Hermaeus Mora

is a Daedric Prince whose sphere is forbidden knowledge,[20] destiny,[21] and the scrying of the tides of Fate, weaving his way through the past and future as read in the stars and heavens, and in whose dominion are "the treasures of knowledge and memory".[22]:585[23] His curiosity is insatiable and he seeks all knowledge, and not to change but to observe, so that all becomes known.[8][5] He "weeps cold tears" at the plague of ignorance, where knowledge is forsaken out of fear of misuse, and seeks to enlighten all to all mysteries that have ever and will ever exist.[10] This benevolence presented by his followers may be a facade, as Mora is said to hoard his knowledge and give nothing away for free.[9][21] Like all Daedric Princes, he's not to be trifled with, but he is subtler than most of his ilk and ensnares mortals with his secrets.[21] He may seem cruel at times, but he's not irrational.[8]

Always lurking, he is the void and the ever-seeing eyes.[22]:585 Mora has been called the wisest of the Daedric Princes, with a mind as old as Tamriel and a body of slime,[20] though he describes himself as "the riddle unsolveable. The door unopenable. The book unreadable. The question unanswerable."[24] Unlike most Princes, Hermaeus Mora typically does not take on a humanoid form, manifesting instead as black clouds of varied, grotesque assemblages of eyes, tentacles, and claws, or a featureless purple vortex known as the Wretched Abyss,[25][26] though according to some sources he occasionally took on a form resembling that of a mortal.[UOL 2] He speaks with a thundering bray.[UOL 3]

He resides everywhere and nowhere but takes glee in tormenting mortals from his realm in Oblivion, the plane called Apocrypha, an endless library where the infinite pages of countless books containing all forbidden knowledge are found.[22]:585 Each book sports a black cover without a title, and the realm is reported to be haunted by ghosts forever searching for knowledge.[10][27] His servants include Daedra such as Seekers, Lurkers, and Watchers, but he is known to have mortal worshipers too.[28] Sailors and seafaring folk refer to Herm'us Mora as the Tide King, a being who lurks in the oceans and pulls vessels down into the abyss.[29] Similarly, the Khajiiti Hermorah controls the tides and lives in a vast library under the sea.[19]

Hermaeus Mora is tangentially related to the origins of the Morag Tong by association with his sibling, Mephala.[2] Mora's enemies are said to be Ebonarm and Vaermina,[30] and his summoning day is the 5th of First Seed.[31]

Glyphics are arcane creations of Hermaeus Mora which contain pieces of knowledge or memories. With the proper enticement, they can transform into a corporeal version of the concept within.[32]