Lore:Daedra

Daedra (/ˈdeɪ.drə/ or /ˈdi:.drə/) are immortal beings that are commonly believed not to have taken part in the creation of the Mundus, and thus not to have become bound by the limitations imposed by the contract of its creation. They have a very real impact on the mortal realm; in one way or another, Daedric influence touches everyone on Tamriel.

They are regarded as counterparts and, in a manner, opposites of the Aedra, though the distinction between the two can be confusing to the layman and the terms Aedra and Daedra, gods and demons, are often used interchangeably. The terms "Aedra" and "Daedra" are not relative; they are exact elvish titles which translate to "ancestors" and "not our ancestors", respectively, representing the mythical genealogy of the elves as they perceive it. The divide between Aedra and Daedra is commonly thought to have originated after their birth, during the creation of the Mundus, where most cultures maintain the Aedric beings played a leading role in the creation of Nirn, causing them to commonly be considered the creators of the mortal world, whereas the Daedra refused to participate in the project..

The word "Daedra" is of Aldmeri origin, and roughly means "not our ancestors", as opposed to Aedra—"ancestors". Technically, only the plural is written "Daedra", but this word is frequently used in singular as well. The proper singular form is "Daedroth", but that has come to refer to a specific species of Daedra. Different cultures have their own myths and names for Daedra. The study of Daedra is referred to as Daedrology. Those who study Daedra are called "Daedrologists".

Mythic Origins

Altmeri

According to the creation myth of the Altmer, "The Heart of the World", creation begins before the start of the Dawn Era and the beginning of time: the primordial force of Anu the Everything, who encompassed and encompasses all things, created Anuiel, the soul of all things, so it could know itself. Anuiel in turn created Sithis for the same purpose, as the sum up of all limitations which it would use to differentiate between it's attributes and ponder itself, and their interrelation created the Aurbis, where the Original Spirits, the Et'Ada, emerged before the creation of the Mundus as "aspects of Aurbis". The Aurbis, at first turbulent and chaotic, was stabilized by the emergence of Auri-El, the soul of Anui-El who spread through existence as the force called time, allowing the Original Spirits to take on names and identities. One of these spirits was more of a limit than a nature, called Lorkhan, he convinced the other spirits to help create a "soul" for Aurbis, a place where even the aspects of aspects might self reflect, but this was a deception. The new world, Nirn, was a place composed of more limitations than not and the spirits that participated in its construction began to die and many vanished completely, prompting the architect, Magnus, to terminate the project and depart. When Magnus departed the Mundus, the et'Ada that took part in its creation broke into groups, most would follow the flight of the God of Magic to become the Magna Ge, but some of those present chose instead to stay in the new world and keep working on it so it wouldn't die, laying, the foundations of both the system and laws of Mundus and the mortal life that would emerge. Of these remaining spirits some would follow the example of Y'ffre, giving themselves to the Mundus fully to stabilize it and form the foundation of its natural law, and would typically be referred to from that point on as "Earthbones" or "Earth Bones". Others would choose not to give themselves fully but to populate Nirn instead, having to "make children just to last", those spirits would from that point typically be referred to as the "Ehlnofey".The offspring of the Aedra would exhibit a gradual change however, each consecutive generation was weaker than the one prior, more removed from their progenitors in stature and might. Through this generational phenomenon of diminishment the offspring of the Ehlnofey would differentiate, the Ehlnofey would eventually give away and the first Aldmer would arise, while the "weakest souls" that resulted from it would be formed by Lorkhan into armies he named "Men". Altmeri myth holds that Auri-El and Lorkhan and their respective followers would than war with one another, leading to the shattering of Altmora, the "Elder Wood" and one of the first kingdoms established by Auri-El alongside Old Ehlnofey, at Lorkhan's hands, and culminating in the removal of Lorkhan's Heart following his defeat. During this conflict and prior to Lorkhan's defeat, Auri-El begged Anu to take them back but Anu refused as he'd already created something to replace them. The more merciful Anui-El created Auriel's Bow and Auriel's Shield to be used by Auri-El against Lorkhan's hordes. Following the establishment of the Adamantine Tower Convention was held, Lorkhan was judged, the laws and roles of spirits within the Mundus were defined, and the Aedra elected to make their exit from mortal affairs due to the danger their continued presence posed to the mortal world, which was rendered highly unstable, and even the timeless continuity of existence. With the departure of magic in the mythic sense, linear history could finally begin.

