The Runestone of Malacath was a runestone named after the Daedric Prince Malacath, and said to pulse with dark energy.[1] It was the focus of a Daedric ritual called the Ritual of Unbinding, said to be capable of severing an entity's ties, mystical and magical, to release them from all links to mortal and immortal realms.[2][3][4][5]
Once invoked, the runestone would channel energy into one of the binding stones used for the ritual. For most beings, completion of the ritual required two binding stones, more powerful beings required three, and especially powerful beings required four. The binding stones were named for Essence, Magicka, Spirit, and Memory. The Runestone could also be invoked to create a key that could than be used on the binding stones to revoke the energies within and break the connection. Though the rite was normally fatal for the bound being, it was possible for a willing sacrifice to offer up their life to energize the key instead through the Ritual of the Proxy, thus energizing the key with their own soul, and allowing for the bound being's survival. If the ritual was interrupted, the severed links could be restored. Conversely, if the binding stones were energized once more, the ritual could resume.[2][6][4][5]
The Ritual of Unbinding was used by the Drublog Clan of Wood Orcs, in an attempt to sever the mystical ties between the Silvenar and the Bosmer, as part of the plans of the Hound. However, the timely intervention of the Vestige and the sacrifice of a willing soul through the Ritual of the Proxy, allowed for the Silvenar to be released and his links to the Bosmer to be restored.[2][5][3][4][6]