Planes of Oblivion (Oblivion)

Planes of Oblivion are the worlds created when the Hero of Kvatch enters an Oblivion Gate. While most of them are in the realm of Mehrunes Dagon (also known as "the Deadlands") the Daedric princes Boethia, Peryite and Sheogorath have their own which the player may enter as part of their quests.

The Planes of Oblivion associated with the main quest are eponymously named such (except for The Wayward Knight quest), while random ones found in the wilderness appear as "Wastes of Oblivion" on the map. For Daedric quests, the Realm of Boethia and Realm of Peryite are named respectively. With the exception of the Daedric quests, there is no apparent significance to the different names given to the landscape.

In most Oblivion worlds (except for those associated with Daedric quests), the central tower is the objective. At the top of that tower is a room containing a Sigil Stone; which once removed the Oblivion gate will close, and the player character will be transported back to Tamriel. These realms consists of a relatively large ash-covered island surrounded by a sea of impassable lava.

Regions

Exterior

The landscapes of Planes of Oblivion are largely hazardous, often made of a maze of lava pools, cliffs and rockslides. Plants such as Bloodgrass, Harrada Root and Spindal Sticks can be found growing here, though the latter two are hostile. Level-dependent Daedra and Dremora will periodically spawn. Fleshy Pod containers found either on the ground or hanging from various rocks surfaces and structures contain potions, gold and random loot.

Various traps can also be found on the surface as well, including Claws, Avalanches, Fire Turrets and Land Mines.

Caves

Some random Oblivion worlds contain cave sequences whose sections are randomly selected from a large series of possible caves, divided into three zones. Each cave section consists of a single entrance and a single exit. These go many many names including: The Hate Tunnels, Worm Gut Channels, Molten Halls, The Fume Vaults, Mire of Ash, and The Scratch Paths.

The Sigil Keep

Every Random Oblivion Plane contains a tower that serves as the citadel of that world, the Sigil Keep. The player will eventually have to visit this tower in order to close the Oblivion Gate they have entered. This tower contains the Sigil Stone that keeps the Oblivion Gate open. The Sigil Keep is generally the largest of the towers and can often be recognized by the yellow light emanating from the Sigillum Sanguis at the top of the tower.

The basic layout for this type of tower consists of a tall open base that leads almost to the top, afterwards one must pass through various hallways that circle around the base of the tower to reach the top. At the top there are two doors leading to the Sigillum Sanguis at the top of the tower. The base of the tower consists of a tall spire. Apart from the ground floor, there are various platforms attached to the walls. In the middle you can find a pool of lava with a fire pillar leading upwards (to the Sigillum Sanguis). Coming into contact with the pillar or the pool of lava results in instant death.

Non-Random Sigil Keeps

A number of Sigil Keeps can only be found in a specific Oblivion World. Entering the Sigil Keep in that specific world will always end up in a predetermined tower. The towers are:

• Portals of Natural Disaster, found in Random Oblivion World 2.
• The Brooding Fortress, found in Random Oblivion World 4.
• The Blood Feast, found in the Kvatch Oblivion World.
• The Fury Spike, found in the Bruma Oblivion World.
• The Chaos Stronghold, found in the Cheydinhal Oblivion World.
• World Breaker, found in the Great Gate Oblivion World.

Random Sigil Keeps

The outside is that of a generic Sigil Keep. Its interior differs per visit.

Random towers are a set of Sigil Keeps from which one is selected randomly when entering a Sigil Keep from Oblivion Worlds 1, 3, 5, 6 and 7. The specific tower is only selected (randomly) when entering the Tower Portal door. After that the door will always lead to the selected tower.

The player determine the tower have entered by the name that appears with the interior map:

• The Claw Monolith
• The Dreaded Refuge
• The Flesh Spire
• The Gore Steeple
• The Lust Keep

Hallways

The number of additional hallways in the tower vary between 1 and 3. They are can be named either Rending Halls, Corridors of Dark Salvation, Dead Halls or Desolations End. The hallways usually consist of corridors leading upwards and are home to a number of hostile Daedra, as well as traps, located in the rooms that connect the various corridors. Typically located within are special activatable objects known as Blood Fountains and Magicka Essences, which restore health and magicka respectively.

Sigillum Sanguis

The uppermost room in the main tower is called the Sigillum Sanguis. This is where the Sigil Stone that serves as the anchor for the Oblivion Gate to Tamriel is kept. Removing the stone will cause the gate to permanently close and the tower to be destroyed. The Sigillum Sanguis is always located at the top of the Sigil Keep and is always guarded by Dremora. Within can also be found The Punished, containers with house high-quality loot.

Traps

Avalanche

Distinguished by light brown rocks lying on the top of a nearby hill. When set off, a rumbling sound will be heard and the screen will shake, afterward the rocks will come tumbling down. Each rock does 10 points of damage.

Claw Trap

Small curved bone spikes bend vertically on both sides of the path. It main purpose is to block movement, although with a reasonable level in Athletics they are easy to circumvent. The spikes themselves do no damage.

Claw Lever

A yellow, claw-shaped lever placed on the wall. When pulled, the trap linked to the claw lever will be set off, resetting a few seconds after. Whether it has any effect to pull it again depends on the trap linked to, usually either the Citadel Guillotine Blade or Citadel Trident Blade.

Citadel Guillotine Blade

The guillotine is a huge blade perpendicular to the hallway, with yellow edges mounted on the ceiling. Unusual grooves, creases, or gaps can be found in the wall. When triggered, the blade will quickly descend. When the blade reaches the ground, the screen will shake and a loud crashing sound will follow. The blade will stay down for a few seconds, and then slowly rise up again. Being struck by the blade causes 20 + 1.5 × level damage. It will always remain active and cannot be disabled

Citadel Spikes

Located vertically on the walls of citadels, they are triggered in the target area will make spikes fly out of the holes, causing 20 + 1.5 × level damage. After this trap has reset, it will take five seconds to re-arm.

Citadel Trident Blade

A large, claw-like mechanism in the ceiling, usually near the entrance of a wide hall. Being struck by the swinging blade will cause 25 + 1.5 × level damage. They will only release a single time.

Fire Turret

Large pillars with spinning mechanisms on the top, these sentries attack with slow moving fiery projectiles which have an area effect that can be absorbed and resisted, but not reflected. They're unable to fire at their base and will only ever target the player. They are always active and cannot be disarmed in anyway.

Land Mine

These small, claw-like mechanisms embedded in the ground are triggered by proximity, doing Leveled Fire Damage within 14 ft. for 5 seconds. The effect cannot be absorbed or reflected, but can be resisted. They can be disarmed with a melee attack, detonated with a ranged one, set off and ran from or avoided entirely.

Trivia

• Vampires will not take Sun Damage while in a Plane of Oblivion.
• The words sigillum and sanguis are Latin, meaning "signet, seal, figurine" and "blood" respectively. As used in Oblivion, they do not form a grammatically coherent Latin phrase. A correct alternative would be sigillum sanguinis (with "blood" in the genitive case), which would mean "seal of blood".
• Occasionally, different Planes of Oblivion will share the same interior map cell. It's possible with a very high Athletics skill or by using console commands to reach these. Going through one gate and out another can serve as something of an unorthodox method of fast travel.