Aldmeri Dominion; Altmer
The Altmer, or self-proclaimed "Cultured People," are a tall, golden-skinned race native to the Summerset Isles. Known to the rest of Tamriel as High Elves, they are often perceived as proud, elitist, or even snobbish. Altmer have an impressive lifespan, living two to three times longer than humans.
Regarded as the most sophisticated civilization in Tamriel, the Altmer take pride in their cultural dominance—Tamriel's common tongue is rooted in their language, and many of the Empire's arts, laws, and sciences stem from their traditions. They are highly intelligent, strikingly beautiful, and exceptionally gifted in the arcane arts.
The Aldmeri Dominion (meaning "Home of the Elves") is their powerful empire, centered in the Summerset Isles.
In Elsie's world, this Dominion is aggressive and expansionist, seeking to assert Altmer's authority over all of Tamriel.
Argonian
The Argonians (Saxhleel, or People of the Root in their native tongue) are the reptilian natives of Black Marsh, a vast and unforgiving swampland in southeastern Tamriel. Other races, often in a derogatory manner, refer to them as Lizard Folk.
Masters of guerrilla warfare, the Argonians have defended their borders for countless centuries, striking from the marshes of their treacherous homeland. Agile and cunning, they possess a natural immunity to poison and disease, can breathe underwater, and are exceptional swimmers. Though often underestimated, they are also adept spellcasters and masters of stealth.
In the rigid racial hierarchies of Tamriel, they are classified as "Beastfolk" (Betmeri), distinct from Men and Mer. Their alien nature is the subject of much speculation—Argonians are often seen as expressionless, enigmatic, and slow to trust, making them one of the most mysterious peoples of Tamriel.
Ayleid
The Ayleids, also known as the Heartland High Elves, were the first race to establish an empire in Tamriel, ruling over what is now Cyrodiil for countless ages, dating back to a time before recorded history. They were the founders of the Imperial City and the architects of the White-Gold Tower, which they revered as the Temple of the Ancestors.
According to TES lore, the Ayleid Empire collapsed long ago, brought down by a massive slave rebellion. However, in Elsie's universe, their fate took a different turn—rather than falling to ruin, the Ayleid people chose to leave the mortal world, sailing across the unknown seas in enchanted boats toward a fabled paradise, the land of eternal spring. What they found there... well, that's another story. No spoilers—sorry for that!
Daedric Princes vs. Gods
In the world of The Elder Scrolls, the term "Daedric Prince" refers to powerful, otherworldly beings who exist outside the traditional pantheon of gods. While both Daedric Princes and gods are divine entities, they are fundamentally different in nature and influence. Daedric Princes are beings of immense power who rule over specific realms within Oblivion, the chaotic and often dangerous dimension that exists outside the mortal world. These entities are not concerned with maintaining order or following moral standards; instead, they are driven by their desires, whims, and goals, often causing conflict, chaos, or corruption in the process. They are not bound by the typical laws of mortality or creation, and their influence can be unpredictable.
On the other hand, gods (also known as Aedra) are the traditional deities that play a more active role in the creation and sustenance of the mortal world. The gods are typically associated with stability, law, and the maintenance of natural and societal order. In contrast to the Daedric Princes, gods are often revered by the mortals as sources of protection, guidance, and worship.
While mortals can invoke and interact with both types of divine beings, the Daedric Princes are known for their fickleness and often malevolent nature, offering power or favor in exchange for loyalty or service, while gods are seen as more reliable and generally benevolent in their influence.
Dominion
Go to Aldmeri Dominion; Altmer.
Dunmer
The Dunmer, known as Dark Elves by the Imperials, Ash-Elves by the Daedra, or Pureblooded Folk by themselves, are the grey-skinned, red-eyed natives of Morrowind. Though often called Dark Elves, they and their Aldmeri kin prefer the term Dunmer. The word dark carries many meanings—"dark-skinned," "gloomy," and "ill-favored by fate." The Dunmer, with their grim pride, embrace all these connotations with enthusiasm.
Blessed with sharp intellects and agile, resilient physiques, Dunmer excel as warriors and sorcerers. They live two to three times longer than humans, and their pride makes them distrusted by others, just as they, in turn, distrust outsiders.
Often described as proud, clannish, ruthless, and cruel, the Dunmer value loyalty and family above all else. They are infamous for their quick tempers and long memories, nursing grudges that last for generations. Despite their formidable talents, their vengeful nature, internal strife, and history of betrayals have kept them from achieving greater dominance in Tamriel.
