Daedric Princes stand as some of the most influential entities in the Elder Scrolls lore, representing aspects of change, destruction, and ancient power outside the realm of the Aedra. In Cyrodiil, these princes are worshiped at secluded altars known as Daedric Shrines. Finding every Oblivion Daedric Shrine is a primary objective for players seeking the game's most powerful unique equipment, known as Daedric Artifacts. Unlike the standard guilds found in major cities, these shrines are scattered across the wilderness, often requiring specific player levels and offerings to activate.

There are 16 known shrines in the base landscape of the game, including the Remastered editions. Fifteen of these offer specific quests and rewards, while one—the Shrine of Mehrunes Dagon—functions primarily as a location within the main storyline. To successfully interact with these shrines, a character must meet the minimum level requirement and possess a specific item that the Prince deems a worthy offering. Some shrines also impose time-of-day restrictions, usually centered around dusk, dawn, or midnight.

Azura’s Shrine

Located in the far northern reaches of the Valus Mountains, north-northwest of Cheydinhal, Azura’s Shrine is often the first stop for many travelers due to its low level requirement and invaluable reward. To find it, follow the path leading north from the east gate of Cheydinhal, passing through the rugged mountain terrain.

  • Level Requirement: 2
  • Offering: Glow Dust (retrieved from Will-o-the-Wisps)
  • Time: Dawn (5 AM - 7 AM) or Dusk (5 PM - 7 PM)
  • Reward: Azura’s Star (Reusable Grand Soul Gem)

Upon offering the Glow Dust during the twilight hours, Azura tasks the player with putting her former followers to rest. These followers have become vampires and are trapped in a nearby cavern called the Gutted Mine. The combat involves facing five vampires; fire-based spells or enchanted weapons are highly recommended here. Returning to the shrine rewards you with Azura’s Star, an artifact that functions as a soul gem that is not destroyed upon use. It is widely considered the most useful utility item in the game for anyone using Enchanting or weapon recharging.

Sheogorath’s Shrine

The Mad God’s shrine is located in the Nibenay Basin, roughly halfway between Bravil and Leyawiin on the eastern side of the Niben River. It is a colorful yet chaotic site guarded by various followers who share Sheogorath's peculiar outlook on life.

  • Level Requirement: 2
  • Offering: Lettuce, a Lesser Soul Gem, and Yarn
  • Reward: Wabbajack

Sheogorath’s quest is less about combat and more about psychological manipulation. You are sent to the settlement of Border Watch to fulfill a fake prophecy of doom involving "rats" and "plagues." The quest requires a bit of alchemy and stealth to trigger the environmental events needed to convince the villagers the end is near. The reward, the Wabbajack, is a staff that transforms any non-essential NPC or creature into a random different creature. It is unpredictable and can turn a difficult Daedra into a harmless sheep, or conversely, a rat into an Ogre.

Namira’s Shrine

Found in the Blackwood region, east-southeast of Leyawiin, Namira’s Shrine is dedicated to the Lady of Decay. This shrine has a unique mechanic: the Prince only speaks to those who are sufficiently "unappealing."

  • Level Requirement: 5
  • Requirement: Personality attribute must be 20 or lower
  • Offering: None
  • Reward: Ring of Namira

To lower your personality enough to trigger the quest, players often consume Cheap Wine or use "Drain Personality" spells. Once the quest begins, you must help Namira’s followers in the ruin of Anga by casting a spell to darken the torches held by priests of Arkay who are trying to bring light to the darkness. Protecting the followers while they eliminate the priests is the primary goal. The Ring of Namira provides a powerful Reflect Damage and Reflect Spell effect, making it an excellent defensive tool for melee builds.

Vaermina’s Shrine

Vaermina, the weaver of dreams and nightmares, has a shrine located southwest of Cheydinhal on the edge of Lake Popped. The location is relatively easy to spot but the quest itself takes you into one of the more surreal dungeons in the game.

  • Level Requirement: 5
  • Offering: A Black Soul Gem
  • Reward: Skull of Corruption

To obtain a Black Soul Gem, you must use a standard Grand Soul Gem on a Necromancer's Altar during certain lunar cycles or find one in the possession of high-level necromancers. Vaermina tasks you with retrieving the Orb of Vaermina from the wizard Arkved. His tower, Arkved’s Tower, is a labyrinth of nightmare-inspired rooms where the layout defies traditional physics. The Skull of Corruption reward is a staff that creates a "clone" of any NPC you hit, which will then fight on your behalf against the original target.

Sanguine’s Shrine

The Prince of Revelry has his shrine located in the Great Forest, northwest of Skingrad and north of the main Gold Road. Sanguine’s quest is famous for its humor and the potential trouble it causes with the law.

