Lore:Molag Bal

(Stone-Fire,  or literally "Fire Stone"  in the Ehlnofex language) is the Daedric Prince whose sphere is the domination and enslavement of mortals.  His ultimate desire is to harvest the souls of all mortals, bringing them within his sway by spreading seeds of strife and discord in the mortal realms.   To this end, he obsessively collects soul gems,   and has even dragged pieces of Nirn into his realm to satisfy his insatiable desire for conquest.  The more souls he collects, the more he wants. 

Molag Bal values patience and cunning. He often deceives those he deals with, and has no trouble waiting exceedingly long periods of time for his plans to come to fruition.    He also takes great pleasure in the suffering of mortals, and often has them tortured for his amusement.  Those who fall into his clutches are forced to labor ceaselessly for his benefit.  The Prince has a penchant for necromancy,   often employing the use of the risen dead and forcing his followers to serve beyond the grave.  He is capable of preserving live mortals far beyond their normal lifespan to prolong their suffering. 

Molag Bal is acknowledged as the father of several children, though it is unclear what those relationships mean to him.  He has a son,  ,  who is a Daedric Titan.  He also has a daughter named Molag Grunda, a Winged Twilight who took the lowly Frost Atronach   as her consort. Molag Bal did not approve of the relationship and had them both banished to Oblivion so he could punish them for eternity.  A persistent legend about Haymon Camoran claims he is the progeny of Molag Bal and a Breton woman. 

Molag Bal's enemies are Ebonarm,  Boethiah,  Meridia,  Lamae Bal  and Arkay. He was at one point allied with Azura.  His summoning day is during Chil'a, on the 20th of Evening Star.  He appears before his cultists in the guise of a mortal when invoked on other dates.   

It is rumored among the kyn who serve him that his second-favorite type of weapon after the mace is the axe, as it is the tool of the headsman. However, nobody is brave enough to ask him about it.  He purportedly has terrible hygiene and smells of rotting flesh. 
 

Titles
 
Mortals have often used descriptors and alternate names to refer to the Daedric Prince in conversation. Molag Bal is unique in that he is known by an exceedingly large amount of nicknames, some used by specific groups for different reasons. He is most commonly referred to as the God of Schemes,  the Harvester of Souls,    the Lord of Domination,  the Prince of Domination  and the Lord of Brutality.   These terms are comparatively neutral, and can be used by anyone to describe him, from normal citizens to his greatest enemies and his most devout worshippers. These titles are descriptive, and utilize aspects of his sphere of influence to identify him as the subject of conversation. The Dark Lord is another neutral name, used by fearful slaves in hushed whispers, and uttered by the Prince's enemies in defiance.   Molag Bal's minions use the name in reverence.  

Several other nicknames which the mortals of Tamriel have identified Molag Bal with include the Harvester,  the Lord of Corruption,   the Corrupter, the Tormentor of Men,  the Lord of Troubles,   the Prince of Schemes,   the God of Brutality,  the Sower of Strife  and the Scheming Lord of Coldharbour.  These nicknames share a common theme in that they describe Molag Bal's sphere of influence. These titles also draw from his most easily recognizable behaviors. Molag Bal is known to harvest souls, torment mortals for fun and corrupt the minds of good people with promises of power.  He hatches elaborate schemes to spread his influence across Tamriel. The Prince of Murder is a more vague title that has been affixed to the Prince by the servants of his enemy, Meridia.  The title does not frame murder as an aspect of his sphere in the way that it falls under Mephala's divine portfolio; rather, it illustrates the idea that Molag Bal is an individual of an unpleasant nature.

The King of Rape   is a title that is used in the Living God  's sermons; it draws upon Molag Bal's brutal nature. The Elder Spirit of Domination and Supreme Law is a moniker derived from the epistles of  , an ancient Khajiit priest who committed the names of the old Khajiit deities to paper.    referred to Molag Bal as the Prince of Rage in his popular historical fiction novel,  .    identified Molag Bal as the Schemer Princess in her work,  .  

