The Nine Divine

Akatosh: Dragon God of Time: Akatosh is the chief deity of the Nine Divines (the prescribed religious cults of Cyrodiil and its provinces), and one of two deities found in every Tamrielic religion (the other is Lorkhan), save only the Dunmeri religion of the Tribunal of self-made gods. He is generally considered to be the first of the Gods to form in the Beginning Place; after his establishment, other spirits found the process of being easier and the various pantheons of the world emerged. He is the ultimate God of the Cyrodiilic Empire, where he embodies the qualities of endurance, invincibility, and everlasting legitimacy. He is also sometimes referred to as The One, as in The Temple Of The One. He is often depicted as a dragon.

Most traces of Akatosh disappeared from ancient Chimer legends during their so-called 'exodus', primarily due to that god's association and esteem with the Altmeri. However, several aspects of Akatosh which seem so important to the mortal races, namely immortality, historicity, and genealogy, have conveniently resurfaced in Almalexia, the most popular of Morrowind's divine Tribunal: who, as a mother-figure, also embodies the idea of being a progenitor (albeit a female rather than male one). So one could say that, at least, the qualities of Akatosh are not entirely neglected among the Dunmer, even if his name is.


Arkay: (God of the Cycle of Life and Death): Legend has it that Ark'ay was once a regular shopkeeper with a passion for knowledge, as documented in the book Ark'ay the God of Birth and Death. He found a book written in a strange language and spent years upon years attempting to decipher it, slowly ignoring everything, and everyone else around him. Eventually Ark'ay realized the book explained life and death itself, unfortunately, he was himself near death's door with an incurable plague. Praying to Mara as a last resort, Ark'ay asked for more time to interpret the book. Mara gave him a choice, die now or become a god for eternity, charged with keeping the balance of death and life in the universe. Member of the Nine Divines pantheon, and popular elsewhere as well. Arkay is often more important in those cultures where his father, Akatosh, is either less related to time or where his time aspects are difficult to comprehend by the layman. He is the god of burials and funeral rites, and is sometimes associated with the seasons. His priests are staunch opponents of necromancy and all forms of the undead. It is said that Arkay did not exist before the world was created by the gods under Lorkhan's supervision/urging/trickery. Therefore, he is sometimes called the Mortals' God.


Dibella: (Goddess of Beauty) Popular god of the Nine Divines. In Cyrodiil, she has nearly a dozen different cults, some devoted to women, some to artists and aesthetics, and others to erotic instruction.

Julianos: (God of Wisdom and Logic): Often associated with Jhunal, the Nordic father of language and mathematics, Julianos is the Cyrodilic god of literature, law, history, and contradiction. The Order of the Ancestor Moth, founded by Tiber Septim and dedicated to Julianos, are the keepers of the Elder Scrolls.

Kynareth: (Goddess of Air): Kynareth is a member of the Nine Divines, the strongest of the Sky spirits. In some legends, she is the first to agree to Lorkhan's plan to invent the mortal plane, and provides the space for its creation in the void. She is also associated with rain, a phenomenon said not to occur before the removal of Lorkhan's divine spark.

Mara: (Goddess of Love): Nearly universal goddess. Origins started in mythic times as a fertility goddess. In Skyrim, Mara is a handmaiden of Kyne. In the Empire, she is Mother-Goddess. She is sometimes associated with Nir of the 'Anuad', the female principle of the cosmos that gave birth to creation. Depending on the religion, she is either married to Akatosh or Lorkhan, or the concubine of both.

Stendarr: (God of Mercy): God of the Nine Divines, Stendarr has evolved from his Nordic origins into a deity of compassion or, sometimes, righteous rule. He is said to have accompanied Tiber Septim in his later years. In early Altmeri legends, Stendarr is the apologist of Men.

Talos (Tiber Septim): (the Dragonborn): Heir to the Seat of Sundered Kings, Talos is the most important hero-god of Mankind. He conquered all of Tamriel and ushered in the Third Era (and the Third Empire). Also called Ysmir, 'Dragon of the North'. Before becoming a god, he was the mortal Tiber Septim, who would become the first Emperor of the Third Era.

Zenitar: (God of Work and Commerce, Trader God): Member of the Nine Divines, Zenithar is understandably associated with Z'en. In the Empire, however, he is a far more cultivated god of merchants and middle nobility.