Mogrith the Crooked

-------*This article will continue to be expanded in the future as more information is made available.-------*

Mogrith, born **Mogrog**, and most commonly known as **Mogrith the Crooked**, was an Orcish Vampire born in

the early-mid second century of the Fourth Era, to the Orc Stronghold of Largashbur. He was the fourth son of Chief Gaznak, and was almost unique among Orc's in that he favoured magic over physical weaponry in combat. This resulted in his banishment from the Stronghold. Becoming a vampire in his senior years, he would briefly lead the Phantomsnare Coven in a campaign against his own people in 4E 181, before finally securing his power by founding the Autumnshade Coven in that same year, which he ruled over as Chief Battlemage.

Other alias' include **The Crooked One, Scourge of the Rift-Folk** or simply **The Battlemage.**

## Time at Largashbur (4E 127-152)

Mogrog (who would not change his name to Mogrith until his banishment) was born in 4E 127, into the Stronghold of Largashbur. His mother died giving birth to him, and his father always placed the blame for her death on the boy as consequence. He had three older siblings, who blamed him in a similar fashion, and were physically violent with him. Even when he was still young rumours began to circulate that he was a cursed child, and there was several incidents to back up this theory, the most obvious one being that around his time of birth Largashbur became the target of a giant clan. His weak body made him unfit to work in the mines until he was almost 20, and the tribes livestock seemed uncomfortable and jitterish around him.

Several of his kin proposed on numerous occasions that he should be banished or even sacrificed, and it was only through the intervention of the clan wise woman that he was saved from either fate (which, at his age, certainly would have resulted in his death). Taking the pariah-child on as her apprentice, the wise woman educated Mogrog in the history of the tribe, and he was taught the Code of Malacath. Despite its general condemnation of Orc's like him, he strongly favoured the idea of the strongest having the right to lead. This would later affect some of his actions; Mogrith desired to lead, but with magic as his might.

Bullying was a large problem for the young Orc. Though his three siblings were the only other youths in Largashbur, they were more than capable of brutalizing Mogrog. Unable to defend himself, throughout his childhood he suffered many beatings, primarily from his older sister Uloth, who had previously been attached to their mother. Believing these attacks to be completely unjustified, a lack of support from anyone in his stronghold (even the wise woman) resulted in the development of Mogrog's antisocial and 'crooked' personality.

### The Mine Incident

As he grew older and was forced to work in the mines as part of his upbringing, these attacks became more frequent, and one time his elder sister dislocated his shoulder, showing no remorse afterwards. Furious at her, Mogrog went to the wise woman and asked for an education in calm magic, acting under the guise that he wanted to protect himself. Seeing this as a way of aiding the boys mental (and physical) recovery, the wise woman complied. His true intent was much darker however. The next time he was in the mine with his sister, he used the spell he had been taught to calm his agressive sibling. However, instead of periodically renewing this spell, Mogrog took advantage of her forced pacifism and violently murdered Uloth with a pickaxe. He then used his limited knowledge about mining to cause a cave-in, blocking the others Orc's from where the body could be found.

Most assumed that it had all been an accident, and other than a brief eulogy from the wise woman the death was forgotten by most. Mogrog emerged from the tragic event free from accusation, but remained ostracized by the Stronghold community. This event was a key moment in his development, as it desensitized him to murder at a young age, and was symbolic in that it was Mogrog's first successful use of Illusion magic on a sapient being.

### Banishment

By the time he was a young adult the Orc's personality had become even darker. Not satisfied with pacifiying his victims, Mogrog began to practice other forms of Illusion magic, that could inspire fear, rage and ambition in his targets. After practicing his spells on captured animals for several years, he finally became convinced that he could subtly remove his opposition and become Chief of Largashbur. Adopting patience as his virtue, he waited until his oldest brother ran off to join the Imperial Legion in Cyrodiil, before beginning to corrupt the mind of the remaining sibling; his second brother Wotrof. He focused on igniting the fury and ambition within his brother, whilst diminishing his sense of judgement, to a point where he was unable to think of anything other than fighting. Mogrog finally pushed him to challenge their father for control of Largashbur.

