Plenty of Daedric Princes reward a favor with a weapon or a piece of armor. Hermaeus Mora deals in something else entirely. He trades in knowledge, and he always wants some back. He shows up twice in Skyrim: once in the base game, where he hands you the Oghma Infinium, and again in Dragonborn, where his Black Books drag you into his realm. Both times, someone on your side ends up dead. Here is how each quest plays out, what you get, and the choices worth thinking about.
Jump to: Who he is · The base-game quest · Oghma Infinium paths · Dragonborn · Black Books · FAQ
Who is Hermaeus Mora in Skyrim?
He is the Daedric Prince of knowledge and fate, sometimes called the Demon of Knowledge. The Skaal of Solstheim know him as Herma-Mora. Unlike most Princes, he never takes a human shape. He appears as a churning green mass of tentacles and eyes. His plane of Oblivion is Apocrypha, an endless library of forbidden books where the shelves never seem to end and dark, murky water laps at their base.
Without the Dragonborn add-on, the game shows him a little differently. In his first quest he appears as a swirling purple orb called the Wretched Abyss. Once Dragonborn is installed, which it is in Special and Anniversary Edition, he takes on the tentacled form everywhere.
Discerning the Transmundane, step by step
This is his base-game quest. You need to be level 15, and it can also start by itself during the main quest Elder Knowledge, because both quests send you after the same Elder Scroll.
- Head far north of Winterhold to the small cave called Septimus Signus’s Outpost. Septimus hands you an Attunement Sphere and a Blank Lexicon. If you read the book Ruminations on the Elder Scrolls first, it points you to him too.
- Travel down into Blackreach and find the Tower of Mzark. Alftand is the route the quest marker suggests, but Mzinchaleft and Raldbthar also lead there if you use the sphere, and both are shorter.
- Fill the Lexicon at the Oculory inside the tower, grab the Elder Scroll while you’re there, and bring the Lexicon back to Septimus.
- Septimus reads it and hands you an Essence Extractor. When you turn to leave, Hermaeus Mora blocks the exit and insists on a word with you.
- Collect blood from a High Elf, a Wood Elf, a Dark Elf, a Falmer and an Orc. You only need to search a body with the Extractor in your bag, and there are plenty of corpses lying around Skyrim already.
- Return the blood. Septimus opens the box, and the reward inside is the Oghma Infinium.
When the box opens, Septimus finally sees what he has been chasing. He had hoped to find the heart of a god. Instead there is only a book, and Hermaeus Mora decides he has no further use for him. Mora then calls you his champion. You can answer politely or call him a monster, but neither reply changes a thing.
Which Oghma Infinium path should you pick?
Reading the book offers three paths. Whichever one you choose raises six skills by 5 levels each, and then the book is gone. Here is what each path covers and who it suits:
| Which path? | Which skills go up? | Who should take it? |
|---|---|---|
| Path of Might | One-handed, Two-handed, Archery, Block, Heavy Armor and Smithing | Warriors, tanks and anyone who smiths their own gear |
| Path of Shadow | Sneak, Light Armor, Lockpicking, Pickpocket, Speech and Alchemy | Thieves, stealth archers and potion makers |
| Path of Magic | Alteration, Conjuration, Destruction, Enchanting, Illusion and Restoration | Mages and spellswords |
The boost can’t push a skill past 100, so anything already maxed simply wastes its share. That makes it worth reading the book a little early rather than saving it for the end game. If your build mixes two styles, go with the path covering the skills you level most slowly, usually Smithing or Enchanting. Not sure which style your character leans toward? Our Skyrim races guide breaks down the skills each race starts strongest in.
Hermaeus Mora in the Dragonborn DLC
On the island of Solstheim, Mora’s hand is behind most of what goes wrong. Miraak, the first Dragonborn, once served him as his champion, and after Miraak turned on the dragons, Mora sheltered him in Apocrypha. Thousands of years later, Miraak wants out, and the Black Books are the doors between Apocrypha and the island.
