Lore:Infinite Panopticon

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Infinite Panopticon
Type Pocket Realm
Realm Oblivion
Plane Apocrypha
Appears in ESO

The Infinite Panopticon is a pocket realm inside Hermaeus Mora's realm of Apocrypha. It is described as an endless library of rooms and passages inside a limitless pocket dimension situated outside the time and space of Apocrypha itself, and is said to be one of the most secure repositories of knowledge within Apocrypha. The Panopticon is said to hold infinite secrets, including some of Mora's most closely guarded ones, as the information and secrets inside are considered too precious to be known by anyone but Hermaeus Mora himself.[1][2][3]

In order to protect the information stored within, the entrance to the Panopticon constantly changes, never appearing in the same place twice. In addition, the interior of the realm changes at random, as nothing within the extradimensional space conforms to reality as mortals understand it. The defenses which protect the secrets in the Panopticon are said to include shifting chambers and corridors, an army of Hushed, Lurkers, Seekers and other Daedric guardians which are said to "defy description" and to be too powerful and obscure to describe accurately.[1][2][3]

The secrets within the Panopticon are housed in books and scrolls or glyphics of specific design. Some of the most dangerous secrets are hidden in fragments of Hermaeus Mora's own memory, contained within the Eyes of Mora, said to be floating eyes taken from the "orbs without end" that make up Mora himself. These eyes can be entered to view the memory within, but to do so requires a key or passphrase to open the way.[1][2] Wandering the memories of a Daedric Prince in such a manner is said to be dangerous even to Daedra, and described as likely to be fatal for mortals. Should the personal recollections of Hermaeus Mora stored within one of the Eyes somehow be altered, an achievement said to require unusual ability, the event the memory depicts itself will be rewritten. Such an alteration can draw the attention of Mora himself to the memory and those within.[4][3][5]

It is said that spending too long within the Panopticon will drive the mortal mind insane,[2] and indeed that the very sight of the Panopticon's interior can drive a mortal to madness. Being exposed to the secrets and memories within the Panopticon that Mora values has been known to drive even Watchlings to insanity, with the overall effect taking centuries to recover from.[6]

The Mythos, the core and foundation of Apocrypha which is situated beneath the Ichor Sea and described as the place where Hermaeus Mora "imagined the concept of knowledge" and whispered the "first secret" to create his realm, is directly connected to the Infinite Panopticon and can be reached from within.[4][3][5][6][7]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c On the Infinite Panopticon
  2. ^ a b c d Working in the Infinite PanopticonCataloger Volgunn
  3. ^ a b c d Leramil's dialogue in ESO
  4. ^ a b Hermaeus Mora's dialogue in ESO
  5. ^ a b Torvesard's dialogue in ESO
  6. ^ a b Scruut's dialogue in ESO
  7. ^ The Mythos' loading screen in ESO
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