Aldmeri and Psijic

According to "The Psijic Compensation", the basics of Aldmeri belief as explained to Uriel V by the Psijic Order: Aurbis existed for time without measure as the Gray Center between the forces of Anu and Padomay. Within this Gray Center emerged the magical beings of mythic Aurbis, bits of the immortal polarity given life. The first of these was Akatosh, whose existence made it easier for other spirits to structure themselves. For a long time these spirits lived, formed, reformed, and procreated. Eventually, with Lorkhan as the instigator of the decision, the spirits told the story of their own deaths. This process has been described in various terms, as a transfiguration into the concrete non-magical substance of the world, as a war in which all were slain with their bodies becoming the substance of the world, or as a romantic marriage and parenthood where the parent spirits naturally had to die to give way to the succeeding mortal races. Mortals were shaped in the image of the spirits, either consciously molded by them, or sprung forth from the matter left behind by the dead spirits. Having died, these spirits became the et'Ada, and separated themselves in nature from the rest of the magical beings of Aurbis from that point on. The Psijics believe, therefore, that the Aedra and Daedra, the powerful spirits to whom mortals pray, are the spirits of "superior men and women whose power and passion granted them great influence in the afterworld", and were themselves bewildered by their own ancestors, going back to the original progenitors, the Acharyai, while alive.

Cyrodiilic

According to the Cyrodiilic creation myth, "Shezzarr's Song": the world was formed when Shezzarr convinced a number of the gods, the Aedra, of the beauty of the concept of becoming mothers and fathers. The Aedra, determined to proceed regardless of cost, gave birth to the world and the life within it by sacrificing part of themselves, a painful process after which they were no longer strong and young as they'd been since the beginning. Some of the Aedra, the gods of the elves led by Auri-El, came to regret their choice and sought revenge upon Shezzarr and his allies, resolving to teach their children, the elves, to endure the suffering of the new world with dignity. Others, the gods of Men led by Akatosh, were proud, deeming the new world and the life within it glorious despite their sacrifices, and resolving to teach their children to cherish the concepts of beauty and honor and to love one another. The Daedra viewed this course of action as folly, and chose instead to create their own worlds within themselves and under their complete control for all time, giving rise to their split from the Aedra.

Yokudan

According to the Yokudan creation myth, "Satakal the Worldskin": all things originated from Satak, the First Serpent on whose scales all worlds to come rested. Compelled by its Hungry Stomach, Akel, Satak started a neverending cycle of devouring itself and shedding its skin to be reborn and begin anew, becoming Satakal. When things from within the devoured worlds realized the truth of the cycle they began to take names and so the first spirits came to be. These spirits sought to escape Satakal's neverending hunger and found a way to slide between its Worldskins by moving at strange angles, this was called the Walkabout and through it was born a sanctuary from the cycle called the Far Shores. One of these spirits, Ruptga, sired many children and was so tall he placed the stars in the sky to help other spirits escape as well. The mortal world was formed when Sep, created by Ruptga out of previous Worldskins to be his helper, convinced some of the other spirits to stop performing the Walkabout, as they could escape the cycle by inhabiting a new world made of balled up Worldskins instead. This, however, was a trick, as having been formed of its skin Sep too carried much of Satakal's hunger, and wished to devour the spirits who followed him. Too far from the Far Shores to jump back to, and too far from the real world of Satakal to survive, the deceived spirits began to die but were survived by the children they'd made.

Khajiit

According to the Khajiit creation myth: The gods were born as siblings to the three litters of Ahnurr and Fadomai. Spirits commonly considered Aedra were generally born to the first litter, and spirits commonly considered Daedra were generally born to the second. The goddess Nirni was born to the third litter, alongside the moons, Azurah and, eventually, Lorkhaj. Nirni wished to give birth to children, but had no place where she could do so, so she went to Lorkhaj for help. Lorkhaj made a new place but, as his heart was filled with the Great Darkness of Namiira due to the circumstances of his birth within the Great Darkness, he tricked a number of his siblings into entering this place with Nirni, where many of them had to die to make Nirni's path stable. Furious at the betrayal, the surviving siblings tore out the Heart of Lorkhaj. Pre-ri'Datta myths also mention that Nirni eventually died when Y'ffer was also corrupted by the Great Darkness and killed her. Y'ffer himself was later slain by Azurah, Khenarthi and Hircine, and his bones were used to construct a cairn for Nirni.

Reachmen

According to the Reachmen: Nirn was created by Lorkh, who desired to create not a vibrant paradise but a teaching tool a place that taught through suffering. To create this place Lorkh came to Namira, queen of the infinite realm of spirit, who granted him a place in her endless void to make his new world. As part of his covenant with Namira Lorkh had to make a great sacrifice of his own, a sacrifice which is said to be reflected in the creation of the Briarhearts. Diverging from other Tamrielic beliefs, the Reachfolk view a number of the Daedric Princes as Great Spirits that are linked to the processes of the mortal world. To them there are but two worlds, the world of flesh, and the infinite world of Spirit from which all dualistic competing forces emerge. The Reachmen believe Hircine to be the heir of Lorkh as supreme spirit of the world of flesh, contrasted by Namira who is the spirit queen that rules the world of spirit, they also maintain that the natural order of the world, the eternal balance and rhythm of the world's competing forces, is maintained by Peryite.

Clockwork Apostles

According to the Clockwork Apostles: Nirn was created by the "et'Ada Gears", aspects of Anu as is everything else, who were tricked by Lorkhan into believing the Great Lie, that they were separate from the all encompassing singularity that is Anu, and took names of their own to reinforce this illusion. In this belief the Daedra and Oblivion are nothing more than illusion themselves, a consequence of the flaws of the creation of the et'Ada' Gears creation, the result of the Void taking root within the cracks caused by said flaws.

