8/10/2019 Gods Of The Elder Scrolls
To begin, if you want to get a little history on Elder Scrolls first you can read my article, A History of Elder Scrolls. I will go into as much detail as I can for all of the known races that have lived on Tamriel. Just a warning, I will go into in-depth detail on all of the races. The knowledge is all here if you want to read, otherwise feel free to skim. The main races that are going to be in Elder Scrolls Online are listed below in the âPlayable in Gamesâ section. But if you want to know how all of the races came to where theyâre at, just keep reading. (There are a lot of races that I left out, Dragons for example, and I did that because the article was just too long. Please feel free to skim the Elder Scrolls Wiki online if you want to learn about them.)
The Long Winded Introduction
Though âThe Divinesâ (as I like to call them) are the technical starters of all this (just like, if you believe it, God created Earth and Humans). The Divine created the world and all the races on it but I will not start with them. Since theyâre not hugely involved in the game they will be at the end of the paper, though they will consist of the most information. I advise anyone serious about joining the Elder Scrolls universe, or anyone who just wants to know more about it, to read all of this. This game has so much detail that it could take you all day to learn all there is to know. But this is a good place to start!
I will first cover the âstarterâ races. These are the three races that all of the playable races branched from. Then I will cover one race in the game that was breaded out of existence and became another race. Then I will cover the playable characters, every character you have ever been able to play as in the games. Then I will cover the âextinctâ races, the ones that no longer exist. For the last part, as I mentioned before, I will go into detail on the being (Sithis) that created the beings (Aedra and Daedra) that created our world (Nirn). Hope that makes sense!
How about we get started?
The Two Races That Started It All
Where we start this section is with the Ehlnofey. These people were the first to set foot on Nirn. Back in this time the planet consisted of four continents: Tamriel, Yokuda, Atmora, and Akavir. Tamriel is of course where our story takes place. Yokuda is where the Redguards and Left-Handed Elves called home until a cataclysmic event caused the land to sink completely underwater, forcing the Redguards to leave their land to find another. Atmora is a barren, frozen land where the Nede came from. The last continent, and the only other one still inhabited, is Akavir, the homeland of the Dragons. The form of the Ehlnofey is unknown but what we must come to understand is that every creature in the game branches off from this one race. Two of the races that branched off created the elves and humans but others that branched off eventually turned into Imga, Hist and even Dragons (keep in mind that any form of Daedra comes from the world of Oblivion and is not a descendant of the Ehlnofey). More will be explained on this race in the last section.
The next race, one of the two founders, is the Aldmer. This race is responsible for all of the Elf races after it; Altmer, Ayleid, Dunmer, Dwemer, Left-Handed Elves, Orsimer, Chimer, Bosmer, Snow Elves/Falmer, Maormer, and even the Bretons (a cross breed of Elf and Man). Aldmer translates to mean First/Elder Folk and it is believed that they were the first race to walk Nirn. They hail from the mythical island of Aldmeris, a land that is not noted on any maps and is not confirmed to exist. Though we canât say whether they were the first on Nirn or not we do know that they were the first to Tamriel. Settling first in Southwester Tamriel, they eventually settled across the entire island. By the beginning of recorded history they had already branched into many of the elf races we know today. Though humans believe themselves created by the Gods (Aedra), the elves believe they are descendants of the Gods. The Aldmer no longer exist as a race entirely but they do live on as the father of many races that inhabit Nirn today.
The last race in this section, the second of the two founder races, is the Nedes. This race is responsible for all of the Human races after it; Imperials, Nords, Redguards, Kothringi, and Bretons (again half of them at least). The Nedes initially called the land of Atmora home. There on that cotenant the broke off and formed smaller colonies. The colonies eventually began fighting and a great civil war erupted. A small group of Nedes broke off from Atmora and ventured out to find the land of Tamriel, landing on the northern tip of Skyrim. There the Nedic hero Ysgramor and his five hundred companions built Saarthal. They lived next to the Aldmer in relative peace until the Aldmer noticed their quick growth of the Nedic population. The Aldmer fought the Nedic and after much fighting the Nedic eventually defended themselves and continued to prosper in Tamriel. The Nedes no longer exist but from them three separate races were born. Those Nedes that stayed in Skyrim became the Nords. Those Nedes that traveled west with the Aldmer breaded and became the Breton. Those Nedes that traveled south became the Imperial. The remaining Nedes that stayed on Atmora eventually began taking ships over to Tamriel, joining the battle against the elves, until the last two ships that came to Tamriel from Atmore were filled with dead Nedes. Atmora was left barren after their departure.
Bred Out of Existence
The one race that became extinct through breading into another race is the Ayleid. This race, known as the Wild Elves, was the first race to establish rule in the Imperial City - the first empire in Tamriel. Through their alliance with the Daedric Princes and their use of magic the Ayleid gained control over the Cyrodiilic and Nordic populations and turned them into slaves. The Ayleid were cruel to their slaves and after years of abuse their slaves finally revolted against them and overturned their empire. Forced from their empire by their former slaves the Ayleid fled to Valenwood where they breaded with the Bosmer.
The Playable Races
The Altmer, called the High Elves, call Summerset Isle their home. They are much taller than the other races and they have golden skin. Their proficiency with magic is greater than all the other races. Because of this it also makes them the most susceptible to magic attacks. Altmer is translated to âHigh Folkâ and their name is derived from their ancestors, the Aldmer. They consider themselves the successors and direct descendents of the Aldmer; they believe they are higher than all other races.
The Dunmer, also called Dark Elves, have ashen skin with blood red eyes. They are an untrustworthy race with above average intelligence and strength. They are great warriors and magicians. All Dunmer are descendants of the Chimer. One theory of how they came to be the Dunmer is with a punishment. The Tribunal, consisting of the three Chimer, Vivec, Sotha Sil, and Almalexia, fought the Dwemer to prevent them from using Lorkhanâs heart. Unable to stop them, the Dwemer used the heart and vanished. The Tribunal, with the help of the Nerevar, found the tools to access Lorkhanâs heart. Once the Nerevar died the Tribunal used the tools and Lorkhanâs heart to turn themselves immortal. Once confronted by the Daedric God, Azura, the Tribunal told Azura they didnât need her because they were their own Gods now. Azura cursed the Chimer, turning their skin to ash and their eyes red. (Of course Iâm leaving out A LOT, but thatâs as short as I could summarize it. Play Morrowind or research the Chimer online to get the full story.) Another possible reason is given to the disappearance of the Dwemer. The Dwemer were very big into their technology and another belief is that when the Dwemer vanished their machines malfunctioned and turned the Chimer into the Dunmer. Of course the Imperials believe that the Chimer killed all of the Dwemer and their skin turned bluish-gray from their harsh environment.
The Bosmer, also known as Wood Elves, call Valenwood their home. Their short stature makes them great thieves and archers. A pact the Bosmer follow, called the Green Pact, makes the race complete carnivores. Because they call the trees home, the Bosmer are not allowed to harm any plant for their gain. This strict pact that the Bosmer stick to heavily influences every aspect of their life. They must import most of the materials they use so they donât harm any plants around them, greatly restricting what they can build. Most of their weapons must be constructed from bone. They are also restricted by the pact because every time they kill something they must consume them completely. This greatly determines how the Bosmer go to war; they are forced to fast for days before battle. The last aspect of the Bosmer is that they have the ability to transform their shape. The most notable use of this is when the Bosmer must defend their homeland. They transform their body into mindless, blood thirsty creatures that consume everything in sight. This is known as the âWild Huntâ and it is noted that all the creatures in Tamriel can be followed back to previous Wild Hunts.
