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Mabrigash Tribe[edit]

The Mabrigash Tribe is an Ashlander tribe that lives in the Vale of the Ghost Snake, in the region of Deshaan in mainland Morrowind. The tribe is predominantly female, and worships an ancient entity known as the Ghost Snake, which some believe to be an aspect of Sithis.

The tribe is made up primarily of Mabrigash, renegade wise women who have forsaken the established rules of behavior for an Ashlander woman to master the dark arts and become a witch-warrior. Mabrigash are outcasts among the Ashlanders. Individual Mabrigash can also be found throughout Morrowind. By 3E 427, these witch-warriors were common on the island of Vvardenfell, and were known to obtain their power by charming a man and draining him of his vital essence. They could manifest their power as a ghost snake, which would paralyze and drain their victims. It is unknown whether they have any connection to the Mabrigash tribe in the Vale.

The Mabrigash are a matriarchal society. Their women outnumber their men and garner greater respect among the tribe than their male counterparts. They don't hate males; rather, they don't trust them very much. This sentiment is most apparent when the Mabrigash are dealing with male outsiders. They were traditionally xenophobic and isolated, refusing contact with the outside world. Many of the Mabrigash are set in their ways and fear change. However, the Mabrigash will treat outsiders with courtesy if they respect the tribe's ways. Unlike other Ashlander tribes, they are led by a Farseer rather than a wise woman, and are not nomadic.

The Mabrigash tribe hunts snakes for food. They use the beasts' fangs for tools and adornments, and snake skin has a wide variety of uses. In particular, the Mabrigash can use snake skin to craft unique leather. They honor and protect snakes, only killing for what they need. Poachers attempting to hunt snakes within the Vale rarely get to leave the Vale alive. Upon arrival to the tribe, each new member much prove themselves by walking the treacherous swamps of the Vale known as the Coiled Path, while avoiding the giant snakes and the angry ghosts of those who failed. Those who flee during their trial or otherwise fail to walk the Coiled Path bring shame upon their family and dishonor their clan. As such, they can never return to the Vale.

Mages Guild[edit]

The Mages Guild, also known as the Guild of Mages, was a professional organization, once located throughout Tamriel, that was dedicated to the study and application of magicka and alchemy. The Aurbic Eye is the official symbol of the Guild.

The Mages Guild was led by an Arch-Mage, and guided by the Council of Mages, made up of six Archmagisters (one of them the Arch-Mage). By the Third Era, the Arch-Mage and the Council of Mages were headquartered at the guild's Arcane University in the Imperial City. The Council decided important Guild policies, such as its policy on the use of Necromancy and also administered recruitment, sale of spells in each local Guild Hall, and the enforcement of Guild law. The rules of the Guild varied from location to location, some differences more drastic than others. In addition, Guild Halls existed in most cities in Tamriel, each of which was run by a local Guild Magister (alternatively known as a Hall Magister). Below him were the Master of Incunabula (alternatively called the High Incunabulist) and the Master at Arms. The Master of Incunabula had a counsel of two, the Master of Academia and the Master of the Scrye. The Master at Arms also had a counsel, the Master of Initiates and the Palatinus (the leader of the local chapter of the Order of the Lamp).

Its charter from the Emperor specified that the guild must provide magic services to the public. Anyone could purchase potions, alchemical ingredients, magical items, and a selection of standard spells from the guild. However, training, goods, and services were cheaper for members, and the guild stewards were sometimes able to provide members with work. Furthermore, exclusive services such as spellmaking and enchanting, deemed potentially dangerous to the public at large, were only made available to higher-ranked guild members in good standing.

Malacath's Brutal Breed[edit]

Malacath's Brutal Breed was a cult formed by an Orc named Borug gro-Bashnarz from the ashes of Orsinium around 1E 1000. The group were Malacath fanatics that were intent on wiping out Bretons and Redguards for every real and imagined slight perpetrated by them against the Orcs.

Mane[edit]

The Mane is a unique type of Khajiit. Khajiit tradition holds that only one Mane can be alive at one time and, more specifically, believe that there is actually only one Mane who is reborn again and again in different bodies. There has been no recorded incident of more than one Mane contending for power, although whether due to the truth in the Khajiit belief or whether the ruling Mane takes care of any potential rivals is unknown. Manes can only be born under a rare alignment of the moons Masser and Secunda when, according to legend, a third moon actually appears. In older days the Khajiit would shave off their manes in deference to the Mane, braiding them into locks which the Mane would incorporate into its own mane/headdress. The Mane is so weighted down by the hair that movement is difficult without aid and they often travel the countryside by means of a palanquin. As the population grew, however, this became impractical. As a result, the headdress now only includes hair of the Mane's tribe and Warrior Guard attached to it, which includes several hundred in number.

