If you died . . .which afterlife would you live?, Whereth my soul resides. Options

[Darkness Eternal]

Sovngarde:
Sovngarde is the part of Aetherius where Nords go to after death. It is ruled by Shor and contains the Hall of Valor, a supposedly gigantic feasting hall where the mead 'flows like a waterfall'. It was built by the god Shor to honor those Nords who have proven their mettle in war. Within this “Hall of Valor” time as we know it has no meaning. The concepts of life and death are left on the doorstep, and those within exist in a sort of self-contained euphoria, free of pain, suffering and the worst malady a Nord could suffer -- boredom."

"Primarily, it is easy to grasp the necessity both of endowing good men with great power and making powerful men good. We recognize the multiple threats that a strong tyrant represents -- breeds cruelty which feeds the Daedra Boethiah and hatred which feeds the Daedra Vaernima; if he should die having performed a particularly malevolent act, he may go to rule in Oblivion."-The Old Ways.

Daedric Realms vary in size and nature, and some may prove to be an afterlife of paradise while others may be eternal damnation. Which would you choose?

The Deadlands:

"The Deadlands are a Daedric realm of Oblivion created and ruled over by the Daedric Prince of Destruction, Mehrunes Dagon. The embodiment of its creator's sphere, the dimension is fraught with natural disasters and destructive change. The realm is covered by an ocean of lava, scattered with scorched volcanic islands and ruined structures. Many lesser Daedra roam the realm freely, but Dremora dominate the hierarchy. Very little flora grow in the realm's hostile environment. Burnt grass and dead trees dot the landscape, while Bloodgrass, aggressive Harrada Roots and poisonous Spiddal Plants grow abundantly in the charred soil."

The Shivering Isles:

"The Shivering Isles, also called the Madhouse or the Asylums, is the Daedric realm of Sheogorath, Prince of Madness. The realm consists of a main land mass surrounded by a group of smaller islands, the area of which is divided in half: the northern half of these lands is called Mania, and the southern half Dementia. This divide represents Sheogorath's split personality, the "two shades of madness". The isles are inhabited by mortals as well as Daedra, but they have been driven insane."

The Ashpit:

"The Ashpit is a realm of Oblivion created and ruled over by Malacath, the Daedric Prince of Outcasts. It is unknown if the realm existed before Trinimac was transformed into Malacath.

The realm mostly consists only of dust, palaces of smoke, and vaporous creatures; anguish, betrayal, and broken promises like ash fill the bitter air. Few mortals manage to reach the realm, where levitation and magical breathing are necessary to survive."

Realm of Boethiah:

"Boethiah frequently holds the Tournament of Ten Bloods here, which was once joined by the Champion of Cyrodiil."

Coldharbour:

"Coldharbour, the immense realm of Molag Bal, is also one of the most inhospitable realms, consisting only of charnel houses and vast slave pens. Any mortal found here is captured and placed in one or the other. It resembles Nirn except colder, darker and more beaten and violent; according to some a premonition of the future of Nirn itself."

Meridia's Realm:

"Meridia's Realm is a realm of Oblivion, created and ruled over by Meridia, the Daedric Prince of Infinite Energies. Next to nothing is known of her realm. It is sometimes referred to as the Colored Rooms."

Hircine's Hunting Grounds:

"The Hunting Grounds are the realms of Hircine, being seemingly endless puzzling rooms and mazes inhabited by vicious creatures such as bears, wolves, werecreatures, and Daedra. Many of the creatures that inhabit the plane are much larger than those that inhabit the mortal realm. Geographically the plane is made up mostly of dense woodland and vast grasslands and plains. Mortals entering these realms are typically hunted down by the inhabitants. The souls of lycanthropes who die are claimed by Hircine and spend eternity in his Hunting Grounds, though it is possible for a soul who was once in the Hunting Grounds to go to the proper afterlife (such as Sovngarde) if their lycanthropy is cured posthumously. By day, werebears and Nords stalk the land, hunting for inhabitants. By night, Hircine announces himself with a pack of werewolves."

Apocrypha:

"Apocrypha is a realm of Oblivion created and ruled over by Hermaeus Mora, the Daedric Prince of Forbidden Knowledge. It is an endless library consisting of untitled books with black covers, where all forbidden knowledge can be found. The library is haunted by the ghosts of mortals forever searching for knowledge. Stacks of books clutter and can reach as high as the illuminating green sky. Hermaeus' foul servants like Seekers and Lurkers guard the secrets of the Black Books. Hermaeus Mora holds an omnipresence within the dark abyss as his grasp of tentacles constantly breach the acidic murky waters. The mage Morian Zenas famously disappeared in Apocrypha during his voyages through Oblivion."

