Lore:Imperial City

The Imperial City, (also known as Cyrodiil City , the Imperial Capital, the Capital, just Cyrodiil  and as the City of a Thousand Cults ) is the capital city of Cyrodiil and the entire Empire. Culturally Nibenese, it is described as the heart of Tamriel. 

A thriving city, its flooded lower dwellings are sailed by gondolas and riverboats. Moth Priests walk the streets in clouds of ancestor moths. House guards bearing exceptionally long daikatanas keep watch over the streets. The city proper is located on City Isle, which lies in the center of Lake Rumare, but continues across the lake and merges into ruins left by the Interregnum and the villages of the southern Niben River. The city stains the mouth of the Niben red with the tinmi soil of Rumare's shores.  
 

History
Merethic Era And First Era
thumb|right|A depiction of the Lore:Aldmer|Aldmer with the White-Gold Tower in the Merethic Era
Before the founding of the city, when Beastfolk dominated Tamriel, the native Bird Men lived on the eight islands. In the middle Merethic era Topal the Pilot, in search of Aldmeris, came upon the islands and the native Bird Men. Topal lived among them for some time and, in exchange for the secrets of literacy, was gifted the eight islands for the Aldmer.  
The history of the Imperial City itself began with the construction of the White-Gold Tower by the earliest Aldmeri migrants to Cyrodiil in the middle Merethic Era and was the center of the region occupied by their Ayleid descendants. The tower was originally called the Temple of the Ancestors, and was home to the Ten Ancestors, a set of Ayleid statues made from meteoric iron and glass.  By  , due to the long lines of communication between the high kings in the Crystal Tower and the tributary kings in White-Gold, the latter had become an independent state. 
Pelinal battles Umaril atop the White-Gold Tower circa  |thumb|left
In  , one year into the Alessian Slave Rebellion, the Alessian forces advanced on the city. The Ayleids attempted to blockade the northern bridge (known as Heldon Bridge) to the City, driving back Alessia's Nordic reinforcements. This enraged Pelinal, who thus assaulted their lines and slaughtered the Ayleids holding Heldon Bridge before the Nords could even ready their arms.  This battle later became known as Pelinal's Midyear Massacre, marking a key event in the city's capture.  During the siege, the Ten Ancestors were removed from the City and dispersed among other Ayleid cities.  Once Pelinal breached the White-Gold Tower, the Ayleid king Umaril the Unfeathered challenged him to a duel. Outraged by the hesitation of the other rebel leaders to assault the Tower, Pelinal confronted Umaril alone. Though wounded by the Ayleid king, he prevailed, but was immediately killed and cut into eight pieces by the other Ayleid kings. The next morning Morihaus shook the White-Gold Tower by smashing into it; the humans of the rebellion had finally claimed the City for Alessia.  While official histories of the First Empire state that when Alessia's forces captured the Tower, all the Ayleids' relics of arcane power were taken and destroyed, others insisted that a king had escaped with the chief artifacts. 

On the 23rd of Sun's Dawn   Emperor Gorieus was crowned in the Imperial City without any entertainment in accordance with Marukh's doctrine. 
right|thumb|A painting of the Imperial City contemporaneous with the Alessian Order
In  , the Imperial City survived a plague that swept the Colovian West unscathed and killed King Mhorus Larich of Skingrad, which led his eldest surviving son Dorald, an Alessian priest in the Imperial City, to immediately cede the kingdom to the Empire. 

In  , construction of the Imperial Arena began under Gaiden Shinji. 

According to the Remanada, Reman was then found at Sancre Tor with the Amulet of Kings embedded in his forehead by a shepherdess who carried the infant to the White-Gold Tower and placed him on the throne uncontested at an unknown date in the First Era. 

Imperial painters resumed painting the Imperial City in its entirety late into the thirtieth century of the First Era, after severe Alessian restrictions on artists which grew into cultural taboos fell. 

