The Vile Truth of Barbas Content . From the notes of Pelagius Habor , Council Daedrologist - in - Residence , Imperial City Every true Daedrologist has a favorite Prince . We rarely admit it , but it ' s true . Each Prince , while horrifying , has a curious and often hilarious quirk . Sheogorath ' s peculiarities are well known , but when you really think about it , all the Princes are a bit silly . Hircine has the clumsy head of an ungulate . Sanguine is an inveterate drunk . It ' s precisely these eccentricities that make the Princes a source of endless fascination for Daedrologists such as myself . Unlike the stuffy and aloof Aedra , the Princes suffer from the same neuroses , flaws , and childish fixations that trouble men and mer . They are more like us than we care to admit . As for me ? Of all the Daedric Princes , Clavicus Vile is my favorite — and it has everything to do with his loyal hound , Barbas . I have come to believe that Clavicus Vile is unique in that he exists in two persons . This is , of course , the subject of vigorous debate in Daedrological circles . Many of my confederates would argue that Barbas is merely a greater Daedric servant — no more linked to Vile than a horse is linked to its rider . But I urge you to consider the evidence . The first and most obvious proof of their consubstantiality is found in art . Crude , hand - carved idols dating back to the early Merethic Era depict the masked figure of Clavicus Vile standing beside a large hound , as do ancient cave paintings . I have explored the width and breadth of Tamriel in search of Daedric oddities , and in all my travels I have never found any depiction of Vile that does not include Barbas at his side . I ' ve also read hundreds of firsthand accounts detailing encounters with the Prince . Each of those accounts , without exception , features Barbas in some capacity . If we accept the premise that Clavicus Vile and Barbas are ( at least in some sense ) the same person , the natural question is " Why ? " Why would an entity possessing godlike power allow itself to be bifurcated ? I have a number of hypotheses , but my best guess is simply this : companionship . The " life " of a Prince is one of near - total isolation . Some Princes , like Hermaeus Mora and Nocturnal , appear to revel in this solitude . But everything we know of Clavicus Vile indicates that he is a profoundly social being . His love of bartering , his willingness to bestow wishes upon those that engage with him , his bewitching mask — each of these things point to a being that thrives on interaction , conversation , and play . A being so inclined would likely go mad without some companion to speak to , argue with , and complain about . One might even view it as a marriage of sorts , albeit an inverted one . Rather than two becoming one , as in the Pledge of Mara , one has become two — a paradoxical reversal of the Aedric ritual . " But why a dog ? " you ask ? I ' ve puzzled over this for years . Again , I can offer little more than supposition . My best guess is that it has to do with power roles . If Clavicus Vile sheared off a larger share of his animus to create an equal , the two would plot and scheme against each other constantly . In creating a canine counterpart , Vile ensures his position as master . Dogs are ancient symbols of loyalty and submission . They are servants and never masters . So it is with Barbas . Of course , Barbas is not always a dog . Like other Daedric Princes , Barbas can present himself in a number of different forms . He has appeared as both man and mer , as animals , lesser Daedra , even inanimate objects ! This ability to bend his shape , but retain his fundamental animus is a power that no other Daedra on record has been able to replicate — aside from Princes , that is . Coincidence ? I think not . We will likely never know Barbas ' s true nature with certainty , but the evidence points me to only one conclusion : Barbas and Clavicus Vile are one person in two forms . The master is also the servant . The handler is also the hound . It ' s a unique and fascinating paradox — the sort of mystery that makes Daedrology worth studying !