After a formal challenge was declared by Wotrof, the two Orc's faced off within the Stronghold. There were supporters of both chief and challenger, but the battle proved one-sided, possibly as a result of Mogrog pushing his brothers mind too far, to a state of bestiality. But through all of his procured rage, Wotrof saw the truth of how things were playing out, and his first act after becoming the tribe Chief was to banish Mogrog from the Stronghold. Aware of what this meant to his plans, the young sorcerer openly revealed his plans to return one day and take control of Largashbur. This threat was recieved with mixed views from the tribes community.

Notably the giant attacks on Largashbur were discontinued upon his departure from the Stronghold, suggesting that there *was* a curse related to him. The giants did continue to pillage from their lands however, until Ragarz the Jagged-Tusk led a campaign to take back their lands in mid 4E 181.

## Exile years (4E 152-181)

Mogrog's banishment from Largashbur was if anything the kick he needed to go out into the world to further his talents. However, finding a livelihood was an immediate issue he needed to adress. Leaving the Rift within a few weeks, he headed for the Orcish Stronghold of Narzulbur, located in Eastmarch. Despite appearing under the guise of an Orc looking for work, he was recognized instantly for the outcast he was, and was sent on his way. He took refuge in Windhelm for the winter, and considered becoming a mercenary and basing himself there. But his general appearance and attire ensured that he was never hired, and his money eventually ran out, resulting in his departure from Windhelm, impoverished and homeless.

He was known to have temporarily settled at Kynesgrove, a small mining settlement just south of Windhelm. For over a year Mogrog served as a simple labourer, earning his keep at the local inn and little more. He considered the tiring and repetitive physical labour to be beneath him, but had no choice but to carry on this job as his livelihood. Not once forgetting about his desire for revenge, Mogrog finally escaped this cycle of labour by joining a band of Khajiit caravaneers who briefly stopped at the settlement, heading north to trade wares with the College of Winterhold.

Doing his part to keep the party safe on the journey, Mogrog also experimented with his Illusion magic on the Khajiit, and quickly discovered that fear was how he would keep people in line. By the time they arrived at Winterhold, the Orc had become a more frightening being to them than any of the wild beasts they had faced on the journey.

### Scholar at the College

Having planned to join the College to further his magical abilities, Mogrog changed his identity upon arriving at

Winterhold, and when applying to join the mage institution he used the name 'Mogrith' for the first time. Using his Illusion skills to impress the bridge guardian, he was officially enrolled into the College on 16th of First Seed, 4E 154. Though he became a scholar in the school of Illusion, he also took an interest in Destruction magic, wanting to ensure that he could protect himself in combat in case his foes were able to resist his other spells.

Though he kept to himself whilst learning at the College, Mogrith did become well aquainted with a handful of his colleagues, most notably the Dunmer conjurer Malyn Varen, who held a similar desire for power and dominance.

For many decades he continued to study the various schools of magic, never confident that he would be strong enough to take control of Largashbur from the existing chief. Mogrith made it a rule to always push his magic to its limits, but before he had even reached his senior years at the College, the Orc realised that his heritage had left him with naturally limited magicka reserves. He was able to offset this racial disadvantage by adorning enchanted armour, but within a few years the issue was prominent once more.

Another issue facing the Orc was his age. Having been raised in a community where the old were viewed as weak, he needed to preserve his strength if he was to prolong the time before his return to Largashbur. Possessing a similar goal to Mayln Varen, the two teamed up in an attempt to achieve the goal of many at the College; immortality. Varen had a small following of loyal students already, and together they began to hunt for artifacts across Tamriel. Unfortunately the majority of their finds were ineffective (if not outright scams), and Mogrith quickly lost faith in their alliance. Though he made sure to track down and punish those who had exploited their goals to make a quick profit, the Orc soon cut ties from the enterprise, much to Malyn's dissapointment.

