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* EvilIsNotAToy: Dealing with Mehrunes Dagon is generally not a good idea unless a) it's a minor and immediate bargain of the 'kill this guy and get an artifact' sort (and even that is a bit risky, as shown by his ''Skyrim'' quest where he summons Dremora to kill you even if you do what he asks), b) you're powerful enough to force him to play ball (like Sotha Sil), or for best results, c) both. ''Worshipping'' him is an even worse deal, as you're essentially giving him everything he wants and then really hoping he'll be nice enough to do you a favor in return- which, if you haven't already gathered from the rest of the tropes here, is a very rare occurrence indeed.
* EvilOverlord: Toward the Dremora who serve him.
* EvilSoundsDeep: Always has a deep, booming voice in his appearances.
* EvilOverlord: Toward the Dremora who serve him.
* EvilSoundsDeep: Always has a deep, booming voice in his appearances.
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* EvilIsNotAToy: Dealing with Mehrunes Dagon is generally not a good idea unless a) it's a minor and immediate bargain of the 'kill this guy and get an artifact' sort (and even that is a bit risky, as shown by his ''Skyrim'' quest where he summons Dremora to kill you even if you do what he asks), b) you're powerful enough to force him to play ball (like Sotha Sil), or for best results, c) both. ''Worshipping'' him is an even worse deal, as you're essentially giving him everything he wants and then really hoping he'll be nice enough to do you a favor in return- which, if you haven't already gathered from the rest of the tropes here, due to his capricious nature, is a very rare occurrence indeed.
* %%zce* EvilOverlord: Toward the Dremora who serve him.
* EvilSoundsDeep: Always has a deep, booming voice in hisappearances.appearances and is almost always antagonistic.
* EvilSoundsDeep: Always has a deep, booming voice in his
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* EvilIsNotAToy: Dealing with Mehrunes Dagon is generally not a good idea unless a) it's a minor and immediate bargain of the 'kill this guy and get an artifact' sort (and even that is a bit risky, as shown by his ''Skyrim'' quest where he summons Dremora to kill you even if you do what he asks), b) you're powerful enough to force him to play ball (like Sotha Sil), or for best results, c) both. ''Worshipping'' him is an even worse deal, as you're essentially giving him everything he wants and then really hoping he'll be nice enough to do you a favor in return- which, if you haven't already gathered from the rest of the tropes here, is a very rare occurrence indeed.
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"Daedroths" is the appropriate pluralization for that particular type of reptilian lesser Daedra. See here
(Citation 11)
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'''''Servants''''': Vampires, Daedra, Daedric Titans, Xivkyn
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'''''Servants''''': Vampires, Daedra, Daedroths, Daedric Titans, Xivkyn
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'''''Servants''''': Daedroths, Daedric Titans, Xivkyn
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'''''Servants''''': Daedroths, Vampires, Daedra, Daedric Titans, Xivkyn
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* TheCorrupter: The very ''embodiment'' of the idea. One of his favorite things is to corrupt a good and noble mortal, then seeing them snap, fall, or break. He especially loves it when mortals do this to ''each other''.
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* TheCorrupter: The very ''embodiment'' of the idea. One of his favorite things is to corrupt a good and noble mortal, then seeing them snap, fall, or break. He especially loves it when mortals do this to ''each other''. Generally, the difference between his and other 'bad' Princes' quests is that the others will ask you to do something bad, while Molag Bal will ask you to make ''someone else'' do the bad thing; in ''Oblivion'' he asks you to make a pacifist commit murder, and in ''Skyrim'' he wants you to torture a priest of Boethiah into renouncing his faith and pledging his soul to Molag Bal.
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* AbusiveParents: She created her "vessel", [[spoiler:Darien Gautier]], but treats him as little more than one of her tools, and refers to him as "it."
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* AbusiveParents: She created her "vessel", [[spoiler:Darien Gautier]], but treats him as little more than one of her tools, tools and refers to him as "it."
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* ControlFreak: She is stated to outright despise mortal free will and defiance, and is angered by the slightest hint of insubordination.
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* ControlFreak: She is stated to outright despise mortal free will and defiance, defiance and is angered by the slightest hint of insubordination.
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* EnemyMine: If her complicated relationship with mortals would have to be condensed to one trope, this would be it. She doesn't really care about them more than any other Prince, but she doesn't hate them the way she hates necromancy, and since mortals can agree that things like Molag Bal's Planemeld and zombie apocalypses are very bad and need to be dealt with pronto, she's happy to help them do that.
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* EnemyMine: If her complicated relationship with mortals would have to be condensed to one trope, this would be it. She doesn't really care about dislikes everything that makes mortals what they are and would "purify" them more than any other Prince, into her unthinkingly devoted followers, but she doesn't hate ''hate'' them the way she hates necromancy, and since mortals can do agree that things like Molag Bal's Planemeld and zombie apocalypses and Molag Bal's planemeld are very bad things and need to be dealt with pronto, she's happy to so she will help them do that.as long as they're the lesser evil.
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* FallenAngel: While not truly "angelic" in nature, she was once one of the Magna Ge, but was cast out to Oblivion for consorting with "illicit spectra". ''The Bladesongs of Boethra'' outright calls her a "fallen angel," and her statue at the Kilkreath Ruins in Skyrim gives her this appearance, being humanoid with a pair of large feathered wings.
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* FallenAngel: While not truly "angelic" in nature, she was once one of the Magna Ge, but was cast out to Oblivion for consorting with "illicit spectra". ''The Bladesongs of Boethra'' outright calls her a "fallen angel," and her statue at the Kilkreath Ruins in Skyrim gives her this appearance, being humanoid with a pair of large large, feathered wings.
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* HeroOfAnotherStory: The ''Magna-Ge Pantheon'' repeatedly references her as something of a BigGood to the Magna-Ge; she has knights who seem to be a sort of equivalent to the Knights of the Round Table, she worked to prevent or mitigate various calamities, and created a wall called the "blackblock" to hold back enemis of the Magna-Ge.
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* HeroOfAnotherStory: The ''Magna-Ge Pantheon'' repeatedly references her as something of a BigGood to the Magna-Ge; she has knights who seem to be a sort of equivalent to the Knights of the Round Table, she worked to prevent or mitigate various calamities, and created a wall called the "blackblock" to hold back enemis enemies of the Magna-Ge.
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* RedBaron: Lady of Decay, the Spirit Daedra, Eldest Spirit, Black Fly, the Great Darkness.
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* RedBaron: Lady of Decay, the Spirit Daedra, Spirit Queen, Eldest Spirit, Black Fly, the Great Darkness.
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* SatanicArchetype: Khajiiti religion views her as pretty much the ultimate evil of their mythology, an enemy of all Khajiit who seeks to corrupt them and draw them down the Bent Path.
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I see what happened. At some point, the In Universe was removed, flagging it as YMMV. Re-added and pulled some additional details from teh series ACI page.
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* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: InUniverse. To most of the population, he is the Prince of Destruction who is responsible for numerous calamities in Tamriel's history and one of the most malevolent princes a mortal could possibly worship. Mankar Camoran's ''Commentaries on the Mysterium Xarxes'' naturally portray him in a more benevolent light; he was created in a previous kalpa to destroy the Dreugh, who served Molag Bal and ruled as tyrants over their world, making him something of a HopeBringer, and in the current Kalpa he wants to undo the tyranny of the Aedra and return the world to its true nature as [[spoiler:Lorkhan's Daedric Realm, Dawn's Beauty]]. As with most things [[UnreliableExpositor Mankar Camoran]]-related, it's unclear whether this is actually true or a lie meant to entice people to worship Dagon, who as the Prince of Destruction normally doesn't have much of a mortal follower base. "The Seven Fights of the Aldudagga" offers yet another origin story with a differing purpose, with Dagon having originally been the "Leaper Demon King" who [[BeastOfTheApocalypse Alduin]] cursed into this state as "Prince of Destruction" in the first place as a punishment for hiding parts of earlier kalpas from him, only to be freed when he has destroyed all that he previously saved.
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Moving YMMV trope, typo
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* AboveGoodAndEvil: {{Downplayed|Trope}}; while his sphere of influence is certainly not good from a mortal standard, and the Mythic Dawn runs the gamut of evil, he is no more actively malicious than a tidal wave or earthquake would be. He destroys because it is his very nature to do so, and he only targets Mundus because nothing in Oblivion can be truly destroyed; he bears no ill-will towards mortals but killing them is simply the only way he can fulfil his purpose.
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* AboveGoodAndEvil: {{Downplayed|Trope}}; while his sphere of influence is certainly not good from a mortal standard, and the Mythic Dawn runs the gamut of evil, he is no more actively malicious than a tidal wave or earthquake would be. He destroys because it is his very nature to do so, and he only targets Mundus because nothing in Oblivion can be truly destroyed; he bears no ill-will towards mortals but killing them is simply the only way he can fulfil fulfill his purpose.
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* AlternateCharacterInterpretation: Mankar Camoran's ''Commentaries on the Mysterium Xarxes'' naturally portray him in a more benevolent light; he was created in a previous kalpa to destroy the Dreugh, who served Molag Bal and ruled as tyrants over their world, making him something of a HopeBringer, and in the current Kalpa he wants to undo the tyranny of the Aedra and return the world to its true nature as [[spoiler:Lorkhan's Daedric Realm, Dawn's Beauty]]. As with most things [[UnreliableExpositor Mankar Camoran]]-related, it's unclear whether this is actually true or a lie meant to entice people to worship Dagon, who as the Prince of Destruction normally doesn't have much of a mortal follower base.
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In ''Daggerfall'', Mehrunes Dagon asks you to slay a Frost Daedra. In ''Battlespire'', he serves as the leader of the invasion. In ''Morrowind'', he asks you to retrieve his dormant Razor. In ''Oblivion'', his cult, the Mythic Dawn, works to summon Dagon's forces and later Dagon himself to Mundus to take it over. In ''Skyrim'', he asks you to once again retrieve his disassembled Razor. In ''Online'', he is the secret patron and backer of the Veiled Heritance.
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In ''Daggerfall'', Mehrunes Dagon asks you to slay a Frost Daedra. In ''Battlespire'', he serves as the leader of the invasion. In ''Morrowind'', he asks you to retrieve his dormant Razor. In ''Oblivion'', his cult, the Mythic Dawn, works to summon Dagon's forces and later Dagon himself to Mundus to take it over. In ''Skyrim'', he asks you to once again retrieve his disassembled Razor. In ''Online'', he is the secret patron and backer of the Veiled Heritance.Heritance, and the ''Deadlands'' expansion focuses on the results of a deal he made with the Longhouse Emperors to help their conquest of Cyrodiil succeed, in exchange for the Emperors using their position to enable a plot to merge Nirn and the Deadlands.
* BenevolentBoss: Usually not, but the Order of the Waking Flame believes that he once assaulted Coldharbor and fought Molag Bal personally to rescue the souls of his followers trapped there, though it's unknown whether this is actually true, exaggerated, or just made up outright to convince people Mehrunes Dagon is worth worshipping. Certainly, every time he's appeared in-game, he's been the epitome of a BadBoss and showed no consideration whatsoever for his followers.
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* BigRedDevil: His typical form plays up this aesthetic, along with being a HornedHumanoid.
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* BigRedDevil: His typical form plays up this aesthetic, along with being a HornedHumanoid.muscular HornedHumanoid with red skin and four arms, though he occasionally manifests with orange skin instead.
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** Lyranth believes that he came into being as a consequence of the destruction wrought when the Magna-Ge chickened out of creating Mundus and left midway through.
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* AboveGoodAndEvil: {{Downplayed|Trope}}; while his sphere of influence is certainly not good from a mortal standard, and the Mythic Dawn runs the gamut of evil, he is no more actively malicious than a tidal wave or earthquake would be. He destroys because it is his very nature to do so, not because he despises the Mundus or mortals in general.
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* AboveGoodAndEvil: {{Downplayed|Trope}}; while his sphere of influence is certainly not good from a mortal standard, and the Mythic Dawn runs the gamut of evil, he is no more actively malicious than a tidal wave or earthquake would be. He destroys because it is his very nature to do so, not and he only targets Mundus because nothing in Oblivion can be truly destroyed; he despises the Mundus or bears no ill-will towards mortals but killing them is simply the only way he can fulfil his purpose.
* AceCustom: Likes to do this with his Daedric servants, such as the Ash Titans and the Dark Seducers ingeneral.''Battlespire''. An obscure text has Lyranth explain that, as the prince of change and ambition, he's never satisfied with his servants and so continually performs vestige surgery to make them more powerful and better suited to his interests.
* AceCustom: Likes to do this with his Daedric servants, such as the Ash Titans and the Dark Seducers in
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* HopeBringer: His worshippers generally portray him as one, who will destroy an inherently flawed world so a better one can be built. Mankar Camoran, for example, claims that Dagon was created by the Magna-Ge to destroy Lyg, which was ruled by servants of Molag Bal and therefore probably a ''really'' terrible place that needed to be destroyed posthaste. In practice, he's more about the destruction part and thinks that creating better worlds afterwards is somebody else's problem.
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* MultipleChoicePast: There are differing accounts of how he came into being:
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Spelling/grammar fix(es), Fixing formatting
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* ChronicBackstabbingDisorder: Dagon will never keep any promises unless forced to, and making any sort of contact with him rarely ends well for mortals. He tried doing this with the Coldharbor Compact, but the Tribunal, being gods, were able to beat him back and Sotha Sil punished him for it. [[spoiler:Mankar Camoran certainly seems happy with his lot, but his followers are tricked into a "paradise" where they're repeatedly murdered, and ESO shows that the Longhouse Emperors made a deal with him that ended with their spirits trapped in the Deadlands and backstabbed by Dagon, though one of them at least had the sense to create a contingency plan that would allow them to banish Dagon if need be- and good thing too, since that's how the Vestige stopped Dagon from pulling a Molag Bal.]]
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* ChronicBackstabbingDisorder: Dagon will never keep any promises unless forced to, and making any sort of contact with him rarely ends well for mortals. He tried doing this with the Coldharbor Compact, but the Tribunal, being gods, were able to beat him back and Sotha Sil punished him for it. [[spoiler:Mankar Camoran certainly seems happy with his lot, but his followers are tricked into a "paradise" where they're repeatedly murdered, and ESO ''ESO'' shows that the Longhouse Emperors made a deal with him that ended with their spirits trapped in the Deadlands and backstabbed by Dagon, though one of them at least had the sense to create a contingency plan that would allow them to banish Dagon if need be- and good thing too, since that's how the Vestige stopped stops Dagon from pulling a Molag Bal.]]
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* ChronicBackstabbingDisorder: Dagon will never keep any promises unless forced to, and making any sort of contact with him rarely ends well for mortals. He tried doing this with the Coldharbor Compact, but the Tribunal, being gods, were able to beat him back and Sotha Sil punished him for it. [[spoiler:Mankar Camoran certainly seems happy with his lot, but his followers are tricked into a "paradise" where they're repeatedly murdered, and ESO shows that the Longhouse Emperors made a deal with him that ended with their spirits trapped in the Deadlands and backstabbed by Dagon, though one of them at least had the sense to create a contingency plan that would allow them to banish Dagon if need be- and good thing too, since that's how the Vestige stopped Dagon from pulling a Molag Bal.]]
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** Mankor Camaron's (who would be in a good position to know the truth since he read the Mysterium Xarxes which Dagon himself wrote, but is also a known liar) ''Commentaries'' state that he, as 'Mehrunes the Razor', was created by the Magna-Ge as an agent of revolution against the tyranny of the Dreugh, who ruled the mythical Lyg and served Molag Bal. Vivec's lessons support Lyg and the Molag Bal-worshipping Dreugh having existed in a previous kalpa, but gives no word about Dagon's potential role.
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** Mankor Mankar Camaron's (who would be in a good position to know the truth since he read the Mysterium Xarxes which Dagon himself wrote, but is also a known liar) ''Commentaries'' state that he, as 'Mehrunes the Razor', was created by the Magna-Ge as an agent of revolution against the tyranny of the Dreugh, who ruled the mythical Lyg and served Molag Bal. Vivec's lessons support Lyg and the Molag Bal-worshipping Dreugh having existed in a previous kalpa, but gives no word about Dagon's potential role.
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* TomeOfEldritchLore: The Mysterium Xarxes. The ''Oblivion'' script notes actually call for Martin, the most knowledgeable major character on the subject, to react as if given "a handful of glowing plutonium" when he receives the Xarxes. It's just that sort of book.
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* TomeOfEldritchLore: The Mysterium Xarxes. The ''Oblivion'' script notes actually call for Martin, the most knowledgeable major character on the subject, to react as if given "a handful of glowing plutonium" when he receives the Xarxes. It's just that sort of book. It ends up destroyed in the Oblivion Crisis, and by the time of ''Skyrim'' only one singed page remains.
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[[Characters/TheElderScrollsDaedricPrinces Main Page]] | [[Characters/TheElderScrollsDaedricPrincesAToL A-L]] | '''M-Z'''
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[[foldercontrol]]
[[folder:Malacath]]
!!Malacath (aka Mauloch)
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/malacath.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Avatar of Malacath]]
->'''Voiced by:''' Wes Johnson (''[=TES=] III: Morrowind'', ''[=TES=] IV: Oblivion''), Michael Donovan (''[=TES=] V: Skyrim'') (English)[[note]]'''Other Languages''':Alexey Borzunov (''[=TES=] III: Morrowind''), Kirill Radzig (''[=TES=] IV: Oblivion''), Sergey Chonishvili (''[=TES=] V: Skyrim'') (Russian)[[/note]]
-> ''"He is more commonly known as the Daedroth Prince Malacath, 'whose sphere is the patronage of the spurned and ostracized, the sworn oath, and the bloody curse.' He is not technically a Daedra Lord, nor do the other Daedra recognize him as such, but this is fitting for his sphere. Of old he was Trinimac, the champion of the High Elven pantheon, in some places more popular than Auri-El, who protected them against enemies without and within. When Trinimac and his followers attempted to halt the Velothi dissident movement, Boethiah ate him. Trinimac's body and spirit were corrupted, and he emerged as Malacath. His followers were likewise changed for the worse."''
-->-- '''''The True Nature of Orcs'''''
-->'''''Sphere''''': The Ostracized, the Spurned, Pariahs\\
'''''Realm''''': The Ashpit\\
'''''Artifacts''''': Scourge, Volendrung, Helm of Oreyn Bearclaw, Blade of the Bloody Tusk\\
'''''Servants''''': Ogrim
Malacath is the Daedric Prince of the Spurned, the Ostracized, and of Pariahs. He is also associated with curses and exile, and detests physical weakness. His most common symbol is a mace, specifically one in the shape of Scourge. Malacath typically takes the form a muscular, often shirtless, male Orc wielding a two-handed sword. Malacath is near universally considered one of the "bad" Daedra throughout Tamriel, with Orcs being the main exception.
According to most religious traditions, Malacath was once the Aldmeri ancestor spirit Trinimac. Boethiah "ate" Trinimac and spoke with his voice in order to manipulate Trinimac's followers, who would become the Chimer. After being tortured in Boethiah's stomach, the remains of Trinimac were "excreted". These remains became Malacath and his remaining followers were transformed into the Orsimer (Orcs). Due to his origins, Malacath is not technically a Daedra Lord, nor do the other Daedra recognize him as such, but this is, of course, quite fitting for his sphere. Malacath is considered the patron of the Orcs, and is also associated with other "goblin-ken", including Goblins and Ogres.
Malacath's realm is the Ashpit, with very little solid ground. Choking dust and soot clouds the air, the only structures are palaces made of smoke, and vaporous creatures lurk in the thick air. Few mortals are able to reach this realm, and those that do require magical levitation and means of breathing in order to survive. For loyal Orcs, this also serves as their afterlife. They are said to reside within the Ashen Forge, which grants immortality, abundant food and drink, and plenty of epic battles.
In ''Daggerfall'', Malacath asks you to execute a rogue Daedra Seducer. In ''Morrowind'', he asks you to slay a warrior who has taken credit for the achievements of an Orc. In ''Oblivion'', he tasks you with freeing enslaved Ogres. In ''Skyrim'', he asks you to accompany a weak Orc chieftain to slay some Giants. In ''Online'', he asks you to light the braziers of Old Orsinium.
The below tropes are associated with Malacath. For tropes relating to Trinimac, see his entry on the [[Characters/TheElderScrollsOtherDeities Other Deities]] page. (Some tropes may warrant placement on both, but please be judicious.)
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* AllOfTheOtherReindeer: The other Daedric Princes do not consider Malacath to be a "real" Prince. Given that he's the patron of pariahs, this is rather appropriate. As Sheogorath puts while talking about Jyggalag, "Malacath is more popular at parties! And Malacath is ''not'' popular at parties!"
* AsskickingLeadsToLeadership: Malacath detests physical weakness and is a big believer in this idea. He has passed this idea onto the Orcs, who hold it as a cultural prerogative. In ''Skyrim'' he places a curse on an Orc stronghold (i.e. has it attacked by ''giants'') because their chief is a weak, scheming DirtyCoward and the rest of the stronghold hasn't done anything about it.
* BenevolentBoss: Is as close to it as a warrior god of the orcs could be. Despite his ferocity and bold nature, he genuinely cares about his followers and the Orsimer people. While Malacath allows his people to suffer under constant hardships and struggles, it's believed by the Orsimer that he does this to [[YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre show the Orsimer just how capable and strong they can be]]. Another notable thing about Malacath is that he forbids the orcs from attacking, stealing, or killing each other, while also enforcing tribal discipline and honor. There is an example where he expressed genuine sorrow over the butchering of an orc girl and the death of his mortal son, engineered by Sheogorath.
--> ''"Why show me this, Mad One? Do you take such pleasure in watching me grieve the murder of my children?"''
-->-- '''''16 Accords of Madness, v.XII'''''
* ButtMonkey: Is subject to frequent mockery and ridicule by the other Daedric Princes, as well as most of the non-Orc mortals on Tamriel. Part of his teaching is "[[IronButtMonkey strength through adversity]]", however.
* CarryABigStick: The mace known as Scourge is perhaps Malacath's most famous associated artifact. Malacath dedicated it for use by mortals, and any Daedra who attempts to wield it will be vanished to the [[VoidBetweenTheWorlds Void]].
* DivinePunishment: He is associated with curses and exile, but unlike the other Princes, tends to bring the cursed ''under'' his protection rather than dish out curses of his own. His most famous followers, the Orcs (Orsimer), are themselves the victim of a curse relating to Malacath's origins. Once the Aldmeri "ancestor spirit" Trinimac, he was a War God whose followers rivaled even those of Auriel (the Aldmeri Top God). Seeking to steal his worshippers, three Daedric Princes (Azura, Boethiah, and Mephala) came together to trick Trinimac. While weakened, he was "eaten" by Boethiah who "spoke with his voice" to convince many of his followers to leave, becoming the Chimer (and later Dunmer) people. Trinimac was "excreted" and the remains became Malacath, with his remaining followers becoming the Orcs, the "cursed folk". (Malacath himself at least partially confirms the story, but calls it "too literal-minded".)
* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: In ''Daggerfall'', he's named as the Daedric Prince of Deception, Hypocrisy, and Lies, and the worshipper who gives you your quest reward is a noble involved with a lot of intrigue. Later material had him as the Prince of Curses, [[EthnicGod Orcs]], Oaths, Pariahs/the Spurned, and Vengeance, while lies would be split between Boethiah and Mephala.
* EldritchLocation: His realm, the Ashpit, is this crossed with a DeathWorld. It will kill most mortals in minutes unless they have a means of magical breathing and levitation. Its air is thick with choking dust and soot and even the buildings are made of smoke. It is also said that the Ashpit stretches endlessly across the planes, extending even behind the stars to Aetherius, granting access to every worthy Orc who crosses from this life into the next.
* GodEating: Came into being from the excreted remains after Boethiah "ate" Trinimac. There are a ''lot'' of different interpretations of the story, ranging from it being false altogether and Trinimac and Malacath are separate entities, being a poetic way to refer to Boethiah imprisoning Trinimac in his realm (note that Daedric Realms are often described as extensions of their Prince's body) and torturing him, or Trinimac being quite literally EatenAlive. In ''The Lord of Souls'' Malacath gets annoyed when he is told the myth, saying it is "too literal."
* HiddenDepths: Despite his many malevolent traits, he keeps a "garden of slender trees" that have "vines festooned with lilylike flowers wound about the trunks". In this garden, a "multitude of spheres moved, deep in the colorless sky, as distant and pale as moons". Malacath describes it as a "shadow of a garden", and an "echo of something that once was".
* HijackingCthulhu: According to most tellings, Malacath came into being when Boethiah "ate" the Aedric spirit Trinimac, twisted Trinimac in his belly, and then "excreted" him as Malacath. Malacath himself somewhat confirms this, but also complains that this version of the story is far too "literal-minded".
* KatanasAreJustBetter: He is most often depicted wielding a two-handed blade, similar in appearance to a dai-katana.
* KlingonPromotion: Actively advocates this among his Orc followers. When a chieftain has grown old and weak (or is otherwise failing to perform his duties), it is the ''duty'' of the younger and more able-bodied Orcs to replace him via a DuelToTheDeath.
* LoserDeity: Looked down on by the other Princes as not being a "real" Daedric Prince as well as having few mortal followers outside of the Orcs and goblin-ken. For the "patron of pariahs", this is rather appropriate.
* NoTrueScotsman: Due to his origins, none of the other Daedric Princes consider him to be a "True" Daedra. Ambiguously [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]], however, as they may technically be right, depending on the exact nature of Et'Ada spirits and the details of what exactly was involved in Boethia "eating" him.
* OffingTheOffspring: According to the ''16 Accords of Madness'', Sheogorath once tricked Malacath into killing his own son, a noble Orc who would have otherwise been destined to be a great hero.
* OurGoblinsAreDifferent: He is associated with Tamriel's "goblin-ken", including Goblins and [[OurOgresAreHungrier Ogres]].
* OurOrcsAreDifferent: He is the patron of the Orcs, who were formerly the Aldmeri followers of Trinimac. When Trinimac was "eaten" by Boethiah, the excreted remains became Malacath and his followers were changed as well.
* PapaWolf: He is very protective of his followers. Messing with them in any way, especially enslaving them, is a sure-fire way to get Malacath angry. Also, [[StealingTheCredit do not take credit for their accomplishments]].
* ProudWarriorRaceGuy: The god of them, to the point where he specifically manifests as an orc himself. He's known to be tough but fair to his orcs, and willing to give them a shot at redemption if they make an effort, but he despises rulers who rest on their laurels.
* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: Gives a short, but scathing one regarding Yamarz, a weak Orc chieftain, in ''Skyrim''.
--> ''"Yamarz was a coward and a weakling. His deceitful ways have cost you all greatly. Yamarz was a fool, always trying to scheme his way out of responsibility."''
* RedBaron: Keeper of the Sworn Oath and Bloody Curse, God of Curses, Defender of the Betrayed, Lord of Monsters, Lord of Ash and Bone, Prince of Exile.
* RevengeBeforeReason: Malacath adores vengeance and grudges, and none moreso than vengeance totally out of proportion and which causes massive collateral damage in the process. The entire reason he helps Sul in ''The Lord of Souls'' is because he knew that Sul's desire for revenge had led to the Red Year and the devastation of Morrowind, and that he still hungered for vengeance against Vuhon.
* WarriorHeaven: The "Ashen Forge" within the Ashpit is this for loyal Orcs. Entering it brings immortality, abundant food and drink, and of course, many great battles. It is said that every Orc is a chief, every chief has a thousand wives, and every wife has a thousand slaves to cater to their every need. [[note]]This is very likely hyperbole, such as when real life Christians say that Heaven is "paved with gold," as in-game there does not appear to ''be'' a thousand Orc women for every Orc man. Also, it's probably worth asking what race all those slaves are...[[/note]]
* WasOnceAMan: According to his origin myth, he used to be an Aedric spirit, Trinimac, until Boethiah ate him to use his voice, then twisted him, and excreted him. The remains became Malacath. As a result, his followers became the Orcs. Malacath himself acknowledges this story as being at least partially true, but he also complains that it is far too "literal".
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Mehrunes Dagon]]
!!Mehrunes Dagon
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/theelderscrollsonlineblackwooddeadlandsanddamnationtrailerblogroll_1620834252587.jpg]]
->'''Voiced by:''' Jonathan Bryce (''[=TES=] III: Morrowind''), Victor Raider-Wexler (''[=TES=] V: Skyrim'') (English)[[note]]'''Other Languages''':Nikolai Vereshchenko (''[=TES=] III: Morrowind''), Peter Ivashchenko (''[=TES=] V: Skyrim'') (Russian)[[/note]]
-> ''"Mehrunes Dagon, Lord of Razors, has proven himself time and again the enemy of the Empire. Of terrible aspect and crowned in beaten copper, the four-armed Prince of Destruction has troubled the borders of the Mundus with warfare, foul rumor, and force of arms. Banished to dissolution during the Weir Gate massacre and again at Kvatch by battlemages of the 33rd, Mehrunes Dagon is returned to Oblivion once more, and the stars have foretold that his tenacity has known no forfeiture. All heroes of Cyrodiil are called upon to stand vigil against his hidden agencies."''
-->-- '''''Imperial Census of Daedra Lords'''''
-->'''''Sphere''''': Destruction, Ambition, Change, Revolution, Energy\\
'''''Realm''''': Deadlands\\
'''''Artifacts''''': Mehrune's Razor, Mysterium Xarxes, Daedric Crescent\\
'''''Servants''''': Dremora, Xivilai, Scamps, Clannfear, Vermai
Mehrunes Dagon is the Daedric Prince of Destruction, a sphere which also includes Ambition, Change, and Revolution. He is associated with natural disasters including fires, floods, and earthquakes. Dagon's typical form is that of a male, muscular, four-armed, and often horned humanoid. He is naturally considered a "bad" Daedra throughout Tamriel and is extremely malevolent in nearly all of his dealings with mortals. Dagon has made repeated takeover attempts of Mundus throughout history, including most infamously the destruction of the Imperial Battlespire and the Oblivion Crisis.
Dagon's realm is known as the Deadlands, a barren wastelands of blackened rock and seas of lava. Despite this, mortal visitors claim to feel an unearthly chill within the Deadlands.
In ''Daggerfall'', Mehrunes Dagon asks you to slay a Frost Daedra. In ''Battlespire'', he serves as the leader of the invasion. In ''Morrowind'', he asks you to retrieve his dormant Razor. In ''Oblivion'', his cult, the Mythic Dawn, works to summon Dagon's forces and later Dagon himself to Mundus to take it over. In ''Skyrim'', he asks you to once again retrieve his disassembled Razor. In ''Online'', he is the secret patron and backer of the Veiled Heritance.
----
* AboveGoodAndEvil: {{Downplayed|Trope}}; while his sphere of influence is certainly not good from a mortal standard, and the Mythic Dawn runs the gamut of evil, he is no more actively malicious than a tidal wave or earthquake would be. He destroys because it is his very nature to do so, not because he despises the Mundus or mortals in general.
* AlternateCharacterInterpretation: Mankar Camoran's ''Commentaries on the Mysterium Xarxes'' naturally portray him in a more benevolent light; he was created in a previous kalpa to destroy the Dreugh, who served Molag Bal and ruled as tyrants over their world, making him something of a HopeBringer, and in the current Kalpa he wants to undo the tyranny of the Aedra and return the world to its true nature as [[spoiler:Lorkhan's Daedric Realm, Dawn's Beauty]]. As with most things [[UnreliableExpositor Mankar Camoran]]-related, it's unclear whether this is actually true or a lie meant to entice people to worship Dagon, who as the Prince of Destruction normally doesn't have much of a mortal follower base.
* AmbitionIsEvil: Ambition is one of his spheres of influence and he is considered one of the most outright "evil" of the Daedric Princes, alongside Molag Bal.
* ApocalypseCult: Any worship dedicated to Dagon is either one of these or closely adjacent, given his nature as the Prince of Destruction and his stated desire to destroy Mundus entirely. The most famous of these were the Mythic Dawn, who caused the Oblivion Crisis to bring Mehrunes Dagon into the world at full power.
* AttackOfTheFiftyFootWhatever: When he manifests in Mundus, he tends to do so in this way. When he briefly took form during the 11th hour of the Oblivion Crisis, he towered over everything else in the Imperial City.
* BadBoss: He treats everyone under his command as pawns to be sacrificed to further his goals, or simply because [[YouHaveFailedMe they displeased him]]. The lesser Daedra who serve him, being immortal, can take this sort of treatment. If they are slain, they simply reform in Oblivion. Any mortals who voluntarily choose to worship a deity of ''Omnicidal Mania'' should not expect any other kind of treatment.
* BigBad: The primary antagonist of ''Battlespire'', ''Oblivion'', and the Gates of Oblivion story arc of ''Online''.
* BigRedDevil: His typical form plays up this aesthetic, along with being a HornedHumanoid.
* CardCarryingVillain: He exists to ''destroy''. Hell, he is the ''embodiment'' of Destruction. And he doesn't try to hide it at all.
* CatsAreMean: Khajiiti religion interprets Dagon as Merrunz the [[FluffyTheTerrible kitten]], "for what is more destructive than a young cat?"
* DestroyerDeity: Dagon is the embodiment of the very ''idea'' of destruction. Above all else, his desire is to invade and destroy Mundus. However, as brutal and destructive as he is, he is also the god of revolution and the violent overthrow of authority, which can include tyranny and oppression, and destruction is often necessary for creation, giving him some redeeming features.
* DeviousDaggers: Mehrunes Razor, his most famous artifact, takes the form of a dagger which can deliver a OneHitKill by severing the link between the victim's soul and body. Naturally, it is often sought after by "devious" types like thieves and assassins, once even causing a civil war within the [[MurderInc Dark Brotherhood]].
* DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu: Happens to him every time he tries to invade Mundus. Almalexia does it in the backstory, then the Hero of Battlespire does it in the eponymous game. Finally, Martin/Akatosh do this to him in ''Oblivion''.
* DivinePunishment: According to ''The Seven Fights of the Aldudagga'', he was once a kindly demon protecting parts of the world from being eaten by Alduin. When Alduin discovered this, he cursed Dagon into his current state until he could [[IronicHell destroy all that which he preserved from previous worlds]].
* DoNotTauntCthulhu: According to ''The Seven Fights of the Aldudagga'', Dagon tried to do this with Alduin, saving bits and pieces of kalpas he was eating and hiding them in the new kalpas that were created. Once Alduin learned of this, he cursed Dagon into his monstrous form, and made it so that he would only ever be returned to normal if he destroyed the parts of the kalpas that he had hidden from Alduin... while also making it nearly impossible for Dagon to enter Nirn to do the destroying.
* DumbMuscle: By Daedric Prince standards. Dagon isn't ''stupid'', but he's ''very'' straightforward. Some mages prefer to deal with Dagon over other princes because Dagon is too unsubtle to try tricking them, and according to Haskill in an obscure text, other Princes will often get Dagon to do their dirty work as he's always up for some destruction.
* EvilIsDeathlyCold: The Deadlands, despite their appearance, are said to feel surprisingly and unearthly cold.
* EvilOverlord: Toward the Dremora who serve him.
* EvilSoundsDeep: Always has a deep, booming voice in his appearances.
* ExcaliburInTheRust: This has happened at least twice to his Razor, and his quests in ''Morrowind'' and ''Skyrim'' are to recover and reforge it.
* {{Expy}}: He is basically a [[GenderFlip gender-flipped]], [[EvilCounterpart evil version]] of [[Myth/HinduMythology Kali]].
* FaceHeelTurn: According to a LooseCanon [[http://www.imperial-library.info/content/seven-fights-aldudagga text]] written by former series developer/writer Michael Kirkbride, he was once a kindly demon who attempted to protect parts of Mundus from being eaten by [[BeastOfTheApocalypse Alduin]] at the end of every kalpa, until Alduin banished and cursed him into his current state.
* FireAndBrimstoneHell: His realm, the [[IDontLikeTheSoundOfThatPlace Deadlands]], crossed over with {{Mordor}}.
* ForcedIntoEvil: If the version of his creation with Alduin is true, then perhaps it's for the better if his original personality is buried so deep that he is unaware of what he is doing. Notably he seems to lack a Barbas equivalent like Clavicus Vile and Sheogorath have. That or he banished or destroyed his version (which wouldn't matter too much as Daedra can't die), but even if he does, he's clearly been ignoring it at least during the Oblivion Crisis.
* ForTheEvulz: He ''exists'' to ''destroy''. It doesn't matter what it is or why, Dagon wants to destroy it.
* GodOfEvil: Theologically speaking, he isn't exactly one (being no more malevolent than a natural disaster, and only interested in Mundus because nothing in Oblivion can be permanently destroyed), but to the people of Tamriel there isn't much of a practical difference beyond his apocalypses being slightly ''less'' gross than, say, Molag Bal's, and less zany than Sheogorath's. He's also the prince of Change and Revolution, but we never really see anyone worshiping him as such (unless you count the Change from "not destroyed" to "destroyed").
* GoodPowersBadPeople: [[DownplayedTrope Downplayed]]. None of his domains are actively ''good'' per se, but when one thinks about it, destruction, ambition, change, and revolution are all vital to the functioning of any society.
* GreaterScopeVillain: Was the ManBehindTheMan who helped Jagar Tharn procure the Imperial throne in ''Arena.''
* HijackingCthulhu: According to one Obscure Text, Dagon was originally a lowly and friendly demon who protected parts of the world from being eaten by Alduin at the end of every kalpa. Alduin caught on and cursed him into what he is today.
* IronicHell: For Dagon himself, along with AndIMustScream. To note:
** As a being whose entire existence is based around destruction and change, he's also stuck in a realm where nothing can ever be killed or destroyed without eventually coming back, effectively negating his purpose. This is why taking over and destroying Mundus is one of his goals. It's a place that ''doesn't'' run on that logic.
** In ''[[https://www.imperial-library.info/content/seven-fights-aldudagga The Seven Fights of the Aldudagga]]'', it is implied that Alduin originally cursed him into this state in the first place as a punishment for hiding parts of earlier kalpas from him.
-->'''Alduin''': "You I curse right here and right now! I take away your ability to jump and jump and jump and doom you to [the void] where you will not be able to leave except for auspicious days long between one and another and even so only through hard, hard work. And it will be this way, my little corner cutter, [[ImpossibleTask until you have destroyed all that in the world which you have stolen from earlier kalpas, which is to say probably never at all!]]"
* LegionsOfHell: He and his Dremora army whenever he tries to invade Mundus.
* MultiArmedAndDangerous: His typical form has four arms.
* MultipleChoicePast: There are differing accounts of how he came into being:
* MultipleChoicePast: There are differing accounts of how he came into being:
** Mankor Camaron's (who would be in a good position to know the truth since he read the Mysterium Xarxes which Dagon himself wrote, but is also a known liar) ''Commentaries'' state that he, as 'Mehrunes the Razor', was created by the Magna-Ge as an agent of revolution against the tyranny of the Dreugh, who ruled the mythical Lyg and served Molag Bal. Vivec's lessons support Lyg and the Molag Bal-worshipping Dreugh having existed in a previous kalpa, but gives no word about Dagon's potential role.
