Summary
The bending of dark forces to one’s will is something that almost everyone has wanted to live out at one point or another; in avideo game context, of course. Among all the black magics and forbidden spells across a myriad of fantasy worlds - necromancy stands out as the pinnacle of the dark arts, the ultimate profanity in taking the deceased and making them… slightly less deceased.
This is just as true in the world of theElder Scrollsseries, where magic users trying to attain immortality or ascension beyond Mundus often use the dark arts of necromancy to achieve their goals. Necromancers are often driving antagonistic forces or powerful bosses in theElder Scrollsuniverse, though many games let players articulate these forbidden gifts for themselves. In all the lore, however, there are a handful of necromancers who stand out among the rest as the strongest practitioners of their craft today.
The Elder Scrolls Onlineis known in particular for itsvarious dangerous bosseswithin sprawling dungeons. One such boss is the fearsome Bloodmage Cassel, a Breton necromancer residing at the pinnacle of the Spire of the Crimson Coin, a colossal tower that not only serves as the Breton’s base of operations but also his phylactery, the container for his essence that ensures he can return to life again and again even if his physical form is destroyed.
Bloodmage Cassel managed to turn an entire structure into the vessel for his essence, no small feat indeed. He also used his considerable gifts in necromancy to terrorize the Systres Archipelago. Certainly, Cassel is a powerful threat, and should not be treated lightly when taking on the quest to finally rid his influence in the Archipelago.
6N’Gasta
The Elder Scrolls Adventures: Redguard
Tiber Septim has swept through Tamriel, uniting its squabbling lands by force. Even the mighty Redguards of Hammerfell have come under Imperial control. Cyrus, the legendary Redguard mercenary, leads a rebellion against the Empire. Along with a faction known as the Restless League, Cyrus defeats the occupying forces at Stros M’kai and forces Tiber Septim to make peace with the Redguards.
The region of Hammerfell, home to the Redguards, has been the topic of much discussion of late following prevailing rumors and theories that it will be the site ofthe long awaitedElder Scrolls 6.The Elder Scrolls Adventures: Redguardhas already taken players to various places within Hammerfell, including the famed Stros M’Kai. It is here, however, that players meet a member of the prolific - but distant - Elder Scrolls race, the Sload.
N’Gasta is a powerful Sload necromancer, having developed the ability to ensure none of the souls of the dead can leave his isle. N’Gasta is a fascinating look into this often obscure race within theElder Scrolls Universe. He’s an utterly apathetic, utterly austere servant to Mannimarco, with free rein to harvest all the souls of Stros M’Kai he can for his own purposes.
A game as colossal and expansive asThe Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrimwould have no shortage offearsome foes. Among them is one of the most interesting figures in Tamriel’s semi-recent history, the “Wolf Queen” Potema. She is an incredibly powerful necromancer, bolstered by her position of power within the Septim dynasty and her desire to see her son ascend to the throne. Rising in rebellion against the empire with the aid of Skyrim and parts of Morrowind, Potema’s necromantic strength was enough to hold its own against Imperial forces for a decade.
Potema features as a powerful lich-spirit inSkyrim,where she eventually returns to the catacombs beneath Solitude and threatens to wreak havoc with an undead army, persisting with her designs over the empire even in death.
4Vastarie
Azura’s Chosen, And A Benevolent Necromancer
The Elder Scrolls Onlineis a veritable gold mine for those interested in the lore of this universe, especially as every expansion adds more insight into the world overall. One of the more fascinating insights to be gained in the area of necromancy comes in the form of Vastarie, a contemporary of Mannimarco and pioneer in necromancy, whose benevolent use of necromancy drew the attention of Azura.
Vastarie created a “gray necromancy” of sorts that was more centered around the delaying of a soul’s departure after death, or simple communication with the dead, to give the grieving closure after death, rather than to manipulate the forces of souls to create undead armies.
3Arum-Khal
The Dark Adept Is A Force To Be Reckoned With
Arum-Khal is a Khajiit lich that has enough necromantic power to cause severe troubles for the people of the Ashen Scar. He is one of the corrupted spirits of Namira, and uses his dark gifts to create great and terrible feats of necromancy. His power is so strong that he is even able to put Vastarie under his thrall.
Arum-Khal is a master in shadow magic and using phylacteries to travel between realms. He is a formidable threat who was even able to place one of the founding mages of the necromancy school in his thrall, and should not be underestimated.
Celemaril is a terribly powerful Ayleid lich with the goal of completely destroying Nirn. He features as an antagonist inThe Elder Scrolls: Bladeswhere fighting him is an integral part ofthe restoration of the Bladesin the fourth era. Celemaril’s terrible rule and war of conquest in the first era was only stopped with the power of an elder scroll.
Celemaril was said to have his life force linked to the plane of Oblivion known as the Abyss, and could not die so long as his life force remained tethered to the Abyss. It is all those fighting against Celemaril can do to seal him away, for it’s said he is too powerful to ever really die.
1Mannimarco
The Founder Of The Worm Cult, And Singularly Powerful
With a presence that can be felt across almostall theElder Scrollstitles, Mannimarco is the most powerful practitioner of necromancy seen in the world to date, so strong that it has granted him ascension to godhood.
There is a lot of conflicting information about him in the lore of theElder Scrollsuniverse, but what is known is that he is a singularly powerful god and icon of worship among necromancers, as well as one of the first (if not the very first) liches to exist in Tamriel. It is said he’s also one of the oldest beings in Tamriel, belonging to the race before the elves themselves as one of the first settlers on Tamriel. A driving force of antagonism, malice, and undeath inThe Elder Scrolls, there are none among the practitioners of necromancy who can match Mannimarco’s power… for now.
