This week is being marked by ZeniMax Online Studios as ‘Necromancer Week’; a chance for the studio to release all sorts of information about the Necromancer class coming in The Elder Scrolls Online: Elsweyr DLC. After kicking off the week with a new trailer, the studio has now offered a deep dive into its design. One of the things which the developers had to do when designing necromancy was actually defining it; deciding what necromancy would be like in the game.
The Definition of Necromancy in The Elder Scrolls Online: Elsweyr DLC
“Throughout the Elder Scrolls series,” explains ZeniMax; “Tamriel has a long, often troubled history with necromancy, and this is especially true during the period of The Elder Scrolls Online. It’s no secret that Mannimarco is a powerful necromancer, and with the help of his Daedric patron Molag Bal, he controls Cyrodiil with armies of both Daedra and the undead.”
Because necromancy is so secretive and taboo, it’s rarely something which players delve deeply into in Elder Scrolls games. As such, the developers at ZeniMax had to make some decisions about what necromancy would actually be. Leamon Tuttle, the ESO Loremaster, defines necromancy as; “the creative manipulation of the soul, or animus, which is one of the basic building blocks of life in Tamriel. Necromancers use their powers to cast spells, bind souls into service, and use lesser Daedric spirits to reanimate corpses.”
However, even within Tamriel itself, there is disagreement over the definition of necromancy. The Mages Guild defines necromancy as its own school of magic. However, some necromancers describe it as a combination of other schools rather than its own school; mostly of conjuration, enchantment and mysticism. Because it deals with the manipulation of souls, its practice is forbidden in almost every Tamrielic culture. As such, necromancers in Elder Scrolls: Online risk getting a criminal bounty if they use their abilities in view of NPCs. With the addition of necromancy in The Elder Scrolls Online: Elsweyr DLC, players will have the opportunity to delve deeper into the forbidden art than ever before in an Elder Scrolls game.