Tamriel:Daedric Princes
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Daedric Princes (sometimes referred to as Daedra Lords) are the most powerful of the Daedra, and thus most commonly worshipped as gods. Each has a particular sphere, which it is said to govern. The various Daedric Princes and their spheres are listed below. Although Daedric Princes may assume the form of a female, they have no inherent gender, and are all referred to as Princes. In all, there are 16 known Princes, including one which assumes the role of two. According to Mankar Camoran, Lorkhan is also a Daedric Prince, although this has never been confirmed.
Daedric Princes find entertainment and humor in interfering with the affairs of mortals, but do not know the Western sense of "good" and "evil". Daedra usually have extremist tendencies, which is why Men and Mer fear them greatly. However, several princes do seem to take genuine pleasure in tremendous acts of devastation, in particular Boethiah, Molag Bal, Vaermina, Mehrunes Dagon and Peryite.
Although the beings are considered evil by most, they are widely worshipped in the realms of Tamriel. Elaborate shrines are created to honor the Daedra as gods. Mainstream religious authorities discourage this, and often mount witch-hunting expeditions to drive out Daedra worshippers from the local area. During these encounters they are often suprised at the marginal sanity that comes of worshipping the daedra princes.
The Daedric Princes seem to view men and Elves as little more than minor amusements, occasionally applauding the actions of mortals when they exceed their expectations. They often take a keen interest in their worshippers, and it is speculated that this is either because of the obvious ego-gratification of being somebody's god, or because the Daedra like to keep an eye on potential future demons (assuming people of Demonic disposition enter Oblivion after death, that is; there are as many afterlife theories as there are religions in the world). For the most part, however, dealing with the Daedra, one gets the distinct impression of being mused over as though a man peering under an upturned rock may momentarily wonder at the lives of the bugs living ignorantly there.
The Daedra see themselves as a superior form of life to all others and feel generally no need for any alliance or truce with any of the mortal races of Tamriel; however, there are Daedric Princes who can be summoned. There is a popular notion that the summoned lords will then give the summoner a quest or task to fulfill and that the quest, once completed, will be richly rewarded. Mostly these tasks are merely for the entertainment of the Daedra. This, however, is not always so, and Morian Zenas, author of On Oblivion, claims that he was able to successfully summon and deal with numerous Daedra without ever being asked to complete a task or a quest. However, this is probably not true of most Daedra summons, and the summoner would do well to consider the consequences of his actions in advance.
For more information on other daedric creatures, see the entry on Daedra.
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[edit] Azura
Azura is the Daedric prince whose sphere is dusk and dawn, the magic in-between realms of twilight. She is also known as Mother of the Rose, Queen of the Night Sky, and the Anticipation of Sotha Sil. Azura is often associated with the artifact, Azura's Star, a reusable soul gem. Azura is one of the few Daedra who could be considered "good" by mortal standards.
Moonshadow is Azura's plane of Oblivion, where she lives in a rose palace. According to The Doors of Oblivion, it is blindingly beautiful and colorful, with flowers, waterfalls, trees, and a city of silver.
Azura was the god-ancestor that taught the Chimer the mysteries needed to be different from the Altmer. Some of her more conventional teachings are sometimes attributed to Boethiah. In the stories, Azura is often more a communal cosmic force for the race as a whole than an ancestor or a god.
See the full article on Azura for more information
[edit] Boethiah
Boethiah (also spelled Boethia) is the Daedric prince who rules over deceit, conspiracy, secret plots of murder, assassination, treason, and unlawful overthrow of authority. He is also known as the Anticipation of Almalexia. Boethiah loves competition and battle, and is depicted as a great caped warrior, often in a stoic pose.
Heralded by the Prophet Veloth, Boethiah is the original god-ancestor of the Dark Elves. Through his illuminations, the eventual Chimer, or Changed Folk, renounced all ties to the Aldmer and founded a new nation based on Daedric principles. All manner of Dark Elven cultural 'advances' are attributed to Boethiah, from philosophy to magic to 'responsible' architecture. Ancient Velothi allegories are uniformly heroic successes of Boethiah over enemies of every type, foundation stories of Chimeri struggle.
For more information, see the article on Boethiah.
[edit] Clavicus Vile
Clavicus Vile is the Daedric prince whose sphere is the granting of power and wishes through ritual invocations and pact. Clavicus has a companion named Barbas. While capable of selective shapeshifting, the form it assumes most of the time is that of a dog. Clavicus himself is depicted as a jovial fellow with horns protruding from his forehead.
For more information, see the article on Clavicus Vile.
[edit] Hermaeus Mora
Hermaeus Mora is the Daedric prince whose sphere is scrying of the tides of Fate, of the past and future as read in the stars and heavens, and in whose dominion are the treasures of knowledge and memory. His name is also spelled Hoermius Mora, Hormaius Mora, or Herma-Mora. Also called the Demon of Knowledge, he is vaguely related to the cult origins of the Morag Tong (Foresters Guild), if only by association with his sibling, Mephala.