The Orcs, call the Orsinium Area their home. This area is a section of High Rock between Menevia and Wayrest. Orcs are very strong and unwavering in their courageousness. Orcs have a very tough history, spanning from the loss of their homeland Hammerfell, to the loss of their elvin features, transforming them into the beastly Orcs. The Orsimer worshipped a God named Trinimac. Their God led them into a battle against the Chimer, who coveted the Dwemerâs technology. Before they could begin though, the Daedric Prince Boethiah ate their God Trinimac, turning Boethiah into the Daedric Prince Malacath. With this act the Orsimer were transformed into the beastly Orcs.
The Bretons, part elf and part human, call High Rock their home. They are average sized people with a knack for weaving spells. They are intelligent and very capable with magic and magic resistance. After a series of raids on the Nedic civilization controlled by Ysgramor, the Nedes lost all of their cities to the Aldmeri. Some of the Nedic people were captured and brought into slavery. The Aldmeri conducted tests on the Nedes and they bred them, creating Manmer (half man, half Aldmeri). They remained slaves for a while longer until the Aldmeri lost control of them and the Manmer were able to return to their people where they interbred creating the current day Breton.
The well educated and well spoken Imperials are natives of the central continent Cyrodiil. They arenât as strong as some of the other races but their lack of strength is made up by their diplomatic skills. With their diplomatic and light armor skills they were able to bring the rest of Tamriel under their control. They were brought to Cyrodiil as slaves by the Ayleids, but once the Ayleids lost power and were overturned the Imperials gained control of Cyrodiil. Gaining as much land with diplomacy as they did with war; eventually the Imperials gained control of all of Tamriel. The Imperials are divided into two smaller sects, the Colovians and the Nibenese. The Colovians rule the west side of Cyrodiil while the Nibenese control the rest.
The Nords, considered nomadic and barbaric by some, control all of the country Skyrim. Sometimes called âpeople of the skyâ, donât let their fair hair, blue eyes and pale skin deceive you. This race of people is very strong and powerful. Their heritage can be traced back as far as Ysgramor on the continent of Atmora. Once they seceded from the rule of the Aldmer, the Nedes officially became the modern day Nords.
The strong and agile Redguards are known for being skilled warriors with a sword and shield. Hailing from the land of Yokuda, they are very dark skinned with a great amount of resistance to hot and dry conditions. When their land sank under the sea, probably resulting from tectonic shifting, they set sail from their land to come ashore in Hammerfell. Knowing that they must fight for land and for the survival of their people they pushed the Orsimer from Hammerfell, taking the country for their own. The attack they sent upon the Orsimer (and allied Breton as well) is known as a Raâgada among their kind. It is from the name of this attack that the Redguards get their name.
The reptilian race of the Argonians is most commonly known for their waterbreating capability that allows them to survive in the harsh conditions of their homeland, Black Marsh. Known as Saxhleel in their native tongue of Jel, meaning âPeople of the Rootâ, they have scaly features with a long tail. Experts at âguerrilla warfareâ they have grown accustomed to constantly defending their borders from enemies. The brutal history of their life is plagued with abductions of Hist sap and many brutal wars with the surrounding countries. Many of the Argonians were taken slaves by their northern neighbors, Morrowind, the Dunmer. It is because of this reason that the Argonians have a strong hate for the Dunmer.
The Khajiit, a cat-like race hailing from the country of Elsweyr, are great fighters that have an odd knack for referring to themselves in third person. Not much is known about the history of this race but their frail features and pointy ears point towards being descendants of the Aldmeri. One of the greatest exports from Elsweyr, and creating the drug that the Khajiit are most commonly known for, is Moon Sugar. This drug is used to create a highly addictive drink called Skooma. Khajiit predominantly travel Tamriel in Caravans where they sell their wares, and of course their drugs.
The Extinct Races
The first race to ever go extinct in Elder Scrolls is the Left-Handed Elves. Not much is known about this race besides the fact that they lived on the continent of Yokuda and that they were completely destroyed by the Redguards before the continent was destroyed. Even if they werenât completely destroyed by the Redguards they confirmed to be extinct once Yokuda sank. (If youâre starting to get the impression that the Redguards just donât get along with anyone during this series, you would be completely correct. They love taking peopleâs homes and they donât like people living in their territory.)
Beating the next species to the extinction race is the Orsimer, now known as Orcs. As I stated above, the Orsimer worshipped a God named Trinimac. Their God led them into a battle against the Chimer, who coveted the Dwemerâs technology. Before they could begin though, the Daedric Prince Boethiah ate their God Trinimac, turning Boethiah into the Daedric Prince Malacath. With this act the Orsimer were transformed into the beastly Orcs, making the Orsimer extinct.
Already mentioned in the Dunmer section the next race to go extinct (only barely beating our next race to go extinct) were the Dwemer. A lot of speculation surrounds the disappearance of the Dwemer and no one to this day knows how they did it or why they did it. Dwemer, meaning âDeep Elvesâ, are an ancient race that mainly settled in Vvardenfell (âCity of the Strong Shield in Dwemeris) and Hammerfell. They are a very reclusive race of people who heavily concentrates on their research and advancements in technology. From records, dating back to the first era, we learn that the Chimer and Dwemer were great enemies until they created an alliance to expel the Nords from Morrowind. One clan, the Rourken, didnât agree with this and they left to settle in another region of Tamriel, decided by one of their clan members who threw his fabled hammer (Volendrung) and settled where the hammer fell, in Hammerfell. Soon after their alliance the Chimer and Dwemer began to fight again and battle broke out that culminated in The Battle of Red Mountain. Under the mountain, the Dwemer found the Heart of Lorkhan a mythological artifact believed to be able to grant immortality. A Dwemer named Kagrenac developed tools to harness the power of the heart and when he used it the entire race of Dwemer disappeared. Some believe they were killed for their attempt at immortality while others believe they succeeded and are Gods among the skies now. No one has seen a Dwemer since 1E 668, not counting Yagram Bagam, the last surviving Dwemer.
The next race went extinct very shortly after the Dwemer, and they were the Chimer. The Chimer broke off from the Aldmeri because of religious conflicts and they left Summerset Isle to live in Morrowind. This expedition was lead by a Chimer named Veloth. They left the Aldmeri so they could worship the Daedra. They thank the Daedric Prince Boethiah for this revelation. After he ate the prominent figure of Aldmeri religion, Trinimac, he used his voice to tell the Chimer about the lies of the Aedra. Once in Morrowind the Chimer were under constant attack with their neighbors, the Dwemer and the Nords. Indoril Nerevar eventually came to lead the Chimer and through him a pact was forged with the Dwemer. Together they fought against the Nords. This didnât last for long though. When the Chimer learned that the Dwemer were using The Heart of Lorkhan to make a God they attacked the Dwemer. Once they had stopped the Dwemer from creating Numidium, and the Dwemer had vanished after activating the Heart, they were punished and turned into the Dunmer. Some people believe that it was done because of The Tribunalâs disobedience to Azura by making themselves Gods or by their betrayal of the Nerevar. The last known Chimers to exist are the three immortals that make up The Tribunal.
The last race that went extinct is the Kothringi. Little is known about this race because of their limited publicity in the games, only mentioned in a few game books from Black Marsh during the second era. They were said to be humans with metallic skin and they called the Black Marsh home. Speculated to be a cross between Nedes and Argonians, the race was not around for a long time. They were wiped out by a plague before the dawn of the third era.
