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Lore:Oblivion

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Oblivion
Type Realm
Realm Aurbis
Subregions See Planes of Oblivion
Appears in Battlespire, Redguard, Oblivion, Shivering Isles, Oblivion Mobile, Skyrim, Dragonborn, ESO, Legends, Blades

Oblivion, sometimes known as Hell,[1][2][UOL 1] the Outer Realms,[3][4] the Netherworld or the Nether Planes,[5][UOL 2] is a realm within the Aurbis, and is mainly inhabited by the Daedra—et'Ada who did not contribute to the creation of the Mundus.

There are at least sixteen major Planes of Oblivion, each ruled over by one of the Daedric Princes,[6] and over 37,000 other documented planes, including chaos realms and pocket realities,[7] although there exists far more than that, with accounts from the Daedra describing the minor realms in Oblivion as overall being infinite in both number and complexity.[8][9] Oblivion realms are extensions of their masters.[UOL 3] Most realms are maintained by greater Daedra or the collective will of many lesser Daedra, although some are ruled by mortals who have ascended to immortality—like the Ideal Masters.[10] The realms of the Daedric Princes are extensions of their Prince[UOL 3][11] and can be very extensive, with some even being described as infinite in size and shape. [12][13][14][UOL 4] Indeed, according to Sotha Sil, were a Prince to simultaneously invade the realms of the other Princes to seize the power within through the use of something like the Crystal Tower, they'd gain infinite power through the infinite connections made.[15] It has been said that, just like Apocrypha, all proper Oblvion realms are infinite in size. [16][UOL 4]

Oblivion is described as a different universe or a different dimension in relation to Mundus.[17][18] The Imperial Geographical Society described it as a black and empty sea with countless isles of wonder and cosmic whimsy, which begins where Mundus ends and surrounds it on every side. Thus, simply staring into the night sky is enough to visit Oblivion.[19] The Oblivion scholar Telbaril Oran claimed that what the mortal senses perceive while in an Oblivion realm is crafted from illusion and metaphor, the result of their mind attempting to make sense of the surrounding chaos. Because of this phenomenon, things like the "grass" one might perceive while in an Oblivion realm were described by him as actually just being the memory of that thing as interpreted by the mortal mind.[20]

The mechanisms which allow for magic to function in Oblivion are a matter of debate. One theory, that of "Mundial Emanation", maintains that when the Magna Ge broke through the firmament of Mundus, they unleashed a wave of creative energy which also washed over Oblivion and infused it with magic. Another theory maintains that Oblivion has its own "manifest dynamism", a form of omnipresent background energy which gives Oblivion its basic shape and laws, and can be tapped into to use magic when in those realms.[21] Whatever the case, Daedra have referred to magicka as a force they tap into to exert their power.[22][23]

Causality within Oblivion is not always concurrent with Mundus and Nirn, thus making it possible for phenomena such as entering an Oblivion realm at one point in time and emerging in the past relative to when one entered to occur. The downside with this tactic is the unpredictability and unreliability of when you might end up.[24][25] Fargrave was one Oblivion realm interaction with which was theorized to possibly lead to consequences in different frames of time.[26]

Chaotic Creatia is the unformed chaos native to the planes of Oblivion. It is a shapeless but energetic Padomaic material that accretes around a Daedric vestige until it conforms to the morphotype's inherent pattern. It is therefore key to the process by which a banished Daedra forms a new body. Chaotic creatia takes a different but planar-appropriate form in every realm of Oblivion,[27] and is commonly referred to as the "waters of Oblivion."[28][29][30][31][32] According to the Mazken Madam Whim, a renowned information broker operating out of Fargrave, the original formation of the Vestiges of lesser Daedra is generally the work of a progenitor Daedric Prince, who forms them out of the Creatia of their realm and sets their nature and path at the time of their making.[11] Indeed, there have been cases of lesser Daedra that were created by their progenitor Prince to accomplish a specific purpose or task, such as the scions of Ithelia, who were created by their Prince to help avert her foreseen imprisonment after a conflict with the other Daedric Princes.[22]" New realms formed within Oblivion are said to be crafted by their creators out of Chaotic Creatia.[10] The Daedric Prince Peryite is in charge of keeping daedrons - chaotic creatia imbued with sufficient purpose and function from the exertion of Daedric or mortal will - from causing damage in Oblivion. Such will-imbued creatia can form "potentia vortices" which, if unattended, can form destructive "realm-rips", phenomena which Peryite prevents from forming across Oblivion.[33] Some realms such as the Village of the Lost, a border realm of Coldharbour created during the Planemeld, have been observed floating upon a sea of creatia while they formed.[34]

