Mora Miserium

**Notice:** This **article** uses content directly taken from the Mora Miserium **article** at the Vampire Diaries Wiki, and is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike License.

## Object Information

### Type

* Sandclock that withholds the effects of dark magic

### Status

* Destroyed  (To release the dark magic)

**Mora Miseriums**, also referred to simply as **Sandclocks**, are dark objects used by certain sects of witches to withhold the ill effects of dark magic. Such objects are even known to the witches of New Orleans, as Vincent was the one who told Hope about them and how the magic contained within will degrade over time. While evident that some witches know about the effects of mora miseriums, other witches such as Emma Tig was not aware that they still existed, let alone how to repair one that had been damaged. As of *Kai Parker Screwed Us*, Josie destroyed the mora miserium in her possession in order to use the black magic to escape the 2018 Prison World.

## Description

The object is shaped like an hourglass, though possess no content there within. They have the ability to store the ill-effects of dark magic from the user. The effects are permanent, so long as the hourglass does not shatter. Should the hourglass break all the dark magic could come back to the witch that initially stored it, triggering dangerous consequences. Once stored, the black magic cannot be nullified though it will degrade over time from the inside, no matter what they do in the meantime. While the object itself is fragile, a protective barrier can be cast around the outside of the object to prevent it from breaking.

## Throughout Legacies Series

In *Since When Do You Speak Japanese?*, Josie comes to see Professor Vardemus. He notices that something is wrong with her and she explains that she's used black magic, but not on purpose this time. He reasons, after her previous declaration to no use it, that her use was absolutely necessary. She's sick and wants to know if he had that could help. Professor Vardemus reveals a mora miserium. He explains that it is a tool used by certain sects of witches to withhold the ill effects of using such magic. It will last indefinitely, so long as it doesn't shatter. He instructs her to place her hands on the glass and all will be as it should be. As she places her hands on the glass, the dark magic leaves her and enters the mora miserium and she feels instantly better.

In *It Will All Be Painfully Clear Soon Enough*, Josie concocts a dangerous plan to create "Simulandon". They run the idea past Professor Vardemus and he warns Josie that it would require a certain level of black magic. It's possible, and with his assistance, they accomplish their creation.

Professor Vardemus is impressed with how powerful she's become — a long way from gushing nosebleeds, he remarks. Josie feels like she's going to explode and wonders if the hourglass has stopped working. Professor Vardemus assures her that it hasn't and explains that there are other ways to release the demons dancing in your mind. Using more black magic, he instructs her to channel the rage, the sadness, and everything else into that object including all the dark energy right out of her. Doing as instructed, she creates a dark object but Professor Vardemus is revealed to be Ryan Clarke in a magical disguise.

In *I Couldn't Have Done This Without You*, with Professor Vardemus outed as Ryan Clarke, Josie steals the mora miserium filled with black magic from Alaric's office. Narrowly getting caught in the act.

Josie, concerned about the mora miserium breaking, she casts a spell using it to get a vision of what's to come. With the spell cast, she sees someone breaking the mora miserium, the Salvatore School up in flames, and the most disturbing to her, her own visage steeped in darkness, corrupt by the dark magic.

Upset over the visions, she takes the mora miserium with her to the library. Dorian notices the object and asks what it is. Josie skates around an answer, telling him that it was an assignment that Clarke had her working on when he was pretending to be Headmaster Vardemus. Dorian reminds her that he's dead, so he's pretty sure she doesn't have to turn it in. Josie, however, is working on getting rid of it, but Dorian notices what she's researching. Magic nullification. Those are advanced chain spells and she'd need another witch to perform it with. He asks her again about what kind of assignment she's working on, but Hope, Lia, Violet, and Luna intervenes — they can help. They're sure that they can handle it and regardless, it could be good practice for them. Dorian dismisses the thought and tells them to have fun and walks away. Josie thanks for the offer, but declines her help. They reveal that Lizzie told them about the sandclock, thinking they'd be able to help. Hope explains that her friend, Vincent and mother told them stories about mora miseriums, that they hold the effects of black magic, and how dangerous they can be if they break. They tell her that you can't nullify the black magic inside, but they can put a protective barrier around the outside and they just happens to know a good spell for that. Josie agrees to there help.

Unbeknownst to them, the Necromancer has been spying on them at the Salvatore School. He too is interested in the mora miserium. In one stroke, it could restore his power. He plans to take the object for himself, but deems Hope and her siblings, the tribrids, as an obstacle along with the rest of their friends.

