| “ | "Of all my believers, but two remain. Tell me, second-to-last, with what shall you prove your existence?"
Without hesitation I drew forth my blade and buried it in the chest of the other who stood beside me, and without fear replied: "Ask him whose blood now sprouts from my blade if I exist." She smiled. And the gates of Oblivion opened between her teeth. Then she said: "Tell me, now-last of my followers, wherefore do you remain where the others do not?" I retrieved my blade, and offered it up saying: "I am alive because that one is dead. I exist because I have the will to do so. And I shall remain as long as there are signs of my handwork, such as the blood dripping from this blade." Accepting my gift, she nodded and said: "Indeed." |
„ |
| ~ Boethiah's Proving |
Boethiah is a Daedric "Prince" of questionable gender who is associated with deceit, betrayal, murder, conspiracy, assassination, treason, etc. All Daedric lords are refereed to as Princes even those that appear female, the title is not based on gender but rather power in the cosmos, being not quite kings, since the Divines are stated to be stronger but still deserving of titles that symbolize power. In Boethiah's case Boethiah is known to be referred to alternating as either as male or female with no indication of either concept as being a primary psychical characteristic of the Prince. Boethiah is considered one of the more hard to please Daedric Princes, he demands action not words and she is known for abject cruelty even among his loyalest worshipers, who believe surviving her attentions only makes one stronger. Boethiah is seen as a primary antagonist against the Daedric Prince Molag Bal, for in addition to both just being ambitious enough to want the other gone, Molag Bal calls for his worshipers to surrender to him in complete subjugation as slaves and Boethiah seeks to insight slaves and supplicants of all kinds to rebel against their masters in the most violent and chaotic ways possible.
Skyrim
Boethiah's shrine in Skyrim
In Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Boethiah's quest requires sacrificing the player's companion, something nearly unheard of for a Bethesda game (though Skyrim features a larger number of followers who are less developed than in the Fallout games). To get Boethiah's attention the player must recruit a follower, by doing them a favor, forming a friendship or just paying them to be a traveling companion, then march them up to Boethiah's shrine. Once the chosen follower is dead Boethiah will possess the body as a shell to speak with the player and the Boethiah cultists at the shrine. Boethiah will demand that the player along with the cultists slaughter each-other at the shrine and the survivor will receive the privilege of acting as Boethiah's agent for the final stage of the quest, then leaves the corpse while the slaughter begins. Once the player is the last one standing Boethiah again appears in the flesh of the last cultist killed, to give the quest proper to the only one worthy of hearing it. Boethiah requests that the player kill Boethiah's current champion who had become arrogant and was beginning to become weak, concepts Boethiah finds unacceptable in a champion. After killing the previous champion the player will become the new one and receive Boethiah's Ebony Mail armor as sign of his/her status.
Oblivion
Boethiah's shrine in Cyrodiil
In Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Boethiah is one of many Daedric Princes who can be sought out and pleased in exchange for her favor in the form of a Deadric artifact. Boethiah has one of the higher level Daedric missions of his brethren and will call for the player character to represent their race in a tournament she is holding. Once the player accepts they will be transported to a corner of Oblivion set aside for the match. Boethiah reveals he has gathered one of each race in Tamriel for her event known as The Tournament of Ten Bloods and bid them fight each-other to amuse him and to prove which race is most deserving of her attention, up until then he had considered it to be the Dunmer (Dark Elves).
Morrowind
Boethiah's shrine in Morrowind
In sharp contrast to these grizzly adventures, Boethiah's quest in Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind is simply rebuilding her shrine. In Morrowind the Dunmer people consider Boethiah to in-fact be a holy and sacred being worthy of worship as one of their primary deities. Where others see the cruelty of an uncaring slaughterer, the Dunmer see Beothiah's desire to be prayed to through action instead of words as a worthy principal to aspire to and his mind set is used to enforce the training of warriors. Boethiah tricked the Dunmer long ago, before they were Dunmer and still an offshoot elven race called the Chimer. Boethiah killed, possessed and assumed the identity of one of their gods, Trinimac, and used the guise to call for the Chimer to leave their homes in the Summerset Isles and found a new nation free from the tyranny and abject decadence of their Altmer cousins' society. Though Boethiah eventually revealed herself, he would still be counted as an important and great entity worthy of worship for essentially founding Morrowind. She is worshiped still in Morrowind for his cunning, manipulation and savagery.
Boons
- Boethiah's in–game artifacts gained from completing these tasks include the Ebony Mail, and the sword Goldbrand.
- There is a ravenous perpetually starving creature known as a Hunger, that serves Boethiah. Hungers can be encountered in Sheogorath's realm in-game in the Shivering Isles, as Sheogorath has been said to have won bets with each Daedric Prince it is likely the beasts were won in the bet. What such a bet was is currently undocumented.