Summary
As an open-world sandbox RPG,The Elder Scrollsgames are as simple or as complicated as the player decides.The Elder Scrolls' lore follows the same pattern, and players can engage with it on a surface level. Dig deeper, however, and the lore ofThe Elder Scrollsproves to be one of the most complicated among video game RPGs.
One character that encapsulates the complexity ofThe Elder Scrolls' lore is Mannimarco. Known as The King of Worms, Mannimarco is a high elf necromancer who has several separate timelines that are canon at the same time, thanks to theDragon Breakthat happened at the end ofThe Elder Scrolls 2: Daggerfall. Thanks to his achievements in attaining first lichdom, then apotheosis, Mannimarco appears in severalThe Elder Scrollsgames that take place over hundreds of years.
Who is Mannimarco in The Elder Scrolls?
Mannimarco is the most famous necromancer inThe Elder Scrolls, and may be one of the oldest characters in Nirn. He’s often depicted opposing the Mages Guild as his personal enemy was its founder. Mannimarco has been involved in several major events in Tamriel, mostly in his pursuit of godhood, but also because of hisrivalry with the Mages Guild. His involvement with the Warp in the West complicated his timeline, and he has several alternative versions ranging from a necromancer god to a mortal man.
Elder Scrolls Online
Canonically, Mannimarco’s first appearance inThe Elder Scrollsis inElder Scrolls Online, which takes place just over 700 years before his next appearance in Daggerfall. Here, Mannimarco plays a major part inESO, and is a principal antagonist in the main campaign. Mannimarco had already established his cult, the Order of the Black Worm, at this point, and they’re an active group inESO. It’s revealed thatMannimarco made a deal with Molag Baland assisted him in the planemeld, which resulted in Molag Bal’s invasion of Tamriel. Mannimarco had intended to betray the Daedric Prince in his own efforts to become a god.
Mannimarco’s Appearances in The Elder Scrolls Games
The Elder Scrolls 2: Daggerfall
Mannimarco’s plot is foiled during the events ofESO, and he is imprisoned in Coldharbour to be tortured for his treachery against Molag Bal. However, by the events of Daggerfall in 3E405, Mannimarco had long escaped Coldharbour and attempted another way to achieve apotheosis by using the Totem ofTiber Septim. Mannimarco used the Agent to obtain the Totem. The ending of Daggerfall caused the Warp in the West, the most recent Dragon Break inThe Elder Scrolls.
The resulting Dragon Break gave rise to different versions of Mannimarco, all of which are considered canon. One version of him has him achieve his goals of apotheosis, and he ascends to becomethe Necromancer’s Moon. Simultaneously, Mannimarco has a physical, mortal body that is later encountered inOblivion.
The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion
Mannimarco is next encountered in the Mages Guild questline inOblivion. The Necromancer’s Moon, technically an aspect of Mannimarco, appears during the process of creating black soul gems. His other, mortal, form is the final boss of the Mages Guild questline, where the player needs to stop him from invading Cyrodiil and overthrowing the guild.
The Order of the Black Worm is active duringOblivion, and necromancers who left the Mages Guild in protest of the Archmage’s ban on necromancy flock to the King of Worms. However, Mannimarco inOblivionis far from the intimidating figure seen inESO, and defeating him is fairly simple. Mannimarco’s death inObliviondoesn’t affect the Necromancer’s Moon’s production of black soul gems, and still can be used to create them.
