Navigation© The Imperial Library. All rights reserved. |
dremoraSpirit of the DaedraHOW YOU SHOULD KNOW US DEATH, DEFEAT, AND FEAR We do not die. We do not fear death. Destroy the Body, and the Animus is cast into The Darkness. But the Animus returns. But we are not all brave. We feel pain, and fear it. We feel shame, and fear it. We feel loss, and fear it. We hate the Darkness, and fear it. The Scamps have small thoughts, and cannot fear greatly. The Vermai have no thoughts, and cannot fear. The Dremora have deep thoughts, and must master fear to overcome it. THE CLAN BOND We are not born; we have not fathers nor mothers, yet we have kin and clans. The clan-form is strong. It shapes body and thought. In the clan-form is strength and purpose. THE OATH BOND We serve by choice. We serve the strong, so that their strength might shield us. Clans serve by long-practice, but practice may change. Dremora have long served Dagon but not always so. Practice is secure when oath-bonds are secure, and trust is shared. When oath-bonds are weak, there is pain, and shame, and loss, and Darkness, and great fear. HOW WE THINK ABOUT MAN Perhaps you find Scamps comic, and Vermai brutish. How then do you imagine we view you humans? You are the Prey, and we are the Huntsmen. The Scamps are the Hounds, and the Vermai the Beaters. Your flesh is sweet, and the chase is diverting. As you may sometimes praise the fox or hare, admiring its cunning and speed, and lamenting as the hounds tear its flesh, so do we sometimes admire our prey, and secretly applaud when it cheats our snares or eludes pursuit. But, like all worldly things, you will in time wear, and be used up. You age, grow ugly, weak, and foolish. You are always lost, late or soon. Sometimes the prey turns upon us and bites. It is a small thing. When wounded or weary, we fly away to restore. Sometimes a precious thing is lost, but that risk makes the chase all the sweeter. MAN'S MYSTERY Man is mortal, and doomed to death and failure and loss. This lies beyond our comprehension - why do you not despair?
Varieties of DaedraVarieties Of Daedra
by There is little chance of our ever understanding the various orders of Daedra and their relationships to the Daedra Lords and their dominions. Of the varieties of Daedra that appear in our world, and the varieties of their relationships to their fellows and their Daedra patrons, there is no end. In one place and time they are seen to be this, and in another place and time they are seen to be the opposite, and in another place and time they are seen to be both this and that, in completely contradictory terms. What Daedra serves this Prince? What Daedra gives orders, and what Daedra serves, and in what hierarchy, and under what circumstances? What Daedra exist in fellowship with one another, and what Daedra have eternal enmity to one another, and what Daedra are solitary, or social, and by turns solitary or social? There are no limits to the varieties of behaviors that may be observed, and in one place they may be this, and in another place they may that, and all rules describing them are always found to be contradictory and in exception to others. Further, from whom may we seek answers to our questions about these orders? From mortals, who know little but what they may observe of another world? From the gods, who speak in riddles, of enigmas wrapped in mysteries, and who keep things from us, the better to preserve their dominion over us? From the Daedra themselves, who are never the models of straightforwardness or truthtelling, but rather are famous for misstatements and obfuscations? And even were the Daedra to speak the truth, how can we know if they know themselves, or that there is any truth about them that is to be known, or are all arrangements among the Daedra protean and ever subject to change? In short, what is to be known is little, and and what is to be trusted is nothing. These things being said, I shall venture to relate what I have observed and heard of the relationships of the servants of Lord Dagon in my brief service to the Telvanni Wizard Divayth Fyr, when I sought him out and offered to bring peace to the victims of corprus in his sanitarium, once the Prophecies of the Incarnate had been fulfilled, and Dagoth Ur had been destroyed, and the Blight had been banished from the island of Vvardenfell forever. Divayth Fyr told me that he, by choice, trafficked only with two Daedra Powers -- Mehrunes Dagon and Azura. Azura, he said, knew and understood all things, and declined to speak of these things, or only spoke in riddles. Mehrunes Dagon, on the other hand, out of pride, fixity of purpose, and a predictable lack of subtlety in thought, knew nothing and understood nothing, and was inclined to speak freely and without falsehood. Divayth Fyr said that Dagon's chief servants, the Dremora, were like him in pride, fixed purpose, and lack of subtlety, with the addition of the peculiar traits of honor and loyalty, both within their class and within their relationship to Lord Dagon. And Divayth Fyr said that the Dremora were ordered into clans and castes, and these clans and castes were