Post by ThreeDawg on Dec 10, 2012 12:38:13 GMT -5
The Innumerable Planes.
Introduction:
In this book I will detail what information I know of the known Planes of Oblivion, innumerable in their existence. Some are more documented than others, having been visited by many. Others are less documented, being separated from Tamriel completely with only recounts from Daedra as sources of information. But nonetheless I shall attempt to do my best! I will recount the planes of Oblivion associated with the Daedric Princes first in alphabetical order, then planes of Oblivion not associated with one particular Daedric Prince rather associated with multiple or even none at all. I would suggest when reading this book you couple it alongside the first section of its sister book in the Oblivion series, 'Children of Oblivion', which details the Daedric Princes and inhabitants of each of these realms.
Major Planes of Oblivion.
Apocrypha:
I will begin with the realm of Hermaeus Mora, Apocrypha. This realm is a repository of all the knowledge Hermaeus Mora has gathered from his endless pursuit of it throughout Nirn, Oblivion and even Aetherius. The secrets to all of life's mysteries can be found in Apocrypha's depths. It contains a copy of every book ever written and these books, ancient scriptures and carved tablets line the walls of its endless libraries. The knowledge here is often forbidden, completely lost to the mortals of Nirn.
Hermaeus Mora uses this repository of information to barter for more in his endless search to know everything. He will offer mortals information that holds power in order to learn what they know, however those mortals that choose to accept an invitation into Apocrypha or break into the realm through other means find their life immediately in jeopardy. The endless libraries are fraught with danger, not only are they patrolled by Hermaeus Mora's Daedric servants but often mortals get addicted to the knowledge they find. They endlessly search the realm for the knowledge they seek but it constantly remains just out of their reach, eventually driving the mortal insane and leaving them as little more than a pale husk of their former self. All this before they waste away, becoming yet another ghost that haunts the libraries.
See the problem with Apocrypha is that the library is impossible to attempt to search. This is because none of the books have names and the wings constantly shift across the endless ocean of inky blackness that is the true floor of this realm. Some scholars have claimed to discover a method to find what they wish, however if they did they would be Emporers and not mere scholars. I for one say it is impossible, all down to luck or the blessing of Hermaeus Mora himself.
The Ashpit:
The Ashpit is the name for the plane of Oblivion ruled by Malacath. Malacath’s nature means that this plane of Oblivion may not have existed since before Malacath's creation. Instead it may have been created during that time period after his creation as a personal project of Malacath's. Indeed the Ashpit represents the nature of Malacath rather nicely, as the place is full of sorrow, the broken promises of broken spirits and the despair of the outcasts.
The air is filled with ash, the ground is nonexistent and neither is the sky. Nothing exists in this realm but the ash of Malacath and to survive here one must utilise levitation and breathing Magicks. But this isn't strictly true, Malacath must do dealings with those incapable of such things and he has created safe havens throughout his realm for these Mortals. The places vary from lush gardens to peacefully silent ruins of seemingly Elven origin. This could possibly be attributed to Malacath's origin as an Aldmeri warrior god. They may well be sentimental to him. These areas of the realm are prone to shift and change. Coming and going in the breeze like the ash they are made from and the memories of their patron Prince. The only constant in the realm is the 'spine' of his realm, a mountainous spinal cord that tends to be the only discernible feature visible on the horizon from the ash and ash-palaces of this realm.
Coldharbour:
Molag Bal's personal realm, Coldharbour, is a realm created with one purpose in mind: Recreate Nirn just as Molag Bal wishes it. Molag Bal has failed in a number of ways with this creation, he has failed to provide Coldharbour with the 'divine spark' granted to Nirn that allows for Mortals to survive free-willed. Instead it is a mocking desolate land where the sky burns, the ground has become saturated by the blood of the dead to create a slush and the cities of Tamriel are nothing but blackened husks. Copies of landmarks such as the White Gold Tower are covered in bloody smears and excrement.
There is a permanent cold feeling in these realms, a feeling that can't be dismissed through magical resistances. A smell also pervades the realm, one of death and decay. Although it has been known to play with the senses seemingly for its own enjoyment, giving reprieve from the smell only to return it at the worst possible situation. Few venture to Coldharbour, the realm of the Dominator and his Vampiric disease. Those that do hardly return, or at least return changed. Often for the worse.
During the Second Era Molag Bal attempted to pull Nirn into the realm of Coldharbour using Dark Anchors. These magical devices began pulling Nirn into Coldharbour while releasing armies of Daedra to defend them. However Mortal armies prevailed and saved Nirn from the likes of Molag Bal, preventing Coldharbour from becoming our reality.
