The Black Arts On Trial Content . History . Necromancy , commonly called the Black Arts , has a history that dates back before recorded time . Virtually all the earliest laws of the land make mention of it as expressly forbidden on pain of death . Independent practitioners of the arts of sorcery , however , continued its study . The Psijic Order of the Isle of Artaeum , precursor to our own Mages Guild , also forbade its use , not only because it was dangerous , but their belief in the holy and unholy ancestor spirits made it heretical . Again , despite this , we hear many stories of students and masters who ignored this stricture . When Vanus Galerion left Artaeum , he may have disagreed with the Psijics on much , but he also refused to allow Necromancy to be taught in the Guild . Almost 1100 years have passed since the time of Vanus Galerion , and there have been many archmagisters to lead his guild . The question of Necromancy has continued to be asked . The strictures against it in the Guild have never been lifted , but attitudes about it have shifted back and forth over the years . Some archmagisters have been inclined to ignore it entirely , some have fought very actively against it , and still other archmagisters have been rumored to be Necromancers themselves . In my new role as Archmagister of the Mages Guild , it is my duty to set policy on this matter . Though I have my own opinions on the Black Arts , I took counsel with two of the most learned mages in the Empire , Magister Voth Karlyss of Corinth and Magister Ulliceta gra - Kogg of Orsinium , and we debated for two days . What follows are summaries of the salient points of the debate , arguments and counter - arguments , which led to the resolution of the Mages Guild on the subject of Necromancy . Argument . Argument by Master gra - Kogg : Necromancy is poorly understood . We will not make it disappear by ignoring it . As an intellectual institution dedicated to the study of the magickal arts and sciences , we have obligations to the truth . Censoring ourselves in our scholarship is antithetical to our mission of neutrality and objectivity . Counter - Argument by Master Karlyss : The Mages Guild must balance its quest for knowledge with responsible caution and ethical standards . It is not ' censoring ' a student ' s course of study to have him proceed cautiously and with purity of purpose . It is not limiting a student ' s freedom to set rules and boundaries - indeed , it is essential . Argument by Master Karlyss : Necromancy is an anathema throughout the civilized world . To embrace it publicly , the Mages Guild would inspire fear and hostility in the populace at large . Vanus Galerion wanted this institution to be unlike the Psijic Order , which was elitist and separatist . We ignore public opinion at our own risk . We will certainly lose our charters in many places including , very likely , the whole of Morrowind , where sentiment against Necromancy is very strong . Counter - Argument by Master gra - Kogg : Yes , we should be sensitive to the concerns of the community , but they should not and must not dictate our scholarship . ' Necromancer ' to many uneducated persons simply means an evil mage . It is madness to limit our work because of prejudices and half - formed understanding . It is an affront to the purpose of objective study to turn our back on a subject merely because of public opinion . Argument by Master gra - Kogg : Necromancers are the scourge of Tamriel . Whether operating independently or in concert with the sload s or King of Worms , Mannimarco , they are responsible for many horrors , animated zombies and skeletons and other forms of the undead . To best combat this menace , we must understand the powers of the Necromancer , and we cannot do that by restricting our study of the Black Arts . Counter - Argument by Master Karlyss : No one is disputing the threat of the Black Arts - in fact , that is the very essence of my argument against the Mages Guild making it a School to be taught to our initiates . We can and should know what our enemy is capable of , but we must be careful not to step into a trap of looking too deep into his ways , and making those ways our own . We do no one any good if by studying the evil ways , we become evil ourselves . Argument by Master Karlyss : Necromancy is inherently dangerous . One cannot ' dabble ' in it . The simplest spell requires the spilling of blood , and immediately begins to corrupt the caster ' s soul . This is not conjecture , but simple fact . It is irresponsible of the Guild to teach and thereby encourage a sort of magickal study which has proven itself , time and time again , to bring nothing but terror and misery on the practitioner and world . Counter - Argument by Master gra - Kogg : All Schools of magicka are dangerous to the uninitiated . A simple fireball spell from the School of Destruction can cause great harm when cast by a novice , not only to others but to the mage himself . The School of Mysticism by its very nature forces the practitioner to divorce his mind from logic , to embrace a temporary sort of insanity , which one might argue is very like corrupting one ' s soul . Argument by Master gra - Kogg : The Guild already permits some forms of Necromancy . The ' Schools ' of magicka are , as we know , artificial constructs , originally formulated by Vanus Galerion to divide and thereby simplify study . They have changed many times throughout the years , but at their heart , every Master knows , they are all linked together . When a student of Conjuration summons a guardian ghost , he is touching on the School of Necromancy . When a student of Enchantment uses a trapped soul , he too may be considered guilty of a Black Art . The School of Mysticism , as I have stated before , has some kinship with Necromancy as well . To state that students may not learn the ways of Necromancy is to stifle common skills in the other , more historically legitimate Schools of the Guild . Counter - Argument by Master Karlyss : Yes , the Schools are intertwined , but the standard spells of each School have passed the proof of time . We know that a student of Mysticism , properly instructed , will not be permanently harmed by his experience . In many ways , it is a question of extremes - how far we would permit our studies to take us . Necromancy by its nature relies on the practitioner going further into the darkness than is wise , virtually guaranteeing his destruction . It has no place in the Mages Guild . Conclusion . The risks of studying Necromancy outweigh its usefulness . The Guild does not wish to censor the study of any of its members , but it will not tolerate studies in the Black Arts , except in limited form for the purpose of combating its evil adherents . This may only been done by rare individuals who have proven themselves both highly skilled and highly cautious , and then only with my express permission and supervision . Afterword . I regret to acknowledge the truth behind the rumor that Master Ulliceta gra - Kogg was more than an apologist for Necromancy , she was a Necromancer herself . Upon this revelation , the Knights of the Lamp attempted to arrest her at the Guildhouse in Orsinium , but she made good her escape . We have every confidence in the replacement Magister in Orsinium . Though I disagreed , I respected her logical reasoning enough to include her arguments in this book , and I see no reason to remove them . It is disappointing , however , to see that her interest in ' the truth ' was nothing more than a euphemism for her slavery to the Black Arts . This unfortunate situation merely illustrates how essential it is for Guildmembers to be wary of the lure of Necromancy , and be vigilant to its practitioners ' infiltration in our Mages Guild .