well-defined. Individual Dremora might rise or fall in ranks, or move back and forth among clans, but only when regulated by complex oaths, and only at the will and pleasure of their Lord Dagon. The Dremora refer to themselves as 'The Kyn' ('the People'), contrasting themselves to other Daedra, whom they consider unthinking animals. The term 'kynaz' refers to a member of the Dremora race ('he of the Kyn'). The least of kyn castes are the Churls, the undistinguished rabble of the lowest rank of Dremora. Churls are obsequeous to superiors but ferociously cruel to humans and other Daedra. Next in rank are the Caitiffs, creatures of uncalculating zeal, energy without discrimination. Caitiffs are used as irregulars in the faction wars of the Daedra, as berserkers and shock troops, undisciplined and unreliable, but eager and willing. The highest of the regular rank-and file of Dremora troops are the Kynvals, warrior-knights who have distinguished themselves in battle, and shown the deliberate steadiness of potential war leaders. Above the rank and file warriors of the Churl, Caitiff, and Kynval castes are the officer castes. A Kynreeve is a clan sheriff or clan officer. Kynreeves are typically associated either with a clan fighting unit or an administrative office in the order of battle. The Kynmarcher is the lord and high officer of a Daedric citadel, outpost, or gate. A Kymarcher's command is usually associated both with a unit and with a 'fief' -- a location or territory for which he is responsible. Above the Kymarcher is the Markynaz, or 'grand duke'. A Markynaz is a lord of lords, and member of the Markyn, Mehrunes Dagon's Council of Lords. The highest rank of Dremora is the Valkynaz, or 'prince'. This warrior duke is a member of the Valkyn, Mehrunes Dagon's personal guard. The Valkynaz are rarely encountered on Tamriel; normally they remain by Mehrunes Dagon's side, or serve as commanders of operations of particular importance or interest to Dagon. Of the varieties of other Daedra I encountered while I served in Divayth Fyr's Corprusarium -- Ogrims and Golden Saints, Daedroths and Winged Twilights, Scamps and Clannfear -- there is much that might be said, but little that is helpful or reliable. I did note, however, that when Divayth Fyr sought a Daedra of a character like unto the Dremora, but of greater power, and greater inclination for independence and initiative, or solely as a master, he summoned Xivilai, who are like the Dremora in personality and temperment, except that they hate subordination, and are liable to disloyalty and betrayal when they feel they have not been treated with the proper deference and respect. The feral, beastlike Daedra like the Clannfear and the Daedroth appear in the service of many different Daedric Powers, and may represent common creatures existing like wild animals in the wildernesses of Oblivion. Other savage, semi-intelligent creatures like Scamps and Spider Daedra may also be found in the realms of various Daedra Lords. The case of the Elemental Atronachs, on the other hand, is less certain. Flame and Frost Atronachs, for example, appear to be highly intelligent, but not all varieties of Elemental Atronachs seem to be social or to have the power of speech. Divayth Fyr preferred not to summon or deal with these creatures, had little experience with them, and showed no inclination to speculate upon their nature, so I learned little about them during my time at Tel Fyr. Varieties of DaedraThere is little chance of our ever understanding the various orders of Daedra and their relationships to the Daedra Lords and their dominions. Of the varieties of Daedra that appear in our world, and the varieties of their relationships to their fellows and their Daedra patrons, there is no end. In one place and time they are seen to be this, and in another place and time they are seen to be the opposite, and in another place and time they are seen to be both this and that, in completely contradictory terms. What Daedra serves this Prince? What Daedra gives orders, and what Daedra serves, and in what hierarchy, and under what circumstances? What Daedra exist in fellowship with one another, and what Daedra have eternal enmity to one another, and what Daedra are solitary, or social, and by turns solitary or social? There are no limits to the varieties of behaviors that may be observed, and in one place they may be this, and in another place they may that, and all rules describing them are always found to be contradictory and in exception to others. Further, from whom may we seek answers to our questions about these orders? From mortals, who know little but what they may observe of another world? From the gods, who speak in riddles, of enigmas wrapped in mysteries, and who keep things from us, the better to preserve their dominion over us? From the Daedra themselves, who are never the models of straightforwardness or truthtelling, but rather are famous for misstatements and obfuscations? And even were the Daedra to speak the truth, how can we know if they know themselves, or that there is any truth about them that is to be known, or are all arrangements among