Summary
As the next entry in a series that has been built on rich and captivating lore,The Elder Scrolls 6has the opportunity to delve deeper into one of the franchise’s pantheon of Daedric Princes. They are enigmatic, godlike entities who govern various aspects of existence and are integral to the world of Tamriel, but they haven’t always received representation that fits this status. Examples likeMolag Bal’s quest inSkyrim, however, showcase that there’s serious potential forTES6to feature content of the same caliber.
The Daedric quests withinSkyrimfollow the previous instances of this format in previousElder Scrollstitles, but they vary in quality from one another. There are some undeniably useful rewards to be earned through these quests no matter their quality of storytelling or gameplay, but some fall short in terms of capturing the supposed essence of the powerful Daedra who the player is coming into contact with. IfThe Elder Scrolls 6hopes to advance its world, one of the most effective ways to continue fleshing out Tamriel could be through more consistently thorough interactions with the Daedric Princes.
Fleshing Out the Lore of Daedra Outside the Main Quest
It’s true that there have been several instances of them being in prominent roles within a main story, but not every Daedra has received the same level of spotlight asMehrunes Dagon inTES4: Oblivion. Sheogorath might have gotten his own expansion in The Shivering Isles, but was then relegated to a side quest alongside several other princes inSkyrim. A few of these are extremely memorable within the game’s wider context, but multiple range from middling to downright insubstantial in the eyes of some players.
With quests such as Malacath’s The Cursed Tribe and Peryite’s The Only Cure essentially being simple, linear outings that hardly differentiate themselves, it’s safe to say that some of the princes have gotten better treatment than others. Even Clavicus Vile, with the charming quality of his aspect Barbas, ends up represented through a moral decision that several players have noted is inaccurate to the character’s established lore. It’s true thatThe Elder Scrolls Online’s Daedric Prince-centric expansionshave allowed for more thorough showings, but they deserve to be properly featured in a mainline entry.
The Elder Scrolls 6 Should Look to the Success of Skyrim’s Molag Bal Quest
As what is possibly the game’s best Daedric quest, The House of Horrors provides an engaging level of depth with the direct involvement of Molag Bal throughout. Set up with an intriguing atmosphere in Markarth, this quest will see the player killing a manipulated priest of Stendarr and sacrificing a priest of Boethiah if they wish to serve the prince of domination and receive his enchanted mace, all while he speaks directly into the player’s mind. This quest not only features more conversation with Daedra than in most of the entire series so far, but also offers valuable insight into the ongoing conflicts between thecosmic entities ofTES' Tamriel.
A Night to Remember might have allowed players to have a face-to-face with Sanguine in a comedic outing, and The Black Star followed the series trend of compelling content related to Azura with its consequences, but The House of Horrors managed to combine these strengths into what should be the reference for future handling of the Daedric Princes. Now thatThe Elder Scrolls 6will likely be set in a province realized with an unprecedented level of depth, it’s almost certain that particular princes will have more relevance in the region. Whether the greater presence of the worship of the Nine Divines in High Rock or the lack thereof in Hammerfell comes into play or not, future quests involvingThe Elder Scrolls 6’s Daedric Princesshould be treated with the same care as their strongest prior examples.