Marag Clan[edit]

The Marag Clan were one of the Orc clans of the Wrothgar. They were among the clans who inhabited Frostbreak Fortress.

Maran Knights[edit]

The Maran Knights is the militant arm of the Benevolence of Mara. Despite the fact that their very existence is contradictory to the temple itself, the Maran Knights are sworn to enforce the divine will of Mara, which often is required to bring about the peace. Some members of the Benevolence even feel as if the knightly order should actually disband, but they are, however, in the minority.

Markarth Watch[edit]

Markarth Watch was one of the factions of Reachfolk that operated in Markarth during the times of the Three Banners War, during the Interregnum in the Second Era. As of 2E 582, alongside the Stonehands they were one of the groups responsible for law enforcement and crime investigation within the city walls.

They were known for working with Bear-Dogs. Their favorite variant of the Bear-Dog was the Black Mask breed. Those dogs were used to sniff out trouble and to find local thieves.

Masons' Guild[edit]

The Masons' Guild is an officially sanctioned guild that has been active since at least the Second Era. As their name implies, they employ masons from across the Empire. One of the only known positions in the guild is the Guild Historian, who is responsible for maintaining the records of the guild and studying the history of masonry in general.

Mercenary Guild[edit]

The Mercenary Guild is a small guild led by Vychamp, its self-styled leader. The guild had considerable sway over the Mages Guild some time before the Warp in the West, and mages who wished to rise in rank needed to pledge fealty to Vychamp.[1]

Merchants Guild[edit]

The Merchants Guild is an organization that is active in Tamriel. The Daggerfall branch is known to give good standing associates a small golden anvil, one reminiscent to the sacred symbol of Zenithar.[2] On the 20th of Sun's Height, the provinces widely recognize the holiday, Sun's Rest, in which stores close throughout the day, with the exception of inns, taverns, and other big-time guilds like the Mages Guild. If any other shop operates in this time, the Merchants Guild will heavily fine them a large sum of money.[3]

Merethic Society[edit]

The Merethic Society was a loose group of adventurers who specialized in collecting antiques and historical relics. Named after the Merethic Era—the legendary age between the creation of Nirn and the start of the First Era—the society's mandate compelled them to go to great lengths in order to collect and preserve history. This included trading for items on the black market or procuring relics directly from ruins. They generally operated as inconspicuously as possible, as many governments didn't condone their work.

Every piece the society admits into their collection must have aesthetic or historic significance, and elevate the prestige of the collection as a whole. During the Interregnum, the society re-purposed an Ayleid ruin named Rulanyil's Fall to serve as a museum where the society could display their various historical relics to the general public. This included Dwemeri relics, such as the statue what some believed could be the head of Brazzefk, as well as relics of Ayleid, Yokudan, Nedic and Altmer civilizations.

Minat[edit]

The Minat were a powerful tribe of orcs chiefed by King Gortwog gro-Nagorm, who ruled the Kingdom of Nova Orsinium in northwestern Tamriel during the late Third Era.

Minstrels Guild[edit]

The Minstrels Guild is an officially sanctioned guild. As their name implies, they employ minstrels from across the Empire.

During the Akaviri Potentate in 2E 321, Versidue-Shaie gave his approval for the Guild Act, which sanctioned businesses such as the Minstrels Guild. They were hence protected by the Empire of Cyrodiil, even into the Third Era, but would be required to pay them if they wanted to expand their influence. The Empire had subsequently strengthened since the Guild Act was passed. "Regular" minstrels were described as Sheogorath worshippers in the Second Era. Minstrels in the Imperial City sang of Barenziah's dark beauty and charming ways in the Third Era.

Mirthless Order[edit]

The Mirthless Order was a group of Dunmer whose purpose was to protect the sacredness of humor, specifically, an ancient rite written by three Dunmer comedians, the Brothers Randoro. The order would deal death to any who performed the rite improperly. The order's ancient home was said to be Kragenmoor. Despite being seldom seen and the words to the ancient joke they protected known by hardly any, the order was still active by the middle of the Second Era and it was ready to kill in the name of their duty.

Mistrunner Clan[edit]

Mistrunner Clan was one of numerous clans of Reachfolk that lived in the Reach during the Second Era. Members of the clan valued nature and considered stone dwellings as not fit for the ways of the Reachfolk. Members of the clan claimed that living in the stone houses of Markarth changes the way people perceive things.

Montalion[edit]

Montalion is one of the vampire bloodlines of the Iliac Bay area.

