Lore:Ebony Mail

The Ebony Mail is a Daedric artifact created by the Daedric Prince Boethiah. In appearance it is an ebony cuirass, or occasionally a relatively full suit of ebony armor, usually considered heavy armor (or rarely medium armor) by weight. The artifact grants its wearer resistance to fire, resistance to magic, and magical shielding from physical blows, though in some instances it provides for quieter movements and the ability to poison enemies within immediate range of the wearer. According to legend, 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.

History

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. The blood that poured from the Heart of Lorkhan is now a precious material known as ebony, the substance the Ebony Mail is made from. 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."

The last living dwarf, Yagrum Bagarn, at one point befriended the sorcerer Divayth Fyr. At Fyr's behest, Yagrum Bagarn wrote the book Tamrielic Lore from the notes that he have gathered over the centuries, listing the Ebony Mail among various items of "unimaginable significance." By the Interregnum, copies of this book circulated throughout Tamriel, allowing its readers to learn some information on the artifact.

At an unspecified point in time prior to the events of the Imperial Simulacrum in the Third Era, a warrior named Helath Stormbinder was Boethiah's champion and possessed the Ebony Mail. He eventually lost Boethiah's favor, however, and the Mail was taken from him by Boethiah. The Ebony Mail would remain hidden until its eventual recovery during the Imperial Simulacrum.

Third Era

Circa 3E 389-3E 399, during the Imperial Simulacrum, rumors began circulating around Tamriel about the return of the Ebony Mail - the "lost armor of the Drow" - not seen since the days of Helath Stormbinder, whose loss of the Mail was compared to the legend of Morihaus' loss of the Lord's Mail due to his arrogance. The reputation of the Ebony Mail had only grown in the intervening years, and rumors spoke of the Mail making its wearer not only "tougher than a troll," but also stronger and faster as well, and thus the Mail was highly sought after during the turbulent times of the Simulacrum. After hearing these rumors, the Eternal Champion followed them to their source: a man in a tavern who claimed to know the location of a map leading to a dungeon somewhere in Tamriel, where Boethiah herself had hidden away the Ebony Mail after taking it from Helath Stormbinder. The man reported that this map could be found in an unpleasant dungeon in Black Marsh, which the Eternal Champion would nevertheless have to brave in order to discover the location of the Ebony Mail. After bartering for the man's information, the Eternal Champion ventured into Black Marsh and was able to obtain the map. This in turn lead to the rumored dungeon where Boethiah had supposedly hidden the Ebony Mail, in another province outside of Black Marsh, and where the Eternal Champion was finally able to recover the Mail after its long absence from the world of Tamriel.

Circa 3E 405-3E 417, prior to 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.

During the play A Hypothetical Treachery, a group of adventurers (Malvasian, Inzoliah, Dolcettus and Schiavas) recover the Ebony Mail from the legendary Elden Grove of Valenwood. In the end, Inzoliah alone is left alive and sells the artifact to the king of Silvenar.

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 refused to accept it, saying it would be put to better use by the Nerevarine. The Nerevarine later sold it to Torasa Aram, who put it on display in the Mournhold Museum of Artifacts.

Fourth Era

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.

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.

Previous Owners:

• Helath Stormbinder
• Anonymous Worshipper of Boethiah
• Torasa Aram
• Anonymous Champion of Boethiah

Gallery

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  Arena (male version)

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  Arena (female 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

Notes

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  Though contextually this is almost certainly referring to the Dark Elves, originally referred to as "Drow" in early development of Arena and already specifically associated with Boethiah in the description of the Ebony Mail, this epithet appears in the final and released version of the game and is thus preserved here.

See Also

• For game-specific information see the Arena, Daggerfall, Morrowind, Skyrim, and Blades articles.