the Daedra protean and ever subject to change? In short, what is to be known is little, and and what is to be trusted is nothing. These things being said, I shall venture to relate what I have observed and heard of the relationships of the servants of Lord Dagon in my brief service to the Telvanni Wizard Divayth Fyr, when I sought him out and offered to bring peace to the victims of corprus in his sanitarium, once the Prophecies of the Incarnate had been fulfilled, and Dagoth Ur had been destroyed, and the Blight had been banished from the island of Vvardenfell forever. Divayth Fyr told me that he, by choice, trafficked only with two Daedra Powers -- Mehrunes Dagon and Azura. Azura, he said, knew and understood all things, and declined to speak of these things, or only spoke in riddles. Mehrunes Dagon, on the other hand, out of pride, fixity of purpose, and a predictable lack of subtlety in thought, knew nothing and understood nothing, and was inclined to speak freely and without falsehood. Divayth Fyr said that Dagon's chief servants, the Dremora, were like him in pride, fixed purpose, and lack of subtlety, with the addition of the peculiar traits of honor and loyalty, both within their class and within their relationship to Lord Dagon. And Divayth Fyr said that the Dremora were ordered into clans and castes, and these clans and castes were well-defined. Individual Dremora might rise or fall in ranks, or move back and forth among clans, but only when regulated by complex oaths, and only at the will and pleasure of their Lord Dagon. The Dremora refer to themselves as 'The Kyn' ('the People'), contrasting themselves to other Daedra, whom they consider unthinking animals. The term 'kynaz' refers to a member of the Dremora race ('he of the Kyn'). The least of kyn castes are the Churls, the undistinguished rabble of the lowest rank of Dremora. Churls are obsequeous to superiors but ferociously cruel to humans and other Daedra. Next in rank are the Caitiffs, creatures of uncalculating zeal, energy without discrimination. Caitiffs are used as irregulars in the faction wars of the Daedra, as berserkers and shock troops, undisciplined and unreliable, but eager and willing. The highest of the regular rank-and file of Dremora troops are the Kynvals, warrior-knights who have distinguished themselves in battle, and shown the deliberate steadiness of potential war leaders. Above the rank and file warriors of the Churl, Caitiff, and Kynval castes are the officer castes. A Kynreeve is a clan sheriff or clan officer. Kynreeves are typically associated either with a clan fighting unit or an administrative office in the order of battle. The Kynmarcher is the lord and high officer of a Daedric citadel, outpost, or gate. A Kymarcher's command is usually associated both with a unit and with a 'fief' -- a location or territory for which he is responsible. Above the Kymarcher is the Markynaz, or 'grand duke'. A Markynaz is a lord of lords, and member of the Markyn, Mehrunes Dagon's Council of Lords. The highest rank of Dremora is the Valkynaz, or 'prince'. This warrior duke is a member of the Valkyn, Mehrunes Dagon's personal guard. The Valkynaz are rarely encountered on Tamriel; normally they remain by Mehrunes Dagon's side, or serve as commanders of operations of particular importance or interest to Dagon. Of the varieties of other Daedra I encountered while I served in Divayth Fyr's Corprusarium -- Ogrims and Golden Saints, Daedroths and Winged Twilights, Scamps and Clannfear -- there is much that might be said, but little that is helpful or reliable. I did note, however, that when Divayth Fyr sought a Daedra of a character like unto the Dremora, but of greater power, and greater inclination for independence and initiative, or solely as a master, he summoned Xivilai, who are like the Dremora in personality and temperment, except that they hate subordination, and are liable to disloyalty and betrayal when they feel they have not been treated with the proper deference and respect. The feral, beastlike Daedra like the Clannfear and the Daedroth appear in the service of many different Daedric Powers, and may represent common creatures existing like wild animals in the wildernesses of Oblivion. Other savage, semi-intelligent creatures like Scamps and Spider Daedra may also be found in the realms of various Daedra Lords. The case of the Elemental Atronachs, on the other hand, is less certain. Flame and Frost Atronachs, for example, appear to be highly intelligent, but not all varieties of Elemental Atronachs seem to be social or to have the power of speech. Divayth Fyr preferred not to summon or deal with these creatures, had little experience with them, and showed no inclination to speculate upon their nature, so I learned little about them during my time at Tel Fyr. Lesser DaedraThere are many kinds of lesser Daedra. It is difficult to classify these Daedra because of their many forms and size. From Darkest Darkness, we can learn that some particular Daedric Princes have their lesser Daedra. We can see that Daedric Prince Sheogorath uses mostly his Golden Saint for his dirty jobs, while Mehrunes