By Cipher Sethali
Every arcane student knows that Daedra are perilous to deal with. Only the bravest heroes or most accomplished mages dare face a powerful Daedra in battle. But each Daedra possesses a secret vulnerability that can deliver it into the hands of the clumsiest apprentice: its nymic, or true name.
Armed with knowledge of a Daedra's nymic, a mortal can imprison, banish, or compel a Daedra who otherwise could crush its summoner like an insect. In general, simple-minded Daedra have but a single nymic. Daedra of stronger will and purpose have two, three, or even more nymics. A mortal mage must make use of each one in order to bend the Daedra to his or her will.
The portions of a nymic are as follows.
The first and simplest nymic is the protonymic. Some scholars believe the protonymic is a description of kindred or species for creatures who lack the self-awareness to identify themselves as individuals. This seems doubtful, however. Surely, not all daedrats possess the same name.
More sophisticated Daedra possess a neonymic as well as a protonymic. Creatures such as Dremora, Skaafin, or Watchers can be checked (or angered) by the use of their protonymic alone, but a summoner must also use the creature's neonymic to be certain of banishing it.
In addition, many intelligent Daedra also possess tribunymics and hieronymics that indicate the creature's affiliations and its rank. To a Daedra, these are more than mere titles; they are integral parts of the creature's identity. Whether a mortal summoner strictly needs these nymics is a rather murky question, but it's best to assume that one should learn everything that can be known about a Daedra before one attempts to use its nymic.
It's rumored that Daedric Princes possess nymics beyond the protonymic and neonymic. These serve as additional layers of protection against adversaries who think to compel such a being to do their bidding. If these nymics exist, they are certainly powerful and guarded with extreme care.
Finally, let your humble scribe add a warning: To use a nymic is to make an enemy. Daedra bitterly resent those who exercise power over them in this way. In fact, it's exceedingly dangerous to even write a Daedra's nymic. Should that Daedra learn even part of its name has been recorded somewhere, it will stop at nothing to destroy the writing and punish the mortal who dared to set it down.