Dunmer raised in Morrowind are said to be far harsher and less welcoming than those who grew up under Imperial influence, though even the latter never truly forget where they come from.
Empire
The Empire refers to the realms ruled by Men on the continent of Tamriel. Its seat of power lies in the Imperial City, the beating heart of the Empire—both in this novel and in TES lore.
Khajiit
The Khajiit (meaning desert-dweller in their native tongue, Ta'agra) are a race of feline-like people from Elsweyr, known for their exceptional intelligence and agility.These traits make them naturally skilled thieves and acrobats,though many are also formidable warriors.
Their anatomy differs greatly from that of both Men and Mer, not only due to their fur, tails, and digitigradestance, but also because of their unique digestive system and accelerated metabolism.
Elsie has always held a deep fondness for the Khajiit. Raised by a Khajiit family, she adopted many of their traits and customs—and, of course, she is fluent in their notoriously difficult language, Ta'agra. At times, she even claims to be Khajiit herself, specifically of the Ohmes kind.
Lorkhan
Lorkhan, the Missing God, is present in every Tamrielic mythic tradition. He is said to be the architect of Nirn, the one responsible for the world's creation—a divine act that disrupted the celestial order in ways that are still debated by scholars and priests alike.
Legends tell that after Nirn took form, the gods turned against him. Some say he was slain, others that he was mutilated, his divine essence stripped away and cast adrift. His sundered heart, the Heart of Lorkhan, is said to hold unimaginable power, forever lost... or perhaps merely waiting to be found.
Lucien ( Lachance)
Once a Speaker of the Dark Brotherhood, Lucien Lachance became a legend among assassins—feared, respected, and ultimately betrayed. Yet death was not the end for him. In Elsie's world, Mephala herself claimed his soul, binding it for eternity within the Spiral Skein, where he now serves as her most trusted and loyal shade.
Whispered to be Her favorite, Lucien moves unseen through the silken shadows of her realm, a voice in the dark and a dagger behind the veil—ever plotting, ever watching.
Malacath
Malacath is the Daedric Prince of Exile, Curses, and the Ostracized. Once revered as the god of the Orcs (Orsimer), Malacath embodies strength, defiance, and revenge, especially for those who have been cast aside or rejected by society. Unlike other Daedric Princes, Malacath is a deity who prizes honor and loyalty above all, especially in the face of adversity. Though his followers are often seen as outcasts, Malacath provides them with a sense of identity and purpose, guiding them to embrace their marginalized status and fight for respect and survival.
Malacath's realm, the Ashpit, is a harsh, desolate land of burning ruins and twisted landscapes, a reflection of the hardship and suffering endured by those who follow him. It is a place where only the strongest survive and where vengeance is a core tenet. Those who invoke Malacath do so for strength and justice, often calling on him in times of great personal or communal strife.
Malacath's followers value resilience, revenge against betrayal, and the fierce defense of their kin. Though he is vengeful and unforgiving, Malacath's code is one of personal honor, and he expects loyalty and respect from those who serve him.
"To defy Malacath is to invite ruin. To serve him is to embrace the strength to survive."
Mara
Mara is the Goddess of Love, Compassion, and Fertility. In Elsie's world, Mara is revered as a nurturing goddess, embodying both the healing power of affection and the dark complexities of desire. While she is a symbol of romantic love and maternal care, her influence often comes at a cost. The relationships she fosters are not always pure or innocent, as Mara's followers are taught to believe that true love can only be realized through sacrifice and devotion, sometimes leading to obsession or manipulation. Mara's realm is one of boundless affection, but it is also a place where hearts can be torn apart by passion and longing.
Her followers, often priests or devoted lovers, invoke Mara's blessings to ensure prosperity, harmony, and the growth of families, but they also understand that Mara's love, much like the forces of nature, is unpredictable and can be as destructive as it is healing.
"True love is born from sacrifice, and only through pain can one find the deepest connection."
Masser is the larger of the two moons of Nirn.
Mephala
Mephala is the Daedric Prince of Murder, Secrets, and Intrigue. She is a master of manipulation and deception, thriving on the chaos of conflict and the destruction of relationships. Mephala is often associated with the darker aspects of social and political maneuvering, where shadows and whispers create webs of power. Her followers are those who seek control through subtlety—assassins, spies, and schemers. Mephala's influence is said to weave through all aspects of society, nurturing the hidden tensions that lead to betrayal and treachery.