The Divines
Sithis is the creator of the Aedra and Daedra and is much older than either of them. He is everything and nothing all at once. Though he is not the God of Death, he enjoys people dying and suffering. Legend says that The Night Mother bore children for him and then sacrificed all of her children in his name. They are said to be wed and the Dark Brotherhood is her children.
et'Ada are the physical form of the spirits, much like Sithis. Some of them created the mortal plane of Nirn, turning them into the Aedra; while the rest went on to become the Daedra.
Aedra is one of two broad groups of supernatural beings who are attached to Tamriel and the plane it exists on. Aedra roughly translates to âOur Ancestorsâ. Though the Aedra are immortal they can be killed/murdered. Because of this, most people choose to not worship them because they are not worthy of worship. It is believed that all of the planet presences around Nirn are actually past Aedra kept on the same plane of existence. When the Aedra helped create Nirn they were bound to the same plane of existence. With the loss of their power they lost the ability to manifest themselves on Nirn. This group of spirits is smaller than the Daedra and each of them possess their own identity and a great degree of intelligence.
Daedra is a term used to loosely describe one of two groups of immortal beings with minimal intelligence. This of course doesnât apply to a smaller subset of Daedra known as the Daedric Princes. The Aedraâs inability to manifest themselves on the mortal plane and effect their creations greatly cripples them. The Daedra are able to manifest themselves and affect the mortal on Nirn. For this reason many people worship the Daedra instead of the Aedra. Daedra can be killed on the mortal plane, sending them back to Oblivion but the only theorized way of officially killing them is by conquering them on their home plane of Oblivion.
Akatosh is called the Dragon God of Time. He was the first God to take form.
Kynareth is the Goddess of the Heavens, the Winds, the Elements, and the Unseen Spirits of the Air. She was the first God to agree to Lorkhanâs plan to create a mortal plane and she provides the space in the void for its creation.
Arkay is the God of Funerals and Burial Rights.
Dibella is the Goddess of Beauty.
Julianos is the God of Wisdom and Logic.
Mara is the Goddess of Love.
Stendarr is the God of Mercy.
Zenithar is the God of Work and Commerce, The Trade God.
The Eight Divines original Pantheon of Cyrodiilic Empire, consisting of: Akatosh, Arkay, Dibella, Julianos, Kynareth, Mara, Stendarr, and Zenithar.
Lorkhan (referred to as âSepâ among the Redguard) known as âThe Tricksterâ. He influenced the original spirits to create the mortal plane. After Nirn was created he was torn apart and separated from his Divine Center.
Magnus is an Aedra that tried helping Lorkhan to create Nirn but once he discovered all of his power would be taken he fled. When he fled from the plane of Nirn he punched a hole in the night sky, visibly noticed as the Sun. Also, with his departure from Nirn, he created magic.
Jode and Jove are two Aedra who attempted to leave the creation of Nirn but didnât leave in time. With their departure they created the two moons seen revolving around Nirn.
Trinimac is an Aedra who was eaten by Boethiah and turned into Malacath.
Tava partially assimilated into Kynareth after Hammerfell was conquered by Redguard.
Phynaster credited for teaching the Aldmer to take smaller steps and through that learned to live longer.
Boethiah is the Daedric Prince of Murder and Deceit. Through everything he does he is considered to be one of the âgoodâ Daedric Princes.
Malacath is the Daedric Prince of Curses, Keeper of the Bloody Curse, Lord of Sworn Oath, Enslaver of Mortals, and Corner of the House of Troubles. Trinimac turned into Malacath after being swallowed by Boethiah.
Sheogorath is the Daedric Prince of Madness, Mad-God, and Demented Duke.
Azura is the Daedric Prince of Dawn and Dusk, Mother of Roses, and Queen of Twilight.
Clavicus Vile is the Daedric Prince of Wishes and Bargains.
Hermaeus Mora is the Daedric Prince of Knowledge, Knower of the Unknown, Keeper of Knowledge, and Keeper of Forbidden Secrets.
Hircine is the Daedric Prince of the Hunt and The Father of Man-Beasts.
Jyggalag is the Daedric Prince of Order, Hatred of Madness, and Enemy of Freedom. He is the original form of Sheogorath. He was cursed by the other Princes into what he despises most out of jealousy. Sheogorath becomes Jyggalag at the end of each era.
Mehrunes Dagon is the Daedric Prince of Destruction and Change, The Changer, and Corner of the House of Troubles.
Mephala is the Daedric Prince of Spiders, Whispering Lady, and Spinner.
Meridia is the Daedric Prince of Life, Enemy of the Dead, and Lady of Infinite Energies.
Molag Bal is the Daedric Prince of Domination, The Corruptor, Creator of Corpus, Corrupted Creator, Corner of the House of Troubles, Lord of Domination, and The King of Rape.
Namira is the Daedric Prince of Ancient Darkness, The Spirit Daedra, and The Eater of Children.
Nocturnal is the Daedric Prince of Night, Mistress of Night, Mother of Thieves, and Lady of Raven. Legend says she had Sithisâ children and then killed them to create a sacrifice for him. She is the Mother of the Dark Brotherhood.
Peryite is the Daedric Prince of Pestilence, The Taskmaster, and The Lord of Lower.
Sanguine is the Daedric Prince of Debauchery, The Lord of Sins, and The Master of Sins.
Vaermina is the Daedric Prince of Nightmares, Lady of Evil Omens, The Dream-Lady, and The Collector of Minds.
(Redirected from Elder God (Cthulhu Mythos))
H. P. Lovecraft created a number of deities throughout the course of his literary career, including the 'Great Old Ones' and aliens, such as the 'Elder Things', with sporadic references to other miscellaneous deities (e.g. Nodens) whereas the 'Elder Gods' are a later creation of other prolific writers such as August Derleth, who was credited with formalizing the Cthulhu Mythos.[1][2]
Great Old Ones[edit]
An ongoing theme in Lovecraft's work is the complete irrelevance of mankind in the face of the cosmic horrors that apparently exist in the universe, with Lovecraft constantly referring to the 'Great Old Ones': a loose pantheon of ancient, powerful deities from space who once ruled the Earth and who have since fallen into a deathlike sleep.[3]
Lovecraft named several of these deities, including Cthulhu, Ghatanothoa, and Yig. With a few exceptions, Cthulhu, Ghatanothoa, et al., this loose pantheon apparently exists 'outside' of normal space-time. Although worshipped by deranged human (and inhuman) cults, these beings are generally imprisoned or restricted in their ability to interact with most people (beneath the sea, inside the Earth, in other dimensions, and so on), at least until the hapless protagonist is unwittingly exposed to them. Lovecraft visited this premise in many of his stories, notably his 1928 short story, 'The Call of Cthulhu', with reference to the eponymous creature. However, it was Derleth who applied the notion to all of the Great Old Ones. The majority of these have physical forms that the human mind is incapable of processing; simply viewing them renders the viewer incurably insane.
