We Were Wrong About Molag Bal... - Elder Scrolls Lore

[@tomsimpkins1211]

"With these ingredients, Molag Bal had reached mustache twirling levels of dastardliness."-Drewmora 2023

[@DavetheNord]

hahahahaa

[@elfofcourage]

🤣🤣🤣

[@Pyrodorah]

Honestly couldn't have put it better myself.

[@Bullminator]

Was one of those ingredients by a chance a powedered deer penis?

[@weebobo955]

😂

[@Aaron-xo7px]

I like drew being a character in these videos, just a wondering traveler. Needs to be an encounter mod for Skyrim. Some guy in the library at winterhold or something

[@connivingkhajiit]

That would be amazing especially if he voiced it

[@Illitha]

I really need to learn how to male npcs. Having a custom dremora chilling in winterhold that tells of his travels through the oblivion realms seems hard tho

[@peanutbutter6720]

Ooh. Something like the storyteller mod for fallout 4. That’d be cool

[@badluck5647]

I prefer the Prince's name from the last Kalpa: Lygma Bals

[@mmyr8ado.360]

Lyg-ma Bal

[@ArcaneTuber]

@@mmyr8ado.360 That name seems like "Lamae Bal" (the first vampire, in the Elder Scrolls lore)

[@kittensareawesome2789]

@@ArcaneTuber Entirely possible he IS that same first vampire, history tends to muddle things.

[@ChiefderWahrheit]

I am more of a Molag Ballin' man myself

[@brunofeitosafl]

OMG there must be a mod for that

[@Liberater4589]

I would disagree with your main conclusion, I think Bal does care about mortals, a lot, he just doesn’t “care” in the way a mother cares, he is deeply invested in the suffering and subjugation of mortals (all beings to be fair but mortals seemingly in particular), if he didn’t care then why would have things like torture Quotas or like in the oblivion quest the corruption of upstanding people if he didn’t care about mortals or think of them as more than objects, I think he refers to them as objects and uses dehumanizing language deliberately as a means to belittle and degrade mortals not as a true reflection of his thoughts on mortals

[@DrewmoraYT]

This was the major dilemma for me that sparked the video. In a way I like the bully aspect. But if you humour the possibility that Coldharbour is Bal's attempt to hold on to his crowning glory, Lyg, rather than a deep longing to be part of Creation, and that mortals aren't valuable beyond being dispensable worker ants to this arrogant god, then my conclusion gives us some potential for discussing Bal's motivation, rather than him just being written off as a jealous cliche bully. But you could be right! And that's the fun

[@SobeCrunkMonster]

i think you’re being the “semantics police” on this one, and you spelled “Liberator” in your screen name wrong lol

[@mike-0451]

@@DrewmoraYTAll beings desire to become with the original source of their being. For molag Baal, he understands that source to be a fecund chaos mediated by power (or pure “vantage”, overcoming, triumph, “domination”), which means that he must of course worship rape and murder and corruption, rather than restoration and beauty, which according all metaphysical thought (pagan thought, of course, too) is an impossibility. One absorbed in this narrative of power, violence, and exile (remember he desires to be “part” of that original source, which is already power) one can see beauty, of course, but one can never see beauty AS the source, as the origin of all being. You’re absolutely right about the “autochthonic” pathos that pervades the thinking of the gods, but if gods are simply powerful beings, or even if they are “forces”, they are still beings, and in some strange cosmological sense also desire to be enfolded back into the source of their being, which is either absolute identity (the One, Brahman) or absolutely contradiction (Chaos)-both are the truths of each other and are convertible. Both are always absolutely other than the set of all beings, the “not” of all things. In either case, contradiction and the reverberation of identity, or identity and the reverberation of contradiction ring in the most pristine key in both, with the ultimate truth of both being the simple fact of contradiction: the only truth is that there is no truth, the “ground” of beings and stable representation is ultimately a rabid sea of alterity, coincidences of identity in singularities of accidental order, but always accidental, and always the excretions of a writhing, chaotic spring. For molag bal, the answer to nihilism is will to power. That means rape worship, since rape is, after all, a valid expression of the will to power, of desire and nisus. There is no good and evil, only force, only power. Azura is actually more similar to Bal than nah other daedra, since both have recognized the innner truth of being: back and forth, in and out, order and chaos. Where Bal takes on a distinctly Nietzschean key in his cosmological wailing, Azura is more of a pagan, or perhaps a more naive Deleuzean who has lapsed into myth once again (only it is a myth of pseudo-innocence, which has forgotten that even her “dusk and dawn” is also a violent gesture, where one erases the other to have their existence. The sun kills the moon for day, the moon kills the sun for night: they are erased). The elder scrolls universe cannot conceive of true transcendence for precisely this reason. More on this if you wish, but suffice it to say that the elder scrolls is a truly pagan cosmos, truly total, circular, Ouroborosian. It is entirely tragic.