Each Oblivion plane is different in appearance, depending upon the nature of its ruler. They can range from beautiful to desolate; some are even too strange for mortal comprehension.[10] According to the Dremora Lyranth, they share little in common and are "the very definition of change and variation, manifesting all possibilities, and validating all understanding and misunderstanding".[35] Indeed, it is said that there exist planes that "flex against the will to impose order" and "twist into hyperogonal paradoxes that resist even the most sophisticated ur-logic", or simply "wink in and out of existence too quickly" for even Daedra to "find purchase upon their shores". Owing to this, the Dremora Lyranth considered it possible for even things such as a dimension of talking daggers to exist within, and claimed that her own clan the Foolkillers Clan once made war upon a minor realm filled entirely with laughing mirrors.[8] The rulers associated with the different realms of Oblivion are implied to be able to sense what goes on in their respective planes, and the presence of visitors to their realms.[36][37]

Some Oblivion realms are said to have some sort of relationship with other planar regions. The Evergloam, realm of Nocturnal is said to exist adjacent to all other realms of reality simultaneously, such that it can almost be glimpsed when one turns and looks quickly while in the dark.[38] While regarding the Ashpit, realm of Malacath, it is said that, as the ultimate expression of the Orc stronghold, the Ashpit bastion stretches endlessly across the planes, extending even behind the stars to Aetherius, granting access to every worthy Orc who crosses from this life into the next.[12] The realm of Fargrave is described as a form of otherworldly conveyance, that embodies the existential concepts of transit or passage, and sits on the threshold to everywhere. Fargrave is said to serve as a natural waypoint between the planes of Oblivion, where the connections between them become easier to navigate, and to contain a multitude of portals to different realms. Thus it is said that there is no better launching point to explore the myriad corridors of Oblivion than Fargrave, with the realm even providing the means to reach the mortal world while bypassing some of its protections such as the Coldharbour Compact.[39][40]

Some sources claim that Akatosh, Nirn and Oblivion are one, a fact which can be proven through mathematical equations.[41]

Relationship with MundusEdit

There are a number of locations where Oblivion intersects with Nirn. Oblivion realms connected to the mortal world through stable gateways include Coldharbour, the Deadlands, the Shivering Isles, Evergloam, and the Hunting Grounds.[42][43][44][45][46][47][UOL 5][48]

Oblivion is separated from Nirn and Mundus by the Liminal Barriers, which are said to be the creation of Akatosh through the Sublime Brazier, a sacred cauldron described as Akatosh's first light, which stretches to the very heart of Nirn.[49][50][51][52][53] Some sources also speak of the aurora or "Kyne's lights", and the Lunar Lattice, also serving as boundaries that protect Nirn from harmful influence from beyond.[54][55] As of the end of the Oblivion Crisis, the sacrifice of Martin Septim has "sealed the gates of Oblivion forever". The new barrier is noted to be too powerful for a Sigil Stone to breach, even though "a thousand soul gems would likely dissolve" in the presence of such a Stone.[53][46][56]

Some believe that Nirn is a reflection of the Daedric realms, or that the Daedric realms are an echo of Nirn. According to the Daedric Prince Hermaeus Mora, many realms of Oblivion have a relationship with the mortal world. Indeed, it is said that Mora's realm of Apocrypha and Nirn share a powerful connection. The fates of the two worlds are said to be inextricably linked and, because of this and its role in regulating fate, it is said that, were Apocrypha to be destroyed, the resulting ripples of fate would also unravel the mortal world, and the ensuing destruction would ripple throughout reality.[23][16] There are places in Oblivion, as there are on Nirn, which serve as nexus points in reality, locations which naturally resonate throughout the realms, thus allowing for arcane phenomena that occur there to resonate across Aurbis.[57][16]

Oblivion is said to be less malleable than Mundus in some respects. According to the Dremora Lyranth, whereas many Oblivion realms flex against the will to impose order, Mundus submits simultaneously to the predictable influence of the et'Ada's remains and the stubborn caprice of the Liar. Even if some part of Mundus is destroyed, another instance of the same thing will soon arise.[8]

Realms of the Daedric PrincesEdit

The 17 main Daedric planes, along with the Daedric Princes they are associated with, are:

These realms are noted to be fundamentally shaped and curated by the will of their respective Princes, effectively being their extensions.[8][UOL 3][11]

GalleryEdit

  • Apocrypha, Hermaeus Mora's Realm

  • Attribution's Share, Boethia's realm

  • Coldharbour, Molag Bal's Realm

  • The Colored Rooms, Meridia's realm

  • Dark Behind the World, Namira's realm

  • The Deadlands, Mehrunes Dagon's Realm

  • The Evergloam, Nocturnal's realm

  • The Fields of Regret, Clavicus Vile's realm

  • The Hunting Grounds, Hircine's realm

  • Myriad Realms of Revelry, Sanguine's realms

  • The Pits, Peryite's realm

  • Quagmire, Vaermina's realm

  • Mania section of The Shivering Isles, Sheogorath's realm (formerly Jyggalag's realm)

  • The Spiral Skein, Mephala's Realm

NotesEdit

  • Despite some sources describing what one experiences within Oblivion as an approximation by mortal senses, materials harvested from Oblivion realms retain their form and have been used in Alchemy.[58][59]

