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Nine Divines

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The Nine Divines is the most prevalently religious order on the Tamrielic continent. This is primarily due to it being the official religion of the Cyrodiilic Empire. The pantheon consists of eight Aedra, those who were most directly responsible for the creation of the world, plus Tiber Septim. These Aedra also appear in various combinations in the pantheons of other cultures.

The eight true Aedra in the Nine Divines are:

In addition, after conquering and uniting Tamriel, a ninth divine being was added:

Each god has several wayshrines scattered around Cyrodiil where one can pray for a traveling blessing. After a follower has visited a god's respective wayshrine, he can receive that god's blessing at the altar of a local chapel.

[edit] History

Main Article: Aedra

The Eight Divines as an official religion was instituted by Alessia, the first saint of the Empire, upon her successful slave revolt against the Ayleids. She is said to have consciously chosen a mixture of Ayleid and Norse gods, to help aid her subjects in their transition but simultaneously appease her powerful northern allies.

Perhaps coincidentally, the eight Aedra Alessia chose are those Aedra said to have been most active in the creation of the world. When the Aedra realized what Lorkhan had done, and how their divinity was being drained to create Nirn, most of them objected or withdrew. The eight Aedra that make up the divines, however, willingly gave of themselves to complete the act of creation. In doing so, they were left weakened and confined to their own planes, which mortals on Nirn see as the planets.

The worship of the Divines is not universally accepted, even on Tamriel. In particular, most Dunmer reject them outright, having been turned from the path of Aedra worship during the Dawn Era by the Daedric Prince Boethiah. The other mer worship some of the same Aedra, in particular Akatosh, who appears in almost every culture's mythology. The elves choose to worship other Aedra, however, those who withdrew from creation in time to save their divinity, and who the elves believe guided them in the early years of their existence.

Prior to Alessia's pact with Akatosh, binding her soul to the Amulet of Kings, many Aedra and Daedra were able to fully interact with Nirn and its population. However, even during this period, these eight Aedra are not known to have manifested physically on the planet, but communicated through dreams and visions (as with Alessia, for example). Their interaction with the world is relegated to blessings via their altars and shrines, and in extreme circumstances, via mortal avatars infused with their divine spirits. Of particular note is that Akatosh did not appear himself to Alessia to seal his pact with her; instead, it was Lorkhan who came in person, something he was presumably able to do because of his close connection with the earth itself.

Because Talos was not originally one of the Divines, in some religious sects they are referred to as "The Eight And One".

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