Lore:Bound Items

A Breton wielding Bound Weapon (Legends)

Bound Items, predominantly bound armors, and bound weapons, also known as bound armaments, are conjured ephemeral objects created from daedric entities. The practice of conjuring bound items falls within the domain of the Conjuration school of magic, specifically referred to as Armamancy. Practitioners of this art were known as armamancers, and sometimes as arcane warriors. Swords formed through this method are sometimes called summoned blades. Axes, on the other hand, were referred to as conjured axes.

Classification and Division

Shad Astula Academy

Gloambound Weapons

Shad Astula categorized the summoning of bound armors and weapons as part of the discipline of Conjuration, an arbitrary classification aimed at facilitating the education of mages. Gabrielle Benele proposed this classification within the Mages Guild during the Interregnum of the Second Era. Her proposition was initially dismissed by Vanus Galerion, and Gabrielle received numerous rejection letters for her proposal. Interestingly, Vanus Galerion later received credit for creating the schools of magic himself.

Binding Daedra into equipment can be divided into two categories: short-term and long-term. Both Daedric worshippers and sorcerers occasionally bind lesser Daedra as instruments. Most Daedric servants can be formed into objects for very brief periods, within the most fragile and tenuous frameworks of command and binding. During its brief presence in Tamriel, a bound weapon is essentially a Daedra (albeit a remarkably feeble and unintelligent one) confined within a magical form. Sometimes, this is more long-term - lesser entities bound by their Daedra Lords and Princes into weapons and armor may be summoned for brief periods, or may persist indefinitely, so long as they are not destroyed and banished. For instance, Lord Warden Dusk imprisoned members of the Foolkillers Clan in forms of equipment. In retaliation, Lyranth, the sole survivor, assisted by mortals, trapped Dusk's essence inside a shield after his physical form was destroyed as an act of revenge. Daedric artifacts like Mehrunes' Razor and the Mask of Clavicus Vile are examples of long-term bindings. Most mortal magic practitioners practice short-term bindings, though.

Lyranth the Foolkiller claimed that due to the imprecise nature of mortal summoning rituals, the Daedra bound into weapons may vary in nature. She speculated that in some cases, they might be the manifest dynamism of Oblivion or even "sapient being from some pocket dimension of talking daggers".

Usage

A Falmer wielding Bound Weapon (Skyrim)

Bound Armor (Oblivion)

Weapons and armor are the most commonly bound items. Bound armor spells summon lesser daedra confined within the form of magical armor for the duration of the magical effect. The armor pieces are incredibly light, exquisitely crafted, and supernaturally resilient. Common spells of this type include bound cuirass, bound helm, bound boots, bound shield, and bound gauntlets. Bound weapon spells summon lesser daedra confined within the form of magical weapons for the duration of the magical effect. The weapons are remarkably lightweight, expertly crafted, and exceptionally lethal. Common spells of this type include bound dagger, bound longsword, bound mace, bound battle-axe, bound spear, and bound longbow. That also included bound quivers, arrows, and staves. Bound items can either adopt a transparent ethereal form, or manifest similar to typical, though less potent and temporary, Daedric equipment. The appearance and properties of the bound items may be linked to and depend on the form from which plane they are conjured. For instance, Gloambound weapons were notably conjured from the plane of Nocturnal, the Evergloam.

Various other methods for manifesting bound weapons were known. Enchantment was one such method, where magical scrolls and permanently enchanted items could be utilized to create bound items. Additionally, Standing Stones could also be employed for this purpose.

Bound weapons can be compelled to move autonomously, levitating around the wielder and engaging in combat independently.

Across the Cyrodilic wilderness are several magical standing stones called Runestones. Once activated, it will bind a piece of armor and weapon to the user. There are three types of runestones, each named after an important figure in Cyrodiil's history (namely Hestra, Reman, and Sidri-Ashak) and each giving different kinds of equipment. The Hestra Runestones give light bracers and either a dagger or mace, the Reman Runestones give a heavy cuirass and either a claymore or axe, and the Sidri-Ashak Runestones give a light helmet and a bow.

Gallery

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  A Dunmer wielding Bound Weapon (ESO)

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  Morkuldin Sword (ESO)

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  Necromantic Scythe (Legends)

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  Templar Javelin (Legends)

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  Bound Armor (ESO)

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  Levitating Bound Daggers (ESO)

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  Levitating Conjured Axe (ESO)

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  Ballista ability (ESO)

Notes

• Y'ffre-Bound weapons were magical weapons wielded by the Bosmer.
• There existed a variety of magical methods to create temporary ethereal weapons of unclear nature. Templars employed magic developed by the Sect of Harmonious Masters and Resolutes of Stendarr to forge weaponry made of light. Although on occasion their spells were linked to the Aedra, they have no connection to them. Similarly, necromancers could conjure ethereal weaponry through their magical practices, while Dragonknights utilized Ardent Flame, a technique derived from Akaviri methods, to create temporary weaponry. The methods used to manifest these magical weapons have unclear connections to Bound weapons.

See Also

• For game-specific information, see the Morrowind, Oblivion, Skyrim, and Elder Scrolls Online articles.
• Shehai
• Daedric Equipment

References

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.