Moon Hunter Pack[edit]

The Moon Hunter Pack was a werewolf pack that dwelled inside Moon Hunter Keep around 2E 582, the former garrison of the Werewolf hunting organization the Order of the Silver Dawn. Many werewolves rushed to join the pack for safety in numbers after hearing tales of the pack defeating the Silver Dawn and as a result, it became the biggest werewolf pack Tamriel has ever seen.

It was led by Vykosa, one of the first werewolves. She could bend the will of werewolves, and she recruited both the willing and unwilling. Her pack had three known kinds of Werewolves. The first is the common Werewolf. The second is the Sable Man-Beast. Not much is known about them but their werewolf appearance is beast-like even while in a humanoid form. and are observed to be more intelligent and less primal and are able to cast magic and use weaponry. The third are Werewolf Behemoths which is an experimental werewolf form created by Vykosa's Archivist Ernarde which grants them amplified strength and size and are unstoppable warriors, should they survive the process.

Vykosa plotted to use her pack to take over Nirn, exact revenge on Hircine, and take down anyone that stood in her way. The Moon Hunter Pack was stopped and Vykosa's plot was foiled in 2E 582 by the Undaunted, who participated in the Great Hunt and prevented the pack from gaining Hircine's boon, and when they entered Moon Hunter Keep and destroyed the pack and slayed Vykosa.

Moon-Singers[edit]

The Moon-Singers are a secretive order of Khajiit storytellers and lorekeepers. They travel around the world and guard secrets of the Khajiit people and their history. Their stories are focused on the elements relevant to the Khajiit culture and they rarely tell stories of the other races. One of their main subject of the stories are Dragons, and Khunzar-ri. Knowledge of some ancient tales, such as the tale of Khunzar-ri and the demons, are split across several Moon-Singers in order to maintain its secrets. Although moon-singers occasionally share their tales, certain elements of their stories are kept secret and not revealed. Moon-Singers often travel to the shrines of Khunzar-ri.

Beginner moon-singers are chosen and taught by previous storytellers to guard the ancient tales. Moon-Singers believe that the only joy greater than stories is the act of sharing those tales with others. They also emphasize the importance of the audience and state that "more who hear the stories, the greater becomes the joy."

Moot[edit]

The Moot is a council made up of the jarls of each Hold of Skyrim and convened upon the death of the High King to formally choose a successor to the throne from among qualifying members of the royal family. In the absence of a legitimate heir, the Moot instead chooses a successor from among the jarls. The Moot can also reconvene during a living High King's reign if he breaks some taboo which makes the jarls lose confidence in him, such as refusing a challenge made in accordance with the old Nord traditions of martial combat.

Morag Tong[edit]

Morag Tong (Dark Elvish for "Foresters Guild") is an ancient guild of assassins headquartered in Morrowind, celebrating murder in the name of Mephala. They have been active since at least the First Era, and their targets have included multiple rulers of Tamriel, high-ranking Dunmer nobility, and countless others. The Morag Tong is unique in its sanctioned status under the Morrowind government to perform legal executions, bound under contracts called 'writs', although extralegal 'gray writs' are rumored to exist.

Morkul Clan[edit]

The Morkul Clan was an ancient clan of Orcs active since the time of the fall of Orsinium that happened during the First Era and was one of the major clans by the time of the rise of another Orsinium during the year 2E 582. Their main position was the Morkul Stronghold, located next to the coast of the High Rock region of the Wrothgarian Mountains. They are famous for their smiths and produced some of the finest arms and armor of the Orcs, with the Clan also having experts that could help during the rebuilding effort of Orsinium during the Second Era.

Motierre[edit]

The Motierres are an old and powerful Breton family firmly established in Chorrol. They have been recognized as nobility since at least the Interregnum. The family crypts are located in the undercroft of the Great Chapel of Stendarr, and are infamous for being haunted.

Murtag Clan[edit]

The Murtag Clan is a prominent Orcish clan from the Wrothgarian Mountains. They are one of the oldest clans in the region and have attained the sobriquet, the Rock Clan as they make their home deep within the mountains and create cave dwellings. The clan is based in Murtag Stronghold, which is located somewhere near the Jehanna road in Wrothgar.

Mythic Dawn[edit]

Mythic Dawn Tapestry

The Order of the Mythic Dawn was a secret cult led by Mankar Camoran that worshipped the Daedric Prince of Destruction, Mehrunes Dagon.

References[edit]

  1. ^ The Daggerfall Chronicles — Ronald Wartow
  2. ^ Golden Anvil of Zenithar contraband in ESO
  3. ^ Sun's Rest holiday description in Daggerfall