Fire and Darkness Content . FIRE AND DARKNESS The Brotherhoods of Death By Ynir Gorming " Brother , I still call you brother for we share our bonds of blood , tested but unbroken by hatred . Even if I am murdered , which seems inevitable now , know that , brother . You and I are not innocents , so our benedictions of mutual enmity is not tragedy , but horror . This state of silent , shadowed war , of secret poisons and sleeping men strangled in their beds , of the sudden arrow and the artful dagger , has no end that I can see . No possibility for peace . I see the shadows in the room move though the flame of my candle is steady . I know the signs that I … " This note was found where it had fallen beneath the floorboards of an abandoned house in the Nord ic village of Jallenheim in the 358th year of the Second era . It was said that a quiet cobbler lived in the house , whispered by some to be a member of the dread Morag Tong , the assassin ' s guild outlawed throughout Tamriel thirty - four years previously . The house itself was perfectly in order , as if the cobbler had simply vanished . There was a single drop of blood on the note . The Dark Brotherhood had paid a call . This note and others like it are rare . Both the Morag Tong and its hated child , the Dark Brotherhood , are scrupulous about leaving no evidence behind — their members know that to divulge secrets of their orders is a lethal infraction . This obviously makes the job of the historian seeking to trace their histories very difficult . The Morag Tong , according to most scholars , had been a facet of the culture of Morrowind almost since its beginning . After all , the history of Resdayn , the ancient name of Morrowind , is rife with assassination , blood sacrifice , and religious zealotry , hallmarks of the order . It is commonly said that the Morag Tong then as now murdered for the glory of the Daedra Prince Mephala , but common assumptions are rarely completely accurate . It is my contention that the earliest form of the Tong additionally worshipped an even older and more malevolent deity than Mephala . As terrifying as that Prince of Oblivion is , they had and have reverence for a far greater evil . Writs of assassination from the first era offer rare glimpses into the Morag Tong ' s earliest philosophy . They are as matter of fact as current day writs , but many contain snatches of poetry which have perplexed our scholars for hundreds of years . " Lisping sibilant hisses , ' ' Ether ' s sweet sway , ' ' Rancid kiss of passing sin , ' and other strange , almost insane insertions into the writs were codes for the name of the person to be assassinated , his or her location , and the time at which death was to come . They were also direct references to the divine spirit called Sithis . Evidence of the Morag Tong ' s expertise in assassination seems scarcely necessary . The few instances of someone escaping a murder attempt by them are always remarkable and rare , proving that they were and are patient , capable murderers who use their tools well . A fragment of a letter found among the effects of a well - known armorer has been sealed in our vaults for some time . It was likely penned by an unknown Tong assassin ordering weapons for his order , and offers some illumination into what they looked for in their blades , as well the mention of Vounoura , the island where the Tong sent its agents in retirement — I congratulate you on your artistry , and the balance and heft of your daggers . The knife blade is whisper thin , elegantly wrought , but inpractical [ sic ] . It must have a bolder edge , for arteries , when cut , have a tendencies to self seal , preventing adequate blood loss . I will be leaving Vounoura in two weeks time to inspect your new tools , hoping they will be more satisfactory . The Morag Tong spread quietly throughout Tamriel in the early years of the second era , worshipping Mephala and Sithis with blood , as they had always done . When the Morag Tong assassinated the Emperor Reman in the year 2920 of the First Era , and his successor , Potentate Versidae - Shae ( sic ) in the 324th year of the Second Era , the assassins so long in the shadows were suddenly thrust into the light . They had become brazen , drunk with murder , literally painting the words ' MORAG TONG ' on the wall in the Potentate ' s blood . The Morag Tong was instantly and unanimously outlawed in all corners of Tamriel , with the exception of its home province of Morrowind . There they continued to operate with the blessings of the Houses , apparently cutting off all contact with their satellite brothers to the west . There they continue their quasi - legal existence , accepting black writs and murdering with impunity . Most scholars believe that the birth of the Dark Brotherhood , the secular , murder - for - profit order of assassins , was as a result of a religious schism in the Morag Tong . Given the secrecy of both cults , it is difficult to difine the exact nature of it , but certain logical assumptions can be made . In order to exist , the Morag Tong must have appealed to the highest power in Morrowind , which at that time , the Second Era , could only have been the Tribunal of Almalexia , Sotha Sil , and Vivec . Mephala , whom the Tong worshipped with Sithis , was said to have been the Anticipation of Vivec . Is it not logical to assume that in exchange for toleration of their continued existence , the Tong would have ceased their worship of Mephala in exchange for the worship of Vivec ? The Morag Tong continues , as we know , to worship Sithis . The Dark Brotherhood is not considered a religious order by most , merely a secular organization , offering murder for gold . I have seen , however , proof positive in the form of writs to the Brotherhood that Sithis is still revered above all . So where , the reader , asks , is the cause for the schism ? How could a silent war have begun , when both groups are so close ? Both assassin ' s guilds , after all , worship Sithis . And yet , a figure emerges from history who should give those with this assumption pause . The Night Mother Who the Night Mother is , where she came from , what her functions are , no one knows . Carlovac Townway in his generally well - researched historical book 2920 , The Last Year of the First Era tries to make her the leader of the Morag Tong . But she is never historically associated with the Tong , only the Dark Brotherhood . The Night Mother , my dear friend , is Mephala . The Dark Brotherhood of the west , unfettered by the orders of the Tribunal , continue to worship Mephala . They may not call her by her name , but the daedra of murder , sex , and secrets is their leader still . And they did not , and still do not , to this day , forgive their brethren for casting her aside . The cobbler who met his end in the second era , who saw no end in the war between the Brotherhood and the Tong , was correct . In the shadows of the Empire , the Brothers of Death remain locked in combat , and they will likely remain that way forever .