What is Sithis the god of?

Sithis is the primordial God of Chaos, Change, and Destructive Nothingness in the Elder Scrolls universe. He represents empty space, the great darkness, and acts as a force of utter misanthropy.

As the mythic ancestor of the Dark Brotherhood, Sithis is revered by assassins and worshipped through acts of murder done in his name. Spooky stuff! But as a passionate ES gamer, I‘m fascinated by Sithis‘ lore and want to share some deeper insights into this sinister deity.

The Origins and Aspects of Sithis

Before diving further into Sithis, it helps to understand where he fits into ES cosmology. According to the Creation Myth, two primal forces named Anu and Padomay came into being at the start of time. Anu represented stasis and order, while Padomay was change and chaos.

Sithis sprang forth from the interplay of Anu and Padomay as a force of discord and nothingness. He is known by many names – the Dread Father, the Void Ghost, He Who Destroys. As UESP explains:

"Sithis is related in some way to a version of Anuiel, the personification and embodiment of order and stasis."

So Sithis stands for destructive change, battling eternally against Anuiel in a cosmic clash of order and chaos. As a godly personification of Padomay, Sithis reflects utter darkness, emptiness, and misanthropy at their most extreme.

No wonder the Dark Brotherhood worships this creepy void deity!

The Myths and Metaphors of Sithis

What are some of the key myths and metaphors around Sithis? Well, according to ES lore:

• Sithis is the dread father of the Night Mother‘s five murdered children, sacrificed by her hand to honor the Void Lord
• He is the husband of Night Mother, making her the "Bride of Sithis"
• Sithis may actually be one aspect of the Daedra Prince Mephala, hinting at links between the Night Mother and Daedric Princes

So metaphors around family and relationships run strong in Sithis myths. He is literally the spouse of the Night Mother and father of her now-dead children.

This paints a vivid – if disturbing – picture of Sithis as demanding god who must be honored through murder and sacrifice. His worshippers like the Dark Brotherhood slaughter mortals to appease their divine patron, which they see as their purpose and privilege.

The Powers and Influence of Sithis

As an all-powerful primordial force, Sithis has influenced aspects of Nirn indirectly through various channels:

The Night Mother – Sithis enabled the first Night Mother to hear his words and divine wishes. All her successors inherit this gift, using to it coordinate the Brotherhood‘s assassinations.

Lorkhan – Sithis is credited with creating Lorkhan, the trickster deity behind Convention and the creation of Nirn. So in a sense, he helped spark mortal life as we know it!

The Dark Brotherhood – By giving guidance and sacred purpose to this clan of assassins, Sithis exerts influence across Tamriel through their covert murders done in his name.

So while not a hands-on deity, Sithis affects Nirn through proxy agents like the Night Mother and Dark Brotherhood, who serve as conduits for his chaotic will.

Who Worships Sithis?

Sithis is worshipped by the Dark Brotherhood above all, an organization of elite assassins scattered across Tamriel. They view Sithis as their "Dread Father" and revere the Night Mother as his bride and spiritual leader.

The Brotherhood celebrates Sithis through ritual murder (or "sacraments"), which they believe honors their lord‘s love of death and relentless destructive change. They enact assassinations using guidance from the Night Mother, who hears the words of Sithis directly.

Other groups like the cult Order of the Black Worm also worship Sithis for his association with darkness, antiquity, and testing one‘s abilities. Argonian Nisswo Priests venerate Sithis too for reasons that outsiders struggle to comprehend.

So devotees range from shadowy assassin guilds to strange esoteric cults across various regions of Tamriel. Not exactly the most savory bunch!

Sithis in Elder Scrolls Lore and Cosmology

How does Sithis fit into the grand scheme of ES lore? Well, UESP explains succinctly:

Sithis is the second most powerful because he began creation, though Akatosh is the most powerful as long as creation exists since Sithis is change and change cannot take place without time.

Breaking this down:

• Sithis initiated creation as Padomay, one half of the original dichotomy with Anu
• As primordial chaos, he disrupt the cosmic order
• But the time deity Akatosh is the ultimate power in Mundus now
• Akatosh represents time itself, which is required for Sithis‘s chaotic change to even occur

So while incredibly powerful, Sithis requires the passage of time to exert his influence through disorder and destructive upheaval.

Fun extra fact – the famous ES character Talos now reigns supreme as the most powerful god-hero, holding Mundus together through his divine acts!

Sithis Mythology vs Real Power

There‘s one more critical angle when analyzing Sithis – separating his in-game mythology from his actual abilities and sphere of influence:

So while Sithis cuts a terrifying figure in theology and myths, he requires mortal conduits like the Night Mother to enact his will. And his sphere of influence is chaos, darkness, and cold entropy rather than direct destructive might.

Conclusion

In the end, Sithis represents destructive change and snarling void energy – but wields this power subtly through mortal proxies rather than overt displays of force. He emerges from primordial origins to disrupt cosmic order and seed misfortune indirectly across Nirn.

So that‘s the scoop on the dread deity Sithis! Let me know your thoughts or theories on this creepy force of annihilation in the comments below. And subscribe for more ES lore content!