Post by Lucien Lachance on Aug 4, 2009 18:12:08 GMT -5
The Planes of Oblivion are the dimensional planes which are home to all the daedra. Each of these planes can be very extensive; Molag Bal's plane is described as being a replica of all of Nirn, and Hermaeus Mora's is infinite in size.
Each prince's plane may have a more specific name, for example: Apocrypha for Hermaeus Mora's, Coldharbour for Molag Bal's, Moonshadow for Azura's, Quagmire for Vaermina's. Each plane is supposedly very different in appearance, depending upon the nature of the prince who rules it. They can range from beautiful to desolate; some may not even resemble worlds as we think of them, containing nothing but dust and smoke, or changing constantly.
Oblivion is often associated with tales of Hellspawn and most forms of Destruction (especially fire), and is likely known as Hell, or the home to demons. This is not true, as the Daedra are not actually demons, only sentient beings who do the bidding (often destructive) of their respective masters. Also, this image is probably only accurate for the planes of daedric princes known for destruction, such as Mehrunes Dagon and Molag Bal.
Daedric Princes' Realms
-Mehrunes Dagon's Deadlands
The Deadlands are Mehrunes Dagon's realm. It is a dimension that is covered by an ocean of lava, scattered with islands. Several structures exist on said islands, like towers, walls, elevated pathways, and gates, many of which are in disrepair and non-functional. The interiors of the buildings resemble infernal slaughterhouses, with much evidence of human bloodshed. Tourists beware: the denizens of the deadlands will attack any mortal on sight. Fire towers that dot the landscape shoot fire at any mortal who approaches. Many things are on fire, the air is smoky, and corpses hang from poles, overhead arches, and rocks, while heads can be seen impaled on sticks. Harrada, Spiddal Plants, and Bloodgrass grow abundantly in the charred soil.
It is from this realm that Tamriel is invaded during The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.
-Sheogorath's Madhouse (The Shivering Isles)
Madhouse, or commonly called The Shivering Isles, is Sheogorath's realm. It is divided into halves: the north is called Mania, and reflects the lighthearted side of its ruler's madness. It is similar to Vvardenfell's West Gash Region, with expansive grasslands and huge mushroom trees. The southern half, Dementia, represents the dark and violent side of Sheogorath, and is gloomy and claustrophobic. There are mortals living here as well as daedra. The capital city of the isles, New Sheoth, lies in the center of the isles, which is also divided into two sections, Bliss and Crucible. Bliss is on the Mania side, Crucible is on the Dementia side. Sheogorath's palace lies adjacent.
This realm is the setting for the TES4 expansion of the same name. At the end of the Shivering Isles Main quest, it is revealed that the Shivering Isles was the plane of Jyggalag, doomed to reclaim it at the end of every era from madness, only to lose it again. It is unknown whether or not he will claim another plane in the future.
-Malacath's Ashpit
The Ashpit is Malacath's realm, and is known as the hardest of the realms to reach, save the ones which are completely inaccessible to mortals. It is described as consisting only of dust, palaces of smoke, and vaporous creatures: "anguish, betrayal, and broken promises like ash filled the bitter air". Levitation and magical breathing are necessary to survive. In the Oblivion plug-in "The Shivering Isles", Sheogorath mentions the spines of realms, and that Malacath's has an actual spine, incongruous with its non-solid, ashen form.
-Boethiah's Attribution's Share
Attribution’s Share is the Plane of Boethiah. Previously known as Snake Mount, this realm is characterized by twisted towers and immense maze gardens. The realm is ruled by laws of labyrinthine policy and betrayals are a matter of course. Boethiah frequently holds the Tournament of Ten Bloods here.
You can briefly visit this plane in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion to participate in the aforementioned.
-Molag Bal's Coldharbour
Coldharbour, the immense realm of Molag Bal, is also one of the most inhospitable realms, consisting only of charnel houses and vast slave pens. Any mortal found here is captured and placed in one or the other. It resembles Nirn except darker and more beaten and violent.
-Meridia's Colored Rooms
The Colored Rooms are a collection of realms belonging to Meridia, inhabited by the Auroran daedra.
-Hircine's Hunting Grounds
The Hunting Grounds are the realms of Hircine, being seemingly endless puzzling rooms and mazes inhabited by vicious creatures such as bears, wolves, werecreatures and Daedra. Mortals entering these realms are typically hunted down by the inhabitants.
-Hermaeus Mora's Apocrypha
Apocrypha is Hermaeus Mora's realm. It is an endless library where all forbidden knowledge can be found. The books all have black covers with no titles, and the library is haunted by ghosts forever searching for knowledge.
-Azura's Moonshadow
Moonshadow, the Plane of Azura, is a twilight country of shades and half-thoughts that is inaccessible from Nirn, although this has not always been the case. It is a giant garden full of roses, holding such beauty that it makes mortals half blind.
-Namira's Scuttling Void
The Scuttling Void is the realm of Namira.
-Peryite's Pits
Peryite's Pits are the lowest reaches of Oblivion, resembling a fiery and gloomy hell (much like Mehrunes Dagon's) in which Daedra roam.
In The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, the player has the opportunity to enter Peryite's Pits to rescue some of Peryite's followers who trapped their souls in Oblivion in an attempt to summon the Daedric prince.
-Clavicus Vile's Realm
Clavicus Vile's unnamed realm takes the form of tranquil countryside, where horned, yellow-skinned, deadly Daedra roam. In Redguard, Cyrus visits Clavicus Vile's realm.
-Sanguine's Realms
Sanguine is in control of ten times ten thousand realms, used mainly as pleasure pockets.
-Vaermina's Quagmire
Vaermina's Quagmire is a realm of nightmares and torture, every few minutes changing with a lightning flash from one horrifying vision to another.
-Nocturnal Realm
The Nocturnal Realm is the stronghold of Nocturnal, a place where no light may enter, and is inhabited by daedra known as the Nocturnals. The greatest stronghold here is known as Shade Perilous.
- Mephala's Web
Inaccessable to mortals, most believe the realm of Mephala is intricate and woven together like a web, as that seems to be what he rules over as a Lord.
Realms not belonging to a specific Daedra
Soul Cairn
The Soul Cairn is a realm of tombs where the undead seemingly roam free and invulnerable to any harm. Rather than being aligned to any Daedric prince, it is controlled by a race calling itself the Ideal masters, who are often known to mortals as Gem Vampires.
Chimera of Desolation
The Chimera of Desolation is a small, lordless realm, created by Mehrunes Dagon, who threw Caecilly Island (a small island off the coast of Northmoor) into the void as an act of revenge against a mortal conjurer living there.
Gaiar Alata
Gaiar Alata (generally refered to as "Paradise" by its inhabitants), is a realm created by Mankar Camoran with the use of the Mysterium Xarxes, a book of evil power written by Mehrunes Dagon. Gaiar Alata contains pleasant islands with gardens and Ayleid-style buildings. Although it seems to be a paradise, underground there are torturing chambers where followers of the Mythic Dawn Cult go after they die.