Molag the Slave-Lord  is a one-off nickname used by   in his lecture on the nature of Molag Bal's plane of Oblivion, Coldharbour. The name is in reference to Molag Bal's voracious desire to amass unfathomable amounts of souls, and his tendency to enslave those whose souls he comes into possession of. The Schemer,  the Prince of Pain and the Captain of Corruption are monikers written in popular bardic performances from the Interregnum. The Plane Meld was a song that described the impending doom from the then-ongoing Planemeld. It likens Molag Bal to some sort of demented farmer, tilling the land of Tamriel and sowing corruption as far as he can reach. 

thumb|left|Bal Ur, a temple of great importance to Molag Bal's followers on Vvardenfell
The Dark Father,  the Father of Vampires,   Lord of the Undead,  and the Father of Undeath  are nicknames derived from Molag Bal's association with  s and the  . Regardless of whether or not they revere him, vampires who recognize Molag Bal as the progenitor of the first vampire may refer to him as the Dark Father. Scholars and laymen who are familiar with Molag Bal's association with vampires or his propensity for raising the dead may refer to him as either of the latter.  The Defiler  is a title of note among the scions of  , the first vampire. The vampires of Lamae's coven are encouraged to despise Molag Bal, and they acknowledge him as the one responsible for their matron's state of undeath.  The scions of Lamae have also referred to Molag Bal as the Father of Torment and the King of Corruption   in lieu of the notion that Molag Bal takes great delight in the suffering of mortals, and actively seeks to corrupt anything he believes will further his goals or spread strife throughout Nirn. 

The Lord of Lies  and the Lord of Darkness  are names that have been uttered by the Prince's adherents. The Dark Master  and the Dread Lord  are titles which have been explicitly used by Molag Bal's cultists and Daedric minions in the context of their service. The Daedra who serve Molag Bal refer to him as "the Dread Lord", "the Dark Lord" and their "Brutal Lord"  in their missives. Servants both mortal and otherwise have identified their god with many variations on the words "lord" and "master", denoting the Prince's position of power above the denizens of his Plane.   An example of such a name is the Lord of Schemes.   The Lord of Coldharbour is a simple title that refers to his dominion over Coldharbour. 
 

Religion and Culture
 
Molag Bal is a Daedric power of much importance in Morrowind, where he is always the archenemy of Boethiah, the Prince of Plots. He is seen as a primary obstacle to the Dunmer people (and their Chimer predecessors). In the legends, Molag Bal always tries to upset the bloodlines of Houses or otherwise ruin Dunmeri "purity".  He is said to be the parent (along with Vivec) of a population of mutant degenerates that terrorized the Molag Amur region of Vvardenfell.   He is known to the Dunmer as the third corner of the House of Troubles, and one of the Bad Daedra.   Dunmeri mythos cites   as the "birthplace of Molag Bal",  where the Doom Drum tricked him into becoming mortal.  Bal Ur is a place of great importance for Vvardenfell's vampire clans, particularly the Aundae, who believe the ruin is important to their vampire heritage.  In the days of old Resdayn, Molag Bal was not worshipped so much as he was placated. 

Molag Bal purportedly has connections to the dreugh. According to legend, the dreugh used to be far more intelligent and civilized than they are today. The dreugh were said to worship a creature known as the  . Not much is known about this entity, but it is believed to be a manifestation of Molag Bal.  Dunmeri folklore alleges that Molag Bal was the chieftain of the dreugh in a time when they ruled the world. During that time, Molag Bal took on a form that was spiny, armored, and built for life beneath the waves. The Ruddy Man from the teachings of the Tribunal Temple is said to resemble this iteration of Molag Bal, and was supposedly a product of Vivec and Molag Bal's union.  The Ruddy Man from Dunmeri lore and the Ruddy Man worshipped by the dreugh are seemingly unrelated.

thumb|left|Reachfolk emblem for Molag Bal|class=backdrop
Molag Bal is known as Mola Gbal to the Ayleids,  and was the patron deity of Abagarlas.   Additionally, the Bretons of the   share stories about the "Terrible   of Molag Bal" the night before  . The stories vary, but the one consistent part of every variation of the tale involves a fearsome, savage entity being followed by blue torchbugs. 

Molag Bal is venerated by some Reachman clans. The people of the Reach recognize the Lord of Lies as a schemer who enjoys his tricks. Known as the Father of Torment, the Defiler and He Who Schemes in the Shadows, Molag Bal is a spirit that represents hardship. The Reachfolk understand that hardship is inevitable, but instead of bemoaning their sorrows, they embrace the pain as wisdom.  The Reachfolk look up to those who work hard,  and believe those that are plagued by troubled times are strengthened by their experiences. Molag Bal grants nothing but unexpected pain. Those of the Reach who venerate Molag Bal appreciate the lessons he teaches, and grow resilient in his shadow.  The Cinder-Heart Clan reveres the Defiler,  and their practices reflect the extreme horrors Molag Bal's sphere represents. They are known for their cruel treatment of captives, whom they burn alive. Their briarheart ritual is augmented with the intense pain of opening a subject's chest cavity and filling it with hot coals. 

