Corpse Preparation , Book I Contents . While the Arts of Necromancy are only illegal in the province of Morrowind , few citizens of the Empire have an enlightened view of our Art . Thus , the acquisition of corpses on which to experiment is often difficult . In Cyrodiil , a few Necromancers who have served the Empire are given the corpses of criminals and traitors to use legally . This provides those who have acquired such a post with a fresh supply of corpses , most of them young , strong , and intact . In Morrowind , the outlawing of Necromancy would make its practice impossible were it not for the fortunate institution of slavery . While the Temple will investigate obvious signs of Necromancy such as hastily emptied graves or ash stolen from one of their ashpits , a careful and discrete Necromancer can thrive in Morrowind by taking slaves at a modest rate . Most will assume the slave escaped or died in the Ashlands . Finding suitable corpses in Black Marsh is nearly impossible due to their rapid decay . There are also diseases , Argonian tribesmen , and other difficulties that must be dealt with . I know of only a few Sload Necromancers who operate successfully in Black Marsh , and even they stay near coast . While the forests of Elsweyr pose some of the same problems as those of Black Marsh , the deserts preserve corpses for hundreds of years in a way that requires very little preparation . Khajiit of the desert tribes are often buried with only a small cairn of stones which are easy to find and uncover . The Khajiit show remarkably enlightened indifference to graves being uncovered . It is said that in the port of Senchal , one may purchase anything one desires . This is true if you desire fresh corpses . While few Bosmer perform Arkay ' s rituals when burying the dead , the more primitive Bosmer still practice cannibalism upon their enemies , which reduces the number of available corpses . As would be expected from such a backwards people , they have an intolerance of Necromancy that goes beyond all reason . Many Necromancers who practice our Arts in Valenwood become " one with the trees " themselves . Summerset Isle is even worse in some ways . Some Altmer born into the most respected noble and scholarly families are actually allowed to study the dead in the open . Their research , however , seems to be centered on finding ways to extend their lives even further rather than the more practical uses of our Art . A Necromancer of any other race caught in Summerset Isle can expect the worst possible punishments . In Hammerfell , where worship of Arkay is strongest , the dead are almost always subject to Arkay ' s Law . There are exceptions after large battles or in remote areas where death occurs far from meddlesome priests . Fortunately , the dangerous terrain and creatures in the deserts and mountains of Hammerfell makes the acquisition of corpses possible , though they are often in poor condition and require special care in preparation . The newly formed Orsinium presents a unique opportunity . As you know , Orc corpses are among the most sought after for the durability of their skin and the strength of their bones . If King Gortwog will listen to reason , we could offer the services of our Art in defense of his young nation in exchange for disposing of the Orcish dead . A mutually beneficial arrangement as I ' m sure the Orcs will agree . To this end , a delegation has been sent to Orsinium , though we have not yet heard any word on the state of these negotiations . In my native High Rock , traditions dating back to the witch kings and nomadic horsemen mandate cremation of the dead . This is practiced almost without exception in the north , through an Imperial burial in a tomb or city cemetery is more common in the south . There are still many corpses easily taken from the battlefields of the War of Betony and the lawless times that followed . There are even rumors that King Gothryd of Daggerfall may institute the Imperial practice of donating the corpses of criminals for Necromantic study as a deterrent to the bandits and pirates that still threaten the Iliac Bay . In Skyrim , the cold weather and isolated terrain allow a few Necromancers to operate freely . Alas , the availability of corpses is limited to Nords who die from exposure or in battle . While the cold is preservative , the snow makes these corpses difficult to find . More research dedicated to the magical detection of corpses would be invaluable to the Necromancers of Skyrim . The Sload are the most famous Necromancers , but little is known of their native Thras . In Tamriel , Sload only practice Necromancy on other races . It is uncertain whether this is true in Thras as well . If so , it would explain the number of slaves that are purchased in Tear by Sload merchants and the rumors of Sload airships carrying corpses from Senchal . These difficulties lead many Necromancers to create their own corpses . While I prefer to work with those who have died a natural death , a more expedient approach is sometimes necessary to further the study of the Art . While the Arts of Necromancy can be practiced on animals , such experiments rarely produce interesting results . The servant ' s ability to follow directions seems to be related to the subject ' s intelligence in life . While raising the corpse of a man , elf , or beastman can produce a useful servant , the corpses of animals produce mere guard dogs at best . Often a raised animal is unable to distinguish its master from the rest of the living and many amateur practitioners have been torn apart by the animal servants they created . Let such stories be a lesson to you .