A Nord Blacksmith Talks About Daedric Weapons

I pray to the Divines that you never encounter Daedric weapons or armor; they are as cruel and hateful as the creatures that spawned them. Only the daedra know how exactly to make them, but daedric smithing involves the binding of a daedra or daedra heart to an ebony weapon or piece of armor, twisting it into a monstrous chunk of spikes and teeth. Trust this old Nord; these things are as evil as they seem. From the initial look of a daedric sword, it looks mean, but ineffective. If a normal weapon was shaped like that, what with the saw-like blade, extra spikes and little fiddly bits here and there, it would affect it’s ability to slice, and get caught in cloth and bone, making for a laughably ineffective sword. But on a daedric sword, those teeth move. Imagine those teeth moving along the edge of the blade, flowing across the metal, back and forth at speeds too fast for us to notice. Just like a carpenter saws through wood, so a daedric sword saws through flesh and bone. You can always tell the mark of a daedric weapons, cuts are always crueler, rougher and much more painful; more often than not, they are found in torture chambers as often as on the battlefield. Even their arrows are fundamentally cruel. A daedric arrowhead features two prongs that clamp together when it enters a victim, making it almost impossible to remove. I’ve also seen versions that look like normal broadheads, only to sprout spikes and jagged edges when inside the target. Infection almost always follows.

Daedric weapons should be handled with extreme care, as the weapon is aware to an extent of who wields it, and nearly always resents having a mortal hold it. The only exceptions are daedra worshippers (especially openly malevolent Daedric Lords like Mehrunes Dagon and Molag Bal), and those seeking to cause deliberate harm. Any attempt to wield it under good intentions will result in the weapon trying to sabotage the wielder through the numerous spikes and teeth that line the weapon's blade, hilt and pommel. Using a Daedric sword carelessly will only end up killing yourself; only those with legendary skill and discipline can wield one. The above rules apply for Daedric armor, too, which seems to seek out opponents’ exposed flesh with its bristling spikes. I have heard rumors of a few mortal smiths who can make these weapons, but there are so many things wrong with that, I don’t know where to start. As a general rule, don’t meddle in the affairs of daedra.

So, that’s about it. Don’t think for a moment that these notes are the final word in smithing. There are materials that I have not worked with, like adamantium, chitin or stalhrim. And, who knows, after I’m dead and gone to Sovngarde, some new upstart blacksmith like yourself might render all this pointless anyway. Use this as a guide, not a crutch.

In conclusion, test armor and weapons yourself: knowing how to use an axe will always help you to make an axe yourself. Never be afraid to try something new, methods, materials, weapons, whatever. Always pray to Auriel, Magnus or whoever. And never smith while drunk, no matter how good an idea you think you have. You’ll always regret it in the morning.

Happy forging,
Helga Hale-Heart