Note: this is a major reworking based on discussion between Chris and Mildred back in 2014 (as a result of creating the Sirens). There will be further updates.
Fiendish Background
Almost of the gods and goddesses of the pantheon had children before the Great Fall, and many of them had at least several children. Then those children had children, until before the the Great Fall the Nine Hells were filled with millions of the gods’ divine progeny.
The offspring of the Daedra Lords are called daedra, or fiends by most people. This will lead to confusion, since most people also refer to the Daedra Lords themselves and the much less powerful tieflings by the same terms. For the purposes of this article, the full range of terms and ranks will be used to minimize that confusion.12
When the Starchild emptied the Hells and Heavens and shattered the Axis that joined them together, the fiends and celestials alike were cast into the Dreamlands, where they continued the Great War that had defined their existence for ages. Some of these beings, however, have found their way through portals into the Material Plane, either by accident or through deliberate attempts to withdraw from the War.
Most of these beings are now in the Dreamlands, where they continue the Great War against the Celestials. Some, however, have made their way into the mortal world, where they often assimilate into mortal society (but could be dragged back into the Great War by circumstance). If someone uses the term Daedra/Fiends (with the capitalization), they usually refer to these generations of progeny born before the Great Fall.
Other types of daedra have arisen from the interbreeding of the fallen gods and various mortal consorts; these are called Earthbound Fiends… or (again) just daedra or fiends. Most of them have been born since the Great Fall, and unless they actively choose to participate in the Great War, they don’t hold official rank among their pre-Fall cousins. Some may not realize that they are even related to a god, unless something happens to trigger their abilities. Most of those born before the Day of the Starchild (who is herself an example of what happens when the powers of a mortal child of a god is “activated”) were at some point claimed by their divine parent and brought into the ranks of the Great War.
Generations of pre-Fall Daedra mating with mortals, and generations of Earthbound Fiends having children since the Great Fall eventually dilutes the strength of the divine essence in the bloodlines to the point that plane-touched mortals are born; more powerful than mortals but not approaching the strength of their divine ancestry.
For information on the moral and ethical alignments in MK2K, see the article on Good and Evil.
Appearance
| Height | Weight | Body Type | Skin Tone | Eyes | Distinguishing Physical Traits |
| variable | variable | variable | variable | variable | variable, based on bloodline |
Daedra born before the Great Fall
A Daedra born before the Great Fall is categorized in two basic ways. First is their bloodline, the common ancestry and characteristics that they share with their family and ultimately the gods that gave birth to them. Second is their rank, which is a complex interaction of how many generations they are removed from the fallen gods and the power and strength of the essence each has within themselves.
Daedric Bloodlines from Before the Great Fall
The following list is of the better known Celestial/Daedric bloodlines. It is not a complete list, but these are the bloodlines that have the most members, have been very active as a group, or have attracted enough attention as a specific bloodline.
The bloodline will influence how the Daedra looks. For instance, a Whisper from the Wraith bloodline will be have a more shadow-wispy appearance than one from the Balrog bloodline who may have bull horns.
In cases where the parents are on different sides of the Aedra/Daedra line, the bloodline is attached to the mother’s side of the pantheon, unless a majority of the bloodline have consistently shown a predisposition to the father’s temperament/powers. For example, the Fates and the Dream Walkers are all children of Samekkh and Nocturna, but the Fates are considered to be Celestials because of their connection with the future and prophecy is more closely associated with Samekkh, while the Dream Walkers are considered to be Daedra since they have a deeper connection to dreams and actively work with Nocturna and her consort Malger. Both are fairly neutral and “benign” in comparison to other Celestial and Daedric bloodlines.
(Note: To ask about a bloodline/parent combination that isn’t listed, please contact Chris/RavenB first. It is possible that your mix is already under development, the concept is completely free for discussion, or it is better covered by another existing bloodline.)
Balrogs
These are the fiercest of the lesser daedra. Formerly servants of Revonos, they now serve as the front-line troops in the war between the daedra nobles and the celestial princes. They most often appear as enormous black minotaur-like beings with huge dragon-like wings. Balrogs cannot cast spells, but they are frightfully strong and incredibly nasty. Their skin is extremely tough, and only a few types of weapons (notably blessed or highly enchanted weapons, Elven steel, and mithril) can hurt them. They can also be hurt by magic, but their resistance to magical heat and cold is very high. The best thing you can do if you see a balrog is to start running.
