The Daedric Princes in The Elder Scrolls 5 Skyrim Explained
Skyrim is home to many people, and with a diverse population comes a broad range of religions. Though the most commonly known gods and goddesses are the Nine Divines (Eight if Talos is excluded), there are actually 16 more equally as powerful and influential god like beings in the world. These Daedric Princes are the most powerful of the Daedra, a demonic and powerful race inhabiting the many planes of Oblivion, and each follow their own ideals and morals, often using mortals and the player as a means to an end to achieve their desires.
The Nine Divines of Skyrim are known as Aedra, and they inhabit Aetherius, a sort of heaven, and the Daedra are their counterparts. That said, not all Daedra are explicitly evil or chaotic, but their worship is frowned upon nonetheless. Longtime fans of the series may recognize one of these Daedric Princes, Mehrunes Dagon, as the central antagonist to The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion. Each Daedric Prince has their own plane of Oblivion which is suited to their personality and influence, but some are more prevalent in the story of Skyrim than others, simply due to the extent at which they participate in the affairs of mortals.
Not only do Daedric Princes not have to be evil, they also don't have to be male. Azura is an example of both of these exceptions, as she is generally good natured. That said, as a Daedric Prince, she can still be extremely harsh when dealing out punishment to those who would defy her. She is most well known for her artifact, Azura's Star, which acts as a Soul Gem that can be recharged. The player has a choice to either repair Azura's Star to its former state or to corrupt it into the black star, allowing it to hold human souls as well.
Boethiah is not the nicest of Daedric Princes, but is also unfortunately the one which interacts with mortals the most. Boethiah chooses to appear as either a man or a woman at their will, and their true gender is unknown. Although they are widely considered evil due to their mischievous and violent nature, there are those that worship Boethiah and the Dunmer even consider them a Good Daedra like Azura.
Hircine is the Daedric Prince of the Hunt, but is most well known for creating lycanthropy. Werewolves are closely related to Hircine, and many other werebeasts worship him as their patron. Generally speaking, Hircine is not evil, but he isn't particularly benevolent either, preferring a neutral but fair stance. Clavicus Vile is the Daedric Prince of power, trickery, wishes, serenity, and bargains, but plays a very minor role in Skyrim. Clavicus Vile's dog, Barbas, will seek the Dragonborn out, asking to be reunited with his master, the quest can result in either the Rueful Axe or the Masque of Clavicus Vile.
Hermaeus Mora is the Daedric Prince of Scrying and Memory, and is rather cruel, showing now regard for the lives of his followers. He is connected to the powerful Oghma Infinium, a book which raises every skill by five points when read. His questline is actually tied into the main quest of Skyrim to an extent, as finding the Elder Scroll requires the player to interact with Septimus, one of his followers, which in turn prompts the beginning of Hermaeus Mora's sidequest.
Malacath is a Daedric Prince that serves as the patron god of the Orismer, or Orcs. Though he is bloodthirsty and violent, he is not necessarily evil, as he seems to care about his people and holds honor in high regard. Skyrim features a sidequest in which the player helps lift a curse from an Orc tribe by proving themself to Malacath, who in return grants the player his artifact, the hammer Volendrung.
Mehrunes Dagon is the Daedric Prince of Destruction, and the main antagonist in The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion. Mehrunes Dagon was solely responsible for the invasion of Daedric forces into Tamriel during the events of that game, but plays a more minor role in Skyrim as part of a sidequest in which the player can repair and use Mehrunes Dagon's artifact, Mehrunes' Razor. Mephala is the Daedric Prince of Lies, and is one of the more obscure Daedric Princes. Not much is known about her, and she appears only during one brief quest in Skyrim in which the player recharges her artifact, the Ebony Blade, by killing friendly characters with it.
Namira is the Daedric Prince of Dark, and acts as the patron god of cannibals. In her sidequest in Skyrim, a group of cannibals ask the Dragonborn to bring them the body of a priest of Arkay. Should the Dragonborn agree, they will be rewarded with the Ring of Namira, which allows the player to eat slain foes. Meridia is another example of a good aligned Daedric Prince, as the Daedric Prince of Life despises nothing more than undead. In Skyrim, she tasks the player with slaying a necromancer that has defiled her shrine and rewards the Dragonborn with her artifact, the Dawnbreaker sword.
Molag Bal, the Daedric Prince of Domination, is decidedly evil, and though his role in the base game of Skyrim is small, it is expounded upon by the Dawnguard DLC. A short quest sees Molag Bal reward the Dragonborn with his mace, but in the Dawnguard DLC it is revealed that he caused the Vampirism of Serana and the other vampires in her group. Nocturnal is the Daedric Prince of the Night and acts as the leader of the Nightingales, a secret group within the Thieves' Guild of Skyrim. She is introduced at the end of the Thieves' Guild questline, at which point the Dragonborn can become one of three Nightingales and is granted mastery over the shadows. The Dragonborn is then duty bound to serve Nocturnal until their death, but the armor set that comes with it is one of the coolest in the game.
Peryite resembles a dragon but is one of the weakest of the Daedric Princes. Among the Daedra, he is seen as the Daedric Prince of Order, as it is his responsibility to maintain order in the lower plains of Oblivion, but elsewhere he is seen as the Daedric Prince of Pestilence. Still, he plays almost no role in Skyrim, although he does have a shrine that players can find. Sanguine is the Daedric Prince of Debauchery, and although he is certainly not good, his role in Skyrim is rather light-hearted. The player meets Sanguine while he is disguised as a mortal and engages in a drinking contest with the Daedra, followed by the two going off and committing drunken pranks. Sanguine's quest line sees the player the morning after trying to right the wrongs they committed that night.
Sheogorath is the Daedric Prince of Madness, and played a vital role in Oblivion's DLC, The Shivering Isles. Sheogorath's role in Skyrim is much more limited, but his side quest awards the player with the Wabbajack staff, which is capable of transforming enemies into other creatures. Vaermina is the Daedric Prince of Dreams and Nightmares, and her side quest in Skyrim is actually rather involved. This quest sees the player use a special potion called Vaermina's Torpor which puts them into a dreamstride. While in this state, the Dragonborn witnesses the memories of a nearby priest, but when they awake their physical body is wherever they were in the dream world.
The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim is available now for PC, PS3, PS4, Switch, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.
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