Two main quests bring Mora face to face with you:
The Gardener of Men
To beat Miraak you need the full Bend Will shout. Mora offers the last two words in exchange for the secrets of the Skaal. Their shaman, Storn Crag-Strider, agrees to read the Black Book Epistolary Acumen, and Mora kills him the moment he does. You must cleanse the All-Maker Stones before Storn will go through with it.
At the Summit of Apocrypha
You chase Miraak to the top of Apocrypha and wear him down while he drains his own dragons for strength. When he tries to slip away, Mora impales him with a tentacle and announces that he has found a new Dragonborn to serve him. That new Dragonborn is you.
Beating Miraak earns you at least six dragon souls, whatever gear you loot from his body, and one more use for Waking Dreams. Read it again afterwards and you can reset any skill tree, getting its perks back, for one dragon soul each.
Every Black Book and the powers inside
There are seven Black Books on Solstheim. Every one except Waking Dreams ends with a choice of three powers, and only one power per book can be active at a time. You can go back into a book later to swap. This is where each one is found and what it offers:
| Which book? | Where is it? | What can you choose? |
|---|---|---|
| Waking Dreams | Temple of Miraak | None at first. After the story ends, it lets you reset a skill tree for one dragon soul |
| Epistolary Acumen | Nchardak | Dragonborn Flame, Dragonborn Force or Dragonborn Frost, each one boosting a shout |
| Filament and Filigree | Kolbjorn Barrow | Secret of Arcana (free spells), Secret of Protection (half damage) or Secret of Strength (free power attacks), all for 30 seconds |
| The Hidden Twilight | Tel Mithryn | Mora’s Agony (poison tentacles), Mora’s Boon (full refill of health, magicka and stamina) or Mora’s Grasp (freezes a target in place) |
| The Sallow Regent | White Ridge Barrow | Seeker of Might, Seeker of Shadows or Seeker of Sorcery, each a lasting 10% boost |
| The Winds of Change | Raven Rock Mine | Companion’s Insight (no friendly fire on followers), Lover’s Insight or Scholar’s Insight (an extra point from skill books) |
| Untold Legends | Benkongerike Great Hall | Bardic Knowledge (a stamina drum), Black Market (a Dremora merchant) or Secret Servant (a Dremora who carries your loot) |
If you want our picks, Secret of Strength is great for melee builds, Scholar’s Insight quietly pays off over a long playthrough, and Secret Servant lets you hand your extra loot to a Dremora butler when you’re over-encumbered. Take Companion’s Insight if you travel with someone like Serana or Lydia and keep catching them with your shouts.
Hermaeus Mora, quickly answered
Where do you meet Hermaeus Mora in Skyrim?
First at Septimus Signus’s Outpost, far north of Winterhold, during Discerning the Transmundane. With Dragonborn installed, you meet him again inside the Black Books on Solstheim.
What level do you need for Discerning the Transmundane?
Level 15. It can also start on its own during the main quest Elder Knowledge.
Can you refuse to be Hermaeus Mora’s champion?
You can tell him off, but nothing changes. He claims you either way, in the base game and in Dragonborn.
Can you read the Oghma Infinium twice?
No. It gives one path’s bonus and then vanishes from your inventory.
Is Hermaeus Mora evil?
Skyrim never labels him either way. He keeps his side of every deal, but he treats people as tools, as Septimus and Storn both find out.
Can you kill Hermaeus Mora?
No. He can’t be fought in either the base game or the Dragonborn add-on.
So, is a deal with the Demon of Knowledge worth it?
For you, yes. The Oghma Infinium is a free 30 skill levels, and the Black Book powers stay useful long after Solstheim. The people around you pay the price, though. Septimus dies for his curiosity, Storn dies for his tribe, and Miraak learns what Mora does with a champion who disappoints him. Every reward Mora gives comes with that small, cold reminder that he is still watching. If one of these quests gets stuck on PC, our console commands page shows how to nudge it along safely.