Dagon has Dremora, Clannfear and lowly Scamp for the same jobs. Azura in the other hand has Winged Twilight, Mephala has Spider Daedra, Boethiah has Hunger, Molag Bal has Daedroth, and Malacath has big but dumb Ogrim. There are some of the lesser Daedra that do not align themselves with a particular Daedric Prince. They are the Elemental Daedra or the Atronach. The Daedra Seducers are also "Lordless warriors", they might shift allegiance at will. I classify the lesser Daedra based on their intelligence on the battle and a report of the Daedric encounter in Battlespire issue some years ago while some of the lesser Daedra are strangely talkative. From the high intelligence lesser Daedra, we can find Dremora, Daedric Lord, Daedric Count, Seducer, Dark Seducer, Golden Saint and Xivilai. They are very tough warriors and use destructive and protective spells to start a battle. Confronting them needs a great deal of skills and wit to become victorious. They are skillful for using the high level weaponry, like Dwemeri to Ebony and Daedric. Defeating them usually rewards an arsenal of powerful weapons. They sometime are talkative and very intelligence on their conversation. Usually they do this to obtain an information from a certain mortal. A little note about Daedra Lord or Daedric Lord. The Daedra Lord that I mentioned here is lesser Daedra. This is rather confusing as in the Morrowind, the people always refer "Daedra Lord" for a Daedric Prince. Even Lord Vivec himself calls Azura as Daedra Lord Azura. From the medium intelligence class, we can see Winged Twilight, Hunger, Elemental Daedra/Atronach (fire, frost, and storm), Herne, Daedroth, Spider Daedroth, and Morphoid Daedra. They mostly use melee attack as hand to hand or using their particular weapons, like Fire Daedra/Atronach is using a flaming sword. This weapon is unusual, as it is a part of their body. We cannot pry the weapon loose from their dead body. Some of them, like Daedroth can cast some limited spells. These lesser Daedra should not be underestimated as they are deadly, not as deadly as the high intelligence lesser Daedra, but still prove disastrous if not dealt very well. Ogrim, Scamp, Clannfear, and Vermai are considered the stupidest of all lesser Daedra. Some of them can communicate but not in an intelligent conversation. They will mostly attack on sight. The Scamp is quite special, although they are considered stupid but they can learn and one of them is spotted becoming a merchant in Caldera, an Imperial City on Vvardenfell. The Scamp is coward but can be dangerous if they attack on a pack. Other member of this class is, well, stupid. Vermai for example, although a person can communicate with them, but usually this conversation will end on eating (attacking) the person. Ogrim will not even talk, they will attack on sight, luckily they are slow. There are some unique lesser Daedra, they usually has unique form, like Zenaida, Imago Storm, Faydra Shardai and Sumeer Jabran. They are considered as some kind of the leader. They are powerful and usually use magical spell on their arsenal. Most of the lesser Daedra can be easily seen that they do not have gender. Sheogorath's Golden Saint for example is always female, while Mehrunes Dagon's Dremora is always male. Some of them even cannot be distinctively classified. Fire Atronach and Spider Daedra are the Daedra that can be noted have gender. From the previous encounter with them (events in Iliac Bay and the Battlespire), they were in male form but during the Oblivion Crisis we noted that those two lesser Daedra took female form. We do not know the gender of Vermai and Scamp, although we can assume that they are all male. We do not have a slightly information about Daedric reproduction, it, we can assume that they are reproduced by magic, perhaps with a little essence of their master, the Daedric Prince. Lesser Daedra are commonly summoned by worshippers and sorcerers as servants or instruments. They can be summoned for brief periods or indefinitely. That entirely depends on the method. Here is the detail, taken from "Darkest Darkness":
Regarding Daedric Armors and Weapons, these items are made from raw ebony, which has been refined using the craft and magical substances of the lesser minions of Oblivion. The process is not a pleasant one for the Daedra involved, and these items retain echoes of preternaturally prolonged suffering endured during manufacture. Daedric Armors and Weapons are the most rare and expensive armaments known in Tamriel. As I wrote earlier, the lesser Daedra cannot be killed. Although seemingly that the lesser Daedra is killed, the spirit is immortal and goes back to Oblivion. In time, it will go back to its Daedric Realm and eventually return to mortal world by summoning or other methods. The body of slain lesser Daedra does not disappear. And it contains some ingredients that prized by the alchemists. The known Daedric ingredients are Daedra Heart, Daedra Skin, Scamp Skin, Void Salts, Fire Salts, and Frost Salts. By combining these ingredients, alchemists can produce numerous potions that essential for mages and adventurers alike.