Now worried that he would never live to fulfill his revenge, Mogrith began taking desperate measures to aquire he knowledge he needed, eventually descending into the College Midden, against the recommendation of his peers. Setting up camp in the glacial dungeon, he began to document any discoveries he made, and within a few days uncovered something that would solve all of his problems- a feral vampire. He was able to force the deranged individual into submission with his sorcery, forcing the degenerate nightwalker to answer his questions. After learning enough about the affliction to be convinced, Mogrith allowed himself to be turned by the feral vampire. Having been left severly weakened by the event, his converter tried to take advantage of the Orc by thralling him instead, but an acolyte of Mayln arrived in time to save him from such a fate, driving the rogue away so that it could gradually recede back into madness.

## Early Vampirism (4E 181)

*"My friend... What have you done..."*

*"Sacrifices must be made* *if I am to achieve my goal. You wish for* immortality? *That is a gift I can now easily give*".

Realising what Mogrith had done to himself, Malyn ordered that he remained concealed within the Midden until his transformation was complete. Upon his awakening as a vampire, the Orc quickly resigned from the College, but not before offering Malyn the same 'gift' that he had recieved. It had reinvigorated his magical reserves, and he no longer had to fear aging, despite the fact that he appeared old and would remain so. But his Dunmer colleague scorned his brashful decision, believing that Vampirism was not true immortality, and rejected his offer.

With plans to return to Largashbur immediately, the Orc set off at night, only to discover that he would be unable to travel during the day, underestimating the threat the sun now posed. He fed for the first time on a travelling noble. Briefly stopping at Darkwater Crossing to feed on the local miners, the Orc heard news of a large force of Orc's being spotted near Riften a few months ago. Confirming his fears that Largashbur had grown in strength in his absense, Mogrith began to doubt his abilities, and with his Vampirism he could no longer legitimately challenge the Chief for control of the Stronghold. Instead he began to look for an army, and after hearing of numerous rumours began to seek out a local coven of fellow vampires.

### The Phantomsnare Coven

Mogrith began to search for this mysterious coven, but never found them of his own accord. Instead, he was approached by one of their own, an assassin by the name of Omus. He was taken to a brief refuge established by the coven, who had recently been forced from their hideaway by a force of guards sent from Windhelm. Initially interrogated by the vampires, who were angry at him for invading their territory, he impressed (or more accurately, *intimidated*) them with his fire and Illusion magic, gradually earning himself an audience with their leader Regnus Beleath.

There, he requested control of some of her forces, promising them territory and riches in return for their alleigance. It is thought that he may have influenced some of the lesser vampires by altering their mind with his Illusion, but Regnus remained unconvinced, believing that the losses her coven would sustain would not be worth it in the long run.

The Orc decided to further his deal, promising to lead the forces intohbattleimself, and then told them of a nearby dwarven ruin that the Phantomsnare Coven could possess, noting their current lack of a lair. At this Regnus finally agreed, though she was known to have other reasons for doing so, that Mogrith was unaware of at the time. The following night the majority of the coven began their march southwards, although Regnus Beleath accompanied them and maintained control of her vampires.

### March on Largashbur

Making their way south, Mogrith and his newfound allies faced several dangers. The Rift was already occupied by several factions at the time, most notably the Grimclaw pack, a gang of werewolves, and also several large bandit groups. But the Orc drove them onwards with a vigour beyond the comprehension of the other vampires. There were several encounters with the aforementioned factions, but the Phantomsnare Coven emerged from these battles with miniumal casualties, having often been led by Mogrith himself into combat. This earned him the respect of many in the coven, who had become used to being used as dispensable pawns by Regnus.