Throughout  , the Imperial City saw many great events. On the 19th of Mid Year the Potentate arrived in the Imperial City amid great fanfare, the streets lined with men and women cheering him as the symbol of the taking of Ald Marak. During Sun's Dusk, preparations were made for the arrival of Vivec in the Imperial Palace, an event attended by prominent nobles such as King Dro'Zel of Senchal. The audience chamber of the Palace dangled silver ribbons from the rafters, burning cauldrons of sweet herbs simmered in every corner, and Pyandonean swallowtails swept through the air, singing their songs. On the 6th of Evening Star Emperor Reman III was assassinated by the Morag Tong on behalf of Versidue-Shaie on his own throne. On the 22nd of Evening Star Versidue-Shaie announced from the Speaker's Balcony of the Imperial Palace that the Cyrodiil line was dead and that he would assume the role of Emperor but keep the title of Potentate, with his first act being the declaration of the beginning of the Second Era. 

Second Era
ON-concept-22.jpg|left|thumb|The three alliances fight for control of the Cityright|thumb|Dark Anchors over the Imperial City and IsleDaedric Titans in the City|thumb|right
Sometime before   the Reachman warlord Durcorach the Black Drake conquered the Imperial City, and was proclaimed Emperor of Cyrodiil shortly after. Durcorach married   to legitimize his rule, and the so-called Longhouse Emperors would go on to rule over the Imperial City and Cyrodiil longer than most previous conquerors.  His son, Emperor Moricar the Middling, preferred to stay in the Imperial City rather than accompanying his armies.  After his own son, Prince Leovic, returned from his campaign against border raiders, he was received in the Great Hall of White-Gold, where he chose Clivia Tharn as his wife;  he had inherited the Ruby Throne by  . 

Varen's Rebellion ended in   when Varen Aquilarios's forces stormed the Imperial City and confronted Leovic's last legion in a bloody battle that razed the Market District. Varen personally dispatched Leovic at the foot of the Ruby Throne before proclaiming himself emperor. 

During the Planemeld, the Imperial City was invaded by the Daedric forces of Molag Bal, who were helped by the Worm Cult and the traitorous Legion Zero.  s opened above the city, from which Daedra flooded out, killing and enslaving the citizens of the City. A giant Dark Anchor was then opened above the White-Gold Tower. The Daggerfall Covenant, Ebonheart Pact, and Aldmeri Dominion invaded the City and extensively fought among themselves and against the legions of Daedra and Worm Cultists during the Three Banners War, in an effort to claim the Imperial City for themselves. 

Cuhlecain captured the Imperial City in  . Before he was crowned, however, he was assassinated, and Zurin Arctus then crowned Tiber Septim the new Emperor of all Cyrodiil. 

In   the Cult of the Ancestor Moth rose up in the Moth Rebellion. The Third Legion, mostly comprised of newly-recruited Colovian peasant boys, was sent from nearby Anvil to quell it. There the Legion earned its sobriquet "The Faithful" while besieged in the Hesod Barracks by the Cultists. After the rebellion ended, Tiber Septim triumphantly reentered the capital. 
 

Third Era
Destri Melarg, famed Redguard historian and translator began his study and writings in the Imperial City in  , where he took the last name of Melarg due to the Breton, Nordic, and Dark Elf cultures he encountered in the City. 

Under Antiochus, the city was as infamously decadent as its Emperor. The result of this was the War of the Red Diamond, in which the Imperial City was captured in only a fortnight by Uriel Septim III in   as two other attacks drew Imperial forces away from the capital. 

Circa   -  , the Mad Emperor Pelagius Septim III had the Imperial Palace have frequent early-morning scrubdowns due to his obsession with cleanliness. 

 
In  , Queen Barenziah accompanied her daughter and son on a journey to the Imperial City. Barenziah was there to plead with the emperor for aid, and hoped the presence of the children would soften his heart. However the false emperor remained unmoved, and when word came that evening that her husband Symmachus was killed in a revolt, the surviving royals were forced into exile. 

