The symbol of the Order
A schematic displaying the Order's signature robes; ©ZeniMax
A worm cultist wielding blades; ©Bethesda Softworks
The Order of the Black Worm, also known as the Worm Cult and the Fellowship of the Anchorites, is a reclusive organisation of sorcerers and necromancers that explore magical knowledge without limit, priding themselves on not having the rigid rules of other (legal) organisations like the Mages Guild. The Order once held great influence throughout Tamriel during the Interregnum of the Second Era, particularly over the late Second Empire, but following Mannimarco's capture by Molag Bal their favour with the Daedric Prince faded, and they were rooted out once their influence was exposed.
Since the loss of their influence in the Second Era, the Order has since become a loosely-organised cult with very few members. A resurgence was observed during the Oblivion Crisis of the Third Era, but that too was short-lived. The Order now exists only nominally, and many necromancers choose to operate independent of the Order entirely.
A full member of the Worm Cult is called an 'acolyte'. There are also adepts, and anchorites, the latter of whom are said to commune directly with Mannimarco himself, the leader of the Order.
Organisation[]
Structure[]
Leadership[]
Recruitment[]
Practices[]
History[]
The Order traces its history back to the Second Era with Mannimarco, its founder. Mannimarco was a member of the elite Psijic Order, but constantly chafed against its rules on the kind of magic permitted to study. While still a Psijic monk, Mannimarco began secretly experimenting with other like-minded monks in an abandoned vault on Artaeum. In the vault Mannimarco worked together with his peers to deepen their understanding of dark magic, notably necromancy. Upon attempting to recruit his close friend, Vanus Galerion, Vanus exposed his experiments, and Mannimarco and his associates were expelled from the Psijic Order.
Following his expulsion, Mannimarco gathered his expelled colleagues and formed the Order of the Black Worm. Where other magical institutions would shun and revile some forms of magic while embracing others, the Worm Cult would accept all forms of magical study. The Order explicitly rejected the hypocrisy of organisations like the Mages Guild, who brazenly use soul gems and soul magic to fuel trinkets or otherwise serve mages, all the while condemning that very field of magic — necromancy — as "evil". For several centuries the Order attracted the ostracised, the reviled, and those scholars and sorcerers who would not let arbitrary moral limits hold back their pursuit of knowledge and power.
The Order steadily grew in numbers, with Mannimarco carefully tending to its growing influence across Tamriel. Eventually, all corners of Tamriel knew the silent presence of the Worm Cult, yet they still only operated in the shadows.
Imperial Charter[]
In the mid-Second Era Mannimarco began operating out of Cyrodiil, spreading his influence among the high nobility of the struggling Empire of Cyrodiil. Despite the outright ban on necromancy in the Mages Guild, the Empires of Men had never officially banned the practice in Cyrodiil. Necromancers were sometimes given bodies of criminals or other undesirables to use in their experiments, thus imperially sanctioning them. This was taken further still by Emperor Leovic I Longhouse, who outright legalised daedric worship in the Empire for the first time since the days of the Ayleid Empire.
Mannimarco took advantage of the instability brought about by the Interregnum to support a claimant to the Ruby Throne, Duke Varen Aquilarios of Colovia. With the full support of Mannimarco and the Worm Cult, Varen was able to successfully depose Emperor Leovic, the last of the Longhouse Emperors. Eventually, Varen was betrayed by Mannimarco in 2E 579 after successfully locating the Amulet of Kings, causing the Soulburst and paving the way for the Planemeld. Following this betrayal Mannimarco used his influence to secure Dowager Empress Clivia Tharn's place as regent to the leaderless empire. Under Mannimarco's influence, Clivia expelled the Mages Guild from the Imperial City and officially granted the Worm Cult an imperial charter to operate as the Empire's chief institution of magical learning. This is considered to be the zenith of the Order's influence in Tamriel.
Due to Mannimarco's secret alliance with Molag Bal during the Planemeld, the Order simultaneously became aligned with the Daedric Prince of Domination. This became much more explicit as the Order actively encouraged the worship of Molag Bal at the time, with some members of the Order even serving the Prince directly in Coldharbour. However, despite this temporary alignment, Mannimarco's allegiance never truly belonged with Molag Bal, and so the Worm Cult's explicit affiliation with him was merely temporary.
Notable Members[]
- Mannimarco, the God of Worms and founder of the Order
- N'Gasta
- Abnur Tharn (formerly)
Anchorite[]
- Garmar
- Gullveig
- Morgane
- Nordahl
- Thallik Wormfather
Other Members[]
- Borodin
- Cassia Varo
- Cirterisse
- Ethruin
- Fortuna Iceheart
- Hannat the Bonebringer
- Thorulf
- Kalin Thal
- Severinus Falco
- Thorasa Scipio
Quotes[]
Power, my dear friend. I seek power, and so I acquire and study those who have some degree of it. We are after the same things, your guild and I. Yet you worry about 'good' and 'evil' and do not accept they are manifestations of the same thing. So you brand me a villain, and make vain attempts to destroy me.
—Mannimarco about the hypocrisy of the Mages Guild
The temples of Arkay will be torn stone from stone. The blood of his priests will sate our thirst; their bones will rise as our servants. The name Arkay will be struck from the records. Only I shall hold sway over life and death. Only one name shall be whispered in fear. The name of your lord and master.
—Mannimarco about his ambitions with the Worm Cult
Beware the forces of the Worm Cult. They may only be men, but they're the worst kind of men.
—The Prophet about the Worm Cult
Notes[]
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