My Nerevarine had all the artifacts in MW.

OB takes place 6 (I think thats right) after MW ends.

After MW ends, the nerevarine goes to Akavir (I heard that somewhere, can find a source though, so correct me if I'm wrong)



So what happened to all the artifacts the Nerevar had?

Goldbrand
Mace of Molag Bal
Volendrung
Umbra
Mehrunes' Razor
Cuirass of the Savior's Hide
Helm of Oreyn Bearclaw
Masque of Clavicus Vile
Spell Breaker
Ring of Khajiit
Necromancer's Amulet
Azura's Star
Skeleton Key



Those are all the ones that are in MW, but also appear in OB.

I know its probably just a gameplay reason, but have they at least made up a reason?

I know some of the artifact descriptions say they move around a lot, but is that it? Did the Nerevar go nuts and try to stash his things?



Lore wise, I think it's "fate". The CoC (maybe) needed them on his quest, so they found their way to him.

Any other ideas?

In Arena, magic items had a set number of uses.

They ditched that in later games, but made up a reason behind it: artifacts have minds of their own and disappear if they don't feel they're being treated with the right amount of respect, or if they're bored, or that Breton treasure hunter over there is prettier.

Most of them have a mind of their own, and will hop from adventurer to adventurer as time goes on.

A bit like the one ring.

Magic.

The items listed,

• Goldbrand
  
• Mace of Molag Bal
  
• VolendrungMehrunes' Razor
  
• Cuirass of the Savior's HideMasque of Clavicus Vile
  
• Spell Breaker
  
• Ring of KhajiitAzura's Star
  
• Skeleton Key

are the princes, not just some artifact. If a prince wants it back or to hand it to someone, all it really takes is a wiggle of the nose.

As for the others, Umbra has a mind of its own, Umbra, the Helm of Oreyn Bearclaw didn't wander, and Necromancer's Amulet....dunno.

Otherwise, artifacts tend to leave their owners when they become bored with them, it seems.

Most of them choose their own heroes, as I understand it.

As for Deadric artifacts, the artifacts respective prince will give it or take it away as he sees fit.

iirc, it's a common motif in fantasy settings. An artifact will gain a mind of its own and seek its former master-long-dead, or a better one. The item abandons the current master at the most poetic moment of misfortune (lol plot); it might even try to corrupt and control the user like a puppet. The Umbra sword did that to nuuuumerous warriors!

I'm suddenly curious if vanishing-on-a-whim applies to enchanted gear and daedric weaponry. Those contain souls of foreign creatures, though often against their wishes.

http://www.imperial-library.info/content/morrowind-feyfolken To my mind, the extent to which an enchanted item exercises autonomy is a function of the imprisoned soul's power, will, and the enchanter's skill. But I don't think Daedric weapons are subject to this - by all accounts the process of creation is too painful for the soul for them to retain much coherence. The subdivision of their starry thoughts approaches infinity.