The Coloured Rooms:
Meridia's Plane of Oblivion, sometimes known as the Coloured Rooms, is a realm with little information about it throughout the history of Tamriel. We can assume by the fact that it is largely inaccessible from Nirn or even Oblivion that the militant Daedric Prince Meridia guards her realm well. Possibly as a safety against a possible counter strike from the undead that she has waged war against for centuries or the Daedric Princes or powerful entities that have a use for the undead she wishes to destroy.
The Coloured Rooms are a set of realms throughout Oblivion, much like Sanguine's 'Islands of Indulgence'. They are a testing ground for Meridia's powers, always attempting to find new and better ways to destroy Undead beings with her Auroran servants. Mortals are not welcome in this realm, it is almost as heard to enter as the lowest realm of Aetherius. Meridia keeps her secrets very secure.
The Deadlands:
The plane of Oblivion known as the Deadlands is Mehrunes Dagon is one of the most desolate places known to me. The Deadlands consist of an ocean of endless lava, dotted by islands of volcanic rock and ebony spires. The spires are inhabited by Dremora, the Daedric followers of Mehrunes Dagon and their Lesser Daedra followers. The sky is on fire, the ground often erupts violently in volcanic explosions and the towers slip below the lava waves during the endless battles between the Dremora clans who fight endlessly for the favour of Dagon.
Citadels dot the volcanic islands where the Dremora leaders rule over the realm under the control of Dagon. Dagon used these Dremora to open gates into Nirn during the Oblivion Crisis and it was these Dremora that poured forth and destroyed the cities of Tamriel before they were halted by Imperial forces and the intervention of a God.
Often mortals are abducted by Dagon's minions or bartered to Dagon in exchange for his favour by other mortals. These mortals are tortured endlessly by the Dremora for their sick amusement and in the end when their bodies can hold no more and their spirits shatter the Dremora execute them in vast pits of spikes. The flesh of the mortals is moulded through Daedric Magicks to produce ornaments and storage satchels for the amusement of the Dremora and to put fear into the hearts of the next mortals to visit them.
The Evergloam:
The Evergloam is the Plane of Oblivion that is the domain of the Daedric Prince Nocturnal. The Evergloam is a place of perpetual twilight. The not-dark, not-light that shadows survive best in. Little is known of the Evergloam as the ways into this realm are guarded by forces unknown to me.
What is known of the Evergloam is vague at best, for example we know that a section of it is known as the Shade Perilous and that during the Imperial Simulacrum the area was overtaken by Mehrunes Dagon's forces. However other than that we can only assume that Nocturnal retook this section of her realm after Dagon's temporary banishment.
Tales of the world's greatest Thieves tell of Nocturnal granting them the gift to travel through the Evergloam. An ability that allows the Thief to create a small opening into the Plane of Oblivion that allows for them to step through and then exit out of the Evergloam to the destination of their Guild.
Eye of Order:
With the return of the Daedric Prince Jyggalag to the Pantheon of Oblivion, a new Plane of Oblivion has also sprung up. Perhaps this plane was always there, left abandoned since its creator was taken away from it, who knows. The Eye of Order is the name of this Plane of Oblivion. This plane consists of a large island floating in a sea of crystal clear water. This island is barren, rocky. Multiple large crystalline spires rise up from the island and embrace the clouds.
The spires have towns built around them. Perfectly ordered towns, all made of the same crystalline substance as the spires themselves. These towns are busy with Knights of Order and the mortal followers of Jyggalag, the Priests of Order. The Knights work to hammer out armour for the Priests and more Knights, the Priests go about summoning and binding more Knights from wellheads found inside the crystalline spires.
Overseeing all of this lies a mountain, a mountain capped in a crystalline fortress that opens out onto the island. This is the Seat of Order and from here Jyggalag prepares his armies to create Order from the Chaos of Creation.
The Hunting Grounds:
The Hunting Grounds is a Plane of Oblivion quite beautiful in its views but deadly in its being. Hircine, Daedric Prince of the Hunt, rules this realm and he enjoys the sport of which he is named after here. Beasts from across the realms of Oblivion and even Nirn live in this realm. Woodlands, swamplands, mountains, any and all types of geographical climate can be found in Hircine's Hunting Grounds and the animals, rare and common, associated with these climates inhabit them.