Table of Great Old Ones[edit]
This table is organized as follows:
In Joseph S. Pulver's novel Nightmare's Disciple several new Great Old Ones and Elder Gods are named. The novel mentions D'numlCthulhu's female cousin, T'ith and Xu'bea, The Teeth of the Dark Plains of Mwaalba. Miivls and Vn'Vulot, are said to have fought each other in southern Gondwanaland during the Cretaceous period, whereas Rynvyk, regarded as one of the mates of Cthulhu's sister Kassogtha, likely matches with Cthulhu itself or a similar entity. Kassogtha would have sired Rynvyk three sons (one named Ult) and Rynvyk himself currently rests in a crimson pool in the Hall of Tyryar (likely another name or dimension of R'lyeh), whose portal is located somewhere in Norway.[74]
Great Ones[edit]
The Great Ones are the 'weak gods of earth' that reign in the Dreamlands. They are protected by Nyarlathotep.[citation needed]
Outer Gods[edit]
As it is known in the Mythos, the Outer Gods are ruled by Azathoth, the 'Blind Idiot God', who holds court at the center of infinity. A group of Outer Gods dance rhythmically around Azathoth, in cadence to the piping of a demonic flute. Among the Outer Gods present at Azathoth's court are the entities called 'Ultimate Gods' in The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath (called 'Lesser Outer Gods' in the Call of Cthulhu RPG), and possibly Shub-Niggurath, the 'Black Goat of the Woods with a Thousand Young'. Yog-Sothoth, the 'All-in-One and One-in-All', co-rules with Azathoth and exists as the incarnation of time in the cosmos, yet is somehow locked outside the mundane universe. Nyarlathotep, the 'Crawling Chaos', is the avatar of the Outer Gods, existing as the incarnation of space and functions as an intermediary between the deities of the pantheon and their cults. The only Outer God to have a true personality, Nyarlathotep possesses a malign intellect and reveals a mocking contempt for his masters.[76]
List[edit]Abhoth[edit]Aiueb Gnshal[edit]
Aiueb Gnshal (The Eyes Between Worlds, The Child-Minded God)[77] is a mysterious Outer God, who has his abode in a forgotten temple located somewhere in Bhutan. He appears as a formless black void, with seven pulsing orb-like eyes, and is mainly worshiped by ghouls, which tribute him in a defiled cult described in the mysterious Cambuluc Scrolls of the wizard Lang-Fu, dating back 1295 AD. Peering through the eyes of this god, after a hideous and devastating ritual, allows one to see straight into Azathoth's court. It is rumoured that the powers of Mongolian warlord Temujin, was a favour of Aiueb Gnshal.
Aletheia[edit]
Aletheia (The End of the Darkness) is a God-like entity symbolizing or incarnating the Truth. Named after the Greek Goddess of Truth, it manifests as vast spiral of manifold titanic hands with a single cycloptic eye in each palm as in the Hamsa and kilometric wire-like protrusions able to ensnare living beings replacing their spinal bone in puppet-like fashion. Introduced in Dylan Dog Issue 374,[78] In the plot the entity has clear features of an Outer God rather a Great Old One as well as an appearance vaguely resembling that of Yog-Sothoth and is invoked by a deranged prophet with words in Naacal or R'lyehan language almost coinciding with those featuring in Cthulhu's invocation, with R'lyeh replaced with Z'lyeh.
Azathoth[edit]
Azathoth, sometimes referred to as the 'Blind Idiot God', is a dreaming monster whose dream is where the universe resides. Azathoth is completely unaware of anything going on in the dream; hence his title. Azathoth also shifts in his slumber, causing reality to change. Some believe the reader is Azathoth, reading Lovecraft's books and 'dreaming' up the universe. He is the most powerful entity, according to Lovecraft, closely followed by his grandson Yog-Sothoth, and is the creator and ruler of the Outer Gods.
Azhorra-Tha[edit]
Azhorra-Tha[79] is an Outer God imprisoned on planet Mars, as it fled from Earth after the imprisonment of the Great Old Ones. Its appearance is that of an insectoid to toad-like squid, but its shape continuously changes emitting an awful buzz. The Mi-Go discovered the prison of Azhorra-Tha the millennia after, and made everything to not reveal its location to any human being.
The Blackness from the Stars[edit]
The Blackness from the Stars is an immobile blob of living, sentient darkness, torn from the primal fabric of the cosmos at the center of the universe. It is distinguishable in darkness only as vaguely shimmering oily pitch. Although intelligent, it speaks no known language and ignores attempts to communicate.
The Cloud-Thing[edit]
A man-eating cloudy mass, unnamed Outer God at the court of Azathoth.
C'thalpa[edit]
C'thalpa[55] (The Internal One)[80] is a huge mass of living sentient magma, located in the Earth's mantle. She is mother of the Great Old One Shterot, and five other unnamed hideous children. She is also served by a race of mole-like humanoid burrowers known as the Talpeurs.
Cxaxukluth[edit]
Simcity 4 deluxe download gratis ita. Cxaxukluth (Androgynous Offspring of Azathoth) is one of the Seed-Spawn of Azathoth, grown to adulthood and monstrous proportions. In appearance, Cxaxukluth resembles something of a cross between Azathoth and Ubbo-Sathla: an amorphous, writhing mass of bubbling, nuclear, protoplasmic-gel. He normally dwells alone within an unnamed dimension beyond time and space, unless disturbed or summoned away.
Daoloth[edit]Darkness[edit]
Darkness (Magnum Tenebrosum, The Unnamed Darkness) is a mysterious entity spawned by Azathoth, and is the progenitor of Shub-Niggurath.
Dâendrrah[edit]
D'endrrah[55] (The Divinity) is a sort of blurry female entity of supernatural beauty, dwelling within her obsidian palace located on Mars' Moon Deimos. She lives in a hall composed of a myriad of mirrors that distort her appearance, which is that of a tentacled dark abyss. This Mythos entity is somewhat inspired by C. L. Moore's Shambleau, the illusionary Martian she-vampires of lust.
Ghroth[edit]The Hydra[edit]Ialdagorth[edit]
Ialdagorth (The Dark Devourer) is both the cousin and servant of Azathoth, appearing as a black, shapeless, malevolent mist. The sight of such a fiend is unsettling if not traumatizing.
Kaajh'Kaalbh[edit]
Kaajh'Kaalbh[81] is a lesser Outer God, servitor of Azathoth, but secluded in a parallel chaotic-dimension where everything is unstable. The god itself is constantly formed or disrupted, and has no true form at all. Whoever attempts summoning this entity needs the aid of a Dimensional Shambler, and the deity may manifest in variety of forms, often as an immense lava lake or a vast pool of solidified quicksilver.
Lu-Kthu[edit]
Lu-Kthu (Birth-womb of the Great Old Ones or Lew-Kthew) is a titanic, planet-sized mass of entrails and internal organs. On closer examination it appears a wet, warty globe, covered with countless ovoid pustules and spider-webbed with a network of long, narrow tunnels. Each pustule bears the larva of a Great Old One.
Mh'ithrha[edit]
An invisible wolf-like fiend similar to Fenrir of Norse mythology (if not coincident). Mh'ithrha (Arch-Lord of Tindalos) is the lord of the Hounds of Tindalos, and the most powerful. Although not an actual Outer God as such, its form and astounding powers defy standard classification. Mh'ithra's eternal battle with Yog-Sothoth is said to be legendary.
Mlandoth and Mril Thorion[edit]Mother of Pus[edit]
A Lesser Outer God composed of slime, tentacles, eyes, and mouths. The Mother of Pus was spawned through an obscene mating between a human and Shub-Niggurath. When summoned to Earth, the Mother of Pus seeks refuge in pools of stagnant, foul water.
The Nameless Mist[edit]
The Nameless Mist (Nyog' Sothep?) is a 'misty, shapeless thing' spawned by Azathoth, and is the progenitor of Yog-Sothoth.