** ''The Seven Fights of the Aldudagga'' (which is both a collection of in-universe folklore and unofficial) suggests that he was created by Alduin from the Leaper Demon King as punishment for interfering with Alduin's duties as the World-Eater, cursing him to forever try to destroy the world he had attempted to preserve from Alduin. Alduin never interacts with or mentions Mehrunes Dagon in official material, so no primary sources here.
* OmnicidalManiac: He's the Daedric Prince of Destruction. He exists to destroy ''everything''.
* OneHitKill: His artifact, Mehrunes' Razor, can sever the link between its victim's body and their soul, killing them instantly.
* PathOfInspiration: The cult dedicated to him, the Mythic Dawn. Once their [[ApocalypseCult true goals]] are revealed, they very much become a ReligionOfEvil.
* PersonOfMassDestruction: Being the Daedric Prince of Destruction, this comes with the territory. Whenever he manifests on Mundus, expect a ''minimum'' of city-wide destruction.
* RedBaron: Lord of Razors, Exalted and Most Puissant Lord, Gerent of Dagon, Sovereign of Destruction, Flame Tyrant, Flame-Father, Father of Cataclysm.
* RedSkyTakeWarning: His Deadlands plane, as well as the areas in Mundus near the gates to his plane.
* RejectedByTheEmpathicWeapon: Mehrunes' Razor has been known to "abandon" wielders who are no longer worthy or become too dependent upon it. It once turned rusty and brittle in the hands of an unworthy thief before being restored by the Nerevarine in ''Morrowind''.
* ReligionOfEvil: While Dagon himself is merely amoral, any religion ''dedicated'' to him is probably going to be one as his stated goals include a ''lot'' of things mortals generally find objectionable, and mortals don't have the excuse of BlueAndOrangeMorality. The Mythic Dawn, for example, makes initiates [[HumanSacrifice sacrifice a sapient being]] and murdered almost the entire Septim family to enable them to begin opening gates to Oblivion and murdering any survivors of the resulting Daedric incursions.
* SatanicArchetype:
** He is played up as such quite frequently in-universe and mistakenly so out of universe, but he actually subverts it. Despite his [[BigRedDevil appearance]], [[LegionsOfHell servants]], [[FireAndBrimstoneHell realm]], and [[TakeOverTheWorld modus]] [[OmnicidalManiac operandi]], he actually has some redeeming qualities that put him beyond true "evil".
** It's played straight in the Dunmeri religion, where he's one of the 'bad Daedra', and is seen as the embodiment of Morrowind's natural hazards.
* TakeOverTheWorld: He has attempted it repeatedly throughout history, but thankfully, has yet to succeed.
* ThirdPersonPerson: He speaks this way in ''Daggerfall'', with an added bit of HulkSpeak. [[EarlyInstallmentWeirdness This is dropped in later appearances]].
* TomeOfEldritchLore: The Mysterium Xarxes. The ''Oblivion'' script notes actually call for Martin, the most knowledgeable major character on the subject, to react as if given "a handful of glowing plutonium" when he receives the Xarxes. It's just that sort of book.
* UnwittingPawn: Is described by Haskill in an [[http://www.imperial-library.info/node/2234 obscure text]] to be "the pawn of every Prince of true power, the dupe of every schemer in the Nineteen Voids". Essentially, whenever one of the other PowersThatBe wants to accomplish something that involves destruction of some sort, they get Dagon to do the heavy lifting. This is also why he has so many Daedra who normally serve other lords in his armies; whichever Prince wants to use him this time will loan him some of their guys to help get the job done.
* WarriorHeaven: In a twisted and horrific way, the Deadlands can be seen as one for Dagon's followers. Its DeathWorld nature provides plenty of opportunity for warriors to battle for eternity.
* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: In ''Skyrim'', he tells you to kill Silus, the Mythic Dawn cultist who helped you find the pieces of Mehrunes' Razor. Once that's done, he sends some Dremora to kill ''you''.
* YourSoulIsMine: Whenever a creature is killed with the Mehrunes' Razor, their soul is delivered to Dagon's plane of Oblivion, where they become his property.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Mephala]]
!!Mephala
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/eso_mephala_summerset.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350: Maphala as she appears in ESO]]
->'''Voiced by:''' Melissa Leebaert (''[=TES=] III: Morrowind''), Elisabeth Noone (''[=TES=] IV: Oblivion''), Colleen Delany (''[=TES=] V: Skyrim'') (English)[[note]]'''Other Languages''':Elena Kischik (''[=TES=] IV: Oblivion''), Nina Tobilevich (''[=TES=] V: Skyrim'') (Russian)[[/note]]
->''"The Webspinner in day parlance; otherwise it gets hazy. Ties to the Morag Tong, ties to sordid other cults in the provinces, running gamut from drugs to dibbledark to, hell, fashion trends even. Weird one, this Mephala."''
-->--'''''Lord Vivec's Sword-Meeting with Cyrus the Restless'''''
-->'''''Sphere''''': Obscured to Mortals (unofficially related to Manipulation, Lies, Sex, Murder, Secrets)\\
'''''Realm''''': Spiral Skein\\
'''''Artifacts''''': Ebony Blade, Ring of Khajiiti, The 27 Threads of the Webspinner (created by Sanguine)\\
'''''Servants''''': Spider Daedra
Mephala is a Daedric Prince whose true sphere is obscured to mortals, but is typically associated with various forms of manipulation, lies, sex, murder, and secrets. Spiders are a common symbol of Mephala, who is commonly referred to as "the Webspinner". Mephala has been known to change gender with each manifestation, but primarily appears as a female and its technically considered a hermaphrodite (though is still referred to as "she"). While not to the same degree as a Molag Bal or Mehrunes Dagon, Mephala is typically considered as one of the more malevolent of the Daedric Princes, with the Dunmer being one major exception. To the Dunmer, Mephala is instead one of the three "good" Daedra and she serves as the patron of the Morag Tong.
Mephala's sphere has some overlap with Boethiah's, and with her sphere being "obscured to mortals", it is nigh impossible to tell where the two are separated. Mephala is said to have been one of the "strongest of the recognizable spirits" that emerged soon after Akatosh formed and time began. Some sources also state that Mephala is a "sibling" of Hermaeus Mora.
Her plane of Oblivion is known as the Spiral Skein. It is metaphysically constructed similarly to Mundus, with a "Tower" (the Pillar Palace) at the center and eight spokes forming the shape of a wheel. The area between each spoke is dedicated to one of the eight "sins". Mephala is also said to have other realms as well, collected together by "vast strands of magical ghostweb".
In ''Daggerfall'', Mephala asks you to assassinate a minor noble. In ''Morrowind'', she asks you to poison a Morag tong agent who has been performing illegal assassinations. In ''Oblivion'', she asks you to turn a village of Nords and Dunmer against each other by killing the heads of their families. In ''Skyrim'', she tasks you with freeing and powering up the Ebony Blade. In ''Online'', you help (and later kill) her priest, as well as kill a man she had turned into a Lich. She also serves as one of the antagonists of the ''Summerset'' expansion.
----
* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: InUniverse. Mephala is typically seen as a malevolent entity throughout most of Tamriel, but is considered one of the "good" Daedra by the Dunmer. The Dunmer believe that Mephala taught them the skills they would need to evade their enemies or to kill them with secret murder. In their early days, as the Chimer, they were few in number and surrounded by enemies (primarily the Nords and Dwemer) on all sides. She is also credited with organizing the "clan" systems that would eventually become the Dunmeri Great Houses.
* AmbiguousGender: Mephala is stated to be a {{hermaphrodite}}, and has [[GenderBender variously appeared as male of female]] (though primarily female). She is almost always referred to as a "she".
* ArachnidAppearanceAndAttire:
** She is associated with spiders and webspinning, and often appears with arachnid elements. This is most obvious in her ''Daggerfall'' form, where she has webbing for clothing and a black widow red hourglass over her crotch area.
** In ''Online'' she has eight spider legs growing out of her back.
* ArsonMurderAndJaywalking: Her sphere, though obscured, is believed to include manipulation, lies, sex, murder, secrets...and she is also associated with ''fashion trends''.
* BigBadDuumvirate: She is one of the three main antagonists of ''Online's'' ''Summerset'' expansion, alongside Clavicus Vile and Nocturnal.
* BlackSwordsAreBetter: The Ebony Blade, her most famous Daedric artifact. It takes the form of a black [[KatanasAreJustBetter katana-like]] weapon and is fueled by the blood of people trusted by the wielder, meaning she openly promotes ChronicBackstabbingDisorder.
* TheChessmaster: A major part of her sphere. She is generally characterized by complex, long-reaching plans, likened to spider webs.
* TheClan: She is credited (along with Boethiah) for organizing the "clan" systems that would eventually become the Dunmeri Great Houses.
* CloakAndDagger: Given all that is within her sphere, she could be considered the patron deity of spies and assassins. The Dunmer consider her as this directly, as she is the patron of the Morag Tong.
* TheCorrupter: She loves to see how she can fray the "web" of mortal relationships, and takes a particular joy in the betrayal of trust or minor slights tearing entire towns or ''nations'' apart.
* DiscOneFinalBoss: [[spoiler:She's built up as the main antagonist throughout most of ''Summerset'', only to have the rug pulled out from under her by Nocturnal.]]
* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: In ''Daggerfal'', she's more directly associated with the Dark Brotherhood and asks you to assassinate a noble investigating them, while in later games she's associated with the Morag Tong and her association with the Night Mother is a mere possibility.
* EldritchLocation: Her Daedric realm, the Spiral Skein. It is metaphysically constructed similarly to Mundus, with a "Tower" (the Pillar Palace) at the center and eight spokes forming the shape of a wheel. The area between each spoke is dedicated to one of the eight "sins". The first is a cavern devoted to lies, filled with pedestals pretending to hold up the sky. The second is made up of cramped chambers representing envy, while the third is maggot-filled grottoes filled with seductive light. The fourth contains eternally dark tunnels of fear; the fifth, a place of betrayal; the sixth, an arena of murder. The seventh space is home to arcades of avarice and appetite, containing all things mortals would kill or die for, while the eighth is a flaming skein of fury, representing the death that comes to all mortals.
* FemmeFatale: Mephala is associated with manipulation, lies, sex, and murder, which makes her the ''perfect'' patron for the Morag Tong.
* GodCouple:
** Mephala has some associations with Sithis, and according to some sources, the Night Mother, wife of Sithis, is believed to be an aspect of Mephala.
** The Khajiit also believe her to be the mate of Boethia.
* GoodWingsEvilWings: Her ''Daggerfall'' appearance gives her bat-like "glider" wings connecting from her sides to her wrists.
* GottaCatchEmAll: The 27 threads of the Webspinner, created for Mephala and the Morag Tong by Sanguine. They are 27 pieces of enchanted clothing and jewelry scattered across Vvardenfell in ''Morrowind.''
* GreaterScopeVillain: In the plots of at least two of the [[HarderThanHard Veteran Dungeons]] in ''Online.'' In one, a Priestess of Mephala you helped in the non-veteran mode of the dungeon goes crazy and poses a threat, so you need to put her and her ArtifactOfDoom down. In the other, Mephala personally {{Mind Rape}}d a man into [[spoiler:becoming a Lich, who went on to murder his students and his wife. It turns out it was because he was being influenced by ''the Ebony Blade''. And, as you might guess, he uses it against you during the fight]].
* TheHorseshoeEffect: The Morag Tong, a legal Dunmeri [[MurderInc assassin's guild]], is dedicated to Mephala. The Dark Brotherhood, a criminal offshoot of the Morag Tong, is dedicated to the service of Sithis and the Night Mother. Both are MurderInc[=/=]ProfessionalKiller organizations. According to some sources, the Night Mother may very well be an aspect of Mephala, meaning that both groups, despite their differences, are still dedicated to the same deity.
* InterplayOfSexAndViolence: Alongside deceit, this is the ''entirety'' of her divine sphere. For Mephala and the mortals under her influence, sex and violence are best when entwined; Morag Tong assassins are ''encouraged'' to seduce and sleep with their targets before killing them, and even loving sexual partnerships are often "enhanced" with a bit of deceit and mortal peril.
* LifeDrain: Her Ebony Blade cannot be sharpened by smithing, but comes with an upgradeable Health-absorbing enchantment.
* LoveGoddess: "Love" is stretching it, but sex is considered one of her spheres of influence.
* ManipulativeBastard: Practically the ''embodiment'' of the trope. She exists to "fray the web" of mortal relationships and interferes in the affairs of mortals [[ItAmusedMe for amusement]].
* MultiArmedAndDangerous: In ''Daggerfall'' and ''Oblivion'' she's depicted with four arms.
* ParadoxPerson: Contained within Mephala's sphere are the themes of murder, sex, and secrets. All of these themes contain subtle aspects and violent ones (assassination/genocide, courtship/orgy, tact/poetic truths); Mephala is understood paradoxically to contain and integrate these contradictory themes.
* ThePowerOfFriendship: Horribly twisted by her Ebony Blade. It only powers itself up if you kill a friend with it, up to ten times. There are ways of using LoopholeAbuse though; anyone who considered you a friend but betrayed you or turned hostile like the named Blackblood Marauders will do, and if you kill someone resurrected with magic they count again.
* RedBaron: The Webspinner, Spider, Lady of Whispers, Teacher of the Secret Arts, Queen of the Eight Shadows of Murder.
* RedEyesTakeWarning: In ''Online'' she has red eyes, and is one of the Daedric Princes most closely associated with murder.
* RejectedByTheEmpathicWeapon: The Ring of Khajiit, stolen from her by the legendary thief Rajhin, later "abandoned" him after he made use of its power too freely, leaving him exposed to his enemies and killed.
* RingOfPower: Is associated with the Ring of Khajiit, with typically bestows the wearer with enhanced quickness, silent movement, and outright invisibility. It is said that Rajhin, the legendary Khajiit thief, stole it from Mephala herself. However, after making use of its power too freely, Rajhin was abandoned by the ring and left exposed to his enemies. The ring is also associated with Meridia, who, through unexplained means, acquired the ring and bestowed it as a reward to her agents twice in the 3rd Era.
* SealedEvilInACan: The status of the Ebony Blade in ''Skyrim''. Her quest has you break it out and recharge it. The "Admonition Against Ebony" book you find nearby is the Jarl saying "whoever finds this, we tried to destroy this thing and couldn't, so please, please, ''please'' leave it be". Some of its power leaks out and causes the door locking it away to become the Whispering Door, which gives the Jarl's youngest son a lot of dirty knowledge about his family and surroundings.
* SeductiveSpider: A spider-associated Daedra who is associated with sex along with manipulation. She tends to be portrayed as an attractive FemmeFatale and is associated with SpiderPeople.
* ShoutOut: Her plane of Oblivion, the Spiral Skein, is described as circular, with partitions similar to the spokes of a wheel separating each individual realm, each of which represent a different sin. At the center is her citadel, with each area branching out from the center like a spider's web. Aside from a few minor differences, this is a pretty clear reference to ''[[Literature/TheDivineComedy Dante's Inferno]].''
* SneakySpider: Her domains involve manipulation, lies, sex, and secrets. Fittingly she has a spider motif, with her sobriquets including "The Webspinner" and "Lady of Whispers", her plans are likened to spiderwebs, she physically resembles a spider, and has minions called Spider Daedra.
* SpidersAreScary: She is associated with spiders and many elements within her sphere are quite scary. The Spider Daedra are her servants and take the appearance of mutated, humanoid {{Giant Spider}}s.
* TarotMotifs: The Devil in the ''Skyrim'' tarot deck.
* VillainWithGoodPublicity: Possibly. In the province of Morrowind, she's considered one of the "Good Daedra", in no small part because of her association with Vivec. She has yet to demonstrate any benevolence in-game as mortals would understand it -- ''including'' her association with Vivec.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Meridia]]
!!Meridia (aka Merid-Nunda)
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/meridia.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Statue of Meridia]]
->'''Voiced by:''' Jean Gilpin (''[=TES=] V: Skyrim'') (English)[[note]]'''Other Languages''':Nina Tobilevich (''[=TES=] V: Skyrim'') (Russian)[[/note]]
-> ''"Another Prince whose origins may not entirely be outside of the aetherial, Meridia has at several times been linked to Magnus the Sun. The most famous account of this association is the Tract of Merid-nunda, which overtly casts Meridia in the role of a wayward solar daughter, cast from the heavens for consorting with illicit spectra."''
-->-- '''''Imperial Census of Daedra Lords'''''
-->'''''Sphere''''': Life Energy, Light, Beauty\\
'''''Realm''''': Colored Rooms\\
'''''Artifacts''''': Dawnbreaker, Ring of Khajiiti\\
'''''Servants''''': Aurorans, the Purified
Meridia is a Daedric Prince whose sphere is obscured to mortals, but is associated with the energy of living things as well as light and beauty. As such, she has an extreme hatred for anything undead. Rainbows are common symbols of Meridia. She typically takes the form of a beautiful woman, sometimes with angel-like wings. She is one of the more benevolent Daedric Princes as well as one of the few to be generally considered "good" by mortals.
That said, Meridia has been known to express her anger toward those who earn her displeasure in very nasty ways. She has no compunction against causing collateral damage in her quest to eliminate anything undead, and makes it clear that any "good" she does is purely to further her own causes.
Meridia is believed to have originally been one of the Magna-Ge, the "Star Orphans" who abandoned the creation of Mundus part way through along with Magnus. She was then cast out of Aetherius for consorting with "illicit spectra", implied to be the Daedra.
After the Daedra complained of her "trespassing" in Oblivion, Meridia, through sheer force of will, "bent and shaped" the rays of Magnus to create her own Daedric realm in Oblivion, known as the Colored Rooms. It is a colorful realm of vast floating stones, strewn about with trails of colorful dust and clouds. The "ground" between the stones looks like luminescent water, but is solid enough to walk on.
In ''Daggerfall'', Meridia asks you to kill a sorcerer who reneged on a deal with her. She does not appear in ''Morrowind''. In ''Oblivion'', she asks you to wipe out a group of necromancers. In ''Knights of the Nine'', she serves as the patron of Umaril the Unfeathered. In ''Skyrim'', she asks you to cleanse her shrine. In ''Online'', she works to prevent Molag Bal's Planemeld.
----
* AboveGoodAndEvil: While this is technically the case for all Daedric Princes, Meridia requires a special mention. Meridia ''hates'' the undead. Since the undead and necromancy are generally a threat to the mortals of Nirn, she's viewed as a positive force by mortals, but this doesn't mean she truly ''cares'' for mortals. She supported many of the Ayleids because they worshiped her and ''didn't'' use necromancy, while still being horrific monsters that tortured and murdered countless human slaves.
* AlternateCharacterInterpretation: In-Universe. The Khajiit religion (and to a lesser extent, that of Illiac Bay) has a very different view of her than the standard. While most mortals see her as a generally good Daedra and an ally against the undead, the Khajiit see her as a "false spirit" and an adversarial force, being born of "light without love, intelligence without wisdom, power without purpose."
* AbusiveParents: She created her "vessel", [[spoiler:Darien Gautier]], but treats him as little more than one of her tools, and refers to him as "it."
* AllOfTheOtherReindeer: Meridia was originally a Magna-Ge, an et'Ada who assisted during the creation of Mundus but abandoned the project part way through along with Magnus and the rest of the Magna-Ge. However, she was banished from Aetherius for "consorting with illicit spectra". Considered a "trespasser" in Oblivion by the Daedra, Meridia proceeded to use her powers to shape the light from Magnus to create her own realm.
* AlienBlood: "The Bladesongs of Boethra" desribe her as having "golden blood."
* AllTakeAndNoGive: Some accounts and depictions portray Meridia as an insatiably demanding goddess, constantly fishing for [[ComplimentFishing worshippers and admirers]], while doing as little as possible to repay those who offer.
* AnOfferYouCantRefuse: If Meridia offers a mortal a deal, or asks them for a "favor" of some kind, refusal is not an option. In ''Daggerfall'', she will give a player that refuses her deal an ImpliedDeathThreat. In ''Skyrim'', she will tell the Last Dragonborn that if they won't fulfill her wishes, she will find someone else, but also gives yet another ImpliedDeathThreat if they're thinking about refusing.
* BadBoss: If you follow Meridia, expect extremely high demands for as little as possible in return; she'll only give you something if a) she promised it up-front (she's a lot of things but not a liar) and/or b) it's directly helpful to her. She's entirely willing to sacrifice even her most devout followers and, as ''Online'' shows, generally refuses to help her followers when they're in need.
* BeautyEqualsGoodness: She invokes the idea of beauty being associated with goodness or pleasantness. Meridia takes the form of a beautiful woman, often in various [[{{Stripperific}} skimpy outfits]] which show off and/or enhance her [[BuxomBeautyStandard bust]] and [[ShowSomeLeg legs]]. She often refers to her abilities and divine sphere as being associated with beauty, light, and living auras.
* BerserkButton: Do not mess with her shrines. She once destroyed an Ayleid village because it was built above one of her shrines.
* BigGood: In ''Online'', actively working to ensure that Molag Bal's Planemeld will fail.
* ButHeSoundsHandsome: In ''Online'', while disguised as [[EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep "The Groundskeeper"]], Meridia will talk about her radiance, accomplishments, and purity. She also has very little patience for anyone that doesn't support these beliefs.
* BuxomBeautyStandard: Has a sizable bust in order to symbolize the idea of being the ideal beauty.
* ComplimentFishing: Meridia is always eager to be reminded that mortals find her [[{{Narcissist}} benevolent, wise and attractive]], and is not above fishing for said compliments and being ''very'' irate if she does not receive them.
* ControlFreak: She is stated to outright despise mortal free will and defiance, and is angered by the slightest hint of insubordination.
* CoolSword: Her artifact Dawnbreaker, a shining golden sword that glows when close to the Undead, sets them on fire, and makes them ''explode''.
* DisproportionateRetribution: A group of Ayleids built a city above one of her shrines. She responded by destroying it with roots, burying it and all who lived there beneath the ground.
* DivinelyAppearingDemons: She maintains the most "angelic" appearance out of any of the Daedric Princes. It may have to do with her different [[FallenAngel origins]].
* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: In ''Daggerfall'', Meridia has no association with light or life energy, merely with greed, and she's called "a collector of sorts." While she remains associated with greed in later installments, she isn't greedy for stuff as the 'collector' title implies, she's greedy for appreciation and worship. She's also less haughty and speaks in a somewhat saccharine motherly way, though she's still very passive-aggressive.
* EldritchAbomination: There is some indication that Meridia is something... ''more'' than what she appears behind her (intentionally chosen) pleasing female form and generally "good" actions toward mortals. According to the ''[[https://www.imperial-library.info/content/magne-ge-pantheon Magne-Ge Pantheon]]'', the actions of the "Chrome Device" (implied to be Magnus or possibly Anu) have caused her "real" role in history to be lost. It also states "Of all of the Greater Spirits, it is Merid that we should most revere. For what if she forsakes us?" Further, she is the only one listed to have her pronouns capitalized in the work in the "{{God}}" with a capital "G" sense.
* EnemyMine: If her complicated relationship with mortals would have to be condensed to one trope, this would be it. She doesn't really care about them more than any other Prince, but she doesn't hate them the way she hates necromancy, and since mortals can agree that things like Molag Bal's Planemeld and zombie apocalypses are very bad and need to be dealt with pronto, she's happy to help them do that.
* TheEvilsOfFreeWill: Strongly believes in this and can "purify" mortals of their free will to turn them into 'Lustrants'.
* FaceHeelRevolvingDoor: From the perspective of mortals, at least. In one instance, she'll be acting as the BigGood in defending mortal lives from hostile takeover by supernatural forces. Then in another, she'll be giving aid to a being who seeks to overthrow the Nine Divines and enslave the races of Men.
* FallenAngel: While not truly "angelic" in nature, she was once one of the Magna Ge, but was cast out to Oblivion for consorting with "illicit spectra". ''The Bladesongs of Boethra'' outright calls her a "fallen angel," and her statue at the Kilkreath Ruins in Skyrim gives her this appearance, being humanoid with a pair of large feathered wings.
* FriendToAllLivingThings: Though she is associated with the "energy of living things", she Subverts it. There is a heavy emphasis on the ''Living'' part, for one. If you're Undead or a Necromancer, she ''will'' destroy you. If some living things have to die as collateral damage in order for her to achieve her greater goals, she'll sacrifice them without a second thought.
* GodWasMyCopilot: In ''Online'', the player is ushered into the Hollow City in Coldharbour by a seemingly normal but mysterious woman known only as [[EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep the Groundskeeper]]. In the final act of the story, the Groundskeeper reveals herself as Meridia, acting against Molag Bal.
* GoodIsNotNice: She's generally considered one of the "good" Daedra, but she's still a Daedric Prince. If some innocent mortals have to die so that she can achieve her goals (which usually involves eliminating a supernatural or undead threat), she will sacrifice them without a second thought.
* GoodWingsEvilWings: Some depictions of her give her [[WingedHumanoid angel-like wings]].
* GreaterScopeVillain: Of ''Knights of the Nine''. She is the patron of [[BigBad Umaril the Unfeathered]] and is supplying him with his forces. She also allows him to retreat to her realm of Oblivion when his physical form is slain on Mundus, allowing it to reform and thus giving him his ResurrectiveImmortality.
* {{Greed}}: In the Iliac Bay aera of Hammerfell, she is known as "The Daedric Lady of Greed," while the khajiit call her "The False Spirit of Greed." It's implied that this is because she has an insatiable desire for worship, and [[AllTakeAndNoGive will make unending demands of said worshippers while doing as little as necessary for them in return]].
* HeroicWillpower: After being cast out of the ranks of the Magna-Ge and being called a "trespasser" in Oblivion by the Daedra, she brought her realm into being through the ''sheer power of her will''.
* HeroOfAnotherStory: The ''Magna-Ge Pantheon'' repeatedly references her as something of a BigGood to the Magna-Ge; she has knights who seem to be a sort of equivalent to the Knights of the Round Table, she worked to prevent or mitigate various calamities, and created a wall called the "blackblock" to hold back enemis of the Magna-Ge.
* HeroWithBadPublicity: A rare example in which the character is both this AND a VillainWithGoodPublicity. Most of Tamriel is skeptical, or cautious, toward Daedra in general (especially after the Oblivion Crisis at the end of the 3rd Era). Some groups, such as the Vigilant of Stendarr, actively ''oppose'' any and all Daedra regardless of intention. Meridia, however, still undertakes actions on behalf of mortals despite this and sometimes has to work through a proxy (like Sees-All-Colors in ''Online'') for groups that would never collaborate with her willingly.
* HumansAreFlawed: Meridia stands out among the Daedric Princes for how demanding she is of her mortal servants while providing as little as possible in return. Even the most malevolent of the other Princes still freely reward their servants and may even gain respect for them, while at least finding them useful and/or entertaining. If her origin as a Magna-Ge is accurate, she may gain this belief from them. Like Meridia, they too have a rather low opinion of mortals, calling them "M-Null", while believing they are "affected by tainted magic" and owe their growth and prosperity to greater beings.
* IGaveMyWord: While Meridia has a reputation of being AllTakeAndNoGive toward her followers, when she ''does'' offer a reward of some kind for service, she will always make good on her promise. However, there are times when [[ExactWords what the other party gets is not exactly what they thought it would be]] or when the "reward" comes with strings or loopholes that only draw the person further into Meridia's service.
* {{Irony}}: A twofer in ''Skyrim''.
** The Shrine of Meridia in Skyrim is not only in ruins but has been overtaken by a vampiric necromancer who has filled the place with his undead minions. She is ''fully aware'' of the irony and '''hates''' everything about it. Hence her shrine quest.
** Her shrine is found in Haafinger. Not that ironic in the vanilla game... but once the ''Dawnguard'' DLC was released, her shrine now shares a hold with the Clan Volkihar - a group of vampires, and the only ''pure-blooded'' ones in Skyrim at that... which does explain how the vampires got there, at least.
* ItsAllAboutMe: Meridia describes herself as compassionate and merciful, but she won't hesitate to use or sacrifice her own followers for what she perceives to be a greater end. If said followers lose faith or abandon her because of her actions, her compassion disappears entirely and she will allow or even ''cause'' them to meet a terrible end.
* {{Jerkass}}: Almost every other Daedric Prince is polite to the player in some way, whether [[AffablyEvil genuinely]] or [[FauxAffablyEvil as a front]] - even Molag Bal is capable of faking it long enough to get business done. Comparatively, [[{{Irony}} despite being considered one of the few benevolent Daedra]], Meridia is extremely rude, narcissistic, and petty, and is well-known to [[AllTakeAndNoGive dislike rewarding people]] who operate in her service.
* KnightTemplar: Meridia despises the undead and any other entities of cruelty, darkness, rot, filth, or decay. Thus, she will stop at nothing to destroy them, even if it means causing collateral damage to innocent people or her own followers, bordering on being a WellIntentionedExtremist. Undead and necromancy seem to be the only reasons she ever interacts with mortal affairs, usually to have them wiped out.
* LackOfEmpathy: Stands out even among the Daedric Princes for her utter lack of consideration for mortals. In Khajit myths, she as Merid-Nunda is a "cold spirit, born of light without love"; essentially, she's the AnthropomorphicPersonification of the fact that Magnus created Nirn but did not care for it.
* LargeHam: In ''Skyrim'', famously, where she dominates her interactions with the Dragonborn by speaking with a bombastic demeanor and flowery prose.
--> '''Meridia''': ''[[IncomingHam A NEW HAND TOUCHES THE BEACON!]]''
* LifeEnergy: Her primary association is with the "energy of living things". It is also a strong justification for her severe hatred of anything undead.
* LightIsNotGood: While her association with light and living energies seems to imply she might be a "good" Daedric Prince it's important to remember that she was the GreaterScopeVillain of ''Knights of the Nine''. She, along with her Aurorans, allied with the BigBad Umaril, an Ayleid sorceror-king who wanted to overthrow the Nine Divines and enslave humanity. Meridia is also prone to ''majorly'' lashing out at any mortal being that upsets her (for example, destroying an entire Ayleid city because they were located a little too close to her shrine). Ultimately, like any Daedric Prince, what good Meridia does is going to be for her benefit, not anyone else's.
* ManipulativeBitch: After revealing her true identity in ''Online'', the Vestige will call her out for using him/her. Meridia will counter that she thinks of them as nothing but a pawn in a grand game and that's up to the Vestige themselves if they make the most of it or not.
* {{Narcissist}}: Implied in ''Online'' when, [[ButHeSoundsHandsome especially in her guise as the Groundskeeper, she refers to herself and her actions in the most glorifying language possible]]. To hear her speak, everything she does is merciful, benevolent, and wise, and she also thinks highly of her own beauty and power. She shows ''zero'' patience or tolerance for things or individuals which do not support that conclusion.
* PayEvilUntoEvil: A pretty big part of how she maintains her good rep despite all her flaws. Meridia is hellbent in her opposition to the existence of the undead, especially Vampires. To that, most inhabitants of Tamriel say, "Fair enough." At worst, it's a simple MercyKill for tortured souls who really should have stayed dead but are trapped by necromancy or their own lingering regrets. At best, it's justice against vicious blood-drinking predators and their minions, willing or otherwise.
* PetTheDog: Despite admitting that most of her benevolent acts in ''Online'' were for her own benefit, Meridia does two helpful things for the player. The first is locating and returning the Vestige's soul -- although Cadwell was the one who asked her to do, she agreed regardless. The second is accepting Cadwell as her new servant, and enabling him to assist the player in various ways, such as opening the way for NewGamePlus content.
* ThePowerOfTheSun: Carved her own realm out of sunlight. Being the daughter of Magnus (who has left), she is also the closest thing the set has to a solar deity.
* ProudBeauty: Meridia embodies light and life, and so takes an appearance that mortals would perceive as a beautiful woman. She is well aware of this fact, and takes pride in the fact that mortals find everything about her, even her visible form, pleasant and appealing.
* PutOnABus: She does not appear in ''Morrowind'', though is mentioned. She returns in ''Oblivion''.
* RainbowMotif: Closely associated with rainbow imagery and the color spectrum. Her sphere is even called the "Colored Rooms," and an ancient Khajiiti story calls her the "Rainbow Angel." One ancient Ayleid text even claims that by traveling the "rainbow road" (a reference to the prismatic refraction of light), Meridia can in some sense alter the rate at which time flows forward.
--> ''"... thus does Merid-Nunda [ride? slide?] across the rainbow road from end to end, at one end stretching the dragon, at the other end compressing him ..."''
* RedBaron: The Solar Daughter, Lady of Infinite Energies, Strict but Fair Arbiter of Inner Luminance, Radiant One, Bright Lady, Sunfire, The Glister Witch, Lady of Greed, False Spirit of Greed, Orphaned Glimmer, Rainbow Angel.
* RingOfPower: Is associated with the Ring of Khajiit, with typically bestows the wearer with enhanced quickness, silent movement, and outright invisibility. It is said that Rajhin, the legendary Khajiit thief, stole it from Mephala herself. However, after making use of its power too freely, Rajhin was abandoned by the ring and left exposed to his enemies. The ring is also associated with Meridia, who, through unexplained means, acquired the ring and bestowed it as a reward to her agents twice in the 3rd Era.
* SatanicArchetype: She'd despise the notion, but she does fit several qualifiers as an immensely proud being and also one of the greatest of a type of heavenly being (Magna-Ge, in her case) who was cast out due to a transgression.
* TarotMotifs: The ''Skyrim'' tarot deck uses her to illustrate The Sun.
* TautologicalTemplar: Meridia opposes creatures of cruelty and defilement, so both she and her followers categorize her as "good". However, that means that she feels ''any'' action she takes is therefore good and anyone who opposes or abandons her is evil. She will thus deal with them appropriately.
* TheTease: DownplayedTrope. Meridia's shapely, buxom (and often scantily-clad) female form was a deliberate choice to make her beautiful and appealing to mortals, as befitting her sphere of Light and Life. She has no qualms about deliberately calling attention to her attractiveness, either, but has never been shown with the slightest desire to act on or return a mortal's interest. Her typical response to any enamored mortal implies that because she is so much greater than they, their desires are both expected and beneath her concern.
* TimeMaster: To a degree. Through the prismatic refraction of light, it is said that Meridia can in some small way alter the forward flow of time.
* VillainWithGoodPublicity: A rare example in which the character is both this AND a HeroWithBadPublicity. Amongst her faithful and many other groups, Meridia is considered one of the most "benevolent" Daedric Princes. She, in fact, doesn't like it when her actions are painted in anything but a positive light even at her most ruthless, petty, and vindictive.
* WhatIsOneMansLifeInComparison: She will sacrifice innocent lives, even those of her loyal followers, in an instant if it means achieving a greater good (at least in her opinion). In ''Online'', she outright tells the Vestige that she used him/her to save countless other lives, and that she ultimately doesn't care about one mortal soul.
* WhyDidYouMakeMeHitYou: From Meridia's point-of-view, mortals who abandon or neglect her favor have only themselves to blame. After all, [[TautologicalTemplar she is "good" and thus anything that hinders her is "bad".]]
-->'''Meridia:''' Look at my temple, lying in ruins. So much for the constancy of mortals, their crafts and their hearts. If they love me not, how can my love reach them?
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Molag Bal]]
!!Molag Bal
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/molag_bal_5478.png]]
->'''Voiced by:''' Wes Johnson (''[=TES=] III: Morrowind''), Jonathan Bryce (''[=TES=] IV: Oblivion''), Creator/ChristopherCoreySmith (''[=TES=] V: Skyrim''), Creator/MalcolmMcDowell (''The Elder Scrolls Online'') (English)[[note]]'''Other Languages''':Alexey Borzunov (''[=TES=] III: Morrowind''), Rudolf Pankov (''[=TES=] IV: Oblivion''), Vasily Stonozhenko (''[=TES=] V: Skyrim'') (Russian)[[/note]]
-> ''"Molag Bal seeds chaos and strife, spreading discord by corrupting soul after soul. His forces are legion; his patience is limitless; his ultimate goal is the domination and enslavement of all living things."''
-->-- '''''The Spawn of Molag Bal'''''
-->'''''Sphere''''': Domination, Corruption, Enslavement, Rape\\
'''''Realm''''': Coldharbour\\
'''''Artifacts''''': Mace of Molag Bal\\
'''''Servants''''': Daedroths, Daedric Titans, Xivkyn
Molag Bal is the Daedric Prince of Domination and Corruption, a sphere which includes Enslavement, Violation, Defilement, and Rape. His main desire is to harvest the souls of mortals and to bring them within his sway by spreading seeds of strife and discord in the mortal realms. He especially enjoys manipulating and corrupting mortals into violating and destroying one another. Molag Bal's typical form is that of a horned humanoid with various undead and/or reptilian features which vary between appearances. He is naturally considered a "bad" Daedra throughout Tamriel, and perhaps the most outright ''malevolent'' of them all. Unlike Mehrunes Dagon, who at least has some redeeming qualities, Molag Bal is not known to have ''any''.
Molag Bal's most infamous act (and that is ''really'' saying something) was committing the first rape, upon a Nede[[note]]the ancient Cyrodiils[[/note]] woman, from which was born the first vampire, leading to his title, the [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast King of Rape]]. All vampires can trace their lineage to this act, or to another similar act involving Molag Bal.
Molag Bal's realm is Coldharbour, which resembles a ruined and desecrated copy of Nirn that is filled with suffering and "spattered" with blood and excrement. It contains charnel houses full of the dead and slave pens beyond count. It is said that no mortals willingly visit this place except in error.
In ''Daggerfall'', Molag Bal asks you to assassinate a mage who'd been stealing power from him. In ''Morrowind'', he asks you to slay a lazy Daedroth servant. Additionally, to cure vampirism, he'll task you with slaying his "daughter" (a Winged Twilight) and her "lowly" Frost Atronach lover. In ''Oblivion'', he tasks you with provoking a pacifist into ''killing you'' with a cursed mace (you survive). In ''Skyrim'', he tasks you with killing a Vigilant of Stendarr and then corrupting a priest of Boethiah. In ''Online'', he serves as the antagonist for the game's main plot.
----
* AffablyEvil: On the rare occasion that somebody manages to significantly [[GracefulLoser upset his plans or downright defeat him]], or he finds somebody almost as evil as he himself is. [[FauxAffablyEvil At all other times, it is simply an act]].
* ArchEnemy:
** Boethiah is his most hated rival/enemy. The two are willing to do all sorts of terrible things just to mildly annoy the other. Probably because he's the Daedric Prince of domination, while Boethiah only respects willpower.
** He and Arkay also fit, as Bal created the first vampire just to upset Arkay's balance of life and death.
** He and Meridia hate each other as well, since she finds him utterly disgusting and he considers her a nuisance.
** He is also implied to antagonize followers of Stendarr specifically. Since Stendarr is the God of Mercy and he is the God of Domination, it seems Bal enjoys seeing just how capable Stendarr is of protecting his faithful.
* BadBoss: Working for Molag Bal almost ''never'' ends well. Any power he offers or tempts a minion with will immediately disappear the moment that Bal realizes they're no longer useful, and sometimes even before that point.
* BigBad: For ''Online''.
* BloodyBowelsOfHell: Coldharbour, his Daedric Plane, is a ruined parody of Tamriel, with every surface covered in blood and excrement. He ''is'' the Lord of Violation, afterall...
