So this is a thing Legion and I worked on back in April and somehow completely forgot to post it. I have quoted from it many times yet never delivered the damned thing. So here it is, in the RP group as it's primary purpose was to present the Assassin archetype from a sligthly different point of view, giving RP hooks and reinterpretations to an old classic.
The Morag Tong is an assassins guild "functioning as an adjunct to an official government", The Tribunal of Morrowind until the Red Year of 4E 05 (Beware the Shadowscales).They were founded by Mephala at around the same time she and Boethiah are credited with organising the Great House system (Varieties of Faith). Members of the elite Morag Tong saw Mephala as their psychopomp goddess (Approaching Vivec) and had officially sanctioned licences to kill in the form of Honourable Writs of Execution. This custom permitted Houses to war upon one another on a small scale without threatening public peace and rule of law. Such violent disputes among Great Houses were called 'House Wars" (Savants Notes on Vvardenfell).
The Religious Schism
Things start getting interesting when we look at the Morag Tong and its rivalry with its "hated child" the Dark Brotherhood. The sources often contradict each other on this subject as some, like The Brothers of Darkness, claims that "the Morag Tong re-emerged as the Dark Brotherhood" sometime in 2E 360.
While others, like Fire and Darkness, assert "The Dark Brotherhood of the west, unfettered by the orders of the Tribunal, continue to worship Mephala. They may not call her by her name, but the Daedra of murder, sex, and secrets is their leader still. And they did not, and still do not, to this day, forgive their brethren (the Morag Tong) for casting her aside."
The sources are at direct odds it seems, one says they are the same while the other says they are rivals. Indeed, if we believe Sacred Witness is actually an interview with the Night Mother, she indicates there was no feud: 'The Morag Tong was around long before my time. I know I'm old, but I'm not that old. I merely hired on some of their assassins when they began to fall apart after the murder of the last Potentate. They did not want to be members of the Tong anymore, and since I was the only other murder syndicate of any note, they just joined on.'
So what, if anything, caused this feud? More importantly how can it help reinterpret a Morag Tong or Dark Brotherhood character in terms of roleplay? I think the answer lies in the Psijic Endeavour - that Dunmeri philosophy to achieve enlightenment.
The sources indicate that Mephala was never the original patron of the Morag Tong, that instead she became the most recent figure of veneration and replaced a more primal, more misanthropic entity: "..the earliest form of the Tong additionally worshipped an even older and more malevolent deity than Mephala. As terrifying as that Prince of Oblivion is, they had and have reverence for a far greater evil." (Fire and Darkness).
This is backed up by a multitude of sources, such as the profile of Dram from TES Redguard: "Like all members of the Morag Tong, Dram worships Sithis, the God of Death; indeed, he is a thrice-born initiate who continues his faith even after his exile."
Even MK in an obscure in-universe text called Source of Chaos has this to say:
Sithis was born when a nihilist sect of the already doom-ridden Chimeri merged (under Mephala’s tutelage) Daedric elements with the Inexpressible Action that was Padomay. In essence they began to revere Padomay's Chaos nature (as opposed to that of Anu, who is Order), and over the years degenerated into a thuggish mystery-cult which wanted to "murder the world." The Dark Brotherhood was born in these times-- which, in Morrowind, is known as the Morag Tong. Some of the higher-level Morag Tong maintain that they predate the Dark Brotherhood (more evidence of this later). That, in fact, they are an organization devoted to playing out the eternal interplay of Nir. Assassination, they say, is the purest celebration of joy or living. Whatever the case, the Padomay of Morrowind (and isolated Dark Brotherhood sects) is not the Padomay of Artaeum...."
Shit getting deep, but Fire and Darkness should be given the final word here:
In order to exist, the Morag Tong must have appealed to the highest power in Morrowind, which at that time, the Second Era, could only have been the Tribunal of Almalexia, Sotha Sil, and Vivec. Mephala, whom the Tong worshipped with Sithis, was said to have been the Anticipation of Vivec. Is it not logical to assume that in exchange for toleration of their continued existence, the Tong would have ceased their worship of Mephala in exchange for the worship of Vivec?
So what we have here is interesting and unusual - that the Morag Tong assassin as we know her is actually the least likely to be a worshipper of Mepaha - at least up until Red Year. The Dark Brotherhood actually despises the Morag Tong for casting aside worship of the Silver Spider who they still revere. Yet that isn't all. As both revere an eastern version of Padomay in the form of Sithis, the Dark Brotherhood do not follow the Psijic Endeavour. In a nutshell, there is huge ambiguity and thus plenty of scope for exploration depending on which source you favour.