[@badluck5647]

While Molag Bal doesn't treat his subordinate daedra well, his level of sadism towards morals is on a whole other level. His singular focus on possessing and corrupting morals suggests he either see great value in morals or he has special hatred for them. Hate and love are more closely linked than disinterest.

[@badluck5647]

​​​​@@DrewmoraYT I was hoping the writers would give a reason for his jealousy and cruelty towards morals beyond simple sadism. Based on his brief relationship with Vivec and past relationship with a wife, there is something more human about his motivations than initially suggested. Maybe Molag Bal' jealousy is similar to Hircine's jealousy of Y'ffre.

[@Sally4th_]

So basically MB is that kid who likes pulling wings off butterflies. I'd call "evil" on that.

[@Liberater4589]

The sload, dreughs, the constant use of blue, cold-harbor, molag bal has a lot connections to the sea, even his constant theme of cold and darkness could be interpreted as the deep sea, considering there is no ocean centric deity in any of the pantheons I wonder if there’s any connection between that and molag’s close relation to the sea

[@oghaze9318]

Another interesting thing about the color theme is that his name is Stonefire (think of brimstone as an imagery of the Christian depiction of Hell). I think blue is used to depict his realm because it's a theme associated with blue fire, but it can also be a theme associated with cold weather because maybe because Coldharbour was made to subdue his fire (perhaps by Kyne, Meridia and other Magna Ge ?). By constantly being subdued by Ice he retains the will to always dominate with his Fire (ironically)

[@leonardomarquesbellini]

There's no singular ocean deity in main pantheons because the ocean is the essence of oblivion and a keeper of memory, in particular. Closest representative would be old Herma Mora.

[@EricIsntSmart]

I think there's no oceanic diety because in the mythology of the elder scrolls the ocean doesn't really seem to be treated as a place, oddly enough The sea is where ships go to die, it's what swallows continents and captains

[@chemputer]

I *really, really* want a Sload video, more than I care to admit. They seem fascinating but underutilized by Bethesda.

[@editorrbr2107]

Strongly agree. It’s hard to take wholly Thalmor seriously as ultimate villains in a world where the Sload existed.

[@rejvaik00]

@@editorrbr2107 I think it's because the sload are on the virge of extinction

[@muslimcrusader5987]

An excellent video as always. My theory is that Molag Bal was originally a mortal himself, born from the Dreughs, and fought his way up to become the strongest amongst them. Then at one point he discovered CHIM, which gave him the power to rival the Et’Ada themselves. That would explain how Molag Bal was able to teach Vivec CHIM. I would imagine, in this theory, that Bal wasn’t the best user of CHIM, and perhaps struggles to tap into that power, which would explain why he couldn’t use it in conquering Mundus.

[@crandleberrysadie]

A Drewmora video to start 2023. Awesome. Happy New Year, Drew! 🎉🎊

[@ScythosMusic]

Starting 23 with Molag Bal, can’t wait for the Plane Meld

[@Lyndonmaman]

12:26 "Using fear as his mind killer." You sneaky nerd, you.

[@popguy2815]

There's a major contradiction here. If Bal sees everyone as sheep or insects or whatever then what does he get from dominating them? One might herd/breed/hunt them as needed but no one "dominates" them. And remember what Serana says about becoming a vamp. That clearly showed seeing individuals that have worth.

[@turdfurg765]

He does it to spite the Gods by dominating their chess board

[@mmyr8ado.360]

It's kinda like Nirn is being interacted differently depending who's playing. The mortal races might play it straight like an MMO, the Aedra might go for admin and civ sim and the Daedra might do their own thing and somehow it works out for all in the Aurbis. Molag Bal might be the one that shows off to prove his dominance by approaching his interactions with Nirn differently like being in an empire building sim in Lyg, civ sim through vampirism, dating sim because of that one time, and gacha for the main ES titles.

