Apocrypha

*Not to be confused with Apographa.*
**Apocrypha** is the plane of Oblivion belonging to Hermaeus Mora, the Daedric Prince of Fate, Knowledge and Memory. The plane is first seen in the *Skyrim* add-on *The Elder Scrolls V: Dragonborn*. The Dragonborn has to visit the realm as part of the main questline in Solstheim for the add-on.

## Description

*"Apocrypha is the realm of Hermaeus Mora, the Daedric Prince of Fate and Knowledge. Many who come here seeking forbidden knowledge remain forever."*
―Loading Screen[src]
## Black Books

*Main article: Black Books*
Apocrypha can only be accessed by reading the Black Books while in Solstheim. There are seven Black Books. Many can be found through the quest "Lost Knowledge."

 File:Blackbooktext.jpg
* *Black Book: Epistolary Acumen*
* *Black Book: Filament and Filigree*
* *Black Book: The Hidden Twilight*
* *Black Book: The Sallow Regent*
* *Black Book: The Winds of Change*
* *Black Book: Untold Legends*
* *Black Book: Waking Dreams*

## Location

 File:Apocrypha Interior.png
As with Hermaeus Mora, Apocrypha is always changing and never constant. Its environment is filled with hidden and forbidden knowledge, and dangerous to the unwary. This infinite plane of reality is dominated by an endless, roiling sea of toxic green liquid, where giant oily tentacles slither and writhe about the waves, whipping at anyone who gets too close. What little solid ground there is consists of several archipelagos and cathedral-like buildings composed of heavily weathered stone, connected by constantly-shifting bridges built of greasy black metal. Several bridges and hallways even move on their own, stretching and bending like tentacles to render other areas accessible or hinder intruders.

The most prominent feature of Apocrypha, however, is the overwhelming abundance of books that make up Hermaeus Mora's library. Giant stacks of reading material break the surface of the poisonous sea, numerous shelves that line the halls and walls are literally crammed to bursting with ancient scrolls and smoldering journals, heaps of books and papers litter the floors, and even entire buildings are constructed from twisting stacks of books. These books are protected and maintained by the Seekers and Lurkers, who act as the principal security force of Apocrypha.

Apocrypha is divided into several isolated regions, each accessible by a different black book. These regions are then separated into one or more chapters, each reachable by a book that teleports the Dragonborn from one chapter to another. At the end of the last chapter is a larger book which provides the hidden knowledge of the black book for the region and acts as a portal to return to Solstheim. Some chapters may be accessed out of numerical order and some can be completely ignored.

Containers called "pods" and "vessels" can be looted in Apocrypha. Wall-mounted stations called "fonts of Magicka" and "fonts of Stamina" can be used to restore Magicka and Stamina, respectively.

## Atmosphere

 File:ApocryphaSky.jpg
The sky is defined by a hazy green cloud cover with a huge swirling void in the center similar to the one seen in the Soul Cairn. There are various places in the sky where what appears to be a portal is open and the ever-present tentacles are sprouting out. Hermaeus Mora himself also uses these portals when he wishes to communicate with anyone while they are in his realm and sometimes even when they are not in his realm.

## Dangers and threats

*"Pages floated on a mystical wind that he [Morian Zenas] could not feel."*
―Seif-ij Hidja[src]
The realm is very dangerous, as the black liquid is toxic and will kill anyone in seconds who happens to fall into it. Even venturing close to the edge of the liquid is dangerous, as tentacles may emerge from the water to strike at the Dragonborn. There are also shifting areas of darkness in some books of Apocrypha which will continuously damage the Dragonborn while they are in the darkness. The simplest solution is to move quickly from one patch of light to another. However, any illumination of the darkness such as using a torch or spells such as Candlelight and Magelight will prevent the damage effect for as long as the illumination lasts and the Dragonborn is within the area of illumination. Thus, Candlelight is particularly effective as it moves with the Dragonborn and unlike a torch, does not require being equipped. Floating wisp-like lanterns can also be used to shield the Dragonborn from darkness-based damage. The Become Ethereal shout will protect the Dragonborn from the toxic black liquid, but not the dark areas.

The Seekers and Lurkers are also potent in combat. The more common Seekers are easily capable of protecting themselves and can create doubles of themselves to assist in combat, as well as being able to turn invisible and even teleport. The Lurkers, though rarer, are far more dangerous to lower-level players, dealing serious melee damage with their claws and brandishing a variety of tentacle-based attacks, including spewing out tentacle-sprouting liquid that can ensnare the player or spawning a mass of damaging tentacles from their foot.

