Daedric Princes

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In the The Elder Scrolls universe, Daedric Princes (sometimes referred to as Daedra Lords) are the most powerful of the Daedra and thus most commonly worshipped as gods. As with many games in the series, and the other worshipped gods, a number of Daedra Princes will usually play a major part in the events of a game's main storyline. Although some Lords may assume the form of a female, they have no inherent gender, and are all referred to as Princes. In all, there are sixteen known Princes. Not all Daedric princes are necessarily evil, but all are prone to rash action. Every Daedra Prince has his own plane of Oblivion.

Contents 1 Azura 2 Boethiah 3 Clavicus Vile 4 Hermaeus Mora 5 Hircine 6 Malacath 7 Mehrunes Dagon 8 Mephala 9 Meridia 10 Molag Bal 11 Namira 12 Nocturnal 13 Peryite 14 Sanguine 15 Sheogorath 16 Vaermina 17 Sources

[edit] Azura

Azura told Nerevar that Dagoth Ur's knowledge of the Heart of Lorkhan was accurate. This caused a war with the Dwemer (whose king denied knowledge of the Heart, although he only denied it due to lack of his own personal knowledge of the subject), from which Nerevar emerged the victor and the Dwemer did not emerge at all. Later, when the Tribunal of Vivec, Almalexia and Sotha Sil used the power of the Heart of Lorkhan to make themselves gods thus breaking their oath to Azura , Azura cursed the Chimer (Caused their skin to become a dark greyish color and eyes red, thus making them Dunmer, or Dark Elves) and claimed that she would cause Nerevar to be reborn and that he would make things right again. Later, Azura aided the Nerevarine in defeating Dagoth Ur and toppling the Tribunal Temple (due to the differing accounts, told by various factions and individuals in Morrowind, that this should be taken with a grain of salt). Azura is most recognized with the artifact, Azura's Star, a reusable soul gem. She is also credited on making the Khajiit out of the Bosmer stock in Elsweyr.

[edit] Boethiah

It is possible he assisted Jagar Tharn in his temporary procurement of the Imperial throne. In addition to his male appearance in early games, Boethiah assumed a male form in The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. Boethiah loves competition and battle, and this nature is manifested in his quest in Oblivion, transporting the player to his realm of Oblivion for a tournament to decide who is truly worthy of Goldbrand, an enchanted katana with a gold-colored blade. (Rebuilding his shrine near Khortag Point in Vvardenfell is enough to claim the blade in Morrowind.) He is occasionally known as Boethia, a feminine persona, and the infamous Pillow Book (Tamriel's Kama Sutra) is named in his/her honour.

[edit] Clavicus Vile

It is possible he assisted Jagar Tharn in his temporary procurement of the Imperial throne, though by no means certain. In the past, Clavicus Vile has worked through mortal representatives to gain what he desires. In the game Redguard, Vile gambled with the protagonist Cyrus for the soul of Cyrus' sister against Cyrus' own soul. In Morrowind, the player may obtain Clavicus Vile's artifact, the Masque of Clavicus Vile, by defeating a Nord sorcerer who has been terrorizing the village of Dagon Fel. In Oblivion, the Masque can be acquired by finding and returning the sword Umbra to Vile. Another artifact associated with Clavicus Vile is the Bitter Cup, In Morrowind the player is able to trade this with a Clavicus Vile worshiper in order to gain political support. In the Oblivion "Vile Lair" plugin, the book "Manifesto Cyrodiil Vampyrum" states that Molag Bal and Clavicus Vile are the patrons of Cyrodiil's clan of vampires.

[edit] Hermaeus Mora

He may be the "Woodland Man" of Nedic myth who catches villagers lost in the woods; the secondary set of his name, Mora, is one word for "wood", "woodland" or "tree(s)" in Elvish. Speaks with a deep, disgusting and almost-convoluted voice. Mora's item, the Oghma Infinium, is an ultimate skill book that selectively improves character traits.

[edit] Hircine

Hircine created the various therianthropic diseases which transform mortals into beasts. 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.

In Battlespire, the protagonist was forced to endure a hunt in his realm, and in Bloodmoon the Nerevarine was forced to defeat an aspect of Hircine (Strength, speed or guile). Hircine's typical lackeys on the mortal realm Nirn are werewolves, which he directly talks to, gives tasks and rewards with additional powers. In Oblivion, he sends the protagonist on a hunt for a unicorn.

