A Deeper Analysis of the Wishmaster

Clavicus Vile: the Wishmaster

Of all the charismatic Daedra Lords, there is no other I find truly fascinating than Vile. Known as the child-god of the Morning Star (more than likely, a reference to his summoning day); Clavicus Vile is the Daedric Prince of Power, Pacts, Wishes, and Serenity (more on this later). Among the 16 Daedric Princes (I consider Jyggalag and Sheogorath to be the same), Clavicus Vile is one of the lesser known and more obscure Daedra Lords. For the past few months, I have been taking a deeper look at Vile, and I believe I have discovered all there is to know about the Wishmaster:

Interactions with the denizens of Tamriel:

Along with Peryite, Nocturnal, and Vaermina, Clavicus Vile has no major role in any of the Tamrielic pantheons. Despite this, his worship is very widespread across Tamriel, notably among the nobility, where he is strongly associated with wealth and power.

“Early documents of his worship can be found mainly in High Rock amongst the early Bretons. In them, he is seen as ‘financial backer’ of early kings and queens, and granting dark wishes for the nobility.” - Discourse on the Daedra Lords, IceFireWarden

Of the Princes, Vile is most fond of interfering with the lives of mortals, which he does by making deals with them in the hopes that he’ll keep his end of the bargain; which he does, just not in the way that you would expect. However, not all of Vile’s machinations are wicked, as he often rewards those who perform tasks for him. Unlike most of the Daedra Lords, Vile appears very calm and relaxed when interacting with mortals. When Cyrus the Restless came to Vile, seeking the soul of his sister, Vile kindly gave him the opportunity to have it, in the form of a wager. Cyrus won the wager, and Vile kept his end of the bargain, allowing Cyrus to claim his sister’s soul.

Known followings on Tamriel:

Despite not having an impact in any major Tamrielic religions, Clavicus Vile still has a number of followings, both large and small.

One of the many known examples of this is the Jovial Lambasters, a peaceful Daedric cult centered in Rimmen, who are known for celebrating the worship of Clavicus Vile.

“What of the Jovial Lambasters of Rimmen, who celebrate Clavicus Vile?” - Persistence of Daedric Veneration, Lady Cinnabar of Taneth

Clavicus worship can also be found in Black Marsh, among the Kothringi tribes. During the Interregnum, a village in northwest Shadowfen called Stillrise Village forged a contract with Clavicus Vile to gain immunity to the Knahaten Flu. Vile honored the contract, but did so by turning the denizens of Stillrise into undead beings.

“Stillrise is proof that some Kothringi worshiped the Daedric Princes, as it was a tribe that followed Clavicus Vile who delved the halls of the Odious Chapel.” - Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited, Loading Screen

Of all the provinces that worship the Wishmaster, Cyrodiil has done it the longest, and is also home to one of the most ancient, and perhaps the most powerful vampire clan on Tamriel: the Cyrodiil Vampyrum Order.

In short, the Vampyrum Order is a ‘civil fraternity’ of vampires who made an ancient pact with Vile to gain the ability to blend into mortal society undetected, and rule it from within (if they were well fed). Thought to have existed since at least the late Merethic Era, members are experts of concealment and political manipulation. They detest other vampiric bloodlines, and view nomadic tribes as inferior, although they remain wary of more “enlightened” clans such as the Glenmoril Wyrd of High Rock, and the Whet-Fang of Argonia.

