Azura, the Mistress of Dawn and Dusk, finds herself on a shortlist of Elder Scrolls Princes not considered to be entirely malevolent. Her enigmatic nature makes her true motives often hard to decipher. Nevertheless, her followers are loyal and numerous, particularly among the Dark Elves.
Her artifact, the Azura Star, will never be mistaken for an ordinary soul gem. Its mystical properties prevent it from ever being destroyed and allows it to be used continuously for the purposes of enchanting. It's thus quite a boon for the aspiring mage willing to unlock its mysteries. Plus, unlike other Daedric artifacts, the player will actually be able to sleep at night after acquiring it...
10 It Can Trap Gods
Any Elder Scrolls fan worth their salt knows that Azura's Star functions as a soul gem. The largest type of soul that can fit into the artifact is a grand one. But what exactly constitutes the word "grand?" It turns out that the definition of "grand" can be stretched quite a bit.
In The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, Azura's Star is the only vessel of its kind capable of capturing the souls of gods. More specifically, the essences of Almalexia and Vivec can be contained within the Star if soul-trapped and killed. Unsurprisingly, their souls make for some mighty fine enchanting.
9 Two Versions Exist
As a Daedric artifact, Azura's Star tends to stand out from the rest. Part of its uniqueness stems from the fact that two versions of it actually exist. None of the other Princes possess an alternative version of the same object. In Azura's case, the Black Star serves as that alternative.
The Black Star can almost be thought of as a perversion of the original. It's able to trap black souls, those of humanoid creatures, which is a practice Azura refuses to condone. Regardless, the mage Nelacar is able to perform the necessary alterations in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Azura, naturally, won't be pleased.
8 It Has An Interior
Once again, the Star possesses yet another nifty feature that is often absent in other Daedric artifacts. Since the purpose of the Star is to contain souls, the interior of the artifact can actually be observed. Of course, in order to see the interior, one must be soul-trapped first. It's not a particularly pleasant experience.
The space inside the Star is crystalline in nature. Spikes of white, luminescent crystals jut out of the landscape in every conceivable fashion. There's even a series of convenient walkways the Dragonborn can utilize to get around. It's not a great place to spend the rest of eternity, but aesthetically, it's quite pretty.
7 The Name Comes From A Constellation
Many people may be inclined to think that the Star is given its name due to its shape. That is only partly correct. The Star has more to do with astronomy than one may think. In fact, there exists in Tamriel a constellation that is also named "Azura's Star."
Azura is often described as the Mistress of Dawn and Dusk. As such, the constellation is purportedly only visible in the brief time between dawn and dusk. Its position is just below that of the Steed constellation.
6 Its Function Has Always Been The Same
Azura's Star has been a familiar inclusion in The Elder Scrolls franchise for some time. The artifact has made an appearance in every numbered entry in the series except for Arena. Many other Daedric objects have similar lifespans. The utility of the Star, however, has never changed.
It's quite common that artifacts in earlier installments possess slightly different functions. That's not the case for Azura's Star. Its usage has always revolved around trapping souls, whether human or not. It's likely a safe bet to assume that none of this will change when The Elder Scrolls VI releases.
5 The Black Star Can Hold White Souls
If the Dragonborn decides to take Nelacar's side when determining the artifact's fate, the player will be rewarded with the Black Star. However, there's a bit of a misnomer associated with it. Nelacar at one point states that the Star will only be capable of capturing black souls.
That statement is actually incorrect. The truth is the Black Star can hold both black and white souls. The original, untainted version of the Star is the one that is limited in its capabilities as it cannot capture the souls of humanoids. For this reason, the Black Star is typically considered the more useful reward.
4 The Guards Respect It
Much has been written concerning the dialogue in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. The little tidbits the Hold guards usually drop is no exception. Frequently, they will comment when they detect something unique in the player's inventory.
Interestingly, Azura's Star is one of the few Daedric artifacts that will not engender absolute revulsion from the guards. Rather, they respect the Star for its inherent beauty and power. For example, they may say: "By Shor, is that...is that Azura's Star? How did you come to possess such a rare treasure?"
3 The Shrine In Skyrim Is Holding It
The Shrine of Azura in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is one of the most breathtaking landscapes in the whole region. Situated atop a mountain, its fine craftsmanship is instantly visible even at great distances. When examined closely, players may be surprised to find what Azura is holding.
Azura is grasping the dawn and the dusk in her left and right hands, respectively. The dawn that she holds in her left hand is actually represented by her Star. It's a cool little attention to detail that can easily be overlooked.
2 Its Appearance Sometimes Differs
Every time an Elder Scrolls game gets a new entry, the visuals obviously get an upgrade. It's also not uncommon that objects featured across multiple titles sometimes get a fresh look. Azura's Star is no exception, although, on the whole, it has retained a relatively consistent appearance.
For example, the Star itself is always eight-pointed. Cosmetically, it's gone through some minor differentiation. In The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, the Star resembles something more akin to a sun. In The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, the ends are straight rather than curved, as they are in the fifth title.
1 It Can Lead To Some Bad Feelings
The player is ultimately left with a choice at the conclusion of Azura's quest in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. The Dragonborn can choose to be loyal to the Prince and restore the Star to its former glory. Or, the player can decide to defile the artifact in order to make it a bit more powerful.
Aranea Ienith, a priestess of Azura, favors the former option. Nelacar, an experienced Altmeri mage, supports the latter plan. Whoever gets the short end of the stick will have some pretty choice words for the Dragonborn. Aranea, for instance, will even threaten to kill the Dragonborn for daring to desecrate such a divine relic.