  • Level Requirement: 8
  • Offering: Cyrodilic Brandy
  • Reward: Sanguine Rose

Sanguine asks you to crash a formal dinner party at Castle Leyawiin. You must infiltrate the party—either through high social skills or stealth—and cast the "Stark Reality" spell on the Countess and her guests. This spell strips everyone in the room (including the player) of their clothing and equipment. Escaping the castle without your gear can be a challenge, so it is wise to have a plan for retrieving your confiscated items from the guard barracks afterward. The Sanguine Rose is a staff that summons a random Daedra to fight for you.

Malacath’s Shrine

Malacath, the patron of the spurned and ostracized, has a shrine located north of Anvil, past Lord Drad’s Estate. The followers here are largely Ogres and Orcs who feel the weight of civilization's prejudice.

  • Level Requirement: 10
  • Offering: Troll Fat
  • Reward: Volendrung

Malacath is enraged that Lord Drad has enslaved a group of Ogres to work in his mines. Your task is to travel to the estate, speak with Drad (or his wife), and find the location of the mine. Once there, you must free the Ogres by picking the locks on their cages or taking the keys from the guards. Violence against the guards is usually expected. The reward is Volendrung, a massive warhammer that deals significant damage and possesses Paralysis and Drain Strength enchantments, making it a favorite for heavy weapon specialists.

Meridia’s Shrine

Meridia’s Shrine is found west of Skingrad, in the Colovian Highlands. Meridia hates the undead and those who command them, which defines the nature of her quest.

  • Level Requirement: 10
  • Offering: Mort Flesh, Ectoplasm, or Bonemeal
  • Reward: Ring of Khajiiti

Her quest sends you to a cave known as Howling Cave to eliminate a group of necromancers and their undead minions. The cave is heavily populated, so bring plenty of healing potions or magicka-restoring items. The Ring of Khajiiti is the reward, offering a permanent 35% Chameleon effect and a significant boost to Speed. This ring is a staple for stealth-oriented characters, allowing for easier sneak attacks and faster movement through hostile territory.

Nocturnal’s Shrine

Located northeast of Leyawiin, near the road that follows the coast of the Niben Bay, Nocturnal’s Shrine is perhaps the most sought-after location for members of the Thieves Guild.

  • Level Requirement: 10
  • Offering: None
  • Reward: Skeleton Key

Nocturnal reports that her "Eye" has been stolen by two Argonian thieves in Leyawiin. You must travel to the city, eavesdrop on the thieves (Weebam-Na and Bejeen) to discover the Eye's location in Tidewater Cave, and retrieve it. The cave is flooded and filled with trolls, so water breathing and fire damage are useful. The reward is the Skeleton Key, an unbreakable lockpick that also grants a +40 bonus to the Security skill. Once you have this, the lockpicking minigame becomes trivial, as you can simply auto-attempt any lock without fear of losing tools.

Peryite’s Shrine

Peryite’s Shrine is located on the banks of the Silverfish River, east of Bravil. Unlike other shrines, you will find the followers here in a catatonic state, as their souls are trapped in Peryite’s realm of Oblivion.

  • Level Requirement: 10
  • Offering: None (Approach the shrine to trigger the event)
  • Reward: Spell Breaker

Peryite tasks you with entering his realm to retrieve the souls of his followers. The realm is a typical "deadlands" style landscape with towers and lava. You must locate five souls scattered across the map. Once returned, Peryite grants you Spell Breaker, a heavy shield that casts a 30% Reflect Spell effect whenever you hold it up. It is arguably the best shield in the game for combating mages.

Mephala’s Shrine

The Webspinner’s shrine is hidden in the West Weald, northeast of Kvatch and southwest of Skingrad. Mephala delights in discord and secrets.

  • Level Requirement: 15
  • Offering: Nightshade (offered between midnight and dawn)
  • Reward: Ebony Blade

You are sent to the village of Bleaker’s Way to start a feud between two prominent families: the Hrolldirs and the Dalvilus. The mission requires you to kill the leaders of both families and plant evidence on the bodies to make it look like the other family was responsible. After planting the evidence, you inform the villagers, triggering a small-scale civil war in the town square. The Ebony Blade is a fast-swinging longsword that absorbs health and casts Silence on strike, making it excellent for dueling enemy casters.

Hircine’s Shrine

Hircine, the Prince of the Hunt, has a shrine in the Nibenay Valley, south of the Imperial City and north of Bravil. It is tucked away in the woods near the Silverfish River.

  • Level Requirement: 17
  • Offering: A Wolf Pelt or Bear Pelt
  • Reward: Savior’s Hide

Hircine challenges you to hunt a specific creature: the Unicorn. The Unicorn resides in Harcane Grove, guarded by several Minotaurs. Note that the Unicorn is highly aggressive if you draw a weapon near it but can be used as a mount if you are careful. However, to complete the quest, you must slay the creature and bring its horn back to Hircine. The Savior’s Hide is a light armor cuirass with a high armor rating and a 25% Magic Resistance enchantment, making it an essential piece for light-armored warriors.