Reachmen are often referred to as the Witchmen of High Rock, a name given to them due to their use of dark "Reach-magic".  Although Hircine is believed to be the source of the dark nature magic used by Reachman hedge wizards,  Molag Bal can grant a similar power to gravesingers. The name "gravesinger" is given to some Reachman necromancers who broker deals with Bal  in exchange for the power to command the loathsome dead.  Indeed, gravesingers can command corpses by planting the seeds of foul vines in their victims' bodies. Molag Bal's "gifts" may leave a gravesinger's body in a state of decay. 

A shrine to Molag Bal, as seen in Skyrim:Volkihar Keep|Dawnguard|thumb|right
Some ancient Khajiit tribes knew him as Molagh, one of the twelve Demon Kings and the Elder Spirit of Domination and Supreme Law. In some forms of Khajiiti mythos, Molagh has a wife who freed Merrunz to weaponize his destructive nature. Molagh was the first to attempt an assault on the Lunar Lattice with intent alongside Merrunz and Merid-Nunda. Boethra fought him to a standstill before the Lattice, and Azurah brought him down. Amun-dro's writings say that he is to be faced along the Path and overcome by the Will Against Rule, a concept associated with Boethra. 

One legend claims that Molag Bal created the first vampire when he raped a Nedic virgin named Lamae Beolfag, who in turn slaughtered a group of nomads.  He has also made pacts with mortals and bestowed the gift of vampirism upon them. However, they must be powerful in their own right before they can earn his trust; he only grants such gifts to his more impressive followers.  One such example is   and his family, who are implied to be the original Volkihar Clan of vampires, having been turned by the Daedric Prince himself.  Female followers of Molag Bal are traditionally offered to him on his summoning day. Being selected as an offering is an honor; selectees are expected to go through with the ritual. Few survive, and those who do emerge as pure-blooded vampires.  Molag Bal is also rumored to have bestowed upon ancient vampire lords several powerful baubles that amplify vampiric powers.  Among these treasures is the  , which was found in the possession of   in  . 

Molag Bal's gifts are never given freely. Those who seek to ask him for a favor must always pay a price, and it is usually paid in blood. 

Worship
thumb|left|A shrine to Molag Bal on Vvardenfell (ESO)
Cults that worship Molag Bal often perform live, unwilling sacrifices to please their god.  A core belief among his cults is that the weak must be punished by the strong, a tenant that Molag Bal himself touts.  This belief is held highly by the Dremora who serve the Lord of Lies.  The aforementioned cults use dark magic and necromancy as a tool, profaning the dead and using them to bring Molag Bal further towards his ultimate goal.   Cunning, deception and subterfuge are just as valued by the Prince as brutality is. Thus, bribery, blackmail and extortion are common tools of the  .   Some groups, such as the Fen Witches of  , engage in practices such as child abduction to bolster their ranks.  Those unaffiliated with a cult who wish to contact the Prince may offer a  's pelt at a shrine dedicated to Molag Bal. This practice has been observed in  . 

 
The   served Molag Bal during the Planemeld.  The Order was a prime example of a group that wielded necromancy in Molag Bal's name. In addition to raising an undead army in the wake of the Planemeld, the cult participated in the Planemeld in force, carrying out many schemes in his name.   Additionally, they sacrificed thousands of souls to the Daedric Prince,  and were responsible for constructing and activating the dolmens where Dark Anchors were to be dropped.  

Molag Bal will bless his followers with undeath under certain circumstances. During the Planemeld, the Order of the Black Worm allied with the  ,   and     clans.  In exchange for releasing the ancient    , the Order promised to bless the clans with "the touch of their dark lord".  The Order channeled the touch of Molag Bal throughout  , transforming the Reachmen and turning them into undead monstrosities known as the  .  The Boneshaper patriarch,  , underwent the transformation himself within the nearby ruins, gaining immense power.  Molag Bal has also rewarded his followers with immortality in return for sacrificing innocents in his name.  Those who offer themselves willingly to Molag Bal from beyond the grave may have the pleasure of being transformed into an undead abomination, be it a flaming   or some other monstrous creature.   
 

History
First Era
thumb|left|The remains of the All Flags Navy
Some time in the  , Molag Bal made a pact with   of  , a powerful vampire and the leader of the  .  The terms of their agreement eventually brought thirteen of the Gray Host's exarchs into Coldharbour, where they were tortured for eternity by the Daedric Prince.   , the last known surviving leader of the Gray Host, sought to free his kin from Coldharbour in   with the help of the  .  At some point, a Molag Bal-worshipping Ayleid clan that lived in Greenshade ceased making offerings to the Prince at  . Their city was consumed in blue fire and transported to Coldharbour. 

