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OblivionOrig

Mehrunes Dagon's Realm: the Deadlands.

For other uses, see Oblivion.
Quotebg
"When thou enterest into Oblivion, Oblivion entereth into thee."
Nai Tyrol-Llar[src]

Oblivion (also called the Void of Oblivion,[1] the Planes of Oblivion[2], and Waters of Oblivion[3]), is a collective term used to describe one subset of the planes of existence, inhabited by the Daedra.

Creation

Oblivion is the portion of the Aurbis mostly created by the Daedric Princes, those et'ada who did not wish to take part in the creation of Mundus, and is frequently used synonymously with the planes of these. These beings created their individual planes of Oblivion out of themselves, possibly in mockery of the Mundus.[4] While most of the realms of Oblivion exist at the will of a Prince, there are some that are sustained by the collective will of an array of lesser Daedra.[5]

While the vast majority of planes are created by those et'ada who took no part in the creation of Mundus, there are others, namely the Colored Rooms of Meridia and Ashpit of Malacath, that were created by spirits who are considered Daedra who later became so. Meridia's plane was deliberately created by her,[6] while the method and reason for the creation of Ashpit is unknown, although it is possible that it was created as a prison for Malacath.[UL 1]

Rulers and inhabitants

Nocturnalportrait

Nocturnal, a Daedric Prince.

Almost all known planes of Oblivion are ruled over by one of the Daedric Princes and the plane takes a form reflective of its prince's personality.[5] The native inhabitants of these planes are collectively referred to as Daedra, are often created at the whim of the Prince who created the plane,[4] and are not mortal in the traditional sense. If they are killed, especially on the mortal plane, their innate spark of life, what is sometimes called their "animus," returns to a new physical body.[7]

Those areas of Oblivion not affiliated to a Prince are often called pocket realms, although this term also refers to minor realms affiliated to a prince, the precise relationship of which depends on the nature of each Prince.[8]

Interactions with Nirn

Oblivion is visible from Tamriel, and the mortal mind interprets Oblivion as the vast black nothingness of space, literally seeing it as an empty void that is the night sky.[1]

Travel between Oblivion and Nirn is possible at particular locations, although most of these exist in unsafe locations.[9] There have been a few constructed spaces to facilitate travel between Oblivion and Nirn, often creating liminal spaces between Mundus and Oblivion to ease the transition, called "slipstream realms". The most celebrated of these is the Battlespire, used to train Imperial Battlemages.[5] Travel to Oblivion is also possible through the use of Sigil Stones.[10]

The opening of portals to Oblivion independent of these locations is possible, and is typically achieved through the use of magic inspired by the Daedra themselves.[11][12]

In the Second Era, Molag Bal attempted to merge Coldharbour with Mundus, in an event known as the Planemeld.[13]

At the end of the Third Era, Mehrunes Dagon attempted to come fully into Mundus, in an attempt to claim Tamriel for himself, opening Oblivion Gates between Mundus and Oblivion to assist his invasion.[14]

Physics

Generally speaking, each plane of Oblivion is a unique, distinct world, with its own natural laws and native inhabitants. They range from the violent and inhospitable Deadlands, to the paradise-like Moonshadow. Not all of these planes take a form that even permits the existence of mortals, though most of those known to Tamriel's scholars have been visited at least once. In addition to those known to be ruled by a Daedric Prince, the powerful college of Imperial Battlemages has made contact with a number of other realms, and built their training grounds (the Battlespire) in several of these.

Planes of the Daedric Princes

Several Daedric planes are known to exist and are associated with the Daedric Princes. These are:

Azura's Moonshadow

Azura

Azura, Mistress of Moonshadow.

Main article: Moonshadow (Location)

Moonshadow is described as an impossibly beautiful, amazing world made up of impossible shades of colors, and perpetual twilight.[15] This realm is believed to be permanently sealed off from mortals.[UL 1]

Boethiah's Attribution's Share

Main article: Attribution's Share

Also known at times as Attribution's Share,[UL 1] Boethiah's plane is made up of vast mazes, gardens and labyrinths, and the architecture has a very twisted and sinister appearance. Betrayal and deception are a matter of natural law in this realm.[UL 1] Tournaments are on occasion held here for mortals to prove themselves.[11]

Clavicus Vile's Fields of Regret

Main article: The Fields of Regret

The Fields of Regret appear as a serene countryside dotted with majestic merchant cities, fields of white clovers, woodland meadows, twisted foliage, and odd melted-looking places.[UL 1][16] The sky is blue with cottony clouds with greenish-grey patches, and the air smells of both perfume and rotting flesh.[17]

Hermaeus Mora's Apocrypha

Main article: Apocrypha
Apocrypha

Apocrypha, the realm where forbidden knowledge is sought.