But dangerous beasts, even if they are often twice the size of their natural counterparts, are not the only inhabitants of this realm. No, Werecreatures and the spirits of mortals afflicted by any of the Lycanthropic diseases that have died can be found hunting here. When a mortal afflicted with Lycanthropy dies their spirit no longer passes onto their afterlife, instead the spirit is taken by Hircine to hunt with him forever. Werecreatures and the spirits of the dead ones hunt this realm throughout the daylight hours, but when the sun falls a horn can be heard across the entirety of the Plane. The horn signals the coming of Hircine and his personal hunting party, his chosen. They take their turn hunting the prey of the region and take great pleasure in hunting Mortals who have come to visit their plane.
So pleasurable is the hunt of Mortals for Hircine that once every Era or so a Bloodmoon rises over the island of Solstheim. Why Hircine picks this island is unknown, but it is perhaps related to the hardy nature of its inhabitants who make for fine hunters. Hircine abducts his chosen hunters from the local Skaal, or foreign if they are present, population and takes them to his Hunting Grounds. Here they are hunted like beasts, but if one survives the hunt and evades Hircine he will grant them not only his boon but also allow them free leave of his Plane. Few succeed.
Islands of Indulgence:
The Islands of Indulgence are a collection of smaller Planes of Oblivion created and ruled by the Daedric Prince Sanguine. These planes are merely pocket-sized compared to the other Planes of Oblivion, each caters to a different indulgent fantasy, lust, sin or other methods of debauchery.
The Islands of Indulgence remain seemingly unguarded, Sanguine has few enemies and he appears to have no Daedra types specifically under his control. He instead has the most powerful attribute a Daedra can have guarding his realms, the power over Mortals to make them do as he wishes. He is very, very good at that.
Moonshadow:
Moonshadow is the beautiful Plane of Oblivion created and ruled by Azura. The realm is so beautiful that mortal visitors are considered half-blinded by the sight that befalls them, unless they are prepared for what they will see. The realm is full of beautiful flowers, trees bloom and pristine waterfalls lead on to sparkling rivers. The air smells like the most perfect perfume you could imagine and all this is only broken by the occasional light rain that waters the plant life. A city seemingly made of pure silver dominates the landscape and from here, in her palace adorned by roses, Azura rules.
Winged Twilights guard this realm, but they do not attack trespassers. Instead Azura is welcoming of mortals who show the ability to reach her and some mortals choose never to leave. Leaving would be advised however as the land plays tricks on the mind, it seems our mortal forms were not created to endure perfection and they are often driven mad eventually.
The raving mad mortals are hunted by the Winged Twilight, but some remain and these are the only dangers you should find in the realm of Azura. But if you come for an audience with Azura, be prepared to wait an eternity. The Daedric Prince of Twilight is often too busy for those without urgent needs.
The Pits:
The Pits is the name given to the Plane of Oblivion created and owned by Peryite. The Pits are the location where the lowest orders of Daedra are said to be created and ordered into being. It is here that any Dremora that wish to become Princes are slaughtered and reconstructed into Dremora again, or even lower castes of Daedra.
The Pits is very reminiscent of Mehrunes Dagon's Deadlands in that it is primarily a sea of lava with rocky islands inhabited by Daedra. The Pits are usually cut off from Nirn and inaccessible by Mortals, but exceptions are possible if Peryite wishes it. The islands have grey-brown structures inhabited by Peryite’s Daedric and Mortal minions.
The Mortal minions of Peryite work hard here to expose themselves to all the foul diseases that inhabit this Plane so that they can spread these pestilences upon Nirn. Travellers to this realm can expect to come back with at the least one disease and should seek magical assistance as soon as is possible.
Quagmire:
The Quagmire is the name of the Plane of Oblivion created and controlled by the Daedric Prince of Nightmares Vaermina. Vaermina's Plane is the one most visited by Mortals and the most horrifying one to experience. Every night, Mortals are dragged to this Plane by Vaermina's insatiable hunger for memories. In return, they are sent back with memories of the nightmares they experience at the hands of Vaermina in the Quagmire.
Few Daedra guard this realm, instead the Quagmire shift and changes to the presence of the mortals. Every few minutes a flash of lightning and a clap of thunder signal the changing of realm for the mortal. They will find themselves experiencing something horrible, something designed specifically for that Mortal and each change is one for the worse as the Quagmire probes and exploits your innermost fears.
It is said that the Quagmire is the Plane of Oblivion closest to Nirn. In some places the Quagmire even overlaps, usually around places blessed by Vaermina or in the vicinity of one of her artefacts of power. The extent of these overlaps vary from people in the area suffering from extended bouts of nightmares during their sleeping hours all the way to a physical entrance into the Quagmire.