Argonian

According to the transcribed creation myth of the Adzi-Kostleel Argonian tribe, Atak the Great Root and Kota the Serpent fought each other for so long that they eventually forgot their fight and became one, forming the entity Atakota. Atakota severed its roots and shed its skin and said the word "Maybe", giving rise to its Shadow, formed of its hunger and shed skin. Atakota continued to roil in a cycle, devouring itself and shedding its skin to be reborn and begin anew, each scale a world that it devoured. From this process the world and spirits arose, with Atak and Kota not in conflict, things now had time to begin and end, and the Shadow too fell asleep. As Atakota slumbered, the spirits started making new things that shared in their aspect and loved them, and they started growing, until they too were as large as Atakota, and forgot it had come before them and had a sleeping Shadow. Soon the worlds and spirits became too big and there was no more room for new things, in desperation, the spirits fell upon the sleeping Atakota and bit into it to drink its blood. Eventually the peace of Atakota broke, Atak remembered growing and Kota remembered being nothing, and existence fell into chaos again. In that time of chaos some spirits drank deeply of Atakota's blood and sap, and they grew scales and fangs and wings, forgetting why they'd ever made anything other than to eat it. Kota's blood made new oceans and Atak's sap made new stones. Eventually the roots woke the shadow and asked for its help, and its intervention put an end to the chaos that was threatening to consume everything.

Other Beliefs

Though most creation myths credit the Aedra with contributing to the creation of Mundus in some manner and describe said event as the point of the split from the Daedra, there are exceptions where the formation of the mortal world is described as the work of other forces and the distinction between Aedra and Daedra originates from their emergence itself.

According to the Anuad: all things began with the brothers Anu and Padomay. Their interplay created Nir, who alongside Anu gave birth to the Twelve Worlds of Creation. Jealous, Padomay attacked, but was cast out of time by Anu. Life emerged on the Twelve Worlds but, eventually, a hateful Padomay returned and shattered the worlds with his blade. After Anu defeated his brother, he attempted to save what he could by combining the shattered fragments of the Twelve Worlds into a new world, Nirn. But after he did so, Padomay rose again and the two brothers finally pulled each other out of time forever. On Nirn life was seeded by the survivors of the Twelve Worlds who'd arrived in the new world alongside fragments of their original worlds, the Ehlnofey and the Hist, and during this time the gods and demons of the world, the Aedra, Daedra and Magna Ge also formed out of Anu and Padomay's spilled blood, as distinct groups from the life of Nirn and from each other from the start.

According to the Bretonic tale "The Light and the Dark": two immortal entities representing Order and Chaos chose Tamriel to be their eternal battleground. This everlasting battle would create energies so powerful it distorted the world and created life, including the "people of et'Ada", who would in turn give rise to the gods, and their "daedric enemies", by believing in their myths for so long and so strongly, it caused the energies unleashed by the conflict of the Light and the Dark to bring them into being. According to the grandfather, all of creation exists to echo the battle between the Light and the Dark.

According to the beliefs of the Mythic Dawn, the mortal world was actually the Oblivion plane of Lorkhan, who was actually a Daedric Prince. Per this belief, the Aedra, the gods mortals generally worship, were actually Lorkhan's betrayers, who stole the realm from its true deity and intentionally split Lorkhan's progeny from their divine sparks, so that they themselves would be viewed as the sole exit from the current world.

Behavior and Culture

Daedra are sometimes referred to as demons, but this is misleading. All Daedra have a penchant for extremes and are therefore capable of tremendous acts of devastation, but their different spheres make them apply their power in different ways, and their infinite diversity makes speaking about them generally difficult. Thus, it is often impossible to accurately label them as "good" or "evil"; the one thing that can be stated with certainty is the Daedra are beyond mortal comprehension (as mortals seem to be beyond Daedric comprehension). Lyranth the Foolkiller once noted that even "the lowest Banekin has a more developed sense of the Aurbis's scale and nature than your most eminent scholars".

Daedra are great imitators, and their creations are described as mimicking things found on Nirn in an outlandish or even corrupted way. They are capable of creating seemingly indestructible and mighty Daedric armor and weaponry through dark rituals. The Daedric Princes have also created several species of Daedra that resemble species found on Nirn. The Beetles, Scorpions, Wasps, and Spiders from Mephala's Spiral Skein, the Crows from Nocturnal's Evergloam and the Nightmare animals from Mehrunes Dagon's Deadlands are some of the more blatant examples of Daedric imitations of animals from Nirn.

Many species of Daedra speak a language known as Daedric, known as the language of Oblivion. It is not to be confused with the Daedric alphabet. The tongue is incredibly old and has been theorized to have followed the language of Ebon Stadmont, which it bears a resemblance to.