In   the Eternal Champion entered the Imperial City and descended into the depths of the Imperial Palace to face the imposter Jagar Tharn. Tharn was killed by the Champion, which freed Uriel Septim VII and General Warhaft, putting an end to the  .  Following the Restoration, a grand state memorial service was held for Symmachus at the Imperial City, befitting the man who had served the Septim Dynasty for so long and so well. 

thumb|right|Dagon's invasion of the city during the Oblivion Crisis (Oblivion)
The Oblivion Crisis began and ended in the Imperial City during  , with the assassination of Uriel Septim VII by the Mythic Dawn. Before he died, Septim gave the Amulet of Kings to a prisoner who had accompanied him and his Blades.  The prisoner then fled through the Imperial Prison's sewer system to Weynon Priory.  After the Defense of Bruma and the death of Mankar Camoran, the Hero of Kvatch and Martin Septim rushed to the Imperial City to meet High Chancellor Ocato. Just as Ocato accepted Martin's claim to the throne they were alerted that Oblivion gates had begun to open all over the City. High Chancellor Ocato, Martin Septim, his Blades and Imperial Legionary escorts fought their way through a besieged Imperial City. The Daedric Prince Mehrunes Dagon himself appeared in the city, marking the fall of the barriers between Oblivion and Nirn. The battle ended when Martin Septim, in a desperate last-ditch effort to light the Dragonfires, shattered the Amulet of Kings and became the Avatar of Akatosh. The Avatar banished Dagon back to Oblivion, ending the Crisis. The Avatar turned to stone, killing Martin, but also leaving a permanent reminder of his sacrifice in the form of a statue. 

Fourth Era
In  , Titus Mede captured the Imperial City with a thousand men and seized control of the Empire from Thules the Gibbering, marking the start of the Mede Dynasty.

The Forgotten Hero at the Battle of the Red Ring|thumb|right
In   during the Great War, Aldmeri armies advanced deeper into Cyrodiil and by the end of the year, the Dominion general Lord Naarifin had advanced to the very walls of the Imperial City. There were fierce naval clashes in Lake Rumare and along the Niben as the Imperial forces attempted to hold the eastern bank.

In  , fresh legions from Skyrim bolstered the Emperor's main army in the Imperial City, but the Aldmeri forced the crossing of the Niben and began advancing in force up the eastern bank. By the end of the year, the Imperial City was surrounded on three sides with only the northern supply route to Bruma remaining open.

During the spring of   Aldmeri reinforcements gathered in southern Cyrodiil and on 12th of Second Seed they launched a massive assault on the Imperial City itself. One army of the Dominion drove north to completely surround the city, while Lord Naarifin's main force attacked the walls from the south, east, and west. The Eighth Legion fought a desperate rearguard action on the walls of the city, while Titus Mede II broke out of the city to the north with his main army, smashing through the surrounding Aldmeri forces and linking up with reinforcements marching south from Skyrim under General Jonna. Meanwhile, however, the capital fell to the invaders and the infamous Sack of the Imperial City began. The Imperial Palace was burned, the White-Gold Tower itself looted, and the elves perpetrated atrocities against the populace. 

On the 30th of Rain's Hand in  , the Battle of the Red Ring occurred, named after the road that encircles the Imperial City, where Titus II split his remaining forces into three hosts that surrounded the occupied Imperial City. Titus himself was injured by assassins and unable to fight; however, unknown to his troops, his place was taken by the mysterious Forgotten Hero, who donned his armor and led the Legion to victory. An attempt by the Aldmeri to break out of the city to the south was blocked by the unbreakable shieldwall of General Jonna's battered legions. 

After a long, bloody battle, the Dominion army in Cyrodiil was utterly destroyed and the Imperial City recaptured. Lord Naarifin was hung from the top of White-Gold Tower and kept alive for thirty-three days.

The Warrior of Rivercrest was known to have traveled to the Imperial City at some point before the Great War where they became a Blade and lived there until they were forced to flee due to the Thalmor. 
 

