Hircine

"The daedric prince Hircine is also known as the Huntsman of the Princes, and the Father of Manbeasts. He can call upon the Wild Hunt to punish those who defy him."

- The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Hircine (Daedric: ), whose spirit is the hunt, the sports of Daedra, the greatest game, the chase and sacrifice of mortals; known by the names The Huntsman of The Princes, and The Father of Manbeasts. The summoning date of Hircine is the 5th of Mid Year.

In The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Hircine can also be summoned in his shrine if the summoner offers a wolf or bear pelt. Hircine always accepts summon from the witches of the Glenmoril Wyrd Coven of High Rock, at anytime. Hircine is also known to have met with Sotha Sil in 1E 2920

Circa 3E 430, Daedric Prince Hircine showed up in Solstheim, a disputed island between Morrowind and Skyrim. Roughly every thousand years, Hircine comes to the island to perform a hunting game. To the Skaal, this period is known as the Bloodmoon Prophecy. His coming is always preceded by three signs: "Fire From the Eye of Glass", "Tide of Woe" and "Bloodmoon", when the young moon itself runs red. Hircine is responsible for the creation of Lycanthropes, which are mentioned below.

In the novel "The Infernal City", Hircine attempts to hunt down the heroes as they take a shortcut through Oblivion to Vivec city.

Hircine's plane of Oblivion are his realms known as Hunting Grounds.

Lycanthropes
There are seven known types of Lycanthropy.

The first of these Lycanthropes are Werecrocodiles. These are recorded to have inhabited the province of Black Marsh, and southern Morrowind. The second type of lycanthrope are Werelions, which are known to inhabit Elsweyr, the Cyrodiil, and the Black Marsh. Werevultures are known to only inhabit Valenwood. The Wereboar is known to live in the provinces of High Rock and Hammerfell. The Werebear is common to Skyrim, and is the most frequent Lycanthrope there. However, it is also found in the northern sections of High Rock, Imperial Province, and Morrowind. The Werewolf has been spotted in every province. The final type of lycanthrope is the Wereshark, which is believed to roam the oceans surrounding Tamriel.

So far, only the Werewolf and Wereboar have appeared in any of the games.

Lycanthropy is a disease but it starts with another disease, a minor one, called "Sanies Lupinus" that usually transferred by other Lycanthropes. At this point, a standard cure-disease potion will remove the disease easily. The disease only drains a small number of fatigue, and is hardly recognized. After three days without cure, the disease evolves to Lycanthropy, the people turned to beast form and starts the Bloodlust.

When in beast form, the person's attributes (like strength, speed and endurance) are increased and his/her claws are deadly. The person also has total resistance to disease whether in human form or in beast form. In Iliac Bay, the Lycanthropes turn to beast form once per month, obviously this means they have to kill once per month.But in Solstheim, during the Bloodmoon, the transformation is done per day. This could be because of the presence of Hircine.

During the Bloodmoon, Werewolves, also known as Hircine's Hounds, acted as the hunters while the inhabitants of the Solstheim were their prey. The most powerful person that can defeat the hounds is honored and would receive favors by the Prince himself, and he will face Hircine's aspect in one-to-one battle. Being honored to be the prey of the Prince himself, at least in Hircine's view. Very few have survived this battle.

One artifact can suppress the Bloodlust, and that is Hircine's Ring. Sometime before the Warp in the West, this ring was reported resurfaced in the Iliac Bay.The ring makes the Lycanthrope wielder able to turn to beast form or vice versa at will, and able to suppress the hunger. During the Bloodmoon in Solstheim, the enchantment somehow was changed. The ring can make any person to turn to beast form at will but for Lycanthropes the Bloodlust is still there.

On a side note, the witches of the Glenmoril Wyrd Coven of High Rock are known to be worshippers of Hircine, and they will often perform a summoning for anyone that can pay their price. The witches are also able to cure anyone of Lycanthropy, an ability that is alluded to in the book.

The infected person, with the assistance of the witches, must perform a ritual called The Rite of the Wolf Giver. It is a complex ritual of dark magicka, requiring the sacrifice of both flesh and innocence. And certain ingredients, which are petals of a wolfsbane flower and one bunch of ripened belladonna berries, are needed by the witches to concoct a potion for the rite.

Artifacts
One particularly famous artifact of Hircine, and the one he is most commonly associated with, is the Cuirass of the Savior's Hide.

The book, Tamrielic Lore, has this to say about the Cuirass:

"The Cuirass has the special ability to resist magicka. Legend has it that Hircine rewarded his peeled hide to the first and only mortal to have ever escaped his hunting grounds. This unknown mortal had the hide tailored into this magical Cuirass for his future adventures. The Savior's Hide has a tendency to travel from hero to hero as though it has a mind of its own."

- Tamrielic Lore

This artifact has surfaced multiple times, such as in Battlespire Crisis, where it is required to wield the Spear of Bitter Mercy. Another occasion when it was shown was in Tel Fyr, the house of Divayth Fyr. Divath, an ancient Telvanni wizard and also an artifact collector, was once able to procure the artifact. He then invites Thieves to steal them from the Corprusarium It then later appears in the Oblivion Crisis, as a reward for completing the Hircine's Shrine Quest.

Another artifact gifted by Hircine is the Ring of Hircine available in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. The ring allows the wearer additional werewolf transformations each day. At the end of the quest, the player must select to side with the werewolf or the hunters. If the player sides with the werewolf then they get the Ring of Hircine whereas siding with the hunters gives the player the Savior's Hide. An alternative is to side with the werewolf and to get the ring and then kill and skin him before leaving the grotto.

The Rueful Axe was created by Clavicus Vile so the father of a Hircine worshiper could cure his daughter's curse by killing her.

Trivia

 * Hircine means "of, pertaining to, or resembling a goat."

Appearances

 * The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall
 * An Elder Scrolls Legend: Battlespire
 * The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
 * The Elder Scrolls III: Bloodmoon
 * The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
 * The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim