#🕮┆“FILES”╞ ᵗᵒᵐᵉˢ ᵉᶠᶠᶦᵍᶦᵉˢ ʳᶦᵗᵉˢ ᵃⁿᵈ ᵇᵒᵒᵏˢ ˢᶜʳᵃᵗᶜʰ ⁿᵒᵗ ᵗʰᵉ ˢᵘʳᶠᵃᶜᵉ ᵒᶠ ᵐᵉ

[stolememory]

KNOWN NATIVE CREATURES OF APOCRYPHA

Tomeshells (aka just a lil guy): Considered 'vermin' by most accounts, these creatures inhabit discarded books like a crab does a shell. Generally passive, and with no clear function served or spoken.

Lurkers (The Security Guards): Large, Hulking fish-like oceanic beasts, their pure purpose is to act as guardians and whose sole existence is to dispatch any threats to Apocrypha. Little in the way of intelligence beyond that.

Seekers (The Librarians): Often silent tenders of Apocrypha, they are attuned to the wills and whims unspoken by The Great Eye. They are keepers and scribes, attending to the structure of the Realm and singularly focused upon their tasks. Attacking those that are threaten or disturb with powerful abilities to sap the life force of another. (Also the attend to the flora of Apocrypha just thought this was a neat lil fact)

Watchlings (The Workers): They are the messengers and the recorders, the most common Daedra of the One Who Knows that communicates freely with mortals. More intelligent and individual than others listed thus far, each seems to be different from one another while still loyal to the whims of their God. They seem to have jobs that can be called, in basic terms, 'clerical' or 'administrative' in mortal terms.

Watchers (The Guardians): Nearly identical to Watchlings other than size, Watchers act as overseers and guardians to the Great Eye. Often guarding those objects and knowledge of most concern, they can also be communicated with regarding certain info and dissuade mortals before violence is deemed necessary.

[stolememory]

Hermaeus Mora as heard in Necrom // OKAY TO RELBOG

[stolememory]

Non-Tes AU information masterlist

Mora is a cosmic deity of knowledge, perhaps he is the concept itself and the original source of it; especially in regards to forbidden and esoteric knowledge, but desires collection of that which has grown beyond him. A monopolization of all knowledge, created by him or not.

Also quite literally consumes knowledge, memories, and secrets. (so not much different than normal canon)

Known throughout numerous galaxies, realities, and worlds. To some they are their god or one of the planetary pantheon, others a primordial evil or trickster demon, and others still a simple spirit or unnatural force. Appearances and names fluctuate from location to location much like its standing with mortals.

There is no compact or rule that binds Mora from interacting freely with many many worlds, however there are other cosmic entities / concepts that keep eyes upon the entity. Mora is of course aware of them, and has little reasons to try to start up strife (for now).

More specific to Earth, Mora used to have a religious following upon the planet in eras long past. Evidence of this was all but destroyed due to human fear of him. Mora following upon Earth is... very small in modern days.

Due to this, Mora does manifest a bit more- either in their many grotesque forms, those akin to animals, or humans, or by placing aspects of self within mortal vessels. All in intent to gain and collect knowledge, and perhaps reinstate followers once more.

These vessel would mutate and malform if carrying the aspect of Mora for too long.

More for modern versions, but Mora also does have some connections to technology. Given that computers, phones, and the internet in general is the modern means of information and knowledge spread, he has tied self to these creations to lure mortals into clutches. Sometimes a file, a website, a flashdrive- any of these acting as a calling card to the unfortunate for the deity.

More to be added probably.

[stolememory]

I've been thinking and discussing it with a few people and certain aspects of Mora feel.... odd. Destructive tendencies when they arise, or being the center of various tragedies. There are various murders, plagues, disasters where Mora can be directly linked behind. And there are some that are more... theorized but yet to be proven as true or false.

The Oblivion Crisis comes to mind for one, given this;

And it was Haskill that said Dagon had been a pawn of another Prince before. Also given Mora only lets you interact with him as the last Daedric Prince in Oblivion all is very odd in some ways. Now a lot of this can be correlation not causation but I think there is a lot of weird coincidences especially given it is Hermaeus Mora we are talking about, the one who treats so much as a chess game.