This is the central repository for all knowledge in the entire universe, the home of Hermaeus Mora.[15] It is said to resemble an infinite library.[15] Murky waters spout tentacles throughout the abyss. Its books are all identical, having black covers and no titles, but there is one of every book ever written, and includes knowledge normally forbidden to humans.[18] Mortals who wander here usually die and remain behind as ghosts, still seeking knowledge.[19]

Hircine's Hunting Grounds

Main article: Hircine's Hunting Grounds

This plane consists of a vast expanse of islands, inhabited by the various Daedra, or by vast forests, plains, grasslands and puzzling mazes. Hircine's plane has a higher than normal population of atronachs, and it is home to were-beasts and creatures much larger than those of Tamriel. The most popular hunted prey are those unlucky mortals who find themselves here accidentally. Mortal souls who have been blessed or rather, cursed with Lycanthropy are sent here.

Malacath's Ashpit

The Ashpit is a barren, barely-habitable wasteland.[15] Of those realms accessible by mortals, this is considered the hardest to reach. The realm is described to have no surface and no end. It is filled with particles of ash and smoke, swirling full of curses and broken promises.[15] It is known as the final resting place for Orsimer who live and die honorably, as many orcs are heard making comments such as "By the Ashpit." According to comments made by the Daedric Prince Sheogorath, this plane has some sort of spine in it, due to his comment that the backbone of Malacath's realm is an actual backbone.

Mehrunes Dagon's Deadlands

TESIV Obliviongate

A gate into Oblivion.

The Deadlands represent as close to the mortal vision of Hell as any of the Oblivion planes. It is also possibly the best known of all Daedric realms to mortals on Nirn. During the failed invasion of Nirn by Dagon's forces near the end of the Third Era, various Tamrielic forces, especially in Cyrodiil and Black Marsh, actually stormed the Deadlands and won victories there. Ash storms and vast seas of lava make up the majority of this realm, which is populated by the highly intelligent Dremora, as well as many semi- or non-intelligent beings. The beings include Storm Atronachs, Flame Atronachs, Clannfear, Scamps, Daedroth, Xivilai and Spider Daedra. It is from this realm that Dagon has attempted to launch his repeated invasions of Nirn. Jagged rocky formations divide the landscape into miniature valleys. People who fall into the cracks in these jagged rocks oftentimes can never escape.

Meridia's Colored Rooms

Colored Rooms 1

Little is known about this realm, save that the Auroran are native to this plane. This is where Umaril's spirit fled when Pelinal Whitestrake slew him. The realm is clouded in a thick purple fog and is surrounded by floating rocks and the skies seem to be perpetually lit by stars.

Molag Bal's Coldharbour

Molag Bal built his realm to resemble an apocalyptic Nirn, where familiar landmarks appear scorched and ruined. It has been described as what Nirn would look like, were it to undergo centuries of cataclysmic war. Another Imperial Palace is located in this realm, but it is laden with rotting corpses and dripping with freezing blood. Mortals who make their way here usually end up in the realm's vast, numerous slave pens or charnel houses, bound for eternity as Soul Shriven.[15] The only untouched region is Atmora, as Molag Bal thought its status as a frozen wasteland was distasteful, and thus it remains as a frozen wasteland. Coldharbour is one of the most inhospitable realms of Oblivion. The sky constantly burns yet the whole realm is beyond freezing. The ground is nothing more than sludge, jagged, rocky formations and ravines and dead, tainted grass. Dremora and Daedroths are known to roam the realm in large numbers, scouring for more slaves.

Coldharbour is habitable by mortals to some degree, as a city controlled by Meridia is located in the realm after her efforts to relocate a Tamrielic city to Coldharbour due to the boundaries between Mundus and Oblivion being weakened and in the mid-Second Era, mortals from Tamriel actually lived there and the city functioned as a normal Tamrielic city, with merchants doing business and even living in houses. However, the city was only there to serve as a base for an assault on Coldharbour by the Fighters and Mages guilds to stop Molag Bal's Planemeld. It is unknown whether or not the city is still there.

Namira's Scuttling Void

Little is known of Namira's realm beyond its name, and that no known mortals have traveled there and returned.