He is credited with the creation of two species of Daedra, both involved in his experiments in a facility known as The Vile Laboratory.  The Xivkyn  and the Daedric Titan are the products of his fascination with vestigial hybridization and the Dragons' dominion over mortalkind respectively. Both of these species were released upon the people of Tamriel for the first time during Molag Bal's invasion of Nirn. 

In  , the   sailed to   and defeated the  . The Sloads' Coral Tower was destroyed during the siege, causing it to plunge into the sea.  The    opened up in the wake of the tower's fall, and a large chunk of the fleet was pulled beneath the   and into Coldharbour. Molag Bal appeared before the wreckage and struck a deal with the leader of the fallen fleet, giving the admiral complete control over his sailors with a relic known as the Crown of Bones.  

Molag Bal was responsible for the destruction of the   settlement of Gil-Var-Delle at the end of the First Era, when he was summoned by King   of  .  Molag Bal consumed the souls of all mortals present that day, leaving nothing more than the charred remains of the town's once mighty  .  His corrupting influence lingered into the second era.   The disaster at Gil-Var-Delle was the catalyst that sparked the conception of the  . Molag Bal was present at the meeting where   sealed his famed bargain with the powers of Oblivion, and agreed to the terms the Living God set. 

Second Era
Molag Bal is rumored to be responsible for the creation of the first soul gems.  This theory appears to have some grain of truth to it: Mannimarco and his cohorts, believing the Harvester held the secret to trapping souls, stole their first black soul gems from Coldharbour some time after the King of Worms' expulsion from Artaeum. 

thumb|right|A Dark Anchor
In the 582nd year of the Second Era, Molag Bal attempted to merge Nirn with his plane of Coldharbour in an event known as the Planemeld. However, this campaign was halted by the  .  A last-ditch effort to claim the Mundus for his own occurred not long after, while his forces occupied the Imperial City.   The   and an offshoot of   traitors dubbed   served beneath Molag Bal's Daedric minions to invade and maintain control over the city.  Molag Bal's minions had converted the Barathrum Centrata, the central hub of the City's sewers beneath the White-Gold Tower, into a terminal for portals to Coldharbour.  Molag Bal sought to locate and destroy the Sublime Brazier so the Dragonfires could never be lit again. This plot, along with a ritual known as the Planemeld Obverse which involved an Elder Scroll, were also foiled.  

Molag Bal also arranged to have biological weapons produced in the  . The City's citizens were to be brought to the prison and delivered to the prison's flesh sculptor, a powerful necromancer who held mastery over flesh. The sculptor would turn mortal skin and organs into carriers for plague and disease, creating flesh devices that would spew noxious clouds to contaminate the earth around them. Molag Bal's generals planned to deploy a thousand of these siege engines throughout the City, ending the Alliance War and turning the tide in Molag Bal's favor.  

Sometime prior to House  's fall, Princess Violetta of House Gardner used Birdsong Tower as her garden-spot. It was a pleasant place just west of  , where flowers bloomed and birds sang. Molag Bal was offended by the tower's joyous environment, and sent a plague of undeath to profane it. Birdsong Tower became known as  .  A hero curbed the tower's undead infestation in  .  Molag Bal was also responsible for cursing the town of   at some point between   and  . The town was invaded by   raiders, and a priest of   sought aid from his god. He was answered by Molag Bal instead, and begged the Prince to save Westtry. Molag Bal subsequently cursed Westtry with undeath.  The curse was lifted by the Vestige in  .  That same year, Abagandra—the Lightless Remnant of the  —was given to Molag Bal and transported to his realm to prevent it from devastating   with a plague of vampirism. 

Third Era
Sometime around  , in exchange for power, Molag Bal tasked the agent of the Blades with eliminating a heretic mage who drew from his power without invoking his name.  In  , Molag Bal asked the Nerevarine to banish a lazy   minion named   to the Outer Realms, where he would be punished for not wreaking havoc as he was created for.  During the Oblivion Crisis, Molag Bal spread corruption by having the Champion of Cyrodiil incite a local pacifist to murder.  

Fourth Era
In  , Molag Bal's presence haunted a home within the city of Markarth, and attracted the attention of a Priest of Stendarr who came to purify the residence. The Last Dragonborn offered to assist, and when the pair entered the home, Molag Bal trapped them inside. He forced the Dragonborn and the priest to fight to the death, and the Dragonborn prevailed, proving themselves the stronger of the two. With the Dragonborn having passed his "test", the Prince gave them a task: he offered them the Mace of Molag Bal as an incentive for capturing the soul of a priest of Boethiah who had been desecrating Molag Bal's shrine. The hero complied with the request. 