[@OrgusDin]

@@mmyr8ado.360 I would caution you against underestimating the intensity of the lovemaking by brushing off Vivec as "that one time." I'm pretty sure being outside of time because you're a god makes it only being one time irrelevant anyway. Vivec probably rocked his world with they/them godhood.

[@badluck5647]

While Molag Bal doesn't treat his subordinate daedra well, his level of sadism towards morals is on a whole other level. His singular focus on possessing and corrupting morals suggests he either see great value in morals or he has special hatred for them. Hate and love are more closely linked than disinterest. I think there is an untold orgin story out there to explain his hatred towards morals. Maybe it has something to do with his unknown wife that mentioned was in Khajiit myth.

[@mmyr8ado.360]

@@OrgusDin I understand, but I have said such to humor those who know about the event and its aftermath and invite interest to those who wonder. I also advise to tread carefully when discussing the different aspects of Vehk. The male aspect is ever-present most of his days, and the female aspect is beyond the present Kalpa. For they I will call them for they wear the secret word CHIM.

[@badluck5647]

People often misunderstand Molag Bal as the embodiment of corruption and domination when Bal's motives are actually much more individualistic. For example, Bal wouldn't be a supporter of Dunmer slavery, because he isn't the top of the hierarchy. He doesn't support slavery for the sake of slavery. Bal wants to be the one that dominates, and the Dunmer and their slaves aren't taking orders from the Daedric Prince. Molog Bal doesn't have an impulsive need to corrupt. He chooses to corrupt things due to a jealousy of the creations of others. Just look at how Coldharbor lacks originality as Bal's realm is mostly mocking imitations or things directly stolen from Nirn itself.

[@mike-0451]

Jealousy is just one form of corruption. It’s the corruption of desire. The irony is that Molag Bal is thoroughly fucked up to the point that he recurs on himself. Bal doesn’t need to “support” slavery; he is already slavery. Bal is both a corrupter and corruption. Corruption is not possible without a corrupter, and vice versa. Bal is not the demiurge of corruption either; they co-exist necessarily.

[@sionbell981]

I don’t think the lack of originality is a Molag Bal thing. In ESO (I think it’s a crow in crow’s wood that says this but I may be wrong) they player finds out that the Daedra in general are really bad at creating but really good at mimicking. Basically the reason why Molag Bal mimics lyg is simply because all Daedra are mimicking something.

[@humanitysfinest9795]

Its basically the middle finger to Lorkhan

[@stolengirlfriendclub8724]

Do you think Molag bal the lord of domination would so easily reward you?

[@neoqwerty]

@@sionbell981 It's not just ESO lore, that's from some lore book (there's many of them and I don't have them all memorized by subject yet). IIRC it was in Morrowind and discussing how Daedric armor and weapons are made. paraphrasing the lore: Daedric creations are always imitations of the best on Nirn, but they always look that slightest bit "off" from what a well-balanced weapon would be, for example, and are corrupted imitations of perfection; close enough for the untrained eye, but inferior and poorer than what a perfect mortal creation could be. Pretty sure that book is also in Oblivion and Skyrim, so if you hoard books check for one that talks about forging, I know it also tackled ebony and glass.

[@whyjnot420]

Why the hell do I keep watching videos like this when I haven't played Skyrim in 5 years?

[@cardemis7637]

I like the odea of colharbor reflecting Molag Bal's history with Lygg, but I also feel like it simultaneously reflects his desire for tamriel. If it is a reflection of Bal's psyche, then it may reflect more than one aspect.

[@brandonbest8489]

I'm loving these drewmora videos. Especially the deadra and entity focused ones. I've watched.. probably thousands ( I'm not kidding) of elder scrolls videos. I like this format.. I like the narration and video style.. and here's the cherry on top.. in almost every video I learn something I never knew.. at this point.. that's far and few.. but to bring up such details on a normal and consistent basis.. well done.

[@gabenvandenbrink9114]

Hi Drew, if there is a tower in Coldharbour. Would that mean that the Thalmor would need to deactivate that one as well? Also, could it be that Talos IS Lorkhan now? Or more of an aedra that takes his place in the divine pantheon. You could argue that all shezarrine we meet are now actually Talos's mortal incantations. Also, i love your theory of Coldharbour having aspects of Lyg rather then Tamriel. It is so fitting and like you said, explains the 'old war look' really well.