When they reached the southern region of the Rift and a forward camp was established, Mogrith took on the role as the coven's strategist, planning the attack on the now-fortified Stronghold. He remained confident about the battles outcome due to the vampires vastly outnumbering the Orc tribe, despite the attackers lack of siege weaponry or training in the art of warfare. The main issue Mogrith faced (in his own eyes) was that Regnus still controlled the actions of the vampires, and he sought to usurp her control of the Phantomsnare Coven.

The day before the attack, the coven captured a hunter from the Stronghold, who had stumbled upon their forwards camp. Demanding the Orc to be spared, Mogrith personally interrogated his kinsman for more information about Largashbur's current state. The hunter, named Yamarz, remained defiant against the intentions of the vampires, believing that his clan was far too strong for the sorcerer to conquer. Mogrith nearly dispatched Yamarz in anger, but then decided a more fitting act would be to cleanse his memory, and then leave him abandoned in the forest, slowly recovering from the mental wound, but remembering hislencounterafarttooe for him to warn his kin.

After this interrogation Mogrith began to grow nervous, and accelerated his plans to take full control of the Phantomsnare Coven. Approaching Regnus the night before they planned to attack, the Orc made firm demands that he was to lead the assault. The vampiress' reaction was less than positive, but instead of resorting to combat the two agreed to divide the coven's forces, with Regnus leading her detachment towards Avanchnzel so that they could capture the dwarven city. The two parted seemingly as allies.

### Battle of Largashbur

Postponing the assault after the coven's split, Mogrith waited a few more nights before attacking Largashbur. In secret he had lost confidence that his current forces would prevail against the Orc tribe, and decided that he could use the Orc's to his advantage in the future, while still being able to gradually kill them all off. The lesser vampires under his control were instructed to convert the Orc's through stealth, so that they would be forced into the 'new' Phantomsnare Coven's service in order to sustain themselves. Having previously belonged to a coven that's survival revolved around guerilla warfare, most were comfortable with this approach, and agreed to Mogrith's change of plan.

Under cover of night, Mogrith's forces infiltrated Largashbur using stealth, converting the guards first so that they would not raise the alarm. The Battlemage himself entered the Stronghold once it was safe to do so, and began instructing the fledglings to enter the Longhouse and bite the Orc's. However, he asked for the current Chief to be excluded from this order, and to be brought to him, claiming that he wished to challenge them in mockery of their Code of Malacath.

After all the sleeping Orc's had been bitten and Chief Ragarz was brought before him, Mogrith challenged the mortal to a battle, intending to kill the chief and establish his dominion over his soon-to-be Orc servants. He magically muffled his adversary so that he would not awaken the tribe and call for help. However he gave Ragarz a chance to defend himself, even allowing him to wield Volendrung in their duel. The two fought in a fight that lasted several minutes, but Ragarz was at a severe disadvantage, having no prayer against Mogrith's spells. However, he was able to wound the vampire, causing Mogrith to roar in pain at the weight of the hammer.

This woke the Orc's in the Longhouse, and out of nowhere they launched a surprise attack on the vampires, and the duel quickly turned into a full battle. Despite being weakened by their newly contracted vampire's disease, the tribal Orc's were able to drive back the nightwalkers, killing most of them in this unexpected turn of events. Mogrith was forced to flee, but not before finishing off Ragarz, for all to see.

### Betrayal

*"So, Miss Beleath has taken it upon herself to cause a mutiny. It* would *have been her. Loyalty was always difficult for her to maintain". -* Mogrith, talking with two Mistwalkers under Regnus' command.

After waiting for several days in order to heal (the Orc's were in no position to pursue him), Mogrith decided to take his chances by heading to Avanchnzel, hoping to find refuge with Regnus' half of the Phantomsnare Coven. Holding anger instead of regret over his failed attack, he made his way to Avanchnzel with the hope of gaining control of the remaining vampires.