Layout & Geography
At the center of the City is the Green Emperor Way, in which lies the White-Gold Tower at its own center. Beneath the city is an extensive underground whose sewers connect to various substructures which in turn break into the many natural caverns of the island. The White-Gold Tower in particular has a vast basement system, in which Jagar Tharn and his servants took refuge, and which leads to an Ayleid ruin known as the Hall of Epochs. The underground is thus a haven for those who don't wish to be found: bandits, goblins and vampires dwell beneath, occasionally rising to endanger the city's inhabitants. Conversely, the Blades used secret passages such as the Old Way to move around the city, though using them can pose serious risks: Emperor Uriel Septim VII was assassinated by the Mythic Dawn in one of these passages beneath the Prison District. 

Through the Red Ring Road and the other main roads that span across the province, it is connected to a myriad of outer provincial settlements (i.e, Arenthia to the southwest in Valenwood, Gideon to the southeast in Black Marsh, Kragenmoor to the northeast in Morrowind, Riverhold to the south in Elsweyr, Riverwood to the north in Skyrim, and Stonedale to the northwest in Hammerfell).

The Arboretum District is the southeast district of the Imperial City. It consists of botanical gardens and statues to each of the Divines, with a statue of Talos being in the center.  The Arboretum contains an archival institution known as the Imperial Academy of Records and Histories in its east section that had millennia of scrupulous record-keeping as of the Second Era mostly regarding lineage, writs of stewardship, and letters patent. Its proximity to the institution makes it a popular haunt for the city's scholars.

Circa  , the Arboretum was being used to burn these archives by the invading Daedra. Soldiers of the three alliances managed to salvage some records for the archival institution.   The Vestige also assisted the Chief Archivist, Sergianus, with protecting the book The Sublime Brazier from being used by the Daedra to snuff out the Dragonfires permanently. 
 

Arcane University
:See Arcane University

Arena District
right|thumb|The Imperial Arena
:"The best techniques are passed on by the survivors." —Motto of the Imperial Arena
The Arena District is home to the Imperial Arena, also known as the Bloody Jewel of the Imperial City. It is located in the northeast of the Imperial City and contains little of note other than the Imperial Arena, which serves as a proving ground for warriors and as a popular attraction and gambling opportunity for citizen and tourist alike. Some citizens, however, believe that the fighting is faked, claiming the blood to be "berry syrup" and the fighting "ham-acting". Others say the Elder Council runs the Arena to amuse the masses.  

The Arena is also used for other events such as musical symphonies , troupes of acrobats,  and even  mock naval battles. 

The sewers that run beneath the district are known for being gory, such as the section known as Beneath the Bloodworks which previously served as a   lair.  The Harena Hypogeum, also beneath the Arena District, was held by the   during the  . 

Two statues are present in the district, the statue of Alessia in the south and the statue of Morihaus in the north. Alessia is depicted in her role as the first ruler of the Cyrodiilic Empire and the founder of the Eight Divines, while Morihaus is depicted as a pit fighter who led Alessia's armies.
History
The Imperial Arena was founded by Gaiden Shinji between   and   under the Alessian Empire.  

In  , a fight between Reman II's son Prince Juilek and the Potentate Versidue-Shaie's son Savirien-Chorak occurred here to see which of the Akaviri and Cyrodiilic fighting styles was better.

In  , Molag Bal's forces took over the Imperial City and used the Arena for entertainment by forcing captured citizens to fight against Daedric creatures such as Clannfear and Ogrim. The   participated in the Arena against such creatures and against the Xivkyn Dredaza the Ringmaster, who acted as the Arena's announcer. When Dredaza was defeated, a Reachman known as 'The Rat', a former advisor to Emperor Leovic, gave the Vestige information regarding the Dragonfires and Molag Bal.  During this period, members of all three alliances helped an Imperial Legionary named Valga Atrius in rescuing Imperial citizens from the Arena District. 

In  , Owyn was the blademaster of the Imperial Arena, and Agronak gro-Malog, widely known as the " " was the Grand Champion of the Arena. During this period, the Champion of Cyrodill participated in the Arena, and eventually reached the title of Champion. The Champion of Cyrodiil found evidence that Agronak was half-vampire and presented it to Agronak, causing him to lose his will to fight. Agronak allowed the Champion to kill him in the Arena without resistance. This victory made the Champion of Cyrodiil the new Grand Champion of the Arena. 
 