[edit] Malacath

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. Malacath is also called Malauch by Orcs and Orkey or the Old Knocker by Nords, who blame him for stealing mankind's long lifespans. Malacath spurns physical weakness, hence the above-average strength of the creatures associated with him.

In Morrowind, Malacath's quest is one of revenge for an orc. In Oblivion a player can visit Malacath's shrine, his quest is one of freeing enslaved ogres. Malacath's statue is a muscular orc ready to strike with a heavy weapon. Malacath's item is a strong war hammer called the Volendrung.

• In Morrowind, Malacath is one of the Four Pillars of the House of Troubles, AKA the 'Bad Daedra'.

[edit] Mehrunes Dagon

Seems to have the most animosity towards Nirn's species of all Daedric Princes. He positively assisted Jagar Tharn in his temporary procurement of the Imperial throne. He invaded and seized control of the Battlespire in contravention of the Daedric pact preventing unchecked meddling in mortal affairs by divine beings; the purpose of this was to cripple the capacity of the Imperial College of Battlemages which presented a threat to Tharn's power as Emperor. Mehrunes Dagon was also responsible for the destruction of Mournhold at the end of the First Era and apparently destroyed Ald Sotha, home of House Sotha and Sotha Sil's birthplace. Dagon also allegedly created the Daedric Crescent. In Oblivion, the plot centers around Dagon's plot to destroy the Septim bloodline and Tamriel in general. In Michael Kirkbride's "The Aldadugga", a glimpse is given to the Aedric origins of the prince of Destruction. He, like the Daedra Prince Meridia, is said to have been banished from Aetherius. He tricked Akatosh, and was made into the Daedric Prince of Destruction after a short (by divine standards) happy life as a jumping demon. At the end of Oblivion, the Avatar of Akatosh destroys Dagon's physical body, sending Dagon back to Oblivion.

• In TES III: Morrowind, Mehrunes Dagon is one of the "Four Pillars of the House of Troubles," which consists of the Daedra the citizens of Morrowind consider the "Bad Daedra," or the malevolent Daedra Princes that cause destruction in Tamriel.

[edit] Mephala

Only consistent theme seems to be interference in the affairs of mortals for his/her amusement. He also helped directly to found the infamous cult/society of the Morag Tong. His 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. Her quest in Oblivion involves inciting a peaceful town into anarchy.

[edit] Meridia

Associated with the energies of living things, and bears a special hatred for the undead. In Oblivion, she presents the player with a quest to destroy Necromancers who are raising an army of the undead. Meridia is rumored to be Aedric in origin, but banished for a misuse of magic.

In the "Knights of the Nine" plugin, the Ayleid sorcerer king Umaril the Unfeathered was revealed to have made a pact with Meridia. This pact allowed Umaril to cheat death after his defeat at the hands of Pelinal Whitestrake by escaping into her realm in Oblivion and return to the mortal world. It would also allow him command over her daedra, the Aurorans.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Molag Bal

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 also the god of rape and is said to be the father (along with Vivec, whom he seduced) of a population of mutant degenerates living in the region of Morrowind bearing his name, who may have been the first eventual vampires, a corruption of Vivec's ties to the Heart of Lorkhan transmitted to mortals. However, some other cultures disagree with that story, claiming the creation of vampires to be in Skyrim. It is possible he assisted Jagar Tharn in his temporary procurement of the Imperial throne.

He was also responsible for the destruction of a city at the end of the First Era. It should be noted, however, that Molag Bal helps the player cure his vampirism (if it has been contracted) in Morrowind. In exchange, the player must track down Molag Bal's daughter and kill her. Note on the game there is also another Molag Bal mission, at a shrine on an island east off the coast of Vvardenfall. The player must kill his lazy servant Menta Na in his lair east of Kogoruhn in the Ashlands region. If the player completes it they are awarded the unique mace of Molag Bal. The mace may also be acquired in Oblivion, after a quest requiring the player to let a man named Melus kill them with a cursed mace.

In a book from the Oblivion "Vile Lair" plugin, one of the other vampire creation myths is given. Molag Bal, in a rage against Arkay, the god of life and death, set out to disrupt the cycle. He ravaged a Nedic virgin named Lamae in Skyrim, and her screams became the winds. He pricked his finger and left a drop of his corrupting blood on the center of her forehead. She awoke as the mother of vampires as she was burning on a funeral pyre. She slaughtered the funeral procession, and her "unholy" progeny spread to every corner of Tamriel, much to the despair of Arkay, incapacitated by the creation of Nirn.