“To patron Clavicus Vile, beacon o'er our affairs, we owe our successes and social stature. Our bond with Vile makes us unique among our kind, for his guidance steels our savage craving with reason and savvy. For him we live amidst mankind, and twist them to our will from offices of power.” - Manifesto Cyrodiil Vampyrum

“Most barbaric tribes think themselves powerful by the gift of Bal's blood alone, and squander the gift. There are those, however,who show signs of enlightenments, and earn our attention - those such as Glenmoril Wyrd, who live within the walls of Breton cities, or the Whet-Fang sodality of Black Marsh, who use magicka to keep captives catatonic and harvest from them the red nectar. These foes may one day threaten to impugn our sovereignty within the boundaries of Cyrodiil, thus compelling our vigilance. Should any encroach upon our dominion, our wrath must be swift and total.” - Manifesto Cyrodiil Vampyrum

The Order also demands a strict code of conduct amongst its members:

“Preserve our ideals and way of life, two primary edicts shall be observed. Above all, reveal thyself and our Order to no other, for discretion is the greatest of our virtues. Do not feed where you may be found out, or on those who may not suspect your passing. Avoid daylight by lifestyle; dispel common belief in our kind, and maintain supple appearance through satisfaction of the thirst. Second, devote your pursuits to the procurement of influence, political and otherwise. Our strength is not in physical numbers, but in skillful manipulation of society. Always be mindful of our Patrons, and preserve the Order. Devote yourself to these ideals always, and the Order shall count you amongst our own.” - Manifesto Cyrodiil Vampyrum

Relations among the other et’Ada:

While Vile does not have any rivals among the other Daedric lords, Molag Bal and Meridia are often thought to have disdain for the Prince of Contracts. Molag Bal, for reasons unknown, and Meridia for granting the Cyrodilic vampires the ability to blend in with mortals undetected. He is also believed to have a rivalry with the Aedric spirits, Zenithar and Julianos. The Wishmaster’s sphere of deals and pacts often interferes with Zenithar’s domain over trade and bartering. While Julianos’ association with literature and wisdom often interferes with Clavicus Vile’s sphere of granting power.

On His Realm:

While the true name of Vile’s realm is unknown to mortals, it is often believed to be known as Desideratum. The out of game novels give a bleak description of what his realm looks like, but in short, Desideratum has been described as a tranquil countryside, dotted with merchant utopias, woodland meadows, and leafy green pastures. The sky is blue with cottony clouds, and greenish-gray patches that streak the atmosphere.

As seen with Umbriel, Clavicus Vile hosts a subsidiary of the Hist trees within his realm known as the Um-Hist. Believed to have formed an ancient pact with Clavicus Vile dating back to the Dawn Era, Vile agreed to remember the Hist, in the rare event something catastrophic were to happen to them. Though, how Vile agreed to remember them is entirely up to him. The Um-Hist themselves seem to have a connection with the Hist trees of Mundus, as the An-Xileel were able to summon Umbriel into Tamriel via a Hist tree. Their relation with Vile is widely unknown, however, their chemistry to strikingly similar to the Hist, and they are able to create raw materials as long as they are told “how”. One of the most interesting things about the Um-Hist is their ability to change the AE of Argonians. In the case of Mere-Glim, they altered his genetic code, which allowed Mere-Glim to hear the Um-Hist constantly, “as strong as the Hist had ever been.”

I often see questions such as, “if Clavicus Vile is a trickster deity, and is seen as malicious by mortals, why is his realm described as being peaceful?”. The answer to this is quite simple. As mentioned above, one of Clavicus Vile’s spheres is Serenity, and his realm is exemplifying off of that particular sphere.

“Perhaps by rendering his domains as idyllic countryside the Prince exemplifies his greatest aspect, and that which ingratiates him to his many followers, the power of serenity through wish fulfillment.” - Imperial Census of Daedra Lords, Michael Kirkbride

On Barbas:

Time to delve into one of the most unknown pieces of lore regarding the Daedra; Barbas, the Hound of Clavicus Vile. Barbas is a shape-shifting Daedra, notable for assuming the form of a dog, who acts as a repository for half of Vile’s power. During the events of Skyrim, it’s revealed that Barbas is actually the literal embodiment of Vile’s consciousness. His ‘Jiminy Cricket’ so to speak.

“Yeah, rub it in. Just imagine what I could get done with my full power and none of these pesky 'morals.' Still, I've got this axe, and even if I can't use it, I'm sure someone would make a deal for it. Maybe I'll have a word with Molag Bal..." - A Daedra’s Best Friend, unused lines of dialogue

On His Artifacts:

There are four artifacts associated with Clavicus Vile; the Bittercup, the Masque of Clavicus Vile, Umbra, and the Rueful Axe.