Appearance
The face that inspires Molag Bal's religious iconography|thumb|right
Molag Bal has been depicted several different ways by the sculptors who construct shrines dedicated to him. The only truly consistent trait across all portrayals is the presence of a tail, horns and/or frills, and a very muscular frame with bestial legs. Some artists interpret him as a bipedal reptilian creature with the head of a reptile, long claws, three digits on each hand, and digitigrade legs on paws shaped like that of a lion  or a large reptile.  These depictions possess aquatic frills, and occasionally horns.  Molag Bal once manifested before an agent of the Blades as a green-skinned humanoid with red eyes, elven ears, the legs of a goat, a long, thin tail, a goat-like face, and curved black horns.  It is said that a bright red mist poured over Gilverdale in a wave, engulfing building after building in its wake, with Molag Bal arriving as a smiling, red-skinned giant. 

thumb|left|An emblem representing Molag Bal
His most iconic appearance is depicted stylistically on his eponymous Mace: a face with ridged horns, aquatic frills, and sharp fangs. During the Planemeld, Molag Bal appeared in the form that inspired the Mace's rendering of his face. Molag Bal possesses a broad, sinewy, muscular frame carried by digitigrade legs. A row of spikes runs from the top of his head down the length of his back. A boney tail extends from the base of his spine, ending in a tri-tipped axe shape. Ridges jut up from his sternum, lining the space where the base of his neck and his shoulders meet to frame a horned head with frills on each side. 

His face brings to mind the image of a skull: a sunken nose, dark circles around light blue eyes that are overseen by pronounced eyebrows, angled cheeks, and rows of very sharp teeth. Small spikes line his chin, and jagged protrusions crown his hips. His flesh is blue-grey in coloration, and his horns are black. His extremities grow darker in color as they extend further away from his torso; his hands are almost dark enough to match his black claws, unlike his shoulders. Molag Bal is scarce in the way of clothing, opting for a loincloth adorned with skulls, tusks, and bits of bone. 

Molag Bal's face is&mdash;quite literally&mdash;plastered all over Coldharbour. Decorative seals on fortress walls and floors depict a threatening fanged grimace.  Sconces lit with cold fire look like stylized, simplified sculptures of his head,  as do the accents on some braziers  and bookshelves,  as well as the spouts on fountains.   Flaccus Terentius describes this show of hubris rather succinctly in his account of Molag Bal's palace, a place where "everything stares back at [Molag Bal] with his own face".  This iconography has made its way onto the tapestries woven by his followers,  as well as the banners carried by his soldiers into battle.  Molag Bal's face is a common symbol in his worship.

Behavior
 
Molag Bal is arrogant, calculating, and cares little for the welfare of mortalkind.   He views pacifism as a form of weakness.  He is also fond of ostentatious and macabre displays of power, occasionally going out of his way to hold elaborate ceremonies. An example of such an event was the "first Daedric Titan unveiling and Soul Shriven impalement celebration".  

Molag Bal is quite keen on depriving mortals of free will. To this end, Molag Bal wields a form of mind magic: he intrudes upon the minds of mortals as a form of torture. It is an invasive, agonizing experience.  By forcing his way into a mortal's mind, he can show them horrific visions.  He also does this to Daedra, particularly magically-gifted Xivkyn. These augurs share a mental link with Molag Bal, acting as vessels to carry out his dark whims.  This practice has unintended risks, as mortals who have had a mental connection to the Prince forced upon them can see through his eyes if they concentrate hard enough. Molag Bal can feel the presence of one who accomplishes such a task, and he doesn't appreciate the trespass. During the Planemeld, Varen Aquilarios did just that to distract the Daedric Prince, allowing the Vestige to traverse Coldharbour unmolested. Molag Bal was enraged by Varen's presence, leaving him blind to the hero's deeds in his realm while he dealt with the former Emperor. thumb|left|A Mind-Shriven thrall

Some mortals have had their force of will completely sapped as a result of Molag Bal tampering with their mind.  Such was the case with the infamous pirate,  , whose entire crew was transformed into undead slaves.   He was cursed when a relic the crew had plundered spoke to him, claiming to be Molag Bal. The Prince uttered a spell, transforming the crew and making them unable to disobey their Captain's orders.  The Captain also fell utterly under Molag Bal's control. Captain Blackheart never slaughtered those he plundered until he fell into the Prince's grasp.  Following the crew's enslavement, Molag Bal proceeded to kill hundreds of innocents with Captain Blackheart's hands, tormenting him with fleeting moments of independent thought.  

