Board Thread:Lore Discussion/@comment-25443668-20140921053510/@comment-69.123.217.197-20150227214747

It's pointless to get into arguments over "power levels" when considering Gods of completely different religions, let alone completely different universes. It's already an exercise in futility to try and compare, say, the Norse Gods to the Hindu Gods; trying to compare the Aedra to any real world religion is even more pointless considering Nirn is not Earth, and the way the universe works is entirely different.

Back on topic however, the Aedra do have "power": when considering Gods in The Elder Scrolls, however, power is very contextual and has limitations. It's not as simple as "he is stronger than him, but weaker than him". Just like the Daedric Princes the Aedric aspects have their spheres; however, while spheres to the Princes are more just their particular topics of interest and where they have the most influence, the Aedric aspects have much more control over and a closer relation to those concepts that form their spheres. For example, Aka, and by extension his aspects, are quite literally Time itself: thus, when temporal paradoxes occur, it "breaks the Dragon".

As for whether the Aedric aspects apply their influence on Nirn? They do. Frequently. Akatosh defeated the corporeal manifestation of Mehrunes Dagon and banished him back to Oblivion, Kyne taught mortals the use of the Thu'um, Pelinal Whitestrake and Morihaus Breath-of-Kyne were sent by both deities to aid Saint Alessia and mankind, all Aedric aspects provide their blessings to worshipers who pray at their shrines, they occasionally manifest on Nirn to aid Heroes... the list goes on. They don't make the entire world a paradise because they can't, and the extent to which they can apply their influence has its limitations. Don't forget, though, that the Daedric Princes can't do whatever they want on Nirn either: their ability to apply their power is perhaps just as limited. They can only be summoned on particular summoning days with the right offerings or under the right circumstances, they cannot manifest in full on Nirn (anymore at least, and incidentally because of Akatosh), they cannot directly influence events without mortal champions, etc.