 

Dragonfire Cathedral
right|thumb|The main chamber of the Cathedral
The Dragonfire Cathedral is one of the greatest kept secrets in the Imperial City, a monumental subterranean vault and temple found in the ancient underground of the City. The Cathedral's architecture is Ayleid, but it was repurposed in the early days of the Alessian Empire to house the Sublime Brazier, a relic essential to the lighting of the Dragonfires. 

In  , Molag Bal sought to destroy the Sublime Brazier to prevent the Dragonfires from ever being relit, sending a Xivkyn General known as Malivus to spearhead an attack on the temple. This attack was repelled by the Vestige, the   and Captain Caudex using siege weapons. While the attack was repelled, Father Egnatius, a priest of Akatosh, performed a ritual on the Brazier. Once this ritual was complete the Drake of Blades became the immortal guardian of the Brazier and the Dragonfire Cathedral, blessed with the power of Akatosh himself and forever bound to the temple. 
 

Green Emperor Way
Green Emperor Way (also called Green Emperor Road or the Palace District)  is the inner section of the Imperial City, which surrounds the White-Gold Tower. It contains a large open-street patrolled by the Imperial Palace Guard and parks with past Emperors' heads created by topiary-mages. They can speak freely via magic and whenever an Emperor requires counsel, birds are drawn into these topiaries and control their branches to have them express.  Various people of importance to the Empire have been buried in the park's mausoleums and cemeteries, among these, Prince Camarril and the Trentius family.  The north gardens are the coolest acreage in the City during the heat of summertide. Austere, tiered flowerbeds of blue-gray and green tower all around these gardens.
History
When the   occurred in  , the Imperial City became tainted with the essence of   and the former capital of the Empire became a wasteland of ruins and monsters. Green Emperor Way was left a shadow of its former self. Great black stone shards jutted out of the ground and large pools of   laded the streets, while catacombs were rooted from the ground and left sundered.   claimed the White-Gold Tower and her minions swarmed the entire citadel. Her   and their thralls patrolled Green Emperor Way, or at least what was left of it, and a powerful   stood at the door to challenge any who dared to enter. Kena and all her minions were later dispelled by the  .  In time, the Daedra were expelled from the Imperial City and Green Emperor Way was restored.

After   was named the Emperor in  , he had the topiary-mages create the visage of his former mentor,   to join all of his other predecessors.  

Sometime before the assassination of Uriel Septim VII in  , the   had placed runes on the tomb of Prince Camarril, which showed the location of their shrine in  , but only during midday. The   agent   and the   used these runes to track the shrine and infiltrate the cult at their base.  At around the same time, the merchant   hired gravediggers to steal from the catacombs in Green Emperor Way, so that he could sell what they found. But when he was caught for his misdeeds, he decided to help apprehend the gravedigger as he plundered the Trentius Family Mausoleum. After the situation was dealt with, Thoronir joined the  . 

Some time after the Oblivion Crisis had ended, Uriel Septim VII's tomb was placed in Green Emperor Way near a statue of Tiber Septim. 
 

Elven Gardens District
The Elven Gardens District is a residential district in the northwest of the Imperial City. 

At some point before the Planemeld, the Elder Council had implemented policies concerning animal waste which had improved conditions in the Elven Gardens District. 

In  , the district had been taken over by  . The Legion Zero traitor Captain Regilus operated out of this district to assist the Vestige and the Drake of Blades. He was forced to drink the Blood of Coldharbour to maintain his cover, and fought off its influence long enough to steal a key to the Dragonfire Cathedral from the Daedra.  At the same time, Quintia Rullus of the Fourth Legion was assisted by soldiers of the three alliances in destroying Legion Zero's siege engines and forge in an effort to prevent the destruction of the Imperial City. 