[@neoqwerty]

Talos is Shor/Shezarr: the empty, cored-out part of Lorkhan. Lorkhan's divine fire lays in his Heart (there is a reason the song Red Diamond says that the Heart laughed in Auriel's face when it was torn from Lorkhan's chest-- in doing so, Auriel created Shor, greatest enemy of Mer), as we all know from the god-like powers the Heart can give, and from the reason Numidium and Akulakhan, both artificial gods, needed the heart of a god, or something close enough to confuse for one (11, the inelegant number; without a witness could you tell Lorkhan's soul apart from Lorkhan's husk? but only one of them is the king, and the other is his shadow.)

[@azadisoleil6319]

You left me with more questions than answers(just like you always did) that makes you a good Elder Scrolls commentator. I’ve come to understand that if one speaks of the content, and the words flow smoothly without raising any questions nor concern, they did not do their homework well. The wisdom of the Elder Scrolls requires one’s mind to collapse to truly understand.

[@whooll]

This was awesome. It's been a while since I completed the main quest in ESO but some of the clips you got from it are incredible and makes me feel like I'm seeing some of it for the first time somehow lol

[@lemonj3537]

In the previous Kalpa, Molag Bal was just as greedy and tried to hold onto fragments of Lyg as it was coming to an end. This caused Alduin to punish him by trapping him “in between places”, permanently altering his form. Edit - Source: “The Eating-Birth of Dagon” by Michael Kirkbride.

[@LICENFIREFEAR]

He may be evil , but he is one magnificent deadric lord, thank you for the legendary videos master drew

[@codyskater6073]

Would love to see a video that talks about how liches fit in elder scroll lore

[@mattasticmattattack8546]

I believe there's one out there , but it's a manimarco vid

[@Phoenix-ej2sh]

"Molag Bal is not evil." - uh. Ok, I'm picking up what you're putting down with the ant analogy... I guess .... but damn. If Molag Bal isn't evil, then the word is meaningless as it applies to the ES universe.

[@gavin_almeida]

Anyone else actually love how ESO portrayed coldharbour?

[@MLPDethDealr32]

No. I prefer how its shown in the mod Vigilant. ESO pisses me off Storywise/Lore wise.

[@HiAgainTheNameIsStillAyle]

​@@MLPDethDealr32Counterpoint: There is a dialogue that implocates that one of the arch mages of the Mages Guild was fucked by Shegorath

[@AeronHale]

Vigilant is easily one the best out there for both design and story. Vicn's mods are peak content.

[@editorrbr2107]

I would listen to Drew reading insurance policies.

[@jcol1708]

16:57 “erasing half the mortal population of Tamriel far exceeds the necessity’s of natural order” Thanos dislikes this video.

[@Didymus20X6]

4:14 - "YOU CAN'T TAKE THE SKY FROM ME."

[@malkeus6487]

Seems pretty sad to have all that power and be compelled to torment and dominate something you don't even acknowledge as a thinking being. That's like... Keeping a dog around so you can hit it with a stick and laugh.

[@skipmage]

So, you are telling me; that if a Player were to stride into Molag Bal's palace, lay him low, defile his body and bind the pieces into tools for their own use: Molag Bal would not be angry, for this is merely the nature of a dog- to bite it's owner? I think he'd be mightily pissed, he's already angered that some mortals simply refuse his games. Molag Bal as depicted within the world of Nirn is a petulant man child.

[@jokroast6912]

Was the Coral Tower in Thras one of the ones that was holding up the sky, holding up the Mundas? It would make sense that every sapient race be destined to have one (live near one) or build one at some point during each Kalpa experiment. I know that this holds true for the bird folks that inhabited the heartlands, maintained the White-Gold Tower at a different time from when Mer did, no? Maybe people cannot find Atmora because there is no longer a tower to hold it into existence, nor a sapient race wherein.

[@leonardomarquesbellini]

The (unofficial) source that lists the towers and their role have then all accounted for, but bare in mind actual official sources have the towers be a lot more flexible and being able to be created and re-created.

[@hawkeyenextgen7117]

The only reason I chose to do Molag Bal’s quest in Skyrim was because I had beef with Boethiah. She sent a cultist to kill me after completing my quest in Goldenglow. So I figured what better way to lay waste to her cult than to smite them with her rival’s weapon?

[@jem_aquariusmoon]

I don’t know what it is but I am truly fascinated by Molag Bal and vampires in general lol Thank you so much for this excellent video on him, you’re such an awesome storyteller!

