Malacath
From the OblivioWiki – your guide to everything Oblivion
Malacath is one of the seventeen most powerful Daedra known as Daedric Princes. He is the Prince of Curses, and the patron of the spurned and ostracized, and is commonly associated with Orcs.
Contents |
[edit] Description
Malacath's typical image usually reflects his connection to his Orsimer people. It is usually that of an extremely muscular humanoid, often with green-tinged skin, resembling a strong Orc warrior. His dress is simple and primitive, usually with no shirt and either a loincloth or basic pair of pants, again evoking the image of a warrior. His face is rounded, and his ears slightly pointed. Although his primary artifact is a two-handed war hammer, his image is typically depicted carriying a two-handed curved blade.
Malacath is frequently spurned by his fellow Daedric Princes, who don't actually consider him a peer. This primarily relates to the nature of his creation, as described below, but also fits with his status as the patron of outcasts. His plane of Oblivion, Ashpit, also reflects his anti-social status with constant ash storms, requiring magical breathing and levitation just to survive.
Malacath is known primarily for his thirst for revenge, and his desire to curse those whom he feels have wronged him. He is very protective of his followers, as well as less-intelligent creatures which are still considered outcasts by the general population. He was described by Sheogorath as being "Not popular at parties."
[edit] History
Malacath, as he is today, did not exist until some time during the Late Merethic Era. Prior to this, he was one of the Aedra, specifically, the prominent mer deity Trinimac. As Trinimac, he played a key part in the belief system of the Aldmeri races. This made him a prime target of the machinations of Boethiah, when he attempted to convert the Altmer race to Daedra worship. At the time, Boethiah's teachings were being preached by a mer prophet named Veloth, who taught that not all Daedra were bad, and that the Aldmeri outlook on life was weak. Eventually, a group of followers gathered around Veloth, left the Altmer lands, and settled on Morrowind (then called Resdayn) as the Chimer.
Trinimac had a devoted group of followers among the Altmer who tried to halt the Velothi exodus. To demonstrate his power, and solidify the devotion of the Chimer, Boethiah "ate" Trinimac, and later "expelled" a corrupted version called Malacath. As with much of the Merethic Era history, the details on this act are sketchy. Chimer legend describes this conflict as a literal bodily function of consuming and digesting Trinimac, while other sources merely claim that Trinimac's "body and spirit were corrupted". Regardless, Trinimac was no more, and Malacath now existed. He became one of the Dunmer's Four Corners of the House of Troubles, four "evil" Daedra that are seen by the Tribunal as tests on Dunmer's strength and spirit. Malacath, in particular, tests the Dunmer for physical weakness.
The followers of Trinimac were also changed dramatically by this destruction of their patron saint. They became known as the Orsimer, or Pariah Ones. Centuries later, these corrupted elves would become more commonly known as Orcs. By the modern era, there is almost no resemblance between Orc and Mer, and very few people even remember the connection. These Orismer continued to follow their god, now calling him Malauch, and taking him as the patron saint of their pariah and ostracised people.
[edit] Quest
Malacath's patronage on Orcs can be seen from his quest in Morrowind. Here, he has you take revenge for an Orc, who committed suicide after being denied his rightful rewards for a heroic deed. You are sent out to murder the last known descendant of the Dunmer who knowingly took credit for the Orc's deed. (Another descendant of this Dunmer can be found in Cyrodiil, unfortunately.)
Malacath's quest in Cyrodiil involves your rescue of another group of outcasts, namely, a group of enslaved ogres. He requires an offering of Troll Fat, and you must be level 10 to start the quest. He will send you to the home of Lord Drad, the slave owner, with instructions to free the ogres without harming them. After speaking with Lord Drad and then his wife, an easy way to complete this quest is to simply walk into the mine and ignore the guards. As long as you don't attack them they will simply tolerate your presence, and it a simple manner to go to the two Orge cages and pick the locks of each of the cell doors. Once freed the Ogres and the guards will fight each other leaving you to simply pick what you like from the dead bodies of the fallen. Neither side will attack you as long as you don't attack them, and even if one or more of the guards survives they will not worry as you loot the chests for the various treasures throughout the mine. Note that even if all the ogres are killed during the battle with the guards, this will not affect the outcome of the quest.
As a reward for finishing the quest, Malacath gives you Volendrung, an enchanted two-handed warhammer.
