The Aureal (or Aureals), more commonly known as Golden Saints, are Daedric humanoids who appear as men or half-clad women with golden-hued skin wearing golden armor and a winged helmet. They serve under the command of the Daedric Prince Sheogorath. Their home is Brellach in the Shivering Isles, but despite their name, they have little love for the mortal inhabitants of the Shivering Isles. The Aureal are a proud, arrogant race, quick to anger and cruel in their punishment. There is no question that they view all in the Isles as inferior, and make no effort to hide this in their interactions.
They are a matriarchal society, tending to look down upon all males. Even male Golden Saints consider themselves and other males to be lesser. The Aureal have a caste system with an eight-tier hierarchy, ascending from lowest to highest in rank as follows: Auren, Auredel, Aurmok, Aurmokel, Aurig, Malaurig, Pelaurig and Aurmazl.
Their skin tones are various shades of yellow, the most common being gold, and their eyes are yellow and cat-like. They frequently wear their hair, which is often shown to be golden, blonde, and occasionally red or copper, in Elven-esque styles. They also seemingly possess golden teeth, with the symbol of Sheogorath engraved onto each one.
The Aureal make up one half of Sheogorath's army, along with the Mazken. The two groups have a great rivalry, each believing they are Sheogorath's favored. The Aureal are charged with guarding Mania. In times of peace, they act as guards, patrolling the realm for criminals and hostile creatures. In times of war, they favor swords, war-axes, their golden heavy armor, and are placed under the command of the Duke of Mania. Like many Daedra, they are commonly summoned to Tamriel.
In 3E 433, the Aureal's wellspring in Brellach was taken by Order, which turned the Aureal defenders to stone. Sheogorath sent his Champion to Brellach, where he was able to destroy the Order Crystals and rescue the Aureal. The Champion earned their respect, and later their adoration when Sheogorath was freed from his curse and the Champion became the new Madgod.
Gallery
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Golden Saint (Morrowind)
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Golden Saint (Shivering Isles)
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Golden Saint (ESO)
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Male Golden Saint (Shivering Isles)
Notes
- The term "Aureal" was first introduced in the Shivering Isles expansion for TES IV: Oblivion. They were referred to only as "Golden Saints" in TES III: Morrowind.
- They are not to be confused with the Aurorans, another humanoid Daedric species.
See Also
- Golden Saint Names
- For game-specific information, see the Morrowind, Shivering Isles and ESO articles.
Books
- Darkest Darkness — A description of various Daedra
- Saints and Seducers de Andoche Marie — Sentinels of the Isles: A treatise on Golden Saint / Dark Seducer culture and history within the Shivering Isles
- Varieties of Daedra de Aranea Drethan, Healer and Dissident Priest — An analysis of Daedra forms, focusing primarily on the Dremora