It is rumored that Lilith was the mother of the Balrogs, and if so the stories are mixed as to if the relations were consensual or not.
Dark/Dread Nymphs
Dark nymphs are nature-spirits who are descended from Lilith or Talia rather than Artela. They are indistinguishable from normal nymphs in all but their personalities and intent — dark nymphs are deceitful and sometimes downright murderous, enticing mortals into places of danger as retribution for harm against the wilderness and its creatures (real or imagined). They reproduce by seducing mortals, just like Artela's nymphs, but they have historically killed their partners after mating (though Talia has worked to rein in this tendency). They are uncommon outside of the dark forests, but in the Murk, Elderwood and the Forest of Darkness they inhabit nearly every river, tree, and gully.
If a dark nymph gains enough power to influence a large area, such as an entire valley or a large section of forest, then she becomes a dread nymph. Dread nymphs are greatly feared among rangers and others who know the wilderness — they are powerful and cunning, and they can often call on the aid of many dark nymphs and other unholy creatures of the wilds. The Murk is home to one dread nymph; Elderwood and the Forest of Darkness each have several, and there are probably others in other parts of the world.
Dream Walkers
The Dream Walkers are Nocturna's servants, tasked with watching over the Dreamlands and making sure that the Great War does not come too close to the minds of sleeping mortals. Originally just the children of Nocturna and Samekkh and their descendants; these day the ranks have opened up to include descendants of relationships Nocturna had with other gods (including Dvalin) and a few apotheosized mortals who stand among their number. As such, the Dream-Walkers do not share the evil taint found in most of the other daedra. They can often be found travelling through the Dreamlands, monitoring the dreams of mortals and altering them if Nocturna wants a message to be conveyed to the person in question. Dream Walkers stay neutral in the war between the gods and daedra. Nocturna has entrusted their day-to-day activities to her consort, Malger.
Hell Hounds
Hell Hounds are beasts of massive power, used by other daedra to track and hunt their prospective victims. Hounds are non-sentient animals and cannot be controlled without the aid of another daedra. Their origin is unknown; originally Lilith controlled many of them and those now are under the control of Talia.
When they find themselves on the Material Plane, they usually fall back on predatory instincts, hunting and killing whatever they can catch. Most of these are found and eliminated by the Lothanasi in relatively short order. Talia keeps a few kennels of trained hell hounds scattered throughout the world, primarily using them to track down individuals who interfere in her business ventures.
Incubi/Succubae
These are the descendants of Suspira and countless mortal males. They are easily the most common type of lesser daedra, and probably the most common type of outsider. An incubus is male and a succubus is female, but their general purposes are the same: to seduce mortals into having sex with them, thus draining a good portion of the mortal's energy (and enjoying themselves greatly in the process). This is how incubi and succubae feed, and when Suspira is nearby they channel a portion of that energy to their Mistress. Incubi and succubae need to feed at least once a week, though they will do so much more often if the opportunity presents itself.
These daedra can be potent undercover weapons (no pun intended): they can take on virtually any form, have an intense personal magnetism, and know every trick of seduction in the book. If one of these daedra sates itself on a single human being, that person will be drained, catatonic and useless for the next twenty-four hours. While this can be useful at times, however, it runs the risk of exposing the daedra's true nature, which can be harmful if the daedra needs to stay in the same place for a long time. Many incubi and succubae, realizing this, have taken to "snacking" on smaller doses of energy on a nightly basis, allowing their partners to remain functional the next day. Others conspire to produce orgies instead of one-on-one encounters; this allows them to take a smaller measure of energy from each participant while still being fully sated themselves.
Impregnation is virtually guaranteed with these creatures, unless magical contraception is used (or, the mortal partner is of the same sex as the daedra). A human woman inseminated by an incubus will give birth to an apparently normal human child that transforms into an incubus or succubus upon reaching adolescence, and succubae impregnated by human males will give birth to similar creatures (which appear human if raised on Earth, or in their "natural" form if raised in the Dreamlands). This is the primary (and perhaps only) method by which these daedra reproduce; it is believed that incubi and succubae are unable to draw energy from each other, and thus will mate only with mortals.