By  , the rival Ayleid relic collectors Herminia Cinna and   had taken up residence in the Imperial City. The former had come into possession of the  , a very valuable Ayleid artifact, and a key to the sealed royal burial chamber of  . Her rival collector, Umbacano, attempted to purchase the crown from her, hoping to use it to declare himself King of   and lead a rebirth of Ayleid civilization in  . Fearing Umbacano's ulterior motives, she refused, and Umbacano sent the Champion of Cyrodiil to steal it from her house in the Elven Gardens District. Cinna instead offered the key, which would have allowed the Champion to retrieve the   in order to trick Umbacano. It is unknown if the Champion went ahead with this plan or not, but in either case Umbacano died in Nenalata. 

 

Market District
The Market District or Memorial District is located in the northeast section of the Imperial City and is the main hub for trade in the City.

The streets of the Market District are often crowded with trinket vendors, soothsayers, and self-styled prophets of any Daedra or Divine imaginable. Beggars also choke the edges of the walkways. Attractive women and men of all races stand outside the alehouses of the District, flirting to attract business. The District is also full of food stalls, selling roasted oysters, fried cheese, and all manner of food and snacks. Other products sold in the District are spices, bolts of silk, fine jewelry, clothing, weaponry, shields, armor, books, spells, staves, potions, and other general goods.
Baandari Pedlars also have a seasonal camp in the Market District. 

There are plenty of bars in the district that cater to specific groups, such as the Colovians. There are also religious buildings in the District. For example, there is a Yokudan Chapel, where Crowns worship the eight Yokudan Divines. The chapel has a system of louvered ventilation ducts in the clerestory, designed to catch the slightest breeze and funnel it down into the nave. 

The most famous book shop in the District is First Edition, who are known to export books to places as distant as Solstheim.  The Office of Imperial Commerce is present here where customers and merchants can make complaints about the District. The headquarters of the Black Horse Courier newspaper also reside in the Market District.
History
In the Second Era, the infamous crime boss Vodunius Monrius set up operations in the city. He had runners collect a daily tithe from various merchants and artisans in and around the Market District on his behalf. Those caught collecting on behalf of the gangsters were charged with a prison sentence of one year and one day. 

The Market District was at one point called the Memorial District; this name change occurred after Varen's Rebellion in   when Leovic's Legion made their last stand in the district. The battle lasted for over a week and the District was demolished. After Varen tossed Leovic's corpse in the gutters, he and his men worked to transform the entire Market District into a mass grave for the thousands of bodies that amassed from this battle. No room remained for the market, so Varen converted the entire District into a graveyard which became known as the Memorial District.  A chapel of Arkay and a crematorium were set up in the District after it was converted from a market to a cemetery.  

In  , the Worm Cult began exhuming the corpses buried beneath the Memorial District. They resurrected skeletons to search for the location of the Dragonfire Cathedral and attempt to excavate it. The Vestige prevented this by using kindlepitch to blow up the main dig site.  Soldiers from the three alliances also helped Legate Gallus of the Imperial Legion by using auricular geodes from the Arcane University to form a spy network against the Worm Cult. 

 

Prison District
:See Imperial City Prison


Talos Plaza District
The Talos Plaza District or Nobles District is the western district of the Imperial City. The wealthy primarily live in this exclusive district, and it houses the Tiber Septim hotel, the most expensive and luxurious hotel in the Imperial City. 

In  , a group of Imperial loyalists known as the Immortal Eight held a garrison in the middle of the Nobles District against the forces of Molag Bal and Legion Zero. The name of this group came from the fact that they could not permanently die: when they did, they simply woke up again. Each of these eight may well have been physical manifestations of the Eight Divines, as each was closely associated with one. The Vestige assisted them in holding off the forces of Molag Bal and discovered how they were immortal.  Their Captain, Anatolius Caudex, also assisted in protecting the Sublime Brazier. 

At the same time a Redguard hunter named Brihana made a trade of setting traps for Ogrim in the District, selling their parts to alchemists and Khajiiti traders. Soldiers from all three alliances assisted her in killing Ogrim and Legion Zero soldiers. Brihana also traded with the Immortal Eight, giving them food for any Daedric body parts they collected. 
 

