The Elder Scrolls 6: 7 Major Lore Questions We Can't Wait To See Answered
5. Who Is The Night Mother?
The Night Mother, the acting head of assassin collective The Dark Brotherhood and noted mummified corpse in Skyrim, has mysterious origins. Whilst many have speculated who exactly she is in relation to the gods and their various divine counterparts, the truth is that we don't necessarily know her precise backstory - and if she really is who she's claimed to be at all. A rough overview of The Night Mother is that she is the driving force of death in the Elder Scrolls, an entity to be prayed to if you'd like someone murdered who then diligently relays these deadly wishes to the Brotherhood through Listeners, and then Speakers.
Many speculate that she's in fact the Lucky Old Lady of Brazil, a lasting spirit of the kind woman with many children who blessed the townsfolk around her. Others say she's an immortal spirit of a Redguard woman, or a Dunmer as recounted in the book titled The Night Mother's Truth. Further still is that she's an incarnation of the Daedric Prince Mephala, or perhaps Severa Magia, an imperial assassin found in Morrowind.
The point remains that none of these threads have rightly been confirmed or denied throughout the Elder Scrolls series, meaning we're still awaiting a full account of how the Night Mother came to her position with Sithis (and if Sithis even exists at all or is an extension of her sentience). Whilst speculation and educated guesses have been part and parcel of the Dark Brotherhood's history, it'd still be nice to have some firm facts.