Roleplaying
The fascinating thing about the Tong which elevates them above the Dark Brotherhood in terms of depth is their sense of honour. As we have seen, in Dunmeri society they are fulfilling a vital role by preventing the escalation of all out war. It seems barbaric to our culture but like the Telvanni with their ruthless commitment to mastery taking the form of subtle rivalry between apprentices, the Morag Tong is a symptom of the Dark Elven mentality.
The Savant's Notes on Vvardenfell asserts there are "Codes of behavior under House Wars of Honor are complex and subtle, and the Morag Tong specialize in the honorable and legal prosecution of these factional vendettas. House Wars are expensive, dangerous, and disruptive to all Houses involved, but on the island of Vvardenfell alone, a dozen or more Marked Challenges are being prosecuted at any time."
This sense of honour is reflected in the codes of conduct Morag Tong individuals must follow:
Constrained by ancient traditions and rigid codes of conduct, the Morag Tong only recruits candidates of proven skill and honor. Morag Tong only accepts legally approved contracts called 'writs,' but rumor hints at the execution of secret extralegal 'grey writs.' The Morag Tong is the sworn enemy of the Dark Brotherhood. We can see that even this honour has it's shades of grey...
The Pocket Guide to the Empire 1st Edition backs this up when it says The Great Houses routinely hire the Morag Tong to eliminate their enemies, and the assassins of the Morag Tong may kill their assigned "marks" with impunity, as long as they conform to the obscure (but strict) rules of their guild.
These strict codes are entirely open to interpretation as there is no source to indicate what they actually are. I would suggest that they are both practical and philosophical, the latter linked to the Codes of Mephala and thus the Psijic Endeavour which are scattered through the 36 Lessons of Vivec:
-
According to the Codes of Mephala there can be no official art, only fixation points of complexity that will erase from the awe of the people given enough time. This is a secret that hides another. An impersonal survival is not the way of the ruling king. Embrace the art of the people and marry it and by that I mean secretly have it murdered.
-
According to the Codes of Mephala, there is no difference between the theorist and the terrorist. Even the most cherished desire disappears in their hands. This is why Mephala has black hands. Bring both of yours to every argument. The one-handed king finds no remedy. When you approach God, however, cut both of them off. God has no need of theory and he is armored head to toe in terror.”
In terms of practically interpreting a character belonging to the Tong, there are quote a few useful references. The Black Glove is useful in describing a more archetypical assassin, although the addition of illusion is nice.
Swift and agile are the Morag Tong. Silent and unseen they move. Illusions they supply to misdirect their prey. Close and sure they strike with shortblade, or distant and secure they strike from afar with accurate missile fire. Light armor protects them from harm, and the acrobatic discipline finds for them the unseen and unlooked-for path.
Yet I think the real joy in that book comes from the following sentence:
Do you have your friends and your finery, but no place to go? Do you laugh and cry, but no longer feel? Do you wear these masks? Then, perhaps, your oath and service may please the Black Glove.
Suddenly our archetype has gotten deep. How and why are they this way? What damaged them? Clearly they are from noble Houses as we have seen. Questions which only the player can answer.
Another lovely book is called Sanctioned Murder and it is written by a member of the Tong. It shows some more of that depth: "Some days we were hailed as heroes. Others, as murderers." How does one be a heroic assassin? Or better yet, cope with being a hero one day and a villain the next depending on the shifting political environment at the time?
Lastly, there is the Axe Man Minas Torik. This shy and quiet man with a fondness for axes teaches us if nothing else that there is room for a battleaxe-swinging member of the Morag Tong.
Summary
The original sources show us a wealth of contradiction and ambiguity that can be the justification for many different interpretations on the assassin paradigm. The religious schism between the Morag Tong and the Dark Brotherhood is a rich pool of inspiration, allowing as it does for any number of combinations of religious principles and even a commitment to a philosophy of enlightenment.
The metaphysics aspect aside, the sources also provide clues into the minds of these killers; from the noble Dunmer assassin who is doing society a service with his actions and held in high esteem by the people; to the low street thug who murders for pleasure and coin; and to the citizen who is psychologically damaged and out of touch with his or her life.