Ngyr-Korath[edit]
Ngyr-Korath (The Ultimate Abomination or The Dream-Death) is a dark blue-green mist which causes a sense of terror as it approaches. Once close, an eye of flame forms within. He spawned by fission the Great Old One (or the avatar of his) âYmnar, and his nemesis is the Elder God Paighon. He coincides with the entity known as the Magnum Tenebrosum.
Nyarlathotep[edit]
First appearing in Lovecraft's 1920 prose poem of the same name, he was later mentioned in other works by Lovecraft and by other writers and in the tabletop role-playing games making use of the Cthulhu Mythos. Later writers describe him as one of the Outer Gods.
Nyctelios[edit]
Once an Elder God, Nyctelios[82] has been punished by his peers - especially Nodens - for having created a race of foul servitors. He has been permanently banished from the Elder Gods' Olympus, and imprisoned beneath the eastern Mediterranean Sea, near Greece, in a dark, basalt-built citadel named Atheron. However the exiled deity is not dead, but just sleeping, and one day he will rise again from his abyss manifesting himself as a blue, 6-metre tall, cyclops-like monstrosity, with the bulk of his body covered entirely in crawling worms.
Ny-Rakath[edit]
A goat-like fiendish horror with bat wings and multiple horns, mentioned as the brother of Shub-Niggurath.
Olkoth[edit]
Olkoth (God of the Celestial Arcs)[83] appears as a demoniacal god-like entity able to reincarnate in human bodies if the stars are right (sort of a 'Cthulhian' Antichrist).[84] Olkoth may emerge in our dimension through an eyeless, grotesque statue of the Virgin Mary.
Shabbith-Ka[edit]
Shabbith-Ka appears as a shapeless, roughly man-sized purplish aura, spitting and crackling with powerful electrical arcs. A sense of power, malignancy, and intelligence accompanies it and persons able to gaze at its form long enough can see a rudimentary face or faces within the glowing mass.
Shub-Niggurath[edit]Star Mother[edit]
The Star Mother appears as a chunk of yellow-green stone about the size of an infant. Its shape suggests a plump, huge-breasted, faceless female figure. From it extend dozens of pencil-thin root-like strands. It is one of the Larvae of the Other Gods and has no cult, although served by zombie slaves.
Suc'Naath[edit]
Suc'Naath is one of the mindless gods which twist and dance in the court of Azathoth. It appears as a formless spinning hurricane-like thing with strings of violet and golden colors across its shape, constantly emitting sickening smacking and screeching noises while showing pain-stricken faces across its body.
Suc'Naath's essence is currently divided into three parts, one in a comet called Aiin, the other in some sort of statue located somewhere in the World, while the third has been genetically passed on for aeons through prehuman, and now human races of earth, mostly in the middle east. The carriers of the Outer God's powers are said to have done great acts of magic and/or to have been insane. If these three parts are ever to be combine, Suc'Naath will be freed. This entity is served by a small middle-eastern cult known as the Golden Hands of Suc'Naath, who collect deranged intellectuals and trained assassins, who wish to set Suc'Naath free (they may have connections to the old Hashashin cult as well).
Tru'nembra[edit]
Tru'nembra (The Angel of Music) is the name given in Malleus MonstrorumCall of Cthulhu roleplay game guide to the entity described in Howard Philips Lovecraft's novel 'The Music of Eric Zahn'. It has no shape, but manifests as haunting music.
Tulzscha[edit]
Tulzscha (The Green Flame) is the name given in Malleus MonstrorumCall of Cthulhu roleplay game guide to the entity described in Howard Philips Lovecraft's story The Festival. Tulzscha appears as a blazing green ball of flame, dancing with its Lesser Outer Gods at the court of Azathoth. Called to our world, it assumes a gaseous form, penetrates the planet to the core, then erupts from below as a pillar of flame. It cannot move from where it emerges.
Ubbo-Sathla[edit]Uvhash[edit]
Uvhash (The Blood-Mad God of the Void) appears as a colossal, vampiric, red mass of both tentacles and eyes. It dwells within the realm of Rhylkos, which matches with the red planet Mars, and whoever summons Uvhash witnesses an atrocious death. He has affinities with the star vampires, and is rumored to have been one of mad emperor Caligula's eldritch sponsors as well. There is enmity with both the Elder God Nodens and the Great Old One Gi-Hoveg.
Xa'ligha[edit]
Xa'ligha (Master of the Twisted Sound or Demon of Dissonance) is an entity made of maddening sound, somehow similar to Tru'Nembra. There is some affinity with the Great Old One Hastur[85]
Xexanoth[edit]Ycnà gnnisssz[edit]
Ycnà gnnisssz is a black, festering, amorphous mass that constantly blasts and erupts violently, spewing out bits of churning lava-like material. She spawned the Great Old One Zstylzhemgni by fission.
Yhoundeh[edit]Yibb-Tstll[edit]
A gigantic, bat-winged humanoid with detached eyes, wearing a green robe. This horrible deity sees all time and space as it slowly rotates in the centre of its clearing within the Jungle of Kled, in Earth's Dreamlands. Beneath its billowing cloak are a multitude of nightgaunts, suckling and clutching at its breasts. Having a close connection to the Great Old One Bugg-Shash,[86] so should Yibb-Tstll be regarded as a Great Old One - specifically in the Drowners group introduced by Brian Lumley, parasitic alien entities which thrive by vampyrizing the Great Old Ones themselves[87] - though in RPG materials she is classed as an 'Outer God'.[88]
Yidhra[edit]
Yidhra (The Dream Witch or Yee-Tho-Rah[89]) usually appears as a youthful, attractive, earthly female, though her shape may vary.
Yidhra has been on Earth since the first microorganisms appeared and is immortal. To survive in a changing environment, she gained the ability to take on the characteristics of any creature that she devoured. Over time, Yidhra split herself into different aspects, though each part shares her consciousness.
Yidhra is served by devoted cults found in such widely separated places as Myanmar, Chad, Laos, Sumer, New Mexico, and Texas. Members of Yidhra's cult can gain immortality by merging with her, though they become somewhat like Yidhra as a consequence. Those who serve her are also promised plentiful harvests and healthy livestock. She usually conceals her true form behind a powerful illusion, appearing as a comely young woman; only favored members of her cult can see her as she actually is.
Yog-Sothoth[edit]Yomagn'tho[edit]
Yomagn'tho (The Feaster from the Stars, That Which Relentlessly Waits Outside) is a malevolent being who wishes nothing more than the destruction of mankind for unknown reasons. He waits in his home dimension in Pherkard, until he is summoned to Earth. When first summoned, Yomagn'tho appears as a small ball of fire that quickly expands to a large circle of fire with three flaming inner petals. The reptilian burrowing folk, the Rhygntu, are known to worship this malignant deity.
Elder Gods[edit]
In post-Lovecraft stories, the Elder Gods oppose the likes of Cthulhu and his ilk. Derleth attempted to retroactively group the benevolent deity Nodens in this category (who acts as deus ex machina for the protagonists in both The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath and 'The Strange High House in the Mist'). With regards to the nature of the Great Old Ones, Joseph S. Pulver mentions in his Nightmare's Disciple (2006) a series of original Elder Gods, though lacking of any description about their true form. The story introduces entities as Adaedu, Alithlai-Tyy, Dveahtehs, Eyroix, Ovytonv, Urthuvn, Xislanyx and Xuthyos-SihbâBz'. Others have a cult title as Othkkartho (Sire of the Four Titans of Balance and Order), which is said to be Nodens's son, and Zehirete, who is The Pure and Holy Womb of Light. Sk'tai and Eppirfon are both siblings. Eppirfon was originally Cthulhu's second bride who bore him a son, T'ith, now dead, murdered by Cthulhu himself.
