Lore:Factions M

Overview|ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

---

Mabrigash Tribe

TheMabrigash Tribeis anAshlandertribe that lives in theVale of the Ghost Snake,in the region ofDeshaanin mainlandMorrowind.The tribe is predominantly female, and worships an ancient entity known as theGhost 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. By3E 427,these witch-warriors were common on the island ofVvardenfell,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 thegiant snakesand the angryghostsof 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

TheMages Guild,also known as theGuild of Mages,was a professional organization, once located throughoutTamriel,that was dedicated to the study and application ofmagickaand alchemy. TheAurbic Eyeis the official symbol of the Guild.

The Mages Guild was led by anArch-Mage,and guided by theCouncil 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'sArcane Universityin theImperial City.The Council decided important Guild policies, such as its policy on the use ofNecromancyand 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 theOrder of the Lamp).

Itscharterfrom 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

Malacath's Brutal Breedwas a cult formed by anOrcnamed Borug gro-Bashnarz from the ashes ofOrsiniumaround1E 1000.The group wereMalacathfanatics that were intent on wiping outBretonsandRedguardsfor every real and imagined slight perpetrated by them against the Orcs.

Mane

TheManeis a unique type ofKhajiit.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 moonsMasserandSecundawhen, 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 andWarrior Guardattached to it, which includes several hundred in number.

Marag Clan

TheMarag Clanwere one of theOrcclans of theWrothgar.They were among the clans who inhabitedFrostbreak Fortress.

Maran Knights

TheMaran Knightsis 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

Markarth Watchwas one of thefactionsofReachfolkthat operated inMarkarthduring the times of theThree Banners War,during theInterregnumin theSecond Era.As of2E 582,alongside theStonehandsthey were one of the groups responsible for law enforcement and crime investigation within the city walls.

They were known for working withBear-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

TheMasons' Guildis an officially sanctioned guild that has been active since at least theSecond Era.As their name implies, they employ masons from across theEmpire.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

TheMercenary Guildis a small guild led byVychamp,its self-styled leader. The guild had considerable sway over theMages Guildsome time before theWarp in the West,and mages who wished to rise in rank needed to pledge fealty to Vychamp.

Merchants Guild

TheMerchants Guildis an organization that is active inTamriel.TheDaggerfallbranch is known to give good standing associates a small golden anvil, one reminiscent to the sacred symbol ofZenithar.On the 20th ofSun'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 theMages Guild.If any other shop operates in this time, the Merchants Guild will heavily fine them a large sum of money.

Merethic Society

TheMerethic Societywas a loose group of adventurers who specialized in collecting antiques and historical relics. Named after theMerethic Era—the legendary age between the creation ofNirnand the start of theFirst 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 theInterregnum,the society re-purposed anAyleidruin namedRulanyil's Fallto serve as a museum where the society could display their various historical relics to the general public. This includedDwemerirelics, such as the statue what some believed could be the head ofBrazzefk,as well as relics ofAyleid,Yokudan,NedicandAltmercivilizations.

Minat

TheMinatwere a powerful tribe oforcschiefed by KingGortwog gro-Nagorm,who ruled the Kingdom ofNova Orsiniumin northwesternTamrielduring the lateThird Era.

Minstrels Guild

TheMinstrels Guildis an officially sanctioned guild. As their name implies, they employ minstrels from across theEmpire.

During theAkaviri Potentatein2E 321,Versidue-Shaiegave his approval for theGuild Act,which sanctioned businesses such as the Minstrels Guild. They were hence protected by the Empire ofCyrodiil,even into theThird 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 asSheogorathworshippers in theSecond Era.Minstrels in theImperial Citysang ofBarenziah's dark beauty and charming ways in theThird Era.

Mirthless Order

TheMirthless Orderwas a group ofDunmerwhose 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 beKragenmoor.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 theSecond Eraand it was ready to kill in the name of their duty.

Mistrunner Clan

Mistrunner Clanwas one of numerousclansofReachfolkthat lived inthe Reachduring theSecond 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

Montalionis one of thevampirebloodlines of theIliac Bayarea.

Moon Hunter Pack

TheMoon Hunter Packwas a werewolf pack that dwelled insideMoon Hunter Keeparound2E 582,the former garrison of the Werewolf hunting organization theOrder 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 packTamrielhas ever seen.

It was led byVykosa,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 theSable 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 overNirn,exact revenge onHircine,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 theUndaunted,who participated in theGreat Huntand prevented the pack from gaining Hircine's boon, and when they entered Moon Hunter Keep and destroyed the pack and slayed Vykosa.

Moon-Singers

TheMoon-Singersare a secretive order ofKhajiitstorytellers 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 areDragons,andKhunzar-ri.Knowledge of some ancient tales, such as the tale ofKhunzar-riand 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. One such shine was located in Anequina. It was tended byAneshi,the Keeper of the Shrine, which served as a frequented stop for Moon-singers. Aneshi was also renowned for transcribing the tales of Moon-singers, preserving them in written form.

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

TheMoot(orMoot of the Nords) is a council made up of the jarls of each Hold ofSkyrimand 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

Morag Tong(Dark Elvishfor"Foresters Guild") is an ancient guild of assassins headquartered inMorrowind,celebrating murder in the name ofMephala.They have been active since at least theFirst 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

TheMorkul Clanwas an ancient clan ofOrcsactive since the time of the fall ofOrsiniumthat happened during theFirst Eraand was one of the major clans by the time of the rise of another Orsinium during the year2E 582.Their main position was the Morkul Stronghold, located next to the coast of theHigh Rockregion of theWrothgarian 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

TheMotierresare an old and powerfulBretonfamily firmly established inChorrol.They have been recognized as nobility since at least theInterregnum.The family crypts are located in the undercroft of the Great Chapel ofStendarr,and are infamous for being haunted.

Murtag Clan

TheMurtag Clanis a prominentOrcishclan from theWrothgarian Mountains.They are one of the oldest clans in the region and have attained the sobriquet,the Rock Clanas they make their home deep within the mountains and create cave dwellings. The clan is based inMurtag Stronghold,somewhere near theJehannaroad in Wrothgar.

Mythic Dawn

Mythic Dawn Tapestry

TheOrder of the Mythic Dawnwas a secret cult led byMankar Camoranthat worshipped theDaedric Prince of Destruction,Mehrunes Dagon.