Upon his arrival at the dwarven city, he was noticed by two Mistwalker sentries, who had seemingly been awaiting the return of their coven. Remaining illusive as to the nature of the battle but confirming that he had lost, Mogrith entered Avanchnzel of his own accord, noticing that the vampires had captured the city with numerous casualties. He expressed no sorrow for the deaths of either the vampires under his or Regnus' command, instead appearing annoyed at his lack of success.

When the two sentry's drew their blades on him, Mogrith remained calm, not underestimating the Mistwalkers but not showing weakness either, and asked as to why Beleath had called for his death, noting that she did not yet know of the battle. After briefly turning his gaze from the other vampires they attacked, and though he was able to kill them both by utilising his Illusion and Destruction magic one of them managed to impale him with a silver blade.

More vampires arrived to finish the battlemage off, and they almost did, until the arrival of the newly-converted Largashbur tribe. Falling unconscious as the Orc's occupied the upper levels of the dwarven city, Mogrith did not participate in the Second Battle of Avanchnzel. He was brought to safety by the invading party, who had been ordered to spare him by the command of the tribes temporary Chief Bolmar.

## The Autumnshade Coven (4E 181-)

### Early stages (4E 181-183)

Awakening after the battle, he was confronted by his kinsmen. Wanting to make peace with them now that his vampiric kin had betrayed him, Mogrith offered them many valuable items that could be found in the ruins as payment for his crimes against them. Lots of his company demanded that he pay the Blood Price in the hopes that they could kill him, but Lob, a well respected Orc among the tribe, convinced them that he could help them to cope with their vampirism. Mogrith took advantage of the situation and discreetly casted a fear spell on his assembled kin, making them worry further about their vampirism, and also made the argument that he had defeated Ragarz in battle, which would have made him Chief under normal circumstances.

Eventually a deal was struck; Mogrith would ensure the tribes survival by helping them cope with their newfound vampirism, and in return they would allow him to lead as Chief Battlemage. It was also agreed that they would remain in Avanchnzel, where they were safe from the sun. This early agreement born out of both groups need to survive was the birth of what would come to be known as the Autumnshade Coven.

#### Bolmar and the Lexicon

As soon as the deal was struck, Mogrith and most of the tribe made their way down to the Boiler Room, where

they found the Lexicon, alongside the bodies of Bolmar and the clan wise woman (the same one that Mogrith knew from his childhood). Showing compassion for the first time in years, Mogrith thanked her privately for her support, and then took a note he found on her person. It called for him to lead the converted Orc's through the 'dark times', which she had been warned about from Malacath.

After ensuring the security of the Lexicon, which Mogrith correctly guessed would be a useful artifact in the future, he finally came over to the body of Bolmar, where most of the vampires had gathered. Noticing the dwemer runes seemingly tattooed all over his body, the battlemage gave them all firm instructions to help him preserve the body, so that they could study the runes in more detail. The body was later placed in a magically preserving casket, that was kept in the Boiler Room from then on, and was always assigned a guard. In the following months Mogrith would visit the casket repeatedly and take notes.

#### Alum Sharr

After concluding from the bodies in the Boiler Room that Regnus Beleath had survived and had fled from the battle, Mogrith's second act as Chief Battlemage was to fortify Avanchnzel from revenge attacks. Calling for the Orc's to industrialize in order to support this goal, they began to repurpose the dwarven metal found around the city, building several furnaces and smelters in order to rebuild the ruins entrance and towers. Lob led the workers and relayed their updates and requests to Fornak, Mogrith's steward. Several new rooms were caved out of the rock, including the Throne Room. These rooms lacked the dwarven architecture of the rest of the city, but were still presentable, with the covens expert stonemasons leading their construction.

Upon their completion of rebuilding Avanchnzel in early 4E 182, Mogrith named the structure Alum Sharr, which is Orcish for 'broken keep'. Defense emplacments continued to be installed after this at the consent of the Battlemage, and he designed several new systems (along with implementing existing ones) to protect their Stronghold after the Activation.