Then there is the Dragonborn situation, where honestly it felt like it was all more for Mora to gain the secrets of the Skaal. Because Miraaks knowledge of escape technically comes from Mora, from the Black Books. And Mora even said Miraaks escape would be beneficial to him in some ways, before following up with saying a new DB would be better. Making it seem like that's the whole plan, but really I think he's just collecting all the chips he can while using everything else as a game for his larger goal in that manner. And truthfully I can get into a whole different topic where I think he doesn't even care about the dragonborns, he wants the dragon souls that you can trade him for. Because more control over time is beneficial to him, and these are children of Akatosh after all. That that's a goal even higher.

Then there was a concept I was playing with that maybe the whole Necrom Ithelia thing is a much larger game too.... maybe technically the whole 'she is a threat to the way reality currently is' was true, but that's actually.... not a bad thing to Mora really. The issue was she wasn't doing such, and wanted to formulate a reason. Anger, rage to come inevitably. Cause there is no way Mora wouldn't expect things to go "downhill" when it comes unraveled. The fact he seems rather... calm about the ordeal and parts of the truth being revealed also rubs me the wrong way. Maybe Mora grows tired of the current tapestry and needs a new design to observe, but he is not the one that can unwind it. He is the one meant to enjoy it.

All this to say I think Mora also embodies the part of Knowledge that comes with destruction and tragedy. How something works when you tear it apart. How something can be remade from pieces. What survives after a fire. The aftermath of plagues. And it also feeds into the memory part of him... cause what sticks in a memory more than extremes?

[stolememory]

Formulated this thought a bit more with a friend after accidentally creating it this morning- not set if it'll be blog canon or just an idea yet but given that Mora was born from scrapped ideas of creation, there a chance he's one if not the only spirit that could not "choose" whether he became Aedra or Daedra. It could not break off bits of itself to help create reality, because itself is the physical form of that which was denied from reality. If Mora had tried to, they would be adding the denied and rejected ideas into the mix. Granted, Mora had no intent to try to aid in creation so what would have happened is a non-point because it wouldn't have.

Given this however, Mora may conceptually be the first Prince. There are older spirits than them (we are ignoring the whole time bs Mora has where he 'exists before himself' for a second for this aspect and just focusing purely on creation) but they are the first that would've had the distinction of didn't help with creation because he couldn't help with it by nature.

[stolememory]

"Tears of Mora" are more than just a terminology for fluids found in Apocrypha with powerful properties- at least in the sense that yes, it is fluid that comes from Moras eyes. Or rather, from behind and inside them.

Aspects of Mora exhibiting truer properties to the actual whole of the entity may drip a black substance from them- sometimes occasionally, sometimes constantly. They may also flow downwards like an actual drip or upwards, or otherwise spiral around or stay in a clump around the eyes.

What this actually is is unsolidified matter within Mora, made up of memories, fates, and knowledge in a liquid form- usually that which can be considered unnecessary or duplications of that which it already owns. Removed of all the necessary material and discarded- in a basic form, it is the excess and the waste. This fluid can also seep from cracks in body- primarily found around chitin on true form, but also areas of skin and sludge.

Of course, despite this matter being that which Moras body does not need, it still exhibits powerful properties to it due to it both being a physical manifestation of that which Mora presides over and from the Prince himself.

[stolememory]

The idea that Mora is actually, by creation, the void or the absence in a sense, of truth or fact really fuels me. It was created from the tossed out ideas of creation, therefore making their essence at its core opposites of factual reality. Because it is that which was never adapted to reality and truth.

Also might be what makes them an abyss, ink stain, what have you on the various things he tends to. The fate tapestry the biggest one that comes to mind, I've discussed this before but I'll link that again HERE. In general aspects of reality he is unviewable, because reality was never provided the 'eyes' to view what was decided as non-existent.

Also honestly? Mora seems to love his spheres more than he actually embodies them.... he hoards, he consumes and collects. It's not about spreading knowledge, its about obtaining knowledge, memories, fates, etc for him. They are the black hole of which all info comes to, not a great fountain of which to drink and nourish from. Even those that obtain from Mora it is not for the sake of representing the true spread of knowledge but rather for the gain of more in return for the crumbs of what it has already consumed.