* CardCarryingVillain: He makes absolutely no attempt to hide his extreme malevolence.
* CarryABigStick: The Mace of Molag Bal. He even [[spoiler:fights you with it in the climax of ''Online'']].
* ColdBloodedTorture: He is a major fan of inflicting this. His plane, Coldharbour, is designed to torment a person as horribly and efficiently as possible.
* TheCorrupter: The very ''embodiment'' of the idea. One of his favorite things is to corrupt a good and noble mortal, then seeing them snap, fall, or break. He especially loves it when mortals do this to ''each other''.
* CreepyMonotone: His tone doesn't change much while talking. This is dropped completely when he becomes entertained, however.
* DarkWorld: His Daedric Plane of Coldharbour is said to be a "ruined parody" of Nirn, having endured every imaginable catastrophe while being spattered with blood and excrement.
* DefeatMeansRespect: As the lord of Domination, Molag Bal relishes power and strength. Defeating his minions and lieutenants prompts him to commend the victor for their strength, but it also means [[YouKillItYouBoughtIt you just earned the spot of the beings you defeated]].
* DeityOfHumanOrigin: According Vivec's ''36 Lessons'' and Mankar Camoran ([[UnreliableExpositor if he is to be believed, given his seemingly limited knowledge of Oblivion]]), Molag Bal was once the god-chieftain of the Dreugh who had enslaved Mundus before Mehrunes Dagon destroyed Lyg.
* DisproportionateRetribution: Along with EvilIsPetty. He perpetrated the first rape, turning the innocent woman into the first vampire, who proceeded to rape and kill the nomads who cared for her, bringing undeath into Mundus -- simply as a "Screw you!" gesture to Arkay.
* TheDreaded: To the point where, during his quest in ''Skyrim'', simply revealing to an NPC that Molag Bal was the one who sent you counts as an Intimidation check. In the same game, the Hold guards' dialogue towards any player wielding his mace will be full of ''terror''.
* EldritchLocation: Coldharbour. The ground is sludge, the sky is on fire, and the [[EvilIsDeathlyCold air is freezing]]. It resembles a ruined and desecrated copy of Nirn that is filled with suffering and "spattered" with blood and excrement. It contains charnel houses full of the dead and slave pens beyond count. It is said that no mortals willingly visit this place except in error.
* EvilIsDeathlyCold: His personal realm of Coldharbour is, true to its name, described as a very cold place.
* EvilIsPetty: Considering that he is almost inarguably the most evil entity in the setting, his Daedric quests are all fairly small scale, mostly boiling down to simply killing one creature. While there is usually a sadistic twist, it still ends up being rather tame, all things considered. [[BigBad Until Online, that is]]
* EvilSmellsBad: Bal's physical form is said to have terrible hygeine and stinks of "rotten flesh". Another trait of Coldharbour is said to be the terrible smell which, given that every surface is spattered with blood and excrement, makes a ton of sense.
* EvilSoundsDeep: He speeks with a deep, booming voice. He has a pretty nasty EvilLaugh as well.
* {{Expy}}: As the Daedric Princes are similar to ''Creator/HPLovecraft''s Great Old Ones and Outer Gods, he can be considered equivalent to Nyatharlotep, being the most purely sinister and evil of the bunch.
* FateWorseThanDeath: Being trapped in Coldharbour, for any reason whatsoever, counts as this. It is specifically designed to break and torment mortals as efficiently and cruelly as possible. Being a follower or faithful servant of his will not save you in any way, and in fact, may make it worse. He is also known to dole out fates like this as punishments to servants who disobey or fail him... as well as sometimes to those who ''[[BadBoss don't.]]''
** He also [[PlayingWithATrope plays with]] the trope, in that [[RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil the act to which the phrase originally referred]] is one of his godly spheres.
* FauxAffablyEvil: Molag Bal can actually act pleasant and polite, but he is ''not'' nice ''at all.''
* ForTheEvulz: It is the motivation for ''everything'' he does. He commits horrific, ''unspeakable'' acts ''simply because '''he can'''''.
* GenderBender: ''Mostly'' averted, unlike most of the other Daedric Lords; Molag Bal (to the best knowledge of scholars on the subject) appears as male to all of his followers with one exception; an all female cult known as the Witches of Molag Bal, who are ''extremely devoted'' to their Prince, even by Daedric Cult standards. The Witches commune with Molag Bal in the guise of a mortal female.
* GodOfEvil: Most of the Daedra are JerkassGods to some degree or another, but still have redeeming qualities, even Mehrunes Dagon. Not Molag Bal. He is a being of pure malevolence, with no redeeming qualities whatsoever. He basically is TheDevil to the Dunmer, as they see him as the creator of obstacles trying to threaten the "purity" of the Great Houses. He is not much better regarded by any other race on Tamriel, either.
* GoodWeaponEvilWeapon: Mace of Molag Bal. Evil, as a symbol of authority and domination fit for the Lord of Domination.
* GreaterScopeVillain:
** He serves as this in ''Dawnguard'', as the creator of vampirism, and thus the ultimate progenitor of all the conflict in ''Dawnguard's'' storyline. It was he who turned [[BigBad Lord Harkon]] into a pureblood vampire along with the rest of his family, thus giving rise to the Volkihar Clan in the first place. Being the progenitor of all vampires, it also makes him indirectly responsible for Arch-Curate Vyrthur's corruption, which results in him creating the Prophecy of the Tyranny of the Sun which sets the plot of ''Dawnguard'' into motion. Essentially, he is the ManBehindTheMan behind the GreaterScopeVillain. Fittingly, the final battle of ''Dawnguard'' is fought in a cathedral devoted to him.
** Played with in Online. [[spoiler:Up until the end of the main quest, Molag Bal most certainly ''is'' the ManBehindTheMan of Mannimarco, and responsible for the attempted Planemeld. But upon defeat he all but laughs at the protagonists for believing that he is the worst threat they will ever face]].
--> [[spoiler:''"Had you [[KneelBeforeZod bowed before]] me and [[EvilOverlord accepted eternal servitude]], I would have protected you. There are worse masters [[AffablyEvil than I]]. Far worse."'']]
* HatedByAll: Molag Bal is universally despised by every culture in Tamriel. Even [[EvenEvilHasStandards the other Daedric Princes]] and their servants despise him. Among his servants, the only ones who genuinely like him are those who don't know him very well and those who have become enthralled by the power he's granted them. And it's only a matter of time before he betrays the former group, or converts them into one of the latter.
* HauntedHouse: How he manifests in ''Skyrim''. He's got a hidden, deceptively small shrine housing his Mace in the basement of a house in Markarth, and when the Dragonborn and a Vigilant of Stendarr show up to investigate, he locks the doors and pelts them with objects like a poltergeist until one of them kills the other.
* HornedHumanoid: While his physical appearance can vary somewhat between appearances, he is always depicted with horns.
* ILied: Molag Bal ultimately does not keep his word with any but the worst of his minions. "Rewards" are given solely for the purpose of creating a more useful or obedient slave; remaining in his service will ultimately result in the servant only being rewarded with slavery and endless torment.
* IShallTauntYou: Almost every sentence out of his mouth is a taunt to remind a person how insignificant they are compared to him. He ''is'' the Lord of Domination, after all.
* LargeHam: He repeatedly shows this in his quest in ''Skyrim''. Even moreso in [[BigBad his appearance]] in ''Online''.
* TheManBehindTheMan: In ''Online'', he also serves as this to [[DragonWithAnAgenda Mannimarco]], though you're aware of it from the start.
* ManipulativeBastard: Molag Bal greatly enjoys manipulating mortals into furthering his schemes. Indeed, the main difference between Molag Bal and Mehrunes Dagon is that while Dagon will invade and inflict destruction upon mortals with his LegionsOfHell and cultists, Molag Bal will instead manipulate mortals into destroying ''themselves''.
* MindRape: He can fragment a person's soul or memories, so that if they prove resistant to the torture, he can take away or make them completely forget what gives them strength.
* MonsterProgenitor: Created the first vampire. It is believed that all Vampires descend from her, upsetting the balance of death and rebirth normally administered by the Aedric God Arkay.
* MoralEventHorizon: In-Universe, this is part of his sphere. Molag Bal's favorite pass-time is forcing mortals to jump over the lines they would never usually cross. In fact the only servants of his that he genuinely seems to [[VillainousFriendship like, value, and refrain from tossing aside casually]] are the ones that will repeatedly jump over any moral boundaries whatsoever with relish.
* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: Molag Bal (which itself means "Fire Stone" in [[ClassicalTongue old Aldmeris]]), the ''King of Rape'', the ''Lord of Brutality'', the "''Hated One''", and just an endless line of equally-horrific titles.
* NiceJobBreakingItHero: Both he and Meridia state that defeating him in ''Online'' actually works to his ''advantage''. This is never elaborated upon. Further, at points when the player destroys his Dark Anchors, Bal will be delighted that mortals are rising to meet his challenge with greater strength, as if that were his intention.
* ObviouslyEvil: While morality is a highly debated topic with the Daedra, there's no debate with Molag Bal. He is the closest to a true GodOfEvil among the Daedric Princes, with no redeeming qualities.
* OffingTheOffspring: Once issued a task to the Nerevarine to slaughter a rebellious daughter for consorting with an Atronach that he did not approve of.
* OnceDoneNeverForgotten: Downplayed in regards to his title "The King of Rape". To note:
** He's only been recorded as having raped ''one'' person, but this does not prevent his most infamous title being that of the "King of Rape". It also doesn't help that this act was stated to be the "first" rape, similar in implication to the "first murder" of the Bible.
** ''Dawnguard'' further downplays this. It's implied that this is one of the ways that Molag Bal chooses to confer the abilities of a [[MonsterLord Vampire Lord]] upon his most devout followers. While his male followers are asked to perform a large HumanSacrifice in his name, women are subjected to a far more ''degrading'' ritual at his hands, with the implication being further reinforced by Serana ''refusing'' to elaborate further on the matter.
** In the title's original context, personal assault wasn't even the focus. Instead the "King of Rape" was focused on the corruption of racial and genealogical purity, both being SeriousBusiness to the Dunmer.
* PetTheDog: Surprisingly he has one in ''Oblivion'', though it could be considered a case of PragmaticVillainy. The quest to get his mace requires you to provoke someone into committing a murder, with you as the victim. After the task is finished, Molag Bal brings you back to life.
* RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil: His most infamous act was the very first rape which created vampires, and all pureblood vampire lines can trace their origins back to a Daughter of Coldharbour being raped by Molag Bal.
* RapePillageAndBurn: He is practically the patron deity of the trope. He especially enjoys it when he can corrupt mortals into committing these against each other.
* RedBaron: The King of Corruption, Father of Vampires, Harvester of Souls, Hated One, King of Rape, Lord of Brutality, Prince of Rage. And that's just a short list. A longer one can be found [[https://raven-6-10.tumblr.com/post/638028348084355072/today-is-the-20th-of-evening-star-chila-the here]] and it's still not all of his titles.
* RedSkyTakeWarning: Coldharbour is described as having a burning sky as well as being [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin extremely cold]].
* ReptilesAreAbhorrent: His statues in ''Morrowind'' and ''Oblivion'' depict a reptilian humanoid.
* SatanicArchetype: He's probably the closest thing the ''Elder Scrolls'' universe has to {{Satan}}, seeing as his ''modus operandi'' is corrupting mortals into committing evil deeds so he can claim their souls. Unlike a few others on this list he lacks ''any'' redeeming qualities, to the point he comes across [[EvilerThanThou even worse]] than [[OmnicidalManiac Mehrunes Dagon]]. Hell, even his name is taken from "Moloch" and "Baal", two of the ''most'' ValuesDissonance heavy pagan gods from the Bible.
* SerialEscalation: Don't ask us how, but Molag Bal [[TookALevelInJerkass gets worse]] with each appearance.
* SlaveryIsASpecialKindOfEvil: He claims Domination and Enslavement as part of his spheres of influence, and is widely considered the most evil of the Daedric Princes.
* TheSocialDarwinist: Molag Bal believes that the strong should kill and dominate the weak, even when ''he personally'' proves to be the latter. For instance in ''Skyrim'' he tries to tempt the Dragonborn into becoming his champion because he recognizes and respects the Dragonborn's power. In ''Online'', he [[GracefulLoser commends the player for defeating his armies and, ultimately, himself]].
* TimeOfMyths: In a previous kalpa (cycle of time), it is said that the [[FishPeople Dreugh]] ruled the world in service to Molag Bal. However, that world (known as "Lyg") was destroyed and the remnants were one of the 12 worlds assembled to create Nirn during the Dawn Era as described in many creation myths.
* TokenEvilTeammate: While most, if not all, Daedric Princes operate on AboveGoodAndEvil and BlueAndOrangeMorality, or at least can be argued to be simply fulfilling their duties, Molag Bal is considered pure evil by virtually all Tamrielic cultures. He simply enjoys toying with his worshippers, even outright killing them, and generally loves to [[HopeCrusher break down mortals' hopes]]. The only people who would willingly worship him are those that are just as depraved as himself.
* TheUndead: By siring the first vampire, he brought the idea of "undeath" into Mundus. He apparently did this just as a "Screw you!" gesture toward Arkay.
* VillainBaal: While most of the series deities are treated as AboveGoodAndEvil beings who operate on BlueAndOrangeMorality in line with their "[[AnthropomorphicPersonification spheres]]", Molag Bal is an unrepentent GodOfEvil with no redeeming qualities whatsoever and the closest thing the series has to a true SatanicArchetype. In-universe, his name comes from the [[ClassicalTongue Aldmeris]] words for "Stone Fire", though the connotation to the real world Baal is unmistakable. Further driving the point home is his ''Daggerfall'' concept art is labeled as "Moloch Baal" (Moloch being another Canaanite god associated with HumanSacrifice).
* VillainousFriendship: The only mortals Molag Bal actually likes are the ones closest to himself; people with no morals whatsoever who will commit unspeakable atrocities for the barest scrap of power, and [[ForTheEvulz sometimes for no reason at all]].
* WorthyOpponent: After the conclusion of ''Online's'' main quest, he outright congratulates the Vestige for their skills, though he's quite quick to warn them that even worse things will be coming later on.
* YouKillItYouBoughtIt: Defeating his minions means that he now recognizes you as a worthy replacement for them.
* YourSoulIsMine:
** He loves corrupting people and claiming their souls. The Mace of Molag Bal in ''Skyrim'' has this as ability.
** Molag Bal taking people's souls serves as the plot for ''Online''.
** According to one obscure text, one of Molag Bal's positive (for a very, very loose definition of "positive") achievements was lending his power to the creation of the first soul gems. Knowing Bal, this act very likely had an extremely sinister motive behind it as well. Although considering that Soul gems are themselves subject to some particularly sinister FridgeHorror, maybe not.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Namira]]
!!Namira (aka Namiira)
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/namira.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Shrine of Namira]]
->'''Voiced by:''' Mozhan Marnò (''[=TES=] V: Skyrim'') (English)[[note]]'''Other Languages''':Marina Lisovets (''[=TES=] V: Skyrim'') (Russian)[[/note]]
-> ''"Namira, whose sphere is the ancient Darkness; known as the Spirit Daedra, ruler of sundry dark and shadowy spirits; associated with spiders, insects, slugs, and other repulsive creatures which inspire mortals with an instinctive revulsion."''
-->-- '''''The Book of Daedra'''''
-->'''''Sphere''''': The Ancient Darkness, the Grotesque, Revulsion, Decay, Pity\\
'''''Realm''''': Scuttling Void\\
'''''Artifacts''''': Namira's Ring\\
'''''Servants''''': Dro-m'Athra
Namira is the Daedric Prince of the Ancient Darkness, associated with all things Grotesque, things which cause Revulsion, and with Decay. Cannibalism also falls within her sphere. She is also associated with insects, slugs, bats, rats, and other creatures which disgust mortals. This includes sapient beings such as beggars, the diseased, and the disfigured. She typically takes the form of an unkempt woman dressed in black. While not considered to be an inherently malevolent Prince, the nature of her sphere and the behaviors of her followers often cause her to be cast in a negative light. She is very protective over her followers.
In Khajiiti mythology, she is known as Namiira and is associated with Lorkhan (Lorkhaj). She is said to be a part of the Void which became self-aware after the birth of Lorkhaj.
Namira's realm is known as the Scuttling Void, but few details of it are known to mortals.
In ''Daggerfall'', Namira asks you to slay an ancient vampire that displeased her by getting over its bloodlust. She does not appear in ''Morrowind''. In ''Oblivion'', asks you to help her followers retaliate against those who wish to turn them away from her. In ''Skyrim'', she tasks you to help her secretive group of followers acquire their next meal.
----
* AnthropomorphicPersonification: A more poetic interpretation on her domain being described as "ancient darkness" is that she embodies humanities ''primal'' fears.
* BlessedWithSuck: According to the book ''Beggar Prince'', she "blessed" all beggars with the gift of disease. It makes them repulsive, and this invokes pity and disregard in others. This both earns them the charity of others, while also making them [[BeneathNotice the perfect spies and sources of information, because they could watch and listen to what others did, but never be noticed doing so]].
* BodyHorror: This is practically a requirement of her followers. Disfiguring diseases are her favored form of this. She has been known to outright refuse the worship of any who are not repulsive enough.
* TheCorruptor: To the Khajiit, who she transforms into [[DemonOfHumanOrigin Dro-m'Athra]] by drawing out their inner darkness. One quest in ''Online'' even lets you see her do it, through a flashback of her convincing a grieving Khajiiti father into helping her corrupt a temple of Khenarthi by preying on his fear of losing his terminally-ill son, promising him that they'll be together forever in the Void.
* DarkIsNotEvil: Zig-Zagged. She is associated not only with darkness, but specifically the "ancient darkness". According to Khajiiti religious tradition, she is a piece of the Void which became self-aware after the birth of Lorkhaj. In some appearances, she isn't particularly malevolent and she is very protective over her followers. Most of her other associations are perfectly natural occurrences as well, but it is worth noting that her sphere of influence includes actions that are considered repulsive and taboo for ''very'' good reason, including '''[[ImAHumanitarian cannibalism]]'''. In ''Online'', she is ''definitely'' an evil being that corrupts others and makes them into monsters.
* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: In ''Daggerfall'', she's merely the Daedric Prince of Hunger without the spheres of decay or revulsion; the Prince of Decay is instead Vaermina.
* EldritchAbomination: Much like Azura and Meridia, there are some implications that Namira is more than just a Daedric Prince. One of her spheres is explicitly called "The ''Primordial'' Darkness", which is distinct from Nocturnal as it can only refer to the void which existed before creation. Right out the gate this means she's easily the oldest of her peers, having been around when it was just Anu and Pandomay, before they split off into the various spirits. While it's speculated Namira may have a connection to Sithis, anything further is pure speculation.
* EldritchLocation: Her realm is called the "[[IDontLikeTheSoundOfThatPlace Scuttling Void]]", of which nothing is known. Which probably has something to do with the "void" part of the name. A realm of pure darkness likely isn't much to look at.
* EqualOpportunityEvil: The only Daedric Prince to avert it. She ''hates'' attractive people and has outright refused the worship of people she does not find revolting enough.
* GrotesqueCute: She usually associated with things most would consider disgusting or repulsive, such as slugs, insects, or disfiguring diseases. In fact she only allows those considered ugly to summon her, and she ''hates'' attractive people.
* HorrorHunger: Her characterization in ''Daggerfall'' and ''Skyrim''. Her quest in ''Daggerfall'' is draped in language about hunger and satiation, and while she reads you as [[AmbitionIsEvil ravenous for power and control]], she describes it as if it were a physical craving that must be filled. In ''Skyrim'', she has a cult of cannibals who have fully given in to their desire for human flesh and try to tempt you into doing the same.
* ImAHumanitarian: Cannibalism falls within her sphere. This makes sense given her ''modus operandi'', since cannibalism is typically a revolting and grotesque act which is frowned upon in most civilized societies. Of course, in Valenwood, cannibalism is the norm for Wood Elves who practice the Green Pact, so there she might instead have followers who (''gasp'') eat plants.
* LifeDeathJuxtaposition: The Reachfolk view her as an "avatar of all primal dualisms," including life and death.
* MamaBear: She is very protective of her followers. Mess with them at your own peril.
* MessyHair: Most depictions of her include this. This along with her black dress, she almost crosses into WitchClassic territory.
* NatureIsNotNice: She represents many of the darker aspects of nature, including disease and decay, as well as being represented by typically revolting creatures such as insects, slugs, bats, and rats.
* NavelDeepNeckline: Her statues depict her wearing a dress with a plunging neckline.
* NightmareFetishist: She is the very ''embodiment'' of all things grotesque and revolting.
* OurSpiritsAreDifferent: One of her titles is the "Spirit Daedra," and the Reachfolk believe that she is the sovereign of the world of spirit. According to one of her aspects you can speak with in ''Online,'' she views herself as the rightful ruler of all spirits.
* PutOnABus: She does not appear in ''Morrowind'', though she is mentioned. She returns for ''Oblivion''.
* RedBaron: Lady of Decay, the Spirit Daedra, Eldest Spirit, Black Fly, the Great Darkness.
* ReroutedFromHeaven: She lures Khajiit down the Bent Path, leading to them going to the Dark Behind the World upon death, rather than their heaven of the Sands Behind the Stars. The Wall of Life, a sacred mural of Khenarthi where the dying would leave their mark and pray for safe passage to the Sands, once became corrupted by Namiira and instead delivered many innocent souls to the Dark.
* RingOfPower: Her primary artifact is the Ring Of Namira. In most appearances, it grants the wearer increased [[AntiMagic protection against magic attacks]]. In ''Skyrim'', it instead grants the wearer a mild CannibalismSuperpower.
* TrashOfTheTitans: Her followers are infamous for preferring to live in dark and squalid conditions. Anyone attempting to remove them from these conditions is met with her wrath.
* VoidBetweenTheWorlds: Namira herself is associated with the "ancient darkness" of the pre-creation Void, and according to at least one religious tradition is actually a piece of the Void which became self-aware. Her realm is also called the Scuttling Void.
* WeAreEverywhere: Not her, exactly, but her cannibal followers have quite a large number of members; half the vendors of Markarth work for her despite being seemingly upstanding citizens normally.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Nocturnal]]
!!Nocturnal
[[quoteright:270:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/nocturnal_8869.png]]
->'''Voiced by:''' Catherine Flye (''[=TES=] IV: Oblivion''), Creator/LaniMinella (''[=TES=] V: Skyrim'', ''The Elder Scrolls Online'') (English)[[note]]'''Other Languages''':Elena Kischik (''[=TES=] IV: Oblivion''), Elena Solovyova (''[=TES=] V: Skyrim'') (Russian)[[/note]]
-> ''"Our trinity serves the Lady Nocturnal, the Empress of Murk and the Daughter of Twilight. We believe her to be our patron, if not the patron of all thieves worldwide. We serve her without prayer, without charity and without celebration. Our bond with Nocturnal is in the form of a business transaction we strike known as the Oath. Her terms are simple and binding. As Nightingales we are required to guard the Twilight Sepulcher, the Temple of Nocturnal, against those perceived as a threat. In return, we are allowed to use our abilities as Nightingales to further our own means and the means of the Thieves Guild."''
-->-- '''''The Nightingales Vol. 1'''''
-->'''''Sphere''''': Night, Darkness, Thieves, Luck\\
'''''Realm''''': Evergloam, Shade Perilous, Crow's Wood\\
'''''Artifacts''''': Skeleton Key, Bow of Shadows, the Gray Cowl\\
'''''Servants''''': Nightingales, Crow Daedra
Nocturnal is the Daedric Prince of Night and Darkness, and is also heavily associated with Thieves and Luck. Ravens are a common symbol of Nocturnal, who most commonly appears as a hooded woman dressed all in black. While not considered to be an inherently malevolent Prince, the nature of her sphere and the behaviors of her followers often cause her to be cast in a negative light. She is regarded as the patron of the Thieves Guild, toward whom she is a distant but motherly figure.
Her primary realm is known as Evergloam, a realm of perpetual twilight and shadows. It is connected to Mundus by the Ebonmere, a conduit which allows Nocturnal's power to bring luck to thieves. The Ebonmere is protected by her mortal servants, the Nightingales, whom she grants great power in exchange for their service in life (and in death). She is also associated with several pocket realms, including Shade Perilous and Crow's Wood.
In ''Daggerfall'', Nocturnal asks you to slay a mage. She does not appear in ''Morrowind'', but two of her artifacts (the Bow of Shadows and the Skeleton Key) do. In ''Oblivion'', she asks you to recover her "Eye" from thieves. In ''Skyrim'', she is heavily involved in the Thieves' Guild questline. In ''Online'' she gets promoted to the BigBad of the ''Summerset'' chapter, attempting to hijack the Crystal Tower and become omnipotent.
----
* AlwaysNight: Her realm, Evergloam, is said to be in a state of "perpetual twilight".
* AnimalMotifs: Crows, Ravens, Magpies, and of course her most trusted mortal servants are Nightingales.
* BigBad: She is the main villain of both the Clockwork City expansion and Summerset chapter of ''Online''.
* TheChessmaster: In the ''Summerset'' chapter of ''Online'' she manipulates everybody, including the Psijjic Order and ''two other Daedric Princes who specialise in manipulation'' into doing her dirty work for her.
* DarkIsEvil: A rare moment from her occurs in ''Online'' where she tries to take over the Clockwork City and then the Crystal Tower in order to make herself the supreme God of reality.
* DarkIsNotEvil: Though her sphere does include darkness and the night, she isn't considered one of the more inherently malevolent Princes. Her association with thieves does maker her a bit morally ambiguous, but it's safe to say she's no Molag Bal. That said, the events of ''Summerset'' prove that, intentionally malevolent or not, she is still a Daedra through and through and ''will'' do whatever it takes to increase her sphere of influence if the opportunity presents itself.
* DealWithTheDevil: The patron of thieves, and said to be the source of "scoundrel's luck" that aids them and the shadows that hide them. However, this is a ''contract'', not a blessing. Three champions known as the Nightingales swear absolute loyalty to her, pledging their souls to guard the Ebonmere, her conduit to the mortal realms, in life and in death. In life, the Nightingales receive great power, special armor, and the freedom to do with these as they wish on the condition that they always guard the Ebonmere -- fail and they will lose all their gifts, and ''all'' thieves will have a sudden run of supernaturally bad luck, until it is reconsecrated. After serving their term as spectral guardians, they join the shadows which aid all living thieves.
* DidYouJustScamCthulhu: At the time of ''Oblivion'' and ''Skyrim'', she had the receiving end of this. Inverted however that your tasks pertaining to Nocturnal usually have you return the stuff stolen from her.
* DivinePunishment: While more "hands off" than most other Princes with their followers, she is quick to punish those who offend her with a couple of notable instances seen in the series:
** In the ThievesGuild questline of ''Oblivion'', a master thief stole her Gray Cowl several centuries in the past. She cursed it to magically {{Unperson}} the wearer, striking their identity from the universe and leaving them known only as the "Gray Fox". As part of the questline, the current Gray Fox and the PlayerCharacter work together to steal an [[TomeOfEldritchLore Elder Scroll]] and use its power to break the curse.
** In the ThievesGuild questline of ''Skyrim'', the current guild leader has shirked his duty and stolen the SkeletonKey (noticing a pattern?). She has withdrawn her favor from the guild, leaving them to suffer a long string of bad luck and care close to collapsing completely. Once again, the PlayerCharacter can team up with a couple of other members to steal back the key, replace it, lift the curse, and restore her favor.
* DivineRaceLift: Of a sort since Daedric Princes can take the form of whatever they want. Nocturnal appears in ''Skyrim'' as a white woman, while she appears in ''Online'' as a black woman.[[note]]Ironically, Nocturnal is marked in the game files for ''Skyrim'' as a Redguard, but was given a whiter skin tone more similar to a Nord's instead.[[/note]]
* DoNotTauntCthulhu: Thieves love stealing things ''from'' Nocturnal. While they may succeed in acquiring the item they are attempting to steal (the Gray Cowl, the Eye of Nocturnal, the Skeleton Key) they always pay for it in the end, usually by Nocturnal cursing the item they stole or [[TooDumbToLive having her servants hunt down the offender]].
* {{Expy}}: Of Nyx from Myth/ClassicalMythology. She's the [[AnthropomorphicPersonification embodiment of night]], and also grants protection to thieves. However, Nocturnal is more a bit more anthropomorphic than Nyx, and her association with thieves is played up significantly.
* TheGloriousWarOfSisterlyRivalry: Some sources state that she is a "sister" of Azura, although it is unclear whether it is in a literal or metaphorical sense, as other sources also mention both having a rivalry to each other.
* GodIsDispleased: At some point prior to the events of ''Skyrim'', she cursed the Thieves Guild with a long string of bad luck, [[spoiler:having withdrawn her protection and influence as its unknown (to all non-Nightingale members of the Guild) patron deity, due to Mercer Frey's theft of the Skeleton Key and murder of Gallus, the previous Guildmaster.]]
* InTheHood: All of her appearances have her wearing a hooded cloak.
* LadyLuck: She's the Daedric Prince of luck, at least for the thieves who venerate her.
* MagpiesAsPortents: She is associated with ravens and crows. The Crow's Wood is a pocket realm of Oblivion associated with Nocturnal, and it is ruled by the Blackfeather Court, a group of sapient crows (or crow-like daedra) who consider themselves as the realm's rulers.
* MeaningfulName: On several levels. Nocturnal means "active at night", and she is the very ''embodiment'' of the night. She is the patron of the thieves, who are also most active during the night.
* NavelDeepNeckline: Her appearances in ''Skyrim'' and ''Online'' have her wear robes with a wide slit going from the top down to her navel.
* PutOnABus: She doesn't make an appearance in ''Morrowind'', but she is mentioned and the Skeleton Key does appear. She returns for ''Oblivion''.
* RedBaron: The Mistress of Shadows, the Unfathomable, the Empress of Murk, the Daughter of Twilight, the Mistress of Mystery, Lady Luck, the Saint of Suspicion, the Night Mistress, Shadowy Hag, Shadow Queen, Ur-Dra.
* TheSacredDarkness: The darkness that Nocturnal represents is treated as protective, as well as beautiful, welcoming, and awe-inspiring to those who appreciate it. However, Nocturnal is quick to withdraw her favor (and thus the protective qualities of darkness) if she is displeased, and those who appreciate the darkness more often than not tend to be thieves and criminals.
* ScamReligion: The "Priests of Nocturnal" were merely a cult created to prey on the gullible. While their members set up shop in the Twilight Sepulcher and conducted all sorts of bogus rituals and practices to supposedly gain Nocturnal's favor, Nocturnal herself didn't actually pay them ''any'' attention or care ''what'' they did, as long as they didn't interfere with the Nightingales or threaten the Ebonmere.
* SemanticSuperpower: The Skeleton Key. It unlocks things. In fact, it unlocks ''anything''. Including [[CharlesAtlasSuperpower the limits of human potential]]. [[StoryAndGameplaySegregation In the hands of the player however]], it's simply a lockpick which will never fail.
* ShowSomeLeg: In most depictions of Nocturnal, her cloak/robe opens up at the side of the thighs, fully exposing her legs.
* SinkOrSwimMentor: Her relationship with the Nightingales, and really all thieves. For the Nightingales, she grants them immense power and freedom to do with it as they wish, on the condition that they ''always'' protect the Ebonmere. Thieves in general benefit from her protective darkness and "scoundrel's luck", but she does not offer any sort of direct DivineIntervention to either group if they get in over their heads, and is quick to withdraw her blessings if she is displeased.
* SkeletonKey: Her most (in)famous artifact. In the hands of most, it serves as a [[MasterOfUnlocking lockpick which will never fail]]. For those who can unlock [[FullPotentialUpgrade its true power]], it gives them the ability to unlock ''anything'', including the metaphorical locks on their own potential. According to Khajiiti legend she originally stole it from Azura, which fits with Azura's association with thresholds and liminality.
* SpiritAdvisor: Along with allowing for {{Dead Person Conversation}}s. Deceased Nightingales serve a "term" as the "spectral guardians" of the Ebonmere and Twilight Sepulcher, allowing them to communicate with the still-living Nightingales.
* TarotMotifs: The ''Skyrim'' tarot deck makes her The Moon.
* ThievesGuild: She is the (unofficial) patron of the Tamriellic Thieves Guild, and really all thieves everywhere even if they don't acknowledge it or aren't aware of it. The reason it is "unofficial", as Karliah explains in ''Skyrim'':
--> ''"Nocturnal isn't one for worship and reverence. There are no priests and no sermons, no services and no alms. She influences our luck and in return demands payment. [...] The only difference is she doesn't demand payment in the traditional sense and sometimes the cost can be quite high. Whether you know it or not, Nocturnal dictates how well we perform as rogues."''
* TopGod: Downplayed, if true at all in classic ''Elder Scrolls'' conradictory lore fashion. According to one LooseCanon text and referenced by a single line of dialogue in ''Online''[='s=] ''Clockwork City'' expansion, she is referred to as "Ur-dra", implying that she may be the eldest of the Daedric Princes, by "nearly all the Royalty of Oblivion". However, Hermaeus Mora also claims to have been the first and has more references in the lore to support his case. Additionally, Khajiiti religion ascribes this title to Namira instead. Finally, it goes against the most widely accepted CreationMyth accounts, which had the et'Ada rise from the spilled blood of Anu and Padomay more or less at once, with Akatosh being the first to self-realize.
* {{Unperson}}: The curse she placed on the Gray Cowl causes this to happen to anyone who wears it. (It would take the power of an Elder Scroll to finally break the curse centuries later.)
--> ''"Whosoever wears it shall be lost in the shadows. His true nature shall be unknown to all who meet him. His identity shall be struck from all records and histories. Memory will hide in the shadows, refusing to record the name of the owner to any who meet him. He shall be known by the cowl and only by the cowl."''
* VoidBetweenTheWorlds: As the embodiment of the night, Nocturnal claims to be an aspect of the original Void itself. It turns out that this isn't metaphorical, either; in ''Online'' she uses this void in an attempt to consume the Clockwork City.
* WellDoneSonGuy: One of her Nightingales describes Nocturnal as a mother that offers little praise but always pushes you to do better.
* YourSoulIsMine: She claims the souls of the Nightingales when the die. They continue to serve her as spectral guardians of the Ebonmere and Twilight Sepulcher for a "term", then join the shadows.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Peryite]]
!!Peryite
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/peryite.JPG]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Statue of Peryite]]
->'''Voiced by:''' Craig Sechler (''[=TES=] V: Skyrim'') (English)[[note]]'''Other Languages''':Alexander Gruzdev (''[=TES=] V: Skyrim'') (Russian)[[/note]]
-> ''"It is said that Peryite guards the lowest orders of Oblivion and that his summoners are to regard his likeness to Akatosh as some primordial and curious jest."''
-->-- '''''Imperial Census of Daedra Lords'''''
-->'''''Sphere''''': Pestilence, the Natural Order, Tasks\\
'''''Realm''''': The Pits\\
'''''Artifacts''''': Spell Breaker\\
'''''Servants''''': Unknown
Peryite is the Daedric Prince of Pestilence, Tasks, and the Natural Order, and is charged with the ordering of the lowest levels of Oblivion. He is considered to be the weakest of the Princes. Peryite most commonly takes the form of a four-legged green dragon. While not considered an inherently malevolent Prince, his association with plagues and the deaths they cause tends to cast him in a negative light. He is considered particularly "loathsome" by the other Daedric Princes, who constantly look down upon him.
There is evidence that Peryite has a connection to the Sload, the "slug men" of Thras. He is connected to the creation of the Thrassian Plague which the Sload used to wipe out up to half the population of Tamriel in the 1st Era. There is also an ancient shrine dedicated to Peryite in the Summerset Isles which depicts the Aldmer fighting "slug-like creatures".
His realm is known as "The Pits". It somewhat resembles the Deadlands and is said to be typically inaccessible to mortals.
In ''Daggerfall'', Peryite asks you to slay a vampire ancient. He does not appear in ''Morrowind'', but his artifact, Spell Breaker, does. In ''Oblivion'', he asks you to rescue the souls of some of his followers. In ''Skyrim'', he asks you to kill a former priest of his who rebelled.
----
* AffablyEvil: Despite being referred to as one of the most "loathsome" Princes, as well as his association with pestilence and plagues, he has been consistently polite to the player character in all of his appearances. Even Mora and Hircine will express their displeasure, albeit calmly, if their quests are turned down in ''Daggerfall''. Peryite on the other hand, takes it in stride and benignly states that refusal indicates ''maturity''. Literally no other Daedric Prince takes rejection this well in their first appearance. His quest in ''Oblivion'' is one of the least morally suspect Daedric quests, as it involves ''saving'' the lives of his followers. ''Skyrim'' walks this back a bit and reminds us that he's still a Daedric Prince: during his quest, if the Dragonborn asks him what his follower Orchendor has done to deserve death, Peryite angrily says that's not a mortal's business to know and that if the Dragonborn won't stop asking stupid questions, he will damn well find someone else who will simply ''obey''.
* AlmightyJanitor:
** Widely considered by Imperial scholars to be the "weakest" Daedric Prince and whose main sphere is ordering the lesser realms of Oblivion, but nonetheless, Peryite is still a ''Daedric Prince'', making him virtually infinite in power in his own realm and able to inflict massive damage if left unchecked. The Thrassian Plague was one such instance, and was so terrible it was one of the rare instances where [[EnemyMine everyone in Tamriel banded together]] to destroy the Sloads who unleashed it.
** It is important to remember that while he's called the "weakest" by mortals, [[RuleOfPerception that measurement is based on how much observable impact Peryite has on Nirn.]] Because his sphere involves orderly tasks and the growth and decay in nature, Peryite has little reason to or interest in acting openly on Nirn compared with other Princes. After all, merely by existing, life on Nirn furthers his sphere of influence.
** This trope is also a possible explanation for his DivergentCharacterEvolution: Since his focus on "order" was largely gone in ''Skyrim'', it's likely that he was "filling in" for Jyggalag because SomeoneHasToDoIt.
* BenevolentBoss: He can be surprisingly nice to his followers. In ''Oblivion'' some of his cultists have tried to summon him, but had their souls trapped in his realm in Oblivion by mistake. While most Daedric Princes would just leave them there as punishment, he acutally asks the player to go rescue them.
* BlessedWithSuck: His "blessings" to his followers seem to take the form of various diseases, [[LovecraftianSuperpower complete with weaponized projectile vomiting]].
* ButtMonkey: For the other Princes, who constantly look down upon him. It may also be why earlier games emphasize the "Order" part of his sphere, as prior to the proper introduction of Jyggalag, [[SomeoneHasToDoIt Someone Had To Do It]]. Further, being associated with order would put him at odds with the other Princes, who have a generally chaotic nature.
* DivergentCharacterEvolution: His quest in ''Skyrim'' emphasizes his association with pestilence rather than his association with maintaining order, likely because ''Shivering Isles'' introduced Jyggalag as the Daedric Prince of Order.
* DraconicAbomination: Statues of Peryite often depict him as a skinny, four-legged dragon, and he is said to enjoy taking on this form as a mockery of Akatosh. While it's not unsettling to us, it's much more disquieting in-universe because everyone knows that dragons don't look like him whatsoever.
