Lore:Nocturnal

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This article is about the Daedric Prince. For the Daedric race, see Nocturnal Shrike.

Nocturnal (Skyrim)
"The singing remains, but the song is gone. No tune, no music, but whispers set to rhythm. Serve Her, be shadow, be whispers. Creeping, crawling, but I can't escape. I'm caught in the darkness, tar which clings to my clothes. I speak but am silent. I see but am blind. Blind, so blind, to nothing but Her will."
—Romien Garvette[1]

Nocturnal is a Daedric Prince, or "Daedric Princess",[2] whose sphere is the night, darkness, and mystery.[3][4][5] She is also known as the Lady of the Night,[5] the Mistress of Shadows,[6] the Unfathomable Mistress of Shadows,[7] the Shadow Thief,[8] the Unfathomable,[9] the Empress of Murk,[10] the Shadow Queen,[11] the Shadowy Hag (while donning her cowl),[12] the Lady of the Twilight[13] the Daughter of Twilight,[10] the Lady of Shadows,[14] the Mistress of Mystery,[15] the Mother of Shadows,[14] Lady Luck,[15] the Night Mistress,[3][4][9] the Prince of Night and Darkness,[16] and the Saint of Suspicion.[17]

The most prestigious title Nocturnal goes by is the title of Ur-dra,[7] which implies that she is the "eldest and most powerful of the Daedric Princes",[18] and is a title which the Imperial Geographical Society claims nearly all the Royalty of Oblivion recognize.[UOL 1] The title was also used by ancient Khajiit to describe Namiira, the Eldest Spirit.[19][8] While this belief conflicts with Nocturnal's claim over the title, it does complement her claim that she is part of the original void,[UOL 1] in that she came from the black blood of the Dark Heart of Lorkhaj,[19][8] which is a piece of "primal Void".[20] Nocturnal herself claims that "before Oblivion, there was Nocturnal".[21] Hermaeus Mora is similarly called an Ur-Daedra[22] who is "elder than Ada".[23]

Nocturnal is associated with, and often depicted alongside, jet-black ravens and crows, which are said to possess the ability to speak.[24] Nocturnal's summoning day is the 3rd of Hearth Fire,[9] although she may be summoned at any time at a shrine dedicated to her.[9][25] Nocturnal's enemies are Ebonarm,[26] Meridia,[27] Mehrunes Dagon,[28] and Azura.[26]

Religion and Culture[edit]

Nocturnal (tarot card)

Khajiit[edit]

A deity known as Noctra exists in ancient Khajiiti mythos.[29] During the cleansing of Lorkhaj's corruption, Azurah observed his Dark Heart beating like a drum, with each throb spewing out black blood that tapped the floor to form a rhythm.[19] Subsequently after the death of Lorkhaj, the spirit Noctra was born of this black blood at the steps of the Void Gate.[8] Boethra battled the spirit until it knew it was not Namiira, and when the fighting subsided, Noctra was brought before Azurah to be judged.[8] Azurah allowed Noctra to live so long as she served Azurah and her chosen people, the Khajiit.[8] However, Noctra is rebellious by nature, so she fled to the Void with a key she stole from Azurah, leading her to send the spirit of Lorkhaj to find Noctra. What resulted from this interaction was Noctra willing to offer aid to the Khajiit when called, and so tribes may ask her for luck, and darkness to hide them and the gift of silent movement.[8] She also protects those who walk in the shadows.[29] Summoning Noctra for nefarious acts is dangerous, as she brings the Dark with her.[8] Noctra is still acknowledged by some Khajiit following the Riddle'Thar Epiphany.[29]

Worship[edit]

Nocturnal's servants come in a variety of flavors. Some worship her as thieves, and see her as the patron of all thieves.[10] Some such groups include the Nightingales, a trio of mortals bound to protect the Ebonmere within the Twilight Sepulcher.[10]

