Morrowind turns 24 today, so come Nerevar and celebrate as an Elder Scrolls tax collector with this huge OpenMW quest mod

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Wow, can you believe it’s been 24 years since Morrowind first came out? I remember May 1st, 2002, like it was yesterday – I was so excited to finally explore the Heart and Akulakahn! I even started a new game with my trusty Wraithguard, because that masked hero definitely needed it. It’s amazing to think about how much this game still means to people. And speaking of celebrating, there’s a brand new Morrowind modathon happening over on Nexus Mods! One of the first mods they released adds a ton of tax-related quests – seriously, more than most accountants deal with in a year! It’s a perfect way to jump back in and enjoy this incredible game.

A mod called ‘Death and Taxes’ allows players to join the Imperial Census and Excise – the organization responsible for counting citizens and collecting taxes in the game. The mod’s creator, MollyAvast, has put a lot of work into making this faction fully playable and detailed.

The Census and Excise Offices throughout Morrowind and Tamriel Rebuilt have been significantly expanded. Each office now has a full staff and its own unique questline, alongside smaller, faction-based tasks given by coworkers. A new branch, the Office of Imperial Bounties, has also opened in Helnim, offering work opportunities to anyone connected with Imperial guilds, not just Census staff. In total, this update adds over 100 new quests to the game.

Just to give you some background, according to the Unofficial Elder Scrolls Pages (it’s been a while since I’ve played Morrowind!), the original version of this faction only had three members. You can find two of them in the town of Seyda Neen, including Socucius Ergalla – he’s the character who asks about your class and birthsign when you start the game. With the ‘Death and Taxes’ mod installed, he also becomes the best person to talk to for joining the faction and starting its many quests. If you get stuck, MollyAvast has created a detailed 35-page Google Doc quest guide to help you out.

It’s best to read the introduction before beginning, as it contains important details about the Census and Excise faction. MollyAvast points out that getting expelled twice will end the questline permanently, and replacing a lost badge will result in a demotion. If you’re kicked out, you’ll likely receive a message indicating your tax-related progress has been reset, and you’ll have to continue playing without access to those benefits.

Here’s how to get started. Death and Taxes is a mod for OpenMW, which is a rebuilt version of the Morrowind engine that’s more modern, works on different operating systems, and is open source. You’ll also need the Tamriel Rebuilt expansion, along with the OAAB_Data and Tamriel_Data files. MollyAvast suggests installing Script Effect Resource, Merits of Service, Follower Detection Util, and Friendlier Fire for the best experience. Finally, you’ll need the original Morrowind game with both the Bloodmoon and Tribunal expansions, and it’s best to start a new game.

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2026-05-01 17:25