Ahem. Hob's Fall Cave in Winterhold region. You go inside, and hear some woman desperately calling out for help. By the time you reach her, Necromancers have murdered her in some necromantic ritual to an entity who is understood to be Mannimarco.

Fellglow Keep. A group of mages are vampirizing passers by they capture and then experimenting on them and just using them as destruction magic practice targets.

Sild the Warlock in Rannveig's Fast has quite a little schmick bait trap going on to get him some fresh test subjects.

Black soul gems are also commonly found in Necromancer lairs. Typically those involve the killing of another mortal to make use of them. Now, which would a necromancer rather deal with... a traveler on the road, or a bandit that is a physical threat?

If a necro simply found study subjects, meh. But the typical necromancer seems to have this impulse to make test subjects.

Yeah most of the ones encountered in the game seem to enjoy snagging an innocent passer by, however, there is lore supporting lawful necromancy. So long as a necromancer obtains bodies by buying them or otherwise acquring them from local governments, then I'd have to say it's fine. We just don't see too much of this in game, why? Beats me, guess it's just not interesting enough to find a necromancer that's actually NICE for a change. Aside from Phinis Gestor and Falion, there isn't much along the way of helpful necromancers. Guess most go the cheap way and just kill farmers and such.

Just throwing this out there.

Necromancy was absolutely HATED in Dunmer culture. They practiced a limited form of it though. So while it is kind of hypocritical it is what it is. Dunmer did not just think it was rude. It was a violation of their ancestors if someone else messed with their dead. In short. A typical Dunmer would kill a standard Necromancer and consider it a damned good thing.

A typical dunmer would kill a necromancer if they were raising mer, if they practiced on lesser races, such as human or beast folk, they wouldn't care. I think I read that somewhere...

I doubt it. The Dunmer would just kill the Necromancer regardless. If a Necromancer is raising people from the dead what would stop them from raising Dunmer in the future. Btw the mer races do not really get along with each other. Though the Bosmer and Dunmer do not seem to have a problem with each other afaik.

This is why they are evil and why necromancy is and should be a crime.

Misunderstanding: Ncromancy itself isn't evil but many who practice it is. Not all though, like the orcish mage in the Balmora Mages Guild in Morrowind.

As long as they're n'wahs, I see nothing wrong with this.

Which is what provoked my question in the first place.

Necromancy is legal, just that most don't like it because it involves playing with dead bodies. The College allows it, just as long as you follow the law and don't murder innocents/grave rob.

And what Traven did was completely moronic.

Exactly. So, while I acknowledge why they would hate the Mage's Guild, why do they attack random, non-guild affiliated adventures?

In Oblivion, I guess they assume, that because of the ban, they're effectively criminals. Otherwise, they had to join the Order of the Worm in order to maintain some protection.

In Skyrim, generic enemies, like bandits, bandit wizards, and such

Maybe not, this i a assumption but I suspect it has to do with Nordic culture, the nords dislike for magic could cause MANY problems, I suspect that unlike in oblivion the necromancers would probally just go to jail, however in skyrim i suspect that the local nords would "put" matter in there own hands, as in burning the necromancer.

Well, this is just part of why I like Morrowind's setting better. There were really no major cliches. In Oblivion and Skyrim, you have generic enemies, whereas in Morrowind the only unnamed NPCs were the guards. Hell, even some of the animals had names.
But enough ranting.
Any logical person (and I'd assume anyone with high Conjuration would have a high Intelligence) would go to authorities and complain.
Also, does anyone know why Traven banned necromancy in the first place?

He hated it, and happened to be the guy in charge of all the rules at the time. That's all I got.

Yay 2d characters!

Well, I could make up wild theories, but there'd be nothing to confirm it

SPACE GODS BEGAT TRAVEN!

Traven's grandmother was reanimated one day way back where.

Probably because they've spent too much time in one of the most depraved organizations in Tamriel.

To be honest, I always found Necromancy to be the coolest magic. I always wanted to have a necromancy skill in game. The idea of raising an undead army is just so cool.

It would also be disgusting and smelly

Not if it is made of ghosts and skeletons.

Corrupted shades are the way to go. It's more of a mix of solid matter and ethereal energy. Plus they look super badass.

He may be acting against the necromancers freedom but hes defending the freedom of the person they are trying to use as a zombie, letting them chose not to be one.
Personally I'd go with the necromancy victims freedom because it is their body/soul that is in question. Freedom is all well and good until it is taking away someone else's freedom.