The Daedric Princes (sometimes referred to as Daedra Lords,[1] or the Old Gods by

Reachmen) are the most powerful of the Daedra and thus most commonly worshipped by
mortals as deities. While Daedra can manifest as either male or female (being, in
reality, genderless), all of these high Daedra are typically referred to as
"Princes."[2][3] In all, there are sixteen widely known Princes,[4] with a
"seventeenth" prince, Jyggalag, emerging following the events of The Elder Scrolls
IV: Shivering Isles, at the end of the Third Era.[5]

Every Daedric Prince has their own specific plane of Oblivion, which reflects their
nature.[4]

Contents
1 Origins
2 Mortal interactions
3 Known Daedric Princes
4 Azura
5 Boethiah
6 Clavicus Vile
7 Hermaeus Mora
8 Hircine
9 Jyggalag
10 Malacath
11 Mehrunes Dagon
12 Mephala
13 Meridia
14 Molag Bal
15 Namira
16 Nocturnal
17 Peryite
18 Sanguine
19 Sheogorath
20 Vaermina
21 References
rather created domains out of themselves in Oblivion.[1] There are also accounts of
other et'Ada becoming Daedric Princes after the creation of Mundus, which also
involves the creation of their own realms of Oblivion.[6]

Mortal interactions
Throughout Tamriel's history, mortals have frequently summoned Daedric Princes, for
worship, study or to make deals. These typically involve some sort of bargain with
the Prince in question, but not always.[7] It should be noted that dealing with the
Princes sometimes causes changes in appearance, such as black dots in the whites of
the eyes or strange eye color.[8]

Each Daedric Prince holds some degree of "patronage" over a physical,

philosophical, or metaphysical concept or state of being.[9] The varied and wide
range of these aspects has nurtured a devoted following among the mortals that hold
them as figures of worship- either in spite of or in reaction to the teachings of
the Divines. While some of the Princes are unconcerned for the well-being of their
followers, with some actively causing harm to them by some means, other Daedric
Princes have been known to both reward and actively protect their followers.[10]

Known Daedric Princes

Azura � A Prince who maintains/draws power from the balance of night and day, light
and dark.
Boethiah � The Prince of deceit, secrecy, conspiracy, treason, and unlawful
overthrow of authority.
Clavicus Vile � The Prince of deals, pacts, power, bargains, and serenity through
wish fulfillment.
Hermaeus Mora � The formless Daedric Prince of knowledge and memory, seeks to
possess all that is knowable.
Hircine � The Prince of the hunt, sport, the Great Game, and the Chase.
Jyggalag � The Prince of logical order and deduction, upholds strict order above
all else.
Malacath � The Prince whose sphere is the patronage of the spurned and ostracized.
Mehrunes Dagon � The Prince of destruction, violent upheaval, energy, and mortal
ambition.
Mephala � The Prince of unknown plots and obfuscation, a master manipulator, a
sower of discord.
Meridia � The Prince of the energies of all living things, enemy of the undead and
all who disrupt the flow of life.
Molag Bal � The Prince of domination and spiritual enslavement, seeks to ensnare
souls within his domain.
Namira � The Prince of the "ancient darkness," the patron of all things considered
repulsive.
Nocturnal � The Prince of the night and darkness, the patron of all things
secretive.
Peryite � The Taskmaster, the Daedric Prince of Pestilence, desires order in his
domain.
Sanguine � The Prince of hedonism, debauchery, and the further indulgences of one's
darker nature.
Sheogorath � The infamous Prince of Madness, whose motives are unknowable.
Vaermina � The Prince of dreams and nightmares, a deliverer of evil omens and dark
portents.

Azura is the Daedric Prince[10] whose sphere is dusk and dawn.[11] Azura is always
depicted as a female and is also known as "Mother of the Rose," "Queen of the Night
Sky,"[10] and the Anticipation of Sotha Sil.[12] Her artifact is Azura's Star.[2]
[3] Azura is one of the few Daedra who might be considered "good" by mortal
standards, due to her concern for her followers' well-being. Azura's plane is known
as Moonshadow, a realm said to be too beautiful for mortals to comprehend.[4] The
lesser Daedra Winged Twilights are her messengers.[13]

It was Azura who told Nerevar that Dagoth Ur's knowledge of the Heart of Lorkhan
was accurate.[14] This caused a war with the Dwemer, from which the Chimer 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 and thus break their oath to Azura, Azura cursed the Chimer with
dark greyish skin and red eyes, transforming them into the Dunmer.[15] and claimed
that she would cause Nerevar to be reborn and that she would make things right
again.[14] Later, Azura aided the Nerevarine in defeating Dagoth Ur and toppling
the Tribunal Temple.[2] Azura is also credited for making the Khajiit from Bosmer
stock in Elsweyr.[16]

She is also thought to be the sister of Nocturnal, but whether this is true or not
is yet to be known.[10]

