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."

Hircine's hunting grounds!

I'm a big werewolf fan so....yeah

None of the above. I would die, my soul would be recycled in the Dreamsleeve, and I would be reborn again on Nirn.

Ah, I totally forgot about the Dreamsleeve. I was never a fan of the concept.

I have always loved it. Reincarnation is a concept believed by billions of people on our world. It has a very simple elegance, that everything dies, and everything is reborn again. Existence is not a straight line, but a cycle - an ever turning spiral with no beginning and no end. Throw in some pantheism, and Heavens or Hades become redundant, as one is divinity itself, living within divinity. World without end.

Before the DLC came out, I wanted to go to Apocrypha. Forbidden knowledge forever and ever? Sign me up! Then I remembered how much tentacles creep me out and am opting for Meridia's Colored Rooms instead.

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

I would rather take instead the Path of Magnus, the Buddha-equivalent of Nirn.

Recognize the Trap. Free Yourself through Enlightenment. Leave it entirely.

Become enumerated among the Magna Ge.

Verily, tis within the merry halls of Shor that I shalt reside!

I mean, I'm British, so considering how much Viking blood is within our ostensibly 'Anglo-Saxon' national DNA I'm practically a Nord in any case.

I'm sorry that I couldn't vote for any of the above entries. I would want to be conducted to the Far Shores by Tu'whacca, the god of Nobody Really Cares.

meh

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

Your ideas are intriguing to me...

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.


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

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



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.

Had I a choice I'd rest in the rosy halls of Lady Azura enjoying the peace she provides. Otherwise I'd fade into the Dreamsleeve.

Would you have the knack for it though?

In Skyrim it is said that some who have Lycanthropy consider it a paradise. They get to hunt with Hircine for eternity when night falls in his realm. But since we're talking about Hircine here, even werewolves can be prey.

In Tamriel, they are made to be one of the greatest hunters known to Man, Mer and Beastfolk alike because they are directly connected to Hircine, who is the representation of the hunt itself. But it doesn't mean they are always the predators. Being notorious hunters make them targets of the hunt, too. We see them hunted by the Silver Hand and many other werewolf slayers or even Hircine's champions.

Take the wereboar in Daggerfall or Sinding in Skyrim. The former was miserable with the powers Hircine granted him, and obviously felt bad about his condition. So Hircine send someone along to take him out. Sinding had the right idea to use the Ring of Hircine, except he did the unsporting thing and decided to steal it. Hircine put a curse in it and made Sinding the prey. Both of these are Lycanthropes.

I'm not saying those who take more kindly to their condition are the exception. On the contrary, they have their own predators to worry about like the Vigilantes of Stendarr or the Silver Hand, etc. But the main thing about this is that in the Hunting Grounds, I am sure not every werewolf would be at Hircine's side. Maybe the true fanatical ones, yes, since they devoted their lives to that. But it is possible they are the hunted, too. And some may even see it as an honor.

Hircine represents the Chase. It is an eternity of hunting and killing and butchery. For one to please Hircine, they must become the hunter. Because that is what he represents. The hunt. So any prey can turn the tables and go on top, per se. But not everyone is granted a break from being chased down. Hircine was impressed with the hunters in Bloodmoon, but even they were given the "honor" of being his prey.

I am quite sure werewolves who die in the Hunting Grounds are reborn and set into the field once more like the Daedra are remade in the waters of Oblivion. Much like the Ascended Immortals in Mankar's Paradise.

Daedric Realms are not all that they seem. Those who follow the Daedra and make pacts or sell their souls or devote their lives with Daedric Princes might have an idea what they are getting themselves into but most aren't entirely told about what really happens when they cross over.

The Mythic Dawn cultists who died in service of their master were all sent to what they believed as Paradise. They were made immortal as promised but many of them described it as a living nightmare because they went in a cycle of destruction. They were tormented, destroyed, and reborn and then tormented and killed again and then on and on. They should havbe expected this when serving the Daedric Prince of Destruction, no? This would change if Mehrunes Dagon succeeded in his plan. Who knows what would have happened? Maybe they would have returned to Nirn and given immortality. But in the end, everything has a price when it comes with worshiping Daedra.

Most of them seem so interested in claiming souls. Sheogorath claimed two in his ingame book. Hircine is mentioned to be called the Hunter of Men's souls and does claim them. Molag Bal enjoys the souls of the corrupted. 99% of his quests had to do with him corrupting or claiming one's soul for eternal punishment. I am willing to bet that the "Daughters of Coldharbour" go to his realm when they die. Why else would they be given a title based on his realm? There is much more to it, methinks. Maybe for many lifetimes of feeding, domination and suffering they inflict they are repaid with it in the afterlife.

The only realm that would seem "safe" to live would be Azura's realm and of course, the Shivering Isles. But even those realms can be dangerous, too.