Unhallowed Legions Content . It is an indisputable fact that necromancy , the foulest of all magical endeavors , is on the rise . Word of unsettled spirits , shambling corpses , and worse spreads across Tamriel , planting seeds of fear in common folk . There is good reason to be concerned , and it is my scholarly duty to inform the ignorant in hopes that a more educated populace will be better prepared to recognize and face undead dangers . Necromancy , as you likely know , is the manipulation of souls , soul energies , or corpses of the dead . Unwilling spirits are often involved , and in the eyes of any rational being , the " study " of this type of magic is . It should not be surprising to you that much knowledge of necromancy is attributed to Daedric forces , specifically those of the abhorrent Molag Bal , further cementing it as a sphere that must be shunned . I present to you now an accounting of the general types of undead : " The Reanimated " These monstrosities are formed when a necromancer summons and instills an enslaved spirit into a corpse or construct of bodies . Reanimations take many shapes , from the lowly skeleton ( favorite of novice necromancers ) to the hulking flesh atronach . The need for unconsecrated corpses poses a danger to communities , as it is known to drive wayward mages to murder in their lust for power . To minimize encounters with reanimations , avoid poorly - kept graveyards and hidden caves or ruins , and report any suspicion of necromancy to your local authorities for investigation . " The Returned " Ghosts , wraiths , and spectres manifest for a variety of reasons . Some are bound to Nirn through powerful curses , some are summoned forth through rituals , and others find their souls unable or unwilling to depart due to unfinished business . Some are even ancestors bound by their own families , a practice the Dark Elves claim is not necromancy at all — guarwash ! My recent studies into the phenomenon known as the Soulburst indicate a tie between it and a surge in returned sightings and activity , strongly implicating a persistent disruption in natural post - extant soul conveyance . Detractors to this theory , notably the misguided Lady Cinnabar of Taneth , have yet to produce any counter - theories that do not crumble under the slightest scrutiny . " The Accursed " Undeath is not always a product of renegade mages tampering with souls and rotting flesh . Cursed diseases such as can corrupt the living . The result is an undead creature that requires the blood of the living for sustenance . Vampires have a tendency to organize into reclusive clans , hiding away beneath the ground and surfacing only to obtain more thralls to feed upon . In some cases , though , their minds are known to degrade to the point of insanity , leaving a raging husk of a creature with no mental capacity commonly called a " bloodfiend . " Any sightings of such creatures should be reported to a local Fighters Guild . " Abominable Miscegenations " Some undead defy simple classification . The lich , for one , is a corpse that is self - reanimated by the soul it bore in life . Typically , only powerful spellcasters seeking immortality achieve this state . Luckily for common folk , liches are often focused obsessively on continuing their own studies , and they are not likely to be encountered by travelers that keep their noses out of ancient ruins . Now that you are more informed about this vile art and its repellent products , hopefully you are better - prepared to assess undead threats . It goes without saying ( though I will certainly say it ) that we all have a responsibility to report and combat necromancy , especially in these times . Do not let anyone convince you that there is some kind of benefit to be had in exploring these detestable magics — any reasonable individual can see the madness in such a claim .