Apocrypha is Hermaeus Mora's plane of Oblivion, an endless library where all forbidden knowledge can be found. The books all have black covers with no titles, and the library is haunted by ghosts forever searching for knowledge. Apocrypha is Greek for hidden-things.
For more information, see the article on Hermaeus Mora.
[edit] Hircine
Hircine is the Daedric prince whose sphere is the Hunt, the Sport of Daedra, the Great Game, the Chase, known as the Huntsman and the Father of Manbeasts. Hircine created the various therianthropic diseases which transform mortals into beasts, and is therefore the guardian of were-creatures. They reflect his sphere admirably, hunting at night and being hunted by day. Hircine is a sportsman who enjoys giving his prey a chance for victory, however small. Hircine's statue depicts him as a physically fit man whose whole head is obscured by a deer skull with long antlers. He is armed with a great spear and has a companion wolf.
For more information, see the article on Hircine.
[edit] Jyggalag
Jyggalag is the Daedric prince of Order, but his sphere and other characteristics were not revealed during the early Elder Scrolls games. Prior to The Shivering Isles, Jyggalag had only been mentioned in books such as "On Oblivion" but had not appeared in any games. Jyggalag commands his own Daedra, the Knights of Order, which are spawned from obelisks summoned by his followers, the Priests of Order.
Shivering Isles reveals that Jyggalag is in fact Sheogorath, a fellow Daedric Prince. Jyggalag had grown in power, and the other Daedric princes had grown fearful of him. They cursed him to live as Sheogorath, the incarnation of the thing he hated most. He was, however, allowed to return to his true form at the end of every era in order to retake the Shivering Isles from his mad alter-ago in an event known as the Greymarch. However, once this was done, Jyggalag would be transformed back into Sheogorath, starting the cycle again. At the end of the third era, at the dawn of the Greymarch, a lone Champion of Sheogorath was given the chance to defeat Jyggalag, halting the Greymarch before it could conquer Sheogorath's Realm. This released Jyggalag from his curse, allowing him to remain in his true form. The Champion was then permitted to assume Sheogorath's station in the Shivering Isles. It is unknown yet if Jyggalag will ever return to the Shivering Isles in an attempt to retake them.
[edit] Malacath
Malacath is the Daedric prince whose sphere is the patronage of the spurned and ostracized, the keeper of the Sworn Oath, and the Bloody Curse. Malacath was created when Boethiah ate the Aedroth Trinimac. The Orsimer ("Pariah Folk" in Elvish) or Orcs were also created, as they were Trinimac's devout followers. Malacath is not recognized as a Daedric Prince by his peers, which fits his sphere perfectly. The Dunmer say he is also Malak (or Malauch), the god-king of the Orcs; he always tests the Dunmer for physical weakness. Malacath spurns physical weakness, hence the above-average strength of the creatures associated with him.
Malacath's plane of Oblivion is Ashpit. It is described as consisting only of dust, palaces of smoke, and vaporous creatures: "anguish, betrayal, and broken promises like ash filled the bitter air". Levitation and magical breathing are necessary to survive.
For more information, see the article on Malacath.
[edit] Mehrunes Dagon
Mehrunes Dagon is the Daedric Prince of Destruction, Change, Revolution, Energy, and Ambition. He is associated with natural dangers like fire, earthquakes, and floods. He is an especially important deity in Morrowind, where he represents its near-inhospitable terrain. In some cultures, though, Dagon is merely a god of bloodshed and betrayal. Dagon's plane of Oblivion is known as Deadlands.
It is said that Mehrunes Dagon is too powerful for a mortal to kill, so only an invincible creature can destroy him. Therefore, only deities such as Akatosh have the ability to destroy Mehrunes Dagon.
For more information, see the article on Mehrunes Dagon.
[edit] Mephala
Mephala is a Daedric Prince whose sphere is obscured to mortals, also known by the names Webspinner, Spinner, Spider, and the Anticipation of Vivec. Unlike many other Daedric Princes, who always appear as the same gender (e.g. Azura is always female, Sheogorath is always male), Mephala appears as either male or female depending on whom the Daedric Prince wishes to ensnare. Mephala's only consistent theme seems to be interference in the affairs of mortals for amusement. Mephala also helped directly to found the infamous cult/society of the Morag Tong. Mephala's sphere seems to indicate a careful plan carried out through executions, each life a portion of a massive web. Mephala sees the affairs of mortals as a weave; pull but one thread and the whole thing unravels.
In exchange for assassinating a well-guarded nobleman, the Hero of Daggerfall received The Ebony Blade. Her enemies include Ebonarm and Peryite. She direcly leads The Dark Brotherhood through her agent The Night Mother, and is allied to Molag Bal and Malacath.
In Morrowind, Mephala was the ancestor that taught the Chimer the skills they would need to evade their enemies or to kill them with secret murder. Enemies were numerous in those days since the Chimer were a small faction. Mephala, along with Boethiah, organized the clan systems that eventually became the basis for the Great Houses.
