Necromancy and Lichdom, a Discourse

By Yesafhe al-Namahla, scholar of the No'Raqqi Sisterhood of Ra-Yoku'Iquizzi

Necromancy is seen as a foul and evil art in most parts of Tamriel, and Nirn as a whole. Not even the disreputable Maormer of Pyandonea are said to embrace it, despite their close ties to the Sload of Thras who openly use all kinds of dark magic. Necromancy has however always been a very large school of magic, and few nations fully outlaw it. It is also one of the oldest schools of magic. Even ancient Aldmeri texts kept in the archives of the Crystal Tower mention "Magicka Nagaiae" - Death Magic - being used extensively. While magic largely disappeared in Atmoran culture after the disappearance of the Wandering Ones the Nedes of central and northern Tamriel are said to have been masters of the necromantic "art". Necromancy was, while illegal, widespread in Yokuda and later the Deadlands of Volenfell. It was called "Rahlaran Abah" by the Ra Gada, and is still considered an unforgiveable sin by most Redguards. Those who practise the Rahlaran Abah are said to be sentenced to an afterlife in the "Second Walkabout" by Tu'whacca upon death. The Dunmer view necromancy similarly, but have a different opinion on what is and isn't necromancy. While forcing the spirit of a long dead ancestor to serve oneself would be seen as necromancy by most Tamrielic cultures, the Dunmer instead see it as a way to "honour" the dead. The Altmer often shun necromancy, but it is not considered a crime to raise the dead. It is however rare for that to happen on Summerset, as the High Elves cremate their dead.

The form of necromancy known as Lichdom, the art of indefinitely conserving one's thoughts and "self" in a corpse, is by most scholars beleived to have its origin on the Summerset Isles. The ancient Aldmer often dabbled in necromancy, and Lichdom is one of the arts that they are to have invented. But most of these attempts of using necromancy to acheive this form of "immortality" likely failed. When the ruling classes of Summerset adopted the teachings of the Aedra necromancy began to be looked down upon by the majority of Elves. This is supposedly one of the many reasons that made the prophet Veloth leave Summerset with his followers (although Veloth himself is said to have disliked many forms of necromancy). And it was likely one of the reasons that those who would become the Ayleids emigrated from the Isles. The Ayleids continued to develop the art of Lichdom in their dark halls beneath Valenwood and Cyrodiil. Many Ayleid kings and queens sacrificed thousands of slaves, and sometimes entire cities to make themselves immortal. This practice decreased heavily during the late Ayleid period, when the Ayleid population decreased. A large number of liches were also created in Resdayn and the early Morrowind, but the practise soon died out there aswell. Many of the lesser Ayleid liches have today been reduced to ghosts and wraiths, but some of the greater ones still retain their full power and continue to rise again every time they fall.

The so-called Dragon Priests of Skyrim are thought to also be a kind of liches, but this has not been proven. Hammerfell also contains a large number of Nedic and Yokudan liches, although the lairs of these have mostly been sealed. Little information exists about the practice of lichdom outside of Tamriel, but the aforementioned Sload of Thras are thought to practice lichdom extensively. Certain Daedric magics may seem similar to lichdom, but they are almost always in no way connected (although many liches are known to have been Daedra worshippers.