Reymon Ebonarm (also called Ebonarm or the Black Knight) is the God of War and the companion and protector of all warriors. He is said to ride a golden stallion named War Master, and is accompanied by a pair of huge ravens. Ebonarm's name refers to the Ebony sword fused to his right arm due to the wounds he suffered in titanic battles of the past, and he is never seen without a full suit of ebony armor. He is described as bearded, tall, muscular, and having flowing reddish blonde hair and steel blue eyes. Emblazoned on his ebony tower shield is the symbol of a red rose, a flower known for blooming on battlefields where he appears. According to legend, he appears on the battlefield to reconcile opposing sides and prevent bloodshed.[1][2]
In the tale of King Edward, Ebonarm was the one who gave the mortal Sai the gift of immortality when he died in battle in return for taking on the role of the God of Luck. Sai did Ebonarm's bidding for many years, but when he fell in love with a woman named Josea, he became lax in his duty. A host of gods visited him, Ebonarm taking the form of a black knight, and demanded he leave his family. Ebonarm demanded he fix the problems he had caused by staying in one area for too long, which took Sai one hundred and fifty years to do.[3]
He is an enemy of all of the Daedric Princes except Sheogorath and Jyggalag, as well as the Temple of Stendarr and the Cabal, a sub faction of the Mages Guild. He is allied with none, although he does lead the Citadel of Ebonarm, consisting of mosques and a knightly order known as the Battlelords. Holy anvils dedicated to Ebonarm can be found throughout the Iliac Bay region, and most Fighters Guild guildhalls in the Alik'r Desert serve as mosques dedicated to him.[4][5] Dunmer often swear upon the "soul of the Black Knight." [6]
There is a large, bare field in Hammerfell where Ebonarm appeared before a great battle. He used his divine power to make both warring leaders end their fight and return home. It is said in the nearby village of Granitsta that the only piece of foliage on the field, a rose bush, was where he stood that day.[2]
The Khajiit acknowledge an unnamed dark spirit, born from Azurah's grief after the death of Fadomai and Lorkhaj, that sometimes appears in songs as a black panther, a warrior in ebony armor, or a hidden sword.[7]
NotesEdit
- All references to Ebonarm were removed from the version of the book From The Memory Stone of Makela Leki that appeared in The Elder Scrolls Online, raising speculation that he may have been retconned out of existence. However, he was subsequently mentioned in The Light and the Dark and The Ebon Arm, two Daggerfall books which were added to Skyrim Special Edition by the Creations Staff of Hasedoki and Redguard Elite Armaments, respectively.
- Ebonarm was pictured as a Nord by developers, seen as a minor deity or hero saint of the Iliac Bay. Furthermore, Ebonarm is the alter ego of Daggerfall beta tester Raymond Whit Crowley, who wrote The Ebon Arm.[UOL 1]
- A developer comment has suggested that Ebonarm is a Yokudan deity or group of deities who may simply be manifestations of the HoonDing which have subsequently individualized.[UOL 2]
- Early concept art for ESO's Celestial Warrior depicted him as Ebonarm. Although his identity was later changed, the final version of the character has heavy connections to Yokuda and the Ansei.[8]
- In the oldest known demo for Daggerfall, shrines to Ebonarm exist and will bless the player character's weaponry skills, but display a message that "Shandar has blessed your best weaponry skill." By the second demo (released a month later), these have been fully converted to shrines of Stendarr.
- In the same demo, there is a text for joining a knightly faction, which has Ebonarm and Stendarr existing simultaneously: "[Player], by Ebonarm's will, I charge thee to be a strong and mighty knight. By Stendarr's will, I charge thee to be pure and merciful to thy enemies. Rise, [Knight] [Player Forename], thou art one of the [Knights] now."
- Cut dialogue in ESO would have mentioned Ebonarm:
- "I keep a shrine to Ebonarm in my home. Every Redguard I know honors the God of War that way."
- "I keep a shrine to Ebonarm, the God of War, in my home. I don't know any Redguard who doesn't."
- "May Ebonarm walk beside you in battle, traveler."
- A cut item from ESO was called the "Great Shield of Ebonarm."
See AlsoEdit
- For game-specific information, see the Daggerfall article.
ReferencesEdit
- ^ The Ebon Arm — Witten Rol
- ^ a b Oelander's Hammer — Krowle
- ^ King Edward, Part X — Anonymous
- ^ Anvil of Ebonarm shrine locations in Daggerfall
- ^ Appearance in Daggerfall
- ^ Events of Arena and Daggerfall
- ^ The Dark Spirits — Amun-dro, the Silent Priest
- ^ Celestial Warrior's appearance in ESO
Note: The following references are considered to be unofficial sources. They are included to round off this article and may not be authoritative or conclusive.