The practice of stealing the minds of mortals is not restricted to spellcraft, as Molag Bal also accomplishes this through alchemy. The Mind-Shriven are created when mortals are forced to imbibe a poison called the Blood of Coldharbour. These individuals have their force of will stolen by the Daedric Prince,  and become unnaturally aggressive as a result of their transformation. 

As is expected of a Daedric Prince, Molag Bal can summon his Daedric minions at will. Unfortunately for those who oppose him, this means he can summon a horde of Daedric Titans.  Molag Bal can weaponize souls and cold fire to assault those who wrong him.   Those who offend Molag Bal may find themselves suddenly missing important features, such as their skin. He is not above turning people into ravenous undead creatures.  Molag Bal manipulates shadows to imprison powerful servants of Meridia. 
 

Relations with Other Entities
The politics of Oblivion are complex. Alliances come and go, and what each Daedric Prince thinks of one another is largely unknown. However, Molag Bal has a few clearly defined relationships with other Princes, particularly Meridia. The two aren't very fond of each other. Molag Bal revels in undeath and destruction,  while Meridia believes that the sanctity of life energies is not to be perverted.  Though they both share a strong distaste for free will,  these fundamental beliefs are the foundation for their bitter rivalry.

A confrontation between gods|thumb|left
The two have actively antagonized each other throughout the course of Tamrielic history: Meridia's role in halting the Planemeld is a prominent example of this. Meridia wrested control of the Fighters Guild to turn its attention towards interfering with the Planemeld,  sent a city under her protection  into Coldharbour to host an invasion force of her own making,   and personally appeared in the heart of Molag Bal's stronghold to destroy the Planar Vortex. Meridia plotted to oppose the Planemeld years in advance. 

During the same time period, Meridia foiled Molag Bal's efforts to use the Mortuum Vivicus, a relic that siphons mortal souls and is capable of unleashing a storm of undeath.  This would be the second time Meridia has thwarted Bal's attempts to release the Vivicus upon Tamriel, the first occurring in the First Era during the time of   and  . Molag Bal's worshippers plotted to harvest the souls of Meridia's faithful and unleash the Mortuum Vivicus's necromantic potential,  and the Lady of Light destroyed the Abagarlan's city in response.  

thumb|right|Meridia exchanges words with Molag Bal
Molag Bal became so familiar with Meridia's methods during their years of conflict that he had a facility constructed specifically to imprison her servants.  Some ancient Khajiiti tales suggest that Meridia and Molag Bal once fought for a common goal during Bal's assault on the Lunar Lattice,  but for the most part, their history is rife with conflict.

Boethiah is another Prince with whom Molag Bal isn't necessarily "on good terms". This is another case of a difference in fundamental beliefs: Molag Bal expects those who worship him to obey without question.  On the other hand, Boethiah expects her followers to actively question and oppose authority, and mortals who attempt to appeal to her with bent knees and words of adoration.  Molag Bal seeks strength for himself, while Boethiah looks for strength in others.  Their differences aren't the only thing setting them apart; the two Princes have some record of antagonizing one another. In the past, Boethiah has sent her followers to desecrate Molag Bal's holy sites, and Molag Bal has retaliated in kind. 

thumb|left|Molag Bal exacts vengeance upon a priestess of Azura
Molag Bal is apparently bitter rivals with  , and the two will thwart each other at every given opportunity.    views Molag Bal's desire for adulation as unnecessary, interpreting it as a weakness.  The servants of Molag Bal and Azura have tripped over each others' toes in the past. The most noteworthy of such instances revolved around a priestess of Azura who brokered peace between two groups in Valenwood whom Molag Bal's minions were sent to divide, foiling his plan.   

Molag Bal doesn't just have conflict with other Princes, but the Divines as well. Molag Bal has a particular distaste for Arkay, who is invoked when the souls and bodies of deceased mortals are consecrated for burial. Molag Bal delights in the art of necromancy, and Arkay's opposition to the undead contradicts Molag Bal's belief that corpses are tools for him to use to further his goals.  In the legend of the first vampire's creation, Molag Bal invents a new form of undeath to spite Arkay's sway over the cycle of life and death.    While Arkay and Molag Bal never engage each other personally, their servants are likely to find themselves at odds with one another. The   is an organization that seeks to protect the autonomy of mortal souls and prevent their misuse by necromancers and Daedra. They oppose the necromantic energies wielded by Bal's cultists and the very existence of vampires.  Additionally, Arkay's blessing is capable of preventing mortal souls from being perverted by Molag Bal's dark influence.  

