Lore:Fork of Horripilation

The   is a cursed   created by the    , who refers to it affectionately as Forky. In appearance and in function, it is a mundane   fork. However, it is imbued with an enchantment which excites and synergizes magicka around it, and can produce dramatic results when held by certain people. Sheogorath is fond of forcing mortals to use it as a weapon, in which case it curses the wielder with Fork's Wound, a magical effect which stunts the wielder's magicka or drains it completely. The term horripilation refers to the standing of hairs on end due to cold, fear, or excitement. In the context of the fork, excitement arises within Sheogorath when he convinces mortals to use the fork,  while fear is evoked in mortals from just touching it, resulting in horripilation. The Fork smells lightly of roast beef.  
History
In the  , Sheogorath paid a visit to the     in  , during the time of the   in  . The Mad God "lost" the Fork during this visit, and Korthor was later entombed in Vuldngrav with it. In  ,   and the   recovered the Fork from Korthor during one of Sheogorath's trials.  Later that year, Sheogorath manifested as the   in the Two Moons at Tenmar Temple in  , and spread madness throughout the temple. He plotted to convince the priests to blind themselves with the fork in order to be hidden from the dragons currently plaguing Elsweyr. He was stopped by the Vestige, who located and confiscated the Fork. 

In  , the fork was in the possession of  , a mad   hermit and a worshipper of Sheogorath who lived in a small shack on an island in the   region of Morrowind. Big Head was obsessed with forks and spears, which he had filled his hut with. Sheogorath instructed the   to kill a giant   with the fork. Big Head willingly gave the fork to the Nerevarine, who then killed the Bull Netch and returned the fork to Sheogorath to earn the Prince's favor. 

In  , Sheogorath returned the fork to the Shivering Isles, his Plane of Oblivion. Rumors circulated among the mortal population of the Isles about its return. Big Head entered the Isles in search of the fork, which "sang" to him, and took up residence in  , where he collected a great many forks. The fork was of great importance to both the   and  , two outcast religious factions. The Heretics had obtained possession of the fork and had taken it to Longtooth Camp, near the Gates of Madness on the   side of the Isles. However, news of this reached the Zealots, who launched an attack on the Heretic base. The Fork supposedly changed hands several times, with the Zealots bringing it to Hardscrabble Camp, their nearby base in  , only to have it reclaimed by the Heretics. Eventually, Big Head requested the assistance of Sheogorath's Champion, who then learned of its location from the beggar Bolwing. The Champion recovered the fork from the outcasts and returned it to the grateful Big Head. 

Sometime after the end of the  , circa  , the Warrior came across the Fork in their journey. The method of its acquisition is conflicted, however; some claim that it was obtained from the plane of Oblivion known as the Abyss, while others believe it was looted from a chest. 

In  , Sheogorath used the fork to pin a note to a wooden keg in The Retching Netch, a cornerclub in   on the island of  . The note proposed a combat trial, offering the   to whoever used the fork to kill two specific Bull Netches on the island in single combat.  The   accepted the challenge and killed the netches, retrieving from their corpses the necessary components to craft the Staff of Sheogorath. 

Previous Owners:


Anonymous   Crusader
Anonymous   Crusader

Gallery
 

See Also
For game-specific information, see the  

References