See AlsoEdit

BooksEdit

ReferencesEdit

  1. ^ Ilend Vonius' dialogue in Oblivion
  2. ^ Dialogue during the quest Rescue Iszara in Redguard
  3. ^ Molag Bal's dialogue in Morrowind
  4. ^ Player's dialogue with the Ideal Masters in Battlespire
  5. ^ Hell Hound and Fire Daemon descriptions from Arena Player's Guide
  6. ^ Loading screens in Oblivion
  7. ^ Daedra Dossier: Cold-Flame Atronach — Denogorath the Dread Archivist
  8. ^ a b c d Loremaster's Archive - Mehrunes Dagon & Daedra in the Second Era — Lyranth
  9. ^ Jackdaw Daedrat's description in ESO
  10. ^ a b c Lord Fa-Nuit-Hen and Tutor Riparius Answer Your Questions — Fa-Nuit-Hen and Tutor Riparius
  11. ^ a b c Loremaster's Archive - Malacath and Maelstrom — Madam Whim
  12. ^ a b On Orcs and the Afterlife — Erisa Moorcroft, Scholar, Comparative Religious Studies
  13. ^ The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim: Prima Official Game Guide — David Hodgson
  14. ^ Working in the Infinite Panopticon — Cataloger Volgunn
  15. ^ Sotha Sil's dialogue in ESO
  16. ^ a b c Leramil's dialogue in ESO
  17. ^ Atronite's description in Blades
  18. ^ On Oblivion — Morian Zenas
  19. ^ Pocket Guide to the Empire, 3rd Edition: Arena Supermundus: The Tapestry of Heaven — Imperial Geographical Society, 3E 432
  20. ^ Telbaril Oran's dialogue in ESO
  21. ^ Lessons on Lucents — Roganus Atius, Chief Researcher of House Hexos
  22. ^ a b Ithelia's dialogue in ESO
  23. ^ a b Hermaeus Mora's dialogue in ESO
  24. ^ Darien Gautier's dialogue in ESO: Summerset
  25. ^ Sibellec the Old's dialogue during Wyrd and Coven in ESO
  26. ^ Valsirenn's dialogue in ESO
  27. ^ Chaotic Creatia: The Azure Plasm — Doctor Rhythandius
  28. ^ Dylora's dialogue in Shivering Isles
  29. ^ Relmyna Verenim's dialogue in Shivering Isles
  30. ^ Staada's dialogue in Shivering Isles
  31. ^ The Prophet's dialogue in Oblivion: Knights of the Nine
  32. ^ Saints and Seducers — Andoche Marie
  33. ^ Lord Fa-Nuit-Hen and Tutor Riparius Answer Your Questions 2 — Fa-Nuit-Hen and Tutor Riparius
  34. ^ Appearance of Village of the Lost in ESO
  35. ^ Lyranth the Foolkiller Answers Your Questions — Lyranth the Foolkiller
  36. ^ Events of ESO
  37. ^ Divayth Fyr's dialogue in The Light of Knowledge quest in ESO
  38. ^ Loading Screen for Evergloam in ESO: Summerset
  39. ^ Lyranth's dialogue in ESO
  40. ^ Madam Whim's dialogue in ESO
  41. ^ The Four Suitors of Benitah — Jole Yolivess
  42. ^ Karliah's dialogue during Darkness Returns in Skyrim
  43. ^ The Doors of Oblivion — Seif-ij Hidja
  44. ^ Journal of Tsona-Ei — Tsona-Ei
  45. ^ Events of The Cause
  46. ^ a b Vonos' Journal — Vonos
  47. ^ Haskill's dialogue in the Shivering Isles
  48. ^ Hunter's Grotto in ESO: Markarth
  49. ^ Events of Light the Dragonfires in Oblivion
  50. ^ Dialogue from the Drake of Blades in ESO
  51. ^ Trials of St. Alessia
  52. ^ The Sublime Brazier — Augusta Purusius, Associate Historian, Imperial Academy of Records and Histories
  53. ^ a b Martin Septim's dialogue in Oblivion
  54. ^ Crafting Motif 41: Celestial Style — the Guardian of Stars
  55. ^ Moon-Bishop Azin-jo's dialogue in ESO: Elsweyr
  56. ^ Excavation Leader's Journal in Skyrim
  57. ^ Scruut's dialogue in ESO
  58. ^ Bloodgrass in Oblivion
  59. ^ Harrada in Oblivion

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

  1. ^ Michael Kirkbride's Posts
  2. ^ Mark Lampert: "It's Quiet... Almost Too Quiet"
  3. ^ a b c ESO 2023 Global Reveal
  4. ^ a b Talking Elder Scrolls Online's Necrom Reveal With Rich Lambert
  5. ^ Josh Utter-Leyton Isle of Madness Interview
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