Since daedra will not die of natural causes (though they can be killed when in their corporeal forms), and the incubi and succubae are both very fertile and very promiscuous, the numbers of these creatures are growing every year — much to Suspira's delight. Fortunately, most of them are still trapped in the Dreamlands, though more arrive on Earth every year.
An incubus or succubus in its natural form resembles a very attactive human with reddish skin, red or yellow eyes, black hair, a prehensile pointed tail, batlike wings, and horns protruding from the upper corners of the forehead.3 In this form they are often mistaken for tieflings. However, these daedra are consummate shapeshifters and can take on any humanoid form, maintaining it indefinitely; because of this, many of them masquerade as human while on the Material Plane. Succubae can have sex in male form and incubi in female form; they are only fertile when in their native genders, but they can draw energy from their partners regardless of the genders of the participants.
Dark Nereids/High Dark Nereids (Lilith & Wvelkim)
Descendants of Wvelkim and Lilith, the nereids are sea-nymphs that associate themselves with features of the undersea world — coral reefs, underwater caves, kelp forests and deep-sea vents. They reproduce by mating with Maeril, and gain power in ways similar to those of nymphs.
Dark Sylphs
Children of Dvalin and Lilith, Dark Sylphs are weather-spirits typically associated with cloud formations (more often storms). Like Dark Nymphs, they draw energy from natural phenomena, but they are not bound to a specific host. Dark Sylphs rarely interact with mortal civilization, but they have been implicated in sabotaging the weather-control spells around some large cities. They are also known to cooperate with their distant cousins, the nymphs, in retaliating against mortals that despoil nature, sending down heavy rains and the occasional lightning bolt to disrupt the destructive activities.
Sirens
Children of Suspira & Wvelkim, lustful songstresses of the Sea, these creatures are most often found on islands and shorelines, feeding off mortal essence by sex or immersion in the talent of minstrels and bards in seaside taverns & bars. For those who please them, they have a wild evening that inspires any musical talent for years to come. If they are offended or attacked, the Siren’s song will drive the mortal mad. When near water, they also have the ability to call up or calm storms, but a Siren will only use this ability when in extreme danger.
Despite their ability to warp minds, the ability to call up storms, and the fact that they do feed off of mortal essence during sex, they rarely kill mortals. At most the Siren will give a mortal a case of amnesia and drop them onto a shore to be rescued by other mortals.
These creatures often appear female, but there are stories of male sirens. However, it is uncertain if the males are actually male or shape shifted females.
Sirens do not have the drive to breed like the Incubi/Succubae, so their bloodline is fairly small. As such, they are often mistaken for Incubi/Succubae when encountered on land, or for Dark Nereids when encountered in the sea or on islands. Any given Siren will have one to two children over her lifetime.
Sirens are immortal, but a Siren who loses the will to continue living can choose to dissipate her essence in a process they call “returning to the sea.” The essence is split between her children (if she has any) and the sea. (The children are Suspira’s “portion” and the sea Wvelkim’s.)
When actually asked about it, not that many care to, the Sirens argue that they are neither Celestial nor Daedra, but an expression of the natural lust that mortals have for the sea and sex. However they are still considered daedra by everyone else because their mother is Suspira (and mortal belief over the ages has reinforced the daedric portion of their essence).
Wraiths
Wraiths are frightening beings that appear as little more than a rustle in the dark, a misplaced shadow — before striking out with ethereal claws at the target they have been summoned to assassinate. Wraiths like killing, just for killing's sake; this makes them among the most dangerous and unpredictable of the daedra. They are the children of Ba’al and Lilith.
Wraiths may be hired as assassins by mortals, but they are so unpredictable (they could kill half of your own people in the process of getting the job done) that they are rarely asked to do anything, except by another daedra.
In the Dreamlands they serve as behind-the-lines operatives in the Great War; if they find themselves in the mortal world they usually follow their impulses, killing without respect to a larger strategy. Some of them do develop distinctive M.O.s, however, much like human serial killers. Many hauntings have been attributed to the actions of wraiths — in reality, far more of them than they actually cause.
Notes on other Possible Daedric Bloodlines
Agemnos and Ba’al had children with a number of their siblings, and there are a number of Daedric bloodlines with these Daedra Lords as the head of the bloodline.
Klepnos was also known to have seduced/tricked many of his siblings, and he was known to have had an on-again-off-again relationship of a sort with Suspira, but most of his children are masters of disguise and hide among the other Daedra.