Nocturnal's Evergloam

The Evergloam is the mysterious realm of Nocturnal, and seems to have some connection with the "luck" that thieves seem to enjoy. Little is known about Evergloam much like its mistress. The known locations within the Evergloam are the Shade Perilous, Nocturnal's fortress within her realm, and Crow's Wood.

The connection between Nirn and the Evergloam is located in the temple known as the Twilight Sepulcher. Members of the Nightingales guard this temple during life and death, until Nocturnal deems their contract complete; they are sent to the Evergloam to become one with the shadows.

The Daedric artifact known as the Skeleton Key maintains the connection between Nirn and the Evergloam. Once removed, the portal will close, severing all ties to Nocturnal.

Peryite's Pits

This plane is considered to be one of the lowest orders of Oblivion, and is possibly more than one plane. The least of the lesser Daedra make their homes here. Little is known of this plane, as it is completely inaccessible to mortals. The closest people have gotten to the Pits were a small band of his worshipers whose spirits were pulled into Oblivion in a botched attempt to summon Peryite. However, it is likely that these spirits ended up in Mehrunes Dagon's Deadlands, as the plane of Oblivion they were trapped on contained the same superheated red oceans, the same Daedric creatures, and the same dangerous, jagged black rocks. Opposing this hypothesis is the fact that the gate Peryite used to transport a hero to this plane was different in appearance compared to the large, fiery red cat-eye shaped permanent portals of Mehrunes Dagon. This may simply be because a different Daedra opened the gate, or because it was a short term gate. This gate was blue, rectangular, smallish, and bordered with broken lengths of levitating stone or some other substance.

Sanguine's Realms

Sanguine is said to be in control of tens of thousands of individual, unnamed realms housing all forms of pleasure and decadence. One of these realms is called Misty Grove; it resembles a pleasant woodland clearing with a campfire, where revelers gather, drink alcohol and sing. This is part of the quest "A Night to Remember."

Sheogorath's Madhouse (Shivering Isles)

Bliss

Not all planes of Oblivion are fiery and sinister. Bliss, a city in the Madgod's realm, embodies this.

The Madhouse, like its master, has a split personality. One half of this realm appears cheery and lighthearted, but hides a deeper manic undercurrent. The other half is more obviously sinister, representing Sheogorath's demented side. This is one of the few realms that has permanent mortal inhabitants. Each division is ruled by a duke or duchess. Main cities in the Shivering Isles include New Sheoth, Bliss, the Crucible, and Passwall.

Vaernima's Quagmire

The Quagmire is the source of all nightmare and terror. Mortals on this realm describe scenes of impossible horror, which change every few minutes with a blinding flash of lightning into ever more horrifying visions.[15] Mortals in the midst of a nightmare are frequently brushing against the edges of this realm.

Other planes of Oblivion

Chimera of Desolation

This realm, the last of the Oblivion realms in the Battlespire, was created by Mehrunes Dagon to punish a mortal conjurer.

Infernace

An extremely hot realm consisting of molten rock and lava. It is the home of the Flame Atronachs.

Mankar Camoran's Paradise

Mankar Camoran, using instructions left by Mehrunes Dagon, created his own personal plane of Oblivion, which appeared outwardly to be an idyllic garden realm, but hid a number of torture chambers and other forms of punishment in the underground areas. Here, Camoran's followers in life are given immortality in this afterlife, but they live only to be preyed on and tormented by Camoran and his Daedric allies.

Ideal Masters' Soul Cairn

Dawnguard-soulcairn

The Soul Cairn, ruled by the Ideal Masters.

This is an unaligned plane of Oblivion, also used as part of the Battlespire. It is inhabited primarily by the undead, including an odd race called the Gem Vampires which control the realm. Additionally, the lords of this realm of Oblivion are also called the Ideal Masters. The masters are known to make deals with necromancers, at a price not to be bargained for. Mortal souls used in black soul gems are sent to the Soul Cairn, where their spirits wander unaware of time or self.

Takubar

An extremely cold realm, said to change the very composition of the beings within, creating rare phenomenons seen nowhere else. The Cold-Flame Atronachs are said to have been created here.

Oblivion Barriers

For the most part, the planes of Oblivion are remote and distant, metaphysically, relative to Nirn. While it is physically possible for inhabitants of certain realms to travel to Nirn and for mortals to enter certain Oblivion planes, it is extremely difficult. In particular, the princes themselves are generally barred from entering Nirn, though they seem to have no problem crossing between Oblivion realms.