DremoraThis subsection is basically a summary of Aranea Drethan's "Varieties of Daedra" with some addition from the earlier record of Daedric encounter in the Invasion of Battlespire. Dremora is the elite troop of Mehrunes Dagon. They are powerful, proud, fixed purposed, and lack of subtlety, with the addition of the peculiar traits of honor and loyalty, both within their class and within their relationship to Lord Dagon. They refer themselves as "The Kyn" or "the People." The term "kynaz" refers to a member of the Dremora race ("he of the Kyn"). The word "Dremora" is both plural and singular, so the word "Dremoras" is essentially wrong.
Dremora is divided by several ranks, as you can see on the table below.
As mentioned above - on the lesser Daedra section - there are types of Daedra that named Daedric Lord and Daedric Count. I believe they are also Dremora. The lore book says that Daedric Lord is Lesser nobility of the Daedra. Great variation in skill, toughness, and wit. Typically ambitious and opportunistic. While Daedric Count is Middle nobility of the Daedra. Exceptional strength, often balanced by subtle but predictable weaknesses. Just my speculation, Daedric Lord is Kynreeve, while Daedric Count is Kynmarcher. Dremora is said loyal to their class or clan and within their relationship to Mehrunes Dagon. We noted an interesting event in the Daedric invasion of the Battlespire. At that time, Mehrunes Dagon has four main armies, the Dremora under Imago Storm, Flame Atronach under Faydra Shardai, Frost Atronach under Xivilai Moath, and a group of masterless Daedra Seducers. As expected they are competing each other. But the most interesting is the Dremora under Imago Storm. Imago Storm (probably a Markynaz) was mostly concern about the welfare of Dremora clan. He believed that Mehrunes Dagon had taken a wrong decision by taking into his service the armies of Faydra Shardai, Xivilai Moath and those Seducers, further more Mehrunes Dagon made a bigger mistake by invading Battlespire. Battlespire was a rich resource and would be coveted by the clans under Mehrunes Dagon. It would bring disorders, especially when the clan faced the "Storms of Change." Imago Storm then gave the neonymics of Mehrunes Dagon, Faydra Shardai and Xivilai Moath - expecting the hero to banish those three leaders and end the invasion. What we can see on this event, that Dremora are highly intelligent and relatively independent. They still obey and honor the Prince of Destruction but they have their own hidden agenda and politics, which sometime do not walk in the same road with Mehrunes Dagon's. Furthermore, the "Spirit of Daedra" (a letter that apparently written by Dremora) has this line "The Dremora have deep thoughts, and must master fear to overcome it. Dremora have long served Dagon, but not always so." A little note on Xivilai. The "Varieties of Daedra" has this to say:
The Story of Battlespire records one Xivilai in the invasion of the Battlespire, Xivilai Moath. He ruled the Mehrunes' troop of Frost Atronach. He was powerful, yet his loyalty is questioned. When the hero stated that he knows Xivilai Moath's neonymic, he easily gave up and surrendered his gate key. This proves that Xivilai cannot be fully trusted; they are unreliable.
Althouth they tend to disloyalty, the physical build of Xivilai is impressive; this tall Daedra can use two-hander weapon as a one-hander weapon. Truly a great strength. Some say that Xivilai is Dremora Assassin. This claim makes Xivilai is the member of the Dremora class; this probably right but one thing for sure, they are out of the known rank and caste above. BibliographyAnd here are some books that essential for more study about Daedra:
|
Search"Here, this is Muatra. Guess what it represents. " |