With Hope, Lia, Violet, and Luna's assistance, they link hands as Josie siphons from Hope, and cast a protective barrier around the mora miserium. Violet remarks how beautiful the white glow that encases the glass is once the spell is finished. Josie only sees the visions of doom, but thanks them for their help. She couldn't have done this without them. Violet tells her that her family had told her that the Sandclock degrades over time. At some point, it will break down from the inside no matter what they do. The protective spell, however, will at least give them some time to figure out how to defuse it.

When Alex touched the sandclock she had visions of herself when she went dark, kill Aja's coven and a whole bunch of humans. Her dark self telling her that she'll eventually come back because she still has some dark magic inside of her. Despite the protective spell they cast on the mora miserium earlier, the glass beings to crack as Josie sleeps.

In *This is Why We Don't Entrust Plans to Muppet Babies*, Alaric, Alex, Lizzie, and Josie attempt to neutralize the the mora miserium. They've tried twelve different spells, but Lizzie feels that it's still a better solution than covering it in concrete and dropping it in the ocean. Josie feels like she deserves the black magic to boomerang back to her, but her actions were a mistake. Lizzie has another idea. Alaric's idea, but better. Instead of dropping the sandclock in the ocean, she wants to drop it in a place where magic can't escape. The Prison World. Alaric refuses. But it's a perfect idea. There's a celestial event tonight, a meteor shower, and that is just what they need to make the ascendant work. That and Bennett and Petrova Witch blood. Alaric refuses, again, and shuts their plan down.

Little to they know, a qareen is instructed by the Necromancer to bring him the mora miserium. Causing enough discord among the students and staff, he materializes on the mortal plane and steals the mora miserium from Josie, knocking her to the ground. While knocked out, she dreams about a dark version of herself, consumed by dark magic. She tells herself "don't let it break", and she wakes up from her dream.

As Wade, a fairy, and the qareen fight, the qareen dissipates into black smoke. The mora miserium nearly falls to the floor, but Hope saves it, telekinetically grabbing it and pulling it into her arms. With the monster targeting the mora miserium, Josie and Lizzie use the combined help from the various covens of the school as well as Alex, Hope, Jax, Nina, Lily, Adella, Lia, Violet, and Luna to create a new Prison World and a new ascendant. Together, they transport the sandclock away. However, Alyssa Chang had her own personal vendetta with Alaric and linked the new ascendant to the 2018 Prison World ascendant, with a delayed reaction. Josie, Lily, and Lia, unknowingly send themselves, Alaric and the mora miserium to Malachai Parker's 2018 Prison World.

In *Kai Parker Screwed Us*, the Necromancer watches as the Salvatore witches send away the mora miserium; he's highly upset.

Finding themselves in the 2018 Prison World and the mora miserium missing, Alaric instructs Josie and Lia to retrieve it from the field where it should have been transported. They do as their tasked and hides the object in Josie's backpack.

With Kai free, he saves Josie and Lia from Jade. He questions why they're here — an exchange of information. Josie explains that she used a mora miserium and attempted to drop it in a new Prison World, but another witch tricked them and they were pulled into his. Seeing no other option, they team up with him. Kai assumes they have the Bennett blood but their trip wasn't actually planned. The Josie and Lia didn't want to say that he actually needed Petrova blood too to get out as well and that Lia was a Bennett. Kai doesn't reveal the celestial event, but Josie wonders if the sandclock would be powerful enough to power the ascendant without the celestial event. Kai believes that it could, but wonders where it is. Josie lies, telling him that it's in the field with a cloaking spell and Lia backs her up. He could be looking straight at it and not know it. Kai hands over the ascendant and Josie reveals that she already has the sandclock.

Despite their mutual double-crosses, he calls Josie and Lia He's borderline proud of the con they pulled. Both Josie and Lia hate him and declares that they're never helping him escape, no matter what he says to them. However, he's called to help her get out. He asks if they still have the sandclock, because they're going to need every last bit of its power to pull off their escape as there is another way out. He explains that in order for them to use the sandclock, they'll have to break it. However, when Josie gets hit with all that black, if it doesn't kill her, it's going to turn her to something dark and evil. Despite that, she'll also be powerful enough to make her own door out of the Prison World. The only catch is they won't remember anything he told them, because they won't remember him at all. Both Josie and Lia figured it out. He's going to jump into Malivore, a portal to another dimension. He's a few seconds away from jumping in and he advises them, that she should break the sandclock and he'd hate for her to forget the only thing that can save herself and the other. As he bids them good luck, Josie does the unthinkable; she smashes the sandclock. All the dark magic that was once contained rushes back to Josie, consuming her in darkness as Lia watches in horror.