* {{Expy}}: In Skyrim, you may as well call him [[TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}} Grandpapa Nurgle]] and call it a day. Given that the Elder Scrolls devs are Warhammer fans, the parallels may be intentional.
* HypercompetentSidekick: While he's supposed to be the weakest Daedric Prince, he also keeps the lower levels of Oblivion running and the lesser Daedra in line.
* LoserDeity: He is considered to be the weakest of the Princes, and is considered particularly "loathsome" by the other Daedric Princes, who constantly look down upon him. He is also the Prince with perhaps the fewest mortal worshipers, both because of his low status and because his blessings to them tend to suck, often using them to spread plagues and diseases.
* LuckilyMyShieldWillProtectMe: His artifact, the Spell Breaker, is a Dwemer tower shield with a ward that [[AntiMagic blocks most forms of magic]].
* MysticalPlague: He is associated with pestilence and plagues. Perhaps most infamously, he is associated with the Thrassian Plague, unleashed by the Sload in the 1st Era, which killed up to half of Tamriel's population. In ''Skyrim'', his followers are afflicted with one of these as well.
* NatureIsNotNice: While Jyggalag's take on order is inorganic stasis ("Perfect Order"), Peryite seems to represent the "Natural Order" cycle of growth and decay. Unfortunately for Tamriel, this primarily manifests as outbreaks of disease, and death in wake of those outbreaks.
* OrcusOnHisThrone: Compared with virtually every other Daedric Prince, Peryite doesn't really do much on Nirn beyond creating diseases, preferring to sit back and let things develop as they will. Because Nirn is mostly ordered and developing naturally, he has no reason to really intervene directly to further his interests, unless something goes wrong. His Daedric quests generally involve helping his followers or simply removing a follower misusing Peryite's gifts rather than anything malevolent.
* OrderVersusChaos: Much like Jyggalag, Peryite is a very Anuic entity, focused on order. In his case, it's the "natural" order things, like the growth and decay of life and the ordering of tasks and duties. Because of this he has very little obvious influence on Nirn, but when his impact is felt, it can be just as potent as any other Prince's.
* OurDragonsAreDifferent: He normally appears as a green dragon to those who summon him. His statues are depicted with four legs instead of two (unlike Alduin and the other dragons in ''Skyrim'') as he isn't a true dragon, he just chooses to appear as one as a "primordial and curious jest" toward Akatosh.
* {{Plaguemaster}}: As the Daedric Prince of pestilence, he is the embodiment of the idea of ThePlague. His idea of a "blessing" toward his followers is to inflict them with disease. The ending of his ''Skyrim'' quest implies that he is preparing a new plague meant to "cover the world" with his "blessing".
* PutOnABus: He doesn't make an appearance in ''Morrowind'', but he is mentioned and Spell Breaker does appear. He returns for ''Oblivion''.
* RedBaron: The Taskmaster, Blighted Lord.
* RuleOfPerception: InUniverse, this is one of the reasons why he is considered "weak" by Imperial scholars. Peryite doesn't need to do much to expand his sphere of influence on Nirn, and most of his time is spent ordering parts of Oblivion. Since he's not perceived as doing much on Nirn, the people of Nirn don't consider him to be very powerful.
* YouDirtyRat: In ''Skyrim'', he manifests in the form of a swarm of ghostly skeevers.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Sanguine]]
!!Sanguine
[[quoteright:270:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sanguine_6008.png]]
->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/WilliamSalyers (''[=TES=] V: Skyrim'') (English)[[note]]'''Other Languages''':Dmitry Tarnover (''[=TES=] V: Skyrim'') (Russian)[[/note]]
-> ''"Sanguine, Prince of Hedonism, lords over no less than ten times ten thousand pleasure pockets of the Void. As revelry and drunken stupor fall under this Prince's influence, he has been a favorite of many Emperors since the first foundation."''
-->-- '''''Imperial Census of Daedra Lords'''''
-->'''''Sphere''''': Debauchery, Hedonism, Revelry, Passion, Indulgence\\
'''''Realm''''': Myriad Realms of Revelry\\
'''''Artifacts''''': Sanguine's Rose, the 27 Threads of the Webspinner (created for Mephala)\\
'''''Servants''''': Unknown
Sanguine is the Daedric Prince of Debauchery, Hedonism, Revelry, and Passion, encompassing the lighter and darker aspects of each. Included within his domain are the darker natures of man, such as lust, sin, sloth, gluttony, and greed. His most common symbol is a rose, while Sanguine himself typically takes the form of a short, portly man with a horned head similar to that of a Dremora. While he is not considered an inherently malevolent Prince, and is in fact quite pleasant during most of his dealings with mortals, his associations with numerous vices and tempting mortals into sin tend to cast him in a negative light.
Sanguine possesses thousands of realms within Oblivion, collectively called the Myriad Realms of Revelry. The realms are used mainly as pleasure pockets, refashioned to meet the needs and desires of their visitors. As such, Sanguine himself has very little control over them.
In ''Daggerfall'', Sanguine asks you to kill a monk who killed some of his followers in the process of cracking down on indulgence. He does not appear in ''Morrowind'', but is mentioned as the creator of the 27 Threads of the Webspinner. In ''Oblivion'', he asks you to crash and prank a dinner party. In ''Skyrim'', he gets you black out drunk and leaves you to pick up the pieces of your lost night.
----
* AffablyEvil: Although he is associated with the darker natures of man and tries to tempt mortals with various vices, he tends to be quite pleasant.
* TheAlcoholic: Often seen with some form of drink in his hand, even in his statues. In ''Skyrim'', his quest even begins with a drinking contest at an inn.
* AmbiguousSituation: His artifact is Sanguine's Rose, a rose-looking staff-sized object that allows one to summon a Dremora. It's never made clear if this object is supposed to be a staff-sized rose or a rose-looking staff.
* ArchEnemy: Of Dibella and Mara, two of the Aedric Divines and both different flavors of LoveGoddess. Dibella's sphere includes romance and the carnal aspects of love, while Mara's sphere includes marriage, fertility, and family, all things corrupted by Sanguine's sphere of lust.
* BewareTheSillyOnes: As "fun" as he might seem, it is important to remember that he represents the "darker" aspects human nature as well. For all the revelry, his actions turn someone into an alcoholic. For all the fulfilled lust, there are broken relationships and failed marriages. One fortress in ''Skyrim'' which is filled with his revelers also includes a room where prisoners were burnt to death by a sadistic mage, and another room has NoodleImplements that are strongly implied to be being used on those same prisoners to defile a shrine to Dibella, showing that not all of the excess Sanguine promotes is harmless, and he's ''just'' as dangerous as other Princes.
* BigRedDevil: Or rather, a short, portly devil is his most common form. In ''Daggerfall'', his skin is bright red.
* TheCorrupter: Present, but downplayed. Sanguine loves to tempt mortal into sinful lives... but it's ''his'' sins who, while definitely not necessarily ''harmless'', are on the less malevolent side of things from the mortal perspective.
* DarkIsNotEvil: Played with.
** He is a Daedric Prince and his sphere includes various sins, vices, and the darker natures of man, but he isn't nearly as evil as some would suggest. His quests usually don't involve killing things, causing lasting harm, or spreading suffering in any way, only annoying folks. To put it bluntly, Sanguine is basically a demonic frat boy.
** On the other hand, his personal artifact, Sanguine's Rose, is one of the more dangerous ones, since it summons a random lesser Daedra that is ''not'' under the summoner's control. Martin Septim's reaction to the Rose in ''Oblivion'' implies that toying around with it in his youth got a bunch of his friends killed and soured him on Daedra worship forever.
** His questline in ''Skyrim'' ends in Morvunskar, a fortress where Sanguine's worshippers engage in hedonistic indulgence. Two rooms highlight how far this indulgence can go: a room where a sadistic mage is indulging in his fantasies by burning people to death, and another where it is implied that prisoners were being ''used'' to defile a shrine to Dibella. Interestingly enough, Sanguine is coded as an enemy to these mages (which may or may not be a developer oversight), so if he ever comes through the portal [[EveryoneHasStandards he'll immediately attack and kill them]].
** It's worth noting that he is not the god of torture or murder, as those lie within the spheres of Vaermina and Molag Bal, respectively. Likewise, the darker aspects of sex such as affairs, orgies, and using sex as blackmail are explicitly stated to be a part of Mephala's sphere.
** While the appearances of him in-game tend to be relatively harmless, some cultures of Tamriel have a far more sinister interpretation of him. In Elsweyr he is worshiped by some vampire clans as Sangiin, the Blood-Cat, and revered with rites of murder and dark magic. [[https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Masterwork_of_the_Inducer A book in ESO]] also links him to the horrifying Ayleid practice of flesh-sculpting.
* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: In ''Daggerfall'', he asks you kill a monk who slew some of his worshippers. In every appearance since, his requests are much more light-hearted.
* EldritchLocation: He possesses thousands of realms of Oblivion, collectively called the Myriad Realms of Revelry. The realms are used mainly as [[HappyPlace pleasure pockets, refashioned to meet the needs and desires of their visitors]]. As such, Sanguine himself has very little control over them.
* EveryoneHasStandards:
** Sanguine was said to be a regular in the court of [[TheCaligula Reman Cyrodiil]], at least until Reman's violent decadence went so far as to ''[[TooSpicyForYogSothoth make Sanguine uncomfortable]]'', prompting him to leave and never look back. This is saying something, as Sanguine's most extreme worshippers sometimes indulge in things like torture and murder... though Sanguine himself generally looks down on that kind of behavior. The general rule of thumb is that Sanguine's happy with his followers indulging themselves as much as they want... up until their indulgences start causing serious harm to others.
** Notably, [[RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil rape]] is ''not'' in his sphere of influence. Molag Bal instead has that as part of his domain.
* {{Expy}}:
** Of Dionysus, the god of wine, theatre, ritual madness and religious ecstasy in Myth/ClassicalMythology. Much like Dionysus, Sanguine emphasizes debauchery, drunkenness, and the dangerous insanity that accompanies drugs and alcohol. He even sports horns, much like the older versions of Dionysus.
** Basically the Elder Scrolls' answer to Slaanesh from Warhammer 40K, but relatively kind compared to the chaos god of excess.
* FunPersonified: Literally, being the very embodiment of hedonism is both the good and bad senses. His thousands of realms of Oblivion reform to cater to the needs of whoever visits.
* GargleBlaster: His special brew in ''Skyrim''.
* GodWasMyCopilot: In ''Skyrim'', the player can meet a man named [[LouisCypher Sam Guivenne]]. Later on, he reveals his [[GodInHumanForm true identity]] as that of Sanguine, and that the two of you went on one ''hell'' of a drunken bender across the entire province.
* GottaCatchEmAll: His 27 threads of the Webspinner, which he created for Mephala and the Morag Tong. They are 27 pieces of enchanted clothing and jewelry.
* GreatGazoo: He mostly plays with and, at worst, annoys mortals. He is definitely one of the less serious Daedric Princes. His influence can push mortals to rather extreme ends, however, and he disapproves of going ''too'' far in one's indulgences.
* HappyPlace: His Myriad Realms of Revelry constantly reform to become the pleasure paradise of whoever is visiting.
* TheHedonist: The Daedric Prince of the trope. He seems to exist to tempt others into becoming hedonists as well. This hedonism can go to amusing places... but also extremely dark ones as well, depending on the individual. One wild hedonist may just party and drink and have wild sex, but another may indulge in rape, torture, or murder. It should be noted that the most evil acts that might be performed for hedonism's sake are explicitly ''not'' part of Sanguine's nature; Rape is Molag Bal's thing, torture is either on Molag Bal or Vaermina, infidelity and using sex to manipulate others falls under Mephala's domain, and most crimes are either Boethiah, Mephala, or Nocturnal. Sanguine might not care if his vices cause havoc or endanger people, but he's [[EveryoneHasStandards genuinely disgusted]] by those who hurt others purely for their own pleasure.
* HornedHumanoid: His typical form is that of a short, portly man with devil-style horns.
* ItAmusedMe: The motivation for everything he does. His primary goal is to tempt mortals with vices and sins to get them to behave the same way.
-->'''Sanguine''': ''"Let's be honest, here. I don't always think my decisions through."''
* LouisCypher: As Sam Guevenne in ''Skyrim''.
* MeaningfulName: The word "sanguine" can refer to a lively character as well as blood, which fits his patronage over both the light and dark side of pleasure.
* NakedPeopleAreFunny: The point behind his ''Oblivion'' quest, which involves crashing a dinner party and casting a spell that strips everyone naked. (Including ''you''.)
* PutOnABus: Doesn't appear in ''Morrowind'', but is mentioned. He [[TheBusCameBack returns]] for ''Oblivion''.
* RedBaron: Lord of Revelry, the Blood Cat.
* RoyallyScrewedUp: Given his sphere, he has understandably been a favorite of many of the more decadent rulers throughout Tamriellic history.
* SatanicArchetype: He's the LighterAndSofter version; he "prefers to drag mortals down to sinful lifestyles by means of temptation and humiliation", but draws the line at outright hurting others for fun. The 'played dead straight' version is Molag Bal, who doesn't care about the PokeThePoodle sins that Sanguine promotes and instead focuses on pushing people to cross the MoralEventHorizon.
* SomethingAboutARose: His most common symbol is a rose and his most famous artifact is Sanguine's Rose, which can take on many forms, including that of an actual rose, a wooden staff carved like a rose, or a [[BreadEggsBreadedEggs staff-sized rose]].
* {{Troll}}: He is basically a god-level troll. He enjoys trying to tempt or trick mortals into sin using various vices, mostly because he finds it fun. Note that like real-life trolls, the "fun" is often from ''his'' perspective; for those he tricks it's not always amusing.
* VillainsOutShopping: In ''Skyrim'', when the Dragonborn finally tracks him down after their little drinking contest leaves them passed out on the other side of Skyrim, he seems to be in the middle of hosting a party with some of his followers. Essentially, you joined him while he was "out shopping" and found him in the middle of his "day job".
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Sheogorath]]
!!Sheogorath
[[quoteright:307:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Sheog_666.jpeg]]
->'''Voiced by:''' Jeff Baker (''[=TES=] III: Morrowind''), Craig Sechler (''[=TES=] IV: Oblivion''), Wes Johnson (''[=TES=] IV: Shivering Isles'', ''[=TES=] V: Skyrim''), Creator/JBBlanc (''The Elder Scrolls Online'') (English)[[note]]'''Other Languages''':Nikolai Vereshchenko (''[=TES=] III: Morrowind''), Vsevolod Kuznetsov (''[=TES=] IV: Oblivion''), Dmitry Filimonov (''[=TES=] IV: Shivering Isles''), Vadim Maksimov (''[=TES=] V: Skyrim'') (Russian)[[/note]]
-> ''"I'm a mad god. The Mad God, actually. It's a family title. Gets passed down from me to myself every few thousand years. Now you. You can call me Ann Marie. But only if you're partial to being flayed alive and having an angry immortal skip rope with your entrails. If not... Then call me Sheogorath, Daedric Prince of Madness. Charmed."''
-->-- '''''Sheogorath's Dialogue in Skyrim'''''
-->'''''Sphere''''': Madness, Creativity, Music, Cheese\\
'''''Realm''''': The Shivering Isles\\
'''''Artifacts''''': Wabbajack, Fork of Horripilation, Staff of Everscamp, Gambolpuddy, Folium Discognitum\\
'''''Servants''''': Aureals (Golden Saints), Mazken (Dark Seducers)
Sheogorath is the Daedric Prince of Madness, and is also associated with Creativity, Music, and Cheese. He typically takes the form of a well-dressed man, often carrying a cane. While not inherently malevolent, the nature of his sphere and his unpredictability make him one of the most ''dangerous'' of the Daedric Princes, and thus he is near-universally considered to be one of the "bad" Daedra throughout Tamriel. Despite this, worship of Sheogorath is widespread.
In a time before recorded history, Jyggalag, the Daedric Prince of Order, grew too powerful, making the other Daedric Princes fearful and jealous of him. They came together and cursed him, trapping in the form of Sheogorath. However, at the end of every Era, Jyggalag is allowed to return to his true form in an event known as the Greymarch. During this time, he retakes and destroys the Shivering Isles, only to return to the form of Sheogorath at the end. At the end of the 3rd Era, the Champion of Cyrodiil ended the cycle by defeating Jyggalag and assuming the mantle of Sheogorath. Jyggalag then left to "roam the voids" of Oblivion.
Sheogorath is also connected with both Sithis and Lorkhan. Aldmeri belief is that he is a "Sithis-shaped hole" in the world, brought into being when Lorkhan's "divine spark" was removed. From this association comes Sheogorath's title, the "Void Ghost". That being said, Haskill and Dyus in an Obscure Text cast doubt on this interpretation, with Dyus finding the idea "amusing" and Haskill calling the Aldmeri "self-centered" for believing that Sheogorath's birth had anything to do with Mundus.
His realm is the Shivering Isles, which has also been known as the Madhouse and the Asylum. The realm consists of a main landmass surrounded by a group of smaller islands, and is divided in half: the northern half of these lands is called Mania, and the southern half Dementia. Only Sheogorath himself may grant the privilege of entry, and it is said that mortals who visit lose their sanity forever.
In ''Daggerfall'', Sheogorath asks you to kill a battlemage (or invite him to tea, whichever). In ''Morrowind'', he asks you to slay a giant bull netch with cursed dinner fork. In ''Oblivion'', he asks you to bring the "apocalypse" to a small village. He also plays a prominent role in the main plot of the ''Shivering Isles'' expansion. In ''Skyrim'', he asks you to help cure a former emperor of madness. In ''Online'', he serves as the main villain behind the Mages Guild questline.
----
* AffablyEvil:
** His domains also include creativity and music, and he always has a smile on his face. He loves his worshipers and will always reward a mortal helper... but since he's the Prince of Madness, the blessings he offers may not be entirely, ah, traditional. Or useful. Or healthy.
** According to legend, he gifted humanity music one day when he was travelling the mortal plane and decided it was boring, and a woman commented on the beauty of a songbird's song. Sheogorath agreed and thought it was a pity that humans couldn't make such lovely noises with their voices, so he gave them music by way of crafting them drums, flutes and lutes... from the bones, tendons and other body parts of that same woman, killing her on the spot to get the materials.
** In one myth he drove a follower of Vaermina to madness and eventually execution just to prove a point. Admittedly, he managed to do this by [[WinsByDoingAbsolutelyNothing doing nothing at all.]]
** His appearances in ''Online'' have him be quite welcoming to the player and calling them his favorite mortal... but at the same time driving people insane, bringing towns to ruin, and causing no end of trouble for the Mage's Guild.
* AnimalEyes: Often depicted as a human with cat's eyes. Either the inspiration for, or adopted in honor of, the Khajiiti nickname for him, "The Skooma Cat".
* ArchEnemy: Jyggalag, who appears every era to destroy the Shivering Isles. As revealed in the ''Shivering Isles'', this turns out to be an Arch-EnemyWithin scenario instead.
* AttentionDeficitOohShiny: He often gets distracted mid-speech by something he said and goes off on vaguely related tangents.
* AxCrazy: Sheogorath is ''always'' dangerous, because just a passing whim could result in him killing someone in horrific ways... [[FateWorseThanDeath or worse]]. For instance, when a woman wished that mortals could sing like birds, he agreed and plucked out her organs to create musical instruments. And if he's in a bad mood... well, then you're ''really'' screwed.
* BatmanGambit: Despite his status as a MadGod and his insistence that it's impossible to tell exactly what any and all beings will do, he's pretty good at them. Most of his myths are about how he defeats his enemies by setting up situations in which they defeat themselves; the Mages' Guild questline goes similarly.
** The three Accords of Madness (and presumably the other 13 that aren't written in-game) have him do this to the other Daedric Princes; for Vaermina he gets her to inadvertently trick her artist follower into believing she'd abandoned him (she couldn't do anything because it was Sheogorath's turn to influence the man), for Hircine he plays on Hircine's love of brute force to get him to pick a champion that would destroy itself, and for Malacath he plays on Malacath's nature to take bloody revenge to trick him into killing his own son.
** Another myth has a wizard ask him for power, and Sheogorath says he'll get it in three days' time... ''if'' Sheogorath hasn't driven him insane by then. The wizard's own [[ParanoiaGambit paranoia]] then does Sheogorath's work for him.
** The entire Mages' Guild questline in ''Online'' is one, with the goal of rubbing Shalidor's face in his own failures by dangling Eyevea as a prize and letting Shalidor's obsession with regaining said island lead him once again into humiliating defeat; the player's involvement is completely incidental and the trials he puts you through are just for fun. [[spoiler:Here's how it goes: To get Eyevea back, somebody needs to read Sheogorath's books. The only one who can do that is Valaste (Sheogorath cursed them so Shalidor can't do it himself), but it takes a toll on her sanity. Sheogorath is betting on Shalidor disregarding the increasingly obvious signs that Valaste isn't well due to his obsession, driving her completely insane by the time they have Eyevea back, and thus Shalidor has to contend with his obsessive pursuit of Eyevea destroying the life of a very promising mage. Even the final choice Sheogorath offers you to [[RestorationOfSanity cure her]] is just another kick in Shalidor's teeth: either he's stuck with all the consequences of his bad decisions, or he's forced to depend on you making the right choice where Shalidor himself made the wrong one.]]
* BewareTheNiceOnes: As far as Daedric Princes go, Sheogorath is usually one of the nicer ones if not outright cordial and his quests typically aren't as harmful to mortals as some of his fellows. He's also the literal God of insanity who's fully willing to destroy your mind and body in a hilariously gruesome fashion.
* BewareTheSillyOnes:
** Jovial as the guy can be, he's still a Daedric Prince, and a Daedric Prince with a head full of crazy for that matter. This almost goes without saying: '''tread carefully'''. In ''Shivering Isles'', attacking him will cause him to teleport the Champion of Cyrodiil high above the Shivering Isles, letting gravity do the rest. [[spoiler:[[TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYou Even God Mode won't save you from him.]]]]
** It can even be inferred that he's more powerful than most (if not all) other Daedric Princes. There's a series of myths that consist entirely of him humiliating the other Princes; Jyggalag is only able to break free at the tail end of every era; and any day that storms makes it a holy day for Sheogorath, even if it's supposed to be a ''different'' Prince's holy day. In his initial ''Daggerfall'' appearance, he has the unique trait of being able to occasionally hijack other Princes' summonings.
* BigBad: He is the primary antagonist and obstacle in the Mages Guild questline in ''Online''.
* BigGood: He's the player's main ally, benefactor, and mentor in the ''Shivering Isles'' expansion.
* BrightIsNotGood: His clothing, particularly in ''Skyrim'', despite having a moment of PetTheDog, as noted below. He's notably still thrilled to watch the PC flounder while completing his quest.
* CharacterizationMarchesOn:
** His brief vocal appearance in ''Morrowind'' sounds and acts absolutely nothing like he does in later games. Rather than the unpredictable, unruly LargeHam he becomes in ''The Shivering Isles'', he's quite calm, formal and collected; acting more like Haskill -- and in fact, he's voiced by Jeff Baker, who would later voice Haskill. (Holding off on doing the Sheogorath quest in vanilla ''Oblivion'' until after completing the expansion reveals that Haskill is perfectly capable of picking up the phone in Sheogorath's stead, making it likely that the retroactive Watsonian explanation is that the Nerevarine was talking to Haskill). Likely this was because the original vision for Sheogorath was closer to being CrazySane (as in, he spoke very normally because being insane was his normal), before it was decided to play up his insanity and madness more.
** Before the release of ''The Shivering Isles'' Sheogorath had a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uj-8nxDsqRA hissing, demonic sounding voice]] when spoken to at his shrine in vanilla ''Oblivion'', giving him a far more overtly sinister vibe than his later jovial, MadHatter-esque characterization seen in ''The Shivering Isles'' and ''Skyrim''.
* CloudCuckoolander: When he's in a good mood. His chamberlain, Haskill, typically does the best he can as Sheogorath's [[CloudcuckoolandersMinder Minder]] and OnlySaneMan within the Shivering Isles.
-->''"I've been waiting for you, or someone like you, or someone not like you."''\\
''"Well, looks like the cat's out of the bag now... who puts cats in bags, anyway? Cats ''hate'' bags."''\\
''"But enough about me. Let's talk about you. I could turn you into a goat. Or a puddle. Or a bad idea. I could make you eat your own fingers. Or fall in love with a cloud. Perhaps... I could make you into something useful."''\\
''"I once dug a pit and filled it with clouds... or was it clowns?... Come to think of it, it began to smell... must have been clowns. Clouds don't smell, they taste of butter. And tears."''
* ColonyDrop:
** He once attempted to destroy the {{Egopolis}} of the Dunmeri [[DeityOfHumanOrigin Tribunal deity]] [[PhysicalGod Vivec]] by hurling the rogue moon Baar Dau at it. Vivec used his power to freeze it in place above the city. [[spoiler:Eventually, after Vivec disappears, Sheogorath's attempt is ''finally'' successful. The moon descends with its original momentum, levels the city, and causes Red Mountain to erupt. The rest of Vvardenfell is destroyed and much of Morrowind is rendered uninhabitable for hundreds of years due to the choking ash]].
** In ''Oblivion''[='s=] ''Shivering Isles'' expansion if you attack him he'll teleport you miles above the Shivering Isles and let you fall to your death. Some fans have jokingly theorized that ''you'' actually remain stationary and Sheogorath hurls the ''[[ImprobableWeaponUser planet]]'' at you. He ''has'' used celestial bodies as weapons in the past... [[note]] This would probably be the more amusing method of executing the player. [[/note]]
* CoolButInefficient: His artifacts tend to fall under this category. Sure, you can turn a difficult fight into a sweet roll... or an even ''worse'' problem.
* CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass: Just because he's insane doesn't mean he's stupid.
* DeityOfHumanOrigin: At the end of ''Shivering Isles'', the Champion of Cyrodiil takes on the mantle of Sheogorath.
* DrivenToMadness: Finding inventive ways to drive mortals to madness is fully within his realm. He (and his followers, quite often) even considers it a ''blessing'':
-->''"Madness is a bitter mercy, perhaps, but a mercy nonetheless. It is better to be seen as mad than hopelessly despondent."''
* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: In his ''Daggerfall'' appearance, he's a redhead and wears a green waistcoat. And while he ''is'' a shapeshifter, it's still a departure from his normal gray hair and purple attire. He's also much calmer and less prone to going off on tangents in ''Morrowind''.
* EccentricMentor: In ''Shivering Isles''. What do you expect when you answer the summons of ''the'' MadGod?
* EveryoneHasStandards: Apparently, not even ''he'' likes the Thalmor, if "Theodor Gorlash" in ''Blades'' is any indication. [[spoiler:Of course, if he ''is'' the Hero of Kvatch, then they stole the credit for both his own deeds and his best friend's HeroicSacrifice and used it to turn the Aldmeri Dominion into Fantasy Nazi Germany, so you can see where he's coming from there.]]
-->''"Bunch of killjoys if you ask me."''
* {{Expy}}: Sheogorath in many ways reflects older interpretations of the Greek god Dionysus, which placed a much greater emphasis on his ability to inflict madness as well as a theme of death and rebirth (reflected in the Sheogorath and Jyggalag dichotomy). Of course, drugs, music, and partying are things that Sheogorath likes too, but that generally falls under Sanguine's sphere.
* FisherKing: The state of his realm, The Shivering Isles, is directly tied to both his own power, and that of his nemesis Jyggalag, who wants to rule the Isles himself. Whenever Jyggalag grows in power and Sheogorath's power wanes, the Isles become a monochrome wasteland dotted with crystal spires.
* ForcedTransformation: His primary Daedric Artifact, the Wabbajack, and randomly transform something into something else. As he puts it in the book "Wabbajack":
-->''"Maybe I'm smarter because I know cats can be bats can be rats can be hats can be gnats can be thats can be thises. And doors can be boars can be snores can be floors can be roars can be spores can be yours can be mine."''
* GreatGazoo: He's a madman with incredible power. He ''mostly'' uses it for silly reasons.
* HailfirePeaks: His realm, The Shivering Isles, is split down the middle to represent the dual nature of madness. The northern half of the Isles, Mania, represents manic instability, and is [[GhibliHills full of exotic plant life and brightly colored monsters]]. The southern half, Dementia, embodies depression and paranoia, and consists mostly of [[SwampsAreEvil dreary swampland]].
* HijackingCthulhu: In ''Daggerfall'', he has a small chance to hijack the summoning of a different Daedric Prince, increased when it's stormy.
* HoistByHisOwnPetard: The other Daedra were fearful of Jyggalag's power, even though he hadn't really done anything. And when they turned him into Sheogorath, the events of the ''Accords of Madness'' ensued, in which each of the Princes was personally humiliated ''by the lunatic '''they''' created''.
* ImAHumanitarian: Implied in some of his remarks. "Mmm... brain pie... ''care to donate''?"
* InsaneEqualsViolent: The living embodiment of the concept. His madness means he can go from friendly and helpful to savage and murderous mid-sentence. In one of his myths he "helped" a woman commenting on the beauty of bird songs by gifting humanity with music... by killing her and using instruments made from her body.
* IronicHell: He ''is'' one - an insane outter shell pieced together from the shattered psyche' of Jyggalag, with just a tiny hint of the original inside and in constant agony from awareness, but next to no control over his insane alter-ego. This is apparently solved in ''Shivering Isles'' by having them separated into two different beings.
* ItAmusedMe: Rains of flaming dogs, the heinous crime of beards, making the player flail around trying to kill a harmless airborne jellyfish with a dinner fork -- none of these are really all that helpful, but they sure are funny! To him, at least.
* JourneyToTheCenterOfTheMind: His idea of vacation is to take one of these within the mind of [[TheCaligula former Emperor Pelagius the Mad]].
* KickTheDog:
** Most notably in the ''16 Accords of Madness''. [[OffingTheOffspring Poor Malacath]]...
** An almost literal case with Barbas, Clavicus Vile's external conscience who takes the form of a BigFriendlyDog. For unexplained reasons, Sheogorath hates Barbas and seeks to poison him (he claims that Barbas chews his slippers and keeps him awake with barking, but considering who's talking [[UnreliableNarrator this should be taken with a pinch of salt]]).
* LargeHam: In speech, in mannerisms... Sheogorath is ''the'' largest ham of the ''ES'' universe.
* LaughablyEvil: Whether antagonistic or not, everything that comes out of his mouth is hilarious.
* LouisCypher: Takes his turn in ''Blades'' as [[SignificantAnagram Theodor Gorlash]], who points you to the Abyss (a procedurally-generated dungeon) and will change your appearance (including race and gender) for you if you wish.
* MadGod: The very ''embodiment'' of the trope. It's even one of his titles. Notably, Sheogorath seems to embody the ideas of manic instability as well as melancholic depression in equal measure. This is contrasted with Jyggalag, who is obsessed with ordering and controlling everything.
* TheMadHatter: He's insane and loves every moment of it.
* MadnessMantra: "Wabbajack. Wabbajack. Wabbajack. Wabbajack!"
* MagicStaff: The Wabbajack, which randomly transforms things into other things.
* ManipulativeBastard: Pulls shenanigans revolving around this for his own amusement in ''Online'', much to the detriment of Archmage Shalidor.
* MoodSwinger: One of his most prominent traits.
--> "Since you're standing here, I assume you've succeeded. ''Or you're terribly confused.'' '''[[SuddenlyShouting OR REALLY LACKING IN GOOD JUDGMENT!]]'''"
* MoralityPet: Haskill. Given that Haskill's origins are unknown, and Haskill himself claims to have been in the service of Sheogorath "since the beginning", this has led to the theory that Haskill is an external part of Sheogorath, similar to what Barbas is to Clavicus Vile. Haskill reigns in Sheogorath's madness ''just enough'' to keep him and the Shivering Isles functional.
* TheMuse: Creativity and the arts fall under his domain. According to legend, he gifted music to the mortals.
* NoodleImplements:
** The ritual to summon him typically requires these. Included have been a soul gem, a head of lettuce, a spool of yarn, and cheese.
** Shaving a cat at the height of a storm...
* ObfuscatingInsanity:
** Oh, he's definitely insane, that's a ''given'', but since he consistently seems to be [[XanatosSpeedChess ten steps ahead]] of ''everyone else'', it's likely that Sheogorath plays up his madness to hide the fact that he's far more on the ball than he lets on.
** After the Champion of Cyrodiil assumes the mantle of Sheogorath, it begs the question if his behavior in ''Skyrim'' is due to [[BecomingTheMask inheriting the mantle]] of Sheogorath, or if it's [[BeneathTheMask merely an affectation]] for when he deals with mortals.
* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: Sheogorath stops all joking, drops the hamminess, and gets downright serious just before his transformation into Jyggalag near the end of ''Shivering Isles''. He's not yet under the orderly influence of Jyggalag, though, meaning that his despair over the fate of the Isles and his apparent failure to save them is genuine.
* ParanoiaGambit: One of the [[http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Myths_of_Sheogorath myths surrounding Sheogorath]] has a wizard come to him asking for power. Sheogorath says he can have it, ''if'' Sheogorath fails to drive the wizard insane within [[RuleOfThree three days]]. The fear drives said wizard completely bonkers even though Sheogorath hadn't actually bothered ''[[WinsByDoingAbsolutelyNothing doing anything]]''.
* PetTheDog: His quest in ''Skyrim'' is this for Pelagius the Mad, relieving the poor deceased emperor of the madness which has long plagued him.
* PimpDuds: His standard attire, including a [[AnachronismStew pocket watch]] and a cane.
* PreviousPlayerCharacterCameo: Sheogorath in ''Skyrim'' is implied to be the former Champion of Cyrodiil.
* ProphetEyes: In ''Skyrim'' and ''Online''.
* RandomizedTransformation: The power of the Wabbajack, his most famous artifact. It's a staff that can turn a target into many random things, ranging from inanimate objects to harmless animals to high-ranking [[OurDemonsAreDifferent lesser Daedra]].
* RedBaron: The Mad Star, The Mad Lord, The Mad God, The Mad One, Lord of the Never-There, Gentleman With a Cane, Comforter of Men, the Void Ghost, the Skooma Cat.
* TheReveal: Is revealed in the ''Shivering Isles'' to actually be the Daedric Prince of Order, Jyggalag, transformed into his current state as a curse.
* SatanicArchetype: To the Dunmer specifically (other races tend to see him as just dangerous due to sheer unpredictablity), as he's one of the four members of the House of Troubles. Sheogorath in particular is said to test the Dunmer for mental weakness and to tempt the Great Houses into treachery (ironically enough, since they actually worship the two Daedra best known for betrayal). He also threw a giant rock at one of their largest cities, so it's kinda understandable that they hate him.
* ScrewDestiny: Prominent in the ''Shivering Isles''. Sheogorath attempts to avert the Greymarch. At first, it seems his attempt fails, as he turns into Jyggalag again, but then, the PC stops the Greymarch, thus breaking the cycle of fate. The fact that Jyggalag and his old chamberlain keep talking about how everything is preordained makes screwing destiny all the more satisfying. Also, while Sheogorath is a multifaceted being, a large part of what he stands for is free will and the spark of creativity. It would be utterly against the character of Sheogorath to suppose there was a preordained, predictable order in the first place.
* SealedInsideAPersonShapedCan: Sheogorath is the "Person Shaped Can", created by the other Daedric Princes to trap Jyggalag. More like a deity shaped can, given Sheogorath is also a Daedric Prince.
* SeinfeldianConversation: He enjoys these, and even has them with himself.
--> ''"Cat's out of the bag on that one, isn't it? Who puts cats in bags, anyway? Cats hate bags!"''
* ShoutOut:
** In the Cthulhu Mythos the Outer God Nyarlathotep is said to often walk the Earth in the form of a tall, slim, joyous man, and was described by Lovecraft himself as "horrible beyond anything you can imagine -- but wonderful". In the Elder Scrolls mythology one of Sheogorath's most favored forms is "Gentleman With a Cane", and he is both reviled as the source of madness and revered as the inspiration for (and original creator of) art, literature, and music.
** Others had suggested in terms of Lovecraftian lore, Sheogorath's name may be derived from Shoggoth, a name of amorphous, shapeshifting beings in H.P. Lovecraft's writings.
** Another possibility, is that Sheogorath 's name and characterisation are a reference to Cegorach from ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'', with both being trickster god, and noticed as ver similar by fans of both ''Warhammer'' and ''Elder Scrolls''. It helps Cegorach and Sheogorath may be pronouced the same, or very similary, and that folks at Bethesda are self proclaimed fans of ''Warhammer 40,000''.
** The official explanation is that Sheogorath was named after ex-developer ''Theodore'' "Ted" Peterson, who even is active on Official Forums under Sheogorath's name. It's possible though that the name Sheogorath, was created by combining 'Theodore', with one or more of the above options.
* StatingTheSimpleSolution: If you start his Shrine quest in ''Oblivion'' while in the middle of the Shivering Isles plot, he'll note that you could have saved yourself [[NoodleImplements the lettuce]] and just come over and ''talked'' to him.
* SuddenSequelHeelSyndrome: Technically a case of Sudden ''Prequel'' Heel Syndrome since ''Online'' takes place centuries before the main series, but he's ''much'' more malevolent and sinister than he ever was before in ''Online's'' Mages Guild arc, and appears in several other quests where he drives people to kill themselves and others [[ItAmusedMe pretty much just because he thinks it's funny]].
* TalkativeLoon: He likes to talk and ''is'' the god of madness.
--> ''"Wonderful! Time for a celebration! Cheese for everyone! Wait, scratch that! Cheese for no one! That could be just as much of a celebration if you don't like cheese, true?"''
* TalkingAnimal: True to his Khajiiti epithet of "Skooma-Cat," in ''Online'''s ''Elsweyr'' chapter he appears in the form of a well-dressed Alfiq.
* TarotMotifs: The Tower, in the ''Skyrim'' tarot deck.
* TookALevelInKindness: It's suggested in ''Skyrim'' that the current Sheogorath (the Champion of Cyrodil) may be much more benevolent then his predecessor. Rather than causing random chaos like in previous games, Sheogorath's Daedric quest in ''Skyrim'' has you helping to cure the late Emperor Pelagius the Mad of the madness which has long plagued him. The spin-off game ''Blades'' also has a helpful NPC who's heavily implied to be him.
* TrademarkFavoriteFood:
** Cheese. His Daedric quest in ''Oblivion'' requires it, he constantly speaks about it, including several memorable lines involving "cheese for everyone!" quickly followed by "cheese for no one!" and in his ''Skyrim'' appearance he has cheeses set out on a banquet table before him. In ''Online'', this gets exaggerated even more, with many, ''many'' references to cheese in the quests that involve him. Given his overt madness and divine status, this isn't simply a fondness for eating cheese, but more like a surreal, platonic affection for the stuff.
** Since the Princes (like the Aedra) manifest themselves as an AnthropomorphicPersonification of the sphere(s) they govern, and one of Sheogorath's spheres is cheese, he ''is'' cheese. [[MindScrew Whatever that means.]]