The Scuttling Void:
The Scuttling Void is the Plane of Oblivion created and controlled by the Daedric Prince of Ancient Darkness, Namira. The name of this realm links into the denizens, millions of insects and carrion feeders feast on the ever-present corpses of the dead. It is unknown where these corpses come from, possibly from other Planes of Oblivion, but the corpses are always present and they practically litter the floor.
The Daedra that guard this realm are the Spider Daedra, clans of which make their home throughout the boneyards of gigantic decaying monster the likes of which I have never seen alive on Nirn, their massive webs creating a multi-tiered city which are nearly impossible for Mortals to navigate. These Boneyards are a constant feature throughout the Scuttling Void and the largest pile of them is where Namira makes her home, in her palace of flesh and bones.
Namira also has some Mortal servants in her plane, emaciated beings that will kill anyone who doesn't have an appointment with their Mistress. Her servants will then proceed to feast upon the flesh of the trespasser, before the carrion feeders or the Spider Daedra get to the corpse first.
The Shivering Isles:
Sheogorath's Shivering Isles is, surprisingly, one of the more civilised Planes of Oblivion. The Shivering Isles are split into three main sections, The Fringe, Dementia and Mania. The Fringe is the smallest of the three sections. It houses the portal in and out of the Shivering Isles, where all travellers to the Isles will appear. The Fringe is a walled section of the Shivering Isles that appears much like any regular bog but serves as the waiting area for entry into the Shivering Isles proper, with one small town known as Passwall filled with these lunatics. Only those mad enough to get the attention of the Madgod will receive his blessing and pass the Gatewatcher.
On the opposite side of the wall the Shivering Isles itself appears. It is quite vast, with one city known as New Sheoth being the seat of power for Sheogorath and his Dukes or Duchesses of Mania and Dementia. The northern half of the island is bright, colourful and deadly by the fact that it appears safe, this is known as Mania. On the southern side of the island it is dark and depressive, with very little colour in the flora or fauna and poisonous plants growing everywhere, this is Dementia.
The inhabitants of this realm are quite exotic. First of all there are the Mortals of Tamriel, blessed by Sheogorath and brought to his realm. Some of these Mortals are heretical in their thinking towards Sheogorath, roaming the wilderness of the Shivering Isles like madmen in devious cults. Other Mortals are more. . . Sane. . . They inhabit New Sheoth, a city not unlike any in Tamriel apart from its dual nature, the north half is insanely happy and bright while the other half is dark, dismal and depressive. The third set of inhabitants are two rival clans of Greater Daedra, both created by Sheogorath and both having one half of the island to themselves. The northern half is guarded by the Golden Saints, the southern half is guarded by the Dark Seducers.
Finally, the fauna and flora of the Shivering Isles is impressive in that it is a fully diverse ecosystem in its. Fungal plants are the backbone of this ecosystem and massive Mushroom Trees grow on both sides of the island and connect through Root Tunnels to the center of the island. In these Root Tunnels and on the surface are a vast menagerie of creatures that have differing appearances depending on which side of the island you are on. These creatures include Grummites, Baliwogs, Elytra, Gnarls and Scalons to name but a few.
Soul's Paradise:
Clavicus Vile's realm is known as Soul's Paradise, named because of its Idyllic countryside, dotted with vast cities of crystal and glass. These cities are new, as the old version was destroyed around one and a half century ago during the Umbriel Crisis, where Clavicus Vile had a large chunk of his power taken from him. Half of these cities are being rebuilt by their denizens, who are born, die and reborn in the bowels of these majestic cities.
Each city is ruled over by a King, each King has his understudies. These understudies and their professions range from city to city, the floating island of Umbriel was one of these cities. Apparently in it, the major profession was in the culinary arts where chefs of all races imaginable and many more that aren't would work diligently to create the finest foods from ingredients that would boggle the mind of a Tamrielic Mortal.
Now these cities are in a state of rebuilding, their Kings are new and their inhabitants are freshly plucked from Nirn and from unknown realms beyond by deals with Clavicus Vile. They will be thrown into the soul chamber beneath the cities, their form added to each and then they are killed. Their soul will be recycled, being reborn as they once were and the city will begin to produce new beings grown from maggot-like sacks in the shape of the new species added to it. So is the cycle of the cities of Soul's Paradise.
The Snake Mount:
The Snake Mount is a Plane of Oblivion named after its master, the Daedric Prince of Murder and Deceit, Boethiah. The name 'Snake Mount' makes reference to the thought that snakes are deceiving, deadly, murderous beasts.
The Snake Mount itself shares a similar geography and climate to Mehrunes Dagon's Deadlands. Blackened volcanic islands dot a sea of endless lava, the typical creation of a Daedric Prince obsessed with killing mortals or having mortals kill each other.