Known Elder Gods in the Mythos[edit]
The following is another Elder God with no description: Walter C. DeBill, Jr.'s Paighon, an extra-galactic entity which now dwells in Earth's core, said to be inimical to the Outer God Ngyr-Korath and his servitor 'Ymnar.
Bast[edit]
Bast (Goddess of Cats or Pasht) appears as a female human with a cat's head.
Kthanid[edit]
A creation of Brian Lumley, Kthanid looks the same as Cthulhu except for eye colour.
Oryx[edit]
Oryx was introduced without name in August Derleth's 'The Lair of the Star-Spawn' (1932). The name Orryx is given in Call of Cthulhu RPG supplement 'The Creature Companion' (The Bright Flame) manifests as a giant pillar of blinding white and purple flames. Although its expression is bright and blinding, no one feels its heat. No one can look at Oryx more than a few seconds; after the first glance, the eyes of anyone who looks become sore and watery.
Oztalun[edit]
Oztalun (Golden and Shimmering One) is an Elder God introduced by James Ambuehl. It is symbolized by a seven-pointed star symbol, which is his own Seal.
Nodens[edit]
Nodens ('Lord of the Great Abyss') appears as a human male riding a huge seashell pulled by legendary beasts. In CthulhuTech supplements, Nodens is said to be the avatar of the Forgotten One Savty'ya.
Shavalyoth[edit]
Shavalyoth (Shadowy and Shapeless One) is an Elder God introduced by James Ambuehl, supposed to be dark and formless.
Ulthar[edit]
Ulthar (or Uldar and also Ultharathotep[90]) is a deity sent to Earth to hold vigil over the Great Old Ones.
Vorvadoss[edit]
Vorvadoss* (The Flaming One, Lord of the Universal Spaces, The Troubler of the Sands, Who Waiteth in the Outer Dark) appears as a cloaked, hooded being, enveloped in green flames, with fiery eyes. He is described as a son of both the Elder God Nodens and the Great Old One Lythalia and has a twin brother, Yaggdytha.[31]
Yad-Thaddag[edit]
Another Brian Lumley deity. Has the same appearance as Yog-Sothoth, except its spheres are of a different color and its nature is purely benevolent.
Yaggdytha[edit]
Yaggdytha ('The Incandescent One') is twin brother of Vorvadoss, manifesting as a great, amorphous, incandescent ball of cyan living energy, spreading itself into a web of giant talons of light.
See also[edit]References[edit]
Bibliography[edit]
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cthulhu_Mythos_deities&oldid=903554681#Elder_Gods'
Elder Gods quest series is a series of quests involving the Elder Gods.
QuestsFate of the Gods
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Heart of Stone
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Children of Mah
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Sliske's Endgame
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Summary
The Elder Scrolls, often abbreviated as TES, is an award-winning series of roleplaying video games developed by Bethesda Game Studios. Set in the vast continent of Tamriel, the series is famous for its richly detailed open worlds and focus on non-linear free-form gameplay, as well as the incredibly expansive and equally deep lore, history and mythology of its universe. The series had its humble start in 1994 with the release of The Elder Scrolls: Arena for the MS-DOS, and has since become one of the best-selling and most critically acclaimed roleplaying franchises in video game history.
The series takes its title from the Elder Scrolls, mysterious and powerful artifacts from outside of time which both archive the distant past and foretell the coming future. Each game deals with a significant Event that has been foretold by the Scrolls, where a Hero of unknown heritage and uncertain destiny - who often begins their journey as a nameless Prisoner - rises to defeat a great evil that threatens the world.
On a broader scale, the world of the Elder Scrolls contains an extensive mythology interwoven with the plot of the games and the cultures of Tamriel, with stories stretching back from the Creation of the universe all the way to its End. This mythology - often told through fragmentary and contradictory in-setting sources - possesses a vast and unique cosmology, and truly deep religious metaphysics. A lot of this is thanks to the efforts of writer Michael Kirkbride, who developed much of the setting and continued to explore and expand the series' mythology with his writings long after leaving Bethesda. This culminated with the release of C0DA in 2014, which told his conclusion for the Elder Scrolls Mythos as a whole.
Timeline of Installments
The following is a brief listing of every installment of the Elder Scrolls Franchise, with the date of release and a brief summary for each game:
The Elder Scrolls: Arena (1994) - The first game of the series. Though originally planned as a multiplayer gladiator arena game (Hence its title), the game drastically changed during its development, eventually becoming an exploration-based roleplaying game. The game had a simple and straightforward plot, dealing with Emperor Uriel Septim VII's betrayal by his Battlemage Jagar Tharn. The player character is the Eternal Champion - a Prisoner within the Imperial Dungeons - is freed and tasked with travelling across Tamriel to gather the eight pieces of the Staff of Chaos, so he may defeat Jagar and free the Emperor from his imprisonment in another dimension.
The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall (1996) - The second game of the series, Daggerfall took the ideas started with Arena and refined them. The game featured a procedurally-generated world twice the size of Great Britain rendered in a true 3D Engine. The gameplay was also expanded, as was the lore of the setting, and Daggerfall was the first game of the series to feature unique side quests, guilds to join, and in-universe lorebooks to discover and read.
The story was also more developed, and featured branching paths and multiple endings. In it, the player character is an Imperial Blades Agent sent to the Iliac Bay with the mission to deliver a letter from Emperor Uriel VII to a spy infiltrated in the Daggerfall Court. The Agent is quickly wrapped in a conspiracy involving the entire Iliac Bay, with multiple parties seeking to acquire the Mantella, a powerful Soul Gem and the key to reconstructing the Numidium - the Dwemer Brass God which Tiber Septim used in his conquest of Tamriel centuries prior. The game had six different endings, all of which canonically happened simultaneously as a result of events in the story.
An Elder Scrolls Legend: Battlespire (1997) - The first Spin Off game of the series, Battlespire diverged greatly from its predecessors in both gameplay and setting. Taking place in the titular Battlespire - A magic fortress floating contained within a slipstream Plane of Oblivion - the game is a linear dungeon crawler with an emphasis on combat. The story takes place concurrently with Arena, with the Battlespire being invaded by Mehrunes Dagon's armies of Daedra. The player character is an Apprentice Battlemage inside the Battlespire who fights their way to survival, seeking to rescue their captured friend and find a way to banish Mehrunes Dagon from the fortress.
The Elder Scrolls Adventures: Redguard (1998) - The second Spin Off game of the series, Redguard differed from other games in the series even further, being a third person action-adventure game with minimal Roleplaying elements, and a linear story with a set protagonist. Set in the small island of Stros M'kai and taking place centuries before Arena, during Tiber Septim's conquests. The player controls Cyrus, a Redguard mercenary who seeks to find his missing sister Iszara, but is quickly wrapped in a conflict between Hammerfell's rebellious forces and Emperor Tiber's invading armies.
The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind (2002) - The third game of the main series, featuring a long-awaited return to the expansive and non-linear gameplay of Arena and Daggerfall, but also showing a change to a much smaller, hand-crafted game world with individually designed landscapes. Morrowind was also when the Elder Scrolls setting was truly shaped into what it is today, thanks to greatly expanded lore and a refined, more distinct setting.
