Concerning Oblivion realms and the afterlife.

"I take my place with my father, and my father's fathers"-Martin Septim.

So, Martin, his dad, his dads dad and his dad's grandfather's dad all went to join the nine right? Since they served them? Is that how it works?

What if someone serves Hircine and dies..do they go to his hunting grounds to live eternally hunting for him? I remember he has his drivers hunting mortals there in his plane.

What about Molag Bal? whoever dies in Nirn, passes on to his realm, ColdHarbour if they worship him(The realm might have alot of rapists and vampires)? We all know Sithis lovers go to the "Void"..but what if they also worship a Daedric Prince? The void or Azura's plane?

How does the afterlife work in the Elder Scrolls?

And in the event of the Wraith, the ghost, people who died but had their souls linked to Mundus..

The "afterlife" is the Dreamsleeve, which basically strips the soul of its mortal memories and eventually recycles it. While its doing that, you get to experience the traditional view of an afterlife - hanging out with your forefathers, partying, etc.

you see whatever you believed in life you would see, although an Et'ada may stop your soul from reaching Sovengard, or your might be soul trapped (All the emperor's souls were in the Amulet of kings)

What do the people dream who insist there is no afterlife?

They have a dreamless sleep? :shrug:

Whatever the Dunmer believe, their spirits insists that whatever lies beyond is more pleasant to them than the mortal world, so much that if they're forced to remain on Nirn against their will, they'll often go mad.

From "the Old Ways":

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...

Look also "Sixteen Accords of Madness": in Volume IX Sheogorath got soul of executed madman, and in Volume XII soul of an orc warrior was sent to Sheogorath's realm by Malacath himself. Possible, daedric princes are able to overtake a corrupted soul (maybe that's why Molag Bal was so interested to ruin Melus Petilius' oath). There are also the other ways, like N'Gasta's business with Clavicus Vile.

It seems, that in general souls of daedra followers go to realm of their Princes after death. Somewhere was that khajiits goes to Moonshadow.

There also such strange place as http://www.imperial-library.info/content/soul-cairn somewhere in Oblivion.

I ask, because the Dreamsleeve is as much a communion with history as it is an afterlife/recycle. If all souls return, then their perspectives and pasts do as well; and if the sleeve exists outside sequenced time, then the information is present for anyone (moth-priests) at anytime to reference. If one doesn't believe in an afterlife, has that person escaped history, or are they still trapped from interaction with others?

I guess I wanted to get nerdier than usual with this one.

Thats awesome, thanks for the links. So, if anyone would want to go to a Daedric Realm after they die? Where would it be?

I would ever prefer ColdHarbour or Hircine's hunting gronds...

You do not know very much about daedric realms, isn't it? Or you're some sort of masochist or homicidal gothic or something...no offense

Coldharbour would be like a version of today's Earth, only worse. Destroyed, with filth everywhere, and with an air so cold surrounding you that your soul would freeze in less than 5 seconds. And saying that air could freeze souls is enough to give you a scope of the cold of that place.

And in Hircine's hunting grounds, you're pretty naive if you think you'd be the hunter...

Sure, most mortals who go to the Hunting grounds are hunted by Hircine's drivers during the day and then the Prince and the pack of Werewolves at night. Coldharbour is like Tamriel, but colder, darker and much more disgusting, not the mention the inhabitents reflect the Prince himself, meaning they could be vampires, rapists and schemers..which to me, is no problem at all!

But I get your point, I rather be the hunter in Hircine's realm than the hunted.

Azura's realm seem nice :celebrate: parties and running in heaven like places

The only way your soul would end up in Oblivion is if you somehow bound yourself to a Daedric Prince, through favor and incantation or through somehow losing a bet. In most cases this would not be a pleasurable thing, unless you somehow have the Prince's favor and become a champion or higher servant of sorts, like Umaril or somebody.

I agree, being a champion for a Daedric Prince can get you into good favor..sometimes. Azura's realm? Meh...I rather hunt some chumps at the Hunting Grounds...or, perhaps meet some chicks in ColdHarbour....muahaha.

Perhaps they dream they are not dreaming

I think someone who doesn't believe in the afterlife is like an atheist on Nirn, they just don't exist. Except maybe the Dwemer, but they don't have to worry about the afterlife.

Is there a "pleasant" afterlife? Because all I'm seeming to see is a lot of badness...and...not...fun...places. What about a nice warm beach?

they had gods, Reason and Logic, and these gods in their myths argued over some subjects. I suspect that the Et'adas of these concepts may have been earthbones.

Sanguine's Realm, nothing but debauchery, parties and six...lots of six. That's good enough?

I think only Daedra are sent to a Daedric Realm when they die, not their followers. Im pretty sure that every mortal person's soul is sent to Sithis where it's devoured by the Nothingness.

The soul has the same traits as Sithis and the body the same as Anuiel after all. The body exists and the soul doesn't really exist, but it also doesn't not-exist. It's there, after all, but there's no chance to detect it because it doesn't really exist. Its the same with the nothingness (which is in fact Sithis): Nothingness, or "Void", can't exist because it is nothing. But still its somehow there.

Hope its understandable.

Both Nords and Dunmer seem to like what lies beyond. At least moreso than staying on Nirn.

From a certain point of view yes! Okay, what about "peaceful"? Like...a nice quite temple or something?

Eww, who would want that? /shrugs

Peaceful? Azura's realm I suppose.

Nords believe in Sovengard, I think its called, which is basically a giant drinking hall. They like it.