You're standing in the dark outside a silent stone altar. It’s midnight. You look up at the sky, waiting for that specific, sickly purple light to wash over the world. If you played the original Elder Scrolls IV, you know exactly the mix of boredom and sudden adrenaline I’m talking about. With the rumors and community projects surrounding an Oblivion Remastered Necromancer's Moon experience, that specific brand of magical dread is back in the conversation. It’s one of those rare quests that didn't rely on a giant boss fight to be memorable. Instead, it relied on atmosphere, timing, and the feeling that you were poking your nose into something truly forbidden.
The Mages Guild questline in Oblivion is arguably one of the best in the franchise. It’s better than Skyrim's College of Winterhold. There, I said it. While Skyrim makes you the Arch-Mage for basically showing up, Oblivion makes you work. You have to earn recommendations. You have to deal with bureaucracy. And eventually, you have to deal with Mannimarco’s cult. This is where the "Necromancer's Moon" comes in. It’s not just a cool name for a quest; it’s a celestial event that dictates how you interact with the game’s crafting systems.
What actually happens during the Necromancer's Moon?
Basically, the Necromancer's Moon—or the "Shade of the Revenant"—is a phenomenon where the celestial body of the God of Worms (Mannimarco) eclipses the star Arkay. In the game’s lore, Arkay is the god of burials and the dead. When his influence is blocked, necromancy becomes significantly more powerful. For the player, this translates to one specific mechanic: the creation of Black Soul Gems.
Most players stumble onto this by accident or through the "Check 22" note found during the Mages Guild tasks. You find these altars—Dark Fissure, Fort Linchal, Wendelbek, and Fort Istirus. They look like ordinary stone slabs until that one night every week. When the purple light shines down, you can place a Grand Soul Gem inside, cast a Soul Trap spell, and boom. You have a Black Soul Gem. These are the only gems capable of holding the souls of NPCs (humans, elves, etc.), which are always "Grand" in quality. It’s dark. It’s efficient. It feels like you’re actually breaking the law of the land.
In an Oblivion Remastered Necromancer's Moon scenario, whether through the rumored official remake or the massive "Skyblivion" project, the visual impact of this event is what everyone is waiting for. The original 2006 engine did its best with a purple glow effect. Now? Imagine dynamic volumetric lighting where the purple hue actually casts long, distorted shadows across the Great Forest. It changes the vibe of the game from high fantasy to folk horror in an instant.
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The Lore Most People Miss
Mannimarco isn't just some guy in a robe. He’s a former member of the Psijic Order who essentially ascended to godhood during the "Warp in the West" events of Daggerfall. When you see that purple light, you aren't just seeing a weather effect. You are seeing the literal body of a god passing in front of the sun.
One thing that always bothered me about the original game was how static the world felt during this event. If Bethesda or the modding community really nails a remaster, the world should react. Animals should flee. NPCs should stay indoors. The "Necromancer's Moon" should feel like an omen, not just a timer for a crafting mechanic. Honestly, the way the game handles Arkay’s Law is fascinating. Arkay’s Blessing normally protects the souls of the dead from being trapped. The moon acts as a physical shield that blocks that blessing. It’s a very "hard science" approach to magic that you don't see often in modern RPGs.
Tips for Timing the Shade of the Revenant
If you're playing through the game right now—or prepping for a remastered playthrough—tracking the moon is the hardest part. It happens every eight days. But here’s the kicker: the cycle starts on the very first day of the game.
- Check the Calendar: If you’re at a celestial altar, wait until the day is a multiple of eight from the start.
- The "Wait" Method: Honestly, just stand at the Dark Fissure (south of Cheydinhal) and use the wait tool in 24-hour increments.
- Watch the Sky: You don't need to check your menu constantly. Look at the altar. If a purple beam of light is hitting it, you're good to go.
- Stockpile: Don't just make one gem. Bring twenty. Empty Grand Soul Gems are expensive, but Black Soul Gems are priceless for high-level enchanting.
Why the Remaster Needs to Fix Mannimarco
Let’s be real for a second. The actual "King of Worms" fight at the end of the questline was a bit of a letdown in 2006. He felt like just another NPC. In a remastered version of the Necromancer’s Moon arc, the scale needs to be bigger. The tension built up during the "Necromancer's Moon" quest—where you're spying on the cultists from behind a rock—is incredible. The payoff needs to match that.
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The cultists you encounter during this quest are some of the only enemies in the game that feel organized. They have notes. They have schedules. They have a hierarchy. When you interrupt their ritual at the altar, it feels like you're actually disrupting a global conspiracy. That’s the feeling a remaster needs to preserve. It’s not about higher resolution textures; it’s about making the world feel like it’s actually being haunted by the God of Worms.
Getting the Most Out of Your Black Soul Gems
Once you've braved the Oblivion Remastered Necromancer's Moon and secured your gems, don't waste them on petty enchantments. In Oblivion, enchanting is broken in the best way possible.
You should be looking at "Chameleon" enchantments. If you hit 100% Chameleon, the game basically breaks. Enemies can't see you even when you're hitting them in the face. It's ridiculous. It's fun. Or, if you want to be a bit more "lore-accurate," use those gems to create a staff that reanimates the dead. It feels right, given how you got the gems in the first place.
The beauty of this mechanic is the morality check. To get these gems, you are essentially performing a ritual to an evil god to bypass the protection of a benevolent one. Then, you have to kill a person to fill the gem. It’s one of the few times the game’s mechanics align perfectly with the "forbidden" nature of necromancy described in the books you find in-game.
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How to Prepare for Your Next Run
If you're planning on diving back into the Shivering Isles or the heart of Cyrodiil, keep a few things in mind. First, don't rush the Mages Guild. Take your time with the recommendation quests because they build the world. Second, keep a specific "soul trapping" dagger on you. It makes the altar process much smoother.
Lastly, pay attention to the Necromancer's Moon itself. It’s a reminder that in the world of The Elder Scrolls, the gods aren't just names in a book. They are physical objects in the sky that can, under the right circumstances, block each other out and change the rules of reality for a few hours.
To truly master this part of the game, you need to stop thinking like a player and start thinking like an in-universe scholar. Read "The Path of Transcendence." Read "Arkay the Enemy." When you understand why the cultists are standing in the cold at 2:00 AM, the quest becomes ten times more immersive.
Actionable Steps for the Aspiring Necromancer
- Locate the Dark Fissure: It’s the easiest altar to get to. Fast travel to Cheydinhal and head south.
- Manual Save: Always save before the purple light appears. Sometimes the "Soul Trap" spell doesn't register correctly with the altar if you're standing too far away.
- Join the Mages Guild: You can’t even get the specific quest prompts for this without being a member. Plus, you need access to the Arcane University to use the enchanting altars anyway.
- Check Modding Progress: If you're on PC, follow the Skyblivion dev diaries. They've shown off updated assets for these altars, and they look hauntingly good.
There's no word on an official release date for a "Remastered" edition from Bethesda yet, but the 20-year anniversary is sneaking up on us. Until then, the original game still holds up, especially if you're willing to ignore some of the potato-faced NPCs and focus on the incredible quest design that made the Necromancer's Moon a legend in the first place.