Lore:Scamp

Scamps
A Scamp
Type		Daedra
Range		Oblivion
Appears in		Battlespire, Morrowind, Oblivion, ESO, Legends

"Bless Rishaal. She's got her hands full with those lovable scamps. Cute, aren't they? Maybe not smart, but faithful, and durable, and only a little cowardly."
—A Spider Daedra's thoughts on the Scamp Clan

Scamps are one of the lesser sentient Daedra of Oblivion, who often enter into the mortal world to cause mischief and carry out errands for their Princes. They are weak and often cowardly. Scamps are typically thought of as dull creatures, described as semi-intelligent or as having "simple thoughts". They can can be easily defeated by most fighters except in large numbers. For the greater Daedra, Scamps are useful minions, as their nimble hands can carry and manipulate objects, and they are intelligent enough to be cunning opponents in combat. Other Daedra often look down upon them, though some find them endearing. Of the Daedric Princes they serve, they are most commonly associated with Mehrunes Dagon, though they also serve Molag Bal, Sheogorath, Sanguine, and Vaermina.

In appearance, Scamps are diminutive, goblinesque humanoids. They possess tapered ears, furry legs, and rat-like tails. They have sharp claws and teeth which they often use in combat or defense. Scamps apparently possess an anus.

History

"The Duke of Scamps therefore became a lesser thing, as did all his own children. Molag Bal said to them: 'You are the sons of liars, dogs, and wolf-headed women.' They have been useless to summon ever since."
—The Thirty-Six Lessons of Vivec, Sermon Fourteen

A Scamp Invasion Scout (Legends)

According to the 36 Lessons of Vivec, Scamps were once greater beings. This religious text claims that at some point in the early First Era, a Duke among Scamps known as Kh-Utta was summoned by Lord Mehrunes Dagon to bring the pennants of his seven legions. He bought them before the Daedric Prince's major domo, whose head was a bubble of foul water and fire, who saw the pennants and the legions they commanded. The major domo then told the Duke that while his legions were mighty, they were not enough to destroy Nerevar or the Triune way.

Later on, during the union of Molag Bal and Vivec, known as the Pomegranate Banquet, the Duke of Scamps arrived, and Molag Bal looked on the seven pennants with anger. It is said then that "the King of Rape had become necessary and therefore troubled for the rest of time". Molag Bal's legions and Kh-Utta's would fall into open war, but the children of Molag Bal and Vivec were too elaborate in power and form for the Duke's legions to handle. As as a result, the Duke of Scamps was said to have become a lesser thing, as did all his children. It said this is the reason Scamps have been useless to summon ever since.

Scamps have taken part in many Daedric incursions throughout history. Circa 2E 582, Scamps were among Molag Bal's forces during the Planemeld, as well as participating in Mehrunes Dagon's later invasion attempt in Cyrodiil. In 3E 398, a clan of Scamps took part in Dagon's campaign to invade the Battlespire, serving under a Daedra known as Rishaal Tamir. In 3E 433, they took part in the many invasions of the Oblivion Crisis, often serving as simple scouts.

Behavior and Uses

"Keys? Keys in dark, NASTY place. Near my tail. Want look? See?"
—A Scamp taunting the Apprentice

A Scamp servant (Morrowind Concept Art)

Scamps are known for being mischievous, unruly, and vulgar. They have been to know to enjoy playful activities like juggling balls of fire, or playing musical instruments such as flutes or drums.

Many do not speak Tamrielic, instead they speak their own Daedric tongue. While Scamps are capable of being fluent in the language, those that do know Tamrielic often speak in a strange or broken manner, with the same going for those that can write.

Scamp Skin (Morrowind)

Scamps typically fill lesser positions in Daedric hierarchies. Though there are exceptions, as a researcher has observed a Scamp giving orders to a Skaafin. Dremora Kynreeves often keep Scamps as a sort of pet, giving them iron collars inscribed with runes that denote the Scamp as their property.

Scamps in the service of Molag Bal have often been given strange roles. Molag Bal's forces weaponized Scamps by loading them into boxes and catapulting them into enemy forces. If one of Molag Bal's servants is "put on trial" for their transgressions, they are tried in a facility known as the Court of Contempt, where they are entitled to a counsel of Scamps outfitted in puffy wigs. However, Scamps are not allowed to speak in the Court of Contempt, due to their habitual vulgarity, and the Court has a one-hundred-percent conviction rate of defendants, otherwise known as "the Guilty". These trials are mostly for show and never end fairly.

Scamps are one of the most common lesser Daedra summoned by mortals, often serving as familiars. Scamps are most commonly used by mages for simple tasks like gruntwork, but some could be entrusted with more complex tasks. One Scamp familiar was even granted full membership in the Mages Guild, serving as an assistant chronicler and merchant. The Undaunted also trained scamps to wear packs to carry their valuables.

Scamp skin is an ingredient used in alchemy that can be removed from Scamps while they are still bound to the mortal plane. It is a rare ingredient and alchemists have trouble keeping the substance in stock. It is used for straining in alchemy and cooking. Scamp guts are used by some Bosmer in brewing a type of strong rotmeth. Scamp liver is said to be tender and delicious. Nord warriors sometimes use Scamp-hide shields. Scamp skulls may be carved with strange glyphs and arcane symbols for use in unlawful ritualistic purposes.

Variants

Many varieties of Scamps exist, smaller and weaker Scamps are sometimes known as Stunted Scamps. The Scamps that serve Molag Bal, like many of the Daedra that serve him, are known to have a blue hue. Stonefire Scamps are a horned variety that serve Molag. Additionally, Molag has utilized Scamps that have been mind-shriven, they can usually be found among other mind-shriven creatures. Magma Scamps are a variety of horned scamp that specifically serve Mehrunes Dagon. They are often engulfed in flames and their skin is comparable to cracked molten rock. Everscamps are a distinct type of Scamp that are summoned by the Staff of the Everscamp, a cursed Daedric staff. These Scamps are completely non-hostile, and have a horrible smell. They follow around whoever has been cursed by the staff, making their life miserable.

Other beings have occasionally taken on the forms of Scamps, such as Celestials and maligraphies. Babras, the hound of Clavicus Vile, has been know to take on the form and persona of a Scamp named Creeper.

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  A blue scamp, which serves Molag Bal (ESO)

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  A Stonefire Scamp (ESO)

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  A Mind-Shriven Scamp (ESO)

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  A Magma Scamp (ESO)

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  Everscamps (Oblivion)

Gallery

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  A Scamp (Battlespire)

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  A Scamp (Morrowind)

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  A Scamp (Oblivion)

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  A Scamp (Oblivion Mobile)

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  A Scamp (ESO)

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  An Undaunted Porter Scamp (ESO)

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  A Scamp familiar (ESO)

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  A Scamp throwing fire (ESO)

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  A Kynreeve summoning a Scamp (ESO)

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  A Scamp (Legends)

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  Scamps operating a ballista (Legends)

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  Scamps
  (Betrayal of the Second Era)

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  Rishaal Tamir, Chief of the Scamps (Battlespire)

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  Staff of the Everscamp (Oblivion)

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  Battlespire concept art

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  Morrowind concept art showing a Scamp's mouth sewn shut and their eyes hooked open

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  Morrowind concept art of a Scamp

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  Morrowind concept art of a scamp-hide shield

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  Oblivion concept art

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  ESO concept art

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  ESO concept art

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  ESO model renders

See Also

• For scamp names, see here.
• For game-specific information, see the Battlespire, Morrowind, Oblivion, Oblivion Mobile, Books, Elder Scrolls Online, and Legends articles.

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.