You’re standing in the middle of the Jerall Mountains, freezing, wondering why a giant statue of a woman holding a golden eagle is demanding you bring her a vampire’s dust. It’s 2006 all over again. Or maybe it’s your tenth playthrough in 2026. Either way, the hunt for oblivion all daedric artifacts is arguably the most grueling, rewarding, and lore-heavy scavenger hunt in Bethesda's history. These aren't just items. They are pieces of the gods themselves, or at least the closest thing the Elder Scrolls universe has to chaotic, meddling deities.
Most players just want the Skeleton Key. I get it. Who wants to carry 400 lockpicks when you can have one that never breaks? But if you’re aiming for the Oghma Infinium—the literal holy grail of stat-boosting books—you can’t be picky. You have to serve everyone from the Prince of Purity to the Prince of Madness.
The Chaos of the Daedric Quests
Every Daedric Prince has a shrine tucked away in some corner of Cyrodiil. Some are easy to spot. Others are buried in the woods where you'll never find them unless a random NPC mentions them in a bar. The barrier to entry isn't just finding the statue, though. It’s the level gating. You can't just waltz up to Boethia at level 2 and ask for a legendary shield. These entities have standards, albeit weird ones.
Azura is usually the first stop for most. Level 2. Simple. Bring some glow dust, kill some miserable vampires who used to be her followers, and she hands over Azura’s Star. It’s a reusable soul gem. It’s basically the most practical item in the game. Without it, you’re spending half your gold on empty gems just to keep your enchanted sword from becoming a blunt metal stick.
Then there’s Sheogorath. Honestly, his quest is just bizarre. You have to go to Border Watch and simulate a "prophecy of doom" by making it rain dogs. Yes, flaming dogs. The reward is the Wabbajack. It’s a staff that turns a terrifying Ogre into a harmless chicken, or sometimes into a much more terrifying Daedroth. It’s a gamble. But that’s the point of the Daedra—they don't care about your "build" or your "safety."
Why the Level Requirements Actually Matter
If you’re trying to collect oblivion all daedric artifacts, you have to pace yourself. The game forces you to. Clavicus Vile won't talk to you until level 20. Hircine wants you at level 17. This creates a natural progression through the world, but it also creates a massive headache if you’re trying to "speedrun" the collection.
- Level 2: Azura (Azura's Star)
- Level 5: Namira (Ring of Namira)
- Level 10: Meridia (Ring of Khajiiti)
- Level 15: Mephala (Ebony Blade)
- Level 20: Vaermina (Skull of Corruption)
The Ebony Blade is a weird one. Mephala wants you to start a race war in a small village called Bleaker's Way. You kill the leaders, plant evidence, and watch the neighbors murder each other. It’s dark. It's much darker than anything you'll find in Skyrim’s Daedric quests. Oblivion’s Princes felt more... dangerous. More alien.
The Artifacts That Change the Game
Let’s talk about the Goldbrand. Boethia’s reward. It’s a katana that does massive fire damage. If you’re playing a blade-focused character, this is your "endgame" weapon. But getting it requires entering a tournament in a literal pocket dimension of hell. You fight ten survivors in a row. No breaks. Just blood and fire.
Then you have the Spellbreaker. Peryite is the Prince of Pestilence, but his reward is a shield that reflects magic. It’s a bit of a contradiction. To get it, you find his followers "frozen" in a trance at his shrine. You have to travel into Oblivion to fetch their souls. It’s one of the few times a Daedric quest feels like a genuine rescue mission rather than a hit job.
And we can't ignore the Masque of Clavicus Vile. Most people hate this quest because of the dog, Barbas. He talks. He’s annoying. He lives in a sword called Umbra. You’re faced with a choice: give the sword to Vile for his mask, or keep the sword. Honestly? Keep the sword. Umbra is arguably better than the mask unless you really, really need to pass a speech check with a shopkeeper who hates you.
The Hermaeus Mora Problem
The final boss of this checklist is Hermaeus Mora. You cannot even start this quest until you have finished every other Daedric quest. Every. Single. One.