Nocturnal is seen by the Reachfolk as the Mistress of Shadows, an ever-watchful spirit that has guarded them since the beginning.[30] She is the spirit of the night. They give her offerings in the hope that she'll send her crows to watch over them.[31]

One of Nocturnal's devoted followers, transformed into a Gloam Knight

Some worshipers find Nocturnal mystifying. Though they strive to understand her, Nocturnal's true purpose eludes them, and attempting to understand the Daedric Prince is a futile task.[9] To understand Nocturnal is to negate her, and the Daedric Prince is not simply going to pull back her shroud of darkness to reveal her intentions to anyone.[9] Others are drawn into her service through subtle, but not wholly unkind manipulation. Lonely individuals who are within proximity of Nocturnal's adherents may begin to dream about Evergloam and hear her voice in their head if she notices them.[14] Nocturnal's Earl from the time of the Daedric Triad came to serve her this way.[14] Nocturnal uses mortal emotion to her advantage, using kindness and empathy to draw in the vulnerable.[14] She speaks to select mortals in their dreams, listening to them when they speak and comforting them when they're upset.[14] In the case of Earl Tundilwen in 2E 582, Nocturnal inserted herself into her servant's life as a surrogate mother figure, and granted her power in the Court of Bedlam.[32]

One particularly fervent cultist's accounts of her invasion of the Clockwork City are poetic and obsessive.[1] The account speaks of singing shrikes and grotesque imagery.[1] The author, Romien Garvette, often repeats phrases and claims that they are unable to think of anything but "Her" will.[1] Romien Garvette describes Nocturnal as all-encompassing.[1][33] Whether or not this experience is universal is unclear. It is obvious that this particular case became very attached to their mistress, but the account gives outsiders some insight to how Nocturnal's influence may affect those who give themselves to her.

Shadow magic is pervasive throughout Evergloam, and is utilized by her worshipers and her Daedric minions.[34] Portals of pure shadow called Gloaming Gates are used to transport cultists and Daedra from Evergloam to select locations on Nirn. Gloaming Gates channel Nocturnal's power, and transport through the Evergloam allows her cultists travel great distance without fear of being detected.[35] Barriers of fluid shadow can be used to prevent access to areas, but these barriers can be negated by shining bright light on them,[36] or by casting spells designed to banish shadows.[37][38] Nocturnal may transform her followers into Gloam Knights upon their death.[39]

History[edit]

A Wraith-of-Crows, a Daedra which serves Nocturnal

In 2E 582, a cult dedicated to Nocturnal attempted to establish a shrine to the Daedric Prince at Faldar's Tooth, a decrepit fort located in the Rift.[13]

Nocturnal was a part of a Daedric Triad consisting of herself, Mephala and Clavicus Vile up until 2E 582. Nocturnal's forces invaded the Clockwork City that year. Using the Skeleton Key, Nocturnal stole a secret from Sotha Sil.[40] The Clockwork God developed a technique for using life energy as a source of power, which Nocturnal coveted.[41] She drained Meridia of her power to keep her from interfering, and betrayed the other members of the Triad by taking the Heart of Transparent Law for herself.[27] Using the technique she stole from Sotha Sil, Nocturnal planned to use the life energy of Nirn, and then the energy of the other Daedric Princes afterwards, to restore the Heart of Transparent Law, sow her influence within it and make herself master of the Crystal Tower.[41] Her ultimate goal was to rewrite reality and become an infinite being.[41] Nocturnal was stopped at the Crystal Tower's apex by the Vestige.[42]

Nocturnal may have had some minor involvement in the Sea Sload sorceress Z'Maja's conquest of Cloudrest that occurred in 2E 582.[43] Z'Maja possessed an amulet that granted her powerful shadow magic, which allowed her to kill countless citizens and make shadowy clones of Summerset's protectors, the gryphon-riding Welkynars.[44]