Boethiah
Boethiah's Shrine
Boethiah's Shrine in Oblivion.
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Main article: Boethiah

Boethiah is the Prince of Plots, who rules over deceit, conspiracy, secret plots of
murder, assassination, treason, and unlawful overthrow of authority.[9] Boethiah is
depicted (often female) as a great caped warrior, typically taking a stoic pose and
is also known as the Anticipation of Almalexia.[12] Attribution's Share is the
Plane of Boethiah; she frequently holds the Tournament of Ten Bloods in this Plane.
[UL 1]

Boethiah is the original god-ancestor of the Dunmer. She guided the Chimer to
renounce all ties to the Aldmer and led them, through the prophet Veloth, to the
land of Morrowind. She is seen by the Dunmer as the beginning of their civilization
and is credited by them as the fount of inspiration for many cultural achievements.
[17]

Boethiah is connected to several Daedric artifacts which have appeared on Tamriel

throughout history. These include the Ebony Mail,[18] Goldbrand,[19] and
Fearstruck.[20]

Clavicus Vile
ShrineofClavicusVile
Clavicus Vile's Shrine in Oblivion.
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Main article: Clavicus Vile

Clavicus Vile is the Daedric Prince whose sphere is the granting of power and
wishes through ritual invocations and pacts.[9] Clavicus has a companion named
Barbas, who may be a distinct part of Vile while being part of his being.[21] While
capable of selective shape-shifting, the form it assumes most of the time is that
of a dog, among others.[3] Clavicus himself is depicted as a jovial fellow with
horns protruding from his forehead. Clavicus Vile is also noted to be one of the
patrons of Cyrodiil's clan of vampires.[22]

Clavicus Vile's realm in Oblivion is called "The Fields of Regret."[23] It appears

as an idyllic countryside, dotted with merchant utopias, fields of white clovers,
woodland meadows, twisted foliage, and odd melted-looking places. The air smells of
both perfume and rotting flesh, while the sky is blue with cottony clouds, and
greenish-gray streaks that stain the atmosphere.[24]

Vile has also created many Daedric artifacts, among them the Umbra Sword, the
possessed quill Feyfolken and the Masque of Clavicus Vile.[25][18]

Hermaeus Mora
Hermaeus Mora's Shrine
Hermaeus Mora's Shrine in Oblivion.
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Main article: Hermaeus Mora

Hermaeus Mora is the Daedric Prince of knowledge and memory. His sphere is the
scrying of the tides of fate, of the past and future as read in the stars and
heavens, and in his dominion are the treasures of knowledge and memory.[9] His
realm is known as Apocrypha, an endless library where all forbidden knowledge may
be found.[4]He may be the "Woodland Man" of Atmoran myth who nearly persuaded the
Nords to become Aldmer;[17] the secondary set of his name, Mora, is one word for
"wood," "woodland," or "tree(s)" in Aldmeris.[26]

Hermaeus Mora most commonly appears as a rotund mass of tentacles with an abundance
of eyes and four disproportionately large lobster-like claws, although he also
appears as a grotesque void out of which tentacles appear.[3][27]

His artifacts are all books of one form or another. The most well-known of these,
the Oghma Infinium, was written by Xarxes, and contains "knowledge of the
ages."[28]
Hircine
Hircine's Shrine
Hircine's Shrine in Oblivion.
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Main article: Hircine

Hircine is the Daedric Prince whose sphere is the Hunt, the Sport of Daedra, the
Great Game, and the Chase; he is known as the Huntsman and the Father of Manbeasts.
[4] Hircine created the various lycanthropic diseases which transform mortals into
beasts, and is, therefore, the father of were-creatures.[29] His plane of Oblivion
is known as the Hunting Grounds.[30]

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 wolf
companion.[3] The Reachmen consider that he has five aspects, which relate to a
variety of animals and hunters.[31] Hircine communicates directly with were-
creatures, and he has been known to give them tasks and rewards. The lesser Daedra
Herne is also affiliated with him.[32]

Hircine's artifacts are all associated with hunting or lycanthropy in some way. The
Cuirass of the Savior's Hide was allegedly gifted to a mortal after they escaped
Hircine's realm,[18] while the Spear of Bitter Mercy is an artifact used in a
Daedric hunting ritual,[33] and is seen by the Reachmen as Hircine's own weapon.
[31] Hircine's Ring can be used to temporarily bestow lycanthropy on the wearer.
[34]

Jyggalag
Jyggalag
Jyggalag in Shivering Isles.
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Main article: Jyggalag

Jyggalag is the Prince of Order and is one of the more obscure princes.[7] He was
cursed by the other Daedric Princes, who were allegedly afraid of him, to become
Sheogorath, only returning to his original form during the Greymarch.[35] He is
depicted as a crystalline knight.[5]

