Daedric Princes

In the fictional 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, a number of Daedra, along with the other worshipped gods, 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 currently sixteen Princes, although the Shivering Isles expansion reveals a seventeenth in Prince Jyggalag. Not all Daedric princes are necessarily evil, but a number of them have been known to cause trouble throughout Tamriel. Every Daedric Prince has his own plane of Oblivion.

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 most recognized with the artifact, Azura's Star, a reusable soul gem which can be found in both Morrowind and Oblivion. Azura is one of the few Daedra who might be considered "good" by mortal standards. Her plane is known as "Moonshadow."

It was Azura who 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). She is also credited on making the Khajiit out of the Bosmer stock in Elsweyr.

Boethiah
Boethiah is the Prince of Plots, who rules over deceit, conspiracy, secret plots of murder, assassination, treason, and unlawful overthrow of authority. He is depicted as a great caped warrior, often in a stoic pose. He is one of the original ancestor gods of the Dunmer.

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 Khartag 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 honor.

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 (although in dialogue from Oblivion he states that one of the forms he took was a "scamp who made deals with orcs", a possible reference to an easter egg named "Creeper" from Morrowind. Clavicus himself is depicted as a jovial fellow with horns protruding from his forehead.

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.

Hermaeus Mora
Hermaeus Mora is the Prince whose sphere is scrying of the tides of fate, of the past and future as read in the stars and heaven, and in whose dominion are the treasures of knowledge and memory. His realm is known as the "Apocrypha," an endless library where all forbidden knowledge can be found.

Hermaeus Mora's appearance is probably the most bizzare and preplexing of all of the daedric princes the player encounters, he is essentially depicted as a pulpy rotund mass with mutiple eyes, tentacles, and 2 sets lobster like claws.

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. He speaks with a deep, frightening and almost-convoluted voice. His artifact, the Oghma Infinium, is an ultimate skill book that selectively improves character traits. He is worshipped by many as the god of beasts, and many hunters pray at his altar before leaving on a hunt.

Like many things in Oblivion, his depiction and sphere may be a tribute to the works of H. P. Lovecraft and Cthulhu mythos.

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 lycanthropic 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. Hircine's typical lackeys on the mortal realm Nirn are werewolves, which he directly talks to, gives tasks and rewards with additional powers. The lesser Daedra Herne are also affiliated with him.

In The Elder Scrolls Legends: Battlespire, the protagonist was forced to endure a hunt in his realm. In The Elder Scrolls III: Bloodmoon expansion, the Nerevarine was forced to defeat an aspect of Hircine (that of strength, speed or guile) at the end of the Bloodmoon hunt. In The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, he sends the protagonist on a hunt for a unicorn's horn.

Jyggalag
Jyggalag is the Prince of Order, but his sphere and other characteristics were not revealed during the early Elder Scrolls games. Prior to The Elder Scrolls IV: Shivering Isles, Jyggalag had only been briefly 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 mysterious obelisks activated by his followers, the Priests of Order. Jyggalag and his minions are depicted as grey crystalline knights. He represents logical order, and is said to "never have had an original idea in his life."

Shivering Isles reveals that Jyggalag is in fact Sheogorath himself. Jyggalag had grown in power and influence, 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: Madness. However, the other Daedric Princes wanted to make sure that Jyggalag suffered more, and so he is allowed to return to his true form at the end of every era in order to retake his lands from his mad self, an event known as the "Greymarch." However, once this was done, the curse would transform him back into Sheogorath, starting the cycle over again, something that Jyggalag knew would happen everytime he was finished. At the end of the third era, with the Greymarch occurring, the player is given the chance to defeat Jyggalag, stopping the Greymarch before it can conquer Sheogorath's territory. This releases Jyggalag from his curse, allowing him to remain in his true form and return to Oblivion. The player is then granted the role of "Sheogorath," the Prince of Madness.

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.

He was created when Boethiah ate the Aedra 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 known as one of the "Four Pillars of the House of Troubles," known in Morrowind as the "bad Daedra."
 * In Skyrim, he is most commonly referred to as "Orkey," or "Old Knocker."

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 "The Deadlands," and is featured in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.