Most of Lilith’s pre-Fall children are the Dark Nymphs and Dread Nymphs, her children with various mortals. She may of have some children with her siblings. Some, like the Dark Sylphs and Dark Nereids (the latter are often confused with their half-siblings, the Sirens), still have an anchor to the material plane. Others who are more aligned to their father’s essence, like the Wraiths, may not require such anchors.
Talia took Lilith’s essence after the Great Fall, taking the allegiance of the Dark Nymphs and offering to Lilith’s bloodlines a place in her armies or among the vampires that now serve her.
Oblineth did not have any children born of her essence before the Great Fall, because her power was so overwhelming. Even promoting a Daedra from another bloodline was considered to be too risky, since her power could freeze even her siblings were she to touch them.
Suspira was known to have attempted to seduce all of her siblings (Aedra and Daedra of either gender) at least once, and was successful with many of them (and some more than once). Many live (some say hide) among the ranks of the Incubi/Succubae unless they have a specific portfolio of their own, like the Sirens. The essence of another god-level parent is enough to block the “true breeding” aspect that the Incubi/Succbae have, and descendants of these bloodlines do eventually loose strength if mortal blood is mixed in.
Tallakath has never been interested in sex, but engaged in several experiments that resulted in a couple of children and several Daedra Nobles. Most of his descendants are promoted from other bloodlines and older gods, explained below (see Promotion). His bloodlines have always been sparsely populated.
Daedric Ranks
Daedra rank is a complex interaction between their generational removal from their divine ancestors and in the strength and power of their essence. There are ways for most Daedra to increase their rank above from the one that they were born to (see Promotion, below).
The list below is from the highest rank to the lowest.
Daedra Nobles
The most powerful and favored of the fiends are called daedra nobles. These are the few children of the daedra lords who have shown themselves ruthless and cunning enough to be entrusted with their own minor spheres of influence. Such a sphere is always subordinate to that of the particular daedra lord the noble serves; for example, the Master of Pestilence Tallakath might have nobles beneath him with such titles as Master of Decay, Mistress of the Plague, or Master of the Suffering of Innocents. (see Promotion, below)
With the daedra lords exiled to the Material Plane, the nobles are the ones in charge of administrating the Great War.
In addition to the gods' "natural" descendants, some Daedra Nobles are beings who were inducted into the rank of Daedra Noble. These may include the gods of older religions, now long dead, or even former mortals who have been apotheosized because they were favored by one of the gods of heaven, or lower ranked celestials that were promoted to a higher rank. The best known example is Sakkan, Mistress of the Arts, who is now a Celestial Prince (see Promotion, below).
Any candidate for Daedra Nobles (from among the Nephilim) must show legendary capabilities in all respects before consideration. Also, there needs to be a space among the Fiendish hierarchy for a promotion to happen.
Nephilim
Below the Daedra Nobles are the Nephilim, the generals of the Nine Hells. They have only been seen on a few scant occasions in the entire history of the Lothanasi, and their appearance always heralds a calamity of earth-shaking proportions.
Any candidate for Nephilim (from among the Mariliths) must show exceptional capabilities in all respects before consideration. Also, there needs to be a space among the Fiendish hierarchy for a promotion to happen.
Mariliths
Mariliths are the colonels of the daedric army. They are brilliant tacticians and can wield unholy power far greater than that of any lesser daedra. Mariliths rarely enter the mortal realm directly, but when they do it is a terrifying sight to behold.
Any candidate for Mariliths (from among the Imps/Gremlins) must show extraordinary (and legendary among the outsiders) capabilities in all respects before consideration. Also, there needs to be a space among the Fiendish hierarchy for a promotion to happen.
Imps/Gremlins
Imps and Gremlins (the two terms are interchangeable) are minor daedra, and belong to a rank unique to the Daedra. Imps may perform small magical favors or grant wishes, but they are much like leprechauns in the sense that these "favors" are often twisted to the imp's own amusement. Some of them find work in the modern era as advisers and research assistants to wizards.
Any candidate for Imp/Gremlin (from among the Whispers) must show appropriate capabilities in all respects before consideration. Also, there needs to be a space among the Fiendish hierarchy for a promotion to happen.
