Molag Bal

Molag Bal (Daedric: "Stone-Fire") is the God of Schemes and Daedric Prince of domination and enslavement of mortals. He is also known by the titles Schemer Prince, Harvester of Souls, and the Father of Coldharbour. He is the creator of Vampires and Xivkyn as well.

His main desire is to harvest and consume the souls of mortals and to bring mortals' souls into his sway by spreading seeds of strife and discord in the mortal realms, as well as merging Nirn with his own realm of Coldharbour. He holds much importance in Morrowind where he is one of the Four Corners of the House of Troubles, seen as the arch-enemy of Boethiah, the Daedric Prince of Plots.

Appearance and personality
"Your pathetic Aedric trinket can't defeat me, I am Molag Bal, Lord of Domination!"

- Molag Bal

Molag Bal resembles a large, bipedal hybrid of a bull and a reptile, and usually appears in a form adorned with horns, fangs, claws and a long tail. His scaly appearance is matched by his demeanor: this serpentine Daedric Prince is the master of corruption, and his entire realm of Coldharbour in Oblivion consists of nothing but death and destruction.

Gender
Like all the Daedric Princes, Molag Bal has no definite gender. Most often, however, he appears to his followers as male. Sigillah Parate mentions in her spiritual commentary that she belonged to a cult known as the "Witches of Molag Bal," where Molag Bal often appeared to its members in the guise of a mortal female.

Shrine
"Yes. It's an altar. Men would come and sacrifice the wretched in my name. The weak would be punished by the strong."

- Molag Bal

A shrine of Molag Bal is in Markarth, in a tunnel underneath the Abandoned House. For a Daedric shrine, it is extremely small, consisting only of a sort of stone basin decorated with a stylized head of Molag Bal. A panel on the floor in front of it can extend spikes in order to trap sacrificial victims. The Rusty Mace — in reality the Mace of Molag Bal — is found here by the Dragonborn. If is installed there will be a shrine inside Castle Volkihar.

Plane of Oblivion
Molag Bal's plane of Oblivion is Coldharbour. The book The Doors of Oblivion says that his plane resembles a copy of Nirn, including the Imperial Palace, but desecrated and ruined. The ground is sludge, the sky is on fire, and the air is freezing.

Coldharbour is featured in, being the starting point for every player.

Morrowind
He is the main source of the obstacles to the Dunmer (and preceding Chimer) people. In the legends, Molag Bal always tries to upset the bloodlines of Great Houses or otherwise ruin Dunmeri 'purity.' He is known as the King of Rape and is said to be the father (along with Vivec, whom he seduced) of a population of mutant degenerates living in the Molag Amur region of Morrowind. This race may have been the first vampires, a corruption of Vivec's ties to the Heart of Lorkhan transmitted to mortals. It is possible he assisted Jagar Tharn in his temporary ascendance to the Imperial throne. He was also responsible for the destruction of a city, Gilverdale, at the end of the First Era.

First Era
In 1E 2920, Molag Bal, under the summon of King Dro'Zel of Senchal, destroyed the city of Gilverdale. All the inhabitants were killed in a bright red mist. This Daedric massacre forced Sotha Sil to make a journey to Coldharbour, dealing with some of the prominent Daedric Princes in order to avoid the fate of Gilverdale happening to other cities in Tamriel, as Morrowind was still fighting a war against Cyrodiil.

The Interregnum
Molag Bal appears as the main antagonist in. He takes advantage of the destruction and war going on in Tamriel and attempts to merge Nirn and Coldharbour into one nightmarish hellscape by using Daedric machines called Dark Anchors, in an event known as the Planemeld.

Battle of Coldharbour
The Soulless One, also known as Vestige, along with Vanus Galerion, the Fighters Guild, and the Mages Guild lead an attack on Coldharbour to confront Molag Bal and put an end to his treachery. A city controlled by Meridia was transported into Coldharbour by Molag Bal, but since he had no power over it, the Soulless One and the attack force are able to use the city as a safe haven while in Coldharbour and save many mortals who are "stuck" in Coldharbour. With the help of the Ayleid king Laloriaran Dynar, Vanus Galerion the Aldmeri founder of the Mages Guild, they pushed further into Coldharbour's citadel to Molag Bal's lair. Later on the Gatekeeper revealed her true nature as the Daedric prince Meridia and the Soulless One and Five Companions went through a portal to an area that was under complete domination of Molag Bal's forces. Meridia and Molag Bal met face to face and began dueling, allowing the Soulless One to proceed to destroy the Dark Anchors. Upon confrontation the Soulless One used the Amulet of Kings on the Daedric Prince before they could be defeated. The two began to battle, both equal in power with divinity, but in the end, Molag Bal fell for the first time and was "dominated" by the Soulless One, allowing every Soul Shriven enslaved by Molag Bal to return to Nirn.

Hero of Daggerfall
The Hero of Daggerfall received the Mace of Molag Bal in exchange for eliminating a heretic mage or priest, respectively.

Hero of Kvatch
Molag Bal was summoned by the Hero. He wanted the Champion to corrupt Melus Petilius by forcing him to kill with the Cursed Mace. The Champion was able to enrage Petilius causing him to grab the Cursed Mace and use it to kill the Champion. Right before the final blow, Molag Bal transported the Champion back to his shrine and, pleased with a job well done, gave him the Mace of Molag Bal. The same weapon was given also by Molag Bal to the Hero of Daggerfall some decades earlier.

Dragonborn
"The Mace of Molag Bal! I give you its true power, mortal. When your enemies lie broken and bloody before you, know that I will be watching."

- Molag Bal During the Fourth Era, the Dragonborn helped a Vigilant of Stendarr named Tyranus to investigate suspicious activity at an abandoned house in Markarth. After arriving in the house, Molag Bal forced them to fight each other resulting in Tyranus's death. Upon speaking with the Daedric Prince, he promised the Dragonborn his mace if they returned Logrolf the Willful, a priest of Boethiah to the abandoned house and made him pledge his soul to Molag Bal. The Dragonborn then killed the priest with Molag Bal's mace on his altar.

Creator and patron deity


The Dunmeri Temple's doctrine, Vampires of Vvardenfell, v II, states that the Daedric Prince Molag Bal is the father of vampires. It is recorded in his "Private Papers of Galur Rithari, Buoyant Armiger." Somehow, the Dunmeri Temple keeps this record from the world, for no clear reason.

Molag Bal as the father of Vampirism is also recorded in the book called "Opusculus Lamae Bal ta Mezzamortie." The book tells a story of Molag Bal, who, in his hatred towards Arkay, profaned the body of a virgin Nedic woman, Lamae Beolfag. Lamae is known later as Lamae Bal, as well as the Blood Matron and the First Vampire.

Pure-blooded vampires are those who were granted vampirism directly from Molag Bal, the creator and patron deity of Vampires. The process is somewhat similar to the creation of the first vampire, Lamae Beolfag—mortals gain their vampirism through a ritual in which members of a family pledge themselves to Molag Bal. Females who survive the horrific ordeal, such as Serana and her mother Valerica, are dubbed "Daughters of Coldharbour."

Galur Rithari, one of the Buoyant Armigers, was cured of vampirism by Molag Bal.

Evolution
The Vampires of Iliac Bay and Vvardenfell are easily recognized by the average person, but this is not entirely true for Cyrodilic vampires—obviously due to different blood. The Cyrodilic vampires have three states of vampire form, dependent on the time since feeding. When well fed, Cyrodilic vampires are rarely recognized by ordinary people and can even walk in daylight.

When they are starving, however, all of a Cyrodilic vampire's vampiric traits are apparent and cannot be disguised. This unique trait of Cyrodilic vampires, according to Manifesto Cyrodiil Vampyrum, was a gift from Clavicus Vile. As a result, the Cyrodilic vampires worship Molag Bal and Clavicus Vile.

Trivia

 * According to Darkest Darkness, the crocodile-headed humanoid Daedra called Daedroth are servants of Molag Bal.
 * Molag Bal is voiced by Christopher Corey Smith  in Skyrim and by Malcolm McDowell in The Elder Scrolls Online.
 * In, it is said that pure-blooded female vampires have to "offer themselves" to Molag Bal. Serana says that those who survive become Daughters of Coldharbour, indicating that the ritual is traumatic. If asked, Serana refuses to talk about it, saying only that it was "degrading," indicating that he perhaps rapes the women in service to him.
 * The inspiration for Molag Bal seems to be drawn from the Caananite deities Moloch and Ba'al.
 * Molag Bal's name means Fire (Molag) Stone (Bal), according to the Aldmeri and Dunmeri Languages. Meridia refers to Molag Bal as "Stone-Fire" when speaking to him.
 * In, Mankar Camoran incorrectly states that Molag Bal's "Coldharbour" is Meridia's realm.

Quotes

 * "I AM MOLAG BAL, LORD OF DOMINATION" – Molag Bal's popular phrase, featured in Elder Scrolls Online and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.
 * "FOOL! Did you think MOLAG BAL, LORD OF DOMINATION.... would so easily reward you?" – Molag Bal, On retrieving the mace for the first time in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.