The most common means of crossing the boundary between Oblivion and Nirn is by conjuration magic. This allows a mage on Nirn to summon a Daedra from one of the Oblivion planes, and bind it to his will, for some period of time. In some cases, the Daedra arrives bodily on Nirn; in other cases, the Daedra's essence is bound into an item, such as armor or weapon, for use by the conjurer. Rarely, a truly powerful magician can permanently bind a Daedra to an enchanted item, but typically, the item vanishes once the Daedra's conjuration ends. Extremely powerful mages can also transport themselves to the Oblivion planes; in addition, the Daedric Princes can, in some situations, bring a mortal to their realm. This works much the same as with summoning Daedra to Nirn. If a mortal is transported bodily to an Oblivion plane, they can die just like they would on the mortal plane. If they are drawn into the realm magically, it usually involves their body remaining on Nirn, and their death is no more permanent than the death of a summoned Daedra.

In the early centuries of Tamriel's history, Daedric Princes commonly walked on Nirn. Certain Daedric Princes played pivotal roles in the development of the early races of man and mer. Azura was responsible for teaching the Chimer to be different from the Altmer (and subsequently cursing the Chimer into the Dunmer). She also created the Khajiit from the Bosmer. Boethiath was indirectly responsible for creating the Orsimer by consuming Trinimac. Near the beginning of the First Era, after the Ayleid slave wars were over, the Aedra made a pact with Alessia to prevent Daedra from manifesting on Nirn. Since the Aedra's planes sit between Oblivion and Nirn, they were able to erect barriers that kept the Daedra away from Nirn, unless summoned by someone from the mortal side. After this, only a few very rare locations existed where mortals could travel to Oblivion, and the Daedric Princes were forced to communicate with their followers via their shrines, and never in person.

Magon vs Akatosh

A battle transpired between Mehrunes Dagon and Akatosh, which sealed the rifts between worlds forever.

After the Oblivion Crisis however, the joined blood of Martin Septim and Akatosh strengthened the barriers, so now the Dragonfires do not need to be lit to keep the barriers intact. Many believed that this would permanently sever Oblivion from Nirn as a shrine or a mortal summoning is required to commune with the Daedra.

During the Fourth Era, 200 years after the Oblivion Crisis, the barriers are apparently weaker. Daedric Princes and high end Daedra are physically manifesting on Nirn. Some manage this through use of a portal of sorts like Nocturnal and the Ebonmere. Some high-end Daedra such as Clavicus Vile's dog Barbas are able to manifest and live on Nirn, Hermaeus Mora was able to manifest himself through a Black Book, and even Sanguine himself manifested under a mortal guise.

Trivia

  • During The Elder Scrolls: Arena, Jagar Tharn imprisoned the Emperor within Oblivion.
    • In the The Elder Scrolls: Arena Manual, a realm called the Netherworld is mentioned as being the home of a race called Daemons. It is likely that these names were the precursors of Oblivion and the Daedra during the early years of The Elder Scrolls franchise.
  • Oblivion is likely based on the Christian beliefs of Hell, as much of it seems to be a dimension with fire and lava—a common representations of Hell—and some Daedra seem to have horn-like features, a representation of Demons or Satan.
    • Additionally, many characters say that someone they have a grudge or hatred of can rot in Oblivion, based on the phrase to "Rot in Hell."[20]
    • Some of the daedric princes are based on ancient pagan idols, that become associated with demons in Christianity. These include Mehrunes Dagon (from real life Dagon) and Molag Bal (Based on Moloch and Ba'al). Additionally, the name of Mephala is somewhat similar to "Mephistopheles," another name for Satan in popular culture.

Appearances

Sources

References

Notice: The following are unlicensed references. They are not copyrighted by a ZeniMax Media company, but can still be considered part of The Elder Scrolls lore and are included for completeness.
  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Imperial Census of Daedra Lords

Start a Discussion Discussions about Oblivion (Realm)

  • What realm would you chose?

    45 messages
    • I would choose The Hunting Grounds. I love werewolves, and free food forever! If not, then Sithis. But cool like the Spectral Assassin.
    • Also, what is To watch over a certain area within a certain cave for a certain society
  • Could the Thalmor be guided by Jyggalag?

    21 messages
    • As far as I know Jyggalag seems more like the type of Daedric Prince to focus of remaking a realm instead of toying with mortals.
    • The Thalmor have used Daedric Princes before to get an advantage aganst the Empire.
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