Whispers/Hounds
The weakest of daedra, the whisper appears as little more than a wisp of fog with a shape that is reminiscent of their bloodline. Whispers get their name from their tendency to haunt mortals with half-heard voices and quiet, mocking laughter. They are excellent minor illusionists and can conjure small lights, mimic sounds and create other sorts of figments to deceive mortals and lead them into danger. The other fiends use whispers as scouts and messengers, but most often they are simply turned loose to cause chaos. Most young fiends start out as whispers, and advance to more powerful forms with age, experience and merit.
Hell Hounds, lacking sentience, are considered to be the same rank as Whispers despite their physical stature.
Rank Exceptions
There a few bloodlines (see below) who do not fit into the traditional hierarchies. These include the Muses (Children of Samekkh with Velena), the Fates and the Dream Walkers (Children of Nocturna with Samekkh and Dvalin), the Nymphs/Nereids/Sylphs (Children of Artela/Lilith/Talia with a mortal/Wvelkim/Dvalin), the Sirens (Children of Suspira with Wvelkim), and the Incubi/Succubae (Children of Suspira and any individual of lower rank, including mortals).
Dream Walkers
The Dream Walkers do not participate in the Great War per se, but act as protectors of sleeping mortal minds while they are in the Dreamlands and that includes protecting them from the events and ripples of Great War.
Dark Nymphs/Nereids/Sylphs
Since Dark Nymphs and Dark Nereids are tied to a geographical area and Dark Sylphs are tied to weather phenomenon, they don’t often have personal contact with each other and as such they do not engage in the hierarchy games as that other outsiders do. In cases where one nymph’s/nereid’s area grows to encompass another the weaker will submit to the stronger one as long as they are the same alignment (i.e. if the nymphs are both descended from Artela or Lilith). If two areas with different alignments come into contact, then nature plays its course and the stronger forest will take over the weaker one, changing the alignment of the area. Also, they protect their territories from any threat, whether it is spill over from the Great War or mortal actions. Sylphs are not tied to specific locations and are free to move from place to place. Being tied to weather phenomenon, their personal power may wax and wane (sometimes drastically), but no one has had the opportunity to test that theory to date. It is also not known what happens when two sylphs meet (be they of the same alignment or different ones).
Incubi/Succubae
Incubi/Succubae are technically all the same rank, since they all breed true no matter how many generations removed from Suspira they are or whether they are Pre-Fall or Earthbound. However, within their race, they are treated as having rank in the same way as the other fiends (often based on a complex calculation of generations removed from Suspira, strength of power, experience, and the favor of their matriarch).
Promotion
The lower levels of the hierarchy can, with enough power, merit, and ability, undergo a ritual to “level up” to the next rank. Proving one’s merit and gaining enough power becomes harder to do so as the rank increases.
For example, many Glimmers and Whispers can gain the Archon/Imp rank with time and dedication, but it extremely rare for a High Archon or Nephilim to be promoted to the rank of Prince/Noble and those who have been are legends among the Celestials/Daedra. There has never been a Prince/Noble who gained “godhood” by this method, although there have been some attempts. After the Great Fall, it is possible that if a Prince/Noble were to kill a fallen god, that they would take on that power and place in the pantheon, but so far it appears that only mortals have had the audacity to do this.
These increases in rank also physically transforms the entity (unless otherwise noted in the exceptions below), and their bloodline traits become more prominent as their rank increases.
These transformations of rank and essence may only take place on the Material Plane if they are at a site of intense magical power (usually a node) and at least one Fallen God or Celestial Prince/Daedra Noble is there to perform the ritual, otherwise the transformation ritual must take place in the Dreamlands (or one of the other non-materials Planes that they can access).
It is possible for an entity at a higher rank to invest essence into an entity at a lower rank to raise their rank via a ritual (wherever they are). The investment cost depends on who is doing the investing, the rank of the recipient, and how many ranks they are being raised. For example, a Celestial Prince may raise a Glimmer to an Archon with a small investment of essence and power, but to raise an Archon to a High Archon costs considerably more, and raising a Glimmer to a High Archon has an even higher cost. One restriction is that an entity can only raise an entity to with any rank below their own.
