Malacath

Malacath (Daedric: ) is the Daedric Prince of the spurned and the ostracized, the keeper of the Sworn Oath, and the Bloody Curse.

Background
Sometimes called Malak, or Mauloch, Malacath, considered one of the "Bad Daedra" , dues to his membership of the House of Troubles, is the patron Daedra of the Orsimer. Malacath's teachings put a large emphasis on fighting, and he seems to enjoy watching mortals fighting one another. The summoning date of Malacath is 8th of Frost Fall. However, Malacath can also be summoned at his shrine, if the summoner offers Troll Fat. While not technically a "good" Daedric Prince, Malacath does have, to a certain degree, a sense of honor and an almost paternal concern for his followers, especially the Orsimer.

Plane of Oblivion
The Ashpit is Malacath's plane of Oblivion. While not one of the original planes of Oblivion, it was created when Malacath was spawned in the Mythic Era. It was designed according to Malacath's spheres -- emptiness, betrayal, broken promises, and anguish-- and his personality. Such is the opinion of mainstream scholars. However, the Orsimer and those loyal to The Code of Malacath believe they are rewarded in this realm with immortality, drink, food, and constant battle, all with their father Malacath.

Merethic Era
During the exodus of the Chimer in the Merethic Era, one of the most powerful Aldmeri heroes, Trinimac, tried to stop the movement. The Daedric Prince Boethiah, who was the mastermind behind the movement, confronted Trinimac. It was a legendary battle between the two, but in the end Boethiah defeated Trinimac and devoured him. Boethiah then spoke with Trinimac's voice, in order to increase the morale of the Chimer while at the same time mocking the opposed Aldmer. The remains of Trinimac were transformed into the Daedric Prince Malacath, and Trinimac's followers were changed as well. They are now known as the Orsimer, and they worship Malacath as their god. This is recorded in the Changed Ones.

Third Era
The Hero of Daggerfall received his hammer, Volendrung, around 3E 417, after he did a service for Malacath. He was tasked with the death of a troublesome Daedra Seducer. After wandering throughout Tamriel, the hammer returned to Morrowind and came to be in the possession of Yagrum Bagarn, the last living Dwemer, who had the hammer in his closet. At that time all the enchantments of the hammer had vanished, for no apparent reason. It was just a mundane hammer. However, in 3E 433 the hammer came into the possession of Malacath again, and all its powerful enchantment returned. Volendrung is best known for the paralyzing and strength leeching effects it has when hit an enemy.

There is a less well-known artifact of Malacath, named Scourge. The Requisite Book of Daedra (under the heading of Malacath) says:

"...yet though Malacath blessed Scourge to be potent against his Daedra kin, he thought not that it should fall into daedric hands, then to serve as a tool for private war among Caitiff and Forsaken. Thus did Malacath curse the device such that should any dark kin seek to invoke its powers, that a voidhole should open and swallow that daedra, and purge him into Oblivion's voidstreams, from thence to pathfind back to the Real and Unreal Worlds in the full order of time."

and Legendary Scourge states:

"'The mace Scourge, Blessed of Malacath, Macckan's legendary weapon, forged from sacred Ebony in the Fountains of Fickleire, has ever been the bane of the dark kin, and many a black spirit has been hurled back into Oblivion with a single blow of this bold defender of the friendless.'"

This mace was found in the Battlespire by the unnamed hero of the Battlespire. It changed owners, and finally the mace came to the possession of the Telvanni lord, Divayth Fyr. As any of Fyr's artifacts, it was free for the thieves to steal - if they could. It might have passed into the hands of the Nerevarine.

Gortwog gro-Nagorm was an orc leader and the founder of Orsinium the Orc Capital established in 3E 399. Gortwog gro-Nagorm created controversy among orcs because he accused Malacath of being a false god and created a priesthood dedicated to Trinimac the ancient champion of the Aedra. This view contradicts the common belief that Malacath is Trinimac after he was devoured by Boethiah. Gortwog believed that Trinimac is still alive and that Malacath is a demon. His views were regarded as heresy by most orcs.

Popular opinion and worship
Malacath can be compared to a troll who has been tamed and protects a travelling merchant, or a giant who's ferocity keeps away the unwelcomed but carefully watches over his Mammoths. His personality and dealings are much like an Orc who is in a Brawl with a small Wood Elf. The Orc doesn't truly understand the power of his own muscle. This can be proven by many of his actions throughout this part of his existence. In the quest Malacath, he calls his enslaved Ogre followers his little brothers and shows much concern to get them to safety. Also, in the Skyrim quest "The Cursed Tribe", he tells the Dragonborn the reason he cursed Chief Yamarz was that he always tried to plot and scheme his way out of his responsibility as chief. However he is proven to be a bit extreme in his dealings. As such he is labeled a dangerous Daedric Prince by worshippers of the Aaedra or locals. However to those whose personality match his, they often revere him. The majority of Orcs on Nirn stay deeply loyal to Malacath's word and even live their lives by it. He is considered the Patron of Goblin ken, those who have been tossed aside, so besides Orcs, other spurned creatures such as Ogres and Giants worship him.

