engulfed my thirty men. I tried to help them but the flames wouldn’t die, and wouldn’t burn my flesh. A voice bellowed from the burning maw above, ‘You will suffer better among the living.’"

Many, including members of the Mages Guild, are skeptical of Yllothon’s story, respected as he was amongst the Direfrost hunters. They found no sign of Mehrunes Dagon at the Sea of Ghosts—save the blasted, mirrored sand. Obviously, the Direfrosts disagree: there was still the matter of thirty missing hunters. The Direfrosts have since intensified their war against the covens of Eastmarch.

The Mages Guild, however, has struck the event from their records of note, citing the blasted sand at the Sea of Ghosts as a meteorological phenomenon. But I believed Yllothon was correct; I was there, as a senior advisor on the party that surveyed that beach.

Volume II of this collection contains a detailed account of everything I found at the Sea of Ghosts, including half of the "spidery circle" that Yllothon describes. Any aspiring conjurer who wants a chance at contacting Mehrunes Dagon should follow me there.