An entity from one bloodline can invest essence into an entity from another bloodline, and the lower ranked entity will take on the characteristics of the higher ranked entity’s bloodline. This transformation costs the higher ranked entity more essence than if the lower rank entity was from within the same bloodline, and the greater the rank of the donating entity, the more characteristics the lower ranked entity takes on from the new bloodline. The closer the bloodlines are in flavor and temperament, the lower the cost is for promotion (e.g. It would be easier for the intellectual Tallakath to promote someone from Revonos’ bloodline of war than it would be for him to promote someone from Suspira’s bloodline of lust.) (It would be easier for the healthy Akkala to promote someone from Veluna’s bloodline of love than it would be for him to promote someone from Dokkarath’s bloodline of war, however honorable.)
The Discovery of Promotion
The Daedra Lord Tallakath discovered the process of increasing an entity’s rank and the additional cost in essence to cross bloodlines when he raised a Nephilim from another bloodline to become his first Daedra Noble at a great cost to himself, and the new Daedra Noble’s former bloodline characteristics were mostly eradicated to the point that it is not certain to which bloodline the Master of Decay belonged to (most believe that it was Revonos’ while some speculate that it may have been one of Lilith’s non-dread nymph brood… but the Master of Decay and his Prince will not give an answer when asked). Tallakath did this as an experiment since he was completely uninterested in the fornications that gave his siblings their children, but the essence expenditure was so great that he later experimented with the old fashioned method of sex, which created Daedra Nobles with a much lower essence expenditure. He also invested essence into some of the older death and pestilence gods that were dying from the lack of worship (although rumor holds that he let at least one of those old gods that offered their services to him die so he could observe the process). This investiture into dying older gods cost less essence than uplifting a being from other daedric bloodlines, but cost more than having sex with another Daedra Lord (which even after several nights with Suspira and Lilith, Tallakath remained unimpressed with sex). Samekkh would use that latter process to rescue the older Goddess of the Arts, Sakkan, from certain death to be the mentor of his daughters, the Muses. Eventually, most of the other gods followed both practices to increase the size of their bloodlines and forces in the Great War. Before the Fall, Yajiit and Oblineth refrained from this practice because the strength of their power caused harm to even their siblings, and they couldn’t “drain” enough out to invest in an individual from another bloodline.
This investment of essence from one entity into another is what lead the Aedra Lords to discover the process that creates the Avatars. Before the Day of the Starchild, it was possible for a god to raise a mortal to the ranks of the Outsiders at great cost. Due to the expense, it was rarely done but for the most dedicated of mortal servants. They also discovered that it was possible to invest mortals with a lower level of essence to create an Avatar. While it is possible that there were more of them before the Fall, there are few now since the fallen gods have a limited amount of essence available.
Promotion Exceptions
The power and rank of a Nymph/Dark Nymph is not tied into her age or experience, but on the size and strength of her anchor in the natural world and the mana source she has as a result. As one grows stronger, the size of the area that her bond is tied to also extends.
Once that strength hits a certain point, a nymph will grow to be a High/Dread Nymph, but she will not go through an obvious a physical transformation (her physical appearance is always tied into the health of their anchor, but the effect is more subtle).
Nereids are tied to water based locations and gain power in the same way as a nymph, however their bloodline does not originate with a pairing with a mortal, allowing some to be promoted to the rank of Prince/Noble in service to one of their parents.
Sylphs are not tied to specific locations and are free to move from place to place. Being tied to weather phenomenon, their personal power may wax and wane (sometimes drastically), but no one has had the opportunity to test that theory to date. Like Nereids, since sylphs have two divine parents, some have been promoted to the rank of Prince/Noble in service to one of their parents.
Since Incubi/Succubae breed true no matter how many generations removed from Suspira they are, whether they were born Pre-Fall or Earthbound, no matter how much power they gain they do not physically transform like other ranks do. Their promotions come in the form of recognition by Suspira and their fellow Incubi/Succubae.
Visual Aids
To help visualize the bloodlines and ranks, and how they interact across the pantheon, there's two files to help (will open in new windows):
Earthbound Fiends
Agemnites
Agemnos, as the Master of Avarice and Ambition, has always been a particularly self-centered individual. Being both selfish and clever, he long ago realized that any child who took after him would someday become a potential rival and try to usurp his place in the pantheon. Because of this, he has not set out to fill the world with his progeny like some of the other ex-deities. Nevertheless, he is selfish, and has engaged in a large number of trysts and affairs in the pursuit of carnal pleasures. While he endeavors to make sure the women he uses in this way are provided with magical contraception, some of them have decided to deliberately let themselves become pregnant and keep the resulting children a secret. Most of these children have grown up to have their father's business acumen, as well as a lasting resentment against him for the mistreatment of their mothers. None of these young daedra have yet succeeded in overthrowing Agemnos, but they have done very well for themselves in the business world — well enough that some of them are beginning to plan their own sort of revenge against their father and his business holdings. The exact number of Agemnites is unknown, since they often keep their heritage secret, but Imperial Intelligence estimates that there must be dozens of them.
