Oblivion ( Realm ) Oblivion ( also called the Void of Oblivion , the Planes of Oblivion , and Wastes of Oblivion ) , is a collective term used to describe one subset of the planes of existence . The planes of Oblivion are those that have the least connection with the mortal plane , Nirn . Oblivion is also home to the Daedric Princes . The planes that make up Oblivion are defined primarily by exclusion . Any plane which is not Nirn itself , not one of the planets or moons , and not Aetherius itself , is generally considered to be a plane of Oblivion . It is commonly believed that there are an infinite number of such planes , though Tamriel ic scholars are aware of only a small handful . In particular , it is believed that each of the sixteen Daedric Princes rules over his or her own plane , which is formed into an image of his or her choosing indicating that there may or may not be just sixteen planes in Oblivion . Creation . universe began as a single , formless void called the Aurbis . Within this void , a number of powerful divine entities , or et ' Ada , formed into self - aware , independent personalities . The strongest of these entities carved out their own space within the ether , forming the individual planes that make up the universe . Within the " Elder Scrolls " universe , a planet and a plane are one and the same . One group of these et ' Ada , which the Mer revere as the Aedra , collaborated to form the mortal plane , Mundus , and the planet Nirn . They then populated nirn with mortal beings . Eight of these Aedra , which included those worshiped as the Eight Divines , gave up much of their divine energy to form the mortal planet . These eight were thus permanently bound to their own planes : Lorkhan ' s physical body became the two moons , and the other eight planes surrounded Nirn . To the mortal brain , these infinite and formless planes appear as spherical bodies floating across the sky , making up the planets . Rulers and inhabitants . The rest of the divine planes , which exist outside of the eight planets but still within Aurbis itself , are the planes of Oblivion . These planes have no real connection to the mortal world , and the normal rules of physics do not apply . Scholars assume that only a very few out of a nearly infinite number of such planes are known to mortal s , and those that are known share only a few common features . Almost all known planes of Oblivion are ruled over by one of the Daedric Princes and the plane takes a form reflective of its prince ' s personality . The native inhabitants of these planes are collectively referred to as Daedra , and are not mortal in the traditional sense . If they are killed , especially on the mortal plane , their innate spark of life , what is sometimes called their " soul , " returns to a new physical body . However , there is a portion of the universe , the true Void , which is outside of any of the planes of existence ; when a sufficiently powerful being manages to kill a Daedra in their native plane , their " soul " is sent to the Void until they reform . Interactions with Nirn . Unlike the planes of the Aedra , mortals cannot see or detect the existence of the Oblivion planes . Instead , the mortal brain interprets Oblivion as the vast black nothingness of space , literally seeing it as an empty void . The only real indication that Oblivion exists are the sun and stars . These are actually holes of various sizes that were punched through Oblivion at the forming of Nirn , by Magnus ( forming the sun ) and other et ' Ada which managed to escape before their divinity was compromised . These holes reach all the way from Nirn , through Oblivion , to Aetherius , and permit the magic of that outer realm to reach Nirn . Physics . Generally speaking , each plane of Oblivion is a unique , distinct world , with its own natural laws and native inhabitants . They range from the violent and inhospitable Deadlands , to the paradise - like Moonshadow . Not all of these planes take a form that even permits the existence of mortals , though most of those known to Tamriel ' s scholars have been visited at least once . In addition to those known to be ruled by a Daedric Prince , the powerful college of Imperial Battlemage s has made contact with a number of other realms , and built their training grounds ( the Battlespire ) in several of these . Planes of the Daedric Princes . Several planes are described in " The Doors of Oblivion " . These are : Azura ' s Moonshadow . Moonshadow is described as an impossibly beautiful , amazing world made up of impossible shades of colors , and perpetual twilight . This realm is believed to be permanently sealed off from mortals , but those who ventured there in the past usually went half - blind or half - mad from the unnatural beauty . Boethiah ' s Snake Mount or Attribution ' s Share . Boethiah ' s plane is made up of vast mazes , gardens and labyrinths , and the architecture has a very twisted and sinister appearance . Betrayal and deception are a matter of natural law in this realm . His recent bloody tournament in Oblivion may have been in Mehrunes Dagon ' s Deadlands , as it looked basically the same according to the winner . Clavicus Vile ' s Realm . The domain of Oblivion created and ruled over by the Daedric Prince of Deals , Clavicus Vile . It appears as an idyllic countryside dotted with majestic merchant cities , fields of white clovers , woodland meadows , twisted foliage , and odd melted - looking places . The sky is blue with cottony clouds with greenish - grey patches , and the air smells of both perfume and rotting flesh . The true name of this plane of Oblivion is unknown . Hermaeus Mora ' s Apocrypha . This is the central repository for all knowledge in the entire universe , and is said to resemble an infinite library . Murky waters spout tentacles throughout the abyss . Its books are all identical , having black covers and no titles , but there is one of every book ever written , and includes knowledge normally forbidden to humans . Mortals who wander here usually die and remain behind as ghosts , still seeking knowledge . Only through Hermaeus Mora ' s mysterious Black Books have people found their way into Apocrypha . Hircine ' s Hunting Grounds . This plane consists of a vast expanse of islands , inhabited by the various Daedra , or by vast forests , plains , grasslands and puzzling mazes . Hircine ' s plane has a higher than normal population of atronach s , and it is home to were - beasts and creatures much larger than those of Tamriel . The most popular hunted prey are those unlucky mortals who find themselves here accidentally . Mortal souls who have been blessed with Lycanthropy are sent here . Malacath ' s Ashpit . The Ashpit is a barren , barely - habitable wasteland . Of those realms accessible by mortals , this is considered the hardest to reach . The realm is described to have no surface and no end . It is filled with particles of ash and smoke , swirling full of curses and broken promises . It is known as the final resting place for Orsimer who live and die honorably , as many orcs are heard making comments such as " By the Ashpit . " According to comments made by the Daedric Prince Sheogorath , this plane has some sort of spine in it , due to his comment that the backbone of Malacath ' s realm is an actual backbone . Mehrunes Dagon ' s Deadlands . The Deadlands represent as close to the mortal vision of Hell as any of the Oblivion planes . It is also possibly the best known of all Daedric realms to mortals on Nirn . During the failed invasion of Nirn by Dagon ' s forces near the end of the Third Era , various Tamrielic forces , especially in Cyrodiil and Black Marsh , actually stormed the Deadlands and won victories there . Ash storms and vast seas of lava make up the majority of this realm , which is populated by the highly intelligent Dremora , as well as many semi - or non - intelligent beings . The beings include Storm Atronachs , Flame Atronachs , Clannfear , Scamp s , Daedroth , Xivilai and Spider Daedra . It is from this realm that Dagon has attempted to launch his repeated invasions of Nirn . Jagged rocky formations divide the landscape into miniature valleys . People who fall into the cracks in these jagged rocks oftentimes can never escape . Meridia ' s Colored Rooms . Little is known about this realm , save that the Auroran are native to this plane . This is where Umaril ' s spirit fled when Pelinal Whitestrake slew him . The realm is clouded in a thick purple fog and is surrounded by floating rocks and the skies seem to be perpetually lit by stars . Molag Bal ' s Coldharbour . Molag Bal built his realm to resemble an apocalyptic Nirn , where familiar landmarks appear scorched and ruined . It has been described as what Nirn would look like , were it to undergo centuries of cataclysmic war . Another Imperial Palace is located in this realm , but it is laden with rotting corpses and dripping with freezing blood . Mortals who make their way here usually end up in the realm ' s vast , numerous slave pens or charnel houses , bound for eternity as Soul Shriven . The only untouched region is Atmora , as Molag Bal thought its status as a frozen wasteland was distasteful , and thus it remains as a frozen wasteland . Coldharbour is one of the most inhospitable realms of Oblivion . The sky constantly burns yet the whole realm is beyond freezing . The ground is nothing more than sludge , jagged , rocky formations and ravines and dead , tainted grass . Dremora and Daedroth s are known to roam the realm in large numbers , scouring for more slaves . Coldharbour is habitable by mortals to some degree , as a city controlled by Meridia is located in the realm after her efforts to relocate a Tamrielic city to Coldharbour due to the boundaries between Mundus and Oblivion being weakened and in the mid - Second Era , mortals from Tamriel actually lived there and the city functioned as a normal Tamrielic city , with merchants doing business and even living in houses . However , the city was only there to serve as a base for an assault on Coldharbour by the Fighters and Mages guilds to stop Molag Bal ' s Planemeld . It is unknown whether or not the city is still there . Namira ' s Scuttling Void . Little is known of Namira ' s realm beyond its name , and that no known mortals have traveled there and returned . Nocturnal ' s Evergloam . The Evergloam is the mysterious realm of Nocturnal , and seems to have some connection with the " luck " that thieves seem to enjoy . Little is known about Evergloam much like its mistress . The known locations within the Evergloam are the Shade Perilous , Nocturnal ' s fortress within her realm , and Crow ' s Wood . The connection between Nirn and the Evergloam is located in the temple known as the Twilight Sepulcher . Members of the Nightingales guard this temple during life and death , until Nocturnal deems their contract complete ; they are sent to the Evergloam to become one with the shadows . The Daedric artifact known as the Skeleton Key maintains the connection between Nirn and the Evergloam . Once removed , the portal will close , severing all ties to Nocturnal . Peryite ' s Pits . This plane is considered to be one of the lowest orders of Oblivion , and is possibly more than one plane . The least of the lesser Daedra make their homes here . Little is known of this plane , as it is completely inaccessible to mortals . The closest people have gotten to the Pits were a small band of his worshippers whose spirits were pulled into Oblivion in a botched attempt to summon him . However , it is likely that these spirits ended up in Mehrunes Dagon ' s Deadlands , as the plane of Oblivion they were trapped on contained the same superheated red oceans , the same Daedric creatures , and the same dangerous , jagged black rocks . Opposing this hypothesis is the fact that the gate Peryite used to transport a hero to this plane was different in appearance compared to the large , fiery red cat - eye shaped permanent portals of Mehrunes Dagon . This may simply be because a different Daedra opened the gate , or because it was a short term gate . This gate was blue , rectangular . smallish and bordered with broken lengths of levitating stone or some other substance . Sanguine ' s Realms . Sanguine is said to be in control of tens of thousands of individual , unnamed realms housing all forms of pleasure and decadence . One of these realms is called Misty Grove ; it resembles a pleasant woodland clearing with a campfire , where revelers gather , drink alcohol and sing . This is part of the quest " A Night to Remember . " Sheogorath ' s Madhouse ( Shivering Isles ) . The Madhouse , like its master , has a split personality . One half of this realm appears cheery and lighthearted , but hides a deeper manic undercurrent . The other half is more obviously sinister , representing Sheogorath ' s demented side . This is one of the few realms that has permanent mortal inhabitants . Each division is ruled by a duke or duchess . Main cities in the Shivering Isles include New Sheoth , Bliss , the Crucible , and Passwall . Vaermina ' s Quagmire . The Quagmire is the source of all nightmare and terror . Mortals on this realm describe scenes of impossible horror , which change every few minutes with a blinding flash of lightning into ever more horrifying visions . Mortals in the midst of a nightmare are frequently brushing against the edges of this realm . Other planes of Oblivion . Chimera of Desolation . This realm , the last of the Oblivion realms in the Battlespire , was created by Mehrunes Dagon to punish a mortal conjurer . Infernace . An extremely hot realm consisting of molten rock and lava . It is the home of the Flame Atronach s . Mankar Camoran ' s Paradise . Mankar Camoran , using instructions left by Mehrunes Dagon , created his own personal plane of Oblivion , which appeared outwardly to be an idyllic garden realm , but hid a number of torture chambers and other forms of punishment in the underground areas . Here , Camoran ' s followers in life are given immortality in this afterlife , but they live only to be preyed on and tormented by Camoran and his Daedric allies . Ideal Masters ' Soul Cairn . This is an unaligned plane of Oblivion , also used as part of the Battlespire . It is inhabited primarily by the undead , including an odd race called the Gem Vampires which control the