[@anthonybullard4441]

I always kind of assumed his motivation was revenge. He seems to be lashing out at everyone responsible for the destruction of "his" world and doing everything he can to wreck the world that replaced it because he resents its existence.

[@boldbearings]

Another fine write-up. 💎

[@PsychicAlchemy]

Lyg as the foundation for Coldharbour is an absolutely fascinating idea.

[@Im-Not-a-Dog]

I can not wait for the next of our 36 lessons.

[@corneliuscarver8547]

I also like to imagine the name of his realm Cold Harbour as being a bittersweet title carved in the memory of his old life. Like when you experience a loss, especially the one that is deeply personal ....you are invaded by this coldness and your whole world feels barren. The harbour iin the title carries on a much more metaphysical meaning, because in a way, being within Oblivion... He is on the precipice of his home realm...but he can never go there again since its unmaking and He certainly cannot make it again. So he carries that title as a reminder to all the souls of THIS plane that he harvests from. Always standing on that "Cold Harbour", embittered and nostalgically depressed.

[@syrenet]

i'dd still run around with his mace on and dragon bone armor listening the mixed messages the npcs are yelling at me both in awe and abhor.

[@Saniraf808]

Wonderful way to start off the new year.

[@critical3rrrornotfound]

Best way to start the new year! Great work

[@D.Aniel89]

Awesome video by the way!

[@markjacobs3232]

Molag Bal is the daedric prince of courage, willpower, and triumph. He talks down to those fearful or obedient to him, but respectful(as seen in elder scrolls online) to those who stand up to him. He punishes those without the will to hold to their vows in Oblivion. They are only punished because they broke their vows. And triumph, shown in domination and r word. He is the harshest of the daedric princes, as seen with the torture quota to those who fail to meet his demands, but he is not just ES Satan. It actually makes sense that he punishes so many of his followers. Many are orca who claim to be strong, tough, and to stand up to anyone, but they will kneel, grovel, and such as almost any other mortal when faced with a daedric princes wrath. He HATES them for this as it is exactly the opposite of the followers he wants.

[@markjacobs3232]

Orc, not orca, weird spelling change, though now the idea of orcas worshipping him I can’t get out of my head…

[@sevenheavens-gj9qq]

Indeed. As seen in ESO, after his defeat in Coldharbour, he even goes as far as manifesting in Meridia’s realm to congratulate the Vestige. He’s got plenty of oddly appreciative, obsessive quotes regarding the Vestige in his dolmens. “Ah, it’s my unwitting tool. Return to my realm and serve me.” "You've proven your strength. Again." "Bend your knee to me, I'll give you a minion for each enemy you've slain. You will have an army." "My plan comes to fruition, mortal. You serve me now as a vessel of destruction." "Your soul is mine. I own you! Come. Let us play." "Your strength is mine. Come. Serve me." "Your strength will be rewarded. One day." "I forged you in the soulfire of Coldharbour to be my tool. Prove your worth." "I don't want revenge. I want your submission." Even getting personal like a stalker, referring to some of the Vestige’s companions. “Are you still working for the dim one?” "You and Sai Sahan have much in common … except you're not a complete failure." "The Battlemage has the amulet, but you have true power. Fight for me." "Mannimarco was a pawn. You are another. Come. Let's play." And such.

[@markjacobs3232]

@@sevenheavens-gj9qq Exactly, it's what makes the daedric princes so interesting in ES universe. They have both good and bad blended together. They are not pure good, nor pure evil, they are their own beings with their own wills and desires, and the same can be said for the divines as well. Akatosh is time, but also the end of time, Dibella isn't just love and hanky panky, but also art, and beauty, Zenithar can be the willy merchant, or the honest benefactor. Sheogorath, is he the mad god of insanity, or is Jyggalag? Heck on the note of Sheogorath, we all claim to love him and "he's just a silly guy", but he is horrifying on how his whims can torture and kill so many for his own amusement that seemingly had no purpose or motive.

[@rejvaik00]

I don't think Molag bal had anything to do with soul trapping or knowledge of black soul gems I'd say it would be the ideal Masters instead

[@benjaminrabuzin9957]

I wonder is his internal logic is challenged upon the creation of vampires. Seemingly giving humans not just the affliction of feeding on their own kind but the choice to do so. As a vampire if you don’t feed in Skyrim I’m not 100% sure lore wise If you would die, you just become weaker to the sun. It seems in his attempt to show humans how weak they are , all he honestly did is show how strong some of us can be. Physically or mentally.