Baalites
Ba'al is a sensualist, albeit of a broader type than Suspira. While the Mistress of Lust is concerned with sex above all else, Ba'al samples the decadent pleasures of all aspects of life, from art to music to food. It would be wrong, however, to assume that Ba'al has no interest in sex, as he has more than amply demonstrated such an interest over the ages. As the former Prince of Daedra, Ba'al has access to a little bit of the powers of each of the other daedra lords, and he has used all his charms and talents to amass an impressive following for the Church of Ba'al. He is particularly fond of enticing people of great creativity to join his cult, and those he finds attractive he will take as members of his harem. Being chosen to bear Ba'al's children is considered the greatest honor that can be bestowed on a woman in the Church of Ba'al, as this means that one's own sons and daughters are guaranteed positions of power and prominence within the cult. The total number of Baalites in the world is estimated at between 8,000 and 10,000 — there once were more of them, but some have been eliminated in power struggles with each other and with outside rivals (such as Suspira and Talia).
Ba'al's children are charming, manipulative, and pragmatic. They usually have dark skin in their native forms, like their father, but they can take on any appearance they wish. They have an impressive aptitude for magic, displaying a wide variety of supernatural abilities, though none of them are as strong as those of the more "specialized" daedra. There is always a great deal of political infighting between them, as they vie for the top spots in Ba'al's cult; treachery and backstabbing are commonplace, as is the use of human pawns. Some have even left the cult to seek their fortune elsewhere. Despite the discord among them, however, they are capable of uniting for common goals — such as competing with Suspira's Church of Hedonism and Talia's Church of Eternal Brotherhood for influence over the hearts and minds of mortals.
Klepnites
Klepnos is a wanderer, driven far and wide by his own whims and by a curious sort of prophetic insight that seems to seep into his head amidst the madness. He has a sense of animal magnetism about him that draws people to him, particularly those who share his carefree attitude toward life. He is capable of affection, in spite of his cock-eyed view of the world, and many of his traveling companions over the years have also been lovers. (He has also had relations with a number of women who have been the targets of his "object lessons" — some of whom had previously been men.) The children resulting from these unions are not so mad as their father, but they retain a love of practical jokes, a wanderlust, and great skill in transformation magic — and every once in a while they get a peculiar flash of insight, which might mean nothing … or everything. There are estimated to be between 15,000 and 20,000 Klepnites in the world today.
The werespiders of Irombi worship a god called Anansi who might very well be a child of Klepnos and Lilith. If this is indeed the case, Lilith never acknowledged Anansi as her son in her dealings with the people of Galendor — possibly because she felt humiliated that she ever allowed Klepnos to get her with child.
Nocturna's kin
Nocturna has remained faithful to her consort and true love, Malger, whom she apotheosized about ten years after the Great Fall. They have kept their family small, with four sons and three daughters over 1300 years — unlike many of the Immortals, Nocturna and Malger recognize the potentially negative consequences of bringing too many immortal beings into the world. Their children are prominent leaders among the Dream Walkers, keeping tabs on the Great War, and doing their best to keep it from spilling into the mortal realm. Some of them also have the gift of prophecy, and their dreams and visions are given special attention by Kyia and her allies.
