Lore
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The world of Nirn has a long history before the events in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Many stories and adventures have taken place in Tamriel.
The Elder Scrolls games have centered around the various provinces of the Empire, the continent-spanning civilization reminiscent of the real-life Roman Empire.
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[edit] The early years of the Empire
Long ago, before the Empire, Tamriel was in chaos. This period was called the "Days and Nights of Blood and Venom." The kings of this period were petty tyrants who resisted Tiber Septim's attempts to bring order to Tamriel. Septim eventually succeeded in conquering Tamriel by force in 2E 896. The next year the Emperor Tiber Septim I declared the beginning of the third era. Septim I ruled Tamriel for thirty eight years, bringing justice and prosperity to all. This period was known as the Golden Age of Tamriel.
The Emperor's grandson Pelagius I assumed the throne. He was as strong as his grandfather and the Golden Age's prosperity continued under his short rule. Tragically, after less than three years on the throne, he was assassinated by the Dark Brotherhood in the Temple of the One.
Pelagius I had no children so the crown passed to Kintrya I, the former queen of Silvenar. Her reign was blessed with bountiful harvests and prosperity. She was an avid patron of art, music, and dance.
After her death, Kintrya's son was named Emperor. He was the first to use the name Uriel. Uriel I was the great law maker of the Septim dynasty. He helped the Fighter's Guild and Mage's Guild to gain strength and popularity. His son, Uriel II, ruled for eighteen years. Unfortunately, his reign was cursed by blight, plague, and insurrection. The Empire suffered greatly under his rule.
Pelagius II inherited the throne from his father in 3E 82. Unfortunately he also inherited his father's large debt. He dismissed the whole Elder Council in place of new members. His vassals followed suit and soon Tamriel returned to its former greatness, although he dismissed many wise advisors along the way.
Antiochus, the grandson of Pelagius II, was definitely the most flamboyant member of the Septim family. He had many mistresses as well as wives, and was renowned for his good humor and grand dress. Unfortunately his reign was filled with civil war to an even greater extent than Uriel II. The War of the Isle nearly took Summerset Isle from the empire in 3E 110. King Orghum, the rebellion's leader, was only defeated due to a freak storm.
Kintrya II's story is a tragic one. She inherited the throne from her father but Uriel III declared her an illegitimate daughter. The accusation failed to stop her coronation. Uriel gained the support of the kings of Morrowind, High Rock, and Skyrim and coordinated a three pronged attack on the Empire.
Kintrya II's entourage was massacred on Illiac Bay and Kintrya herself was captured. She was taken to an Imperial prison where she stayed for two years before being slain under mysterious circumstances. The second attack occurred on the Imperial garrisons on the coastal islands of Morrowind where the Empress' consort was killed while defending the forts. The final attack was against the Imperial City after the Elder Council split up to defend against the other attacks. The siege lasted only a fortnight and on the same evening Uriel III declared himself the Emperor of Tamriel in 3E 121. Thus began the War of the Red Diamond. Uriel III not only proclaimed himself Emperor but added the surname Septim, thus starting the tradition of taking the name Septim, which exists to the present day.
[edit] The War of the Red Diamond and Aftermath
The War of the Red Diamond lasted for six years. Eventually, Cephorus I, Uriel III's uncle, arose victorious. His rule consisted of nothing more than war. He was considered a kind and intelligent man but he was also a great warrior. It took him another ten years of war to defeat his sister, Potema, in 3E 137. Cephorus I died three years later.
Cephorus I had no children so Pelagius II's fourth son, Magnus, assumed the throne. Magnus was elderly upon taking the throne and his reign was short and uneventful. His son, Pelagius III, often called Pelagius the Mad, inherited the throne from his father. He was eccentric and known for embarrassing court dignitaries, offending his vassals and, on one occasion, ending an Imperial Ball by attempting to hang himself.
His wife, Katriah I was awarded the regency of Tamriel and Pelagius was sent to an asylum where he died at the age of 34. She was then proclaimed Empress after her husband's death. Her reign was one of the most celebrated in history, as she traveled throughout Tamriel and was well loved by the citizens. She died in a skirmish in the Black Marsh.
Cassynder took the throne after his mother's death and only ruled Tamriel for two years before joining his ancestors in slumber. His half brother, Uriel Lariet (Uriel IV), left his kingdom to accept the throne of his brother.
