The Morag Tong is Tamriel’s oldest assassin order, predating the Dark Brotherhood and rooted in the culture of Morrowind. Unlike other killers-for-hire, the Tong claims legitimacy through divine sanction. Their murders are not crimes, but holy writs in the service of Mephala, Daedric Prince of secrets, plots, and murder.
Legends trace their origin to the First Era, when Mephala herself taught the Dunmer the art of “web-spinning” — weaving lies, murder, and intrigue into society. The Tong arose as her chosen instrument, binding murder to ritual. In Dunmeri culture, where Daedric worship is normalized, the Tong gained acceptance as arbiter of politics.
Where the Brotherhood hides in shadows, the Tong kills openly, contracts legalized through Imperial recognition.
The Tong worships Mephala, revered by the Dunmer as one of the Good Daedra. To them, murder is sacred act, not mere crime. Every writ is thread in Mephala’s web, guiding society through hidden design.
The Tong rejects Sithis and the Night Mother of the Dark Brotherhood as false idols. Their killings are not gifts to the Void, but offerings to Mephala, who delights in the tangle of plots and assassinations.
This theology sets them apart: where most of Tamriel sees assassins as criminals, Morrowind sees the Tong as priesthood of murder.
The Morag Tong is a guild as much as a cult, its structure formalized over centuries.
Grandmaster: Supreme leader, often based in Morrowind’s capital.
Masters: Senior assassins who train recruits and oversee writs.
Assassins: Core membership, sworn to Mephala’s service.
Initiates: Recruits tested by loyalty and skill.
The Tong maintains guildhalls across Morrowind, with sanctuaries in cities such as Vivec, Balmora, and Mournhold. Unlike the Dark Brotherhood, these halls are not secret but acknowledged institutions.
The Tong’s unique legitimacy lies in the writ system. A writ of execution is a legal document, sanctioned by Tribunal Temple or later Morrowind’s ruling authorities. Once issued, the Tong assassinates the target openly, with no legal repercussion.
This transforms murder from crime to ritual. A noble slain by writ is seen as victim of divine judgment, not unlawful killing. Families may protest, but they cannot avenge without inviting their own writ.
The writ system makes the Tong both feared and accepted. They are political tool as much as cult, shaping Dunmeri politics for centuries.
First Era:
The Tong rose with Chimer-to-Dunmer transformation. Early writs targeted political rivals, rival Houses, and foreign rulers. Their reputation spread beyond Morrowind, feared by outsiders who could not comprehend murder as law.
Second Era:
During the Interregnum, the Tong reached its height. Morrowind’s Great Houses used them constantly, while foreign lords both feared and sought their services. The chaos of the age allowed the Tong to operate widely, even beyond Morrowind.
Third Era:
The Septim Empire reluctantly legitimized the Tong, granting them recognition in Morrowind. This was pragmatic: better sanctioned assassins under law than endless vendettas. The Brotherhood, by contrast, remained outlaw. The Tong’s guildhalls thrived during this era, though corruption sometimes blurred lines between ritual and profit.
Fourth Era:
With the fall of the Tribunal and Morrowind’s devastation during the Red Year, the Tong declined. Some guildhalls collapsed, but remnants endure, still honored by Dunmeri culture. Their writs remain legal within Morrowind, though diminished in frequency.
The Tong and the Brotherhood are often conflated, but they differ profoundly.
Origin: Tong rooted in Morrowind and Mephala; Brotherhood born of Tong schism, embracing Sithis.
Legitimacy: Tong killings legalized through writs; Brotherhood murders outlawed everywhere.
Theology: Tong serves Mephala; Brotherhood worships Night Mother and Sithis.
Public Role: Tong operates openly in cities; Brotherhood hides in shadows.
Method: Tong strikes openly with legal writ; Brotherhood thrives on secrecy and terror.
To the Tong, the Brotherhood is heresy: apostates who abandoned Mephala for false void. To the Brotherhood, the Tong is archaic, chained to law instead of embracing true chaos.
The Tong blends guild professionalism with Daedric cult devotion.
Ritual Murders: Every kill is sanctified by prayers to Mephala.
Training: Assassins are trained in stealth, poisons, and ritual. Many also master Illusion and alchemy.
Political Role: The Tong is woven into House politics. House Redoran and Hlaalu in particular used them to settle disputes.
Symbols: Tong assassins often bear marks of Mephala, spider imagery, and ritual daggers.
They see themselves not as criminals, but custodians of balance — cutting threads to strengthen Mephala’s web.
Relations with the Tribunal Temple:
The Tribunal tolerated and even sanctioned the Tong, using them as instrument of order. With the Tribunal’s fall, House leaders still honor writs, maintaining their legitimacy.
Relations with Outsiders:
Imperials, Nords, and Bretons see the Tong as little better than the Brotherhood. Yet most foreign rulers recognize the danger of opposing them within Morrowind’s borders.
Assassination as Diplomacy:
To the Dunmer, assassination is part of political discourse. A noble killed by writ is no different than losing duel or battle. This cultural acceptance ensures the Tong’s persistence.
The Morag Tong’s legacy is unique: an assassin order sanctified by law, a guild that turned murder into ritual, a Daedric cult that became part of Morrowind’s social fabric.
Where the Dark Brotherhood thrives on chaos, the Tong thrives on structure. Where outsiders see crime, the Dunmer see divine judgment.
By 4E 201, the Tong endures in diminished form, its influence weakened by disaster but not destroyed. It remains reminder that in Morrowind, death is not end of law but part of its design.
The Morag Tong is paradox: lawful killers, holy murderers, priests of assassination. Their blades cut not only flesh but the threads of history, weaving Tamriel into Mephala’s web.