Mephala's realm, the Spiral Skein, is a place of ever-shifting labyrinths, where deception and complexity reign supreme. It is said that to understand Mephala's true nature is to embrace the endless cycle of conflict and manipulation. She is a deity who feeds on strife, often playing both sides to her advantage.
"It is the invisible thread that guides you, the web you cannot escape. That is my gift."
In Elsie's world, Mephala manifests in three avatars: the Unholy Mother (linked in ways beyond mortal comprehension to the goddess Mara of Bravil), the Queen of Oblivion, and the Eternal Spider.
Nightingale
A Nightingale is a member of the Nightingale Trinity, a secretive inner circle within the Thieves Guild. While there is no formal connection between the two, the Trinity often holds great influence over the guild's affairs. Membership is granted by Nocturnal herself, who chooses from among the most skilled thieves.
Initiates must take an Oath before Nocturnal, vowing to guard the Twilight Sepulcher, her sacred temple, and ensure that the Skeleton Key, her most treasured artifact, remains within its sanctum.
Contrary to common belief, the Oath is not an act of religious devotion, but a contract—a business transaction between thieves and their patron. While many Nightingales hold deep reverence for Nocturnal, they do not worship her; they serve her interests in exchange for her favor.
Elsie, however, was not chosen—she was born a Nightingale. For generations, the women of her bloodline have served in Nocturnal's shadow, nearly every lineage producing at least one Nightingale. Yet unlike others, she never took the Oath, nor will she ever be asked to. To Nocturnal, she is not just a servant, but a confidant, an extension of the Goddess's will—a vessel through which the Lady Luck indulges in mortal affairs and weaves her influence into the political and economic currents of Tamriel.
Nocturnal
Nocturnal is the Daedric Prince ( or the Daedric Princess) of Darkness, Shadows, and Thievery, revered by thieves, spies, and those who live in secrecy. She created and rules the Evergloam, a realm of perpetual twilight, often referred to as the "cradle of shadow." Scholars describe it as a place of eerie, dim light, where towering forests stretch across a purple-hued landscape, and the trees cast long, haunting shadows.
Nocturnal is a patroness of stealth and secrecy, offering protection to those who operate in the shadows. Her followers believe that through darkness and hidden actions, great power and success can be achieved, though always at a price.
She is a deceptive and mendacious entity, a master of lies and illusion, who thrives on manipulation and secrecy. Nocturnal is also known for her love of ravens, creatures she holds in a near-obsessive reverence.
"I'm Ur-dra! Therefore, before Oblivion and Mephala, there was Nocturnal— or Lady Luck!"
Thus reigns her dominion.
Ohmes ( a Khajiit variant)
The Ohmes are a rare, bipedal breed of Khajiit, known for their striking resemblance to humans—or, more specifically, to the Bosmer (wild elves). They are often shorter than their elven counterparts, yet share similar features. Lacking the fur that defines most Khajiit, many tattoo or paint their faces to mimic feline markings, ensuring their heritage is unmistakable.
Because of their appearance and adaptability, Ohmes are often regarded as exceptional spies and diplomats, able to blend seamlessly into different societies.
Peryite
Peryite is the Daedric Prince of Pestilence, Disease, and the Culling of the Weak. His dominion is one of suffering and purification through illness, where pestilence is both a curse and a means of cleansing. Peryite governs the natural cycle of decay and renewal, often bringing about diseases and plagues as a reminder of mortality's inevitability. He is revered by those who see illness as a necessary evil, a tool for the eradication of weakness and corruption. In his view, disease is not inherently evil, but a force that tests strength and purges the unworthy.
Peryite's realm is filled with the diseased and the afflicted, and it is said that the Prince's power manifests most strongly through the spreading of contagions, especially the slow and insidious kind. His followers often work in silence, administering pestilence and plague as a means of purification or punishment. Peryite's influence is feared, yet some consider him a necessary evil, his actions serving as a reminder that balance can only be achieved through both creation and destruction.
"The weak will succumb, but the strong shall endure. Through pestilence, all are purified."
Secunda is the smaller of the two moons in orbit of Nirn.