Mora is a conceptual void, in comparison to those that embody physical voids. The obstruction of memory, the blotting of history, the consumption of knowledge. In the end, you are left with nothing

As he describes himself, "the riddle unsolveable. The door unopenable. The book unreadable. The question unanswerable." The only answer that satisfies this is 'nothing'. An unsolveable riddle has no solution, a door unopenable is not a gateway, a book unreadable is blank, a question unswerable is one without an answer.

[stolememory]

Very unimportant Mora facts (most of which gained from canon, mostly from Necrom);

Likes to collect physical things, not just knowledge. He has a gallery (honestly mostly just a zoo) where he displays creatures from chaurus and boars to liches and bone dragons and no one knows why

Likes to pull down boats for no reason really. Again I think this goes with the collection thing tbh.

Runs experiments, has a whole ass facility in Apocrypha full of alien daedric "tech"

On the topic of tech look at me and tell me Mora doesn't have modern and even future technology somewhere that isn't seen in TES canon cause yknow it would drive someone mad

Has an Elder Scroll within his gallery

Collects fates that did not come to pass- sometimes just likes to view them

Literally pops out his endless eyes and uses them as vessels for important memories. To quote "the many Eyes of Mora that were lined up like books on a shelf...These are floating eyes taken from the orbs without end that make up the glory of H.ermaeus Mora. Each eye is larger than a Nord, containing a memory witnessed personally by H.ermaeus Mora and set aside as a recollection of import."

Can technically eat food. Probably has enjoyed a whole mudcrab on occasion.

Mora does instruct his watchlings and watchers to be... decent towards mortals when interacting. For sure for the personal gain.

[stolememory]

Moras form is never still. Tentacles always moving, eyes never singularly directed together towards one focus. Flicking, blinking, moving, disappearing and appearing. Flesh flowing like ink or sludge, or an abyss of vapor that constantly shifts. Usually central eye exists as the pure point of something solid to keep attention to, but even it blinks and shifts pupil and the like. Moras body embodies its mind- never singular, always active on more things than what is just in front of him. Even his voice, while calm and collective, echoes upon itself and is full of whispers and other tones as if it speaks not just to you.

The most horrific thing that could happen is for whatever reason Mora decides to put all their attention upon you. Something is wrong if that's the case.

[stolememory]

Also I've seen people mention that ESOs Mora (pre Necrom at least) seems much more... cold? Uncaring, but also sadistic too, compared to Skyrim.

I don't think its a difference in writing by accident, I do think Mora acts differently depending on who he's interacting with.

The Dragonborn is important to him in some degree or another, so he's a bit more agreeable. "Nice" isn't the right word, but he seems like someone you can have a conversation with. Similar with the "Chosen" in Necrom, who he does seem to show a level of recognition in importance to give the player a level of respect or best you can call for him.

Everyone else? Mora does not care if you take insult to his words. You either listen to him, or you don't. Most are a device for him, or a toy. A minor means of nourishment in knowledge, or a temporary amusement.

The other Princes also gain a different side of Mora. He'll still carry that importance and 'know-all' attitude, but he seems to talk to the other Princes like individuals rather than objects. From the very few Prince with Prince interactions we got at least.

[stolememory]

When Mora occupies a vessel, the body is more or less 'ruined' afterwards. The Prince rarely sees need for using fleshy bodies, but when he does determine a purpose for such he does not give care or consideration to keeping it 'pristine' after. Most of the time the original soul or spirit is removed and the body is then filled with matter of Mora. Insides hollowed out and eaten away by its essence, usually only leaving remains of bones such as the ribcage still solid within the abyssal fluid filling up the body.

Usage of power also results in corruption of vessel- it will begin to adopt aspects of Mora and Apocrypha upon the flesh. Time also can result in this, but it's mostly power usage. Mortal vessels cannot handle true essence of the Mora for very long, even small collections of said essence.

[stolememory]

Since Mora is tossed out ideas given form, it would be interesting if there was a small purpose for their knowledge consumption and hoarding besides just being an ever hungry void trying to patch up its essence.

