Back in Daggerfall, most temples didn't like each other. If you joined Akatosh, for example, you'd lose reputation with Dibella's worshippers.
In Morrowind and Oblivion, it seems like the divinities unified as the "Nine Divines". There was no tension anymore and you could only work for the Nines, not for a specific god.
Is it recorded anywhere why the Divines have been united under a single banner?

There was also the mysterious naming of Talos as the ninth divine. It is not explained anywhere in books who proclaimed this and why the mortal Talos has been named God. What do you think of the Eight Divines worshippers' position with the naming of a Ninth Divine? Personally, I believe there would be some tension between the extremists and Talos' worshippers.

I'm currently planning a mod that restores the religion in Oblivion with the aspects found in Daggerfall. The UESP mentions which god is enemy with which god, but I didn't find any in-game books that might explain the tension, so that is why I posted this thread. To discuss about the tensions between religions in Daggerfall and if there is still tension in Morrowind and Oblivion.

It wouldn't be realistic for the whole theological spectrum of the imperial religion to be in communion in everything.

A Tiber worshiper may indeed support using the legion to suppress local nationalist uprisings, agree with capital punishment, an Arkay or Stendarr worshiper may well be against this. Julianos schools may try to suppress heretical texts or actually hoard them. The Talos Cult as we know was actually in favor of assassinating the last Emperor, the Akatosh temples would most probably throw salt on the ground where the blasphemous Talos cultists had walked.

Same in Daedric circles, Sanguine worshipers may be fine in the using of abortifacients, and Meridia worshipers presumably would be distraught and disgusted at such a practice.

Just think and weight up the ethical and theological positions of each "god" and you'll soon see where there should be conflict, and where the conflict is conspicuously inert.

Which is bizarre when you consider Jauffre is a member of the Talos cult.

Imperial policy keeps the churches of the Divines as organized and government-friendly as possible. Imperial writ wasn't worth much in the Illiac during that era, so the Temples engaged in competition like any other political faction.

This is new for me. Where does it come from?

I'm pretty sure it was basically that they didn't think the guy was doing a good enough job so they wanted to off him.

MW Imperial Legion Cult. Not the cult of Talos (as in his mainstream worshipers), but some ultranationalist splinter group of crazies who want a strong emperor. Todd wrote that questline, so you'll have to excuse the stupid name.

Which stupid name is that? :confused:

The Talos Cult. Seems like the Talos Cult should be a church just like those dedicated to the rest of the Divines, not a bunch of terrorists.

Hmm... I guess the Talos Secret Society doesn't quite roll off the tongue like Talos Cult does. Or the Church of Talosology?

I just started replaying Morrowind over the weekend and recently completed the Talos Cult quest, the basic jist of which is there is nothing wrong with being part of the cult however your legion commander has uncovered a plot by members of the cult conspiring against the emperor.

All in all its only 2 members of the entire cult who are also looking to recruit more to make a move against the emperor as they believe he is weak and they want to place someone strong on the throne. There plan is to assassinate him during a rumoured visit to Morrowind or even Vvardenfell island (cant remember if the note was that specific). Considering the emperor doesn't come to Morrowind but you do on his orders perhaps the rumoured visit they speak of is in fact yourself?

Seems all so Roman-esc, the Praetorians for example; although these guys are in the ass end of no where and not the imperial city.

No they actually planned to off Uriel Septim himself and put a "strong man back on the throne."

Just who this "strong man" is and whether he's a blood relative of Tiber Septim was never clarified, but he'd just about have to be since they were the Talos Cult.

Well, the actual explanation is that Bethesda came up with the idea of the Nine Divines/Tiber's godhood between Daggerfall and Morrowind, and the old religious systems were somewhat retconned.

I miss the separate deities from Daggerfall, but I don't think it's completely incompatible with the idea of the "Imperial Cult." I think the best explanation is that the Imperial Cult is just a watered down version of each of the divines, designed to be generic and appeal to as many people across the empire as possible. In reality, a religious scholar in the ES world who actually read up on the Divines would discover that belief in Mara was totally irreconcilable with belief in Dibella, for example. The Imperials simply don't care about these discrepancies and have homogenized the gods, making them all one big happy family. This sort of thing happened all the time in real world history, but I think this forum frowns on discussions of comparative religions.

So, in my opinion, worship of the divines actually is as disparate and contentious as it is portrayed in Daggerfall. What we see in MW and OB is the Imperials trying to mash those different beliefs together and market them as a unified cult to help impose their authority on Tamriel.

Which is exactly what i said, they planned to wack the big cheese!

I was proposing that the rumoured visit they speak of was never scheduled; the visit they had heard was to take place was in fact only the arrival of a new agent sent personally by Uriel. Not that I was suggesting that the players character was ever in danger from them or anything.

I just had a fun thought. The nordic religion, when it migrated down south, before it truly was combined with the Elven religion, moved off to the Illiac and it grew on its own as a kind of separate collection of gods rather than a unified pantheon.

A pantheon of gods doesn't have to be represented by the same church. Just look at the Greeks. Worship in Cyrodiil has always been connected to the state, however, so it is more unified. Alessia was the priestess of Akatosh.

Aedra worship is native to High Rock, not a result of Alessian compromise, so there are still strains of the more independent, adversarial doctrines of the Nine.

I don't think that the gods themselves are in competition.

That would hurt for everyone in the Arena.

Thanks a lot for the information.

I believe I will still go towards how the religion was back in Daggerfall.
The project's theme is actually about adding elements from Daggerfall to Oblivion.

As for Talos, well the Order of Talos in Morrowind was just about a few soldiers and I doubt that the Talos members all wished the Emperor would be dead.
I think I'll make some divinities hostile to Talos..or at least some high members hostile to those of Talos. I don't think every priest/patriarch would be happy to see Talos named as a Divine.

Don't forget the militant wing serving each of the divines. Even Mara.

Yep, they are there.
Maran Knights, Order of the Lily, Knights of the Circle, Crusaders (The real ones ), etc.

It's too bad Kynareth does not have her temple. I believe Sutch was planned to have one before they scrapped it and turned it in a fort.

Yes however I can both sympathize and also disagree for not putting Kynerath in. A nature god would not have his altar out in a city as that would be hypocritical, but he is also a member of the Imperial Cult and should thus be revered like the rest.

Then that gives me an idea... I believe I could make a small priory or a small shrine close to one of Kynareth's wilderness altars. Kynareth needs his priests and his Kynaran Knights.

Just a suggestion, but Kynareth's Knights should be based on the Ranger class from Daggerfall and have animal companions, perhaps different ones for different ranks (Wolf, Mountain Lion and finally Bear.)

Like the god has a choice in where their followers put their temples. The religions aren't unified though, not everyone who worships Kynareth agrees on what her message is. Besides, she's the god of the sky and wind more than "nature", and you don't have to have levitation to respect her. She is the patron of travelers and sailors as well, there is probably a good sized temple to her in every port.

The knights are a political force, they might do a vision quest kind of thing in the woods, but they need to maintain their force and appearance in the cities. Let the priests be the rangers. Being a priest doesn't mean you aren't a fighter.