In the events leading up to the Warp in the West, an unknown agent of the Blades was tasked by Nocturnal to kill a mage in their stronghold in return for the Skeleton Key. However, the mage had already had a contingency plan in case the Daedric Prince had sent someone to slay them. They created a fake artifact (Auriel's Bow, Staff of Magnus, or the Warlock's Ring) that functioned identically to the true artifact to tempt the agent with, though it would degrade after several days; enough time to flee when the illusion was broken. Accounts conflict if the agent took the mage up on the offer and was bamboozled, or if they slayed the mage and received the Key in return.[45]

In 3E 433, the Eye of Nocturnal was stolen from Nocturnal's shrine in Cyrodiil's Blackwood region. Nocturnal tasked the Hero of Kvatch with recovering it. The thieves, an Argonian couple in Leyawiin, hid it in a flooded cave in Topal Bay. The Hero of Kvatch returned it to Nocturnal and was rewarded with the Skeleton Key.[46]

Some time before 4E 201, the Skeleton Key was stolen from the Twilight Sepulcher by Mercer Frey, a corrupt Nightingale. Its long-term loss resulted in a decline of the Skyrim branch of the Thieves Guild due to bad luck without Nocturnal's influence. The guild's influence declined until their only presence was in the Ratways beneath Riften. Karliah, a Nightingale, apologized to Nocturnal for failing to keep the key safe, promising to return the key to its rightful place, and brought her two new Nightingales as a gift, one of them being, the Last Dragonborn. Nocturnal was grateful for her new Nightingales and warned Karliah to not fail her again. Mercer used the Key to bring himself luck, but he was eventually confronted by the Nightingales beneath the Great Statue of Irkngthand. Mercer was killed, and the Last Dragonborn brought the Key back to the Sepulcher, reopening the Ebonmere. Nocturnal rewarded the Dragonborn with three Nightingale powers of their choosing.[47]

Artifacts[edit]

The Gray Cowl of Nocturnal (Oblivion)

The Gray Cowl of Nocturnal[edit]

The Gray Cowl of Nocturnal (or the Shadow Queen's Cowl) is a daedric artifact that once belonged to Nocturnal. It takes the form of a dark leather cowl, which obscures the face of the wearer. Nocturnal is revered as a god by thieves across Tamriel. Her reputation as the Mistress of Shadows has sometimes led thieves to attempt to steal an item from her to prove their greatness. As Nocturnal is usually depicted wearing a cloak and a cowl, it is around these two items that legends have arisen. The story of the theft of Nocturnal's cloak is probably fiction, as is at least one story of the theft of the cowl, but the cowl is known to have left her possession. It appears to have been stolen by Emer Dareloth, a guildmaster of the Thieves Guild, although a curse bestowed upon the cowl by Nocturnal meant that the name of cowl's owner is lost to mortal memory. "Whosoever wears it shall be lost in the shadows. His true nature shall be unknown to all who meet him. His identity shall be struck from all records and histories. Memory will hide in the shadows, refusing to record the name of the owner to any who meet him. He shall be known by the cowl and only by the cowl." This curse was broken when history was rewritten through the use of an Elder Scroll.

The Skeleton Key (Skyrim)

The Skeleton Key[edit]

The Skeleton Key (also called the Skeleton's Key) is a Daedric artifact of the Daedric Prince Nocturnal.

In appearance, the Skeleton Key doesn't always take the form of a key, and sometimes manifests as a lockpick instead. In its key form, it can be used to unlock any lock. As a lockpick, it is nigh unbreakable and can get past even the toughest locks. The two limitations placed on the Key by wizards who sought to protect their storehouses were that the Key could only be used once a day and it would never be the property of one thief for too long, eventually disappearing.

The artifact functions as a tool for "unlocking" all things, including portals, hidden potential, and other unknown possibilities. Its ultimate function, however, is to unlock and hold open the Ebonmere, a portal to Nocturnal's realm, Evergloam, located in the Twilight Sepulcher of Skyrim. The Nightingales are tasked with guarding the Sepulcher and retrieving the Key should it be stolen. Unfortunately, the Prince is said to allow the Skeleton Key to be stolen or lost periodically, whether by purpose or apathy.

