Being mainly known as places of worship, shrines in Skyrim belong both to the Nine Divines as well as to Daedric Princes. And each shrine that you find will give you a blessing that fits accordingly to the deity that it represents. I’m not here to judge whether you’d like to receive a blessing from Akatosh or from Mephala – it’s up to you whether you’d like to have your soul rise to the skies or sink to Oblivion once you die. Some of the blessings that you can get from the Daedra are lovely, though. So a few years with your soul burning in hell might end up being worth it! In any case here is my ranking of all 14 shrines to be found in Skyrim and the effects that each of them gives you, should you choose to spend time praying to them. Keep in mind that my ranking is representative, as the blessings serve different purposes. My first pick might be your 7th – it all depends on what you’re after. Also, keep in mind that praying to any deity will rid you of all diseases that might be plaguing your system. Yes, praying to Daedra princes does the same. They don’t seem so bad after all, right?
14. Daedric – Shrine of Azura
Location: You can find a Shrine of Azura in the Raven Rock Temple. Ah, Azura. She is one of the Daedric deities that cause the more conflict among mortals, as she’s not one of the worst ones out there. We know all about the Star of Azura, but what can we expect to receive if we were to pray in one of her shrines? Well she gives you a 10% buff to resist magic of all sorts. As somber as it might sound, I suggest you to ask Azura for her blessing if you intend to go on a murderous rampage against a bunch of mages.
13. Daedric – Shrine of Mephala
Location: Much like the Shrine of Azura, you can find the Shrine of Mephala in the Raven Rock temple. If you’re going to go around negotiating prices you might want to find a shrine of Mephala first. Mephala is one of the darkest Daedra out there, but many of her followers claim that she intervenes in human affairs for good. Whether that’s true or not is hard to tell, as the things she does sometimes seem to be for the sole purpose of her enjoyment. In any case, a blessing given to you by Mephala will allow you to get 10% better prices when negotiating. A Daedric deity of discounts, if you would.
12. Daedric – Shrine of Boethiah
Location: Yes, it can be found in the Raven Rock Temple. You guessed it. Praying to the Shrine of Boethiah grants you a fantastic % boost to your one-handed damage. Warriors, rejoice! Should you pray to this Daedric prince, your fighting skills will be boosted. Why wouldn’t you love to pray to the Daedric Prince of treachery and deceit? Surely nothing could go wrong after doing it?
11. Daedric – Shrine of Nocturnal
Location: You have to go to The Ragged Flagon in Riften after the “Darkness Return” quest to find this shrine. Nocturnal is the Daedric prince that guides the Dark Brotherhood, and you might guess why that is. He’s the deity of stealth and darkness. Which means that you can expect to keep him close to your heart if you intend to live the life of a thief or an assassin. The Shrine of Nocturnal grants you the ability to become 10% harder to detect! Those of you who are used to praying before going on a quest might want to consider changing deities and choosing Nocturnal as your guide if you walk the path between good and evil.
10. Nine Divines – Shrine of Zenithar
Location: There are various shrines of Zenithar in the game. Riften, the Four Skull Lookout and the Temple of the Divines are the main places where you can find them. Zenithar is the Divine deity that oversees hard work and commerce. He’s one of the most venerated deities in the lands of Tamriel, and many vendors tend to put their faith in the hands of Zenithar. As such, whenever you decide to barter in a store you might want to have the blessing of this Divine first – it makes all prices in the game 10% better!
9. Nine Divines – Shrine of Julianos
Location: The easiest Shrine of Julianos to access is the one at the Temple of the Divines. The God of wisdom and logic is keen to grant you a 25-point boost to your overall magicka. Because wizards are smart, I guess. Worth a visit if you have time.
8. Nine Divines – Shrine of Mara
Location: The Temple of Mara and the Temple of the Divines are two locations where you can find shrines to this Divine. Mara is the deity of love and compassion, which means that her blessing increases the effectiveness of all spells of the School of Restoration by 10%. What? Were you expecting it to boost your flirting skills? It’s Skyrim, man. That’s not how things work. If you wish to marry someone, you’ll need to be wearing the AMULET of Mara, not her blessing!
7. Nine Divines – Shrine of Talos
Location: Talos is praised all across Skyrim, so you’ll be able to find shrines of his in many of the land’s cities as well as in the Temple of the Divines There is nothing more commanding that being blessed by the Divine of governance and war himself. And a blessing from Talos will grant you a 20% decrease on the time you have to wait between shouts. Never walk into a battle unprepared again, as there are shrines of Talos all over Skyrim. Just pray before battle and get buffed, and even if you die a place amongst the Divines might be guaranteed.
6. Nine Divines – Shrine of Kynareth
Location: Visit the Temple of Kynareth in Whiterun if you wish to devote yourself to the goddess of everything that you can’t see. Kynareth is the goddess of the air and nature, but a blessing from her shrine will grant you 25 points of stamina for 8 hours. Short, sweet and to the point.
5. Nine Divines – Shrine of Stendarr
Location: The Two Pillars are home to the most iconic Shrine of Stendarr in the game, but just like the other shrines of the Divines you also find it one at the Temple of the Divines. Stendarr is the god of mercy. And his blessing is sure to give you enough chance to consider whether you’d like to spare your enemies or kill them, as it grants you a 20% boost to your defensive blocks in battle.
4. Nine Divines – Shrine of Akatosh
Location: Steamcrag Hillock has a cool Akatosh shrine that you’d do well paying a visit to. Akatosh is one of the most badass deities in The Elder Scrolls, as it was very clearly shown in Oblivion. If you wish to pray at a shine of Akatosh and you seek for the blessing of the dragon god, then prepare to receive a boost of 10% to your magicka regeneration. A dragon god and a friend of mages – who would figure?
3. Nine Divines – Shrine of Dibella
Location: There is a Temple of Dibella in Markrath, in case you don’t want to see the other divines when praying for the goddess. Dibella is the goddess of beauty, and praying to her will make other people think that you’re pretty and concede you a +10-point boost to your speech skill. Let others be fooled by this illusion and take full advantage of the buff granted by the goddess of beauty.
2. Nine Divines – Shrine of Arkay
Location: Every Hall of the Dead in every city in the game has a Shrine of Arkay in honor of the fallen. Arkay is the Divine that oversees life and death on Earth. And as such, praying to him will grant a +25 increase to your health. You’ll be able to take a few more hits for eight hours!
1. Elvish – Shrine of Auriel
Location: There are two shrines of Auriel in Skyrim – one in the Darkfall Cave and another one at the Inner Sanctum. There are two shrines of Auriel in all of Skyrim, and those are the only two representations of Elvish pantheon that you’ll find on these lands. Auriel is the Elvish equivalent of Akatosh in their religion, and two of Auriel’s shrines represent a small minority of people in the lands that worship him. Praying in any of the two shrines of Auriel in the game will grant you a boost of 10% effectiveness to your missile weapons. An ideal deity to worship if you happen to be a bowman.