So this is a thing Legion and I worked on back in April and somehow completely forgot to post it. I have quoted from it many times yet never delivered the damned thing. So here it is, in the RP group as it's primary purpose was to present the Assassin archetype from a sligthly different point of view, giving RP hooks and reinterpretations to an old classic.
The Morag Tong is an assassins guild "functioning as an adjunct to an official government", The Tribunal of Morrowind until the Red Year of 4E 05 (Beware the Shadowscales).They were founded by Mephala at around the same time she and Boethiah are credited with organising the Great House system (Varieties of Faith). Members of the elite Morag Tong saw Mephala as their psychopomp goddess (Approaching Vivec) and had officially sanctioned licences to kill in the form of Honourable Writs of Execution. This custom permitted Houses to war upon one another on a small scale without threatening public peace and rule of law. Such violent disputes among Great Houses were called 'House Wars" (Savants Notes on Vvardenfell).
The Religious Schism
Things start getting interesting when we look at the Morag Tong and its rivalry with its "hated child" the Dark Brotherhood. The sources often contradict each other on this subject as some, like The Brothers of Darkness, claims that "the Morag Tong re-emerged as the Dark Brotherhood" sometime in 2E 360.
While others, like Fire and Darkness, assert "The Dark Brotherhood of the west, unfettered by the orders of the Tribunal, continue to worship Mephala. They may not call her by her name, but the Daedra of murder, sex, and secrets is their leader still. And they did not, and still do not, to this day, forgive their brethren (the Morag Tong) for casting her aside."
The sources are at direct odds it seems, one says they are the same while the other says they are rivals. Indeed, if we believe Sacred Witness is actually an interview with the Night Mother, she indicates there was no feud: 'The Morag Tong was around long before my time. I know I'm old, but I'm not that old. I merely hired on some of their assassins when they began to fall apart after the murder of the last Potentate. They did not want to be members of the Tong anymore, and since I was the only other murder syndicate of any note, they just joined on.'
So what, if anything, caused this feud? More importantly how can it help reinterpret a Morag Tong or Dark Brotherhood character in terms of roleplay? I think the answer lies in the Psijic Endeavour - that Dunmeri philosophy to achieve enlightenment.
The sources indicate that Mephala was never the original patron of the Morag Tong, that instead she became the most recent figure of veneration and replaced a more primal, more misanthropic entity: "..the earliest form of the Tong additionally worshipped an even older and more malevolent deity than Mephala. As terrifying as that Prince of Oblivion is, they had and have reverence for a far greater evil." (Fire and Darkness).
This is backed up by a multitude of sources, such as the profile of Dram from TES Redguard: "Like all members of the Morag Tong, Dram worships Sithis, the God of Death; indeed, he is a thrice-born initiate who continues his faith even after his exile."
Even MK in an obscure in-universe text called Source of Chaos has this to say:
Sithis was born when a nihilist sect of the already doom-ridden Chimeri merged (under Mephala’s tutelage) Daedric elements with the Inexpressible Action that was Padomay. In essence they began to revere Padomay's Chaos nature (as opposed to that of Anu, who is Order), and over the years degenerated into a thuggish mystery-cult which wanted to "murder the world." The Dark Brotherhood was born in these times-- which, in Morrowind, is known as the Morag Tong. Some of the higher-level Morag Tong maintain that they predate the Dark Brotherhood (more evidence of this later). That, in fact, they are an organization devoted to playing out the eternal interplay of Nir. Assassination, they say, is the purest celebration of joy or living. Whatever the case, the Padomay of Morrowind (and isolated Dark Brotherhood sects) is not the Padomay of Artaeum...."
Shit getting deep, but Fire and Darkness should be given the final word here:
In order to exist, the Morag Tong must have appealed to the highest power in Morrowind, which at that time, the Second Era, could only have been the Tribunal of Almalexia, Sotha Sil, and Vivec. Mephala, whom the Tong worshipped with Sithis, was said to have been the Anticipation of Vivec. Is it not logical to assume that in exchange for toleration of their continued existence, the Tong would have ceased their worship of Mephala in exchange for the worship of Vivec?
So what we have here is interesting and unusual - that the Morag Tong assassin as we know her is actually the least likely to be a worshipper of Mepaha - at least up until Red Year. The Dark Brotherhood actually despises the Morag Tong for casting aside worship of the Silver Spider who they still revere. Yet that isn't all. As both revere an eastern version of Padomay in the form of Sithis, the Dark Brotherhood do not follow the Psijic Endeavour. In a nutshell, there is huge ambiguity and thus plenty of scope for exploration depending on which source you favour.