Daedra such as Dremora are said to know little of fear and therefore have little use for concepts such as comfort, which are meant to shield from one's frights or cares. A Daedra belonging to a clan is said to be bound and shaped by its clan bond, becoming linked to other members of that same clan in purpose and attuned to them in a manner that allows each clan member to perceive the secret signs and intentions of the other clan members where others would sense nothing. It is described as a connection which can never be broken, not even by death, something which defines a Daedra's essential nature to the extent it should be thought of not as an allegiance but as their very identity. Thus Daedra will often refer to each other by their clan title such as "Bladebearer" or "Foolkiller" as one would use a name. The bond a clan's Daedra have to their sovereign is thought to sometimes imperil them, it is thought that when a clan's sovereign punishes them severely for a great failure or when that sovereign suffers a great defeat, the event can impact the clan itself somehow, rendering it "Vanquished". Such Vanquished Daedra are viewed as exiles and outcasts and treated with contempt.

The existence and nature of the Aedra has been subject of commentary by some of the Daedra, though even among them various views exist. The Dremora Lyranth described the Mundus as the "cemetery" of the Aedra, claiming that their original hopes for their issue, the Ehlnofey and the mortals that succeeded them, and their world were ultimately not achieved due to the mortal's foolishness. Nonetheless, though the creators of Mundus are said to have "died in pursuit of an impossible goal", they are praised for their immense conviction and admired for having wrought order out of chaos, a "brutal coercion" which even Daedra must deem impressive. By contrast, Magnus and the Magna-Ge are viewed as cowards, no other spirits being as low, who fled when things turned dire, thus making it impossible to ever know what could've been achieved had they chosen to stay and keep helping to the end. Contrasting Lyranth's view, the Mazken information broker Madam Whim, claimed that no living being existed which could explain the true relationship between the Aedra and the Daedric Princes, and that no information she'd ever come across in her long life indicated the Aedra were anything more than a story mortals told themselves to feel safer in their beds at night.

Though Daedra are usually dismissive of mortals, and interest in them is generally viewed as an oddity, there have been cases of Daedra growing to respect or even fall in love with mortals, to the extent of provoking the ire of their clan for doing so.

Characteristics

Vestiges

The Soul of Dusk, a Daedric animus

Daedra lack an Anuic Animus, also known as a mortal soul, each one instead possessing a Daedric soul known as a Vestige (sometimes also called an Animus). When a Daedra is destroyed, either in Mundus or in Oblivion, its Vestige is banished to the "Waters of Oblivion" and then attracted back to the plane of Oblivion from which it originated. To reflect this, a slain Daedra is often said to have been "banished" or "purged" instead of "killed". A Daedra reforms (or "reconstitues") according to the pattern within its Morphotype (a concept which seems to be interchangeable with the Vestige, though it more closely relates to the form of a Daedra) using Chaotic Creatia (e.g. the Azure Plasm of Coldharbour). The reconstitution process has been described by at least one type of Daedra as being both irritating and unpleasant, involves action on the part of the discorporate Daedra, and can result in minor variations in the final reconstituted form, such as a body part that seems "shorter than it used to be". A Daedric Prince can create a new Daedra by replacing an entity's original Animus with a Vestige, a process which was used to give rise to the original Daedric Titans.

Unlike mortals, Daedra and their Vestiges are described as largely immutable and static, incapable of experiencing change in spiritual nature or certain aspects of character. It is said that they never grow or change, a reflection of their nature as beings who are "immortal" and "forever".^{[citation needed]} This unchanging nature is described as applying even more so to Daedric Princes; the Princes themselves express inability to truly destroy or permanently remove the power of another Prince, even if the targeted Prince desires it to be so. A case of this phenomenon was seen with the Daedric Prince Ithelia, who was stripped of her power and rendered "as powerless as a mortal" when first imprisoned, but couldn't be destroyed and gradually regained her power upon being released. Later, when Ithelia willingly relinquished her power to rid herself of the grip of her destructive rage, it was determined that her nature as a Prince would always restore her to power and freedom, sooner or later, whether she desired it or not -- also causing the rage to return. This, the true nature of a greater Daedra's "princely disposition", made it necessary for Ithelia to be exiled to a different reality, due to the threat she posed to existence.

This immutability is reflected in some aspects of a Daedra's nature. A Daedra's form and nature are said to be defined by their Nymic or "incantatory true name" in its one changeless form, described as a "pattern or formula that defines the being created when it manifests itself from the eternal chaos of Oblivion". According to Hermaeus Mora, immortals such as the Daedra do not share the mortal quality of always having a chance to succeed and reach a desired outcome, even when it would otherwise be impossible, and instead would inevitably fail in the same circumstances. This limitation of Daedra is also affirmed by the Daedric Prince Ithelia, according to whom the natural ability of mortals -- to choose who they are and alter their own fates naturally and without the need of magic or divine power -- is something of which beings such as herself or her servants are incapable. The Vestiges of Daedra are unlike the souls of mortals, in that they are fettered to existence. Where a mortal might change their spirit's vessel through some basic magic (a change a number of mages have undergone, taking on forms such as that of a Voriplasm, a tree, a Tomeshell, a Giant, or even a Dragon skeleton), a Daedra's form is defined by their Nymic or "incantatory true name" in its one changeless form.