• In Morrowind, Molag Bal is one of the Four Pillars of the House of Troubles

[edit] Namira

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, but will react violently at any attempts to "save" them from their abysmal, minimalistic lifestyles.

[edit] Nocturnal

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. According to an account of a Blind Moth Priest, this is to prevent anyone from remembering the face of Nocturnal, for to do so would be to go insane. Regardless, the Cyrodiil Thieves' Guild venerates Nocturnal by ending talks with the saying "Shadow hide you." Another item of hers is the Skeleton Key, an unbreakable lockpick which allows even unskilled users to pick the most complicated locks.

[edit] Peryite

Peryite's sphere is Pestilience, and he is charged with ordering the lowest levels of Oblivion. Peryite's artifact is an enchanted shield, the Spellbreaker, which has a strong reflection ability; magic that is cast at the bearer of the shield might be turned back upon the caster.

[edit] Sanguine

Often appears on the seals and signs of brothels and whore-houses. In "Morrowind", it is revealed by the Grandmaster of the Morag Tong, Eno Hlaalu, that Sanguine crafted 27 items for Mephala collectively termed "Threads of the Webspinner"; if the character collects all 27 items and returns them to Hlaalu, they receive the Mephala's Blessing spell. In "Oblivion", if the player visits his shrine and gives him a bottle of Cyrodiilic Brandy, he will send the player on a quest to play a prank on a noble and her guests at a party; if successful, Sanguine will grant the player the Sanguine Rose, a staff that can summon a random Daedra on a target.

[edit] Sheogorath

Motives unknowable. He savors the act of driving mortals insane or making them perform actions obviously insane. Most amusing of all is his favored weapon for mortals, the staff Wabbajack, which can transform any living non-NPC creature into another random creature. Another artifact known as the Staff of Everscamp, which the owner cannot discard, causes them to be constantly followed by four scamps. There is also a region in Morrowind named after him, Sheogorad. There are many Daedric shrines there, many of which are shrines built specificially for his followers to worship him. As the God Of Madness, Sheogorath himself considers madness to be a form of mercy for those who would otherwise not function in the world - "a bitter mercy, perhaps, but a mercy nonetheless". This opinion is reflected in the Spear of Bitter Mercy. His creation was not with the other princes, and his fellow princes do not consider him a "true" Daedra. He was actually a byproduct of the creation of Nirn. It is learned in Shivering Isles that the other daedric princes basically split Sheogorath into two beings, one of Madness (Sheogorath) and one of Order (Jyggalag). At the end of every Era within the Shivering Isles, Sheogorath is transformed into his Order personality and utterly destroys his realm, only to be changed back into his Madness personality, leaving him to rebuild his realm in a vicious cycle.

Sheogorath is a word jumble of a Bethesda employee's name.

• In Morrowind, Sheogorath is one of the Four Pillars of the House of Troubles

[edit] Vaermina

In Oblivion the player is tasked with retrieving an orb of Vaermina's that was stolen by a powerful warlock held up in a remote tower. Vaermina's statue depicts her as female, and the reward item granted to the protagonist in Oblivion is the Skull of Corruption, a staff imbued with the power to create a temporary evil clone of an NPC that lasts for half a minute. She is the holder of the cure for Vampirism in Morrowind.

[edit] Sources

• The Daggerfall Chronicles. Ronald Wartow. 1996. Bethesda Softworks. ISBN:0929843207

• The Imperial Library, Imperial Census of Daedra Lords. [1]

• The Imperial Library, The Definitive Guide to Daedra. [2]

v • d • e The Elder Scrolls lore

Artifacts • Battle of Red Mountain • Corprus • Daedric Artifacts • Lorkhan • Major regions • Nirn • Pantheons of Tamriel • Septim bloodline • Tamriel • The Third Era • War of the First Council

v • d • e Characters of The Elder Scrolls

Almalexia | Dagoth Ur | Jagar Tharn | King of Worms | Lorkhan | Mankar Camoran | Martin Septim | Nerevar | Numidium | Sotha Sil | Tiber Septim | Uriel Septim VII | Vivec See also: Daedric Princes | Morrowind characters | Oblivion characters | Pantheons of Tamriel | Septim bloodline