Uriel IV's reign was a long and difficult one. He was constantly at odds with the Elder Council and he wielded little power during his rule. Their last victory over Uriel IV was to deny his son the throne, giving it instead to Cephorus II.
Cephorus' rule was plagued by an invasion of Daedra and undead led by a man known as the Camoran Usurper. Cephorus ordered attack after bloody attack against the Daedra, but to no avail. Camoran was finally defeated in a battle the Empire was not involved in at all. The Empire's lack of help in the invasion shook confidence in its power.
Fortunately, Uriel V, Cephorus II's son, restored the trust of Tamriel through a series of invasions starting in 3E 268. He conquered Roscrea, Cathnoquet, Yneslea, and Esroniet. After his successful campaigns he embarked on an invasion of Akavir where he died in the Battle of Ionith. He is remembered as one of the two warrior Emperors of Tamriel, the other being Tiber himself.
[edit] The recent emperors
Uriel VI was only five when his father died in distant Akavir, and his mother was proclaimed regent in his stead. Uriel VI was only allowed to rule when he reached 22 years of age, and even then the Elder Council fought his rule as it heralded an end to their unrestrained power. In fact, Uriel's only real power at the start of his reign was the Imperial veto. He used this power often, and 13 years later he could truly say he ruled Tamriel.
When Uriel died in a fall from a horse, his sister, Morihatha, was proclaimed the new Empress. She was widely known as the most beautiful creature alive. She was the one responsible for creating the position of Imperial Battlemage. She continued to strengthen the Empire's hold on Cyrodiil, but outside of the Imperial Providence the Empire was slowly disintegrating. Morihatha slowly began returning the wayward provinces to the Empire's rule. To many people's dismay, her rule was cut short by assassins.
Pelagius IV inherited his aunt's throne and continued to bring the provinces to the Empire. Although he failed to completely unite Tamriel, he brought the Empire one step closer to unity.
The next Emperor, His Awesome and Terrible Majesty Uriel Septim VII, was undoubtedly one of the most powerful emperors Tamriel had seen for years. However, in 3E 389, his Imperial Battlemage, Jagar Tharn, imprisoned him in an alternate dimension. Jagar then assumed the Emperor's aspect and titles. For ten years Tharn abused Imperial privileges and halted Uriel VII's reconquest of Tamriel. Tharn's goals were not clear, but regardless in 3E 399 an enigmatic champion defeated the Imperial Battlemage and freed Uriel VII from the other dimension he was imprisoned in. After his rescue, he worked diligently to restore the Empire to it's former glory, with many believing that he would lead Tamriel to a second Golden Age.
[edit] Present-day Tamriel
Unfortunately there would never be a second Golden Age at this time in Tamriel's history. In 3E 433, shortly after the assassination of his sons, The Emperor Uriel Septim VII was assassinated by members of a Mehrunes Dagon-worshipping cult called the Mythic Dawn on his escape, through the Imperial City Prison. An escaped prisoner, who had appeared in the Emperor's dreams, was entrusted with the Amulet of Kings. The prisoner then took the amulet to the Grandmaster of the Blades, and helped them to find Uriel's illegitimate final heir, Martin Septim, who had lived as a servant of the Nine Divines in the city of Kvatch. Although Martin and the prisoner managed to drive off the swarms of Daedra invading Cyrodiil, Martin's mortal form was destroyed when he transformed into the avatar of Akatosh, to destroy the Daedric Prince Mehrunes Dagon. He was the last surviving member of the Septim blood line and for the first time the Empire is left without an Emperor and no heirs. These may be dark days indeed for the Empire of Tamriel.
[edit] Books regarding Tamriel's lore
- Brief History of the Empire, v 1
- Brief History of the Empire, v 2
- Brief History of the Empire, v 3
- Brief History of the Empire, v 4
- Darkest Darkness – Discusses daedra and their worshippers in Morrowind
- The Eastern Provinces
- Frontier, Conquest – A social history of Cyrodiil
- Mixed Unit Tactics – About the Five Years War between the Khajiit and the Bosmer
- Mysterious Akavir – Information about the continent of Akavir
- On Morrowind – About the Morrowind province
- Provinces of Tamriel
- Report: Disaster at Ionith – About the Emperor's plans in the late 200s to invade Akavir
- Tamrielic Lore – More about unique Tamrielic artifacts such as the Mehrunes Razor and the Cuirass of the Savior's Hide
