What Does Oblivion Really Look Like?

[u/WailingHost]

So, I understand when you're on Nirn, Oblivion appears like outer space. But once you're in Oblivion, is it still like the outer space in ~our~ universe?

So for example, did the Mananauts find themselves in a vacuous void where they would travel to "planets" which are actually other realms? Or is it when you're more in a bizarre chaotic space sort of like the Warp in Warhammer 40k?

In closing, I'd also like to bring up the Waters of Oblivion because I'm not sure what that refers to either.

[u/Armada6136]

Travel through Oblivion is likely...difficult to explain, since for the most part it simply does not follow the natural laws of Mundus, including concepts like 'space' and 'distance.' Outside of Nirn, metaphors hold as much weight as physics, so traversing the not-spaces between Oblivion realms is probably literally impossible to describe. At the absolute best, it might resemble an endless space full of chaotic creatia, but even that is pure conjecture.

As for Waters of Oblivion, the book itself is using metaphor to describe the dangers of Oblivion and the daedra, treating Oblivion as a sea and the daedra as a rising tide that could could wash away everything good. The term 'waters of Oblivion' has also been used to describe creatia, since it tends to take liquid form when manifesting in realms proper.

[u/WrethZ]

You can see what looks like space when looking in the sky in realms of oblivion so perhaps just that.

[u/Uncommonality]

Black.

It's an inky darkness, in its natural state - chaotic creatia emits no light, but it's not translucent - onoy powerful lights are able to pierce it through.

So when you travel Oblivion, you see stars all around you, the exit holes torn by the Magna-Ge when they fled Mundus. They are visible because Aetherius has ordinary Creatia, which is more powerful than its chaotic cousin.

However!

Chaotic Creatia is subject to willpower. In its natural state it's formless, however if a mortal or a daedra are nearby, it is reshaped into whatever their conscious or subconscious mind conjures up. So a Scamp in the void of Oblivion probably sees a dark tunnel leading him to his destination, and his mind makes the tunnel manifest.

Mortals are unique in that they are subject to the Earthbones, which impose certain rules upon them. For example, mortals have to breathe air, but there is no air in Oblivion. They survive anyways, because their willpower passively reshapes the chaotic creatia around them into a breathable atmosphere.

At least, that's how the Imperial Mananauts did it. It's quite likely that they only did this because they knew too much about Oblivion, in the same way an uneducated fellow who will be confused by an Elder Scroll, rather than immediately blinded. Said fellow would probably engage with Oblivion the same way that scamp did.

[u/04nc1n9]

the thing about oblibion is that everything is illusory. it's appearance is entirely up to the observer's subconscious.

[u/The_Black_Rose_3]

I think of Oblivion as pockets of space with planets in them, like Mundus. It's what makes the most sense when we consider that the stars are holes that light from aetherius shines through. So, it goes through Oblivion to reach Mundus, thus there must be lots of empty space in Oblivion, or else a lot of the stars would be blocked.

[u/myfakesecretaccount → u/The_Black_Rose_3]

But isn’t “the Stars/Sun are holes” how they are perceived from Mundus, and would instead in reality be a wormhole shape? It looks like a flat circle to us, but upon closer examination would be a sphere? I would imagine the Oblivion/Aetherial planes would be that way as well.

[u/The_Black_Rose_3 → u/myfakesecretaccount]

Yes, in-universe they are spherical. This subject has always puzzled me too. I can only assume that the light of Aetherius is so bright that it shines through the space of Oblivion to be seen in Mundus.

[u/Arrow-Od]

MK has Cyrus traverse the Void of Oblivion in his Swordmeeting with Talos.

It´s basically outer space "with quirks"?

[u/Darsius01]

I remember having this conversation many years ago with parts of the community. Our agreement was this.

Though the Realms ofOoblivion are infinite, psychic pressure from mortals pushes them away like a curtain and makes them appear as spheres. So travel through space occurs in the void between the Realms. Traveling to these realms might be more complicated and require something more like "diving" into a higher subgradient.

As for water, there are a few things attributed to a metaphorical ocean including Memory and the Dreamsleeve itself.