Because of this difference in mutability, even a mortal who's received power from a Daedric Prince to achieve transformation into a "mock-Daedra" remains mortal in terms of nature..

According to the Mazken Madam Whim, a renowned information broker operating out of Fargrave, the original formation of the Vestiges of lesser Daedra is generally the work of a progenitor Daedric Prince, who forms them out of the Creatia of their realm and sets their nature and path at the time of their making.

Though normally unchanging, a Daedra's Vestige -- and therefore its Morphotype -- can be altered and given new qualities through vestigial hybridization, a process through which a Vestige is given traits originating from a different Vestige, thus allowing a new type of Daedra to be created. Examples of this process include the creation of the Xivkyn by Molag Bal through the combination of elements from both Dremora and Xivilai within the Vile Laboratory, and the transformation of Valkyn Skoria, who became a being of elemental fire through the addition of elements from Flame Atronachs to his Vestige by Mehrunes Dagon.

It is possible to trap the animus of a Daedra by magically infusing it into an item. It is not known what happens to a Daedra killed in Aetherius, though it has been suggested that this may be one way to permanently kill a Daedra. While normally considered immortal (even by their own reckoning), a lesser Daedra can experience a form of death through the rare method of its Vestige being changed by a Cataclyst, a device designed by the Moth Priest Elegian that permanently merges multiple Daedric Vestiges to create an Incarnate, a more powerful Daedra which is said to be the incarnation of a natural disaster, effectively eliminating the original identities of the combined Daedra and killing them, even though their essence persists. There is one known way for a lesser Daedra to be rendered incapable of ever returning, and that is for their own progenitor Prince to consign their essence to nothingness. The Dremora Torvesard met his final end at the hands of his Prince, Ithelia, in this manner.

According to Daedric sources, the manner in which the Daedra perceive each other's essence can differ from how mortals view them; sources from Dremora describe them as viewing others of their kind as a "belligerent collision of acute hyper-angles".

Emergence and Variation

A Daedra Lord (Battlespire)

Daedra come in many forms. Undoubtedly there are true Daedra (called Greater Daedra), such as the Daedra Princes, Daedric Lords, and Demiprinces. There are many lesser beings known to be in league with these greater powers, such as the highly intelligent Dremora. but whether each type constitutes actual Daedra is unknown. It is known, however, that Daedra such as Dremora see other lesser Daedra like Banekin and Clannfear as pests, similar to how mortals view rats on Nirn. In addition to this, the Daedra operate in different ways. Some Daedra are shaped by their Prince's will, such as Aurorans or Crow Daedra, while others such as Atronachs may eschew all formal ties with the Princes. Most Daedra lie in between, such as declaring allegiances based on whoever has the greatest will.

Daedra can arise through a variety of processes.

According to the Mazken Madam Whim, a renowned information broker operating out of Fargrave, the original formation of the Vestiges of lesser Daedra is generally the work of a progenitor Daedric Prince, who forms them out of the Creatia of their realm and sets their nature and path at the time of their making.There have been cases of lesser Daedra that were created by their progenitor Prince to accomplish a specific purpose or task, such as the scions of Ithelia, who were created by their Prince to help avert her foreseen imprisonment after a conflict with the other Daedric Princes."

There have been cases of Crow Daedra being formed out of the feathers of a Daedra Lord. Mind Terrors are said to be the dreams of a Daedric Prince made manifest as Daedric beings.

Some sources claim that the Magrus formed his children, the Magna Ge by himself out of "pure aether", with at least one of two of those aether formed beings going on to become Daedra, the Daedric Princes Meridia and Ithelia. Other accounts describe how the interplay of the spirits itself can increase their numbers.

There have been cases of greater Daedra using their Nymics to create beings that serve as their extensions, or even to replicate their own being and create new instances of themselves. Following the Planemeld in 2E 582, Tho'at Replicanum, a Daedra Lord who had taken on the form of "vivified ink", invaded the Infinite Archive in search of something. Tho'at splintered her Nymic and imbued it into the tomes of the Archive, allowing her to create a potentially infinite number of Maligraphies, Daedric fascimiles of vivified ink that replicated the creatures and objects described in the texts that spawned them, extensions of Tho'at herself. In addition to creating Maligraphic copies of the creatures in the tomes, by the time action was taken to banish her, Tho'at had already replicated herself hundreds of times across the Archive by creating Maligraphic copies of herself. Though replicas, each Tho'at Replicanum copy had a slightly different Nymic, so they were all separate beings to one another, and different Nymics had to be gathered to banish each.

The souls of Khajiit are described as having unique qualities, an innate duality or choice to be made not found in other souls, which is what allows for their transformation into Dro-m'Athra, dark spirits who have been described as "bizzare mutants" of a Daedric nature by the Daedra themselves. It is said by master necromancers that to view Dro-m'Athra as either just a form of Daedra or as just corrupted mortal souls is not quite accurate.