Roleplaying
The fascinating thing about the Tong which elevates them above the Dark Brotherhood in terms of depth is their sense of honour. As we have seen, in Dunmeri society they are fulfilling a vital role by preventing the escalation of all out war. It seems barbaric to our culture but like the Telvanni with their ruthless commitment to mastery taking the form of subtle rivalry between apprentices, the Morag Tong is a symptom of the Dark Elven mentality.
The Savant's Notes on Vvardenfell asserts there are "Codes of behavior under House Wars of Honor are complex and subtle, and the Morag Tong specialize in the honorable and legal prosecution of these factional vendettas. House Wars are expensive, dangerous, and disruptive to all Houses involved, but on the island of Vvardenfell alone, a dozen or more Marked Challenges are being prosecuted at any time."
This sense of honour is reflected in the codes of conduct Morag Tong individuals must follow:
Constrained by ancient traditions and rigid codes of conduct, the Morag Tong only recruits candidates of proven skill and honor. Morag Tong only accepts legally approved contracts called 'writs,' but rumor hints at the execution of secret extralegal 'grey writs.' The Morag Tong is the sworn enemy of the Dark Brotherhood. We can see that even this honour has it's shades of grey...
The Pocket Guide to the Empire 1st Edition backs this up when it says The Great Houses routinely hire the Morag Tong to eliminate their enemies, and the assassins of the Morag Tong may kill their assigned "marks" with impunity, as long as they conform to the obscure (but strict) rules of their guild.
These strict codes are entirely open to interpretation as there is no source to indicate what they actually are. I would suggest that they are both practical and philosophical, the latter linked to the Codes of Mephala and thus the Psijic Endeavour which are scattered through the 36 Lessons of Vivec:
-
According to the Codes of Mephala there can be no official art, only fixation points of complexity that will erase from the awe of the people given enough time. This is a secret that hides another. An impersonal survival is not the way of the ruling king. Embrace the art of the people and marry it and by that I mean secretly have it murdered.
-
According to the Codes of Mephala, there is no difference between the theorist and the terrorist. Even the most cherished desire disappears in their hands. This is why Mephala has black hands. Bring both of yours to every argument. The one-handed king finds no remedy. When you approach God, however, cut both of them off. God has no need of theory and he is armored head to toe in terror.”
In terms of practically interpreting a character belonging to the Tong, there are quote a few useful references. The Black Glove is useful in describing a more archetypical assassin, although the addition of illusion is nice.
Swift and agile are the Morag Tong. Silent and unseen they move. Illusions they supply to misdirect their prey. Close and sure they strike with shortblade, or distant and secure they strike from afar with accurate missile fire. Light armor protects them from harm, and the acrobatic discipline finds for them the unseen and unlooked-for path.
Yet I think the real joy in that book comes from the following sentence:
Do you have your friends and your finery, but no place to go? Do you laugh and cry, but no longer feel? Do you wear these masks? Then, perhaps, your oath and service may please the Black Glove.
Suddenly our archetype has gotten deep. How and why are they this way? What damaged them? Clearly they are from noble Houses as we have seen. Questions which only the player can answer.
Another lovely book is called Sanctioned Murder and it is written by a member of the Tong. It shows some more of that depth: "Some days we were hailed as heroes. Others, as murderers." How does one be a heroic assassin? Or better yet, cope with being a hero one day and a villain the next depending on the shifting political environment at the time?
Lastly, there is the Axe Man Minas Torik. This shy and quiet man with a fondness for axes teaches us if nothing else that there is room for a battleaxe-swinging member of the Morag Tong.
Summary
The original sources show us a wealth of contradiction and ambiguity that can be the justification for many different interpretations on the assassin paradigm. The religious schism between the Morag Tong and the Dark Brotherhood is a rich pool of inspiration, allowing as it does for any number of combinations of religious principles and even a commitment to a philosophy of enlightenment.
The metaphysics aspect aside, the sources also provide clues into the minds of these killers; from the noble Dunmer assassin who is doing society a service with his actions and held in high esteem by the people; to the low street thug who murders for pleasure and coin; and to the citizen who is psychologically damaged and out of touch with his or her life.