* TranquilFury: Oh sure, he can fly into a rage at the drop of a hat, but never actually carries out his lurid threats onscreen; rather, when someone ''truly'' infuriates him (which the player can do by attacking him in ''Shivering Isles''), he gets unnervingly polite and quiet before immediately murdering them.
* TricksterGod: One of his favorite games is making mortals or even other daedra look like idiots. The lesson is usually "don't underestimate/bargain with/upset/stand near/shirk worship of Sheogorath", but it can be kinder ("there's always room for creativity") or more cruel ("there's madness within us all"), depending on his whims...
* {{Troll}}: Sometimes, it seems he just likes to point and laugh. One story of his has him challenging fellow prince Hircine to combat-by-champion. Hircine fielded a huge, saw-toothed, dagger-clawed, vicious werebeast. Sheogorath revealed his champion to be... a songbird. The tiny bird then proceeded to goad the werebeast into tearing ''itself'' apart by perching on it, singing and then flitting away, over and over. The bird won. Sheogorath's sole reason for any of this was, apparently, that he found Hircine's fury hilarious.
* {{Tuckerization}}: Sheogorath is named after ''Elder Scrolls'' co-creator Ted Peterson. Sheogorath being a corruption of his first name, Theodore.
* VillainProtagonist: In ''Skyrim'', his dialogue implies that the Champion of Cyrodil was a member of the ThievesGuild and the [[MurderInc Dark Brotherhood]]. On the other hand, this may be a sign that ''Oblivion'' suffered from another [[TimeCrash Dragon Break]] in which all possible choices of the player base's actions are all true. This would mean Martin Septim's death and the Champion of Cyrodil becoming Sheogorath is the point where the Dragon Break ends and the time lines reconverged.
* WhatTheHellIsThatAccent?: In ''Oblivion'' and ''Skyrim'' his voice veers wildly from Irish to Northern Irish to Scottish to British and sometimes American. Perfectly justified; would the God of Madness really be expected to speak in anything resembling a consistent tone of voice?
* WinsByDoingAbsolutelyNothing:
** His mythical victories over Hircine and Vaermina involved letting their champions or victims destroy themselves. In Hircine's case, Sheogorath's champion (a small bird) simply flitted around next to Hircine's champion, and the weredaedroth destroyed itself trying to attack it. In Vaermina's case, she and Sheogorath made a bargain to see whose dreams could most influence an artist devoted to her. After she infected her worshipper/victim with intense night terrors to enhance his terrifying and disgusting art, Sheogorath did nothing whatsoever when his turn came up to torment the artist, and the man went insane from believing that Vaermina had abandoned him, ending with him being executed for his enraged blasphemies against the Divines, and going on to the Shivering Isles.
** He also does this in another book when a wizard asks him to give him magical powers. Sheogorath agrees, if he cannot drive the wizard insane in three days. The wizard ends up driving himself mad, fearing Sheogorath will do something horrible to him, when in actuality Sheogorath doesn't do a thing to him.
* WithThisHerring: A frequent feature of his quests, probably for his own amusement. One famous implement is the Fork of Horripilation. "Horripilation" is the anatomical word for... goosebumps. [[spoiler:It's the size of a common kitchen fork, and you're supposed to kill a giant bull netch with it. Have fun.]]
--> ''"Now, I know what you're thinking. Can I still rely on my swords and spells and sneaking and all that nonsense? Sure, sure. Or, you could use... THE WABBAJACK! Eh? Ehhhh? Didn't see that coming, did you?"''
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Vaermina]]
!!Vaermina
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/vaermina.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Statue of Vaermina]]
->'''Voiced by:''' Carla Delaney (''[=TES=] V: Skyrim'') (English)[[note]]'''Other Languages''':Larisa Brochman (''[=TES=] V: Skyrim'') (Russian)[[/note]]
-> ''"Vaernima, Prince of Omen and Dream, shares a special mageographic connection with the Mundus, since mortal sleepers often slip into her realm without any help at all."''
-->-- '''''Imperial Census of Daedra Lords'''''
-->'''''Sphere''''': Dreams, Nightmares, Fear, Omens\\
'''''Realm''''': Quagmire\\
'''''Artifacts''''': Skull of Corruption\\
'''''Servants''''': Unknown
Vaermina is the Daedric Prince of Dreams and Nightmares, and is also associated with Fear, Terror, Omens, and Torture. Her most common form is that of a petite woman, typically wearing a headdress or mask, and often holding a staff. She is typically considered to be one of the more "bad" Daedric Princes, perhaps second only to Molag Bal in pure malevolence.
Vaermina's realm is Quagmire, also known the Dreamstride. It is a realm of horrors, where reality shifts upon itself in seemingly impossible ways. Every few minutes, lightning flashes and the realm morphs into a terrifying scene, each one more frightening than the last. It is the realm most commonly visited by mortals, who often slip into it unintentionally while they sleep. Quagmire and Mundus have been known to partially merge where Vaermina's influence is strong, especially in areas near the Skull of Corruption.
In ''Daggerfall'', Vaermina asks you to slay a lich who betrayed and stole power from her. She does not appear in ''Morrowind'', but is mentioned. In ''Oblivion'', she asks you to kill a wizard who stole her orb. In ''Skyrim'', she is plaguing a town with continuous nightmares and must be dealt with. In ''Online'', she attempts to take over Stormhaven with the help of her cultists, the Supernal Dreamers.
----
* ColdBloodedTorture: Torture is believed to fall within her sphere, particularly torture of the psychological kind.
* CoolMask: In ''Online'', she is often depicted as wearing one of these. Indeed, her emblem consists of her mask, and a [[SnakesAreEvil snake]].
* CuteIsEvil:
** Her voice in ''Skyrim''. When she finally speaks to the player at one point, it's with the sweetest, most adorable voice you could ever hear... while she orders you to murder Erandur, a priest of Mara trying to rescue a village.
** In ''Online'', she has even more dialogue. Her voice is still adorable, and almost childlike... while [[CuteAndPsycho gleefully describing how]] she is going to spend the next century or so [[MindRape Mind Raping]] you for killing her Champion, whom she was apparently in love with.
* DarkIsEvil: She's definitely one of the more brutal Daedric Princes, to the point that she may be second only to ''Molag Bal'' in some ways.
* DreamStealer: Her most famous artifact, the Skull of Corruption, has this power. It is also theorized that she uses the dreams of mortals as some sort of source of power.
* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: In ''Daggerfall'', it's stated that her sphere is "corruption and decay." Almost no elements of this persist into the later games beyond the name of the Skull of Corruption, with these concepts instead being attributed to Molag Bal and Namira, respectively.
* EldritchLocation: Her realm of Quagmire, which changes for the viewer every few moments in a flash of lightning to something even more horrific than before. It is the source of all nightmares, as mortals may unintentionally enter it while they sleep. Quagmire and Mundus have been known to partially merge where Vaermina's influence is strong, especially in areas near the Skull of Corruption.
* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: In ''Online'', she is stated to actually be in love with her champion. Her reaction to his death would seem to back this up.
* FriendOrIdolDecision: In her ''Skyrim'' quest: Either kill Erandur and keep the Skull of Corruption, or spare him and gain a companion at the loss of the artifact.
* MagicStaff: Her most (in)famous artifact is the Skull of Corruption, an unholy magic staff which steals the dreams of sleeping people for power. In various instances, it has either allowed the caster to create clones of the staff's target (who then fight for the caster) or it casts a damaging spell which gets stronger if it has stolen dreams.
* MindRape: She can cause this by afflicting mortals with ceaseless, horrific nightmares. For a mortal, simply ''being'' in her Quagmire can be this.
* NightmareFetishist: ''Literally.'' She often kept her champion in Quagmire in ''Online'', seeming not to care of the fact that simply ''being'' there can cause MindRape, or perhaps, actually seeing that as a ''show of affection''.
* NightmareSequence: She exists to cause these in mortals.
* NightmareWeaver: As nightmares fall under her domain, she is this. In fact, it's implied that the act of visiting her plane and the act of having a nightmare are one and the same.
* PutOnABus: She does not appear in ''Morrowind'', but is mentioned. She returns for ''Oblivion''.
* RedBaron: The Gifter, Weaver of the Panoply, Queen of Nightmares, Dreamweaver.
* ReptilesAreAbhorrent: Statues of her often depict her with a snake draped across her shoulders. In ''Online,'' her emblem consists of her CoolMask with a snake wrapped around it.
* UnholyMatrimony: Her champion in ''Online'' is said to also be her lover, and [[EvenEvilHasLovedOnes her feelings for him are genuine]].
* WhiteHairBlackHeart: Is sometimes depicted with white hair, and happens to be one of the more outright malevolent Daedric Princes.
[[/folder]]
----
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[[foldercontrol]]
[[folder:Malacath]]
!!Malacath (aka Mauloch)
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/malacath.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Avatar of Malacath]]
->'''Voiced by:''' Wes Johnson (''[=TES=] III: Morrowind'', ''[=TES=] IV: Oblivion''), Michael Donovan (''[=TES=] V: Skyrim'') (English)[[note]]'''Other Languages''':Alexey Borzunov (''[=TES=] III: Morrowind''), Kirill Radzig (''[=TES=] IV: Oblivion''), Sergey Chonishvili (''[=TES=] V: Skyrim'') (Russian)[[/note]]
-> ''"He is more commonly known as the Daedroth Prince Malacath, 'whose sphere is the patronage of the spurned and ostracized, the sworn oath, and the bloody curse.' He is not technically a Daedra Lord, nor do the other Daedra recognize him as such, but this is fitting for his sphere. Of old he was Trinimac, the champion of the High Elven pantheon, in some places more popular than Auri-El, who protected them against enemies without and within. When Trinimac and his followers attempted to halt the Velothi dissident movement, Boethiah ate him. Trinimac's body and spirit were corrupted, and he emerged as Malacath. His followers were likewise changed for the worse."''
-->-- '''''The True Nature of Orcs'''''
-->'''''Sphere''''': The Ostracized, the Spurned, Pariahs\\
'''''Realm''''': The Ashpit\\
'''''Artifacts''''': Scourge, Volendrung, Helm of Oreyn Bearclaw, Blade of the Bloody Tusk\\
'''''Servants''''': Ogrim
Malacath is the Daedric Prince of the Spurned, the Ostracized, and of Pariahs. He is also associated with curses and exile, and detests physical weakness. His most common symbol is a mace, specifically one in the shape of Scourge. Malacath typically takes the form a muscular, often shirtless, male Orc wielding a two-handed sword. Malacath is near universally considered one of the "bad" Daedra throughout Tamriel, with Orcs being the main exception.
According to most religious traditions, Malacath was once the Aldmeri ancestor spirit Trinimac. Boethiah "ate" Trinimac and spoke with his voice in order to manipulate Trinimac's followers, who would become the Chimer. After being tortured in Boethiah's stomach, the remains of Trinimac were "excreted". These remains became Malacath and his remaining followers were transformed into the Orsimer (Orcs). Due to his origins, Malacath is not technically a Daedra Lord, nor do the other Daedra recognize him as such, but this is, of course, quite fitting for his sphere. Malacath is considered the patron of the Orcs, and is also associated with other "goblin-ken", including Goblins and Ogres.
Malacath's realm is the Ashpit, with very little solid ground. Choking dust and soot clouds the air, the only structures are palaces made of smoke, and vaporous creatures lurk in the thick air. Few mortals are able to reach this realm, and those that do require magical levitation and means of breathing in order to survive. For loyal Orcs, this also serves as their afterlife. They are said to reside within the Ashen Forge, which grants immortality, abundant food and drink, and plenty of epic battles.
In ''Daggerfall'', Malacath asks you to execute a rogue Daedra Seducer. In ''Morrowind'', he asks you to slay a warrior who has taken credit for the achievements of an Orc. In ''Oblivion'', he tasks you with freeing enslaved Ogres. In ''Skyrim'', he asks you to accompany a weak Orc chieftain to slay some Giants. In ''Online'', he asks you to light the braziers of Old Orsinium.
The below tropes are associated with Malacath. For tropes relating to Trinimac, see his entry on the [[Characters/TheElderScrollsOtherDeities Other Deities]] page. (Some tropes may warrant placement on both, but please be judicious.)
----
* AllOfTheOtherReindeer: The other Daedric Princes do not consider Malacath to be a "real" Prince. Given that he's the patron of pariahs, this is rather appropriate. As Sheogorath puts while talking about Jyggalag, "Malacath is more popular at parties! And Malacath is ''not'' popular at parties!"
* AsskickingLeadsToLeadership: Malacath detests physical weakness and is a big believer in this idea. He has passed this idea onto the Orcs, who hold it as a cultural prerogative. In ''Skyrim'' he places a curse on an Orc stronghold (i.e. has it attacked by ''giants'') because their chief is a weak, scheming DirtyCoward and the rest of the stronghold hasn't done anything about it.
* BenevolentBoss: Is as close to it as a warrior god of the orcs could be. Despite his ferocity and bold nature, he genuinely cares about his followers and the Orsimer people. While Malacath allows his people to suffer under constant hardships and struggles, it's believed by the Orsimer that he does this to [[YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre show the Orsimer just how capable and strong they can be]]. Another notable thing about Malacath is that he forbids the orcs from attacking, stealing, or killing each other, while also enforcing tribal discipline and honor. There is an example where he expressed genuine sorrow over the butchering of an orc girl and the death of his mortal son, engineered by Sheogorath.
--> ''"Why show me this, Mad One? Do you take such pleasure in watching me grieve the murder of my children?"''
-->-- '''''16 Accords of Madness, v.XII'''''
* ButtMonkey: Is subject to frequent mockery and ridicule by the other Daedric Princes, as well as most of the non-Orc mortals on Tamriel. Part of his teaching is "[[IronButtMonkey strength through adversity]]", however.
* CarryABigStick: The mace known as Scourge is perhaps Malacath's most famous associated artifact. Malacath dedicated it for use by mortals, and any Daedra who attempts to wield it will be vanished to the [[VoidBetweenTheWorlds Void]].
* DivinePunishment: He is associated with curses and exile, but unlike the other Princes, tends to bring the cursed ''under'' his protection rather than dish out curses of his own. His most famous followers, the Orcs (Orsimer), are themselves the victim of a curse relating to Malacath's origins. Once the Aldmeri "ancestor spirit" Trinimac, he was a War God whose followers rivaled even those of Auriel (the Aldmeri Top God). Seeking to steal his worshippers, three Daedric Princes (Azura, Boethiah, and Mephala) came together to trick Trinimac. While weakened, he was "eaten" by Boethiah who "spoke with his voice" to convince many of his followers to leave, becoming the Chimer (and later Dunmer) people. Trinimac was "excreted" and the remains became Malacath, with his remaining followers becoming the Orcs, the "cursed folk". (Malacath himself at least partially confirms the story, but calls it "too literal-minded".)
* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: In ''Daggerfall'', he's named as the Daedric Prince of Deception, Hypocrisy, and Lies, and the worshipper who gives you your quest reward is a noble involved with a lot of intrigue. Later material had him as the Prince of Curses, [[EthnicGod Orcs]], Oaths, Pariahs/the Spurned, and Vengeance, while lies would be split between Boethiah and Mephala.
* EldritchLocation: His realm, the Ashpit, is this crossed with a DeathWorld. It will kill most mortals in minutes unless they have a means of magical breathing and levitation. Its air is thick with choking dust and soot and even the buildings are made of smoke. It is also said that the Ashpit stretches endlessly across the planes, extending even behind the stars to Aetherius, granting access to every worthy Orc who crosses from this life into the next.
* GodEating: Came into being from the excreted remains after Boethiah "ate" Trinimac. There are a ''lot'' of different interpretations of the story, ranging from it being false altogether and Trinimac and Malacath are separate entities, being a poetic way to refer to Boethiah imprisoning Trinimac in his realm (note that Daedric Realms are often described as extensions of their Prince's body) and torturing him, or Trinimac being quite literally EatenAlive. In ''The Lord of Souls'' Malacath gets annoyed when he is told the myth, saying it is "too literal."
* HiddenDepths: Despite his many malevolent traits, he keeps a "garden of slender trees" that have "vines festooned with lilylike flowers wound about the trunks". In this garden, a "multitude of spheres moved, deep in the colorless sky, as distant and pale as moons". Malacath describes it as a "shadow of a garden", and an "echo of something that once was".
* HijackingCthulhu: According to most tellings, Malacath came into being when Boethiah "ate" the Aedric spirit Trinimac, twisted Trinimac in his belly, and then "excreted" him as Malacath. Malacath himself somewhat confirms this, but also complains that this version of the story is far too "literal-minded".
* KatanasAreJustBetter: He is most often depicted wielding a two-handed blade, similar in appearance to a dai-katana.
* KlingonPromotion: Actively advocates this among his Orc followers. When a chieftain has grown old and weak (or is otherwise failing to perform his duties), it is the ''duty'' of the younger and more able-bodied Orcs to replace him via a DuelToTheDeath.
* LoserDeity: Looked down on by the other Princes as not being a "real" Daedric Prince as well as having few mortal followers outside of the Orcs and goblin-ken. For the "patron of pariahs", this is rather appropriate.
* NoTrueScotsman: Due to his origins, none of the other Daedric Princes consider him to be a "True" Daedra. Ambiguously [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]], however, as they may technically be right, depending on the exact nature of Et'Ada spirits and the details of what exactly was involved in Boethia "eating" him.
* OffingTheOffspring: According to the ''16 Accords of Madness'', Sheogorath once tricked Malacath into killing his own son, a noble Orc who would have otherwise been destined to be a great hero.
* OurGoblinsAreDifferent: He is associated with Tamriel's "goblin-ken", including Goblins and [[OurOgresAreHungrier Ogres]].
* OurOrcsAreDifferent: He is the patron of the Orcs, who were formerly the Aldmeri followers of Trinimac. When Trinimac was "eaten" by Boethiah, the excreted remains became Malacath and his followers were changed as well.
* PapaWolf: He is very protective of his followers. Messing with them in any way, especially enslaving them, is a sure-fire way to get Malacath angry. Also, [[StealingTheCredit do not take credit for their accomplishments]].
* ProudWarriorRaceGuy: The god of them, to the point where he specifically manifests as an orc himself. He's known to be tough but fair to his orcs, and willing to give them a shot at redemption if they make an effort, but he despises rulers who rest on their laurels.
* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: Gives a short, but scathing one regarding Yamarz, a weak Orc chieftain, in ''Skyrim''.
--> ''"Yamarz was a coward and a weakling. His deceitful ways have cost you all greatly. Yamarz was a fool, always trying to scheme his way out of responsibility."''
* RedBaron: Keeper of the Sworn Oath and Bloody Curse, God of Curses, Defender of the Betrayed, Lord of Monsters, Lord of Ash and Bone, Prince of Exile.
* RevengeBeforeReason: Malacath adores vengeance and grudges, and none moreso than vengeance totally out of proportion and which causes massive collateral damage in the process. The entire reason he helps Sul in ''The Lord of Souls'' is because he knew that Sul's desire for revenge had led to the Red Year and the devastation of Morrowind, and that he still hungered for vengeance against Vuhon.
* WarriorHeaven: The "Ashen Forge" within the Ashpit is this for loyal Orcs. Entering it brings immortality, abundant food and drink, and of course, many great battles. It is said that every Orc is a chief, every chief has a thousand wives, and every wife has a thousand slaves to cater to their every need. [[note]]This is very likely hyperbole, such as when real life Christians say that Heaven is "paved with gold," as in-game there does not appear to ''be'' a thousand Orc women for every Orc man. Also, it's probably worth asking what race all those slaves are...[[/note]]
* WasOnceAMan: According to his origin myth, he used to be an Aedric spirit, Trinimac, until Boethiah ate him to use his voice, then twisted him, and excreted him. The remains became Malacath. As a result, his followers became the Orcs. Malacath himself acknowledges this story as being at least partially true, but he also complains that it is far too "literal".
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Mehrunes Dagon]]
!!Mehrunes Dagon
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/theelderscrollsonlineblackwooddeadlandsanddamnationtrailerblogroll_1620834252587.jpg]]
->'''Voiced by:''' Jonathan Bryce (''[=TES=] III: Morrowind''), Victor Raider-Wexler (''[=TES=] V: Skyrim'') (English)[[note]]'''Other Languages''':Nikolai Vereshchenko (''[=TES=] III: Morrowind''), Peter Ivashchenko (''[=TES=] V: Skyrim'') (Russian)[[/note]]
-> ''"Mehrunes Dagon, Lord of Razors, has proven himself time and again the enemy of the Empire. Of terrible aspect and crowned in beaten copper, the four-armed Prince of Destruction has troubled the borders of the Mundus with warfare, foul rumor, and force of arms. Banished to dissolution during the Weir Gate massacre and again at Kvatch by battlemages of the 33rd, Mehrunes Dagon is returned to Oblivion once more, and the stars have foretold that his tenacity has known no forfeiture. All heroes of Cyrodiil are called upon to stand vigil against his hidden agencies."''
-->-- '''''Imperial Census of Daedra Lords'''''
-->'''''Sphere''''': Destruction, Ambition, Change, Revolution, Energy\\
'''''Realm''''': Deadlands\\
'''''Artifacts''''': Mehrune's Razor, Mysterium Xarxes, Daedric Crescent\\
'''''Servants''''': Dremora, Xivilai, Scamps, Clannfear, Vermai
Mehrunes Dagon is the Daedric Prince of Destruction, a sphere which also includes Ambition, Change, and Revolution. He is associated with natural disasters including fires, floods, and earthquakes. Dagon's typical form is that of a male, muscular, four-armed, and often horned humanoid. He is naturally considered a "bad" Daedra throughout Tamriel and is extremely malevolent in nearly all of his dealings with mortals. Dagon has made repeated takeover attempts of Mundus throughout history, including most infamously the destruction of the Imperial Battlespire and the Oblivion Crisis.
Dagon's realm is known as the Deadlands, a barren wastelands of blackened rock and seas of lava. Despite this, mortal visitors claim to feel an unearthly chill within the Deadlands.
In ''Daggerfall'', Mehrunes Dagon asks you to slay a Frost Daedra. In ''Battlespire'', he serves as the leader of the invasion. In ''Morrowind'', he asks you to retrieve his dormant Razor. In ''Oblivion'', his cult, the Mythic Dawn, works to summon Dagon's forces and later Dagon himself to Mundus to take it over. In ''Skyrim'', he asks you to once again retrieve his disassembled Razor. In ''Online'', he is the secret patron and backer of the Veiled Heritance.
----
* AboveGoodAndEvil: {{Downplayed|Trope}}; while his sphere of influence is certainly not good from a mortal standard, and the Mythic Dawn runs the gamut of evil, he is no more actively malicious than a tidal wave or earthquake would be. He destroys because it is his very nature to do so, not because he despises the Mundus or mortals in general.
* AlternateCharacterInterpretation: Mankar Camoran's ''Commentaries on the Mysterium Xarxes'' naturally portray him in a more benevolent light; he was created in a previous kalpa to destroy the Dreugh, who served Molag Bal and ruled as tyrants over their world, making him something of a HopeBringer, and in the current Kalpa he wants to undo the tyranny of the Aedra and return the world to its true nature as [[spoiler:Lorkhan's Daedric Realm, Dawn's Beauty]]. As with most things [[UnreliableExpositor Mankar Camoran]]-related, it's unclear whether this is actually true or a lie meant to entice people to worship Dagon, who as the Prince of Destruction normally doesn't have much of a mortal follower base.
* AmbitionIsEvil: Ambition is one of his spheres of influence and he is considered one of the most outright "evil" of the Daedric Princes, alongside Molag Bal.
* ApocalypseCult: Any worship dedicated to Dagon is either one of these or closely adjacent, given his nature as the Prince of Destruction and his stated desire to destroy Mundus entirely. The most famous of these were the Mythic Dawn, who caused the Oblivion Crisis to bring Mehrunes Dagon into the world at full power.
* AttackOfTheFiftyFootWhatever: When he manifests in Mundus, he tends to do so in this way. When he briefly took form during the 11th hour of the Oblivion Crisis, he towered over everything else in the Imperial City.
* BadBoss: He treats everyone under his command as pawns to be sacrificed to further his goals, or simply because [[YouHaveFailedMe they displeased him]]. The lesser Daedra who serve him, being immortal, can take this sort of treatment. If they are slain, they simply reform in Oblivion. Any mortals who voluntarily choose to worship a deity of ''Omnicidal Mania'' should not expect any other kind of treatment.
* BigBad: The primary antagonist of ''Battlespire'', ''Oblivion'', and the Gates of Oblivion story arc of ''Online''.
* BigRedDevil: His typical form plays up this aesthetic, along with being a HornedHumanoid.
* CardCarryingVillain: He exists to ''destroy''. Hell, he is the ''embodiment'' of Destruction. And he doesn't try to hide it at all.
* CatsAreMean: Khajiiti religion interprets Dagon as Merrunz the [[FluffyTheTerrible kitten]], "for what is more destructive than a young cat?"
* DestroyerDeity: Dagon is the embodiment of the very ''idea'' of destruction. Above all else, his desire is to invade and destroy Mundus. However, as brutal and destructive as he is, he is also the god of revolution and the violent overthrow of authority, which can include tyranny and oppression, and destruction is often necessary for creation, giving him some redeeming features.
* DeviousDaggers: Mehrunes Razor, his most famous artifact, takes the form of a dagger which can deliver a OneHitKill by severing the link between the victim's soul and body. Naturally, it is often sought after by "devious" types like thieves and assassins, once even causing a civil war within the [[MurderInc Dark Brotherhood]].
* DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu: Happens to him every time he tries to invade Mundus. Almalexia does it in the backstory, then the Hero of Battlespire does it in the eponymous game. Finally, Martin/Akatosh do this to him in ''Oblivion''.
* DivinePunishment: According to ''The Seven Fights of the Aldudagga'', he was once a kindly demon protecting parts of the world from being eaten by Alduin. When Alduin discovered this, he cursed Dagon into his current state until he could [[IronicHell destroy all that which he preserved from previous worlds]].
* DoNotTauntCthulhu: According to ''The Seven Fights of the Aldudagga'', Dagon tried to do this with Alduin, saving bits and pieces of kalpas he was eating and hiding them in the new kalpas that were created. Once Alduin learned of this, he cursed Dagon into his monstrous form, and made it so that he would only ever be returned to normal if he destroyed the parts of the kalpas that he had hidden from Alduin... while also making it nearly impossible for Dagon to enter Nirn to do the destroying.
* DumbMuscle: By Daedric Prince standards. Dagon isn't ''stupid'', but he's ''very'' straightforward. Some mages prefer to deal with Dagon over other princes because Dagon is too unsubtle to try tricking them, and according to Haskill in an obscure text, other Princes will often get Dagon to do their dirty work as he's always up for some destruction.
* EvilIsDeathlyCold: The Deadlands, despite their appearance, are said to feel surprisingly and unearthly cold.
* EvilOverlord: Toward the Dremora who serve him.
* EvilSoundsDeep: Always has a deep, booming voice in his appearances.
* ExcaliburInTheRust: This has happened at least twice to his Razor, and his quests in ''Morrowind'' and ''Skyrim'' are to recover and reforge it.
* {{Expy}}: He is basically a [[GenderFlip gender-flipped]], [[EvilCounterpart evil version]] of [[Myth/HinduMythology Kali]].
* FaceHeelTurn: According to a LooseCanon [[http://www.imperial-library.info/content/seven-fights-aldudagga text]] written by former series developer/writer Michael Kirkbride, he was once a kindly demon who attempted to protect parts of Mundus from being eaten by [[BeastOfTheApocalypse Alduin]] at the end of every kalpa, until Alduin banished and cursed him into his current state.
* FireAndBrimstoneHell: His realm, the [[IDontLikeTheSoundOfThatPlace Deadlands]], crossed over with {{Mordor}}.
* ForcedIntoEvil: If the version of his creation with Alduin is true, then perhaps it's for the better if his original personality is buried so deep that he is unaware of what he is doing. Notably he seems to lack a Barbas equivalent like Clavicus Vile and Sheogorath have. That or he banished or destroyed his version (which wouldn't matter too much as Daedra can't die), but even if he does, he's clearly been ignoring it at least during the Oblivion Crisis.
* ForTheEvulz: He ''exists'' to ''destroy''. It doesn't matter what it is or why, Dagon wants to destroy it.
* GodOfEvil: Theologically speaking, he isn't exactly one (being no more malevolent than a natural disaster, and only interested in Mundus because nothing in Oblivion can be permanently destroyed), but to the people of Tamriel there isn't much of a practical difference beyond his apocalypses being slightly ''less'' gross than, say, Molag Bal's, and less zany than Sheogorath's. He's also the prince of Change and Revolution, but we never really see anyone worshiping him as such (unless you count the Change from "not destroyed" to "destroyed").
* GoodPowersBadPeople: [[DownplayedTrope Downplayed]]. None of his domains are actively ''good'' per se, but when one thinks about it, destruction, ambition, change, and revolution are all vital to the functioning of any society.
* GreaterScopeVillain: Was the ManBehindTheMan who helped Jagar Tharn procure the Imperial throne in ''Arena.''
* HijackingCthulhu: According to one Obscure Text, Dagon was originally a lowly and friendly demon who protected parts of the world from being eaten by Alduin at the end of every kalpa. Alduin caught on and cursed him into what he is today.
* IronicHell: For Dagon himself, along with AndIMustScream. To note:
** As a being whose entire existence is based around destruction and change, he's also stuck in a realm where nothing can ever be killed or destroyed without eventually coming back, effectively negating his purpose. This is why taking over and destroying Mundus is one of his goals. It's a place that ''doesn't'' run on that logic.
** In ''[[https://www.imperial-library.info/content/seven-fights-aldudagga The Seven Fights of the Aldudagga]]'', it is implied that Alduin originally cursed him into this state in the first place as a punishment for hiding parts of earlier kalpas from him.
-->'''Alduin''': "You I curse right here and right now! I take away your ability to jump and jump and jump and doom you to [the void] where you will not be able to leave except for auspicious days long between one and another and even so only through hard, hard work. And it will be this way, my little corner cutter, [[ImpossibleTask until you have destroyed all that in the world which you have stolen from earlier kalpas, which is to say probably never at all!]]"
* LegionsOfHell: He and his Dremora army whenever he tries to invade Mundus.
* MultiArmedAndDangerous: His typical form has four arms.
* MultipleChoicePast: There are differing accounts of how he came into being:
* MultipleChoicePast: There are differing accounts of how he came into being:
** Mankor Camaron's (who would be in a good position to know the truth since he read the Mysterium Xarxes which Dagon himself wrote, but is also a known liar) ''Commentaries'' state that he, as 'Mehrunes the Razor', was created by the Magna-Ge as an agent of revolution against the tyranny of the Dreugh, who ruled the mythical Lyg and served Molag Bal. Vivec's lessons support Lyg and the Molag Bal-worshipping Dreugh having existed in a previous kalpa, but gives no word about Dagon's potential role.
** ''The Seven Fights of the Aldudagga'' (which is both a collection of in-universe folklore and unofficial) suggests that he was created by Alduin from the Leaper Demon King as punishment for interfering with Alduin's duties as the World-Eater, cursing him to forever try to destroy the world he had attempted to preserve from Alduin. Alduin never interacts with or mentions Mehrunes Dagon in official material, so no primary sources here.
* OmnicidalManiac: He's the Daedric Prince of Destruction. He exists to destroy ''everything''.
* OneHitKill: His artifact, Mehrunes' Razor, can sever the link between its victim's body and their soul, killing them instantly.
* PathOfInspiration: The cult dedicated to him, the Mythic Dawn. Once their [[ApocalypseCult true goals]] are revealed, they very much become a ReligionOfEvil.
* PersonOfMassDestruction: Being the Daedric Prince of Destruction, this comes with the territory. Whenever he manifests on Mundus, expect a ''minimum'' of city-wide destruction.
* RedBaron: Lord of Razors, Exalted and Most Puissant Lord, Gerent of Dagon, Sovereign of Destruction, Flame Tyrant, Flame-Father, Father of Cataclysm.
* RedSkyTakeWarning: His Deadlands plane, as well as the areas in Mundus near the gates to his plane.
* RejectedByTheEmpathicWeapon: Mehrunes' Razor has been known to "abandon" wielders who are no longer worthy or become too dependent upon it. It once turned rusty and brittle in the hands of an unworthy thief before being restored by the Nerevarine in ''Morrowind''.
* ReligionOfEvil: While Dagon himself is merely amoral, any religion ''dedicated'' to him is probably going to be one as his stated goals include a ''lot'' of things mortals generally find objectionable, and mortals don't have the excuse of BlueAndOrangeMorality. The Mythic Dawn, for example, makes initiates [[HumanSacrifice sacrifice a sapient being]] and murdered almost the entire Septim family to enable them to begin opening gates to Oblivion and murdering any survivors of the resulting Daedric incursions.
* SatanicArchetype:
** He is played up as such quite frequently in-universe and mistakenly so out of universe, but he actually subverts it. Despite his [[BigRedDevil appearance]], [[LegionsOfHell servants]], [[FireAndBrimstoneHell realm]], and [[TakeOverTheWorld modus]] [[OmnicidalManiac operandi]], he actually has some redeeming qualities that put him beyond true "evil".
** It's played straight in the Dunmeri religion, where he's one of the 'bad Daedra', and is seen as the embodiment of Morrowind's natural hazards.
* TakeOverTheWorld: He has attempted it repeatedly throughout history, but thankfully, has yet to succeed.
* ThirdPersonPerson: He speaks this way in ''Daggerfall'', with an added bit of HulkSpeak. [[EarlyInstallmentWeirdness This is dropped in later appearances]].
* TomeOfEldritchLore: The Mysterium Xarxes. The ''Oblivion'' script notes actually call for Martin, the most knowledgeable major character on the subject, to react as if given "a handful of glowing plutonium" when he receives the Xarxes. It's just that sort of book.
* UnwittingPawn: Is described by Haskill in an [[http://www.imperial-library.info/node/2234 obscure text]] to be "the pawn of every Prince of true power, the dupe of every schemer in the Nineteen Voids". Essentially, whenever one of the other PowersThatBe wants to accomplish something that involves destruction of some sort, they get Dagon to do the heavy lifting. This is also why he has so many Daedra who normally serve other lords in his armies; whichever Prince wants to use him this time will loan him some of their guys to help get the job done.
* WarriorHeaven: In a twisted and horrific way, the Deadlands can be seen as one for Dagon's followers. Its DeathWorld nature provides plenty of opportunity for warriors to battle for eternity.
* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: In ''Skyrim'', he tells you to kill Silus, the Mythic Dawn cultist who helped you find the pieces of Mehrunes' Razor. Once that's done, he sends some Dremora to kill ''you''.
* YourSoulIsMine: Whenever a creature is killed with the Mehrunes' Razor, their soul is delivered to Dagon's plane of Oblivion, where they become his property.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Mephala]]
!!Mephala
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/eso_mephala_summerset.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350: Maphala as she appears in ESO]]
->'''Voiced by:''' Melissa Leebaert (''[=TES=] III: Morrowind''), Elisabeth Noone (''[=TES=] IV: Oblivion''), Colleen Delany (''[=TES=] V: Skyrim'') (English)[[note]]'''Other Languages''':Elena Kischik (''[=TES=] IV: Oblivion''), Nina Tobilevich (''[=TES=] V: Skyrim'') (Russian)[[/note]]
->''"The Webspinner in day parlance; otherwise it gets hazy. Ties to the Morag Tong, ties to sordid other cults in the provinces, running gamut from drugs to dibbledark to, hell, fashion trends even. Weird one, this Mephala."''
-->--'''''Lord Vivec's Sword-Meeting with Cyrus the Restless'''''
-->'''''Sphere''''': Obscured to Mortals (unofficially related to Manipulation, Lies, Sex, Murder, Secrets)\\
'''''Realm''''': Spiral Skein\\
'''''Artifacts''''': Ebony Blade, Ring of Khajiiti, The 27 Threads of the Webspinner (created by Sanguine)\\
'''''Servants''''': Spider Daedra
Mephala is a Daedric Prince whose true sphere is obscured to mortals, but is typically associated with various forms of manipulation, lies, sex, murder, and secrets. Spiders are a common symbol of Mephala, who is commonly referred to as "the Webspinner". Mephala has been known to change gender with each manifestation, but primarily appears as a female and its technically considered a hermaphrodite (though is still referred to as "she"). While not to the same degree as a Molag Bal or Mehrunes Dagon, Mephala is typically considered as one of the more malevolent of the Daedric Princes, with the Dunmer being one major exception. To the Dunmer, Mephala is instead one of the three "good" Daedra and she serves as the patron of the Morag Tong.
Mephala's sphere has some overlap with Boethiah's, and with her sphere being "obscured to mortals", it is nigh impossible to tell where the two are separated. Mephala is said to have been one of the "strongest of the recognizable spirits" that emerged soon after Akatosh formed and time began. Some sources also state that Mephala is a "sibling" of Hermaeus Mora.
Her plane of Oblivion is known as the Spiral Skein. It is metaphysically constructed similarly to Mundus, with a "Tower" (the Pillar Palace) at the center and eight spokes forming the shape of a wheel. The area between each spoke is dedicated to one of the eight "sins". Mephala is also said to have other realms as well, collected together by "vast strands of magical ghostweb".
In ''Daggerfall'', Mephala asks you to assassinate a minor noble. In ''Morrowind'', she asks you to poison a Morag tong agent who has been performing illegal assassinations. In ''Oblivion'', she asks you to turn a village of Nords and Dunmer against each other by killing the heads of their families. In ''Skyrim'', she tasks you with freeing and powering up the Ebony Blade. In ''Online'', you help (and later kill) her priest, as well as kill a man she had turned into a Lich. She also serves as one of the antagonists of the ''Summerset'' expansion.
----
* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: InUniverse. Mephala is typically seen as a malevolent entity throughout most of Tamriel, but is considered one of the "good" Daedra by the Dunmer. The Dunmer believe that Mephala taught them the skills they would need to evade their enemies or to kill them with secret murder. In their early days, as the Chimer, they were few in number and surrounded by enemies (primarily the Nords and Dwemer) on all sides. She is also credited with organizing the "clan" systems that would eventually become the Dunmeri Great Houses.
* AmbiguousGender: Mephala is stated to be a {{hermaphrodite}}, and has [[GenderBender variously appeared as male of female]] (though primarily female). She is almost always referred to as a "she".
* ArachnidAppearanceAndAttire:
** She is associated with spiders and webspinning, and often appears with arachnid elements. This is most obvious in her ''Daggerfall'' form, where she has webbing for clothing and a black widow red hourglass over her crotch area.
** In ''Online'' she has eight spider legs growing out of her back.
* ArsonMurderAndJaywalking: Her sphere, though obscured, is believed to include manipulation, lies, sex, murder, secrets...and she is also associated with ''fashion trends''.
* BigBadDuumvirate: She is one of the three main antagonists of ''Online's'' ''Summerset'' expansion, alongside Clavicus Vile and Nocturnal.
* BlackSwordsAreBetter: The Ebony Blade, her most famous Daedric artifact. It takes the form of a black [[KatanasAreJustBetter katana-like]] weapon and is fueled by the blood of people trusted by the wielder, meaning she openly promotes ChronicBackstabbingDisorder.
* TheChessmaster: A major part of her sphere. She is generally characterized by complex, long-reaching plans, likened to spider webs.