#### The Night-Claimed

*"Your bias towards this woman is undeserved. She killed several of our brethren with relative ease. You should be ashamed, not enraged, at the poor demonstration of this coven's abilities on the field"* -Mogrith, earlier in his statement about why Hreffna would be inducted into the coven.

Hreffna the Sword-Matron, the former leader of a gang of scavengers and a surviving member of the Blades, was brought before Mogrith after an incident at the ruins of Largashbur. Many within the coven were bitter towards her for killing several of their brethren during the incident, but Mogrith saw potential in the Nord, and decided to abolish his earlier ideals of an Orc-exclusive coven. Though his method of coercing her into joining the coven (threatening the safety of her scavenger group) ensured her loyalty, he recieved backlash from the tribe for bringing outsiders into the fold.

Mogrith did not falter in his decision however, and made the argument that Hreffna would prove a valuable asset to the coven, who were currently lacking in numbers. He finally gained the tribes consent after agreeing to 'test' Hreffna, in a fashion similar to the Blood-Kin trials used for outsiders in regular Orc Strongholds. Though it seemed as though he was being diplomatic, this played right into Mogrith's hands; he had intended to send the Sword-Matron on a mission anyway, to clear Mara's Eye Pond, the former hideout of the Phantomsnare Coven, and potentially capture Regnus Beleath, who he had yet to see in combat.

Before the Nord left, Mogrith suggested that she change her title, given that the Thalmor's presense in the Rift had grown recently. The title 'Hreffna the Night-Claimed' may have been his own idea, given the womans discomfort of Vampirism at the time.

**\*End of current personal timeline\***

## Personality and Appearance

*"Do not squander your immortality brothers, embrace it!"*

Mogrith was always a solitary Orc, prefering his own company to that of others. His poor childhood left him bitter inside, but he always maintained a calm appearance on the surface, only revealing his malice to those who had exhausted his temper. As Chief Battlemage he was a strict but effective leader, knowing how to keep order in the coven, and when not to push his kinsmen too far, for fear of a revolt. He was incredibly intelligent; and it showed in his actions and general tone of voice. Like many of his kind, he valued consistency and order on a subconscious level, but was quick to abandon the traditions of the Orc Strongholds in favour of his own take on society.

Enjoying his leadership role and proving himself capable of leading the coven, Mogrith successfully led them through several trying times, and actually expanded the coven's sphere of influence more than any previous Chief of the Largashbur tribe. This came at a cost however; Mogrith was cold and calculating, often sending his people on suicidal missions in order to eliminate threats beyond their abilities, if only because he wanted that particular individual out of the picture, or to gain that adversary's attention. The value of life in his eyes correlated with the traits of the person.

Though he demonstrated no racist behaviour, Mogrith shared the view of many vampires that they were superior to the mortal races. Instead of lauding this over them however, he instead sought to spread the 'gift' to those he deemed worthy, often by force, but always for the purpose of maintaining the Autumnshade Coven's numbers. He was fond of the magical arts, and came to respect most others who were adept in the field. On the contrary, he saw warriors and other melee-focused combatants as idiotic or uneducated, unless they showed particular aptitude in the field, and were loyal to him.

Taking every advantage that he could in his quest for power, the Battlemage initially saw things such as vampirism and dwarven technology as mere tools for him to use to his advantage, but as he delved deeper into both Mogrith became engrossed in their true potential. When not directing the coven, he would study dwarven technology extensively, taking advantage of the knowledge found within the lexicon. After the Activation, Mogrith pushed the coven to capture more dwarven ruins, and once the coven was fully industrialized began to reverse engineer the technology for their own purposes. Vampirism also played a pivotal role in how he directed the tribe, as it granted him immortality, sparing him from age-related death or senility. His previously studied schools of magic tied in well with his affliction, and fire magic enabled him to keep his subordinates in line under threat of a painful death.

