Lore:Cuhlecain

Cuhlecain, known widely as Emperor Zero,  was a petty-king of Falkreath who sought to claim the Imperial City amidst the Interregnum, like many others at the time. He was able to unite the Colovian Estates with help from his prized general Hjalti Early-Beard, and his conquests were the progenitor of the Third Empire.  He has since been memorialized by the Cult of Emperor Zero, founded in his honor by his successor,  .  
 

History
Cuhlecain was born in the  ic kingdom of Falkreath, which at the time was part of the  . He later assumed the title of its king and sought to reunite the fractured Estates. Before he could advance south, he recognized the need to secure his northern border, where the Nords and the   had long been at war. Cuhlecain's forces allied with  , and his general,  , led his armies. The general's resilience and his efficiency with the   gave Cuhlecain the power to claim the Colovian West, and so his forces soon moved south across the  .  An allied force of Nords and  s took control over the Jerall region and its various mountain passes and settlements. The holy fortress of   was captured in   and became a great roadblock to Cuhlecain's conquest. In response, the king sent his general, now known as  , to retake the city. In the midst of the Sack of Sancre Tor, Talos found the   and left the city in ruins upon the realization of its weak strategic location. 

Cuhlecain's and Talos' military successes caught the attention of  , a remnant of  's   from several years prior. Renald began to support Cuhlecain's campaign for the  , but only did so to get closer to Talos Stormcrown.  Within a year, King Cuhlecain brought the Estates together and made his way to the  . The defending battlemages quickly surrendered and Cuhlecain took control of the Imperial City. 

Before he could be named the Emperor of Cyrodiil, however, Cuhlecain was murdered by an unknown assailant in  . The historical consensus is that he was assassinated by Reachmen from the  ,  yet other sources say that his death was the result of a conspiracy by General Talos, who then blamed it on his enemies.  Regardless, Talos' throat was also slit in the attack, and although he survived, he was no longer able to use his thu'um. The general subsequently donned Cuhlecain's crown and took the Cyrodilic name   as the first true emperor of the  . 

Tiber Septim continued Cuhlecain's legacy of conquest by advancing upon other nations like   and  . In honor of his former king, Septim founded the  , which recognized the king's wisdom in appointing Septim as his general and his bravery in the battle for the Imperial City. The cult hood is among the most popular temple-cults worshipped in the Nibenay region. Cuhlecain's visage was crafted by topiary-mages, which were displayed throughout  . 

Notes
During the  , Falkreath was governed by the  , one of the several Colovian merchant families that made up the estates. It has strong ties to the holds of  ,  but whether Cuhlecain was related to the noble family is unknown.
The  , a minor noble family near the   in Colovia, supported King Cuhlecain's bid for the Ruby Throne back when he was vying for control of the Estates. One of their own,  , served as Admiral of the Imperial Navy and was known for his victory at the  . 

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