Morrowind's story is set in the island of Vvardenfell during the waning years of the Third Era. The player character - a Prisoner in the Imperial City dungeons - is released and sent to the island by the aging Emperor Uriel VII himself so that they may fulfill the ancient Nerevarine prophecy and defeat the mad God Dagoth Ur. Throughout their journey, the player character will succeed in many trials which fulfill the ancient prophecy, and become the reincarnation of Indoril Nerevar. They eventually succeed in stopping Dagoth Ur, and in the process render the three Dunmer Gods of the Tribunal mortal again.
Elder Scrolls God List
The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind had two expansions, Tribunal and Bloodmon. The former is a direct continuation of the main storyline whereas the later is a new adventure on the island of Soltsheim north of Vvardenfell.
The Elder Scrolls Travels (2003 - 2004) - A small series of mobile spin-offs Elder Scrolls game developed and released for the Nokia's N-Gage. Despite their limitations, the Travels games were true roleplaying games with graphics and a style of combat akin to that of Daggerfall. The Travels series saw the release of three games: Stormhold, Dawnstar and Shadowkey.
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (2006) - The fourth game of the main series, Oblivion is set in the central province of Cyrodill, and was the first game of the series to feature fully-voiced NPCs with their own dynamic AI. The game's world was much larger than Morrowind's, and the gameplay streamlined and refined, with a greater emphasis on combat.
Oblivion's story begins as Emperor Uriel VII attempts to flee an assassination attempt through Imperial Palace's dungeons, where he meets with the player character - A Prisoner he recognizes from his dreams. As he is dying, Uriel tasks the player with finding his bastard son Martin to continue the Throne and save Tamriel. Their quest as the Daedric armies of Mehrunes Dagon begin to invade Cyrodill. This event forces Martin to accept his destiny as the heir to the Septim Crown, and eventually sacrifice his own life to repair the broken boundaries between Tamriel and Oblivion.
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion had two expansions, Knights of the Nine and Shivering Isles. The former deal with the return of the Ayleids to Cyrodill and the rebirth of the Divine Crusader Pelinal, while the later is set entirely within Sheogorath's Plane of Oblivion - and ultimately ends with the player character becoming Sheogorath.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (2011) - The fifth game of the main series, Skyrim is by far its most successful installment. Set in the titular homeland of the Nords and taking place 200 years after the end of Oblivion, Skyrim possesses vastly improved gameplay in comparison to its predecessors, refining many of the features previously present in Oblivion, as well as the unique Shouts and the presence of dragons as enemies.
The story of Skyrim deals with the sudden return of the dragon race brought by Alduin the World-Eater. Skyrim, already split in brutal civil war between the governing Imperials and the nationalist rebel Stormcloaks, is further terrorized by the rampaging beasts. Amidst this chaos, the player character - a Prisoner taken to Skyrim by carriage - is discovered to be the foretold Last Dragonborn who would master the ancient art of the Thu'um and slay Alduin.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim had two expansions, Dawnguard and Dragonborn. The former deals with the return of the vampire lord Harkon, who seeks to blot out the sun, while the later is set in the island of Soltsheim and deals with the First Dragonborn, Miraak, who seeks to break free of his imprisonment in the Oblivion Plane of Apocrypha.
The Elder Scrolls Online (2014) - Developed by ZeniMax Online Studios as opposed to Bethesda, The Elder Scrolls Online is an MMORPG spin-off of the series. The first Elder Scrolls game to be offer a fully multiplayer experience, Online nevertheless follows the previous installments' structure of offering vast open-world to be explored through non-linear gameplay. Unlike its single-player counterparts, Online isn't set on a sole province, but rather features specific regions from across all of Tamriel.
Set nearly 1,000 years before the main titles, Online takes place during the Interregnum, a period where Tamriel was without a ruling Empire, and three separate factions battled for control of the continent. Taking advantage of the escalating conflict, the Daedric Prince Molag Bal attempts to merge the plane of Nirn with his own. The player character is a soul Imprisoned within Molag Bal's Coldharbor. They are resurrected as the Vestige, a soulless trace of their former self, and thus having the ability to revive whenever killed. The Vestige is then sent to fulfill an ancient prophecy to unite the three warring factions and stop Molag Bal's ambitions.
The Elder Scrolls Online constantly receive updates and expansions which provide it with new content, including entirely new open areas to explore with their own quests to complete. The most notable of these are the Morrowind and Summerset expansions, which add the island of Vvardenfell and the Summerset Isles respectively.
The Elder Scrolls Legends (2017) - A free-to-play digital card game spin off of the series, Legends was the first Elder Scrolls game to be released for both computers and smartphones. Despite its simple gameplay, Legends still features a story mode which bridges the gap between Oblivion and Skyrim. Set during the Great War, the player character is the Forgotten Hero, a Prisoner who escapes from gladiatorial cages, and alongside a small band of adventurers and survivors, finds himself battling against the forces of the Aldmeri Dominion, and unbeknownst to all plays a crucial role in the Sack of the Imperial City. The game continues to receive story expansions to this day.
Power of the Verse
The Elder Scrolls is an incredibly powerful universe, easily standing as one of the most powerful video game settings there are due to its expansive cosmology of higher-dimensions and greater infinities, a wide number of powerful deities of cosmic power, and metaphysics which push the setting even further.
Although deceptively unimpressive at first glance due to its apparently medieval setting, various mortal characters of the Elder Scrolls world have shown great feats of magical power. These include defeating large armies single-handedly, manipulating the weather on a wide scale, destroying entire cities and mountains, sinking islands and teleporting entire landmasses. Particularly powerful mortals - such as the oldest and most learned mages - have shown the ability to create and destroy pocket dimensions containing planets and stars, warp space and time, and even rival the power of lesser gods.
The various gods of the Elder Scrolls are incredibly powerful beings, often higher-dimensional and infinite in relation to mortals, and possessing their own planes of infinite size which they have full control over. Even lesser deities such as the Ehlnofey can embody and stabilize the laws of nature across an entire reality, up to and including the flow of time, while greater deities such as Celestials can destroy the entire Multiverse of Mundus with their presence alone.
The Aedric Divines and the Daedric Princes are at first glance the most powerful gods of the setting, ruling over the greatest planes of Mundus and Oblivion respectively, but they are pale shadows of what they once were as the Et'Ada - The Original Spirits. The Et'Ada were originally boundless, non-dual and infinite beings free of all laws, the concepts of space and time, and even when later bound by the creation of Time and Space by Akatosh and Lorkhan, they helped shape and stabilize the entire infinite-dimensional multiverse of the Aurbis.
The most powerful entity in the Elder Scrolls setting is the Amaranth - also known as the Godhead - a transcendent, supreme and boundless entity which exists as one with everything while also originating everything. The whole setting is its dream, and it exists as a state of boundless 'zero' which originates all numbers, possibilities and dualism.
For further explanations on the Elder Scrolls Cosmology and its Metaphysics, see the following two blogs:
Further Learning
As the Elder Scrolls Universe is incredibly expansive and often complex, those that wish to learn more about the setting beyond these pages are advised to explore the following links:
Supporters and Opponents
Supporters:
Opponents:
Neutral:
CharactersPrisonersHeroesMortalsMonsters and CreaturesFactions and OrganizationsImmortals, Lesser Deities and DemigodsThe DivinesDaedric PrincesOther GodsPrimordial BeingsDiscussions about The Elder Scrolls
You yearn to visit Skyrim. You've been to Oblivion and Morrowind. These deities made them all possible.
