Maligraphies are Daedric creatures composed of vivified ink. They are described as being myths from books come to life, and as such can take on virtually any form. These forms can include mortals of different races and affiliations, other daedric entities, animals, nature spirits, dragons, shades, celestials, undead, and even Dwemer or clockwork constructs. They can replicate not only the physical appearance of the forms they copy but also the accompanying equipment, including powerful artifacts. They were summoned by Tho'at Replicanum in the Infinite Archive. Each maligraphy's strength depended on the page they were created from, translating the power in the contents of the page to physical prowess.
Though classified as Daedra nominally, they are truly pieces of Tho'at without individuality. They were created from fragments of her nymic combined with the ink of the archive's tomes via Daedric magic. Due to the nature of the archive, a potentially infinite amount of maligraphies may have formed, though they are normally unable to sustain themselves outside of the archive, some have found a way to escape its confines.
Commonly, a variety of maligraphies are found alongside their specific stronger subtype, the Fabled. Another type of very powerful maligraphy was known as the Marauder.
Variants[]
Fabled are a subtype of powerful maligraphies, creatures of Daedric origins that inhabited the Infinite Archive. Fabled are often accompanied by other, weaker maligraphies. They generally exhibit greater power than most other maligraphies, although there are exceptions to this rule, as the strength of a maligraphy depends on the page they were created from.
They are created from the journals of the archive's former inhabitants, which gives them the appearance of Hermaeus Mora cultists, such as the Scribes of Mora or Ciphers of the Eye. They possess potent magical abilities of various kinds. These entities usually take some time before making their presence known in the archival wings. While some adventurers speculated that this delay is due to intimidation, the truth is that they should not be underestimated. It is believed that they wait to assess how much of a threat interlopers pose before revealing themselves. They see the archive as a challenge or something similar.
Marauders are a subtype of maligraphy found within the Infinite Archive, creatures of Daedric origins that inhabit the Infinite Archive. Some believe they are among the most powerful maligraphies, sent by the Archive to challenge those who enter its halls. There were those who wondered if these beings are destined to encounter their opponents, and thus, destined to face their demise. In fact, they typically display far greater power than most other maligraphies, as the strength of a maligraphy depends on the page they were created from. They were also described as powerful abominations, or more colorfully, as rotten inkbags. Esalinwe, a veteran of the Infinite Archive, claimed that Marauders often join the forces of other maligraphies the moment their opponents let their guard down. She advised adventurers never to let them get behind and to avoid letting them land a hit.
Among the known Marauders were those that took the forms of Incarnates, such as Ulmor and Hilkarax. Other took forms of Ruinachs, like Gothmau. there were also Marauders who assumed forms of Minotaurs, such as Zulfimbul, and Werewolf Behemoths, like Bittog.
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