Oblinites
Like her sister Yajiit, Oblineth was unable to bear any children before the Great Fall — her aura of cold, drawn from the powers of the infinite Void itself, would freeze the flesh of even a daedra lord. Being less emotional and impulsive than Yajiit, Oblineth was not as quick to rush into experiencing sex and childbirth. In time, however, she saw the joy that her sister found in raising her children, and her cold heart began to thaw. She set out to find a man to sire her children. At first her efforts were comically businesslike, but in time she began to discover romance, affection, and even love, and out of this love came children. She has only had eight of them over the centuries — five daughters and three sons — and they remain a close-knit family. Today most of the Oblinites assist their mother in administrating Arabarb, but one son married a Dvalinite and moved to Sathmore, and one daughter — Mirielle, the wild one of the family — ran off to join Klepnos and his worldwide spy network. Oblineth retains a quiet, steady love for each of her children, even though she wonders at the choices of the latter two. :)
Rage-kin
The essence of Revonos has changed hands many times since the Great Fall, passing from one powerful mage to another. Most of these individuals have used the daedra lord's essence to make themselves into dictators and tyrants, and to enjoy all the perks that go with absolute power — perks such as a harem of consorts. As a result, many children have been born to the various carriers of the Rage-essence. The total number of Rage-kin is not known, but it is estimated to be in the thousands. These individuals tend to be brooding and vindictive, prone to outbursts of violence. They also tend to be formidable wizards and warriors. Given the way their mothers are often treated by their fathers, it is perhaps not surprising that many of these Rage-kin have led revolts against the ones who sired them. On at least three occasions they have been successful, killing their fathers and claiming the power for themselves. Unfortunately, none of these rebels have been able to resist the corrupting influence of the daedra lord's essence — sooner or later each of them has become a monster, like their fathers before them.
Suspira's kin
Whenever Suspira is impregnated by a mortal, the result is by definition an incubus or succubus (see above). The Mistress of Lust continues to produce new children at a steady pace, resulting in several hundred new first-generation incubi and succubae since the Great Fall. There are reported children who are not incubi or succubae, because they were sired by other daedra lords, with some possibly sired by some of the aedra lords, like Dvalin or Wvelkim. Most of Suspira's kin end up mixed in with the incubi and succubae at some point.
Talians
Like Lilith before her, if Talia mates with a mortal, her children are dark nymphs; they must form a bond with a host after weaning, or they will die. But while Talia loved these daughters and recognized their value in protecting the wild places of the world, she also longed for children who could move about at will, without being tied to a particular geographical area. She didn't want her children to be tainted by the essence of the other daedra lords, though, so she sought another father for her children: a celestial. The identity of this individual is unknown, but many suspect that it is Dvalin himself, given the command these offspring display over the weather. Neither god will say anything about the matter, however.
As a result there is a number, often stated as 27, of non-nymph children are beautiful, graceful, and intelligent, and most of them have a wickedly droll sense of humor. They usually take on the appearance of vampires in public, making them difficult to distinguish from Talia's undead servants. When they do appear in their human guises, it's as the top leaders of the Church of Eternal Brotherhood. Few commoners realize that these people are children of Talia, and that the entire church is a front for her syndicate's activities. They change their public personas every few decades or so, creating the illusion that a succession of human leaders are taking power. The other Immortals are, for the most part, content to let Talia play this shell game, in exchange for the understanding that Talia will keep certain of their activities private as well.
Warding & Consecration against Fiends
It is possible for mortals, through divine wards and blessings, defend their home against the intrusion of minor daedra. Many of these wards and blessings are kept fresh year round, with them being examined and reinforced in the days leading up to Daedra-kemma. Certain actions (like crossing the barrier, opening the door of the warded dwelling) can dissipate them and they need to be re-cast.
Divine wards and blessings only work against Imps, Gremlins, Whispers, and Hell Hounds. Higher ranked daedra can easily overpower these defenses. However, it is impossible for any rank of Daedra/Fiend to enter an area consecrated by certain religions, e.g. Church of Saint Merai, regardless of their personal alignment, once their power is manifested (for example Incubi/Succubae and Earthbound Fiends can enter these consecrated areas until they reach puberty/their powers manifest).4 As such, due to the racial makeup of cities like Metamor, major ashyards and churches will have an adjacent area that is not consecrated to allow any friends with daedric blood (above the level of a plane-touched) to attend services and occasions.
Arcane wards, of course, work differently. (See magic for more details.)
Known Fiends
- Fiends
- Daedra Nobles
- Lady of Sorrows (Daedra Noble of unknown parentage)5
- Incubi/Succubae
- Isri Fallon (Dreamlands-born)
- Sylvia (Dreamlands-born)
- John the Incubus (Earthborn)
- Jenna Hartmann (Earthborn)
- Earthbound Fiends
- Baalites
- Daedra Nobles
Author’s Notes
Sources
Original MK2K bible, MK Wiki entry- Klepnos (footnote 2), MK Wiki Entry- Lothanasi, The Muse
