Lore:Mace of Molag Bal
—Molag Bal
The Mace of Molag Bal, also known as the Vampire's Mace, is a Daedric artifact attributed to Molag Bal, the Lord of Domination and Enslavement. Its enchantment drains the stamina and magicka of its victims and transfers them to the bearer. It also has been known to have the ability to transfer an enemy's strength to its wielder or trap their soul. It has been said to be a good weapon of choice for vanquishing wizards.[1][2]
Many legends surround the mace, but its origins can be traced back to when Molag Bal deceived an Orcish blacksmith and enslaved him in pits of Coldharbour. The blacksmith was turned into a Soul Shriven and forced to forge the mace.[UOL 1][3]
Due to Molag Bal's penchant for meddling in mortal affairs, he grants the mace to those he deems worthy but has also been quite free with his artifact. Molag Bal assumes that when such a powerful artifact falls into mortal hands, a trail of death and destruction is sure to follow.[1][UOL 1] Some believe the mace to be an object of Daedra worship.[4] Molag Bal's followers refer to it as the Master's Mace,[5][6] and often swear by it.[7]
History[edit]
The last living dwarf, Yagrum Bagarn, at one point befriended the sorcerer Divayth Fyr.[8] At Fyr's behest, Yagrum Bagarn wrote the book Tamrielic Lore[9]:241 from the notes that he gathered over the centuries, listing the Mace of Molag Bal among various items of "unimaginable significance".[1] By the Interregnum, copies of this book circulated throughout Tamriel, bringing to light some general information on the artifact to its readers.[10]
During Molag Bal's attempted Planemeld circa 2E 582, he was witnessed wielding the mace himself, and utilized it while dueling the Vestige.[11]
In the events leading up to the Warp in the West an agent of the Blades received the Mace of Molag Bal in exchange for eliminating a heretic mage.[12] In 3E 427, the mace was also awarded to a supplicant who dispatched a lazy Daedroth minion named Menta Na for not wreaking the havoc and terror he was created for.[13] During the Oblivion Crisis, Molag Bal spread corruption by having the Hero of Kvatch incite a local pacifist to murder; again, the mace was given as a reward.[14]
The artifact would later come into the possession of two distinct individuals from the Blades, both which went into hiding from the Thalmor after the Great War.[15] One belonged to a party known as the Sheathed Blades, and they looted the Mace of Molag Bal sometime between 4E 176 and 4E 201 off the corpse of an Arch Necromancer they defeated in Skyrim.[16] The second was the Warrior, who is thought to have looted the mace around 4E 180 from an extravagant chest.[17]
In 4E 201, Molag Bal presented the mace to the Last Dragonborn for helping to capture the soul of a priest of Boethiah.[2]
Gallery[edit]
See Also[edit]
- For game-specific information, see the Daggerfall, Morrowind, Oblivion, Skyrim, Elder Scrolls Online, Blades, and Skyrim - The Adventure Game articles.
References[edit]
- ^ a b c Tamrielic Lore — Yagrum Bagarn
- ^ a b Events of The House of Horrors in Skyrim
- ^ Crafting Motif 14: Daedric Style — Seif-ij Hidja
- ^ Modern Heretics — Haderus of Gottlesfont
- ^ By the Master's Mace
- ^ Javad Tharn's dialogue in ESO
- ^ Aelif's dialogue during Will of the Council in ESO
- ^ Yagrum Bagarn's dialogue in Morrowind
- ^ The Morrowind Prophecies
- ^ Tamrielic Artifacts
- ^ Events of God of Schemes in ESO
- ^ Events of Molag Bal's Quest in Daggerfall
- ^ Events of Molag Bal's Quest in Morrowind
- ^ Events of Molag Bal's quest in Oblivion
- ^ The Rise and Fall of the Blades — Anonymous
- ^ Arch Necromancer legendary encounter reward in the Skyrim - The Adventure Game
- ^ Artifact acquisition methods in Blades
Note: The following references are considered to be unofficial sources. They are included to round off this article and may not be authoritative or conclusive.