The followers of   have also opposed the God of Schemes.   of the   devoted his life to ridding Tamriel of Daedric corruption, and he was especially thorough in his persecution of Molag Bal's faithful. He acquired numerous tracts from the cults his order extinguished, which furthered scholars' understanding of the Daedric Prince's motivations. 

Artifacts
Crown of Bones
The Crown of Bones was created by Molag Bal for the Admiral of the Lost Fleet.   It was a crown that allowed the wearer to control the skeletons of sailors whose ships were dragged into the Maelstrom of Bal. 
 

The Mace of Molag Bal (Skyrim)|thumb|right|150px

The Mace of Molag Bal
 
 

The Mortuum Vivicus|thumb|right|150px
The Mortuum Vivicus
 
 

One of the Harvest Hearts (ESO)|thumb|right|150px
Harvest Hearts
Harvest Hearts are artifacts that Molag Bal uses to enslave large communities and empower specific parts of his divine portfolio. 

During the Planemeld, the Vestige destroyed a Heart within a portion of Coldharbour known as the Orchard, a large graveyard full of vampires. That particular heart greatly increased the rate at which vampirism spreads, and turned a few of the Coldharbour invasion force's own into bloodfiends. While that Heart was intact, the vampires in the Orchard were completely under Molag Bal's control, unable to disobey their orders to protect the area. 
 

thumb|right|One of the Stones of Cold Fire|150px

Stones of Cold Fire
The seven Stones of Cold Fire are artifacts that were gifted directly from Molag Bal and distributed throughout Daedric ruins on   that were dedicated to the Lord of Lies. These stones hold the power to summon and compel Daedra. They were used during the Interregnum by   to make a deal with a Dremora named   to prolong her life. The stones were located at  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , and  .   

The stones have a polished black surface and are cold to the touch. Blue flames swirl within them. 
 

A vampiric shard|thumb|right|150px

Vampiric Shards
Vampiric Shards are foul relics that corrupt whatever they come in contact with. When the Saxhleel village of Haj Uxith was brought to Coldharbour, Molag Bal gave the Argonians one of these crystals to keep their Hist alive; it was the only thing sustaining the Hist in Coldharbour's inhospitable soil. Over time, the shard poisoned the Hist. The Hist was dying, but the shard kept it from passing, forcing it to endure constant torment. 
 

Coldharbour
thumb|left|Heart's Grief's vestibule, where the most wretched of failures are tormented
 

Coldharbour is full of innumerable facilities, all built to further Molag Bal's dark schemes. Among these facilities is the  , a library filled with propaganda that serves as a trap for scholars.  It is available for use by Molag Bal's minions.  There is another library in Coldharbour that is slightly less accessible. It is Molag Bal's personal collection, located in his stronghold. The shelves in Molag Bal's library span entire cliffs and run deep into a chasm. Unsurprisingly, plenty of the books on his shelves are very disturbing. 

thumb|right|Molag Bal's citadel
The realm possesses several qualities that function as security measures. Things that teleport into Coldharbour will find themselves scattered, ending up in locations they did not intend to land.   Magical constructs known as Coldharbour Sentinels are used by Molag Bal to guide his vision in Coldharbour. With their aid, he can see into whatever prison they're anchored in. These Sentinels are magically connected, so destroying one will blind the other Sentinels it was bound to. 

Coldharbour mostly consists of prisons, but other facilities include those where research is conducted. He is fascinated by the metamagical technology of Soul Gems, and often has a mystical research project or two in the works to develop new and more efficient methods of stealing and imprisoning the souls of mortals.  Not every part of Coldharbour serves a practical use; there are a lot of graveyards in Molag Bal's plane of Oblivion for no other reason than because he likes them. 
 

Servants
Molag Bal maintains a strong military within his realm. He expects complete loyalty from his servants, and does not tolerate weakness among his ranks.    Daedra most commonly seen in his service include Dremora, Clannfear, Daedroth,  Grievous Twilights, Daedric Titans, Cold-Flame Atronachs, Banekin and Harvesters. Ogrim, Scamps, Watchers, Winged Twilights, Xivilai, Spider Daedra and Dark Seducers are also found in his service. The Xivkyn are a Daedric race that is exclusively loyal to Molag Bal, and serve as his  .  They behave much like their master; they constantly scheme against one another and they obsessively collect soul gems.   Molag Bal forbade ordinary Flame Atronachs from being summoned in his realm after a subordinate conjured one in his palace, and it damaged his favorite ice sculpture. Their presence within Coldharbour was eventually replaced by Cold-Flame Atronachs.  That is not to say his servants cannot summon them on Nirn; Molag Bal simply does not allow them within the confines of his realm.

thumb|right|One of the Xivkyn
The Dremora among his servants are divided into two clans, the Deathbringers and the Foolkillers, who struggle against each other for prominence within Molag Bal's ranks.  During the Interregnum, the Deathbringers were at the forefront of this struggle.  Their Valkynaz was a trusted servant of Molag Bal who was tasked with guarding the key to the Prince's inner sanctum and had access to the Daedric Prince himself.  Three other Dremora are known to have been part of Molag Bal's inner council.  Aside from playing a role in Coldharbour's politics, they fill Molag Bal's ranks as soldiers, couriers, guards and torturers among other roles.  