* TheClan: She is credited (along with Boethiah) for organizing the "clan" systems that would eventually become the Dunmeri Great Houses.
* CloakAndDagger: Given all that is within her sphere, she could be considered the patron deity of spies and assassins. The Dunmer consider her as this directly, as she is the patron of the Morag Tong.
* TheCorrupter: She loves to see how she can fray the "web" of mortal relationships, and takes a particular joy in the betrayal of trust or minor slights tearing entire towns or ''nations'' apart.
* DiscOneFinalBoss: [[spoiler:She's built up as the main antagonist throughout most of ''Summerset'', only to have the rug pulled out from under her by Nocturnal.]]
* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: In ''Daggerfal'', she's more directly associated with the Dark Brotherhood and asks you to assassinate a noble investigating them, while in later games she's associated with the Morag Tong and her association with the Night Mother is a mere possibility.
* EldritchLocation: Her Daedric realm, the Spiral Skein. It is metaphysically constructed similarly to Mundus, with a "Tower" (the Pillar Palace) at the center and eight spokes forming the shape of a wheel. The area between each spoke is dedicated to one of the eight "sins". The first is a cavern devoted to lies, filled with pedestals pretending to hold up the sky. The second is made up of cramped chambers representing envy, while the third is maggot-filled grottoes filled with seductive light. The fourth contains eternally dark tunnels of fear; the fifth, a place of betrayal; the sixth, an arena of murder. The seventh space is home to arcades of avarice and appetite, containing all things mortals would kill or die for, while the eighth is a flaming skein of fury, representing the death that comes to all mortals.
* FemmeFatale: Mephala is associated with manipulation, lies, sex, and murder, which makes her the ''perfect'' patron for the Morag Tong.
* GodCouple:
** Mephala has some associations with Sithis, and according to some sources, the Night Mother, wife of Sithis, is believed to be an aspect of Mephala.
** The Khajiit also believe her to be the mate of Boethia.
* GoodWingsEvilWings: Her ''Daggerfall'' appearance gives her bat-like "glider" wings connecting from her sides to her wrists.
* GottaCatchEmAll: The 27 threads of the Webspinner, created for Mephala and the Morag Tong by Sanguine. They are 27 pieces of enchanted clothing and jewelry scattered across Vvardenfell in ''Morrowind.''
* GreaterScopeVillain: In the plots of at least two of the [[HarderThanHard Veteran Dungeons]] in ''Online.'' In one, a Priestess of Mephala you helped in the non-veteran mode of the dungeon goes crazy and poses a threat, so you need to put her and her ArtifactOfDoom down. In the other, Mephala personally {{Mind Rape}}d a man into [[spoiler:becoming a Lich, who went on to murder his students and his wife. It turns out it was because he was being influenced by ''the Ebony Blade''. And, as you might guess, he uses it against you during the fight]].
* TheHorseshoeEffect: The Morag Tong, a legal Dunmeri [[MurderInc assassin's guild]], is dedicated to Mephala. The Dark Brotherhood, a criminal offshoot of the Morag Tong, is dedicated to the service of Sithis and the Night Mother. Both are MurderInc[=/=]ProfessionalKiller organizations. According to some sources, the Night Mother may very well be an aspect of Mephala, meaning that both groups, despite their differences, are still dedicated to the same deity.
* InterplayOfSexAndViolence: Alongside deceit, this is the ''entirety'' of her divine sphere. For Mephala and the mortals under her influence, sex and violence are best when entwined; Morag Tong assassins are ''encouraged'' to seduce and sleep with their targets before killing them, and even loving sexual partnerships are often "enhanced" with a bit of deceit and mortal peril.
* LifeDrain: Her Ebony Blade cannot be sharpened by smithing, but comes with an upgradeable Health-absorbing enchantment.
* LoveGoddess: "Love" is stretching it, but sex is considered one of her spheres of influence.
* ManipulativeBastard: Practically the ''embodiment'' of the trope. She exists to "fray the web" of mortal relationships and interferes in the affairs of mortals [[ItAmusedMe for amusement]].
* MultiArmedAndDangerous: In ''Daggerfall'' and ''Oblivion'' she's depicted with four arms.
* ParadoxPerson: Contained within Mephala's sphere are the themes of murder, sex, and secrets. All of these themes contain subtle aspects and violent ones (assassination/genocide, courtship/orgy, tact/poetic truths); Mephala is understood paradoxically to contain and integrate these contradictory themes.
* ThePowerOfFriendship: Horribly twisted by her Ebony Blade. It only powers itself up if you kill a friend with it, up to ten times. There are ways of using LoopholeAbuse though; anyone who considered you a friend but betrayed you or turned hostile like the named Blackblood Marauders will do, and if you kill someone resurrected with magic they count again.
* RedBaron: The Webspinner, Spider, Lady of Whispers, Teacher of the Secret Arts, Queen of the Eight Shadows of Murder.
* RedEyesTakeWarning: In ''Online'' she has red eyes, and is one of the Daedric Princes most closely associated with murder.
* RejectedByTheEmpathicWeapon: The Ring of Khajiit, stolen from her by the legendary thief Rajhin, later "abandoned" him after he made use of its power too freely, leaving him exposed to his enemies and killed.
* RingOfPower: Is associated with the Ring of Khajiit, with typically bestows the wearer with enhanced quickness, silent movement, and outright invisibility. It is said that Rajhin, the legendary Khajiit thief, stole it from Mephala herself. However, after making use of its power too freely, Rajhin was abandoned by the ring and left exposed to his enemies. The ring is also associated with Meridia, who, through unexplained means, acquired the ring and bestowed it as a reward to her agents twice in the 3rd Era.
* SealedEvilInACan: The status of the Ebony Blade in ''Skyrim''. Her quest has you break it out and recharge it. The "Admonition Against Ebony" book you find nearby is the Jarl saying "whoever finds this, we tried to destroy this thing and couldn't, so please, please, ''please'' leave it be". Some of its power leaks out and causes the door locking it away to become the Whispering Door, which gives the Jarl's youngest son a lot of dirty knowledge about his family and surroundings.
* SeductiveSpider: A spider-associated Daedra who is associated with sex along with manipulation. She tends to be portrayed as an attractive FemmeFatale and is associated with SpiderPeople.
* ShoutOut: Her plane of Oblivion, the Spiral Skein, is described as circular, with partitions similar to the spokes of a wheel separating each individual realm, each of which represent a different sin. At the center is her citadel, with each area branching out from the center like a spider's web. Aside from a few minor differences, this is a pretty clear reference to ''[[Literature/TheDivineComedy Dante's Inferno]].''
* SneakySpider: Her domains involve manipulation, lies, sex, and secrets. Fittingly she has a spider motif, with her sobriquets including "The Webspinner" and "Lady of Whispers", her plans are likened to spiderwebs, she physically resembles a spider, and has minions called Spider Daedra.
* SpidersAreScary: She is associated with spiders and many elements within her sphere are quite scary. The Spider Daedra are her servants and take the appearance of mutated, humanoid {{Giant Spider}}s.
* TarotMotifs: The Devil in the ''Skyrim'' tarot deck.
* VillainWithGoodPublicity: Possibly. In the province of Morrowind, she's considered one of the "Good Daedra", in no small part because of her association with Vivec. She has yet to demonstrate any benevolence in-game as mortals would understand it -- ''including'' her association with Vivec.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Meridia]]
!!Meridia (aka Merid-Nunda)
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/meridia.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Statue of Meridia]]
->'''Voiced by:''' Jean Gilpin (''[=TES=] V: Skyrim'') (English)[[note]]'''Other Languages''':Nina Tobilevich (''[=TES=] V: Skyrim'') (Russian)[[/note]]
-> ''"Another Prince whose origins may not entirely be outside of the aetherial, Meridia has at several times been linked to Magnus the Sun. The most famous account of this association is the Tract of Merid-nunda, which overtly casts Meridia in the role of a wayward solar daughter, cast from the heavens for consorting with illicit spectra."''
-->-- '''''Imperial Census of Daedra Lords'''''
-->'''''Sphere''''': Life Energy, Light, Beauty\\
'''''Realm''''': Colored Rooms\\
'''''Artifacts''''': Dawnbreaker, Ring of Khajiiti\\
'''''Servants''''': Aurorans, the Purified
Meridia is a Daedric Prince whose sphere is obscured to mortals, but is associated with the energy of living things as well as light and beauty. As such, she has an extreme hatred for anything undead. Rainbows are common symbols of Meridia. She typically takes the form of a beautiful woman, sometimes with angel-like wings. She is one of the more benevolent Daedric Princes as well as one of the few to be generally considered "good" by mortals.
That said, Meridia has been known to express her anger toward those who earn her displeasure in very nasty ways. She has no compunction against causing collateral damage in her quest to eliminate anything undead, and makes it clear that any "good" she does is purely to further her own causes.
Meridia is believed to have originally been one of the Magna-Ge, the "Star Orphans" who abandoned the creation of Mundus part way through along with Magnus. She was then cast out of Aetherius for consorting with "illicit spectra", implied to be the Daedra.
After the Daedra complained of her "trespassing" in Oblivion, Meridia, through sheer force of will, "bent and shaped" the rays of Magnus to create her own Daedric realm in Oblivion, known as the Colored Rooms. It is a colorful realm of vast floating stones, strewn about with trails of colorful dust and clouds. The "ground" between the stones looks like luminescent water, but is solid enough to walk on.
In ''Daggerfall'', Meridia asks you to kill a sorcerer who reneged on a deal with her. She does not appear in ''Morrowind''. In ''Oblivion'', she asks you to wipe out a group of necromancers. In ''Knights of the Nine'', she serves as the patron of Umaril the Unfeathered. In ''Skyrim'', she asks you to cleanse her shrine. In ''Online'', she works to prevent Molag Bal's Planemeld.
----
* AboveGoodAndEvil: While this is technically the case for all Daedric Princes, Meridia requires a special mention. Meridia ''hates'' the undead. Since the undead and necromancy are generally a threat to the mortals of Nirn, she's viewed as a positive force by mortals, but this doesn't mean she truly ''cares'' for mortals. She supported many of the Ayleids because they worshiped her and ''didn't'' use necromancy, while still being horrific monsters that tortured and murdered countless human slaves.
* AlternateCharacterInterpretation: In-Universe. The Khajiit religion (and to a lesser extent, that of Illiac Bay) has a very different view of her than the standard. While most mortals see her as a generally good Daedra and an ally against the undead, the Khajiit see her as a "false spirit" and an adversarial force, being born of "light without love, intelligence without wisdom, power without purpose."
* AbusiveParents: She created her "vessel", [[spoiler:Darien Gautier]], but treats him as little more than one of her tools, and refers to him as "it."
* AllOfTheOtherReindeer: Meridia was originally a Magna-Ge, an et'Ada who assisted during the creation of Mundus but abandoned the project part way through along with Magnus and the rest of the Magna-Ge. However, she was banished from Aetherius for "consorting with illicit spectra". Considered a "trespasser" in Oblivion by the Daedra, Meridia proceeded to use her powers to shape the light from Magnus to create her own realm.
* AlienBlood: "The Bladesongs of Boethra" desribe her as having "golden blood."
* AllTakeAndNoGive: Some accounts and depictions portray Meridia as an insatiably demanding goddess, constantly fishing for [[ComplimentFishing worshippers and admirers]], while doing as little as possible to repay those who offer.
* AnOfferYouCantRefuse: If Meridia offers a mortal a deal, or asks them for a "favor" of some kind, refusal is not an option. In ''Daggerfall'', she will give a player that refuses her deal an ImpliedDeathThreat. In ''Skyrim'', she will tell the Last Dragonborn that if they won't fulfill her wishes, she will find someone else, but also gives yet another ImpliedDeathThreat if they're thinking about refusing.
* BadBoss: If you follow Meridia, expect extremely high demands for as little as possible in return; she'll only give you something if a) she promised it up-front (she's a lot of things but not a liar) and/or b) it's directly helpful to her. She's entirely willing to sacrifice even her most devout followers and, as ''Online'' shows, generally refuses to help her followers when they're in need.
* BeautyEqualsGoodness: She invokes the idea of beauty being associated with goodness or pleasantness. Meridia takes the form of a beautiful woman, often in various [[{{Stripperific}} skimpy outfits]] which show off and/or enhance her [[BuxomBeautyStandard bust]] and [[ShowSomeLeg legs]]. She often refers to her abilities and divine sphere as being associated with beauty, light, and living auras.
* BerserkButton: Do not mess with her shrines. She once destroyed an Ayleid village because it was built above one of her shrines.
* BigGood: In ''Online'', actively working to ensure that Molag Bal's Planemeld will fail.
* ButHeSoundsHandsome: In ''Online'', while disguised as [[EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep "The Groundskeeper"]], Meridia will talk about her radiance, accomplishments, and purity. She also has very little patience for anyone that doesn't support these beliefs.
* BuxomBeautyStandard: Has a sizable bust in order to symbolize the idea of being the ideal beauty.
* ComplimentFishing: Meridia is always eager to be reminded that mortals find her [[{{Narcissist}} benevolent, wise and attractive]], and is not above fishing for said compliments and being ''very'' irate if she does not receive them.
* ControlFreak: She is stated to outright despise mortal free will and defiance, and is angered by the slightest hint of insubordination.
* CoolSword: Her artifact Dawnbreaker, a shining golden sword that glows when close to the Undead, sets them on fire, and makes them ''explode''.
* DisproportionateRetribution: A group of Ayleids built a city above one of her shrines. She responded by destroying it with roots, burying it and all who lived there beneath the ground.
* DivinelyAppearingDemons: She maintains the most "angelic" appearance out of any of the Daedric Princes. It may have to do with her different [[FallenAngel origins]].
* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: In ''Daggerfall'', Meridia has no association with light or life energy, merely with greed, and she's called "a collector of sorts." While she remains associated with greed in later installments, she isn't greedy for stuff as the 'collector' title implies, she's greedy for appreciation and worship. She's also less haughty and speaks in a somewhat saccharine motherly way, though she's still very passive-aggressive.
* EldritchAbomination: There is some indication that Meridia is something... ''more'' than what she appears behind her (intentionally chosen) pleasing female form and generally "good" actions toward mortals. According to the ''[[https://www.imperial-library.info/content/magne-ge-pantheon Magne-Ge Pantheon]]'', the actions of the "Chrome Device" (implied to be Magnus or possibly Anu) have caused her "real" role in history to be lost. It also states "Of all of the Greater Spirits, it is Merid that we should most revere. For what if she forsakes us?" Further, she is the only one listed to have her pronouns capitalized in the work in the "{{God}}" with a capital "G" sense.
* EnemyMine: If her complicated relationship with mortals would have to be condensed to one trope, this would be it. She doesn't really care about them more than any other Prince, but she doesn't hate them the way she hates necromancy, and since mortals can agree that things like Molag Bal's Planemeld and zombie apocalypses are very bad and need to be dealt with pronto, she's happy to help them do that.
* TheEvilsOfFreeWill: Strongly believes in this and can "purify" mortals of their free will to turn them into 'Lustrants'.
* FaceHeelRevolvingDoor: From the perspective of mortals, at least. In one instance, she'll be acting as the BigGood in defending mortal lives from hostile takeover by supernatural forces. Then in another, she'll be giving aid to a being who seeks to overthrow the Nine Divines and enslave the races of Men.
* FallenAngel: While not truly "angelic" in nature, she was once one of the Magna Ge, but was cast out to Oblivion for consorting with "illicit spectra". ''The Bladesongs of Boethra'' outright calls her a "fallen angel," and her statue at the Kilkreath Ruins in Skyrim gives her this appearance, being humanoid with a pair of large feathered wings.
* FriendToAllLivingThings: Though she is associated with the "energy of living things", she Subverts it. There is a heavy emphasis on the ''Living'' part, for one. If you're Undead or a Necromancer, she ''will'' destroy you. If some living things have to die as collateral damage in order for her to achieve her greater goals, she'll sacrifice them without a second thought.
* GodWasMyCopilot: In ''Online'', the player is ushered into the Hollow City in Coldharbour by a seemingly normal but mysterious woman known only as [[EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep the Groundskeeper]]. In the final act of the story, the Groundskeeper reveals herself as Meridia, acting against Molag Bal.
* GoodIsNotNice: She's generally considered one of the "good" Daedra, but she's still a Daedric Prince. If some innocent mortals have to die so that she can achieve her goals (which usually involves eliminating a supernatural or undead threat), she will sacrifice them without a second thought.
* GoodWingsEvilWings: Some depictions of her give her [[WingedHumanoid angel-like wings]].
* GreaterScopeVillain: Of ''Knights of the Nine''. She is the patron of [[BigBad Umaril the Unfeathered]] and is supplying him with his forces. She also allows him to retreat to her realm of Oblivion when his physical form is slain on Mundus, allowing it to reform and thus giving him his ResurrectiveImmortality.
* {{Greed}}: In the Iliac Bay aera of Hammerfell, she is known as "The Daedric Lady of Greed," while the khajiit call her "The False Spirit of Greed." It's implied that this is because she has an insatiable desire for worship, and [[AllTakeAndNoGive will make unending demands of said worshippers while doing as little as necessary for them in return]].
* HeroicWillpower: After being cast out of the ranks of the Magna-Ge and being called a "trespasser" in Oblivion by the Daedra, she brought her realm into being through the ''sheer power of her will''.
* HeroOfAnotherStory: The ''Magna-Ge Pantheon'' repeatedly references her as something of a BigGood to the Magna-Ge; she has knights who seem to be a sort of equivalent to the Knights of the Round Table, she worked to prevent or mitigate various calamities, and created a wall called the "blackblock" to hold back enemis of the Magna-Ge.
* HeroWithBadPublicity: A rare example in which the character is both this AND a VillainWithGoodPublicity. Most of Tamriel is skeptical, or cautious, toward Daedra in general (especially after the Oblivion Crisis at the end of the 3rd Era). Some groups, such as the Vigilant of Stendarr, actively ''oppose'' any and all Daedra regardless of intention. Meridia, however, still undertakes actions on behalf of mortals despite this and sometimes has to work through a proxy (like Sees-All-Colors in ''Online'') for groups that would never collaborate with her willingly.
* HumansAreFlawed: Meridia stands out among the Daedric Princes for how demanding she is of her mortal servants while providing as little as possible in return. Even the most malevolent of the other Princes still freely reward their servants and may even gain respect for them, while at least finding them useful and/or entertaining. If her origin as a Magna-Ge is accurate, she may gain this belief from them. Like Meridia, they too have a rather low opinion of mortals, calling them "M-Null", while believing they are "affected by tainted magic" and owe their growth and prosperity to greater beings.
* IGaveMyWord: While Meridia has a reputation of being AllTakeAndNoGive toward her followers, when she ''does'' offer a reward of some kind for service, she will always make good on her promise. However, there are times when [[ExactWords what the other party gets is not exactly what they thought it would be]] or when the "reward" comes with strings or loopholes that only draw the person further into Meridia's service.
* {{Irony}}: A twofer in ''Skyrim''.
** The Shrine of Meridia in Skyrim is not only in ruins but has been overtaken by a vampiric necromancer who has filled the place with his undead minions. She is ''fully aware'' of the irony and '''hates''' everything about it. Hence her shrine quest.
** Her shrine is found in Haafinger. Not that ironic in the vanilla game... but once the ''Dawnguard'' DLC was released, her shrine now shares a hold with the Clan Volkihar - a group of vampires, and the only ''pure-blooded'' ones in Skyrim at that... which does explain how the vampires got there, at least.
* ItsAllAboutMe: Meridia describes herself as compassionate and merciful, but she won't hesitate to use or sacrifice her own followers for what she perceives to be a greater end. If said followers lose faith or abandon her because of her actions, her compassion disappears entirely and she will allow or even ''cause'' them to meet a terrible end.
* {{Jerkass}}: Almost every other Daedric Prince is polite to the player in some way, whether [[AffablyEvil genuinely]] or [[FauxAffablyEvil as a front]] - even Molag Bal is capable of faking it long enough to get business done. Comparatively, [[{{Irony}} despite being considered one of the few benevolent Daedra]], Meridia is extremely rude, narcissistic, and petty, and is well-known to [[AllTakeAndNoGive dislike rewarding people]] who operate in her service.
* KnightTemplar: Meridia despises the undead and any other entities of cruelty, darkness, rot, filth, or decay. Thus, she will stop at nothing to destroy them, even if it means causing collateral damage to innocent people or her own followers, bordering on being a WellIntentionedExtremist. Undead and necromancy seem to be the only reasons she ever interacts with mortal affairs, usually to have them wiped out.
* LackOfEmpathy: Stands out even among the Daedric Princes for her utter lack of consideration for mortals. In Khajit myths, she as Merid-Nunda is a "cold spirit, born of light without love"; essentially, she's the AnthropomorphicPersonification of the fact that Magnus created Nirn but did not care for it.
* LargeHam: In ''Skyrim'', famously, where she dominates her interactions with the Dragonborn by speaking with a bombastic demeanor and flowery prose.
--> '''Meridia''': ''[[IncomingHam A NEW HAND TOUCHES THE BEACON!]]''
* LifeEnergy: Her primary association is with the "energy of living things". It is also a strong justification for her severe hatred of anything undead.
* LightIsNotGood: While her association with light and living energies seems to imply she might be a "good" Daedric Prince it's important to remember that she was the GreaterScopeVillain of ''Knights of the Nine''. She, along with her Aurorans, allied with the BigBad Umaril, an Ayleid sorceror-king who wanted to overthrow the Nine Divines and enslave humanity. Meridia is also prone to ''majorly'' lashing out at any mortal being that upsets her (for example, destroying an entire Ayleid city because they were located a little too close to her shrine). Ultimately, like any Daedric Prince, what good Meridia does is going to be for her benefit, not anyone else's.
* ManipulativeBitch: After revealing her true identity in ''Online'', the Vestige will call her out for using him/her. Meridia will counter that she thinks of them as nothing but a pawn in a grand game and that's up to the Vestige themselves if they make the most of it or not.
* {{Narcissist}}: Implied in ''Online'' when, [[ButHeSoundsHandsome especially in her guise as the Groundskeeper, she refers to herself and her actions in the most glorifying language possible]]. To hear her speak, everything she does is merciful, benevolent, and wise, and she also thinks highly of her own beauty and power. She shows ''zero'' patience or tolerance for things or individuals which do not support that conclusion.
* PayEvilUntoEvil: A pretty big part of how she maintains her good rep despite all her flaws. Meridia is hellbent in her opposition to the existence of the undead, especially Vampires. To that, most inhabitants of Tamriel say, "Fair enough." At worst, it's a simple MercyKill for tortured souls who really should have stayed dead but are trapped by necromancy or their own lingering regrets. At best, it's justice against vicious blood-drinking predators and their minions, willing or otherwise.
* PetTheDog: Despite admitting that most of her benevolent acts in ''Online'' were for her own benefit, Meridia does two helpful things for the player. The first is locating and returning the Vestige's soul -- although Cadwell was the one who asked her to do, she agreed regardless. The second is accepting Cadwell as her new servant, and enabling him to assist the player in various ways, such as opening the way for NewGamePlus content.
* ThePowerOfTheSun: Carved her own realm out of sunlight. Being the daughter of Magnus (who has left), she is also the closest thing the set has to a solar deity.
* ProudBeauty: Meridia embodies light and life, and so takes an appearance that mortals would perceive as a beautiful woman. She is well aware of this fact, and takes pride in the fact that mortals find everything about her, even her visible form, pleasant and appealing.
* PutOnABus: She does not appear in ''Morrowind'', though is mentioned. She returns in ''Oblivion''.
* RainbowMotif: Closely associated with rainbow imagery and the color spectrum. Her sphere is even called the "Colored Rooms," and an ancient Khajiiti story calls her the "Rainbow Angel." One ancient Ayleid text even claims that by traveling the "rainbow road" (a reference to the prismatic refraction of light), Meridia can in some sense alter the rate at which time flows forward.
--> ''"... thus does Merid-Nunda [ride? slide?] across the rainbow road from end to end, at one end stretching the dragon, at the other end compressing him ..."''
* RedBaron: The Solar Daughter, Lady of Infinite Energies, Strict but Fair Arbiter of Inner Luminance, Radiant One, Bright Lady, Sunfire, The Glister Witch, Lady of Greed, False Spirit of Greed, Orphaned Glimmer, Rainbow Angel.
* RingOfPower: Is associated with the Ring of Khajiit, with typically bestows the wearer with enhanced quickness, silent movement, and outright invisibility. It is said that Rajhin, the legendary Khajiit thief, stole it from Mephala herself. However, after making use of its power too freely, Rajhin was abandoned by the ring and left exposed to his enemies. The ring is also associated with Meridia, who, through unexplained means, acquired the ring and bestowed it as a reward to her agents twice in the 3rd Era.
* SatanicArchetype: She'd despise the notion, but she does fit several qualifiers as an immensely proud being and also one of the greatest of a type of heavenly being (Magna-Ge, in her case) who was cast out due to a transgression.
* TarotMotifs: The ''Skyrim'' tarot deck uses her to illustrate The Sun.
* TautologicalTemplar: Meridia opposes creatures of cruelty and defilement, so both she and her followers categorize her as "good". However, that means that she feels ''any'' action she takes is therefore good and anyone who opposes or abandons her is evil. She will thus deal with them appropriately.
* TheTease: DownplayedTrope. Meridia's shapely, buxom (and often scantily-clad) female form was a deliberate choice to make her beautiful and appealing to mortals, as befitting her sphere of Light and Life. She has no qualms about deliberately calling attention to her attractiveness, either, but has never been shown with the slightest desire to act on or return a mortal's interest. Her typical response to any enamored mortal implies that because she is so much greater than they, their desires are both expected and beneath her concern.
* TimeMaster: To a degree. Through the prismatic refraction of light, it is said that Meridia can in some small way alter the forward flow of time.
* VillainWithGoodPublicity: A rare example in which the character is both this AND a HeroWithBadPublicity. Amongst her faithful and many other groups, Meridia is considered one of the most "benevolent" Daedric Princes. She, in fact, doesn't like it when her actions are painted in anything but a positive light even at her most ruthless, petty, and vindictive.
* WhatIsOneMansLifeInComparison: She will sacrifice innocent lives, even those of her loyal followers, in an instant if it means achieving a greater good (at least in her opinion). In ''Online'', she outright tells the Vestige that she used him/her to save countless other lives, and that she ultimately doesn't care about one mortal soul.
* WhyDidYouMakeMeHitYou: From Meridia's point-of-view, mortals who abandon or neglect her favor have only themselves to blame. After all, [[TautologicalTemplar she is "good" and thus anything that hinders her is "bad".]]
-->'''Meridia:''' Look at my temple, lying in ruins. So much for the constancy of mortals, their crafts and their hearts. If they love me not, how can my love reach them?
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Molag Bal]]
!!Molag Bal
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/molag_bal_5478.png]]
->'''Voiced by:''' Wes Johnson (''[=TES=] III: Morrowind''), Jonathan Bryce (''[=TES=] IV: Oblivion''), Creator/ChristopherCoreySmith (''[=TES=] V: Skyrim''), Creator/MalcolmMcDowell (''The Elder Scrolls Online'') (English)[[note]]'''Other Languages''':Alexey Borzunov (''[=TES=] III: Morrowind''), Rudolf Pankov (''[=TES=] IV: Oblivion''), Vasily Stonozhenko (''[=TES=] V: Skyrim'') (Russian)[[/note]]
-> ''"Molag Bal seeds chaos and strife, spreading discord by corrupting soul after soul. His forces are legion; his patience is limitless; his ultimate goal is the domination and enslavement of all living things."''
-->-- '''''The Spawn of Molag Bal'''''
-->'''''Sphere''''': Domination, Corruption, Enslavement, Rape\\
'''''Realm''''': Coldharbour\\
'''''Artifacts''''': Mace of Molag Bal\\
'''''Servants''''': Daedroths, Daedric Titans, Xivkyn
Molag Bal is the Daedric Prince of Domination and Corruption, a sphere which includes Enslavement, Violation, Defilement, and Rape. His main desire is to harvest the souls of mortals and to bring them within his sway by spreading seeds of strife and discord in the mortal realms. He especially enjoys manipulating and corrupting mortals into violating and destroying one another. Molag Bal's typical form is that of a horned humanoid with various undead and/or reptilian features which vary between appearances. He is naturally considered a "bad" Daedra throughout Tamriel, and perhaps the most outright ''malevolent'' of them all. Unlike Mehrunes Dagon, who at least has some redeeming qualities, Molag Bal is not known to have ''any''.
Molag Bal's most infamous act (and that is ''really'' saying something) was committing the first rape, upon a Nede[[note]]the ancient Cyrodiils[[/note]] woman, from which was born the first vampire, leading to his title, the [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast King of Rape]]. All vampires can trace their lineage to this act, or to another similar act involving Molag Bal.
Molag Bal's realm is Coldharbour, which resembles a ruined and desecrated copy of Nirn that is filled with suffering and "spattered" with blood and excrement. It contains charnel houses full of the dead and slave pens beyond count. It is said that no mortals willingly visit this place except in error.
In ''Daggerfall'', Molag Bal asks you to assassinate a mage who'd been stealing power from him. In ''Morrowind'', he asks you to slay a lazy Daedroth servant. Additionally, to cure vampirism, he'll task you with slaying his "daughter" (a Winged Twilight) and her "lowly" Frost Atronach lover. In ''Oblivion'', he tasks you with provoking a pacifist into ''killing you'' with a cursed mace (you survive). In ''Skyrim'', he tasks you with killing a Vigilant of Stendarr and then corrupting a priest of Boethiah. In ''Online'', he serves as the antagonist for the game's main plot.
----
* AffablyEvil: On the rare occasion that somebody manages to significantly [[GracefulLoser upset his plans or downright defeat him]], or he finds somebody almost as evil as he himself is. [[FauxAffablyEvil At all other times, it is simply an act]].
* ArchEnemy:
** Boethiah is his most hated rival/enemy. The two are willing to do all sorts of terrible things just to mildly annoy the other. Probably because he's the Daedric Prince of domination, while Boethiah only respects willpower.
** He and Arkay also fit, as Bal created the first vampire just to upset Arkay's balance of life and death.
** He and Meridia hate each other as well, since she finds him utterly disgusting and he considers her a nuisance.
** He is also implied to antagonize followers of Stendarr specifically. Since Stendarr is the God of Mercy and he is the God of Domination, it seems Bal enjoys seeing just how capable Stendarr is of protecting his faithful.
* BadBoss: Working for Molag Bal almost ''never'' ends well. Any power he offers or tempts a minion with will immediately disappear the moment that Bal realizes they're no longer useful, and sometimes even before that point.
* BigBad: For ''Online''.
* BloodyBowelsOfHell: Coldharbour, his Daedric Plane, is a ruined parody of Tamriel, with every surface covered in blood and excrement. He ''is'' the Lord of Violation, afterall...
* CardCarryingVillain: He makes absolutely no attempt to hide his extreme malevolence.
* CarryABigStick: The Mace of Molag Bal. He even [[spoiler:fights you with it in the climax of ''Online'']].
* ColdBloodedTorture: He is a major fan of inflicting this. His plane, Coldharbour, is designed to torment a person as horribly and efficiently as possible.
* TheCorrupter: The very ''embodiment'' of the idea. One of his favorite things is to corrupt a good and noble mortal, then seeing them snap, fall, or break. He especially loves it when mortals do this to ''each other''.
* CreepyMonotone: His tone doesn't change much while talking. This is dropped completely when he becomes entertained, however.
* DarkWorld: His Daedric Plane of Coldharbour is said to be a "ruined parody" of Nirn, having endured every imaginable catastrophe while being spattered with blood and excrement.
* DefeatMeansRespect: As the lord of Domination, Molag Bal relishes power and strength. Defeating his minions and lieutenants prompts him to commend the victor for their strength, but it also means [[YouKillItYouBoughtIt you just earned the spot of the beings you defeated]].
* DeityOfHumanOrigin: According Vivec's ''36 Lessons'' and Mankar Camoran ([[UnreliableExpositor if he is to be believed, given his seemingly limited knowledge of Oblivion]]), Molag Bal was once the god-chieftain of the Dreugh who had enslaved Mundus before Mehrunes Dagon destroyed Lyg.
* DisproportionateRetribution: Along with EvilIsPetty. He perpetrated the first rape, turning the innocent woman into the first vampire, who proceeded to rape and kill the nomads who cared for her, bringing undeath into Mundus -- simply as a "Screw you!" gesture to Arkay.
* TheDreaded: To the point where, during his quest in ''Skyrim'', simply revealing to an NPC that Molag Bal was the one who sent you counts as an Intimidation check. In the same game, the Hold guards' dialogue towards any player wielding his mace will be full of ''terror''.
* EldritchLocation: Coldharbour. The ground is sludge, the sky is on fire, and the [[EvilIsDeathlyCold air is freezing]]. It resembles a ruined and desecrated copy of Nirn that is filled with suffering and "spattered" with blood and excrement. It contains charnel houses full of the dead and slave pens beyond count. It is said that no mortals willingly visit this place except in error.
* EvilIsDeathlyCold: His personal realm of Coldharbour is, true to its name, described as a very cold place.
* EvilIsPetty: Considering that he is almost inarguably the most evil entity in the setting, his Daedric quests are all fairly small scale, mostly boiling down to simply killing one creature. While there is usually a sadistic twist, it still ends up being rather tame, all things considered. [[BigBad Until Online, that is]]
* EvilSmellsBad: Bal's physical form is said to have terrible hygeine and stinks of "rotten flesh". Another trait of Coldharbour is said to be the terrible smell which, given that every surface is spattered with blood and excrement, makes a ton of sense.
* EvilSoundsDeep: He speeks with a deep, booming voice. He has a pretty nasty EvilLaugh as well.
* {{Expy}}: As the Daedric Princes are similar to ''Creator/HPLovecraft''s Great Old Ones and Outer Gods, he can be considered equivalent to Nyatharlotep, being the most purely sinister and evil of the bunch.
* FateWorseThanDeath: Being trapped in Coldharbour, for any reason whatsoever, counts as this. It is specifically designed to break and torment mortals as efficiently and cruelly as possible. Being a follower or faithful servant of his will not save you in any way, and in fact, may make it worse. He is also known to dole out fates like this as punishments to servants who disobey or fail him... as well as sometimes to those who ''[[BadBoss don't.]]''
** He also [[PlayingWithATrope plays with]] the trope, in that [[RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil the act to which the phrase originally referred]] is one of his godly spheres.
* FauxAffablyEvil: Molag Bal can actually act pleasant and polite, but he is ''not'' nice ''at all.''
* ForTheEvulz: It is the motivation for ''everything'' he does. He commits horrific, ''unspeakable'' acts ''simply because '''he can'''''.
* GenderBender: ''Mostly'' averted, unlike most of the other Daedric Lords; Molag Bal (to the best knowledge of scholars on the subject) appears as male to all of his followers with one exception; an all female cult known as the Witches of Molag Bal, who are ''extremely devoted'' to their Prince, even by Daedric Cult standards. The Witches commune with Molag Bal in the guise of a mortal female.
* GodOfEvil: Most of the Daedra are JerkassGods to some degree or another, but still have redeeming qualities, even Mehrunes Dagon. Not Molag Bal. He is a being of pure malevolence, with no redeeming qualities whatsoever. He basically is TheDevil to the Dunmer, as they see him as the creator of obstacles trying to threaten the "purity" of the Great Houses. He is not much better regarded by any other race on Tamriel, either.
* GoodWeaponEvilWeapon: Mace of Molag Bal. Evil, as a symbol of authority and domination fit for the Lord of Domination.
* GreaterScopeVillain:
** He serves as this in ''Dawnguard'', as the creator of vampirism, and thus the ultimate progenitor of all the conflict in ''Dawnguard's'' storyline. It was he who turned [[BigBad Lord Harkon]] into a pureblood vampire along with the rest of his family, thus giving rise to the Volkihar Clan in the first place. Being the progenitor of all vampires, it also makes him indirectly responsible for Arch-Curate Vyrthur's corruption, which results in him creating the Prophecy of the Tyranny of the Sun which sets the plot of ''Dawnguard'' into motion. Essentially, he is the ManBehindTheMan behind the GreaterScopeVillain. Fittingly, the final battle of ''Dawnguard'' is fought in a cathedral devoted to him.
** Played with in Online. [[spoiler:Up until the end of the main quest, Molag Bal most certainly ''is'' the ManBehindTheMan of Mannimarco, and responsible for the attempted Planemeld. But upon defeat he all but laughs at the protagonists for believing that he is the worst threat they will ever face]].
--> [[spoiler:''"Had you [[KneelBeforeZod bowed before]] me and [[EvilOverlord accepted eternal servitude]], I would have protected you. There are worse masters [[AffablyEvil than I]]. Far worse."'']]
* HatedByAll: Molag Bal is universally despised by every culture in Tamriel. Even [[EvenEvilHasStandards the other Daedric Princes]] and their servants despise him. Among his servants, the only ones who genuinely like him are those who don't know him very well and those who have become enthralled by the power he's granted them. And it's only a matter of time before he betrays the former group, or converts them into one of the latter.
* HauntedHouse: How he manifests in ''Skyrim''. He's got a hidden, deceptively small shrine housing his Mace in the basement of a house in Markarth, and when the Dragonborn and a Vigilant of Stendarr show up to investigate, he locks the doors and pelts them with objects like a poltergeist until one of them kills the other.
* HornedHumanoid: While his physical appearance can vary somewhat between appearances, he is always depicted with horns.
* ILied: Molag Bal ultimately does not keep his word with any but the worst of his minions. "Rewards" are given solely for the purpose of creating a more useful or obedient slave; remaining in his service will ultimately result in the servant only being rewarded with slavery and endless torment.
* IShallTauntYou: Almost every sentence out of his mouth is a taunt to remind a person how insignificant they are compared to him. He ''is'' the Lord of Domination, after all.
* LargeHam: He repeatedly shows this in his quest in ''Skyrim''. Even moreso in [[BigBad his appearance]] in ''Online''.
* TheManBehindTheMan: In ''Online'', he also serves as this to [[DragonWithAnAgenda Mannimarco]], though you're aware of it from the start.
* ManipulativeBastard: Molag Bal greatly enjoys manipulating mortals into furthering his schemes. Indeed, the main difference between Molag Bal and Mehrunes Dagon is that while Dagon will invade and inflict destruction upon mortals with his LegionsOfHell and cultists, Molag Bal will instead manipulate mortals into destroying ''themselves''.
* MindRape: He can fragment a person's soul or memories, so that if they prove resistant to the torture, he can take away or make them completely forget what gives them strength.
* MonsterProgenitor: Created the first vampire. It is believed that all Vampires descend from her, upsetting the balance of death and rebirth normally administered by the Aedric God Arkay.
* MoralEventHorizon: In-Universe, this is part of his sphere. Molag Bal's favorite pass-time is forcing mortals to jump over the lines they would never usually cross. In fact the only servants of his that he genuinely seems to [[VillainousFriendship like, value, and refrain from tossing aside casually]] are the ones that will repeatedly jump over any moral boundaries whatsoever with relish.
* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: Molag Bal (which itself means "Fire Stone" in [[ClassicalTongue old Aldmeris]]), the ''King of Rape'', the ''Lord of Brutality'', the "''Hated One''", and just an endless line of equally-horrific titles.
* NiceJobBreakingItHero: Both he and Meridia state that defeating him in ''Online'' actually works to his ''advantage''. This is never elaborated upon. Further, at points when the player destroys his Dark Anchors, Bal will be delighted that mortals are rising to meet his challenge with greater strength, as if that were his intention.
* ObviouslyEvil: While morality is a highly debated topic with the Daedra, there's no debate with Molag Bal. He is the closest to a true GodOfEvil among the Daedric Princes, with no redeeming qualities.
* OffingTheOffspring: Once issued a task to the Nerevarine to slaughter a rebellious daughter for consorting with an Atronach that he did not approve of.
* OnceDoneNeverForgotten: Downplayed in regards to his title "The King of Rape". To note:
** He's only been recorded as having raped ''one'' person, but this does not prevent his most infamous title being that of the "King of Rape". It also doesn't help that this act was stated to be the "first" rape, similar in implication to the "first murder" of the Bible.
** ''Dawnguard'' further downplays this. It's implied that this is one of the ways that Molag Bal chooses to confer the abilities of a [[MonsterLord Vampire Lord]] upon his most devout followers. While his male followers are asked to perform a large HumanSacrifice in his name, women are subjected to a far more ''degrading'' ritual at his hands, with the implication being further reinforced by Serana ''refusing'' to elaborate further on the matter.
** In the title's original context, personal assault wasn't even the focus. Instead the "King of Rape" was focused on the corruption of racial and genealogical purity, both being SeriousBusiness to the Dunmer.
* PetTheDog: Surprisingly he has one in ''Oblivion'', though it could be considered a case of PragmaticVillainy. The quest to get his mace requires you to provoke someone into committing a murder, with you as the victim. After the task is finished, Molag Bal brings you back to life.
* RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil: His most infamous act was the very first rape which created vampires, and all pureblood vampire lines can trace their origins back to a Daughter of Coldharbour being raped by Molag Bal.
* RapePillageAndBurn: He is practically the patron deity of the trope. He especially enjoys it when he can corrupt mortals into committing these against each other.
* RedBaron: The King of Corruption, Father of Vampires, Harvester of Souls, Hated One, King of Rape, Lord of Brutality, Prince of Rage. And that's just a short list. A longer one can be found [[https://raven-6-10.tumblr.com/post/638028348084355072/today-is-the-20th-of-evening-star-chila-the here]] and it's still not all of his titles.
* RedSkyTakeWarning: Coldharbour is described as having a burning sky as well as being [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin extremely cold]].
* ReptilesAreAbhorrent: His statues in ''Morrowind'' and ''Oblivion'' depict a reptilian humanoid.
* SatanicArchetype: He's probably the closest thing the ''Elder Scrolls'' universe has to {{Satan}}, seeing as his ''modus operandi'' is corrupting mortals into committing evil deeds so he can claim their souls. Unlike a few others on this list he lacks ''any'' redeeming qualities, to the point he comes across [[EvilerThanThou even worse]] than [[OmnicidalManiac Mehrunes Dagon]]. Hell, even his name is taken from "Moloch" and "Baal", two of the ''most'' ValuesDissonance heavy pagan gods from the Bible.
* SerialEscalation: Don't ask us how, but Molag Bal [[TookALevelInJerkass gets worse]] with each appearance.
* SlaveryIsASpecialKindOfEvil: He claims Domination and Enslavement as part of his spheres of influence, and is widely considered the most evil of the Daedric Princes.
* TheSocialDarwinist: Molag Bal believes that the strong should kill and dominate the weak, even when ''he personally'' proves to be the latter. For instance in ''Skyrim'' he tries to tempt the Dragonborn into becoming his champion because he recognizes and respects the Dragonborn's power. In ''Online'', he [[GracefulLoser commends the player for defeating his armies and, ultimately, himself]].
* TimeOfMyths: In a previous kalpa (cycle of time), it is said that the [[FishPeople Dreugh]] ruled the world in service to Molag Bal. However, that world (known as "Lyg") was destroyed and the remnants were one of the 12 worlds assembled to create Nirn during the Dawn Era as described in many creation myths.
* TokenEvilTeammate: While most, if not all, Daedric Princes operate on AboveGoodAndEvil and BlueAndOrangeMorality, or at least can be argued to be simply fulfilling their duties, Molag Bal is considered pure evil by virtually all Tamrielic cultures. He simply enjoys toying with his worshippers, even outright killing them, and generally loves to [[HopeCrusher break down mortals' hopes]]. The only people who would willingly worship him are those that are just as depraved as himself.
* TheUndead: By siring the first vampire, he brought the idea of "undeath" into Mundus. He apparently did this just as a "Screw you!" gesture toward Arkay.
* VillainBaal: While most of the series deities are treated as AboveGoodAndEvil beings who operate on BlueAndOrangeMorality in line with their "[[AnthropomorphicPersonification spheres]]", Molag Bal is an unrepentent GodOfEvil with no redeeming qualities whatsoever and the closest thing the series has to a true SatanicArchetype. In-universe, his name comes from the [[ClassicalTongue Aldmeris]] words for "Stone Fire", though the connotation to the real world Baal is unmistakable. Further driving the point home is his ''Daggerfall'' concept art is labeled as "Moloch Baal" (Moloch being another Canaanite god associated with HumanSacrifice).
* VillainousFriendship: The only mortals Molag Bal actually likes are the ones closest to himself; people with no morals whatsoever who will commit unspeakable atrocities for the barest scrap of power, and [[ForTheEvulz sometimes for no reason at all]].
* WorthyOpponent: After the conclusion of ''Online's'' main quest, he outright congratulates the Vestige for their skills, though he's quite quick to warn them that even worse things will be coming later on.
* YouKillItYouBoughtIt: Defeating his minions means that he now recognizes you as a worthy replacement for them.
* YourSoulIsMine:
** He loves corrupting people and claiming their souls. The Mace of Molag Bal in ''Skyrim'' has this as ability.
** Molag Bal taking people's souls serves as the plot for ''Online''.
** According to one obscure text, one of Molag Bal's positive (for a very, very loose definition of "positive") achievements was lending his power to the creation of the first soul gems. Knowing Bal, this act very likely had an extremely sinister motive behind it as well. Although considering that Soul gems are themselves subject to some particularly sinister FridgeHorror, maybe not.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Namira]]
!!Namira (aka Namiira)
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/namira.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Shrine of Namira]]
->'''Voiced by:''' Mozhan Marnò (''[=TES=] V: Skyrim'') (English)[[note]]'''Other Languages''':Marina Lisovets (''[=TES=] V: Skyrim'') (Russian)[[/note]]
-> ''"Namira, whose sphere is the ancient Darkness; known as the Spirit Daedra, ruler of sundry dark and shadowy spirits; associated with spiders, insects, slugs, and other repulsive creatures which inspire mortals with an instinctive revulsion."''
-->-- '''''The Book of Daedra'''''
-->'''''Sphere''''': The Ancient Darkness, the Grotesque, Revulsion, Decay, Pity\\
'''''Realm''''': Scuttling Void\\
'''''Artifacts''''': Namira's Ring\\
'''''Servants''''': Dro-m'Athra
Namira is the Daedric Prince of the Ancient Darkness, associated with all things Grotesque, things which cause Revulsion, and with Decay. Cannibalism also falls within her sphere. She is also associated with insects, slugs, bats, rats, and other creatures which disgust mortals. This includes sapient beings such as beggars, the diseased, and the disfigured. She typically takes the form of an unkempt woman dressed in black. While not considered to be an inherently malevolent Prince, the nature of her sphere and the behaviors of her followers often cause her to be cast in a negative light. She is very protective over her followers.
In Khajiiti mythology, she is known as Namiira and is associated with Lorkhan (Lorkhaj). She is said to be a part of the Void which became self-aware after the birth of Lorkhaj.
Namira's realm is known as the Scuttling Void, but few details of it are known to mortals.
In ''Daggerfall'', Namira asks you to slay an ancient vampire that displeased her by getting over its bloodlust. She does not appear in ''Morrowind''. In ''Oblivion'', asks you to help her followers retaliate against those who wish to turn them away from her. In ''Skyrim'', she tasks you to help her secretive group of followers acquire their next meal.
----
* AnthropomorphicPersonification: A more poetic interpretation on her domain being described as "ancient darkness" is that she embodies humanities ''primal'' fears.
* BlessedWithSuck: According to the book ''Beggar Prince'', she "blessed" all beggars with the gift of disease. It makes them repulsive, and this invokes pity and disregard in others. This both earns them the charity of others, while also making them [[BeneathNotice the perfect spies and sources of information, because they could watch and listen to what others did, but never be noticed doing so]].
* BodyHorror: This is practically a requirement of her followers. Disfiguring diseases are her favored form of this. She has been known to outright refuse the worship of any who are not repulsive enough.
* TheCorruptor: To the Khajiit, who she transforms into [[DemonOfHumanOrigin Dro-m'Athra]] by drawing out their inner darkness. One quest in ''Online'' even lets you see her do it, through a flashback of her convincing a grieving Khajiiti father into helping her corrupt a temple of Khenarthi by preying on his fear of losing his terminally-ill son, promising him that they'll be together forever in the Void.
* DarkIsNotEvil: Zig-Zagged. She is associated not only with darkness, but specifically the "ancient darkness". According to Khajiiti religious tradition, she is a piece of the Void which became self-aware after the birth of Lorkhaj. In some appearances, she isn't particularly malevolent and she is very protective over her followers. Most of her other associations are perfectly natural occurrences as well, but it is worth noting that her sphere of influence includes actions that are considered repulsive and taboo for ''very'' good reason, including '''[[ImAHumanitarian cannibalism]]'''. In ''Online'', she is ''definitely'' an evil being that corrupts others and makes them into monsters.
* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: In ''Daggerfall'', she's merely the Daedric Prince of Hunger without the spheres of decay or revulsion; the Prince of Decay is instead Vaermina.
* EldritchAbomination: Much like Azura and Meridia, there are some implications that Namira is more than just a Daedric Prince. One of her spheres is explicitly called "The ''Primordial'' Darkness", which is distinct from Nocturnal as it can only refer to the void which existed before creation. Right out the gate this means she's easily the oldest of her peers, having been around when it was just Anu and Pandomay, before they split off into the various spirits. While it's speculated Namira may have a connection to Sithis, anything further is pure speculation.
* EldritchLocation: Her realm is called the "[[IDontLikeTheSoundOfThatPlace Scuttling Void]]", of which nothing is known. Which probably has something to do with the "void" part of the name. A realm of pure darkness likely isn't much to look at.
* EqualOpportunityEvil: The only Daedric Prince to avert it. She ''hates'' attractive people and has outright refused the worship of people she does not find revolting enough.
* GrotesqueCute: She usually associated with things most would consider disgusting or repulsive, such as slugs, insects, or disfiguring diseases. In fact she only allows those considered ugly to summon her, and she ''hates'' attractive people.
* HorrorHunger: Her characterization in ''Daggerfall'' and ''Skyrim''. Her quest in ''Daggerfall'' is draped in language about hunger and satiation, and while she reads you as [[AmbitionIsEvil ravenous for power and control]], she describes it as if it were a physical craving that must be filled. In ''Skyrim'', she has a cult of cannibals who have fully given in to their desire for human flesh and try to tempt you into doing the same.
* ImAHumanitarian: Cannibalism falls within her sphere. This makes sense given her ''modus operandi'', since cannibalism is typically a revolting and grotesque act which is frowned upon in most civilized societies. Of course, in Valenwood, cannibalism is the norm for Wood Elves who practice the Green Pact, so there she might instead have followers who (''gasp'') eat plants.
* LifeDeathJuxtaposition: The Reachfolk view her as an "avatar of all primal dualisms," including life and death.
* MamaBear: She is very protective of her followers. Mess with them at your own peril.
* MessyHair: Most depictions of her include this. This along with her black dress, she almost crosses into WitchClassic territory.
* NatureIsNotNice: She represents many of the darker aspects of nature, including disease and decay, as well as being represented by typically revolting creatures such as insects, slugs, bats, and rats.
* NavelDeepNeckline: Her statues depict her wearing a dress with a plunging neckline.
* NightmareFetishist: She is the very ''embodiment'' of all things grotesque and revolting.
* OurSpiritsAreDifferent: One of her titles is the "Spirit Daedra," and the Reachfolk believe that she is the sovereign of the world of spirit. According to one of her aspects you can speak with in ''Online,'' she views herself as the rightful ruler of all spirits.
* PutOnABus: She does not appear in ''Morrowind'', though she is mentioned. She returns for ''Oblivion''.
* RedBaron: Lady of Decay, the Spirit Daedra, Eldest Spirit, Black Fly, the Great Darkness.
* ReroutedFromHeaven: She lures Khajiit down the Bent Path, leading to them going to the Dark Behind the World upon death, rather than their heaven of the Sands Behind the Stars. The Wall of Life, a sacred mural of Khenarthi where the dying would leave their mark and pray for safe passage to the Sands, once became corrupted by Namiira and instead delivered many innocent souls to the Dark.
* RingOfPower: Her primary artifact is the Ring Of Namira. In most appearances, it grants the wearer increased [[AntiMagic protection against magic attacks]]. In ''Skyrim'', it instead grants the wearer a mild CannibalismSuperpower.
* TrashOfTheTitans: Her followers are infamous for preferring to live in dark and squalid conditions. Anyone attempting to remove them from these conditions is met with her wrath.
* VoidBetweenTheWorlds: Namira herself is associated with the "ancient darkness" of the pre-creation Void, and according to at least one religious tradition is actually a piece of the Void which became self-aware. Her realm is also called the Scuttling Void.
* WeAreEverywhere: Not her, exactly, but her cannibal followers have quite a large number of members; half the vendors of Markarth work for her despite being seemingly upstanding citizens normally.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Nocturnal]]
!!Nocturnal
[[quoteright:270:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/nocturnal_8869.png]]
->'''Voiced by:''' Catherine Flye (''[=TES=] IV: Oblivion''), Creator/LaniMinella (''[=TES=] V: Skyrim'', ''The Elder Scrolls Online'') (English)[[note]]'''Other Languages''':Elena Kischik (''[=TES=] IV: Oblivion''), Elena Solovyova (''[=TES=] V: Skyrim'') (Russian)[[/note]]
-> ''"Our trinity serves the Lady Nocturnal, the Empress of Murk and the Daughter of Twilight. We believe her to be our patron, if not the patron of all thieves worldwide. We serve her without prayer, without charity and without celebration. Our bond with Nocturnal is in the form of a business transaction we strike known as the Oath. Her terms are simple and binding. As Nightingales we are required to guard the Twilight Sepulcher, the Temple of Nocturnal, against those perceived as a threat. In return, we are allowed to use our abilities as Nightingales to further our own means and the means of the Thieves Guild."''
-->-- '''''The Nightingales Vol. 1'''''
-->'''''Sphere''''': Night, Darkness, Thieves, Luck\\
'''''Realm''''': Evergloam, Shade Perilous, Crow's Wood\\
'''''Artifacts''''': Skeleton Key, Bow of Shadows, the Gray Cowl\\
'''''Servants''''': Nightingales, Crow Daedra
Nocturnal is the Daedric Prince of Night and Darkness, and is also heavily associated with Thieves and Luck. Ravens are a common symbol of Nocturnal, who most commonly appears as a hooded woman dressed all in black. While not considered to be an inherently malevolent Prince, the nature of her sphere and the behaviors of her followers often cause her to be cast in a negative light. She is regarded as the patron of the Thieves Guild, toward whom she is a distant but motherly figure.
Her primary realm is known as Evergloam, a realm of perpetual twilight and shadows. It is connected to Mundus by the Ebonmere, a conduit which allows Nocturnal's power to bring luck to thieves. The Ebonmere is protected by her mortal servants, the Nightingales, whom she grants great power in exchange for their service in life (and in death). She is also associated with several pocket realms, including Shade Perilous and Crow's Wood.
In ''Daggerfall'', Nocturnal asks you to slay a mage. She does not appear in ''Morrowind'', but two of her artifacts (the Bow of Shadows and the Skeleton Key) do. In ''Oblivion'', she asks you to recover her "Eye" from thieves. In ''Skyrim'', she is heavily involved in the Thieves' Guild questline. In ''Online'' she gets promoted to the BigBad of the ''Summerset'' chapter, attempting to hijack the Crystal Tower and become omnipotent.
----
* AlwaysNight: Her realm, Evergloam, is said to be in a state of "perpetual twilight".
* AnimalMotifs: Crows, Ravens, Magpies, and of course her most trusted mortal servants are Nightingales.
* BigBad: She is the main villain of both the Clockwork City expansion and Summerset chapter of ''Online''.
* TheChessmaster: In the ''Summerset'' chapter of ''Online'' she manipulates everybody, including the Psijjic Order and ''two other Daedric Princes who specialise in manipulation'' into doing her dirty work for her.
* DarkIsEvil: A rare moment from her occurs in ''Online'' where she tries to take over the Clockwork City and then the Crystal Tower in order to make herself the supreme God of reality.
* DarkIsNotEvil: Though her sphere does include darkness and the night, she isn't considered one of the more inherently malevolent Princes. Her association with thieves does maker her a bit morally ambiguous, but it's safe to say she's no Molag Bal. That said, the events of ''Summerset'' prove that, intentionally malevolent or not, she is still a Daedra through and through and ''will'' do whatever it takes to increase her sphere of influence if the opportunity presents itself.
* DealWithTheDevil: The patron of thieves, and said to be the source of "scoundrel's luck" that aids them and the shadows that hide them. However, this is a ''contract'', not a blessing. Three champions known as the Nightingales swear absolute loyalty to her, pledging their souls to guard the Ebonmere, her conduit to the mortal realms, in life and in death. In life, the Nightingales receive great power, special armor, and the freedom to do with these as they wish on the condition that they always guard the Ebonmere -- fail and they will lose all their gifts, and ''all'' thieves will have a sudden run of supernaturally bad luck, until it is reconsecrated. After serving their term as spectral guardians, they join the shadows which aid all living thieves.
* DidYouJustScamCthulhu: At the time of ''Oblivion'' and ''Skyrim'', she had the receiving end of this. Inverted however that your tasks pertaining to Nocturnal usually have you return the stuff stolen from her.
* DivinePunishment: While more "hands off" than most other Princes with their followers, she is quick to punish those who offend her with a couple of notable instances seen in the series:
** In the ThievesGuild questline of ''Oblivion'', a master thief stole her Gray Cowl several centuries in the past. She cursed it to magically {{Unperson}} the wearer, striking their identity from the universe and leaving them known only as the "Gray Fox". As part of the questline, the current Gray Fox and the PlayerCharacter work together to steal an [[TomeOfEldritchLore Elder Scroll]] and use its power to break the curse.
** In the ThievesGuild questline of ''Skyrim'', the current guild leader has shirked his duty and stolen the SkeletonKey (noticing a pattern?). She has withdrawn her favor from the guild, leaving them to suffer a long string of bad luck and care close to collapsing completely. Once again, the PlayerCharacter can team up with a couple of other members to steal back the key, replace it, lift the curse, and restore her favor.
* DivineRaceLift: Of a sort since Daedric Princes can take the form of whatever they want. Nocturnal appears in ''Skyrim'' as a white woman, while she appears in ''Online'' as a black woman.[[note]]Ironically, Nocturnal is marked in the game files for ''Skyrim'' as a Redguard, but was given a whiter skin tone more similar to a Nord's instead.[[/note]]
* DoNotTauntCthulhu: Thieves love stealing things ''from'' Nocturnal. While they may succeed in acquiring the item they are attempting to steal (the Gray Cowl, the Eye of Nocturnal, the Skeleton Key) they always pay for it in the end, usually by Nocturnal cursing the item they stole or [[TooDumbToLive having her servants hunt down the offender]].
* {{Expy}}: Of Nyx from Myth/ClassicalMythology. She's the [[AnthropomorphicPersonification embodiment of night]], and also grants protection to thieves. However, Nocturnal is more a bit more anthropomorphic than Nyx, and her association with thieves is played up significantly.
* TheGloriousWarOfSisterlyRivalry: Some sources state that she is a "sister" of Azura, although it is unclear whether it is in a literal or metaphorical sense, as other sources also mention both having a rivalry to each other.
* GodIsDispleased: At some point prior to the events of ''Skyrim'', she cursed the Thieves Guild with a long string of bad luck, [[spoiler:having withdrawn her protection and influence as its unknown (to all non-Nightingale members of the Guild) patron deity, due to Mercer Frey's theft of the Skeleton Key and murder of Gallus, the previous Guildmaster.]]
* InTheHood: All of her appearances have her wearing a hooded cloak.
* LadyLuck: She's the Daedric Prince of luck, at least for the thieves who venerate her.
* MagpiesAsPortents: She is associated with ravens and crows. The Crow's Wood is a pocket realm of Oblivion associated with Nocturnal, and it is ruled by the Blackfeather Court, a group of sapient crows (or crow-like daedra) who consider themselves as the realm's rulers.
* MeaningfulName: On several levels. Nocturnal means "active at night", and she is the very ''embodiment'' of the night. She is the patron of the thieves, who are also most active during the night.
* NavelDeepNeckline: Her appearances in ''Skyrim'' and ''Online'' have her wear robes with a wide slit going from the top down to her navel.
* PutOnABus: She doesn't make an appearance in ''Morrowind'', but she is mentioned and the Skeleton Key does appear. She returns for ''Oblivion''.
* RedBaron: The Mistress of Shadows, the Unfathomable, the Empress of Murk, the Daughter of Twilight, the Mistress of Mystery, Lady Luck, the Saint of Suspicion, the Night Mistress, Shadowy Hag, Shadow Queen, Ur-Dra.
* TheSacredDarkness: The darkness that Nocturnal represents is treated as protective, as well as beautiful, welcoming, and awe-inspiring to those who appreciate it. However, Nocturnal is quick to withdraw her favor (and thus the protective qualities of darkness) if she is displeased, and those who appreciate the darkness more often than not tend to be thieves and criminals.
* ScamReligion: The "Priests of Nocturnal" were merely a cult created to prey on the gullible. While their members set up shop in the Twilight Sepulcher and conducted all sorts of bogus rituals and practices to supposedly gain Nocturnal's favor, Nocturnal herself didn't actually pay them ''any'' attention or care ''what'' they did, as long as they didn't interfere with the Nightingales or threaten the Ebonmere.
* SemanticSuperpower: The Skeleton Key. It unlocks things. In fact, it unlocks ''anything''. Including [[CharlesAtlasSuperpower the limits of human potential]]. [[StoryAndGameplaySegregation In the hands of the player however]], it's simply a lockpick which will never fail.
* ShowSomeLeg: In most depictions of Nocturnal, her cloak/robe opens up at the side of the thighs, fully exposing her legs.
* SinkOrSwimMentor: Her relationship with the Nightingales, and really all thieves. For the Nightingales, she grants them immense power and freedom to do with it as they wish, on the condition that they ''always'' protect the Ebonmere. Thieves in general benefit from her protective darkness and "scoundrel's luck", but she does not offer any sort of direct DivineIntervention to either group if they get in over their heads, and is quick to withdraw her blessings if she is displeased.
* SkeletonKey: Her most (in)famous artifact. In the hands of most, it serves as a [[MasterOfUnlocking lockpick which will never fail]]. For those who can unlock [[FullPotentialUpgrade its true power]], it gives them the ability to unlock ''anything'', including the metaphorical locks on their own potential. According to Khajiiti legend she originally stole it from Azura, which fits with Azura's association with thresholds and liminality.
* SpiritAdvisor: Along with allowing for {{Dead Person Conversation}}s. Deceased Nightingales serve a "term" as the "spectral guardians" of the Ebonmere and Twilight Sepulcher, allowing them to communicate with the still-living Nightingales.
* TarotMotifs: The ''Skyrim'' tarot deck makes her The Moon.
* ThievesGuild: She is the (unofficial) patron of the Tamriellic Thieves Guild, and really all thieves everywhere even if they don't acknowledge it or aren't aware of it. The reason it is "unofficial", as Karliah explains in ''Skyrim'':
--> ''"Nocturnal isn't one for worship and reverence. There are no priests and no sermons, no services and no alms. She influences our luck and in return demands payment. [...] The only difference is she doesn't demand payment in the traditional sense and sometimes the cost can be quite high. Whether you know it or not, Nocturnal dictates how well we perform as rogues."''
* TopGod: Downplayed, if true at all in classic ''Elder Scrolls'' conradictory lore fashion. According to one LooseCanon text and referenced by a single line of dialogue in ''Online''[='s=] ''Clockwork City'' expansion, she is referred to as "Ur-dra", implying that she may be the eldest of the Daedric Princes, by "nearly all the Royalty of Oblivion". However, Hermaeus Mora also claims to have been the first and has more references in the lore to support his case. Additionally, Khajiiti religion ascribes this title to Namira instead. Finally, it goes against the most widely accepted CreationMyth accounts, which had the et'Ada rise from the spilled blood of Anu and Padomay more or less at once, with Akatosh being the first to self-realize.
* {{Unperson}}: The curse she placed on the Gray Cowl causes this to happen to anyone who wears it. (It would take the power of an Elder Scroll to finally break the curse centuries later.)
--> ''"Whosoever wears it shall be lost in the shadows. His true nature shall be unknown to all who meet him. His identity shall be struck from all records and histories. Memory will hide in the shadows, refusing to record the name of the owner to any who meet him. He shall be known by the cowl and only by the cowl."''
* VoidBetweenTheWorlds: As the embodiment of the night, Nocturnal claims to be an aspect of the original Void itself. It turns out that this isn't metaphorical, either; in ''Online'' she uses this void in an attempt to consume the Clockwork City.
* WellDoneSonGuy: One of her Nightingales describes Nocturnal as a mother that offers little praise but always pushes you to do better.
* YourSoulIsMine: She claims the souls of the Nightingales when the die. They continue to serve her as spectral guardians of the Ebonmere and Twilight Sepulcher for a "term", then join the shadows.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Peryite]]
!!Peryite
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/peryite.JPG]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Statue of Peryite]]
->'''Voiced by:''' Craig Sechler (''[=TES=] V: Skyrim'') (English)[[note]]'''Other Languages''':Alexander Gruzdev (''[=TES=] V: Skyrim'') (Russian)[[/note]]
-> ''"It is said that Peryite guards the lowest orders of Oblivion and that his summoners are to regard his likeness to Akatosh as some primordial and curious jest."''
-->-- '''''Imperial Census of Daedra Lords'''''
-->'''''Sphere''''': Pestilence, the Natural Order, Tasks\\
'''''Realm''''': The Pits\\
'''''Artifacts''''': Spell Breaker\\
'''''Servants''''': Unknown
Peryite is the Daedric Prince of Pestilence, Tasks, and the Natural Order, and is charged with the ordering of the lowest levels of Oblivion. He is considered to be the weakest of the Princes. Peryite most commonly takes the form of a four-legged green dragon. While not considered an inherently malevolent Prince, his association with plagues and the deaths they cause tends to cast him in a negative light. He is considered particularly "loathsome" by the other Daedric Princes, who constantly look down upon him.
There is evidence that Peryite has a connection to the Sload, the "slug men" of Thras. He is connected to the creation of the Thrassian Plague which the Sload used to wipe out up to half the population of Tamriel in the 1st Era. There is also an ancient shrine dedicated to Peryite in the Summerset Isles which depicts the Aldmer fighting "slug-like creatures".
His realm is known as "The Pits". It somewhat resembles the Deadlands and is said to be typically inaccessible to mortals.
In ''Daggerfall'', Peryite asks you to slay a vampire ancient. He does not appear in ''Morrowind'', but his artifact, Spell Breaker, does. In ''Oblivion'', he asks you to rescue the souls of some of his followers. In ''Skyrim'', he asks you to kill a former priest of his who rebelled.
----
* AffablyEvil: Despite being referred to as one of the most "loathsome" Princes, as well as his association with pestilence and plagues, he has been consistently polite to the player character in all of his appearances. Even Mora and Hircine will express their displeasure, albeit calmly, if their quests are turned down in ''Daggerfall''. Peryite on the other hand, takes it in stride and benignly states that refusal indicates ''maturity''. Literally no other Daedric Prince takes rejection this well in their first appearance. His quest in ''Oblivion'' is one of the least morally suspect Daedric quests, as it involves ''saving'' the lives of his followers. ''Skyrim'' walks this back a bit and reminds us that he's still a Daedric Prince: during his quest, if the Dragonborn asks him what his follower Orchendor has done to deserve death, Peryite angrily says that's not a mortal's business to know and that if the Dragonborn won't stop asking stupid questions, he will damn well find someone else who will simply ''obey''.
* AlmightyJanitor:
** Widely considered by Imperial scholars to be the "weakest" Daedric Prince and whose main sphere is ordering the lesser realms of Oblivion, but nonetheless, Peryite is still a ''Daedric Prince'', making him virtually infinite in power in his own realm and able to inflict massive damage if left unchecked. The Thrassian Plague was one such instance, and was so terrible it was one of the rare instances where [[EnemyMine everyone in Tamriel banded together]] to destroy the Sloads who unleashed it.
** It is important to remember that while he's called the "weakest" by mortals, [[RuleOfPerception that measurement is based on how much observable impact Peryite has on Nirn.]] Because his sphere involves orderly tasks and the growth and decay in nature, Peryite has little reason to or interest in acting openly on Nirn compared with other Princes. After all, merely by existing, life on Nirn furthers his sphere of influence.
** This trope is also a possible explanation for his DivergentCharacterEvolution: Since his focus on "order" was largely gone in ''Skyrim'', it's likely that he was "filling in" for Jyggalag because SomeoneHasToDoIt.
* BenevolentBoss: He can be surprisingly nice to his followers. In ''Oblivion'' some of his cultists have tried to summon him, but had their souls trapped in his realm in Oblivion by mistake. While most Daedric Princes would just leave them there as punishment, he acutally asks the player to go rescue them.
* BlessedWithSuck: His "blessings" to his followers seem to take the form of various diseases, [[LovecraftianSuperpower complete with weaponized projectile vomiting]].
* ButtMonkey: For the other Princes, who constantly look down upon him. It may also be why earlier games emphasize the "Order" part of his sphere, as prior to the proper introduction of Jyggalag, [[SomeoneHasToDoIt Someone Had To Do It]]. Further, being associated with order would put him at odds with the other Princes, who have a generally chaotic nature.
* DivergentCharacterEvolution: His quest in ''Skyrim'' emphasizes his association with pestilence rather than his association with maintaining order, likely because ''Shivering Isles'' introduced Jyggalag as the Daedric Prince of Order.
* DraconicAbomination: Statues of Peryite often depict him as a skinny, four-legged dragon, and he is said to enjoy taking on this form as a mockery of Akatosh. While it's not unsettling to us, it's much more disquieting in-universe because everyone knows that dragons don't look like him whatsoever.
* {{Expy}}: In Skyrim, you may as well call him [[TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}} Grandpapa Nurgle]] and call it a day. Given that the Elder Scrolls devs are Warhammer fans, the parallels may be intentional.
* HypercompetentSidekick: While he's supposed to be the weakest Daedric Prince, he also keeps the lower levels of Oblivion running and the lesser Daedra in line.
* LoserDeity: He is considered to be the weakest of the Princes, and is considered particularly "loathsome" by the other Daedric Princes, who constantly look down upon him. He is also the Prince with perhaps the fewest mortal worshipers, both because of his low status and because his blessings to them tend to suck, often using them to spread plagues and diseases.
* LuckilyMyShieldWillProtectMe: His artifact, the Spell Breaker, is a Dwemer tower shield with a ward that [[AntiMagic blocks most forms of magic]].
* MysticalPlague: He is associated with pestilence and plagues. Perhaps most infamously, he is associated with the Thrassian Plague, unleashed by the Sload in the 1st Era, which killed up to half of Tamriel's population. In ''Skyrim'', his followers are afflicted with one of these as well.
* NatureIsNotNice: While Jyggalag's take on order is inorganic stasis ("Perfect Order"), Peryite seems to represent the "Natural Order" cycle of growth and decay. Unfortunately for Tamriel, this primarily manifests as outbreaks of disease, and death in wake of those outbreaks.
* OrcusOnHisThrone: Compared with virtually every other Daedric Prince, Peryite doesn't really do much on Nirn beyond creating diseases, preferring to sit back and let things develop as they will. Because Nirn is mostly ordered and developing naturally, he has no reason to really intervene directly to further his interests, unless something goes wrong. His Daedric quests generally involve helping his followers or simply removing a follower misusing Peryite's gifts rather than anything malevolent.
* OrderVersusChaos: Much like Jyggalag, Peryite is a very Anuic entity, focused on order. In his case, it's the "natural" order things, like the growth and decay of life and the ordering of tasks and duties. Because of this he has very little obvious influence on Nirn, but when his impact is felt, it can be just as potent as any other Prince's.
* OurDragonsAreDifferent: He normally appears as a green dragon to those who summon him. His statues are depicted with four legs instead of two (unlike Alduin and the other dragons in ''Skyrim'') as he isn't a true dragon, he just chooses to appear as one as a "primordial and curious jest" toward Akatosh.
* {{Plaguemaster}}: As the Daedric Prince of pestilence, he is the embodiment of the idea of ThePlague. His idea of a "blessing" toward his followers is to inflict them with disease. The ending of his ''Skyrim'' quest implies that he is preparing a new plague meant to "cover the world" with his "blessing".
* PutOnABus: He doesn't make an appearance in ''Morrowind'', but he is mentioned and Spell Breaker does appear. He returns for ''Oblivion''.
* RedBaron: The Taskmaster, Blighted Lord.
* RuleOfPerception: InUniverse, this is one of the reasons why he is considered "weak" by Imperial scholars. Peryite doesn't need to do much to expand his sphere of influence on Nirn, and most of his time is spent ordering parts of Oblivion. Since he's not perceived as doing much on Nirn, the people of Nirn don't consider him to be very powerful.
* YouDirtyRat: In ''Skyrim'', he manifests in the form of a swarm of ghostly skeevers.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Sanguine]]
!!Sanguine
[[quoteright:270:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sanguine_6008.png]]
->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/WilliamSalyers (''[=TES=] V: Skyrim'') (English)[[note]]'''Other Languages''':Dmitry Tarnover (''[=TES=] V: Skyrim'') (Russian)[[/note]]
-> ''"Sanguine, Prince of Hedonism, lords over no less than ten times ten thousand pleasure pockets of the Void. As revelry and drunken stupor fall under this Prince's influence, he has been a favorite of many Emperors since the first foundation."''
-->-- '''''Imperial Census of Daedra Lords'''''
-->'''''Sphere''''': Debauchery, Hedonism, Revelry, Passion, Indulgence\\
'''''Realm''''': Myriad Realms of Revelry\\
'''''Artifacts''''': Sanguine's Rose, the 27 Threads of the Webspinner (created for Mephala)\\
'''''Servants''''': Unknown
Sanguine is the Daedric Prince of Debauchery, Hedonism, Revelry, and Passion, encompassing the lighter and darker aspects of each. Included within his domain are the darker natures of man, such as lust, sin, sloth, gluttony, and greed. His most common symbol is a rose, while Sanguine himself typically takes the form of a short, portly man with a horned head similar to that of a Dremora. While he is not considered an inherently malevolent Prince, and is in fact quite pleasant during most of his dealings with mortals, his associations with numerous vices and tempting mortals into sin tend to cast him in a negative light.
Sanguine possesses thousands of realms within Oblivion, collectively called the Myriad Realms of Revelry. The realms are used mainly as pleasure pockets, refashioned to meet the needs and desires of their visitors. As such, Sanguine himself has very little control over them.
In ''Daggerfall'', Sanguine asks you to kill a monk who killed some of his followers in the process of cracking down on indulgence. He does not appear in ''Morrowind'', but is mentioned as the creator of the 27 Threads of the Webspinner. In ''Oblivion'', he asks you to crash and prank a dinner party. In ''Skyrim'', he gets you black out drunk and leaves you to pick up the pieces of your lost night.
----
* AffablyEvil: Although he is associated with the darker natures of man and tries to tempt mortals with various vices, he tends to be quite pleasant.
* TheAlcoholic: Often seen with some form of drink in his hand, even in his statues. In ''Skyrim'', his quest even begins with a drinking contest at an inn.
* AmbiguousSituation: His artifact is Sanguine's Rose, a rose-looking staff-sized object that allows one to summon a Dremora. It's never made clear if this object is supposed to be a staff-sized rose or a rose-looking staff.
* ArchEnemy: Of Dibella and Mara, two of the Aedric Divines and both different flavors of LoveGoddess. Dibella's sphere includes romance and the carnal aspects of love, while Mara's sphere includes marriage, fertility, and family, all things corrupted by Sanguine's sphere of lust.
* BewareTheSillyOnes: As "fun" as he might seem, it is important to remember that he represents the "darker" aspects human nature as well. For all the revelry, his actions turn someone into an alcoholic. For all the fulfilled lust, there are broken relationships and failed marriages. One fortress in ''Skyrim'' which is filled with his revelers also includes a room where prisoners were burnt to death by a sadistic mage, and another room has NoodleImplements that are strongly implied to be being used on those same prisoners to defile a shrine to Dibella, showing that not all of the excess Sanguine promotes is harmless, and he's ''just'' as dangerous as other Princes.
* BigRedDevil: Or rather, a short, portly devil is his most common form. In ''Daggerfall'', his skin is bright red.
* TheCorrupter: Present, but downplayed. Sanguine loves to tempt mortal into sinful lives... but it's ''his'' sins who, while definitely not necessarily ''harmless'', are on the less malevolent side of things from the mortal perspective.
* DarkIsNotEvil: Played with.
** He is a Daedric Prince and his sphere includes various sins, vices, and the darker natures of man, but he isn't nearly as evil as some would suggest. His quests usually don't involve killing things, causing lasting harm, or spreading suffering in any way, only annoying folks. To put it bluntly, Sanguine is basically a demonic frat boy.
** On the other hand, his personal artifact, Sanguine's Rose, is one of the more dangerous ones, since it summons a random lesser Daedra that is ''not'' under the summoner's control. Martin Septim's reaction to the Rose in ''Oblivion'' implies that toying around with it in his youth got a bunch of his friends killed and soured him on Daedra worship forever.
** His questline in ''Skyrim'' ends in Morvunskar, a fortress where Sanguine's worshippers engage in hedonistic indulgence. Two rooms highlight how far this indulgence can go: a room where a sadistic mage is indulging in his fantasies by burning people to death, and another where it is implied that prisoners were being ''used'' to defile a shrine to Dibella. Interestingly enough, Sanguine is coded as an enemy to these mages (which may or may not be a developer oversight), so if he ever comes through the portal [[EveryoneHasStandards he'll immediately attack and kill them]].
** It's worth noting that he is not the god of torture or murder, as those lie within the spheres of Vaermina and Molag Bal, respectively. Likewise, the darker aspects of sex such as affairs, orgies, and using sex as blackmail are explicitly stated to be a part of Mephala's sphere.