The Bittercup is an artifact that is deemed to be very sacred to Clavicus Vile, and is highly prized among his followers. It can greatly increase your greatest attribute while weakening your lowest one. It was lost in an ancient Chimeri ruin, later being recovered by the Nerevarine, which he then used to persuade Eydis Fire-Eye to betray the Camonna Tong in favor of the Thieves’ Guild. It is also believed that the Bittercup, in the form of a goblet, is the insignia of the Vampyrum Order.

The Masque of Clavicus Vile is a powerful artifact that makes the wearer more likeable. The most known case of the Masque being used tells the tale of Avalea, a noblewoman of some renown. As a young girl, she was horrifically disfigured by a spiteful servant. Avalea made a dark deal with Clavicus Vile and received the Masque in return. Though the Masque did not change her looks, suddenly she had the respect and admiration of everyone. A year and a day after her marriage to a well connected baron, Clavicus Vile reclaimed the Masque. Although pregnant with his child, Avalea was banished from the Baron's household. Years later, Avalea's daughter sought vengeance by slaying the Baron. Out of all of his artifacts, Vile retains the most control over the Masque, and seems to retain it without warning. Despite this, the Masque is often sought out by politicians and merchants, who value its abilities of persuasion and influence.

“Ever the vain one, Clavicus Vile made a masque suited to his own personality. The bearer of the Masque is more likely to get a positive response from the people of Tamriel. The higher his personality, the larger the bonus. The best known story of the Masque tells the tale of Avalea, a noblewoman of some renown. As a young girl, she was grossly disfigured by a spiteful servant. Avalea made a dark deal with Clavicus Vile and received the Masque in return. Though the Masque did not change her looks, suddenly she had the respect and admiration of everyone. A year and a day after her marriage to a well connected baron, Clavicus Vile reclaimed the Masque. Although pregnant with his child, Avalea was banished from the Baron's household. Twenty one years and one day later, Avalea's daughter claimed her vengeance by slaying the Baron.” - Tamrielic Artifacts, Yagrum Bagarn

Umbra is a powerful, jet black sword designed for the entrapment of souls. An ancient witch named Naenra Waerr (who some credit to being Sheogorath in disguise), created the sword at the request of Clavicus Vile, who intended to use the sword as a way to send him souls from the mortal realm. Naenra was successful in crafting the sword, however, it proved to be highly unstable. To accommodate this, Vile imbued the sword with a piece of his own power into the sword to stabilize it. When this happened, Naenra tricked him, and the piece of Vile’s own power within the sword gained its own sentience, and began to call itself ‘Umbra’, hence, the name of the sword. Sometime during the Oblivion Crisis, the Champion of Cyrodiil was tasked by Clavicus Vile in obtaining the sword, in exchange for the Masque. Barbas, foreseeing the Umbriel Crisis, warned the Champion in returning the sword, as it would bring great ruin to Vile’s domain. Ignoring the warnings, the Champion claimed the sword from a Bosmer named Lenwin, who became bloodthirsty upon discovering the sword.

Upon being returned to Desideratum, Umbra escaped the sword, cut away a piece of Vile’s own power for itself, taking the form of a dark figure, in the shape of a man, with black eyes. In the conclusion of the Umbriel Crisis, Vile regained his lost power, and the Umbra sword dissolved into smoke, destroying the artifact for good.

Lastly, we have the Rueful Axe. What is known about this deadly weapon comes from Barbas himself:

“One of Clavicus's little jests. A wizard named Sebastian Lort had a daughter who worshiped Hircine. When the daughter became a werewolf it drove Sebastian over the edge. He couldn't stand to see his little girl take on such a bestial form. The wizard wished for the ability to end his daughter's curse. Clavicus gave him an axe."

There, you have it folks. Clavicus Vile, the Wishmaster.