Very few games manage to be as lore heavy as the Elder Scrolls franchise. Not only does the world of the Elder Scrolls contain complex political conflicts, factions, socio-economic conflicts, and other issues similar to the real world, it also has it's fair share of deity like entities. On the darker deity spectrum exist the Daedra and their respective Princes.
One of the more mysterious Daedric Princes is Mephala. A series staple that has made significant appearances in each game since the the Princes were introduced in the second installment. With so much information to be found regarding this deity of darkness, it can be quite easy to miss some key information.
10 Other Names
Many Daedric Princes go by much more than one name. These nicknames are usually adopted by mortals to be indicative of the Princes nature and, appearance, and ambitions. The nicknames that Mephala goes by are typically the Webspinner, or the Spider, or sometimes even the Spider Queen. These mortal references to the Prince are reflective of her actions on Nirn.
9 Areas Of Influence
Mephala is primarily known as the Daedric Prince of secrets, though in addition to this, most scholars agree that she also holds influence in the fields of sex, murder, and lies. Considering that Skyrim is a country (or territory depending on who you ask) filled with political ambition, betrayal, and deceit, it is a perfect place for Mephala to set up camp.
8 Interference In The Mortal World
Mephala's general interactions in the mortal world have been to trick, seduce, or otherwise misguide important worldly affairs with deep consequences.
Some have asserted that this is simply done for the Daedric Prince's own amusement, though many others believe that each of her actions serve some sort of greater plan. Because of such dark interferences, Mephala is widely considered to be evil by most mortal races.
7 Worshiped By The Dunmer
Regarding feelings of racial superiority, the Dunmer are some of the Elder Scrolls worst offenders. Whether or not the Dunmer are a good race is for players to decide, but they are certainly the most unique in terms of their religion. The Dunmer refuse to worship Aedra, and their pantheon instead consists of "good" and "bad" Daedra.
One of these "good" Daedra is Mephala, who despite her manipulative nature is held in a positive light and worshiped as a god by the Dunmer.
6 Realms of Oblivion
Mephala indeed holds many countless realms in Oblivion. All of these realms are tied back by a spectral web to her main plane, the Spiral Skein. It has been described as one of the most terrifying realms within Oblivion filled with absolute horrors. The Spiral Skein cannot be accessed by Skyrim players. Maybe the Dragonborn should be thankful and visit some of the game world's less nightmarish locales instead?
5 Connection To The Night Mother
Mephala due to her spheres of influence, is popular amongst assassins. Some have even gone so far as to state that the Night Mother, the spirit which leads the legendary assassins guild, the Dark Brotherhood, is in fact a manifestation or aspect of Mephala.
While this certainly would make sense, and would help play into Mephala's goals, there is no strong evidence to support this claim. Maybe this theory will be explored in future installments?
4 Androgynous
While Daedric Princes, as entities that exceed mortal comprehension, do not in fact have genders, most are nonetheless categorized as a male or female. Mephala is an interesting exception to this rule and has even been referred to as the "Adrogyny".
Despite this, Mephala still seems to contain more stereotypically female characteristics and apparel, as such she is usually referred to using female pronouns.
3 One Of The Founders Of Morrowind
As mentioned, Dunmer are unique in their religion, as their mainstream religion worships Daedra. Specifically the Daedric Princes Mephala, Boethiah, and Azura. Boethiah would spring the idea of a separate and independent Dunmer state, Azura would give these Mer the knowledge needed to be independent and unique, while Mephala would provide them with the know how to defend themselves using violence and even assassination. This is how the assassins' guild of Morag Tong was created.
2 Easy To Miss Quest
Most Daedric Princes (except Jyggalag) make an appearance in Skyrim. Offering the Dragonborn interesting quests to partake in and assist these demon like entities in achieving their goals in the province. When considering all other Daedric quests, Mephala's seems to be one of the easiest to miss (if not the easiest).
Once the player reaches level 20 they are able to assist the Jarl of Whiterun in solving the mysterious behavior that has grasped one of his children. Without spoiling too much this is one of Skyrim's spookiest quests, and as akin to something out of a horror movie.
1 The Ebony Blade
Most players seek out Daedric quests for the unique and powerful artifacts that they offer players. By completing Mephala's quest in Whiterun the Dragonborn will be rewarded with the Ebony Blade. This sinister item increases in power for each life of a comrade it takes. For those willing to commit the ultimate betrayal in exchange for a bit of power, this is the artifact for them.