[@badluck5647]

Molog Bal seems to lack imagination as most of his creations seem to be either twisted imitations or corruptions of the orginal. Maybe vampirism is an imitation of lycanthropy with the sole intent of mocking Arkay or Meridia.

[@benjaminrabuzin9957]

@@badluck5647 I actually really like that conceptualization, seemingly so arrogant and non creative that he has to resort to plagiarism

[@daedric1387]

He forces mortals to rise to the challenges he sets, to those who succeed he grows a modicum of respect. He reviles weakness. Even in defeat he is often more prone to praise his foe to possess such skill or strength.

[@OfficialChrissums]

i think bal is infact insecure about mortals. He fears that they have more free will than him, as he has nothing outside of his sphere. All he is, and all he is defined by, is his domination of others. Without free will there is nothing to truly dominate, and so, like it or not, we must remain somewhat free or he cannot dominate us. Jygyllag is the one who truly can and wants to remove free will. Jygyllag doesnt even want or have free will himself. For him there is only perfect order and that includes putting himself into that order. Bal doesnt want to control humanity, he wants to DOMINATE it. Jygyllag can take away your free will, bal can only torture the defiance out of you. I think Bal's insecurity comes from the fact that his own sphere is contradictory. He wants to dominate mortals and sees them as not posessing will, but if he truly could remove their will, or if they had none to start with, then there would be no psyche for him to derive pleasure from dominating. I think on some level he knows this, and the fact that Dagon was able to show him clearly that no matter how thoroughly he dominated the wills of mortals that will could be reawakened at any time bruised him to his core. He is perhaps the only prince whose sphere suffers from this self-contradictory flaw and I imagine that would make him feel very weak indeed.

[@VonDesmond]

Amazing video yet again i am a vampire in almost all my games of tamerial i had to understand molag bal and you made that possible thank you again 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

[@SaintBananaFATE]

This video is absolutely fantastic! I love researching elder scrolls and how you play yourself as a researcher in tamriel! Ekkk it just makes my nerdy side soooo happy! Can you do an episode on hermeas mora? He my favorite daedra!

[@BlackHoleForge]

Glad to see you going strong with your new channel. Here is a subscription. May Shadows hide you.

[@MediumRareBacon]

i skipped all the dialogue since the start of the game so i thought we were still fighting molag bal

[@TylerHolt-hh5cf]

Bro what?

[@forgottengames6663]

The Vaati Vidya of the Elder Scrolls delivers another masterpiece

[@gerbenvanegmond4007]

I loved listening to all this you're a great video maker Drewmora

[@afonsodealbuquerque1879]

I think Molag might desire to impose suffering on mortals because of the fall of his race as a Dreugh, and as a symbol of the ocean and a crustacean he represents the merciless cruelty of nature. Just imagine sailors being killed by a storm at sea, bodies lost not receiving proper funerals, eaten by crabs, souls forsaken in limbo forever.

[@luckyjedi429]

What a fascinating perspective.

[@albertusvanlubeeck9161]

Solid work! I've never taken to the idea of any of them being "just evil." I think that idea comes from a narcissistic place of mortals placing themselves on par with deities. The only evil aspect would come from the mortals (not vampires) that partake in his plans. As mortals, they know the suffering and pain they will cause. An eternal being on the other hand will outlast not only your species but the universe as a whole. You are nothing other than fleeting ideas from their perspective.

[@badluck5647]

If Molag Bal sees morals as so insignificant, then why is there such an obsession with dominating them?

[@albertusvanlubeeck9161]

@Bad Luck it's not domination of them that is so important as it is spiting other deities. The whole vampirism is a perfect example. How does making vampires help him outside of spitting in Akays face?

[@death299]

@@badluck5647 boredom, spite and just what he quite literally is is the domination of others. if you view crops and animals we harvest as insignificant compared to you, why do you seek to control what they do and how they grow? if you view ants as insignificant bugs, why are they killed when they're in your home? domination has nothing to do with the view of others as insignificant or important, merely that it exists and you are above it.

[@badluck5647]

@@death299Your metaphors don't make sense. I like to eat beef, but I don't hunt down cows to mutilate them. I don't want ants in my house, so I don't capture them in order to torture them in my home. Clearly, Bal's active pursuit of mortals over animals or daedra shows he sees significance in mortals.