Just like with other beings, each reality along the Many Paths contains its own version of each entity, be they mortal or Daedra, even deities such as the Daedric Princes have their own alternate versions within the realities. These alternate versions are said to be "reflections" of one another, different in some ways, like images in a cracked mirror, but originating from the same seed. However, it is known there is at least one reality where concepts such as magic or Daedra do not exist at all.

Procreation

Lurker Spawn, an example of daedric young

Unlike mortals, Daedra do not typically reproduce or endure the process of giving birth and consider the mortal way crude, messy, or boring. Dremora are said to have no parents. The mortal words for parents, such as "father", instead have a meaning more akin to "creator" or "master" in Oblivion. Despite this, some Daedric beings, usually those that imitate Nirn's creatures, do reproduce in more conventional manners, such as Nocturnal's Crow Daedra who lay eggs to hatch more of their kind. Similarly, Skein Invertebrates also produce their own young. Clannfear and Nightmare Animals exist in juvenile forms and do grow up to adulthood, but whether they reproduce normally or are created young is unknown. Lurkers are an example of a truly unique Daedra capable of having offspring; they are known to have aquatic spawn.

Demiprinces are described as the Daedric offspring of a Daedric Prince or Daedra Lord and a lesser entity such as a mortal. They are said to emerge from a unique conjoining of purest creatia from the realm of a Daedric Prince or Daedra Lord and "something more, including either the essence of a soul in case the other party is a mortal, or an influence more esoteric and hard to put in mortal terms. The formation of a Demiprince is always an intentional act on the part of their Princely parent, and can not occur by accident. Though their origins lie with one of the Daedric Princes or Daedra Lords, some Demiprinces like Fa-Nuit-Hen are also described as having existed since before time began, as is by and large the case with greater Daedra In addition, a Demiprince that is considered scion of a Daedric Prince doesn't always arise from the creatia of that Prince's realm originally, as Daedric Princes have been known to adopt other spirits as scions even if their realm's creatia wasn't involved in their creation. Some sources claim Fa-Nuit-Hen is one such Demiprince, adopted by Boethiah, as no spirit could continue claiming to be a Prince's scion for so long without that Prince's approval.

Nymics

A Nymic or "incantatory true name" is described as a "pattern or formula that defines the being created when it manifests itself from the eternal chaos of Oblivion". It is said to define both the form and the overall nature and role of a Daedra, shaping it perpetually into one changeless form for all time. Thus, the Daedric Prince Mehrunes Dagon is defined as a god of destruction by his own Nymic and can't simply choose to be something else; if he is banished, he is reconstituted exactly as he was before because he is bound to his portfolio eternally.

A Daedra's overall true name can be comprised of multiple types of Nymics. A "protonymic" is the description of a kindred of species for creatures that lack self-awareness. A "neonymic" is an additional Nymic that more "sophisticated" Daedra, such as Dremora, Skaafin, or Watchers, have in addition to their protonymic. A "tribunymic" indicates clan affiliation and a "hieronymic" a Daedra's rank within it. Greater Daedra, such as the Daedric Princes, possess additional layers to their Nymics, such as the potent "egonymic", which lesser Daedra lack and of which they are largely unaware. The more complex and greater a spirit, the more Nymics it has -- and the more difficult it becomes to interact with its true name via magic.

Other Characteristics

Some sources describe Daedra as not requiring sustenance in the form of food or drink, and as being unchanging beings that require no sleep. Though many Daedra have been observed eating despite this. Accounts from the Daedra themselves also describe how they do not normally dream, and that for them to experience a dream is something that can only occur when some external influence is at work.

According to some sources, unlike the Aedra, who are bound to the Earthbones as part of the contract of creation and are therefore subject to death, it is said the protean Daedra are not bound by those same rules and so can only be banished. Aedra are generally thought to be associated with stasis and to be capable of creation, whereas Daedra are generally thought to represent change and to be incapable of creation but able to mimic and to change things.

Some sources claim that Daedra do not inhabit their bodies in the same manner mortals do, but rather their consciousness floats adjacent to their physical form, allowing them to influence it, or even another object, to move as they desire from the outside by exerting their will.

Daedric Princes

Molag Bal (ESO)

Daedric Princes (also known as Daedric Regents, Daedra Lords, Demon Lords of Misrule, Lords and Ladies of Oblivion, and the Second Litter to the Khajiit) are the most powerful of the Daedra, and thus most commonly worshipped as gods. Each has a particular sphere, which it is said to govern. Daedric Princes may assume a typically masculine or a typically feminine form, sometimes both. They are usually referred to as Princes regardless of what gender they appear most frequently as. In all, there are eighteen powerful Princes known to mortals: Azura, Boethiah, Clavicus Vile, Hermaeus Mora, Hircine, Ithelia, Jyggalag, Malacath, Mehrunes Dagon, Mephala, Meridia, Molag Bal, Namira, Nocturnal, Peryite, Sanguine, Sheogorath, and Vaermina.