It is a fairly simple task to discern a minion of Molag Bal from those in service to another Prince. The easiest way to tell is by looking at their eyes. The eyes of Daedra within Molag Bal's service tend to be icy blue, just like their masters', and many of them have blue or blue-grey skin.   Stonefire Scamps are particularly easy to discern as servants of Molag Bal, as their flesh and fur are a rich blue-grey, their eyes are the same tone as their master's and they have deep black horns.   s and  s can be seen scuttling around in Coldharbour and in places on Mundus where Molag Bal's influence is pervasive.  Slate-Skinned Daedrats are a breed whose distinct markings and blue eyes stem from their diet of corpses that have been touched by the Lord of Brutality. While not brazen servants of Molag Bal, they bear characteristics common in his servants and are often studied by those interested in researching or thwarting the Prince. 

thumb|left|A Watcher that serves Molag Bal
The rules that govern Molag Bal's minions are outlined in two known doctrines: the Seven-Hundred-and-One Edicts is the primary set of rules, and the Mandatory Codicils cover special cases. Breaking one of these rules lands one a sentence to a facility known as the Scathe Rings, where those imprisoned can be sentenced to many excruciating punishments.  One such punishment is "Second-Degree Gradual Discorporation".  Strict uniform codes are among the guidelines that govern Bal's servants.   If one of Molag Bal's servants is "put on trial" for their transgressions, they are tried in a facility known as the  , where they are entitled to a counsel of Scamps outfitted in puffy wigs. Scamps are not allowed to speak in the Court of Contempt, and the Court has a one-hundred-percent conviction rate of defendants, otherwise known as "the Guilty". These trials are mostly for show and never end fairly.   One notable instance of a minion incurring the Daedric Prince's wrath is an incident known as "The Seat of Tyranny Rude Cushion Incident", wherein a Dremora named Xykenaz was imprisoned in a nanoplane for putting a whoopie-cushion on Molag Bal's throne.  

Molag Bal has appointed quite a few powerful servants to serve as generals or other high-ranking officers. Among these servants are spies,  agents of chaos, brutal prison wardens, and gifted mages.   Molag Bal values cunning as well as strength, and seems to grant power to those he finds interesting or strong... even if their claim to fame is upsetting the balance of power amongst the other Daedra within his service. Though he would prefer his military hierarchy remains stable, he has rewarded servants of his for displays of guile in the past.    Molag Bal has also employed a scribe named  , whose full title is "Dread Archivist and Promulgator of Mandatory Doctrine". 

Mortals serve the Daedric Prince in his realm. Apart from the cultists that worship him on Nirn, Molag Bal has the Soul-Shriven and Mind-Shriven as slaves, with the Dremora as their common overseers.  Vampires may also be found serving the Daedric Prince.  

The extent that the Seven-Hundred-and-One Edicts applies to mortals is not known, but there are consequences for mortals who displease Molag Bal nonetheless. Mortals who disappoint the Daedric Prince badly enough are pitted against each other in an endless war at the  . The basic premise of the "game" at the Cliffs is for the participants to fight to win back the Dark Lord's favor.  However, there is no end to the "game", and these individuals are doomed to fight for Molag Bal's amusement forever.  Mortals and Daedra who anger Molag Bal severely are tormented in the vestibule of Heart's Grief.  These individuals have usually failed the Daedric Prince  or committed some other egregious infraction, such as treason. 
 

See Also
For game-specific information see the Daggerfall, Morrowind, Oblivion, Skyrim, and ESO articles.

Books









Notes
Molag Bal is a character in Tavi Dromio's fictional work, Vernaccus and Bourlor. In the narrative, Dromio mentions that other Daedra are always quick to agree with his opinions.

Gallery
 

References
NPC Dialogue
 

Quest Events
 

Quest Dialogue
 

Books
 

Miscellaneous
 

Official Out-of-Game Sources
These references come from official web content, such as Loremaster's Archive posts and articles from the official ESO website.
 

Unofficial Lore