Sithis
Sithis is the primordial force of chaos; the very embodiment of change and entropy. Though often spoken of as a god, Sithis is neither Aedra nor Daedra—he is beyond such classifications, a concept more than an entity; he is not something that 'is,' but rather something that 'happens'.His domain is the Void, a realm of nothingness that lies beyond both Oblivion and Aetherius. Sithis is feared by the common folk and nobles alike, and rarely worshiped openly, except in the Black Marsh, where the Argonian people hold him in reverence. Assassin organizations like the Morag Tong and the Dark Brotherhood regard Sithis as their supreme patron, yet he never speaks to them directly—only through his chosen intermediaries.
In the end, to define Sithis is a futile endeavor—for how does one describe that which is, at times, nothing at all?
"We worship the change which it wills to be! Once, we thought to shield ourselves from this blessing by becoming stone. We built monuments to Sithis, not out of reverence, but out of fear. 'Do not change us!' we cried. 'Do not let us die!' "
Spiral Skein
The Spiral Skein is the realm of Mephala, the Daedric Prince of secrets, lies, and hidden murder. It is a twisted plane of Oblivion, structured like a vast, living web—each thread leading to deception, intrigue, or doom.
At its center stands a strange and unsettling palace, an architectural contradiction built from a chaotic mix of opulence and decay. Here, walls of gold-veined obsidian stand beside crumbling sections of splintered wood, tarnished brass, and rotting cloth, as if the grandeur of the structure were forever tainted by the filth it tries to conceal.
Deep within lies the Throne Hall, a vast, lightless chamber where darkness pools like ink. At its heart sits a throne carved from a monstrous, faceted diamond, cold and majestic in its strange beauty. Around it stretch delicate silver webs, their silken threads trembling under the scurry of countless tiny spiders, ever-watchful, ever-moving.
Also, see Mephala.
Stendarr
Stendarr is the God of Justice, Mercy, and Vigilance; in Elsie's world, He is a rigid and unyielding divinity. Stendarr is a protector of the existing social order and a judge who demands strict adherence to his laws. Those who stray from His teachings are seen as heretics, to be either redeemed or eradicated. Stendarr's realm is one of order, but it is also a place where suffering is often inflicted to bring about the "greater good". His fervent and fanatical followers, the members of Stendarr's Order, are very busy with sinners' purification, which is often obtained on the burning pyres of redemption... Modeled after the Spanish Inquisition during the end of the Reconquista, the Order of Stendarr from Elsie's world is zealous and unforgiving, enforcing moral and societal purity with a heavy hand.
The common people still see him sometimes as a benevolent deity, but this is only valid in times of peace and prosperity when His Order usually retreats in their fortified monasteries...
"The guilty shall face justice, the corrupt shall be purged. Only through righteous judgment can one achieve salvation."
Tamriel
Tamriel is one of the main continents of the planet Nirn. It is divided into nine provinces: Black Marsh, Cyrodiil, Elsweyr, Hammerfell, High Rock, Morrowind, Skyrim, Summerset Isles, and Valenwood. These provinces were once united under the rule of the Empire, with its capital in Cyrodiil.
Thalmor
The Thalmor refers to an Altmeri governmental organization that has served each of the three historical Aldmeri Dominions in varying capacities over time. The term also commonly applies to its members and the paramilitary agents who enforce its will.
In The Elder Scrolls lore, the Thalmor are often portrayed as elven supremacists, seeking to dismantle the Empire and eradicate the worship of Talos, whom they view as an affront to their religious doctrine (though it is important to note that this perspective is heavily influenced by accounts from former members of the Blades, the Imperial secret police).
In Elsie's world, however, the Thalmor function less as overt conquerors and more as a secret police, enforcing the political agenda of the Dominion through surveillance, coercion, and subtle manipulation.
Thieves Guild
The Thieves Guild is dedicated to the gathering and training of those who are stealthy and shadowy in their nature. Although criminal by its very definition, for untold years, local authorities in places throughout Tamriel have tolerated the existence of the guild for its role as "crime regulator", as it does not tolerate competition or egregious conduct from its members (not to mention the personal financial benefits for authorities who play nice). It is usually considered to be a distinct entity, though, of course, other organizations of the Empire do not officially condone their actions.
Dark Brotherhood
A secretive guild of assassins operating across Tamriel. Though they serve Sithis, the embodiment of chaos, their spiritual matron is Mephala, whom Sithis entrusted with guiding the Brotherhood in his name.