Lore:Dremora

Dremora (also known as "The Kyn") are a warlike Daedric race primarily associated with the   of Destruction, Mehrunes Dagon.  They are often found in the service of other Daedra lords, such as  .   They are commonly encountered throughout the planes of Oblivion.  Dremora are known to be highly intelligent beings, and make capable warriors and mages.  Notable features include horned faces that range from grotesque   to resembling tattooed Dunmer,  deep ashen grey,  blue,  purple or red  complexions, and voices that are deep, watery and guttural.  They can also vary widely in height, with some populations being similar to regular humans  while other groups stand as tall  or even taller than  .  Dremora society is a class-based clan system that upholds values of oaths,  pride, honor and loyalty, both to the clan and to the Daedric lord they serve,   whom they also venerate as a god.   Dremora culture appears to focus on training and preparing for battle and war.  Dremora warriors fall into one of eight known ranks, each more powerful and privileged than the rank below. These ranks are further distributed into melee, missile or mage classes. Dremora also make for ferocious combatants. This is not just because of their abilities as sorcerers and warriors, but also because, as creatures of Oblivion, they have no need to fear death.  Many dremora can reflect spells.  They craft and wear their own armor.   

Dremora hierarchy consists of eight major ranks: Varlet , Churl, Caitiff, Kynval, Kynreeve, Kynmarcher, Markynaz, and Valkynaz. The former four represent the military ranks of lesser soldiers. Varlets are the dregs of Dremora society, the lowest of the low and treated the worst out of the bottom four castes.  Churls are the untrained disorganized rabble that form the bulk of a clan's fighting force. They obey their superiors, but are cruel to mortals and other Daedra.  Caitiffs are shock troops, described as possessing uncalculating zeal. They are unreliable and undisciplined, but eager to perform.  Kynvals are the highest ranked of the lesser troops. They are warrior-knights who have distinguished themselves in combat and have displayed the potential to be future leaders of their clans.  The Kynval has been described as ambitious.  They are the highest of the soldier castes, and may be Caitiffs who have proven themselves in battle. 

The other four ranks are officer castes. They are the more important, politically-oriented roles.  Kynreeves are described as clan "officers" or "sheriffs", and are associated with fighting units or administrative offices.  They administer rewards and punishments to their warrior charges.  Kynmarchers are officers of Daedric citadels and outposts, and are the lowest of the ranks that are referred to as "lords".  A Kynmarcher's command is associated with a unit and a location or territory for which the officer is responsible.  The term Markynaz roughly translates to "grand duke". They form a council of other Dremora of their own standing, known as the "Markyn".  

The highest known rank is the Valkynaz, which is described as a "warrior duke". They are part of their respective Prince's personal guard or council collectively known as "the Valkyn", and are rarely encountered on Tamriel. A Valkynaz can generally be found beside their chosen Prince, and serve as commanders of important operations.  The Valkynaz associated with Molag Bal has the privilege of being granted a personal audience with the Daedric Prince, and can contact him whenever the need arises.  There are also many other ranks, such as Feydnaz, Kyngald and Narkynaz, whose positions in the overall hierarchy are largely unknown.  Dremora may rise or fall from a specific rank or move back and forth among clans, but these actions are regulated by complicated oaths and the will of the Prince said Dremora serves.  

Clans
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

See Also
For game-specific information, see the Battlespire, Morrowind, Oblivion, Oblivion Mobile, Skyrim, ESO, Legends, and Blades articles.
For Dremora naming conventions, please see their associated list of names.

Books
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Notes
The Dremora bear a strong resemblance to the Daedra Lords (pictured below) from Daggerfall. However, it is unclear whether the Daedra Lords in question are meant to be Dremora themselves (since the Dremora officially debuted in Battlespire, which was released after Daggerfall), or if they are simply other Daedra of similar sentience.
In 4E 201, Sanguine assumed the form of a Dremora when he revealed his true identity as a Daedric Prince to the Dragonborn, after the latter visited Misty Grove. 
Though they are primarily followers of Mehrunes Dagon, Dremora have also been associated with many other Daedric Princes. The most prominent of these is Molag Bal, who has entire clans of Dremora in his service. 
The   are a Daedric race created by Molag Bal through vesitigal hybridization. They are a "crossbreed" between the Xivilai and Dremora. 

Gallery
 

References