** While the appearances of him in-game tend to be relatively harmless, some cultures of Tamriel have a far more sinister interpretation of him. In Elsweyr he is worshiped by some vampire clans as Sangiin, the Blood-Cat, and revered with rites of murder and dark magic. [[https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Masterwork_of_the_Inducer A book in ESO]] also links him to the horrifying Ayleid practice of flesh-sculpting.
* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: In ''Daggerfall'', he asks you kill a monk who slew some of his worshippers. In every appearance since, his requests are much more light-hearted.
* EldritchLocation: He possesses thousands of realms of Oblivion, collectively called the Myriad Realms of Revelry. The realms are used mainly as [[HappyPlace pleasure pockets, refashioned to meet the needs and desires of their visitors]]. As such, Sanguine himself has very little control over them.
* EveryoneHasStandards:
** Sanguine was said to be a regular in the court of [[TheCaligula Reman Cyrodiil]], at least until Reman's violent decadence went so far as to ''[[TooSpicyForYogSothoth make Sanguine uncomfortable]]'', prompting him to leave and never look back. This is saying something, as Sanguine's most extreme worshippers sometimes indulge in things like torture and murder... though Sanguine himself generally looks down on that kind of behavior. The general rule of thumb is that Sanguine's happy with his followers indulging themselves as much as they want... up until their indulgences start causing serious harm to others.
** Notably, [[RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil rape]] is ''not'' in his sphere of influence. Molag Bal instead has that as part of his domain.
* {{Expy}}:
** Of Dionysus, the god of wine, theatre, ritual madness and religious ecstasy in Myth/ClassicalMythology. Much like Dionysus, Sanguine emphasizes debauchery, drunkenness, and the dangerous insanity that accompanies drugs and alcohol. He even sports horns, much like the older versions of Dionysus.
** Basically the Elder Scrolls' answer to Slaanesh from Warhammer 40K, but relatively kind compared to the chaos god of excess.
* FunPersonified: Literally, being the very embodiment of hedonism is both the good and bad senses. His thousands of realms of Oblivion reform to cater to the needs of whoever visits.
* GargleBlaster: His special brew in ''Skyrim''.
* GodWasMyCopilot: In ''Skyrim'', the player can meet a man named [[LouisCypher Sam Guivenne]]. Later on, he reveals his [[GodInHumanForm true identity]] as that of Sanguine, and that the two of you went on one ''hell'' of a drunken bender across the entire province.
* GottaCatchEmAll: His 27 threads of the Webspinner, which he created for Mephala and the Morag Tong. They are 27 pieces of enchanted clothing and jewelry.
* GreatGazoo: He mostly plays with and, at worst, annoys mortals. He is definitely one of the less serious Daedric Princes. His influence can push mortals to rather extreme ends, however, and he disapproves of going ''too'' far in one's indulgences.
* HappyPlace: His Myriad Realms of Revelry constantly reform to become the pleasure paradise of whoever is visiting.
* TheHedonist: The Daedric Prince of the trope. He seems to exist to tempt others into becoming hedonists as well. This hedonism can go to amusing places... but also extremely dark ones as well, depending on the individual. One wild hedonist may just party and drink and have wild sex, but another may indulge in rape, torture, or murder. It should be noted that the most evil acts that might be performed for hedonism's sake are explicitly ''not'' part of Sanguine's nature; Rape is Molag Bal's thing, torture is either on Molag Bal or Vaermina, infidelity and using sex to manipulate others falls under Mephala's domain, and most crimes are either Boethiah, Mephala, or Nocturnal. Sanguine might not care if his vices cause havoc or endanger people, but he's [[EveryoneHasStandards genuinely disgusted]] by those who hurt others purely for their own pleasure.
* HornedHumanoid: His typical form is that of a short, portly man with devil-style horns.
* ItAmusedMe: The motivation for everything he does. His primary goal is to tempt mortals with vices and sins to get them to behave the same way.
-->'''Sanguine''': ''"Let's be honest, here. I don't always think my decisions through."''
* LouisCypher: As Sam Guevenne in ''Skyrim''.
* MeaningfulName: The word "sanguine" can refer to a lively character as well as blood, which fits his patronage over both the light and dark side of pleasure.
* NakedPeopleAreFunny: The point behind his ''Oblivion'' quest, which involves crashing a dinner party and casting a spell that strips everyone naked. (Including ''you''.)
* PutOnABus: Doesn't appear in ''Morrowind'', but is mentioned. He [[TheBusCameBack returns]] for ''Oblivion''.
* RedBaron: Lord of Revelry, the Blood Cat.
* RoyallyScrewedUp: Given his sphere, he has understandably been a favorite of many of the more decadent rulers throughout Tamriellic history.
* SatanicArchetype: He's the LighterAndSofter version; he "prefers to drag mortals down to sinful lifestyles by means of temptation and humiliation", but draws the line at outright hurting others for fun. The 'played dead straight' version is Molag Bal, who doesn't care about the PokeThePoodle sins that Sanguine promotes and instead focuses on pushing people to cross the MoralEventHorizon.
* SomethingAboutARose: His most common symbol is a rose and his most famous artifact is Sanguine's Rose, which can take on many forms, including that of an actual rose, a wooden staff carved like a rose, or a [[BreadEggsBreadedEggs staff-sized rose]].
* {{Troll}}: He is basically a god-level troll. He enjoys trying to tempt or trick mortals into sin using various vices, mostly because he finds it fun. Note that like real-life trolls, the "fun" is often from ''his'' perspective; for those he tricks it's not always amusing.
* VillainsOutShopping: In ''Skyrim'', when the Dragonborn finally tracks him down after their little drinking contest leaves them passed out on the other side of Skyrim, he seems to be in the middle of hosting a party with some of his followers. Essentially, you joined him while he was "out shopping" and found him in the middle of his "day job".
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Sheogorath]]
!!Sheogorath
[[quoteright:307:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Sheog_666.jpeg]]
->'''Voiced by:''' Jeff Baker (''[=TES=] III: Morrowind''), Craig Sechler (''[=TES=] IV: Oblivion''), Wes Johnson (''[=TES=] IV: Shivering Isles'', ''[=TES=] V: Skyrim''), Creator/JBBlanc (''The Elder Scrolls Online'') (English)[[note]]'''Other Languages''':Nikolai Vereshchenko (''[=TES=] III: Morrowind''), Vsevolod Kuznetsov (''[=TES=] IV: Oblivion''), Dmitry Filimonov (''[=TES=] IV: Shivering Isles''), Vadim Maksimov (''[=TES=] V: Skyrim'') (Russian)[[/note]]
-> ''"I'm a mad god. The Mad God, actually. It's a family title. Gets passed down from me to myself every few thousand years. Now you. You can call me Ann Marie. But only if you're partial to being flayed alive and having an angry immortal skip rope with your entrails. If not... Then call me Sheogorath, Daedric Prince of Madness. Charmed."''
-->-- '''''Sheogorath's Dialogue in Skyrim'''''
-->'''''Sphere''''': Madness, Creativity, Music, Cheese\\
'''''Realm''''': The Shivering Isles\\
'''''Artifacts''''': Wabbajack, Fork of Horripilation, Staff of Everscamp, Gambolpuddy, Folium Discognitum\\
'''''Servants''''': Aureals (Golden Saints), Mazken (Dark Seducers)
Sheogorath is the Daedric Prince of Madness, and is also associated with Creativity, Music, and Cheese. He typically takes the form of a well-dressed man, often carrying a cane. While not inherently malevolent, the nature of his sphere and his unpredictability make him one of the most ''dangerous'' of the Daedric Princes, and thus he is near-universally considered to be one of the "bad" Daedra throughout Tamriel. Despite this, worship of Sheogorath is widespread.
In a time before recorded history, Jyggalag, the Daedric Prince of Order, grew too powerful, making the other Daedric Princes fearful and jealous of him. They came together and cursed him, trapping in the form of Sheogorath. However, at the end of every Era, Jyggalag is allowed to return to his true form in an event known as the Greymarch. During this time, he retakes and destroys the Shivering Isles, only to return to the form of Sheogorath at the end. At the end of the 3rd Era, the Champion of Cyrodiil ended the cycle by defeating Jyggalag and assuming the mantle of Sheogorath. Jyggalag then left to "roam the voids" of Oblivion.
Sheogorath is also connected with both Sithis and Lorkhan. Aldmeri belief is that he is a "Sithis-shaped hole" in the world, brought into being when Lorkhan's "divine spark" was removed. From this association comes Sheogorath's title, the "Void Ghost". That being said, Haskill and Dyus in an Obscure Text cast doubt on this interpretation, with Dyus finding the idea "amusing" and Haskill calling the Aldmeri "self-centered" for believing that Sheogorath's birth had anything to do with Mundus.
His realm is the Shivering Isles, which has also been known as the Madhouse and the Asylum. The realm consists of a main landmass surrounded by a group of smaller islands, and is divided in half: the northern half of these lands is called Mania, and the southern half Dementia. Only Sheogorath himself may grant the privilege of entry, and it is said that mortals who visit lose their sanity forever.
In ''Daggerfall'', Sheogorath asks you to kill a battlemage (or invite him to tea, whichever). In ''Morrowind'', he asks you to slay a giant bull netch with cursed dinner fork. In ''Oblivion'', he asks you to bring the "apocalypse" to a small village. He also plays a prominent role in the main plot of the ''Shivering Isles'' expansion. In ''Skyrim'', he asks you to help cure a former emperor of madness. In ''Online'', he serves as the main villain behind the Mages Guild questline.
----
* AffablyEvil:
** His domains also include creativity and music, and he always has a smile on his face. He loves his worshipers and will always reward a mortal helper... but since he's the Prince of Madness, the blessings he offers may not be entirely, ah, traditional. Or useful. Or healthy.
** According to legend, he gifted humanity music one day when he was travelling the mortal plane and decided it was boring, and a woman commented on the beauty of a songbird's song. Sheogorath agreed and thought it was a pity that humans couldn't make such lovely noises with their voices, so he gave them music by way of crafting them drums, flutes and lutes... from the bones, tendons and other body parts of that same woman, killing her on the spot to get the materials.
** In one myth he drove a follower of Vaermina to madness and eventually execution just to prove a point. Admittedly, he managed to do this by [[WinsByDoingAbsolutelyNothing doing nothing at all.]]
** His appearances in ''Online'' have him be quite welcoming to the player and calling them his favorite mortal... but at the same time driving people insane, bringing towns to ruin, and causing no end of trouble for the Mage's Guild.
* AnimalEyes: Often depicted as a human with cat's eyes. Either the inspiration for, or adopted in honor of, the Khajiiti nickname for him, "The Skooma Cat".
* ArchEnemy: Jyggalag, who appears every era to destroy the Shivering Isles. As revealed in the ''Shivering Isles'', this turns out to be an Arch-EnemyWithin scenario instead.
* AttentionDeficitOohShiny: He often gets distracted mid-speech by something he said and goes off on vaguely related tangents.
* AxCrazy: Sheogorath is ''always'' dangerous, because just a passing whim could result in him killing someone in horrific ways... [[FateWorseThanDeath or worse]]. For instance, when a woman wished that mortals could sing like birds, he agreed and plucked out her organs to create musical instruments. And if he's in a bad mood... well, then you're ''really'' screwed.
* BatmanGambit: Despite his status as a MadGod and his insistence that it's impossible to tell exactly what any and all beings will do, he's pretty good at them. Most of his myths are about how he defeats his enemies by setting up situations in which they defeat themselves; the Mages' Guild questline goes similarly.
** The three Accords of Madness (and presumably the other 13 that aren't written in-game) have him do this to the other Daedric Princes; for Vaermina he gets her to inadvertently trick her artist follower into believing she'd abandoned him (she couldn't do anything because it was Sheogorath's turn to influence the man), for Hircine he plays on Hircine's love of brute force to get him to pick a champion that would destroy itself, and for Malacath he plays on Malacath's nature to take bloody revenge to trick him into killing his own son.
** Another myth has a wizard ask him for power, and Sheogorath says he'll get it in three days' time... ''if'' Sheogorath hasn't driven him insane by then. The wizard's own [[ParanoiaGambit paranoia]] then does Sheogorath's work for him.
** The entire Mages' Guild questline in ''Online'' is one, with the goal of rubbing Shalidor's face in his own failures by dangling Eyevea as a prize and letting Shalidor's obsession with regaining said island lead him once again into humiliating defeat; the player's involvement is completely incidental and the trials he puts you through are just for fun. [[spoiler:Here's how it goes: To get Eyevea back, somebody needs to read Sheogorath's books. The only one who can do that is Valaste (Sheogorath cursed them so Shalidor can't do it himself), but it takes a toll on her sanity. Sheogorath is betting on Shalidor disregarding the increasingly obvious signs that Valaste isn't well due to his obsession, driving her completely insane by the time they have Eyevea back, and thus Shalidor has to contend with his obsessive pursuit of Eyevea destroying the life of a very promising mage. Even the final choice Sheogorath offers you to [[RestorationOfSanity cure her]] is just another kick in Shalidor's teeth: either he's stuck with all the consequences of his bad decisions, or he's forced to depend on you making the right choice where Shalidor himself made the wrong one.]]
* BewareTheNiceOnes: As far as Daedric Princes go, Sheogorath is usually one of the nicer ones if not outright cordial and his quests typically aren't as harmful to mortals as some of his fellows. He's also the literal God of insanity who's fully willing to destroy your mind and body in a hilariously gruesome fashion.
* BewareTheSillyOnes:
** Jovial as the guy can be, he's still a Daedric Prince, and a Daedric Prince with a head full of crazy for that matter. This almost goes without saying: '''tread carefully'''. In ''Shivering Isles'', attacking him will cause him to teleport the Champion of Cyrodiil high above the Shivering Isles, letting gravity do the rest. [[spoiler:[[TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYou Even God Mode won't save you from him.]]]]
** It can even be inferred that he's more powerful than most (if not all) other Daedric Princes. There's a series of myths that consist entirely of him humiliating the other Princes; Jyggalag is only able to break free at the tail end of every era; and any day that storms makes it a holy day for Sheogorath, even if it's supposed to be a ''different'' Prince's holy day. In his initial ''Daggerfall'' appearance, he has the unique trait of being able to occasionally hijack other Princes' summonings.
* BigBad: He is the primary antagonist and obstacle in the Mages Guild questline in ''Online''.
* BigGood: He's the player's main ally, benefactor, and mentor in the ''Shivering Isles'' expansion.
* BrightIsNotGood: His clothing, particularly in ''Skyrim'', despite having a moment of PetTheDog, as noted below. He's notably still thrilled to watch the PC flounder while completing his quest.
* CharacterizationMarchesOn:
** His brief vocal appearance in ''Morrowind'' sounds and acts absolutely nothing like he does in later games. Rather than the unpredictable, unruly LargeHam he becomes in ''The Shivering Isles'', he's quite calm, formal and collected; acting more like Haskill -- and in fact, he's voiced by Jeff Baker, who would later voice Haskill. (Holding off on doing the Sheogorath quest in vanilla ''Oblivion'' until after completing the expansion reveals that Haskill is perfectly capable of picking up the phone in Sheogorath's stead, making it likely that the retroactive Watsonian explanation is that the Nerevarine was talking to Haskill). Likely this was because the original vision for Sheogorath was closer to being CrazySane (as in, he spoke very normally because being insane was his normal), before it was decided to play up his insanity and madness more.
** Before the release of ''The Shivering Isles'' Sheogorath had a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uj-8nxDsqRA hissing, demonic sounding voice]] when spoken to at his shrine in vanilla ''Oblivion'', giving him a far more overtly sinister vibe than his later jovial, MadHatter-esque characterization seen in ''The Shivering Isles'' and ''Skyrim''.
* CloudCuckoolander: When he's in a good mood. His chamberlain, Haskill, typically does the best he can as Sheogorath's [[CloudcuckoolandersMinder Minder]] and OnlySaneMan within the Shivering Isles.
-->''"I've been waiting for you, or someone like you, or someone not like you."''\\
''"Well, looks like the cat's out of the bag now... who puts cats in bags, anyway? Cats ''hate'' bags."''\\
''"But enough about me. Let's talk about you. I could turn you into a goat. Or a puddle. Or a bad idea. I could make you eat your own fingers. Or fall in love with a cloud. Perhaps... I could make you into something useful."''\\
''"I once dug a pit and filled it with clouds... or was it clowns?... Come to think of it, it began to smell... must have been clowns. Clouds don't smell, they taste of butter. And tears."''
* ColonyDrop:
** He once attempted to destroy the {{Egopolis}} of the Dunmeri [[DeityOfHumanOrigin Tribunal deity]] [[PhysicalGod Vivec]] by hurling the rogue moon Baar Dau at it. Vivec used his power to freeze it in place above the city. [[spoiler:Eventually, after Vivec disappears, Sheogorath's attempt is ''finally'' successful. The moon descends with its original momentum, levels the city, and causes Red Mountain to erupt. The rest of Vvardenfell is destroyed and much of Morrowind is rendered uninhabitable for hundreds of years due to the choking ash]].
** In ''Oblivion''[='s=] ''Shivering Isles'' expansion if you attack him he'll teleport you miles above the Shivering Isles and let you fall to your death. Some fans have jokingly theorized that ''you'' actually remain stationary and Sheogorath hurls the ''[[ImprobableWeaponUser planet]]'' at you. He ''has'' used celestial bodies as weapons in the past... [[note]] This would probably be the more amusing method of executing the player. [[/note]]
* CoolButInefficient: His artifacts tend to fall under this category. Sure, you can turn a difficult fight into a sweet roll... or an even ''worse'' problem.
* CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass: Just because he's insane doesn't mean he's stupid.
* DeityOfHumanOrigin: At the end of ''Shivering Isles'', the Champion of Cyrodiil takes on the mantle of Sheogorath.
* DrivenToMadness: Finding inventive ways to drive mortals to madness is fully within his realm. He (and his followers, quite often) even considers it a ''blessing'':
-->''"Madness is a bitter mercy, perhaps, but a mercy nonetheless. It is better to be seen as mad than hopelessly despondent."''
* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: In his ''Daggerfall'' appearance, he's a redhead and wears a green waistcoat. And while he ''is'' a shapeshifter, it's still a departure from his normal gray hair and purple attire. He's also much calmer and less prone to going off on tangents in ''Morrowind''.
* EccentricMentor: In ''Shivering Isles''. What do you expect when you answer the summons of ''the'' MadGod?
* EveryoneHasStandards: Apparently, not even ''he'' likes the Thalmor, if "Theodor Gorlash" in ''Blades'' is any indication. [[spoiler:Of course, if he ''is'' the Hero of Kvatch, then they stole the credit for both his own deeds and his best friend's HeroicSacrifice and used it to turn the Aldmeri Dominion into Fantasy Nazi Germany, so you can see where he's coming from there.]]
-->''"Bunch of killjoys if you ask me."''
* {{Expy}}: Sheogorath in many ways reflects older interpretations of the Greek god Dionysus, which placed a much greater emphasis on his ability to inflict madness as well as a theme of death and rebirth (reflected in the Sheogorath and Jyggalag dichotomy). Of course, drugs, music, and partying are things that Sheogorath likes too, but that generally falls under Sanguine's sphere.
* FisherKing: The state of his realm, The Shivering Isles, is directly tied to both his own power, and that of his nemesis Jyggalag, who wants to rule the Isles himself. Whenever Jyggalag grows in power and Sheogorath's power wanes, the Isles become a monochrome wasteland dotted with crystal spires.
* ForcedTransformation: His primary Daedric Artifact, the Wabbajack, and randomly transform something into something else. As he puts it in the book "Wabbajack":
-->''"Maybe I'm smarter because I know cats can be bats can be rats can be hats can be gnats can be thats can be thises. And doors can be boars can be snores can be floors can be roars can be spores can be yours can be mine."''
* GreatGazoo: He's a madman with incredible power. He ''mostly'' uses it for silly reasons.
* HailfirePeaks: His realm, The Shivering Isles, is split down the middle to represent the dual nature of madness. The northern half of the Isles, Mania, represents manic instability, and is [[GhibliHills full of exotic plant life and brightly colored monsters]]. The southern half, Dementia, embodies depression and paranoia, and consists mostly of [[SwampsAreEvil dreary swampland]].
* HijackingCthulhu: In ''Daggerfall'', he has a small chance to hijack the summoning of a different Daedric Prince, increased when it's stormy.
* HoistByHisOwnPetard: The other Daedra were fearful of Jyggalag's power, even though he hadn't really done anything. And when they turned him into Sheogorath, the events of the ''Accords of Madness'' ensued, in which each of the Princes was personally humiliated ''by the lunatic '''they''' created''.
* ImAHumanitarian: Implied in some of his remarks. "Mmm... brain pie... ''care to donate''?"
* InsaneEqualsViolent: The living embodiment of the concept. His madness means he can go from friendly and helpful to savage and murderous mid-sentence. In one of his myths he "helped" a woman commenting on the beauty of bird songs by gifting humanity with music... by killing her and using instruments made from her body.
* IronicHell: He ''is'' one - an insane outter shell pieced together from the shattered psyche' of Jyggalag, with just a tiny hint of the original inside and in constant agony from awareness, but next to no control over his insane alter-ego. This is apparently solved in ''Shivering Isles'' by having them separated into two different beings.
* ItAmusedMe: Rains of flaming dogs, the heinous crime of beards, making the player flail around trying to kill a harmless airborne jellyfish with a dinner fork -- none of these are really all that helpful, but they sure are funny! To him, at least.
* JourneyToTheCenterOfTheMind: His idea of vacation is to take one of these within the mind of [[TheCaligula former Emperor Pelagius the Mad]].
* KickTheDog:
** Most notably in the ''16 Accords of Madness''. [[OffingTheOffspring Poor Malacath]]...
** An almost literal case with Barbas, Clavicus Vile's external conscience who takes the form of a BigFriendlyDog. For unexplained reasons, Sheogorath hates Barbas and seeks to poison him (he claims that Barbas chews his slippers and keeps him awake with barking, but considering who's talking [[UnreliableNarrator this should be taken with a pinch of salt]]).
* LargeHam: In speech, in mannerisms... Sheogorath is ''the'' largest ham of the ''ES'' universe.
* LaughablyEvil: Whether antagonistic or not, everything that comes out of his mouth is hilarious.
* LouisCypher: Takes his turn in ''Blades'' as [[SignificantAnagram Theodor Gorlash]], who points you to the Abyss (a procedurally-generated dungeon) and will change your appearance (including race and gender) for you if you wish.
* MadGod: The very ''embodiment'' of the trope. It's even one of his titles. Notably, Sheogorath seems to embody the ideas of manic instability as well as melancholic depression in equal measure. This is contrasted with Jyggalag, who is obsessed with ordering and controlling everything.
* TheMadHatter: He's insane and loves every moment of it.
* MadnessMantra: "Wabbajack. Wabbajack. Wabbajack. Wabbajack!"
* MagicStaff: The Wabbajack, which randomly transforms things into other things.
* ManipulativeBastard: Pulls shenanigans revolving around this for his own amusement in ''Online'', much to the detriment of Archmage Shalidor.
* MoodSwinger: One of his most prominent traits.
--> "Since you're standing here, I assume you've succeeded. ''Or you're terribly confused.'' '''[[SuddenlyShouting OR REALLY LACKING IN GOOD JUDGMENT!]]'''"
* MoralityPet: Haskill. Given that Haskill's origins are unknown, and Haskill himself claims to have been in the service of Sheogorath "since the beginning", this has led to the theory that Haskill is an external part of Sheogorath, similar to what Barbas is to Clavicus Vile. Haskill reigns in Sheogorath's madness ''just enough'' to keep him and the Shivering Isles functional.
* TheMuse: Creativity and the arts fall under his domain. According to legend, he gifted music to the mortals.
* NoodleImplements:
** The ritual to summon him typically requires these. Included have been a soul gem, a head of lettuce, a spool of yarn, and cheese.
** Shaving a cat at the height of a storm...
* ObfuscatingInsanity:
** Oh, he's definitely insane, that's a ''given'', but since he consistently seems to be [[XanatosSpeedChess ten steps ahead]] of ''everyone else'', it's likely that Sheogorath plays up his madness to hide the fact that he's far more on the ball than he lets on.
** After the Champion of Cyrodiil assumes the mantle of Sheogorath, it begs the question if his behavior in ''Skyrim'' is due to [[BecomingTheMask inheriting the mantle]] of Sheogorath, or if it's [[BeneathTheMask merely an affectation]] for when he deals with mortals.
* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: Sheogorath stops all joking, drops the hamminess, and gets downright serious just before his transformation into Jyggalag near the end of ''Shivering Isles''. He's not yet under the orderly influence of Jyggalag, though, meaning that his despair over the fate of the Isles and his apparent failure to save them is genuine.
* ParanoiaGambit: One of the [[http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Myths_of_Sheogorath myths surrounding Sheogorath]] has a wizard come to him asking for power. Sheogorath says he can have it, ''if'' Sheogorath fails to drive the wizard insane within [[RuleOfThree three days]]. The fear drives said wizard completely bonkers even though Sheogorath hadn't actually bothered ''[[WinsByDoingAbsolutelyNothing doing anything]]''.
* PetTheDog: His quest in ''Skyrim'' is this for Pelagius the Mad, relieving the poor deceased emperor of the madness which has long plagued him.
* PimpDuds: His standard attire, including a [[AnachronismStew pocket watch]] and a cane.
* PreviousPlayerCharacterCameo: Sheogorath in ''Skyrim'' is implied to be the former Champion of Cyrodiil.
* ProphetEyes: In ''Skyrim'' and ''Online''.
* RandomizedTransformation: The power of the Wabbajack, his most famous artifact. It's a staff that can turn a target into many random things, ranging from inanimate objects to harmless animals to high-ranking [[OurDemonsAreDifferent lesser Daedra]].
* RedBaron: The Mad Star, The Mad Lord, The Mad God, The Mad One, Lord of the Never-There, Gentleman With a Cane, Comforter of Men, the Void Ghost, the Skooma Cat.
* TheReveal: Is revealed in the ''Shivering Isles'' to actually be the Daedric Prince of Order, Jyggalag, transformed into his current state as a curse.
* SatanicArchetype: To the Dunmer specifically (other races tend to see him as just dangerous due to sheer unpredictablity), as he's one of the four members of the House of Troubles. Sheogorath in particular is said to test the Dunmer for mental weakness and to tempt the Great Houses into treachery (ironically enough, since they actually worship the two Daedra best known for betrayal). He also threw a giant rock at one of their largest cities, so it's kinda understandable that they hate him.
* ScrewDestiny: Prominent in the ''Shivering Isles''. Sheogorath attempts to avert the Greymarch. At first, it seems his attempt fails, as he turns into Jyggalag again, but then, the PC stops the Greymarch, thus breaking the cycle of fate. The fact that Jyggalag and his old chamberlain keep talking about how everything is preordained makes screwing destiny all the more satisfying. Also, while Sheogorath is a multifaceted being, a large part of what he stands for is free will and the spark of creativity. It would be utterly against the character of Sheogorath to suppose there was a preordained, predictable order in the first place.
* SealedInsideAPersonShapedCan: Sheogorath is the "Person Shaped Can", created by the other Daedric Princes to trap Jyggalag. More like a deity shaped can, given Sheogorath is also a Daedric Prince.
* SeinfeldianConversation: He enjoys these, and even has them with himself.
--> ''"Cat's out of the bag on that one, isn't it? Who puts cats in bags, anyway? Cats hate bags!"''
* ShoutOut:
** In the Cthulhu Mythos the Outer God Nyarlathotep is said to often walk the Earth in the form of a tall, slim, joyous man, and was described by Lovecraft himself as "horrible beyond anything you can imagine -- but wonderful". In the Elder Scrolls mythology one of Sheogorath's most favored forms is "Gentleman With a Cane", and he is both reviled as the source of madness and revered as the inspiration for (and original creator of) art, literature, and music.
** Others had suggested in terms of Lovecraftian lore, Sheogorath's name may be derived from Shoggoth, a name of amorphous, shapeshifting beings in H.P. Lovecraft's writings.
** Another possibility, is that Sheogorath 's name and characterisation are a reference to Cegorach from ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'', with both being trickster god, and noticed as ver similar by fans of both ''Warhammer'' and ''Elder Scrolls''. It helps Cegorach and Sheogorath may be pronouced the same, or very similary, and that folks at Bethesda are self proclaimed fans of ''Warhammer 40,000''.
** The official explanation is that Sheogorath was named after ex-developer ''Theodore'' "Ted" Peterson, who even is active on Official Forums under Sheogorath's name. It's possible though that the name Sheogorath, was created by combining 'Theodore', with one or more of the above options.
* StatingTheSimpleSolution: If you start his Shrine quest in ''Oblivion'' while in the middle of the Shivering Isles plot, he'll note that you could have saved yourself [[NoodleImplements the lettuce]] and just come over and ''talked'' to him.
* SuddenSequelHeelSyndrome: Technically a case of Sudden ''Prequel'' Heel Syndrome since ''Online'' takes place centuries before the main series, but he's ''much'' more malevolent and sinister than he ever was before in ''Online's'' Mages Guild arc, and appears in several other quests where he drives people to kill themselves and others [[ItAmusedMe pretty much just because he thinks it's funny]].
* TalkativeLoon: He likes to talk and ''is'' the god of madness.
--> ''"Wonderful! Time for a celebration! Cheese for everyone! Wait, scratch that! Cheese for no one! That could be just as much of a celebration if you don't like cheese, true?"''
* TalkingAnimal: True to his Khajiiti epithet of "Skooma-Cat," in ''Online'''s ''Elsweyr'' chapter he appears in the form of a well-dressed Alfiq.
* TarotMotifs: The Tower, in the ''Skyrim'' tarot deck.
* TookALevelInKindness: It's suggested in ''Skyrim'' that the current Sheogorath (the Champion of Cyrodil) may be much more benevolent then his predecessor. Rather than causing random chaos like in previous games, Sheogorath's Daedric quest in ''Skyrim'' has you helping to cure the late Emperor Pelagius the Mad of the madness which has long plagued him. The spin-off game ''Blades'' also has a helpful NPC who's heavily implied to be him.
* TrademarkFavoriteFood:
** Cheese. His Daedric quest in ''Oblivion'' requires it, he constantly speaks about it, including several memorable lines involving "cheese for everyone!" quickly followed by "cheese for no one!" and in his ''Skyrim'' appearance he has cheeses set out on a banquet table before him. In ''Online'', this gets exaggerated even more, with many, ''many'' references to cheese in the quests that involve him. Given his overt madness and divine status, this isn't simply a fondness for eating cheese, but more like a surreal, platonic affection for the stuff.
** Since the Princes (like the Aedra) manifest themselves as an AnthropomorphicPersonification of the sphere(s) they govern, and one of Sheogorath's spheres is cheese, he ''is'' cheese. [[MindScrew Whatever that means.]]
* TranquilFury: Oh sure, he can fly into a rage at the drop of a hat, but never actually carries out his lurid threats onscreen; rather, when someone ''truly'' infuriates him (which the player can do by attacking him in ''Shivering Isles''), he gets unnervingly polite and quiet before immediately murdering them.
* TricksterGod: One of his favorite games is making mortals or even other daedra look like idiots. The lesson is usually "don't underestimate/bargain with/upset/stand near/shirk worship of Sheogorath", but it can be kinder ("there's always room for creativity") or more cruel ("there's madness within us all"), depending on his whims...
* {{Troll}}: Sometimes, it seems he just likes to point and laugh. One story of his has him challenging fellow prince Hircine to combat-by-champion. Hircine fielded a huge, saw-toothed, dagger-clawed, vicious werebeast. Sheogorath revealed his champion to be... a songbird. The tiny bird then proceeded to goad the werebeast into tearing ''itself'' apart by perching on it, singing and then flitting away, over and over. The bird won. Sheogorath's sole reason for any of this was, apparently, that he found Hircine's fury hilarious.
* {{Tuckerization}}: Sheogorath is named after ''Elder Scrolls'' co-creator Ted Peterson. Sheogorath being a corruption of his first name, Theodore.
* VillainProtagonist: In ''Skyrim'', his dialogue implies that the Champion of Cyrodil was a member of the ThievesGuild and the [[MurderInc Dark Brotherhood]]. On the other hand, this may be a sign that ''Oblivion'' suffered from another [[TimeCrash Dragon Break]] in which all possible choices of the player base's actions are all true. This would mean Martin Septim's death and the Champion of Cyrodil becoming Sheogorath is the point where the Dragon Break ends and the time lines reconverged.
* WhatTheHellIsThatAccent?: In ''Oblivion'' and ''Skyrim'' his voice veers wildly from Irish to Northern Irish to Scottish to British and sometimes American. Perfectly justified; would the God of Madness really be expected to speak in anything resembling a consistent tone of voice?
* WinsByDoingAbsolutelyNothing:
** His mythical victories over Hircine and Vaermina involved letting their champions or victims destroy themselves. In Hircine's case, Sheogorath's champion (a small bird) simply flitted around next to Hircine's champion, and the weredaedroth destroyed itself trying to attack it. In Vaermina's case, she and Sheogorath made a bargain to see whose dreams could most influence an artist devoted to her. After she infected her worshipper/victim with intense night terrors to enhance his terrifying and disgusting art, Sheogorath did nothing whatsoever when his turn came up to torment the artist, and the man went insane from believing that Vaermina had abandoned him, ending with him being executed for his enraged blasphemies against the Divines, and going on to the Shivering Isles.
** He also does this in another book when a wizard asks him to give him magical powers. Sheogorath agrees, if he cannot drive the wizard insane in three days. The wizard ends up driving himself mad, fearing Sheogorath will do something horrible to him, when in actuality Sheogorath doesn't do a thing to him.
* WithThisHerring: A frequent feature of his quests, probably for his own amusement. One famous implement is the Fork of Horripilation. "Horripilation" is the anatomical word for... goosebumps. [[spoiler:It's the size of a common kitchen fork, and you're supposed to kill a giant bull netch with it. Have fun.]]
--> ''"Now, I know what you're thinking. Can I still rely on my swords and spells and sneaking and all that nonsense? Sure, sure. Or, you could use... THE WABBAJACK! Eh? Ehhhh? Didn't see that coming, did you?"''
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Vaermina]]
!!Vaermina
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/vaermina.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Statue of Vaermina]]
->'''Voiced by:''' Carla Delaney (''[=TES=] V: Skyrim'') (English)[[note]]'''Other Languages''':Larisa Brochman (''[=TES=] V: Skyrim'') (Russian)[[/note]]
-> ''"Vaernima, Prince of Omen and Dream, shares a special mageographic connection with the Mundus, since mortal sleepers often slip into her realm without any help at all."''
-->-- '''''Imperial Census of Daedra Lords'''''
-->'''''Sphere''''': Dreams, Nightmares, Fear, Omens\\
'''''Realm''''': Quagmire\\
'''''Artifacts''''': Skull of Corruption\\
'''''Servants''''': Unknown
Vaermina is the Daedric Prince of Dreams and Nightmares, and is also associated with Fear, Terror, Omens, and Torture. Her most common form is that of a petite woman, typically wearing a headdress or mask, and often holding a staff. She is typically considered to be one of the more "bad" Daedric Princes, perhaps second only to Molag Bal in pure malevolence.
Vaermina's realm is Quagmire, also known the Dreamstride. It is a realm of horrors, where reality shifts upon itself in seemingly impossible ways. Every few minutes, lightning flashes and the realm morphs into a terrifying scene, each one more frightening than the last. It is the realm most commonly visited by mortals, who often slip into it unintentionally while they sleep. Quagmire and Mundus have been known to partially merge where Vaermina's influence is strong, especially in areas near the Skull of Corruption.
In ''Daggerfall'', Vaermina asks you to slay a lich who betrayed and stole power from her. She does not appear in ''Morrowind'', but is mentioned. In ''Oblivion'', she asks you to kill a wizard who stole her orb. In ''Skyrim'', she is plaguing a town with continuous nightmares and must be dealt with. In ''Online'', she attempts to take over Stormhaven with the help of her cultists, the Supernal Dreamers.
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* ColdBloodedTorture: Torture is believed to fall within her sphere, particularly torture of the psychological kind.
* CoolMask: In ''Online'', she is often depicted as wearing one of these. Indeed, her emblem consists of her mask, and a [[SnakesAreEvil snake]].
* CuteIsEvil:
** Her voice in ''Skyrim''. When she finally speaks to the player at one point, it's with the sweetest, most adorable voice you could ever hear... while she orders you to murder Erandur, a priest of Mara trying to rescue a village.
** In ''Online'', she has even more dialogue. Her voice is still adorable, and almost childlike... while [[CuteAndPsycho gleefully describing how]] she is going to spend the next century or so [[MindRape Mind Raping]] you for killing her Champion, whom she was apparently in love with.
* DarkIsEvil: She's definitely one of the more brutal Daedric Princes, to the point that she may be second only to ''Molag Bal'' in some ways.
* DreamStealer: Her most famous artifact, the Skull of Corruption, has this power. It is also theorized that she uses the dreams of mortals as some sort of source of power.
* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: In ''Daggerfall'', it's stated that her sphere is "corruption and decay." Almost no elements of this persist into the later games beyond the name of the Skull of Corruption, with these concepts instead being attributed to Molag Bal and Namira, respectively.
* EldritchLocation: Her realm of Quagmire, which changes for the viewer every few moments in a flash of lightning to something even more horrific than before. It is the source of all nightmares, as mortals may unintentionally enter it while they sleep. Quagmire and Mundus have been known to partially merge where Vaermina's influence is strong, especially in areas near the Skull of Corruption.
* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: In ''Online'', she is stated to actually be in love with her champion. Her reaction to his death would seem to back this up.
* FriendOrIdolDecision: In her ''Skyrim'' quest: Either kill Erandur and keep the Skull of Corruption, or spare him and gain a companion at the loss of the artifact.
* MagicStaff: Her most (in)famous artifact is the Skull of Corruption, an unholy magic staff which steals the dreams of sleeping people for power. In various instances, it has either allowed the caster to create clones of the staff's target (who then fight for the caster) or it casts a damaging spell which gets stronger if it has stolen dreams.
* MindRape: She can cause this by afflicting mortals with ceaseless, horrific nightmares. For a mortal, simply ''being'' in her Quagmire can be this.
* NightmareFetishist: ''Literally.'' She often kept her champion in Quagmire in ''Online'', seeming not to care of the fact that simply ''being'' there can cause MindRape, or perhaps, actually seeing that as a ''show of affection''.
* NightmareSequence: She exists to cause these in mortals.
* NightmareWeaver: As nightmares fall under her domain, she is this. In fact, it's implied that the act of visiting her plane and the act of having a nightmare are one and the same.
* PutOnABus: She does not appear in ''Morrowind'', but is mentioned. She returns for ''Oblivion''.
* RedBaron: The Gifter, Weaver of the Panoply, Queen of Nightmares, Dreamweaver.
* ReptilesAreAbhorrent: Statues of her often depict her with a snake draped across her shoulders. In ''Online,'' her emblem consists of her CoolMask with a snake wrapped around it.
* UnholyMatrimony: Her champion in ''Online'' is said to also be her lover, and [[EvenEvilHasLovedOnes her feelings for him are genuine]].
* WhiteHairBlackHeart: Is sometimes depicted with white hair, and happens to be one of the more outright malevolent Daedric Princes.
[[/folder]]
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