Each Daedric Prince, with the exception of Jyggalag, is said to have their own plane of Oblivion, over which they have control. Proper Oblivion realms, such as the main realms of each Prince, are said to all be infinite in scale. The realm of each Prince is said to be fundamentally shaped and curated by their will and change to accomodate their slightest whim, to the extent that it has been said by some that the Prince is the realm and the realm is the Prince. Though for most Daedric beings creating a realm is an enormous undertaking as it requires enormous will and power, the Daedric Princes are said to possess such might that in ages past they formed vast and practically limitless domains around the initial seed of their realm. As such some of them are known to also have sway over Adjunct Realms or border realms, such as the Infinite Archive of Apocrypha, which lie within their plane's "greater fabric".Some of these border realms have been described as having extensive or even infinite scale, and not lying within the same time and space as their Prince's main plane.. The limits on their planes, powers, and influence are not readily understood, as there are over 37,000 other planes (such as the Soul Cairn and the Chimera of Desolation, as well as chaos realms and pocket realms) over which they are not known to exert control, and indeed there exists far more than that, with accounts from the Daedra describing the minor realms in Oblivion as overall being infinite in both number and complexity.. The planes of Oblivion are said to exhibit infinite variation, much like the Daedra that inhabit them, thus it is said they share little in common, being "the very definition of change and variation, manifesting all possibilities, and validating all understanding and misunderstanding". Indeed, it is said that what the mortal senses perceive while in an Oblivion realm is crafted from illusion and metaphor, the result of their mind attempting to make sense of the surrounding chaos. Because of this phenomenon things like the "grass" one might perceive while in an Oblivion realm are actually just the memory of that thing as interpreted by the mortal mind.. The smaller planes are said to often "twist into hyperogonal paradoxes" in an attempt to resist any sort of order being imposed on them, or wink in and out of existence, making it difficult for Daedra to gain a foothold there. The term "pocket realm" is said to refer to any minor plane of Oblivion, whether it is autonomous from the rule of a Daedric Prince, semi-autonomously under the rule of a Prince-appointed "functionary", or fully incorporated by a Prince. The realms comprising Oblivion are described as being part of a different universe or a different dimension in relation to Mundus.

The Daedric Princes seem to view Men and Mer as little more than minor amusements, occasionally applauding the actions of mortals when they exceed their expectations. They do not know the mortal sense of "good" and "evil", and usually have extremist tendencies, which is why Men and Mer fear them greatly. However, several princes do seem to take genuine pleasure in tremendous acts of devastation, in particular Boethiah, Molag Bal, Vaermina, Mehrunes Dagon, and Peryite.

Although the beings are considered evil by most, they are widely worshipped in the realms of Tamriel. Elaborate shrines are created to honor the Daedra as gods. They often take a keen interest in their worshippers, and it is speculated that this is either because of the obvious ego-gratification of being somebody's god, or because the Daedra like to keep an eye on potential future subjects (assuming people of demonic disposition enter Oblivion after death, that is; there are as many afterlife theories as there are religions in the world). Mainstream religious authorities discourage Daedra worship, and often mount witch-hunting expeditions to drive out Daedra worshippers from the local area. During these encounters, they are often surprised at the marginal sanity that comes of worshipping the Daedric Princes. For the most part, however, dealing with the Daedra, one gets the distinct impression of being mused over as a person peering under an upturned rock may momentarily wonder at the lives of the bugs living ignorantly there. For more information, see main lore article.

Lesser Daedra

The Daedric Princes are only the most powerful of the Daedra, and many of them have many servants known generally as lesser Daedra (not to be confused with Daedroths, specific type sometimes refered to as simply "Lesser Daedra"). Even though many lesser Daedra are associated with a Daedric Prince in particular, in reality, any individual Daedroth can serve any Daedric Prince by taking part in an "Oath Bond" while others stay unaligned, though the specifics are characteristically unknown. Some are in service to mortals. For example, the Dunmer have been known to use Daedra as servants and instruments, as have many other cultures, and the Ayleids employed entire armies of Daedra in their wars against men. Daedra are often summoned and used in the study of Magic; of course, the school of Conjuration deals specifically with connecting one's mind with a Daedroth and compelling its appearance in the mortal plane. For information on mortals summoning such Daedra, see the book Darkest Darkness. Much like the planes of Oblivion which they inhabit, the Daedra are described as being overall infinite in their variation.