[@death299]

@@badluck5647 and how precisely do you get that beef? you don't "hunt" them, you keep them in cages subjugated to your will until they die prematurely for your consumption/use do you leave ants and other pests to wander around your home and property freely?, or do you engage in pest control and kill them when they trespass? but pray tell, do you think hunters and slave owners view(d) those they hunt and enslave as their equals? tf are you talking about? bal is constantly torturing and trying to conquer other deadra and princes you not understanding the metaphor doesn't make it bad, it just means you missed the point entirely, esp given how you act like you don't hunt and mutilate animals lol

[@yodaTVmedia]

Excellent content very well made. Thank you!

[@ozgho09]

So Bal sees the Mundus as many of us do. A game and/or toy, its inhabitants automata to fill out this fantasy world, a fantasy world designed for one thing, to act as a power fantasy.

[@HiAgainTheNameIsStillAyle]

Molag Bal is pretty much an in universe incarnation of murder hobo players with a concerning amount of sex mods in their modlist

[@pythonhighadder7982]

Great video Drew, well said.

[@ShineyFace1337]

First video of the year and it's a big one, this was an interesting video on old Molag, great job Drew

[@flashhy1088]

I had to look at the upload date to make sure it wasn't April 1st

[@FumblesWumbles]

Just discovered your personal Channel Drew. Easy smash on the Subscribe button. Hope things are all well with FudgeMuppet though. Don't wanna see you fellas ever fully split in your work, even if you go in your own directions. Looking forward to future projects of each of y'all.

[@TheToma305]

Frucked me up with the Lyg drop. Have a Happy New Year Drew n Co!

[@Afrafasti]

So Molag Bal is like a pet. Don't bother explaining things to Molag Bal, just get the spray bottle. Put aluminum foil on all the entrances to the world, maybe he's like a cat and that'll freak him out.

[@kilgoreclayton]

He’s awesome for the last 8 years he’s just been steady dropping anchors and giving us free treasure chests

[@TheGoatedPlum]

It makes me sad you don’t have more videos 😢

[@brianmo2965]

After playing the vigilant mod, I have become much more interested in the molag bal and alessian lore

[@commando5872]

This episode was sponsored by: Mystery man Molong Bald, who is definitely not Molag Bal

[@rogereisnaugle6012]

I can't honestly say I like any of the daedra, but I definitely like your presentation. You bring out that the elder scrolls are a universe that almost makes sense. The way you describe bal reminds me of the way Gordy Rose described the entities they were summoning at CERN. Man is beneath them so they don't care what happens to them or their suffering.

[@LucasDimoveo]

The Judge from Blood Meridian is basically a mortal shade of Molog Bal

[@Dunwichruler]

i want a remix of this video with only when he breaths in

[@everyday4play401]

I just found this video, and just found out you left fudge muppet. I always loved your videos on the daedra, and it was all I would watch on that channel. I don’t know why you left over there yet but I’m happy I found you here and sorry it took this long. I never watch their podcasts and rarely watch anything that wasn’t your content (not sure why the others voices annoy me, especially Scott, he always sounded overly proud and higher than thou. I couldn’t stand it.) but that’s why I hadn’t noticed you left yet.

[@Seeker_420]

So Molag Bal the God of Shames was just a Crabking in his last life...

[@gerggergungson7885]

"more land and power" hehe land. love your content, glad i rediscovered

[@corneliuscarver8547]

I find it so perplexing that a former Warlord/King of a previous Kalpa was able to carve his own sphere of Oblivion, just by his sheer will. It surely enhances the time-less and non-linear nature of Oblivion within the Aurbis, since we had these two additions to the princes in from an adjacent side of Mundus, but we can never say "when".

[@mitjakocjancic2205]

24:05 For a second I thought you were rapping Reign of Terror by Sabaton :D

[@basiliimakedonas1109]

Dagon is the one who gave free will to the mortals making him in part an Aedra

[@OakandIV]

“He isn’t Evil, he just does not view mortals as sapient beings” suggests we need to define what the daedrologist thinks “Evil” means. ;-)

[@Kutamitasa]

If he perceives these mortals like a mindless drones, but spends all his time thinking about them, then what is the conclusion?