With his immortality and lack of need to directly enter the field, Mogrith was spared from any immediate worries about death. As a result, his personal focus was on [the capturing and eradication of] his foes, who were numerous following Regnus Beleath's campaign at the Blood summoning. Knowing that the other coven's would never accept his group whilst Regnus lived, and with her having ordered his execution previously, her discovery and elimination was the focus of many coven operatives missions.

He also aspired to capture more territory for the coven across the province, spreading their influence both physically and politically. Mogrith was aware of the ongoing political tension between the Nord's of Skyrim and the Empire, but did not take a side on the matter. He did permit the coven to trade with the growing 'Stormcloak' faction as they were based in the same regions, but never gave them technology that would result in a one-sided conflict (despite the fact the Stormcloaks would triumph anyway). Wealth was a secondary concern of his once the coven became self sufficent.

### Possessions

**Dwarven Armour-** Chestpiece, gauntlets, boots and an attached hood. Heavy armour, designed to protect from physical blows and give a size-based sense of intimidation. Well polished and golden in appearance, and enchanted to provide magic based buffs to its wearer. Symbolic of several things; the Autumnshade Coven's use of dwarven materials and technology, the wealth this has brought them, and a subtle hint to their sphere of influence in the Rift, known for its birch forests. Notably Mogrith has not exchanged this for Orcansteel armour, possibly as a reminder of his exclusive rank. Wears **College Robes** underneath. Produced shortly after the Autumnshade Coven's formation.

**Steel Armour-** Found and enchanted by Mogrith for protection and magical enhancment. Bears similar (though weaker) enchantments to its dwarven counterpart. Aquired by Mogrith during his years at the College of Winterhold.

**Stave of Submission-** Originally wooden in appearance, though it recieved a golden metal coating after the formation of the Autumnshade Coven. Can be used to pacify, disarm or panic several targets at once, though it has a very limited number of charges. Only seen being used at the Battle of Largashbur, but to great effect. Aquired later on in Mogrith's College years, possibly when working alongside Malyn Varen.

### Appearance

Mogrith stands at 5'9; a respectable height for an Orc, which means that he rarely has to look up when

speaking. A lack of physical exercise left him overweight when he was still a mortal, and even undeath has yet to alter his build. Armour covers most of his body, making this less notable, and he still possesses moderate strength and stamina. Compared to the bright, prominent red eyes most of his coven possess, Mogrith's eyes are comparatively dim, possibly from being converted from a vampire of a different bloodline. However, strong emotions seem to cause them to 'flare'. Undeath has left him with pale green skin, and unlike the rest of his body his face looks famished.

Having being converted at an old age for an Orc, Mogrith is stuck with balding grey hair and a short beard of the same colour. Though most of his kind condemn those who live into their old age, the Battlemage instead see's these facial features as symbols of his maturity and wisdom. As a vampire he was small fangs on the top of his mouth that he can jut out and use for feeding, though they are usually concealed by his frontal Orcish tusks, which are well polished but remain tainted red by past feedings. His most prominent facial feature however is his nose, which is long, crooked and somewhat grotesque.

## Trivia

* The characters two names, Mogrog and Mogrith, are inspired by Morgoth, a character found in J.R.R Tolkien's book *The Silmarillion*. There are a few similarities between the characters; both were renamed during periods of exile (Mogroth was originally known as Melkor), and both were expert sorcerers (although Morgoth was far superior, being a corrupted divine being). Morgoth was also the creator of the Orc race in Tolkien's universe.
* Mogrith is also similar to Urag Gro-Shub, an Orc mage found in *TES V: Skyrim.* Urag also attends the College of Winterhold, although there are no mentioned encounters between the two.
* Several other characters from the game exist in the Autumnshade fanfic series' lore, including Lob, Yamarz, Malyn Varen and Ulfric Stormcloak. These characters are all the intellectual property of Bethesda Softworks.