At the end of the Third Era, with the Greymarch occurring, the Hero of Kvatch
defeated Jyggalag, releasing him from his curse, allowing him to remain in his true
form and return to Oblivion.[35]

Malacath
Malacath Statue
Statue of Malacath in Skyrim.
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Main article: 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.[9] He forms one
corner of the House of Troubles in Dunmer religion, as well as being a particular
enemy of the Nords.[36][17] Malacath is also called Malouch by Orcs and Orkey or
the Old Knocker by Nords, who blame him for stealing mankind's long lifespans.[17]
Malacath spurns physical weakness.[36]

He was created when Boethiah ate the Aedra Trinimac, which also transformed his
followers into Orcs. Malacath is not recognized as a Daedric Prince by his peers,
which fits his sphere perfectly.[37] Some Orcs consider him not to be a Daedra but
a demon, instead worshipping Trinimac.[38]
The Ashpit is Malacath's realm and is known as to be a harsh place, consisting only
of dust, palaces of smoke, and vaporous creatures.[4]

Malacath's Daedric artifacts tend to be subversions of another artifact or turned

against the Daedra themselves. His hammer Volendrung was originally made by the
Dwemer,[39] and the Scourge is noted to be particularly effective when used against
other Daedra.[40] Some sources also claim that he was the one who forged the
Savior's Hide.[41]

Mehrunes Dagon
Shrine of Mehrunes Dagon Skyrim
Shrine of Mehrunes Dagon in Skyrim.
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Main article: Mehrunes Dagon

Mehrunes Dagon is the Daedric Prince of Destruction, Change, Revolution, Energy,
and Ambition.[9] 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 and is part of the House of Troubles.[36] In most
cultures, however, Dagon is merely a god of bloodshed and betrayal. Dagon's plane
of Oblivion is a place of perpetual torture,[42] and is also said to be a blasted
landscape.[4] It is known as the Deadlands.

Of all the Daedric Princes, Mehrunes Dagon seems to have the most animosity toward
Nirn's species. Given his nature (Prince of Destruction), along with the fact that
Daedra truly cannot be destroyed, the only entities he can practice destruction on
are mortals. He assisted Jagar Tharn in his temporary usurpation of the Imperial
throne by invading and seized control of the Battlespire, the purpose of this being
to cripple the capacity of the Imperial College of Battlemages, which presented a
threat to Tharn's power as Emperor.[32]

Mehrunes Dagon Oblivion

Mehrunes Dagon in Oblivion.
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Mehrunes Dagon was responsible for the destruction of Mournhold at the end of the
First Era,[43] and apparently also destroyed Ald Sotha, home of House Sotha and
Sotha Sil's birthplace.[44]

Dagon invaded Tamriel at the end of the Third Era, precipitating the Oblivion
Crisis, where he materialized fully on Tamriel before ultimately being defeated by
the Hero of Kvatch and Martin Septim.[3]

Dagon's most celebrated artifact is his Razor, which was said to have been made in
Lyg by the Magna Ge.[45] He is also associated with the Daedric Crescents, used by
his forces in the invasion of the Battlespire, after which all but one of them were
destroyed.[18]

Mephala
MephShrine
Mephala's Shrine in Oblivion.
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Main article: Mephala

Mephala is a Daedric Prince known by the names Webspinner, Spinner, Spider, and is
associated with sex and secret murder by the Dunmer, and is the Anticipation of
Vivec.[46][12] Her realm of Oblivion is known as the Spiral Skein.[47]

The Morag Tong is a cult of assassins that was, at least initially, devoted to her
worship.[48] She is also associated with the Spider Daedra, although she may not
have complete control over them.[13]

Her artifacts share themes of assassination and stealth. She is associated with the
Ring of Khajiit,[2] the Obsidian Husk[49] and the Ebony Blade.[50]

Meridia
Meridia's Shrine
Meridia's Shrine in Oblivion.
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Main article: Meridia

Meridia is associated with the energies of living things, and bears hatred for the
undead.[9] Her realm is known as the Colored Rooms.[6] She is associated with a
race of lesser Daedra known as Aurorans, and was the patron of Umaril and the
Ayleids.[51][52]

Meridia is mentioned in some sources alongside the Star Orphans, and is considered
by some to be formerly of the Magna Ge, but created her own realm of Oblivion by
bending the light of Magnus through some form of lens.[6] However, there are
accounts which question her association with the Magna Ge.[53]

In addition to her hatred of the undead, Meridia also has an enmity for Molag Bal,
against whom she acted during the Interregnum, by assisting the Five Companions.
[54]

Meridia has been previously associated with the Ring of Khajiit,[55] and gifted her
champion with the sword Dawnbreaker in the Fourth Era.[27]

Molag Bal
Molag Bal Statue ESO
Statue of Molag Bal in Coldharbour.
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Main article: Molag Bal

Azura