The Bow of Shadows (ESO)

The Bow of Shadows[edit]

The Bow of Shadows is a Daedric artifact that, according to legend, was forged by the Daedric Prince Nocturnal. The legendary ranger, Raerlas Ghile, was granted the Bow for a secret mission that failed. The Bow was lost, though Raerlas is said to have used it to take scores of his foes down with him. The Bow is said to grant the user invisibility and increased speed.

Eye of Nocturnal

The Eye of Nocturnal[edit]

Another item of note which is associated with Nocturnal is the Eye of Nocturnal. Little is known of the item's origin or abilities other than it was stolen by two Argonians in 3E 433 and subsequently returned to the Prince in exchange for the Skeleton Key. Nocturnal described herself as being able to "see" from the Eye, stating that the thieves who stole it were "seen" by the artifact.[48]

Shade Sickle

Shade Sickle[edit]

The Shade Sickle is a Breton-made weapon with the ability to separate the living from their shadows. This leaves its victims fated to gradually become hapless beings akin to thralls. Though mortal in origin, it is now a daedric artifact associated with the Daedric Prince Nocturnal, who was given the weapon at one point after its potential was realized. Nocturnal considers it a powerful instrument of her will. Despite its common appearance, the blade is preternaturally sharp, and those who gaze at it experience a deep sense of foreboding.

Evergloam[edit]

Evergloam

The Evergloam is a realm of Oblivion, created and ruled over by Nocturnal, the Daedric Prince of Shadow. It is a realm of perpetual twilight, and the "cradle of shadow". The Evergloam exists adjacent to all other realms of reality simultaneously, it can almost be glimpsed when one turns and looks quickly while in the dark. It consists of a primary plane and several pocket realms, including the Shade Perilous and the Crow's Wood. These realms are thought to be constantly shifting, and are perceived differently by different mortals. It is filled with forests, whose trees cast long shadows over a purple landscape. The land is dotted with crumbling buildings and sunken crypts.

Servants[edit]

Daedra that are known to serve Nocturnal include Nocturnal Shrikes also simply called Nocturnals or Shrikes for short,[49][50] Grievous Twilights,[51] Gloam Knights,[39] Wraiths-of-Crows[52][53] creatures made of shadow[54] and Crow Daedra.[55]

Intelligent shadow creatures such as Gloam Hags can cooperate with Shrikes to cast scrying spells to spy on other Daedric cults and Nocturnal's enemies.[56] When they see a journal or a document of interest, they may cast a Duplication spell to create a copy.[56]

One Daedra Lord in the form of a hagraven, known as the Crow Mother, describes herself as a "Nether-Niece" of Nocturnal. She rules over the pocket realm of Crow's Wood, populated by intelligent crows.[57]

See Also[edit]

Books[edit]

Notes[edit]

Gallery[edit]

  • Nocturnal (Daggerfall)

  • A statue of Nocturnal (Oblivion)

  • A statue of Nocturnal (Skyrim)

  • Nocturnal (ESO)

  • Nocturnal in the Summerset announcement trailer

  • Skyrim concept art

  • An emblem representing Nocturnal (ESO)

  • Reachfolk emblem for Nocturnal (ESO)

  • Artwork featuring Nocturnal (right center)