### Enemies

 File:Seeker.png
* Seeker
* High Seeker
* Lurker
* Lurker Vindicator
* Lurker Sentinel
* Lurker Guardian
* Sahrotaar
* Dragons
* Miraak

## Gallery

Waking Dreams.pngFrom within Black Book: Waking DreamsEpistolary Acumen.pngFrom within Black Book: Epistolary AcumenApocryphaIsland.pngApocrypha Island is flown over while mounted on Sahrotaar on the way to the summit.Miraak in Apocrypha.pngMiraakSahrotaar in Apocrypha.pngSahrotaarMiraakWaiting in Apocrypha.pngMiraak on the platformApocrypha Interior.pngApocrypha Sea.pngApocrypha SeaTESV Banner Apocrypha.pngThe banner of Apocrypha
## Trivia

* The term "Apocrypha" is borrowed from the Ancient Greek ἀπόκρυφος (*apókruphos*, "hidden, obscure"). In general terms, it refers to any sort of historic or religious texts of unknown, unreliable, or dubious authenticity or accuracy. It is most often associated with certain books of the Bible (see Biblical Apocrypha).
	+ Apocrypha also bears many visual similarities to H.P. Lovecraft's universe in his book, *The Call of Cthulhu*.
* When the Dragonborn "dies" in Apocrypha they will fall to their knees in a similar fashion as essential characters and be instantly transported back to Solstheim. In addition, a "You can't continue fighting." message will appear on the top left of the screen.
* It is impossible to travel to Apocrypha from Skyrim. Reading a Black Book will result in the ground shaking and a status message saying, *"A vision of Solstheim swims before your eyes and then is gone."* The Dragonborn must be on Solstheim in order to read the Black Books and travel to Apocrypha.
* Followers cannot join the Dragonborn in Apocrypha, but they may comment on the Dragonborn reading the Black Books.
* Despite followers being prohibited from accompanying the player, reinforcements can still be summoned in the form of conjuring atronachs, familiars, Dremora, as well as the Spectral Assassin from the Dark Brotherhood questline. However, the Call Dragon and Summon Durnehviir shouts do not work here.
* Storage is not safe in Apocrypha, as all sections here respawn every 10 in-game days.
* Black Soul Gems can be found here.
* Several skill books can be found and read here.
* If the Dragonborn's Conjuration skill is level 40 or higher, spell tomes for the Conjure Ash Spawn and Conjure Seeker spells can be found here.
* While in Vampire Lord form, the Dragonborn can hover above the sea of toxic black liquid without taking any damage (*Dawnguard* required). This can also be performed with Ahzidal's Boots of Waterwalking, and the Become Ethereal shout.
* As described in *The Doors of Oblivion*, the realm is an endless library with shelves stretching in every direction. Every book has a black cover with no title, and it is said that this is where all forbidden knowledge can be found. Spirits are said to roam the halls, forever searching for knowledge.
* The first time the Dragonborn enters Apocrypha via a book that is not Waking Dreams or Epistolary Acumen, Hermaeus Mora will greet them.*confirmation needed*

## Bugs

1. *Please **reload an old save** to confirm if the bug is still happening.*
2. *If the bug is still occurring, please post the bug report with the appropriate system template  360  /  XB1  ,  PS3  /  PS4  ,  PC  /  MAC  ,  NX  /  PS5  ,  XS  , depending on which platform(s) the bug has been encountered on.*
3. *Be descriptive when listing the bug and fixes, but avoid having conversations in the description and/or using first-person anecdotes: such discussions belong on the appropriate forum board.*

* Upon exiting Apocrypha, the sky may still maintain Apocrypha's swirling green effect.
	+ PC   360   PS3   Fast travel to another location on Solstheim, or fast travel to Skyrim, and the sky should reset.
	+ PC(Fix)   The ForceWeather console command can be used to set the sky.

## Appearances

* *The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion* (mentioned only)
* *The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim* (mentioned only)
	+ *The Elder Scrolls V: Dragonborn*
* *The Elder Scrolls Online* (mentioned only)
	+ Template:Scribes of Fate (mentioned only)
	+ Template:Necrom

## References

1. ↑ *The Doors of Oblivion*
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 *The Doors of Oblivion*