The Ebony Mail is a Daedric artifact created by the Daedric Prince Boethiah. In appearance it looks like an ebony suit of armor, or often simply a cuirass. It can either be medium or heavy in weight. The artifact grants its wearer resistance to fire and magical attacks, magical protection from physical blows, quieter movements and the ability to poison enemies who get too close. The artifact was created before recorded history by Boethiah, and it is Boethiah alone who determines who should possess the Mail and for how long a time.[1]
HistoryEdit
The origins of the Ebony Mail can be dated sometime after the death of Lorkhan in the Dawn Era, whose heart was torn out by Trinimac, and shot with the bow of Auriel to the sea.[2] The blood that poured from the Heart of Lorkhan is now a precious material known as ebony,[3] which is what the Ebony Mail is made out of. Khajiiti myths that predate the Riddle'Thar Epiphany refer to it as the "death-shroud of Lorkhaj", which Boethra wears on nights of the Ghost Moon, and "wages war beyond the Lattice".[4]
The last living dwarf, Yagrum Bagarn, at one point befriended the sorcerer Divayth Fyr.[5] At Fyr's behest, Yagrum Bagarn wrote the book Tamrielic Lore[6]:241 from the notes that he have gathered over the centuries, listing the Ebony Mail among various items of "unimaginable significance".[1] By the Interregnum, copies of this book circulated throughout Tamriel, allowing its readers to learn some information on the artifact.[7]
The Ebony Mail was uncovered in Black Marsh by the Eternal Champion during the Imperial Simulacrum. The location it was retrieved from was forsaken by the spirits, and is where Boethiah stored the artifact after stripping it from her previous champion, Helath Stormbinder.[8]
Just before the events of the Warp in the West, an unknown agent of the Blades in the Iliac Bay area summoned Boethiah in a search for power. In return for killing an innocent spellsword who had displeased the Prince, the agent was gifted with the Ebony Mail from a worshipper of Boethiah.[9]
During the play A Hypothetical Treachery, a group of adventurers (Malvasian, Inzoliah, Dolcettus and Schiavas) recover the Ebony Mail from the legendary Eldengrove of Valenwood. In the end, Inzoliah alone is left alive and sells the artifact to the king of Silvenar.[10]
In 3E 427, the Nerevarine was sent by the Tribunal Temple at the request of Archcanon Tholer Saryoni to make a pilgrimage to Mount Assarnibibi, where Molag Bal oversaw the ninety-nine lovers of Boethiah, who gave birth to Almalexia. Upon completing the pilgrimage, the Nerevarine received the Ebony Mail and brought it to Tholer Saryoni. The archcanon wouldn't accept it, saying it would be put to better use by the Nerevarine.[11] The Nerevarine later sold it to Torasa Aram, who put it on display in the Mournhold Museum of Artifacts.[12]
Sometime after the end of the Great War, circa 4E 180, the Warrior came across the Ebony Mail in their journey. The armor is thought to have been looted from an extravagant chest.[13]
In 4E 201, Boethiah tasked the Last Dragonborn with assassinating the Prince's previous champion and his group of bandits. The Dragonborn retrieved the Ebony Mail from the corpse of the ex-champion.[14]
Previous Owners:Edit
- Helath Stormbinder[8]
- Anonymous Worshipper of Boethiah
- Torasa Aram
- Anonymous Champion of Boethiah
GalleryEdit
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Ebony Cuirass (male version)
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Daggerfall (male version)
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Daggerfall (female version)
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Morrowind
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Skyrim
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Blades
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See AlsoEdit
- For game-specific information see the Arena, Daggerfall, Morrowind, Skyrim, and Blades articles.
ReferencesEdit
- ^ a b Tamrielic Lore — Yagrum Bagarn
- ^ The Monomyth
- ^ Crafting Motif 22: Trinimac Style — the Venerable Uugus, Priest of Trinimac
- ^ The Wandering Spirits — Amun-dro, the Silent Priest
- ^ Yagrum Bagarn's dialogue in Morrowind
- ^ The Morrowind Prophecies — Peter Olafson
- ^ Tamrielic Artifacts
- ^ a b Artifact Dialogue — The Imperial Library
- ^ Events of Boethiah's Quest in Daggerfall
- ^ A Hypothetical Treachery — Anthil Morvir
- ^ Ebony Mail quest in Morrowind
- ^ The Museum quest in Morrowind: Tribunal
- ^ Artifact acquisition methods in Blades
- ^ Boethiah's Calling in Skyrim