Molag Bal’s Shrine

Molag Bal, the Prince of Domination, has a shrine located in the Great Forest, west of the Imperial City and south of Chorrol. The Prince seeks to corrupt the pure of heart.

  • Level Requirement: 17
  • Offering: A Lion Pelt
  • Reward: Mace of Molag Bal

Molag Bal directs you to Melus Petilius, a man who has sworn off violence after the death of his wife. Your goal is to force him to kill you with the "Cursed Mace." You must travel to his home, place the mace at his feet when he is at his wife’s grave, and provoke him into attacking you. You must let him beat you until your health is nearly depleted, at which point Molag Bal teleports you back to the shrine. The Mace of Molag Bal absorbs Strength and Magicka, effectively crippling opponents over the course of a fight.

Boethia’s Shrine

High in the Valus Mountains, east of Cheydinhal, lies the shrine of Boethia. This is one of the more combat-intensive shrines in Cyrodiil.

  • Level Requirement: 20
  • Offering: A Daedra Heart
  • Reward: Goldbrand

Upon offering a heart, Boethia opens a portal to a realm where you must participate in the "Tournament of Ten Bloods." You will face off against nine champions of different races in a series of arena-style duels. Each champion uses different tactics, from stealth and magic to heavy melee. After defeating all challengers, you are returned to the shrine. Goldbrand is a powerful katana that deals significant fire damage on every hit, making it one of the highest damage-per-second weapons available.

Clavicus Vile’s Shrine

Located southwest of the Imperial City, near the Gold Road, this shrine is unique because it features an interaction with Barbas, the Prince’s hound.

  • Level Requirement: 20
  • Offering: 500 Gold
  • Reward: Masque of Clavicus Vile (or the sword Umbra)

Clavicus Vile wants you to retrieve the sword Umbra from a warrior named Lenwin in the ruin of Vindasel. Barbas will actually try to talk you out of it, warning you that the sword is dangerous. You have a choice: return the sword to the shrine to receive the Masque (which boosts Personality and Barter), or keep the sword for yourself. Umbra is a zero-weight quest item (if you don't finish the quest) and possesses the Soul Trap enchantment, making it one of the best weapons in the game. Most veteran players choose to keep the sword and forgo the Masque.

Hermaeus Mora’s Shrine

This is the final Daedric quest. The shrine is located deep in the Jerall Mountains, far northwest of Bruma. It is extremely difficult to find without a map marker, as it sits at a very high elevation.

  • Level Requirement: 20 (or 21 depending on the version)
  • Prerequisites: You must have completed the other 14 Daedric quests and reached a specific point in the main questline ("Blood of the Daedra").
  • Offering: None (You are usually summoned by a follower in your sleep once prerequisites are met)
  • Reward: Oghma Infinium

Hermaeus Mora tasks you with collecting one soul from each of the ten playable races of Tamriel. He provides a special soul trap spell and a soul gem. You must travel across Cyrodiil, find a representative of each race (bandits and marauders count), and harvest their souls. The Oghma Infinium is a book that, when read, allows you to choose one of three paths: Steel (Combat), Shadow (Stealth), or Spirit (Magic). Each path increases several associated skills and attributes by 10 points permanently.

The Shrine of Mehrunes Dagon

Mentioned for the sake of completion, this shrine is located in the Lake Arrius Caverns, north of Cheydinhal. It does not provide a standard "offering and quest" cycle like the others. Instead, it serves as the headquarters for the Mythic Dawn cult. Players visit this location during the main quest to retrieve the Mysterium Xarxes. While you cannot earn a specific artifact from the statue itself here, the location is pivotal for the endgame of the Cyrodiil crisis.

Strategic Considerations

When planning your journey to these shrines, it is helpful to consider the order of completion. The Skeleton Key from Nocturnal and Azura's Star are highly recommended early on, as they provide massive quality-of-life improvements for the rest of your adventures. Leveling up to 20 is necessary to unlock the most powerful offensive artifacts like Goldbrand and the Oghma Infinium.

Additionally, be aware that some artifacts are required for the main quest. Martin Septim will ask for one Daedric Artifact to open a portal to Mankar Camoran's Paradise. It is widely advised to give him an artifact you do not plan on using, such as the Sanguine Rose or the Volendrung (if you are not a blunt weapon user), while keeping essential items like the Skeleton Key safely in your inventory.

Most of these shrines are located far from civilization. Bringing a fast horse or having a high Athletics skill will significantly reduce the time spent traversing the mountainous terrain of the Jerall and Valus ranges. Whether you seek the moral ambiguity of Mephala’s tasks or the straightforward combat of Boethia’s tournament, the Daedric Shrines of Oblivion offer some of the most memorable experiences and rewards in the province of Cyrodiil.