Mephala's quest in Oblivion involves inciting a peaceful town's rival families into fighting. Mephala asks the player to implicate the two families that live there of murdering each other's leaders so that they will openly begin hostilities.
[edit] Meridia
Meridia is an obscure Daedric Prince to mortal eyes, and very little is known about her. She is associated with the energies of living things and bears a special hatred for the undead. The Tract of Merid-nunda paints her as a "wayward solar daughter" who was "cast from the heavens for consorting with illicit spectra." Her realm is known as the Coloured Rooms and is inhabited by the Aurorans, who follow Umaril the Unfeathered and play a major role in the Knights of the Nine quest line. Mankar Camoran attributes her (incorrectly) to Coldharbour, the realm of Molag Bal.
The Hero of Daggerfall received The Ring of Khajiiti from her after defeating a sorcerer who betrayed her. Her enemies are Ebonarm and Molag Bal. Her day of summoning is the 13th of Morningstar.
Meridia's strong dislike of undead beings is shown in the quest that the player can do for her in Oblivion. Meridia presents the player with the task of destroying Necromancers who are raiding corpses and tombs to raise an army of the undead. Meridia has a great and everlasting hatred for the undead and will greatly reward any who eliminate them from the world.
[edit] Molag Bal
Molag Bal is the Daedric Prince whose sphere is the domination and enslavement of mortals. He is known as the King of Rape. His only desire is to harvest the souls of mortals and to bring mortals souls within his sway by spreading seeds of strife and discord in the mortal realms. He is a Daedric power of much importance in Morrowind, where he is always the archenemy of Boethiah, the Prince of Plots.
Molag Bal's plane of Oblivion is Coldharbour. The book The Doors of Oblivion says that his plane resembles a copy of Nirn, including the Imperial Palace, but all desecrated and ruined. The ground is sludge, the sky is on fire, and the air is freezing.
For more information, see the article on Molag Bal.
[edit] Namira
Namira is the Daedric Prince whose sphere is the ancient darkness. She is known as the Spirit Daedra, ruler of sundry dark and shadowy spirits, and is often associated with spiders, insects, slugs, and other repulsive creatures which inspire mortals with an instinctive revulsion. Namira's followers keep to themselves and prefer living peacefully in dark and squalid conditions, and will react violently at any attempts to "save" them from their abysmal, minimalistic lifestyles.
For more information, see the article on Namira.
[edit] Nocturnal
Nocturnal is the Daedric Prince whose sphere is the night and darkness. She is also known as the Night Mistress. The Cyrodiilic Thieves Guild leader, The Gray Fox, has the Gray Cowl of Nocturnal, which truly represents the sphere's darkness quality; it permanently removes the wearer's specific identity from all history. Regardless, the Cyrodiil Thieves Guild venerates Nocturnal by ending talks with the saying "Shadow hide you."
Nocturnal rewarded The Hero of Daggerfall with the The Skeleton's Key in exchange for slaying a rogue mage who caused her much grief. Her enemies include Ebonarm and Azura. She has no known allies. She may be summoned on Hearthfire 8th.
[edit] Peryite
Peryite, also known as the Taskmaster, is the Daedric Prince whose sphere is the ordering of the lowest orders of Oblivion. Some accounts also claim his sphere is pestilence. Peryite's statue depicts a dragon, and is ostensibly concerned with ensuring all things are accounted for, neat, tidy and in their right order. This is most obvious at the end of his quest in Oblivion, he ends off by wishing the protagonist order in his/her life with his reward item, after freeing the spirits of his followers from their imprisonment in his realm.
For more information, see the article on Peryite.
[edit] Sanguine
Sanguine is the Daedric Prince whose sphere is hedonistic revelry and debauchery, and passionate indulgences of darker natures. He often appears on the seals and signs of brothels and whore-houses. Sanguine is depicted as a portly man with a demon-like head with horns and always with a bottle in his hand, or a whore under his thumb.
Sanguine can mean either "cheerfully optimistic" or "bloody"; the double meaning is appropriate for a prince whose realm encompasses both the light and dark sides of passion.
For more information, see the article on Sanguine.
[edit] Sheogorath
Sheogorath is the Daedric Prince of Madness, whose motives are said to be unknowable. His realm is known as the Shivering Isles, the Madhouse, or the Asylums. For more information, see the full article on Sheogorath.
[edit] Vaermina
Vaermina (also spelled Vaernima) is a Daedric Prince whose sphere is the realm of dreams and nightmares, and from whose realm issues forth evil omens. Some have also claimed her sphere ties somehow to torture. Statuary of Vaermina depicts her as female.
Vaermina's plane of Oblivion is Quagmire. It is described in The Doors of Oblivion as a nightmare realm, where every few minutes reality shifts and becomes ever more horrifying: "a dark castle one moment, a den of ravening beasts the next, a moonlit swamp, a coffin where he was buried alive."
The Hero of Daggerfall recevied The Skull of Corruption from Vaernima. She is an enemy of Ebonarm, Boethiah, Peryite, and Hermaeus Mora, but is allied with Sanguine. Her summoning day is the 10th of Sun's Height.
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