Temple District
The Temple District is located in the southwest of the Imperial City and is home to The Temple of the One, the largest religious structure in Cyrodiil. This great structure, a staple of ceremony and official worship since the days of Reman I and the institution of the Dragonfire ritual, is dedicated to the ineffable deity of the Alessian Order. They called this spirit 'the One', identifying it as Akatosh, the 'Supreme Spirit'. Although the Remans were not known to follow Alessian teachings, they regularly used the temple to worship, and Tiber Septim restored the building and its associated cult when he took the Dragon Throne. The District is also home to other temples dedicated to the Divines, such as the Benevolence of Mara's cathedral.  There are thousands of cults operating in the Temple District and the Imperial City at large, such as the priests of St. Alessia, the Cult of Heroes, the Cult of Emperor Zero, the Cult of the Ancestor Moth, and the cult of Shezarr, to name but a few. 

It is said that Empress Alessia was buried on the site of the Temple of the One; but this is decidedly false, and the true location of her body is unknown. 
History
The Soulburst occurred here in  , when Mannimarco deliberately corrupted the coronation ritual of Varen Aquilarios.  In  , the Vestige saved members of the Imperial City's clergy in the temple from a Xivkyn known as Xotos Vel. Among those saved was Father Egnatius, who played a crucial role in saving the Dragonfires. Soldiers of all three alliances also helped a Khajiit priestess known as Sister J'Reeza protect the temple's sacred artifacts. They did so by placing wards on the artifacts which would cause any Daedra who touched them a great deal of pain. 

In  , Pelagius Septim was murdered by the Dark Brotherhood while praying in the Temple of the One. 

The Temple was the scene of the fiery resolution of the Oblivion Crisis in  , where Martin Septim's sacrifice caused the banishment of Dagon from Mundus and created the famous statue of Akatosh. 
 

Waterfront District
The Waterfront District is found in the southwest of the Imperial City. It serves as the main harbor for the City and as a residential area for the poorer residents. Ships from throughout Tamriel come here for trading, transporting goods, and other business.

The harbor part of the District is full of traders, privateers, sailors, the destitute and is home to the Thieves Guild. The Imperial Trading Company has its warehouses here alongside an office. The Waterfront lighthouse is connected to the harbor and lights the way for ships at night, it is controlled by the Imperial Legion.

The residential parts of the District are home to hundreds of shacks, shanties, and lean-tos that crowd between the wall and the water, and many are built raised up from the water on stilts. The District is home to many different neighborhoods of different races, such as the Bosmer neighborhood extant in the Second Era, with its tavern named the Tipsy Torchbug.  While Argonians are rarely found residing within the walls of the Imperial City, large numbers are known to dwell in the Waterfront District. 'The Xanmeer', a large building found in the district is clear evidence of their impact there.  Gondolas and river-ships sail along the watery avenues of the district's flooded lower dwellings.
History
During the Planemeld in  , Molag Kena (under the guise of Empress Clivia Tharn) ordered troops to be sent to defend the Waterfront District. General Velarius told her that as the District held no strategic value, and those men would be sent to die for nothing, refusing her orders and accusing her of stepping out of line for "playing general", for which she lacked the expertise. Kena threatened exposing extra postings and his "questionable command decisions" which he had ordered to protect his daughter. This failed to faze Velarius, confident in the Legion's continued loyalty to him. 

Since   the poor here had not been taxed despite Imperial law decrees that all citizens of the City must pay taxes, but in   Imperial Watch Captain Hieronymous Lex reinstated taxes on the poor as punishment for them being complicit in assisting the Gray Fox. This money was taken back by the Thieves Guild to send the Imperial Guard a message that it was unacceptable.  

 , the first  , originally lived on the Waterfront. However, a curse was placed upon him and his successors by  , stripping them of their identity so that they would only be known as the Gray Fox. This caused the Thieves Guild to fall on hard times, and Dareloth's house fell into dereliction after his death. When Nocturnal's curse was broken by   using the power of an   circa  , time was retroactively changed, undoing the years of hardship suffered by the guild. As a result, the ruins of Dareloth had instead become a fully fledged guildhall for the Thieves Guild. 

 

 

Gallery
 

See Also


References