You also have to reach the point in the Main Quest where you give an artifact to Martin Septim. This is the ultimate "player's dilemma." Martin needs a Daedric artifact to open a portal. Which one do you sacrifice? Don't give him Azura's Star. Seriously. Don't do it. Give him something useless like the Volendrung (sorry, Malacath, but your hammer is heavy and slow) or the Sanguine Rose if you don't like summoning random Daedra.
Once you meet Mora’s requirements, he asks you to collect a soul from every race. One Orc, one Altmer, one Breton, and so on. It turns the game into a weird census-taking murder spree. But the reward is the Oghma Infinium. Reading it gives you a permanent +10 boost to three different skills and two attributes depending on which "path" you choose (Steel, Shadow, or Spirit). It’s the only way to "overlevel" your character beyond the natural caps.
Tracking Down the Hard-to-Find Shrines
Finding oblivion all daedric artifacts is mostly a test of your patience with the map. Some shrines are hidden in plain sight.
Malacath’s shrine is way out west of Anvil. You’ll need some troll fat to get him to talk. He wants you to go to Lord Drad’s estate and free some Ogres. It’s actually one of the few "moral" Daedric quests. You’re essentially an abolitionist for monsters. It feels good, until you realize the Ogres will probably go on a rampage anyway.
Vaermina’s shrine is on the shores of Lake Popped. You need a Black Soul Gem. This is where things get tricky for new players. You can't just find these; you have to make them at specific altars on specific nights when a purple light shines from the sky. It’s a lot of waiting around in the dark. The reward, the Skull of Corruption, creates a "clone" of whoever you hit with it. It’s buggy. It’s chaotic. It’s perfect for breaking the game's AI.
The Strategy for Completionists
If you want to get this done efficiently, you need a plan. Don't just wander.
First, stockpile the offerings. You’re going to need:
- Glow Dust (Azura)
- Nightshade (Sanguine)
- A Black Soul Gem (Vaermina)
- Cycad Seeds (Meridia - actually, she wants undead remains, usually bonemeal or similar)
- A Lesser Soul Gem (Namira)
Namira’s quest is actually the hardest for high-level players. She only likes "ugly" people. If your Personality stat is too high, she won't talk to you. You have to get drunk—really drunk—to lower your Personality enough to start the quest. It’s a hilarious mechanic. You’re literally too charming for the Goddess of Decay, so you have to chug cheap wine behind a statue just to get a job.
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The Connection to the Main Quest
A lot of people forget that the Daedric artifacts are tied to the fate of the world. When Martin Septim asks for one, it's a pivotal moment. It’s the game’s way of asking you what you value more: power or the world?
If you’re a completionist, the "correct" way to do this is to finish the "Blood of the Daedra" quest using an artifact you genuinely don't care about. For me, it's always the Savior’s Hide. Hircine’s armor looks cool, but by the time you're level 17, you usually have better enchanted glass or ebony gear.
Final Thoughts on the Daedric Hunt
The hunt for oblivion all daedric artifacts isn't just about the loot. It’s about the stories. It’s about the weird, scripted moments that make Cyrodiil feel alive. From Sanguine crashing a dinner party in Leyawiin to Nocturnal rewarding you for tracking down an eye stolen by two thieves in Leyawiin (man, Leyawiin has a lot of problems), these quests are the heartbeat of the game.
They force you to explore the corners of the map you'd otherwise ignore. They make you interact with systems—like soul trapping or personality management—that you might skip.
Practical Next Steps for Your Playthrough:
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- Check your level: Don't waste time riding to a shrine if you aren't at the level requirement yet. Start with Azura at level 2.
- Save your game: Daedric quests are notorious for scripting bugs. One wrong NPC death can lock you out of the Oghma Infinium forever.
- Stock up on wine: Seriously. You’ll need it for Namira.
- Identify your "sacrificial" artifact early: Decide now which item you’re going to give to Martin so you don't have a crisis of conscience later.
- Visit the Shrines at night: It’s more atmospheric, and for some (like Vaermina), it's the only way to get the materials you need nearby.
Once you have that final book in your hand, you’ve essentially conquered the gods of the Elder Scrolls. Just try not to think too much about the trail of bodies you left behind to get there.