Mortals are seldom welcome to this realm, which is overseen by Daedra under the service of Boethiah such as Dremora tribes and several tribes of Dark Seducers. Boethiah will occasionally hold a trial for her strongest followers, pitting them against each other and against the strongest beasts from around Nirn. Occasionally Boethiah will abduct a mortal champion that isn't one of her followers, putting them through this gruelling arena tournament for their freedom and a boon from the Prince.
The Spinner's Web:
The Spinner's Web is the Plane of Oblivion associated with Mephala, the Daedric Prince of Murder, Sex and Secrets. It is a Plane of Oblivion almost completely impossible to enter by Mortals. Those that have entered claim it is a labyrinthine maze of webs and bookshelves, each book in the shelf supposedly contains a completely accurate biography of a person's life.
This relates to Mephala's practice of counting every mortal life 'another thread on her web', which she manipulates to ensure destiny has its way and Mephala does too.
It is said that Spider Daedra roam Mephala's realm, although few in number. Instead Mephala prefers the use of dumb beasts to hunt in her realm, spiders from across Nirn are a favourite of hers. Large and small.
Planes of Oblivion not affiliated to one Daedric Prince:
The Chimera of Desolation:
The Chimera of Desolation is one of the many (theorised) thousands of Daedric Planes of Oblivion that are unaffiliated with the Daedric Princes. Strictly this is not true as the Chimera was created by Mehrunes Dagon. However he no longer lords over it and the Chimera is lordless.
The Chimera of Desolation was created as an act of vengeance against a necromancer from Northmoor in High Rock. Mehrunes Dagon chose to, instead of merely killing the man, tear his home away and throw it into a desolate plane of Oblivion. But not only did Mehrunes Dagon take the house, he took the town it was part of and the very rocky island it was situated on north off Northmoor too.
The Chimera of Desolation is a lonely place, as the name suggests. All the residents of the isle of Caecilly and its town of Trybador are long dead, including the conjurer. Now the Chimera plays host to unaffiliated Daedric clans and power-hungry Conjurers insistent on becoming a new Lord over Daedra.
Havoc Wellhead:
The Havoc Wellhead isn't specifically owned by Mehrunes Dagon or any other Prince, however it is thought Mehrunes Dagon created this Plane of Oblivion and it is known that clans affiliated to him roamed it. These clans were sent into chaos and overthrown during the Imperial Simulacrum of 2E however. Within recent years travel to the Wellhead has become a problem, due to the upheaval caused during the Simulacrum and Jagar Tharn's plot to masquerade as the Emperor.
Entry into the Wellhead is now a well guarded secret of the Daedric Clans but from what I have been told by those who have interrogated members of the Daedric clans that inhabit it, I can tell you that the Wellhead is vile barren wasteland quite akin to a desert and the Daedric Clans there have erected towns and cities to call their own. These clans occasionally war amongst each other for the amusement of Dagon, but the common practice of settling debts is in the central arena, the Wellhead.
The Wellhead makes the Imperial Arena look like a childhood scuffle. Here Daedra are set against each other in ever-changing and highly hazardous terrains that often kill the participants quicker than their opponent(s) does.
Soul Cairn:
The Soul Cairn is a mysterious Plane of Oblivion completely unaffiliated in both creation and lordship to any of the Daedric Princes. Travel to this Plane is not only terribly hard to accomplish but also highly inadvisable due to the dangers of the Plane. I will not detail to you the ritual required to gain entry as I fear the majority of my readers are completely unprepared and will simply end up dead.
The Soul Cairn is a true wasteland. Very little lives in this Plane of Oblivion and all that does is completely alien and adapted to survive in the Plane's unique atmosphere. The Soul Cairn is inhabited by the bones of the dead, the ashes of the dead and the souls of the dead. Souls that maintain some measure of awareness are capable of retaining shape and even talking, however after centuries of isolation the souls are either absorbed into the energies of the Soul Cairn or can retain only a spherical shape with which to dart around with.
The Soul Cairn is not the afterlife, although it may sound like a terrible version of it. No, the Soul Cairn is a Plane of Oblivion created by a group of powerful beings known as the Ideal Masters. The Ideal Masters are the lords of necromancy and it is from these that powerful Necromancers get a vast portion of their power from. The Ideal Masters provide power in exchange for souls, delivered to them through black soul gems. However the 'Ideal' Masters are far from it as they often revoke the power they give or create an unknown clause in their agreement that often steals the Necromancers souls too. In the end.