Identity
He is more commonly known as the Daedric Prince Malacath, 'whose sphere is the patronage of the spurned and ostracized, the sworn oath, and the bloody curse.' He is not technically a Daedra Lord, nor do the other Daedra recognize him as such, but this is fitting for his sphere. Of old he was Trinimac, the champion of the High Elven pantheon, in some places more popular than Auri-El, who protected them against enemies without and within. When Trinimac and his followers attempted to halt the Velothi Dissident movement, Boethiah ate him. Trinimac's body and spirit were corrupted, and he emerged as Malacath. His followers were likewise changed for the worse. Despised by everyone, especially the inviolate Auri-El, they quickly fled to the northern wastes, near Saarthal... In Skyrim, Malacath is called Orkey, or Old Knocker, and his battles with Ysmir are legendary." - Original text from the book "The True Nature of Orcs"

Other mentions
Malacath is also one of the Dunmer Four Corners of the House of Troubles. Four Corners of the House of Troubles consists of Molag Bal, Mehrunes Dagon, Malacath and Sheogorath. These Daedric Princes rebelled against the counsel and admonition of the Tribunal, causing great kin strife and confusion among the clans and Great Houses. They are holy in that they serve the role of obstacles during the Testing. Through time they have sometimes become associated with local enemies, like the Nords, Akaviri, or Mountain Orcs. As written in the books House of Troubles and Varieties of Faith in the Empire, Malacath is the reanimated dung that was Trinimac; Malacath is a weak but vengeful god and strikes back with a tough punch. The Dunmer call him Malak, the god-king of the Orcs. He tests the Dunmer for physical weakness.

An interesting record in the Varieties of Faith in the Empire' says:

"Mauloch (Malacath): An Orcish god, Mauloch troubled the heirs of King Harald for a long time. Fled east after his defeat at the Battle of Dragon Wall, ca. 1E660. His rage was said to fill the sky with his sulphurous hatred, later called the "Year of Winter in Summer".

It is known that the year is the time when Red Mountain's eruption brought disasters throughout Tamriel, so it's possible that the claim says that his rage filled the sky with sulphurous hatred is rather exaggerated.

According to Sheogorath, the Backbone of Malacath's realm, Ashpit, is an actual backbone, although this may just be the ramblings of a madman. Also according to Sheogorath, Malacath is not popular at parties, but more so than Jyggalag, the Daedric Prince of Order, which may refer to how the other Daedric Princes do not recognize him as a Daedric Prince.

During the time of the Nerevarine, Malacath was summoned by the Nerevarine in his Shrine of Assurdirapal. The Prince of Curses asked the Nerevarine to track and kill the last of the Oreyn Bearclaw family line. He was upset that Oreyn Bearclaw took all the glory to be a hero while in fact all the deeds were done by Kharag gro-Khar, Oreyn's Orcish companion. The target was finally killed by the Nerevarine and Malacath rewarded him the Helm of Oreyn Bearclaw. However Malacath was wrong in believing that the Oreyn Bearclaw's family line had ended, as one of the family members was still alive. This person, named Modryn Oreyn, became a rather important person in the Fighters Guild after his role in the quest to eliminate the dangerous competitor of the guild, the Blackwood Company.

Malacath's quest in Cyrodiil involves the Hero of Kvatch's rescue of another group of outcasts, namely, a group of enslaved Ogres. He requires an offering of Troll Fat, and the Hero must be level 10 to start the quest. He will send him/her to the Home of Lord Drad, the slave owner, with instructions to free the Ogres without harming them. After speaking with Lord Drad and then his wife, an easy way to complete this quest is to simply walk into the mine and ignore the guards. As long as they are not attacked, they will tolerate the Hero's presence, and in a simple manner, go to the two Ogre cages and pick the locks of each of the cell doors. Once freed the Ogres and the guards will fight each other, leaving the Hero to simply pick what you like from the dead bodies of the fallen. Neither side will attack you as long as you don't attack them, and even if one or more of the guards survives they will not worry as you loot the chests for the various treasures throughout the mine. Note that even if all the Ogres are killed during the battle with the guards, this will not affect the outcome of the quest.

As a reward for finishing the quest, Malacath gives the Hero Volendrung, his enchanted two-handed warhammer.

In, at an Orc Stronghold named Largashbur, an Orc named Atub asks the Dragonborn to bring her troll fat and a Daedra heart in the quest The Cursed Tribe so that she can pray to Malacath to end the curse he put on the tribe. After doing so, Atub wants Chief Yamarz and the Dragonborn to join in the summoning. He unwillingly accepts, and Atub begins the ceremony. Malacath then speaks to Yamarz, furious about the giants overtaking his shrine. He commands Yamarz to go and bring back a warhammer and then becomes silent. Yamarz becomes angry and orders the Dragonborn to come along with him, stating that the Dragonborn got him into this mess. When they go to the shrine, Yamarz wants the Dragonborn to kill the giant, and in exchange, he promises some gold. The Dragonborn can accept the deal, but Yamarz will betray him/her, or the Dragonborn can let Yamarz attempt to kill the giant. The chief will die in the process, unless the Dragonborn helps face the giant. Even if Yamarz survives, he will betray the Dragonborn in order to claim sole credit for killing the giant. In any case, once the giant and Yamarz are dead, Malacath speaks again telling the Dragonborn to take Shagrol's Warhammer back to the stronghold. When he/she returns, Atub asks about Yamarz and the Dragonborn can either lie to conceal his cowardice/betrayal or reveal the truth of his fate. Malacath speaks once more telling the tribe that they have earned a second chance and appoints Gularzob as the new chief from within the stronghold. Finally, he tells the Dragonborn they have earned his favor with their valorous conduct and to place Shagrol's Warhammer on the shrine to accept his reward. The hammer then transforms into Volendrung.