AKA wanting to know why "it" was tossed away and what reality would've been like instead if his essence had been used in some degree. It's more like a curiosity- Mora does not care that it was not used in creation. If he had wanted a hand in it, he would've broken off parts of himself and become a divine. (unless of course the time and cause of their creation result in a cut-off where that was not possible even if wanted- which thinking about it might have some weight.... But that would be a whole different can of worms I'd have to look into and think over.)

[stolememory]

Ignoring the fact that Apocrypha is an infinite plane and you can't really put percentages on the infinite, I'd say the majority of the Realm is water and sea and not land. Added to the fact that you can fish within the water of the Ichor Sea, there are likely millions of species and daedra within the waters that are unknown to mortal and immortal kind.

Especially given that deep waters one often becomes ensnared in oily tendrils that tear you asunder, or running into areas where the waters are toxic and acidic and break down the body to join the sea.

The landscape, continents, and islands of Apocrypha are meant for those that seek to feed upon what the realm has to offer. While every location radiates importance, and not entirely untrue, its like an iceberg. Anything of true value to the Prince rests well below the depths- from his true Library to the actual whole of Mora.

[stolememory]

Being a little bold here and posting a little Prince hc and not just a Mora one

I like to think each Prince has one 'absolute' sphere and then have parts of others they may share. Like Mora, his absolute is Knowledge (specifically esoteric cause then we'd get into the weird overlap of Julianos and Mora). The sphere of Fate is one he shares with two other Princes- Ithelia and Azura. Each has a different level of control / impact on the sphere of Fate. Mora is the eyes- he can see all the strings, the grander picture and the vastness of it. But he cannot pull them- his control of fate is via manipulation, domino effects. Memory is a weird one- Vaermina clearly collects and hungers for memories and what she does with them are unknown, but the control Mora shows over the Sphere of Memories is... rather extreme (cough cough the whole he erased a Prince by removing memories from all of reality situation). Whether this is a shared sphere currently I am unsure about.

That being said, those that have sphere overlap and with the idea those spheres are broken into different pieces, upon cooperation Princes could do a lot more than they already do I personally believe. The issue there being most of them are self absorbed. Mora is no exception, despite his intelligence and being considered the 'wisest' of the Princes.

[stolememory]

BASICS.

Legal True Name: probably something incomprehensible lets be honest Nicknames: Hermaeus (or Hoermius, Hormaius, Herma, Hyrma, etc) Mora, God of Knowledge, Demon of Knowledge, One Who Knows, Master of the Tides of Fate, Gardener of Men, Prince of Fate, Lord of Secrets, Keeper of Forbidden Knowledge, The Golden Eye, The Great Eye, Ur-Daedra, Abyssal Cephaliarch, Old Antecedent, Scryer, He Who Records All Knowledge, Inevitable Knower, Lord of Fate and Knowledge, Woodland Man, That Which Speaks in the Wastes, The Keeper of Whispers, there are dozens of more Date of Birth: Before time itself Gender: No real gender, use whatever you please Mora literally does not care. He/They/It is what is used on blog Place of Birth: The vast void Currently Living: Apocrypha Spoken Languages: Everything that is in existence plus probably a thousand more Education: They are the One Who Knows Hair Color: do tentacles count? Eye Color: fluctuates, usually green or gold Height: fluctuates but true form very big. like about the size of a city Weight: also a high number its a giant eldritch sea space beast god guess you can say they thicc

FAMILY.

Siblings: Ithelia and Mephala Parents: Born of the tossed out ideas of creation so take that as you will Relatives: this is where connections get muddy Children: Knowledge and Secrets maybe their daedra too for funsies Pets: Probably has some I don't know about

RELATIONSHIP INFO.

Sexual Orientation: I mean its there. Mora will do it for a trade but is that trade really worth making? Status: Mora cannot be tied to any one being (single). Also good luck.

tagged by ; i stole this from like 20 people on dash tagging ; you. yes you. right there.

[stolememory]

Unlike some Princes, I don't believe Mora would ever want to merge Apocrypha with the mortal plane / nirn. Apocrypha is kind of like an animal trap- one of those that something can walk into, but can't walk out of easily unless you are given the keys.

This is because of Moras hoarding. Sure, mortals can peruse his collections until the end of time and beyond that and Mora is okay with that. What Mora wants is a monopoly over this info- he doesn't want it escaping their realm.