Of all the Daedric Princes, Mehrunes Dagon seems to have the most animosity towards Nirn's species. Given his nature (prince of destruction), along with the fact that daedra cannot truly be destroyed, the only entities he can practice destruction on are mortals. 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. In Oblivion, the plot centers around a plot by Dagon's followers to destroy the Septim bloodline and Tamriel in general.

In Michael Kirkbride's "The Aldudagga", 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 into the Waters of Oblivion.


 * In The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, Mehrunes Dagon is known as one of the "Four Corners 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.


 * In The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, he's the only Daedric Prince who doesn't offer the player a side quest (given his status as the game's antagonist). His trademark artifact, "Mehrune's Razor," can be found in an official plug-in however.

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. The only consistent theme seems to be interference in the affairs of mortals for his/her amusement. S/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.

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. Her realm is known as the "Coloured Rooms."

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 "The Elder Scrolls IV: 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 Meridia's realm in Oblivion and return to the mortal world. It would also allow him command over Meridia's daedra, the Aurorans.

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. His realm is called "Coldharbour," a twisted dark version of Tamriel.

He 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 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 known as one of the "Four Pillars of the House of Troubles," known in Morrowind as the "bad Daedra."

Namira


Namira is the Daedric Prince whose sphere is the ancient darkness. She is associated with all things generally considered repulsive including various creatures, such as spiders or slugs, and diseases which cause any kind of unattractive physical abnormalities. 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. Her quest in Oblivion involves working with outcasts to ambush a group of priests under Arkay who attempt to "save" Namira's dark followers.

Nocturnal
Nocturnal is the Daedric Prince whose sphere is the night and darkness, 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. 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.

Peryite
Peryite, also known as the Taskmaster, is the Daedric Prince whose sphere is Pestilence, and he is charged with ordering the lowest levels of Oblivion. He is often depicted as a green dragon, and is ostensibly concerned with ensuring all things are accounted for, neat, tidy, and in their proper order.

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.

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.

In Morrowind, it is revealed by the Grandmaster of the Morag Tong, Eno Hlaalu, that Sanguine crafted 27 items for Mephala collectively termed the "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. His name is the password to the Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary in the game (although that appeareance may merely be a reference to the four temperaments.)

Sheogorath
Sheogorath is the infamous Prince of Madness, whose motives are unknowable. His realm in Oblivion is The Shivering Isles, and is served by the Golden Saints and Dark Seducers.

He savors the act of driving mortals insane or making them perform actions which can be seen as trivial or silly. Sheogorath speaks with an almost exaggerated Scottish accent in the Shivering Isles. 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 specifically for his followers to worship him. As the Madgod, 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 Bitter Cup which is found in Morrowind, specifically the Sheogorad region and increases one's most powerful attribute, while decreasing their weakest one.

Sheogorath came into existence with Nirn, as the "Sithis-shaped hole in the world." It is learned in Shivering Isles that the other Daedric Princes feared the Daedric Prince of Order (Jyggalag) was becoming too powerful, and so they cursed him into a body of madness (Sheogorath), everything he stood against. Though Sheogorath seems to prefer this new existence and to care in his own way for the residents of the Shivering Isles, Jyggalag is nonetheless able to return at the end of every era, leading a "Greymarch" (destruction of the realm using the Knights of Order). The curse would then revert him to Sheogorath, leaving Sheogorath to once again re-assemble his realm. Not wanting to see his beloved Shivering Isles destroyed again by the Greymarch, Sheogorath called for a champion from Nirn. At the end of the 3rd Era, Jyggalag was struck down by Sheogorath's Champion. With this, the Greymarch was ended prematurely, releasing Jyggalag from the cycle, and the Hero was crowned the new "Sheogorath." Jyggalag says that the hero may one day grow into their new role.

The name "Sheogorath" is derived from "Theodore", after former developer Ted Peterson.

In Morrowind, Sheogorath is known as one of the "Four Corners of the House of Troubles."

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. Vaernima is depicted as a grotesque old woman. Her plane of Oblivion is "Quagmire." It is described a nightmare realm, where every few minutes reality shifts and becomes ever more horrifying.

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 him 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 credited with telling Molag Bal the cure for Vampirism in Morrowind.