[@ForestKitty1000]

Happy new year, love enjoying lore videos

[@RyuuKageDesu]

Perspectives like this always seem a little off, to me. And, not just Molag Bal. Even in game, most daedric princes act as though mortals are weak little ants, yet also seem to put a lot of time, thought, and probably as much energy into maintaining their public relations. If the mortals are so powerless, why even bother with them? As for the mortals, who would warship such a creature; what would they get out of it? It may very well be that mortal beliefs mold the reality of their gods, meaning that Molag Bal is this way because that's what people believe. The possible explanation helps, a little, but I am curious how that irons out in the long run.

[@-cody_]

i'm super excited for a sload video

[@Stuffman1861]

It would honestly surprise if Drew doesn't achieve Chim at some point soon, if he hasn't already.

[@steelshepherd6843]

Excellent analysis.

[@mjslack3073]

29:06 Bro yes. That was the whole point of “Ant Bully” ??? A reason is not an excuse. A child torturing ants should be taught that it’s wrong, you don’t just shake your head and go “well he doesn’t know any better 🤷🏻‍♀️”. That’s how shit gets this fucking bad 😭😭😭

[@nomadrootstv2408]

Very very cool. I wish I had a pc that could run ESO proper and be able to experience all the expansions when they were coming out. I feel so left out haha love the video Drewie

[@WokeFatti]

You and camelworks are the best ES lore masters

[@j-toonsofficial]

The vibe of this video is that molag bal has the mindset of Sauron. But is no more powerful than one of the nine Nazgûl.

[@DarkrarLetsPlay]

I liked those alliterations :)

[@AlecEburhard]

Great video. I have a question. 🙋‍♂️ What is the the connections or “pact” between Akatosh and Shor you alluded to?

[@SterbiusMcGurbius]

Did you know Lyg was just the first name? The whole name was Lyg MaBals.

[@MDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMD]

1:15 Crab King, king of crab kingdom

[@vickypedias]

Molag Bal, just a very misunderstood mirelurk

[@thebigbean8783]

My lord. May you once again make an attempt to get your unholy hands on all of tamriel. I yearn for the day that you rule all of existence. When all of Nirn and beyond cannot be distinguished from ColdHarbour

[@scroom1202]

I love how everyone unwittingly makes Bal sound not anywhere near as bad as he is. You can't sell just how terrible Lamae's fate was by glossing over the event. You wouldn't even say the word. Molag Bal raped and innocent woman. Brutally, and with the end goal of having her die in pain and hate, he stole her virtue. That's how you instill the disgust his name should invoke.

[@Kazuhira2249]

if you ever find yourself face to face with molag bal turn the console off before you witness what he will do to your character

[@hawkeyenextgen7117]

I would say that the truth is that there are some mortals who are no better than Molag Bal.

[@classyrobot5648]

You have got to be kidding... the Lord of Domination, the Master of Torment, the King of R***, used to be a gods damned crab monster. Tamatoa, eat your heart out

[@oldmanodin3521]

Awesome! Are there more lessons of Vivec to come?

[@paulsaguto9563]

12:26 ayyy sick reference bro

[@festro1000]

I'd have to disagree with the sentiment toward the end save for insecure (Molag Bal is in no way insecure). The only similarities I can see with Molag Bal and the kid on the anthill is the position of power and the sheer lack of empathy, that is practically where it ends, Molag bal is a learned divine being so he doesn't have the defense of ignorance, and his treatment of the other gods (Meridia in particular) show that it's not just the difference in power that justifies his antics, he knows what he's doing is immoral he just doesn't care. Take the school bully for example, he sees himself superior to the people he torments, but regardless how much bigger, stronger, or martially learned he is it doesn't change the fact he's still a bully. Another point are slavers, they generally aren't looked at as good, or neutral individuals so it's not unreasonable to see them as evil or at the very least even morally ambiguous, but unlike the Dunmer, Altmer, or even Dwemer those they enslaved served a productive purpose and were cared for (even if to some minimum degree), even in the case of the Falmer who initially choose to serve the Dwarves, Molag Bal on the other hand subjugates (more often without consent) twists and deranges his victims out of spite (in the case of Arkay, and questionably Meridia), his own pleasure, and for the pure sake of it. In the end, He's the textbook definition of a card carrying villain, who can't even be considered morally ambiguous as he would have to have some redeeming quality, or serve a purpose other than as an antagonist in practically every encounter.

[@Eddn102]

Lyg mah Molag Bals. (Nice video, really liked it.)