By Ryan Geddes
When I play an Elder Scrolls game, I get pretty excited. But not because I'm looking forward to donning beautiful glass armor, making small-talk with serving wenches and discovering magical bowers full of wildlife. Those things are super, but they only get me halfway there. What I really enjoy about the Elder Scrolls series is that it lets me make fat elves. Elves are supposed to be slender, graceful and beautiful, which annoys me. So I make the stupidest one I can and take him out into the world, laughing the whole time. With the buzz around Skyrim getting louder and louder, I recently went back to The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion to make a new fat elf, just to tide myself over. As I played god, it got me thinking about all the deities built into the amazing universe of the Elder Scrolls. I found myself ticking off a list of favorites in my head. Rather than keep them to myself like a pretentious elf, I decided to list them here.
Mehrunes Dagon
10
Of all the evil entities in the Elder Scrolls universe, Mehrunes Dagon is easily the most prolific. He really gets around, even for a Daedric prince. He meddled in Imperial Throne ascension, attacked the Battlespire and tried to destroy the Septims. Oh, also, he attempted to invade the mortal world by opening the gates to Oblivion and kicking everyone's ass with his four-armed self. So there's that. But I've just never found Dagon all that interesting. Maybe it's because he's spreading himself too thin. I mean, can't the guy just focus on one thing and do it really well? He's great at natural disasters, so maybe he should work on that for a while. After all, what kind of ancient netherworld-dwelling Daedric prince gets his ass kicked in his own house by an Argonian with a spear and a leather vest? Lame.
Jyggalag
9
Jyggalag could really only be two things: the name of a weird god in a role-playing game or the internet handle of one of those dudes who hangs out on Insane Clown Posse message boards. Jyggie, as I like to call him, is a complicated god, as most of the Elder Scrolls deities are. He's technically one of the Daedric princes, which are like normal princes except they destroy worlds, wield magical items and generally make a mess of everything. Jyggalag wasn't much of a rockstar in the series until Oblivion's Shivering Isles expansion, in which it's revealed that he is actually Sheogorath, another Daedric prince. It's a long story. Oh, also, the Khajit (the kooky cat people of the Elder Scrolls universe) call him Skooma Cat. Yeah, that had nothing to do with anything, but I stuck it in there anyway. I'm writing an article about made-up gods in a game full of elves and lizard people, and you're going to judge me for the Skooma Cat thing? Fine, but you're reading it.
Stendarr
8
I like Stendarr for a purely selfish reason: He digs humans. A lot of the gods in the Elder Scrolls universe are constantly hating on men because they meddle in things they shouldn't and make stupid decisions. But Stendarr is different. He was bros with Tiber Septim, who is pretty much the biggest badass of all time (and nearly a god in his own right) and protects human civilization despite its relative unpopularity among the rest of Cyrodil's unwashed masses. That makes Stendarr alright in my book. Sure, the annoying Imperial Legion soldiers never shut up about him, but you get used to it. And it's better that listening to elves talk, am I right?
Clavicus Vile
7
All religions need a trickster, except the boring ones (you know who you are). The mischevious Clavicus Vile has played at least a minor role in most of the Elder Scrolls games. Sometimes he appears as a rambunctious horned lad, and other times he pops up as a harmless looking dog. Clavicus Vile is special because he tricks mortals into giving up their eternal souls for magical trinkets and then snatches them back again without warning, which I find funny. If you followed the vampire quest line in Oblivion, you might remember that Clavicus was also responsible for bringing them into Cyrodil society. Vampires! Hilarious.
Dibella
6
Hardcore Elder Scrolls lore nerds are probably reading this entry and shaking their sour-smelling, Cheeto-filled fists at the screen. 'Dibella? You only had 10 spots and you chose Dibella? She's hardly even mentioned in many of the Elder Scrolls games! What about Kynareth or Meridia? Slow news day, IGN?' Calm down, I'll explain. Dibella might not be famous to us, but I guarantee everyone in Tamriel has a secret stash of Dibella offerings. She's known officially as the goddess of beauty, but one of her cults turns to her as a patron of the erotic arts. That's right -- she's a sex goddess. Wait, gross, that just made me think about elves having sex. Anyway, Dibella is hot, and I hope she gets her own quest line in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. As long as it's about sexy Nord girls in skimpy fur outfits. I took it too far, didn't I?
Alduin
5
There's apparently some confusion over whether or not Alduin is simply the Nordic interpretation of Akatosh (more on him later), but I'm going to assume otherwise for the purpose of this extremely important list. Let the nerds sort it out in the comments section. Yes, Akatosh takes the form of a dragon when he's upset, and Alduin hangs out in Nord country, which is full of dragons. But that's where the similarity stops. For starters, Akatosh doesn't usually destroy worlds and bring about the apocalypse. Alduin is also much scarier than Akatosh, who just sort of hangs around until he's needed. Alduin -- get this -- once ate the ages of everyone in Skyrim until they were all six years old. That's just weird and unexpected; the kind of thing a scary god should do. Bravo, Alduin.
Phynaster
4
Alright, so there's no way I'm going to get away with including Phynaster on this list, but I'm doing it anyway because no one will ever notice. Phynaster sounds like a member of the Black Eyed Peas, but he is actually a god worshipped in the Summerset Isles, which is full of high elves, but I won't hold that against it. Next to nothing is known about him, other than the fact that he (and I'm quoting the internet here), 'taught the Altmer how to naturally live another hundred years by using a shorter walking stride.' Altmer is another word for 'high elves.' This is important because it proves that elves aren't that special. They may live a long time, but not because they are deeply and magically awesome. It's because some guy taught them how to walk a certain way. Stupid elves!
Ruptga
3
I like gods with names that are impossible to pronounce. Apparently so do the Redguard, who worship him as 'Tall Papa' instead. Modeled on an aboriginal archetype, Tall Papa apparently taught the other gods how to persist from lifetime to lifetime using a 'walkabout' technique. He also created a helper from the skin of dead worlds, which is weird and probably not very sanitary. While he was doing that, he probably should have been keeping an eye on the Redguard homeland of Yokuda, which was destroyed when it sank into the ocean. Too soon?
Vivec
2
Vivec is a floating golden Dumner poet-demigod. And if you hadn't previously asked yourself why the hell you're reading this article, you certainly did when you read that sentence. You are welcome. Now, on with the lesson. Vivec is seen as a benevolent protector by his worshippers. They conveniently ignore the fact that he may also be a murdering weirdo. But he writes sweet poems and taught the Dark Elves how to breathe underwater, so I can see how they overlook the bad bits. Great, just what we need: elves who can breathe underwater. It's gross enough when your leg brushes up against a mud crab as you cross a river. Now we have to worry about elves swimming around down there? Yuck. Thanks for nothing, Vivec. Still, he's gold and he floats. Awesome. Sure, he's not technically a god anymore (it's complicated), but who's keeping track?
Akatosh
1
Ah, Akatosh. If the power of a god derives in part from his sheer age, then Aka is the biggest and baddest of them all. How many gods can say they formed in 'the Beginning Place'? Yeah, that's what I thought. The goofy necklace that Patrick Stewart wears at the beginning of Oblivion? That's the Amulet of Kings, and its destruction summoned Akatosh in the form of an enormous flaming dragon. It was Akatosh who defeated Mehrunes Dagon and saved Cyrodil from being sucked into Oblivion. Aka is one of only two deities to appear in every single religion in Tamriel; even most of the dirty elves acknowledge him!
This is the part where I would normally ask you what your favorite Elder Scrolls gods are, but there are probably only 500 people in the world who have even thought about this, and half of them work at Bethesda.
Shout out to The Unofficial Elder Scrolls Pages for providing more information about random crap than the internet has any right to access.
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