realm . Additionally , the lords of this realm of Oblivion are also called the Ideal Masters . The masters are known to make deals with necromancer s , at a price not to be bargained for . Mortal souls used in black soul gems are sent to the Soul Cairn , where their spirits wander unaware of time or self . Takubar . An extremely cold realm , said to change the very composition of the beings within , creating rare phenomenons seen nowhere else . The Cold - Flame Atronach s are said to have been created here . Relation to Tamriel . At one point during the Oblivion Crisis , the idea is put forth that Tamriel , is itself a plane of Oblivion . This idea stems from a combination of intentional deception of the part of the speaker , and a basic misunderstanding of how the Elder Scrolls universe is defined . Nirn is the plane of existence that is tied to Lorkhan , much like the planets are those planes tied to the Nine Divines . Presumably , the other Aedra also have their own home planes , though very little is known about them . It is true that Nirn is just another plane of existence , like the Oblivion planes . However , by definition , Oblivion excludes those planes tied to Aedra , which includes Nirn itself . On the other hand , the related idea that Tamriel was somehow " stolen " from the Daedric Princes , by Lorkhan or its population , makes no sense . Tamriel exists only as a result of Lorkhan ' s existence , and the mortal population was created specifically to live there . Oblivion Barriers . For the most part , the planes of Oblivion are remote and distant , metaphysically , relative to Nirn . While it is physically possible for inhabitants of certain realms to travel to Nirn and for mortal s to enter certain Oblivion planes , it is extremely difficult . In particular , the princes themselves are generally barred from entering Nirn , though they seem to have no problem crossing between Oblivion realms . The most common means of crossing the boundary between Oblivion and Nirn is by conjuration magic . This allows a mage on Nirn to summon a Daedra from one of the Oblivion planes , and bind it to his will , for some period of time . In some cases , the Daedra arrives bodily on Nirn ; in other cases , the Daedra ' s essence is bound into an item , such as armor or weapon , for use by the conjurer . Rarely , a truly powerful magician can permanently bind a Daedra to an enchanted item , but typically , the item vanishes once the Daedra ' s conjuration ends . Extremely powerful mages can also transport themselves to the Oblivion planes ; in addition , the Daedric Princes can , in some situations , bring a mortal to their realm . This works much the same as with summoning Daedra to Nirn . If a mortal is transported bodily to an Oblivion plane , they can die just like they would on the mortal plane . If they are drawn into the realm magically , it usually involves their body remaining on Nirn , and their death is no more permanent than the death of a summoned Daedra . In the early centuries of Tamriel ' s history , Daedric Princes commonly walked on Nirn . Certain Daedric Princes played pivotal roles in the development of the early races of man and mer . Azura was responsible for teaching the Chimer to be different from the Altmer ( and subsequently cursing the Chimer into the Dunmer ) . She also created the Khajiit from the Bosmer . Boethiath was indirectly responsible for creating the Orsimer by consuming Trinimac . Near the beginning of the First Era , after the Ayleid slave wars were over , the Aedra made a pact with Alessia to prevent Daedra from manifesting on Nirn . Since the Aedra ' s planes sit between Oblivion and Nirn , they were able to erect barriers that kept the Daedra away from Nirn , unless summoned by someone from the mortal side . After this , only a few very rare locations existed where mortals could travel to Oblivion , and the Daedric Princes were forced to communicate with their followers via their shrines , and never in person . After the Oblivion Crisis however , the joined blood of Martin Septim and Akatosh strengthened the barriers , so now the Dragonfires do not need to be lit to keep the barriers intact . Many believed that this would permanently sever Oblivion from Nirn as a shrine or a mortal summoning is required to commune with the Daedra . During the Fourth Era , 200 years after the Oblivion Crisis , the barriers are apparently weaker . Daedric Princes and high end Daedra are physically manifesting on Nirn . Some manage this through use of a portal of sorts like Nocturnal and the Ebonmere . Some high - end Daedra such as Clavicus Vile ' s dog Barbas are able to manifest and live on Nirn , Hermaeus Mora was able to manifest himself through a Black Book , and even Sanguine himself manifested under a mortal guise .