The Elder Scrolls universe has some of the most intriguing lore out of any RPG franchise. Everything from gods to weapons has some sort of backstory that makes for an immersive experience. Despite more recent games focusing less on the franchise’s excellent lore, it still has many interesting characters that take advantage of the setting.
Unfortunately, one of Skyrim’s most underutilized characters is the Daedric Prince Boethiah. Known for their use of trickery and fascination with violence, Boethiah is one of the franchise’s most interesting Daedric Princes that is underutilized in its Daedric quest. Various lore books and items do a much better job exploring this surprisingly deep character. Here are ten facts players likely didn’t know about Boethiah in Skyrim.
10 Boethiah Regularly Changes Their Visible Gender
Every Daedric Prince in The Elder Scrolls universe is genderless. That said, they typically have one form they stick to when meddling with mortal affairs on Nirn.
Boethiah breaks this mold by changing their gender throughout the main title. Boethiah appears as a female in Arena, Daggerfall, and Skyrim while they take the form of a male in Morrowind and Oblivion. This is the only Daedric Prince that changes their gender in between mainline Elder Scrolls games.
9 Boethiah’s Bidding Cut Quest
“Boethiah’s Calling” is the Daedric quest for Boethiah that grants the Ebony Mail Daedric Artifact on completion. Becoming Boethiah’s champion means little for the rest of the playthrough. However, it seems that it was supposed to be followed up with a second quest named “Boethiah’s Bidding.”
This cut quest would have seen players assassinate the Jarl of Solitude, Elisif the Fair, after completing “Boethiah’s Bidding” and becoming Boethiah’s champion. Not much else is known about the quest besides Erikur taking her place once the quest was complete. Why this was cut from the game is unknown. This could also explain why Elisif is deemed essential for the entirety of Skyrim and can’t be killed.
8 Plane Of Oblivion Similar To Mehrunes Dagon’s
Oblivion fans are likely well versed in Mehrunes Dagon’s plane of Oblivion. The lava-filled hellscape is one of the most iconic parts about that game, so much so that it seems that Boethiah copied Dagon’s plane and is calling it their own.
Attribution’s Share is the name of Boethiah’s realm, complete with pools of lava and magma fissures that are sure to kill an unsuspecting mortal. The main difference is the perpetual storms that erupt in the sky. Considering players enter Attribution’s Share for the first time in Oblivion, it makes sense that Bethesda would share assets between both planes of Oblivion.
7 Rivalry With Molag Bal
Certain books and characters will mention a rivalry between Boethiah and Molag Bal. This seems strange as both Princes focus on the pain of mortals, but there is a clear distinction between the two that most players don’t realize.
Molag Bal focuses on torment by enslaving mortals and torturing them eternally. Boethiah has a different philosophy that focuses on building strength by killing others. Only the strong survive, and those that can ward off the toughest foes are worthy of life. So is the struggle that all mortals go through, at least that is the dogma that Boethiah follows. In other words, Boethiah wants mortals to triumph over challenge while Molag Bal wants them to submit.
6 Partly Responsible For The Existence of The Dunmer
The existence of the Dunmer is thanks to the work of Azura, Mephala, and Boethiah. Azura is responsible for cursing the Chimer people that would become the Dunmer. Mephala aided the Dunmer on their philosophy, but that philosophy came directly from Boethiah themself.
Back when the Dunmer were part of the elf race known as the Aldmer, some followed the teachings of Trinimac, the most powerful Aedra that would eventually become Malacath. Some were angered by the Aedra’s immortality, to which Boethiah proposed that it was a weakness and not a strength. Boethiah’s teachings changed the Aldmer into the Chimer or “changed ones.” Their philosophy and beliefs were heavily molded by Boethiah, hence why many Dunmer worship Boethiah and revere her.
5 Orcs Exist Due To Boethiah’s Deception
Orcs are also a result of Boethiah’s meddling with Trinimac. When Boethiah changed some of the Aldmer into the Chimer, Trinimac was furious and sought vengeance. Boethiah, known for their clever trickery, was able to trick Trinimac into being consumed. Using Trinimac’s body and voice, Boethiah successfully convinced most of Trinimac’s followers to follow Boethiah’s teachings.
What happened to Trinimac and his followers? They became Orcs. Once Trinimac was digested, the Aedra was morphed into what is commonly known now as an Orc. The followers of Trinimac also became Orcs. Of course, Trinimac was furious over this event and became known as an ostracized god. He would rename himself Malacath and be known as a Daedric Prince.
4 Worked With Mephala To Create Morrowind’s House System
Mephala and Boethiah are responsible for the various Houses that control Morrowind. Boethiah was responsible for laying down the foundation of the Dunmer’s philosophies and culture while Mephala honed that philosophy into the Dumer’s clan systems. Evidence for this is provided in the “Varieties of Faith in the Empire” book in Morrowind and Skyrim’s Dragonborn DLC. The Morag Tong also wouldn’t exist without these Daedric Princes.
3 Confirms Aedra Have Altered History
One of Morrowind’s books named “Where were you when the Dragon Broke?” that also appears in Skyrim is infamous for its description of a certain Dragon Break. Mehra Nabisi, one of the authors of the book, has talked to Boethiah and learned of their ability to alter history.
Supposedly, Boethiah learned of this tampering from Veloth during a Dragon Break named The Warp in the West, an event where time became non-linear and absolute chaos ensued. This period of history was wiped away from the minds of many mortals by the Aedra.
2 Long Lost Artifact
Credit to Legacy of the Dragonborn Wiki for the image.
Completing “Boethiah’s Calling” in Skyrim rewards the Ebony Mail, a powerful chest plate that poisons nearby targets. This isn’t Boethiah’s only Daedric Artifact, however, as they have also bestowed Goldbrand to players in Morrowind and Oblivion.
What many might not realize is that Boethiah has a third, lost artifact named Fearstruck. It has never appeared in an Elder Scrolls title but has been referenced in Daggerfall. According to “The Story of Lyrisius” book, Boethiah bestowed a powerful shield named Fearstruck to Lyrisius when he fought against the Akaviri invasion. Legend has it the shield was disintegrated by a wyrm’s fire breath. The shield has never been seen since.
1 Only Selfless Daedric Prince
Nearly every Daedric Prince involves mortals when it is most advantageous. Daedric Princes are focused on their own goals and are selfish beings.
Boethiah is the notable exception to this stereotype. Instead of demanding bloodshed for the sake of death, Boethiah teaches their followers that victory must be earned through strength and progress. Death is the ultimate failure but immortal beings don’t understand this. Boethiah’s fascination with mortality might be due to their own immortality since the ultimate failure—death itself—is unachievable. Regardless, Boethiah gains nothing from the progress of mortals which makes Boethiah’s behavior unusual for a Daedra.
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