Moonshadow:

"Moonshadow is a realm of Oblivion, created and ruled over by Azura, the Daedric Prince of Twilight. The realm is so beautiful that visiting mortals are half-blinded. The realm contains flowers and waterfalls, majestic trees, and a city of silver. The wind smells of perfume, and the realm is known to have rain. Azura lives in a rose palace, and is welcoming to mortal travellers."

The Pits

"The Pits is a realm of Oblivion, created and ruled over by Peryite, the Daedric Prince of Pestilence. Here, Peryite guards the lowest orders of Oblivion. The realm resembles the Deadlands, with lava seas, volcanic islands and ruined structures. The realm is usually completely inaccessible to mortals, but there have been several exceptions."

Clavicus Vile's Realm:

"Clavicus Vile's Realm is a realm of Oblivion, created and ruled over by Clavicus Vile, the Daedric Prince of Wishes. It appears as a tranquil countryside, dotted with majestic cities of glass and ornate buildings. The city of Umbriel was once a part of the realm, but was eventually severed and came to rest in an unnamed realm of Oblivion."

Sanguine's Realms:

[i]"Sanguine's Realms are a collection of one hundred thousand realms of Oblivion, created and ruled over by the Daedric Prince of Indulgence, Sanguine. The realms are used mainly as pleasure pockets. Very little is known about them.

The Last Dragonborn visited one of the realms in 4E 201. Named Misty Grove, it appeared as a mist-filled copse of trees crossed by burbling streams and paths with small stone bridges, lit by lanterns in an eternal early evening. Sanguine used it to host a feast for the Dragonborn, after the two had spent a night drunkenly exploring Skyrim."

Quagmire:

"Quagmire is a realm of Oblivion, created and ruled over by the Daedric Prince of Nightmare, Vaermina. It is a realm of horrors, where reality shifts upon itself in seemingly impossible ways. Every few minutes, lightning flashes and the realm morphs into a terrifying scene, each one more frightening than the last.

It is the realm most often visited by mortals. From her citadel in the center of the realm, Vaermina reaches out into Mundus and collects the memories of sleeping mortals, leaving nothing but visions of horror and despair. These experiences, known as nightmares, involve the mind of a mortal traveling to Quagmire. Through magical teleportation, it is possible for a mortal to enter Quagmire while awake, as was done by the mage Morian Zenas."


Evergloam:

The Evergloam is a realm of Oblivion, created and ruled over by Nocturnal, the Daedric Prince of Shadow. It is the realm of perpetual twilight, and the cradle of shadow. The Shade Perilous is a section of the realm coveted by many daedric clans."


Soul Cairn:

"The Soul Cairn is a Realm of Oblivion where the undead seemingly roam free and invulnerable to any harm. Rather than being aligned to any Daedric prince, it is controlled by a race of gem-like beings calling themselves the Ideal Masters. The Masters believe that, by freeing mortals from life and dooming them to eternal undeath, they are being saved from meaningless hardship and gifted with peace. Their undead servants are forced to guard the realm forever. The few spirits which haven't been driven mad are embittered by betrayal, having been tricked by the Masters' ideals and lies, only to face a fate of everlasting nightmare and emptiness. The realm was once accessible from the voidgate of the Battlespire, but the link was severed after the citadel was destroyed."


This post has been edited by Darkness Eternal: Jan 20 2013, 03:32 AM

[Grits]

I'll take Azura's realm. Beauty that blinds mortals? If I'm dead I'm not mortal anymore right?

That’s the one that tempts me the most. Plus there’s the promise of retaining the self in the daedric realms, while the Dreamsleeve sounds more like a recycling process than an afterlife.

It’s hard to think of letting go of connections made in the physical world in favor of an unknown life as a spiritual creature, and even harder to embrace that those connections might be intended to be lost. But I’d still probably keep the faith with the creators and do a cannonball into the Dreamsleeve rather than cutting a deal with one of the daedric princes.

Hey, you are more than welcome to spend eternity floating like so much jetsam... give me the sarongs and umbrella drinks!

Plus, Far Shores sounds like you start off with a boat ride!

[SubRosa]

the Dreamsleeve sounds more like a recycling process than an afterlife.

That is true. The Dreamsleeve is not an afterlife, rather it is a process of death returning to life.

It’s hard to think of letting go of connections made in the physical world in favor of an unknown life as a spiritual creature, and even harder to embrace that those connections might be intended to be lost. But I’d still probably keep the faith with the creators and do a cannonball into the Dreamsleeve rather than cutting a deal with one of the daedric princes.

I think Delenn explains the underlying idea of reincarnation best. It is that people are not entities separate from the Universe, rather they are the Universe trying to understand itself. When one dies, they return the wisdom gained in life to the rest of the Universe. So it is not so much a matter of losing your identity and past, as much as making them a gift to enrich all of existence.

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Jan 25 2013, 12:02 AM