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e Shadows and Whispers — Romien Garvette of the Whispering Shadows
  2. ^ Purloined Shadows — Waughin Jarth
  3. ^ a b The Book of Daedra
  4. ^ a b The Requisite Book of Daedra
  5. ^ a b NPC dialogue about Nocturnal in Daggerfall
  6. ^ Hiding with the Shadow
  7. ^ a b Aios' dialogue in ESO: Clockwork City
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h The Dark Spirits — Amun-dro, the Silent Priest
  9. ^ a b c d e f Invocation of Azura — Sigillah Parate
  10. ^ a b c d The Nightingales Vol. 1 — Gallus Desidenius
  11. ^ Sotha Sil's dialogue during Where Shadows Lie in ESO: Clockwork City
  12. ^ Song of Hrormir
  13. ^ a b Speech Notes
  14. ^ a b c d e f Veya's Private Thoughts, Part 3 — Veya Releth
  15. ^ a b Gallus Desidenius' dialogue in Skyrim
  16. ^ Shrike's Nocturnal Frock description
  17. ^ Armand Christophe's dialogue in Oblivion
  18. ^ Lilatha's dialogue in ESO
  19. ^ a b c The Favored Daughter of Fadomai — Amun-dro, the Silent Priest
  20. ^ Count Verandis Ravenwatch's dialogue in ESO
  21. ^ Nocturnal's dialogue at Abyssal Geysers in ESO: Summerset
  22. ^ Secrets Overheard in Apocrypha — Morian Zenas
  23. ^ Fragmentae Abyssum Hermaeus Morus
  24. ^ A Child's Tamriel Bestiary — Shane gro-Orath (Clever, no? Ha, ha!)
  25. ^ The Gray Fox's dialogue during the Oblivion Crisis
  26. ^ a b Oblivion Faction data in Daggerfall
  27. ^ a b Events of The Dreaming Cave in ESO: Summerset
  28. ^ Letters for the Battlespire Hero — Vatasha Trenelle or Josian Kaid
  29. ^ a b c J'darji's dialogue in ESO: Elsweyr
  30. ^ Markarth Outlaws Refuge's dialogue in ESO
  31. ^ Apprentice Fialyn's dialogue in ESO
  32. ^ Veya's Private Thoughts, Part 4 — Veya Releth
  33. ^ Crafting Motif 57: Ebonshadow Style — Romien Garvette of the Whispering Shadows
  34. ^ The Shadow of Sotha Sil's abilities in ESO: Clockwork City
  35. ^ Chancellor Gascone Dusant's dialogue during Unto the Dark in ESO: Clockwork City (if you killed him during Deepening Shadows)
  36. ^ Proctor Luciana Pullo's dialogue during Where Shadows Lie in ESO: Clockwork City
  37. ^ Proctor Luciana Pullo's dialogue during Unto the Dark in ESO: Clockwork City
  38. ^ Proctor Luciana Pullo dispelling the shadow barrier with light during Unto the Dark in ESO: Clockwork City
  39. ^ a b Veya's transformation into a Gloam Knight during The Crystal Tower in ESO: Summerset
  40. ^ in ESO: Clockwork City
  41. ^ a b c Sotha Sil's dialogue during A Necessary Alliance in ESO: Summerset
  42. ^ Events of The Crystal Tower in ESO: Summerset
  43. ^ Z'Maja's dialogue and abilities in ESO: Summerset
  44. ^ Events of Woe of the Welkynars in ESO: Summerset
  45. ^ Nocturnal's quest in Daggerfall
  46. ^ Nocturnal quest in Oblivion
  47. ^ Thieves Guild questline in Skyrim
  48. ^ Nocturnal's Quest from Oblivion
  49. ^ Events of Battlespire
  50. ^ The Shrikes' allegiance in ESO: Clockwork City
  51. ^ Grievous Twilight Lord allegiance and appearance in ESO: Clockwork City
  52. ^ Wraith-of-Crows allegiance in ESO: Clockwork City
  53. ^ Eyes of Nothing — Romien Garvette of the Whispering Shadows
  54. ^ Gloam Wolf and Gloam Hags serving Nocturnal in the Shadow Cleft in ESO: Clockwork City
  55. ^ The Blackfeather Court and the Exarchs of Dross's appearance and allegiance in ESO: Clockwork City
  56. ^ a b Razum-dar's Journal, Chapter 5 — Razum-dar
  57. ^ Crow Mother's dialogue in ESO
  58. ^ Ghraewaj

Note: The following references are considered to be unofficial sources. They are included to round off this article and may not be authoritative or conclusive.

  1. ^ a b Imperial Census of Daedra Lords — the Imperial Geographic Survey
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