The Posting of the Hunt Content . < nowiki > The writing in the book appears to be a hasty transcription , perhaps from dictation , or copied from a longer work . . . < / nowiki > The Posting of the Hunt Let no man say before a witness that the Hunt has not been called , nor the Rites declared , or the Ancient Offices observed . The Ritual of the Innocent Quarry , also called the Wild Hunt , is an ancient rite drawing magical energy from the powerful magicka stream that engulfs this realm . The creators and times of the rituals are long forgotten . But followed properly , the rite brings great power and prestige to the Huntsman . The ritual pits the all - powerful Huntsman and their Greater and Lesser Dogs against the pitiful and doomed Innocent Quarry , called by tradition the Hare , after the mortal creature of human hunts . At once , the Huntsman is transported by the exquisite thrill and glory of his might and dominion over his helpless prey , and at the same time touched by the tragic , noble , and ultimately futile plight of the Innocent Quarry . In the highest aesthetic realization of the ritual , the ecstatic rapture of the kill is balanced by the Huntsman ' s identification with the sadness and despair of the Innocent Quarry . As in pieces the body of the innocent Hare is torn , the Huntsman reflects on the tragic imbalances of power and the cruel injustices of the world . As the Hunt begins , the Lesser Dogs assemble before the green crystal reflections of the Chapel of the Innocent Quarry . Inside the Chapel , the Huntsman , the Greater Dogs , and the Master of the Hunt perform the rites that initiate and sanctify the Huntsman , the Hunt , and the Innocent Quarry . Then the Huntsman emerges from the Chapel , displays the Spear of Bitter Mercy , and recites the Offices of the Hunt . The Offices describe explains ( sic ) the laws and conditions of the four stages of the Hunt : the Drag , the Chase , the Call , and the View to the Kill . Stage One - The Drag , in which the Lesser Dogs drag the ground to flush out the Hare . Stage Two - The Chase , in which the Greater Hounds drive the Hare before them . Stage Three - The Call , in which the Greater Hounds trap the Hare and summon the Huntsman for the kill . Stage Four - The View , in which the Huntsman makes the kill with the ritual Spear of Bitter Mercy , and calls upon the Master of the Hunt to view the kill by ringing the town bell . The Master of the Hunt then bestows the Bounty upon the Huntsman Bold who has wielded the Spear of Bitter Mercy in the Kill . The Master of the Hunt also calls upon the Huntsman Bold to name the next Hare for the next Hunt ( though the Huntsman Bold himself may not participate in the next Hunt ) . The Offices of the Hunt , which the Huntsman , Master , and Hounds are solemnly sworn to honor , detail the practices and conditions of the Hunt . These practices and conditions , also known as the Law , strictly define all details of the Hunt , such as how many Hounds of each sort may participate , how the Spear of Bitter Mercy may be wielded , and so forth . In addition , the Law states that the Hare must have a genuine chance to escape the Hunt , no matter how slim . In practice , this condition has been defined as the availability of six keys , which , if gathered together in the Temple of Daedric Rites , permit the Hare to teleport away from the Hunt , and so elude the Huntsman and his Spear . It is inconceivable , of course , that the Hare might actually discover the keys and escape , but the forms must be observed , and tampering with the keys or cheating the Hare of a genuine chance of finding or using the keys is a shameful and unforgivable betrayal of the Law of the Hunt . The Ritual of the Hunt grants the Huntsman protection from all forms of attack , including mortal and immortal weapons , and sorceries of all schools . Huntsman are cautioned , however , that the ritual does not protect the Huntsman from the potent energies of his own Spear , and cautions against reckless wielding of the Spear in close melee , darkness , or other dangerous circumstances , for a single touch of the Spear of Bitter Mercy means instant and certain death for innocent Hare or fellow Huntsman alike . The right to name a Wild Hunt is a grand and grave right indeed , as all but the High Daedra Lords are vulnerable to the potent sorceries of the Spear of Bitter Mercy . The Spear itself is therefore a terrible weapon , and it is forbidden to remove it from the Grounds of the Ritual Hunt .