Bestiary

A Lurker (Dragonborn)

• Aurorans
• Banekin
• Bookwyrms
• Clannfear
• Crow Daedra
• Crystaljack
• Daedric Titans
• Dark Seducers
• Daedmites
• Daedrats
• Daedric Horses
• Daedroths
• Doppelgangers
• Dremora
• Dremnaken
• Dro-m'Athra (disputed)
• Elemental Daedra (Atronachs)
• Fiendroth
• Fire Daemons
• Fractured Remnants
• Gloam Knights
• Golden Saints
• Grievous Twilights
• Guardians
• Harrowing Reapers
• Harvesters
• Havocrels
• Hell Hounds
• Hermitage Servitors
• Hernes
• Hoarvor Daedra
• Hungers
• Huntsmen
• Imps (disputed)
• Incarnates
• Inferniums
• Knights of Order (disputed)
• Knower's Eyes
• Lurkers
• Meridian Guardians
• Mind Terrors
• Mirrorplasm
• Mirrorworms
• Morphoid Daedra
• Nightmare Animals
• Nocturnal Shrikes
• Ogrims
• Omens
• Pariah Scamps
• Pumpkin Spectres
• Ruinachs
• Scamps
• Scorions
• Seekers
• Shattered Shards
• Skaafin
• Skein Invertebrate
• Skitterises
• Spider Daedra
• Spiderkith
• Tomeshells
• Vermai
• Watchers
• Winged Twilights
• Wraith-of-Crows
• Xivilai
• Xivkyn

Gallery

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  Daedra Heart (Skyrim)

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  Azure Plasm, a type of Chaotic Creatia (ESO)

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  Daedric Armor (Oblivion)

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  A Daedric Ruin (Morrowind)

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  A group of lesser daedra performing in a band (ESO)

Notes

• According to Lyranth, the Foolkillers Clan once warred with a minor realm consisting of "laughing mirrors", and noted a realm of "talking daggers" could theoretically exist. This goes to show how many more Daedra may exist than mortals are aware of, as they are said to be "as numerous and distinct as the grains of sand in your Alik'r desert". The realm of Attribution's Share is said to be inhabited by "nightmarish creatures" large enough to swallow travelers whole.

See Also

• For game-specific information, see the Daggerfall, Battlespire, Morrowind, Oblivion, Skyrim, Elder Scrolls Online, and Legends articles.

Books

• Aedra and Daedra — Overview of the basic differences between Gods, Demons, Aedra, and Daedra
• The Amulet of Kings by Wenengrus Monhona — Chronicles the creation of the Amulet of Kings
• The Book of Daedra — Excerpts from a lengthy tome describing the nature of each of the Daedra
• Crafting Motif 14: Daedric Style by Seif-ij Hidja — Compiled notes on the motifs and materials used by various Daedra
• Crafting Motif 17: Xivkyn Style by Denogorath, Dread Archivist and Promulgator of Mandatory Doctrine — A guide to crafting armor and weapons in the Xivkyn style
• Crafting Motif 35: Dro-m'Athra Style by Twilight Cantor Adara'hai — A guide to crafting armor and weapons in the Dro-m'Athra style
• Crafting Motif 63: Dremora Style by Lyranth the Foolkiller — A guide to crafting armor and weapons in the Dremora style
• Darkest Darkness — A description of various Daedra
• "Death" of Morphotypical Entities by Doctor Rhythandius — Academic musings on the "death" of Daedric beings
• The Doors of Oblivion by Seif-ij Hidja — The chronicles of Morian Zenas' journey through the realms of Oblivion, penned by his apprentice
• Eyes of Nothing by Romien Garvette of the Whispering Shadows — A Nocturnal cultist's notes on the Wraith-of-Crows
• Feyfolken by Waughin Jarth — The Great Sage tells a story of Artaeum, Psijics, and Robotic Enchanters
• Inexplicable Patron: Mephala by Divayth Fyr — A Telvanni Lord's musings on the Daedric Prince of Secrets
• The Insatiable — Instructions on how to summon the embodiment of ceaseless hunger
• Letters for the Battlespire Hero by Vatasha Trenelle or Josian Kaid — A series of letters from an initiate to their friend following in their path
• Modern Heretics by Haderus of Gottlesfont — An account of one researcher's visit to the shrine of the Daedric Lord Azura
• The Monomyth — A theological book containing the common creation myths
• The Oblivion Crisis by Praxis Sarcorum, Imperial Historian — A summary of the events stemming from the assassination of Emperor Uriel Septim VII
• On Oblivion by Morian Zenas — A guide to Oblivion and the Daedra
• Daedra Dossier: The Titans by Denogorath the Dread Archivist — Notes on the origin of Daedric Titans
• Saints and Seducers by Andoche Marie — Sentinels of the Isles: A treatise on Golden Saint / Dark Seducer culture and history within the Shivering Isles
• Shadows and Whispers by Romien Garvette of the Whispering Shadows — A Nocturnal cultist's notes on the invasion of the Clockwork City
• Spirit of the Daedra — A look into the Daedric mindset
• Varieties of Daedra by Aranea Drethan — An analysis of Daedra forms, focusing primarily on the Dremora
• Varieties of Faith... by Brother Mikhael Karkuxor of the Imperial College — An expansive list of the pantheons and associated divine spirits of Tamriel's dominant cultures
• Vernaccus and Bourlor by Tavi Dromio — How a short-tempered Daedra tries to make something of himself

References

Note: The following references are considered to be unofficial sources. They are included to round off this article and may not be authoritative or conclusive.