Nocturnal is the Daedric Prince of night and darkness and the patron of thieves across Tamriel. In Skyrim she is the power behind the Nightingales, a secret order that carries out her will from the shadows. Her artifact, the Skeleton Key, channels her influence into the mortal world and gives thieves the luck they rely on. The gateway to her realm lies in the Twilight Sepulcher.
Where to find them
She doesn’t wander Skyrim. She appears at the Ebonmere, the portal in the Twilight Sepulcher, when called on in the Thieves Guild storyline. She’s invulnerable and ghostly, so don’t bother drawing a blade.
Quests
In Trinity Restored, Karliah summons Nocturnal and offers her two new Nightingales, you among them, in exchange for help in bringing down Mercer Frey. Karliah opens by owning up to her past failure and throwing herself on Nocturnal’s mercy. Nocturnal is not exactly moved – Karliah already belongs to her, she points out, so what could she possibly offer? – but the prospect of two fresh servants is clearly a good deal. She’s amused that Karliah’s thirst for revenge outweighs her greed, accepts the terms and names all three of you Nightingales. The oath binds you to serve her as both avengers and sentinels, in this life and the next, and she closes with a pointed suggestion that Karliah not disappoint her again.
In Darkness Returns, you carry the Skeleton Key back through the Sepulcher. When you return it, Nocturnal appears in person, musing that it’s been years since she last set foot on Nirn – or perhaps only moments, since she tends to lose track. She points out that you were only fulfilling your agreement, not doing her a favour, and that she knows it was all about the reward anyway. Then she invites you to drink from the Ebonmere, making you her Agent, and reminds you that your fate after death is bound to the Evergloam, her realm.
Personality & relationships
Nocturnal is sardonic, aloof and entirely unimpressed by mortal heroics. She treats oaths as contracts, loyalty as something she’s already paid for, and Karliah’s past failure as a debt she hasn’t forgotten. Karliah addresses her with grand titles like Queen of Murk and Empress of Shadow; Nocturnal mostly responds with dry wit. Her one parting request: make sure the Key stays put this time.
Her bond with the Nightingales sits at the heart of the Thieves Guild’s main questline. The Skeleton Key itself is one of Skyrim’s Daedric artifacts.
Good to know
In the Creation Kit, Nocturnal’s avatar is technically a Redguard with a unique skin tone that no other character uses.
Quick facts
- Gender: Female
- Level: 1
- Class: Warrior
- Status: Essential
- Found in: Twilight Sepulcher
- Base ID: 0001A2CF
Also in Twilight Sepulcher
Race, level, class and factions read from the Skyrim game files; story details checked against community wiki articles and written in our own words.