Lore:Imperial

}
Also known as Cyrodils, Cyrodilics , Cyro-Nordics, and Imperial Cyrods,  the well-educated and well-spoken Imperials are the natives of the civilized, cosmopolitan province of Cyrodiil. Imperials are also known for the discipline and training of their citizen armies, and their respect for the rule of law.  Imperials have proved to be shrewd diplomats and traders, and these traits, along with their remarkable skill and training as infantry, have enabled them to colonize various other nations and create the Empire.   Their hegemony has waxed and waned throughout the eras, and most historians refer to three distinct Empires, the ends of which each mark a new epoch in Tamrielic history.  
right|thumb|Lore:Cyrodiil|Cyrodiil, the home of the Imperials

History
thumb|right|An engraving of Tiber Septim
thumb|right|A color-coded map showing the different regions of Cyrodiil
The Imperial race emerged out of the original Nibenese tribesman, Nedes and Cyro-Nords in the Merethic Era.    They were subjugated by a race of Aldmer, the Ayleids, but a rebellion against these rulers, formed under the guidance of Saint Alessia in  , would prove so successful that Ayleids were driven to extinction (though they left behind many treasures ).    The Alessian Empire united Imperials and pursued campaigns in other provinces, but when the Colovian west broke away, the resulting civil war in Cyrodiil ended the Empire. 

The eastern Nibenay Valley region and the western Colovian Estates developed distinct cultures, but still united under the Colovian Reman I to repel an Akaviri invasion in  , creating the Second Empire.   The Akaviri had devastated many human lands, and Reman feared invasion from the Summerset Isle, so he allowed the remaining Akaviri to live and fight for him against the Elves.  Soon the Second Empire controlled every province of Tamriel except Morrowind.  The events surrounding the attempted conquest of Morrowind led to the end of the Reman emperors, and the First Era, in  : the Akaviri Versidue-Shaie, who had earned a position as a trusted advisor, took control following the deaths of the Remans and the disastrous Four-Score War. 

The Akaviri Potentates would rule until  , but eventually assassinations and poor leadership would make the Empire crumble, leading to the Interregnum: for four hundred years, petty states all over Tamriel quarreled with each other, especially Cyrodiil.   The Imperial Province devolved into a collection of warlords squabbling over a no-man's land of cultural stagnation.   Eventually, it would take a Nord to reunite the Imperial Province: Tiber Septim was appointed general of the forces of Cuhlecain, a petty Colovian king. He routed all of Cuhlecain's enemies who would face him and his armies on the battlefield, quickly reuniting Cyrodiil. When Cuhlecain was assassinated in  , Tiber Septim assumed the throne.  In a few decades, the provinces would be reunited once more under his Third Empire, and this once-outsider to Cyrodiil had become the symbol of the whole realm. 

Ironically enough, most if not all of the Emperors of the Third Age would be Nordic or Breton, not Imperial. Following the cataclysms of the Oblivion Crisis, the leaderless Empire would once again begin to crumble, but it was an Imperial who seized the opportunity for glory: Titus Mede, a Colovian king, would seize the Imperial City with less than a thousand men and declared himself the new Emperor, though not much is yet known about this new dynasty. 

 
Society
The defining feature of Imperial culture is its cosmopolitanism.  Although some individuals may be the most arrogant bigots in Tamriel,    culturally the Imperials are very conciliatory and congenial, making them skilled diplomats and traders.  Even Imperial Vampires claim some semblance of civility.  It's easy to understand given their geography and cultural schisms: Cyrodiil borders almost every other province, and the historical separation yet underlying unity and interaction of the Cyrodilic regions made the Imperials well practiced at building bridges and maintaining order. Though there are many regions, the two most powerful effectively controlled all regions close to them: the western Colovian Estates and the eastern Nibenay Valley.

Early Imperials in eastern Cyrodiil strongly believed in the Alessian Doctrines, even after the Empire's fall, which made them disfavor many practices, notably farming.  They defaulted to mercantilism, and became a wealthy merchant power with a vibrant society that made colorful clothing, conducted elaborate ceremonies, and loved tattoos and philosophy.  Through their river network, they were able to export many goods, including textiles, fabrics, moon sugar, rice and armor.  Though their beliefs were monotheistic, they often focused on the numinous nature of some facet of society, and many diverse cults operated openly over the years, dedicated to many animal spirits and hero-gods, as well as ancestor worship.    The Colovians, in contrast, took on a more austere but adventuresome lifestyle, in keeping with their Nordic ancestry, and often became mercenaries and pirates.   The unification under Reman I didn't eradicate these differences, although, of course, the Eight Divines was predominant all over the province by the end of the First Era.  

The respect and admiration Imperials had for Tiber Septim is nothing compared to the veneration they have for him as a god of the Nine Divines, regardless of the heresies often espoused about him.   His accomplishments inspired them to believe they could do anything they set their mind to.  The end of his dynasty was greeted with great mourning, although also with great pride, as his last known descendant, Martin Septim, sacrificed himself to save all of Tamriel.  Imperials know all too well that dynasties are destined to rise and fall; all it will take is time before the Glorious Empire once again reigns over Tamriel.
 

Food
:Main Article: Imperial Cuisine
Imperial cooks approach food the same way they face the rest of life: in a straightforward and proud manner. As shrewd diplomats and traders, they stock their larders with many of the best ingredients Tamriel has to offer. Cyrodiil's central location in Tamriel, paired with its wealth and power, assures that the Imperials eat well from a variety of meats, vegetables, and spices from across the continent.  

Empires
Major portions of Imperial culture and identity involves  the various Empires throughout their history.

Alessian Empire
The  , also called the First Empire,  the Empire of Cyrodiil,   and the Empire of Men,  was established by the former human slaves of the   Empire in   following the  .  The Empire traces its founding to the moment when Saint   received the   and the   from  ; she used the Amulet to drive the   out of the mortal realm.  Akatosh told Alessia that as long as the Dragonfires remained lit and   wore the Amulet of Kings, the gates of   would remain shut and   would be spared the depredations of the Daedra. 
:See the main article: Alessian Empire''

Second Empire
The  , also known as the Cyrodilic Empire , the Empire of Cyrodiil,  and the Second Empire of Men,  was a human-led empire that, at its height, controlled every region of   with the exception of  .  The history of the Second Empire is divided into two main periods: the reign of the   that witnessed the final centuries of the  , and the subsequent   that ushered in the  .
:See the main article: Second Empire

Empire of Cyrodiil 
The     (also known as the Imperial Empire''' ) refers to an   state that existed during the early years of the  . Although identified as an empire, it differed from the  ,  , and   in that its only permanent dependency was   itself, and it was at no time ruled by a   emperor.

:See the main article: Empire of Cyrodiil''

Third Empire
The   (also called the Holy Cyrodiilic Empire of Tamriel ) was declared by   in   after the chaos of the  , and was forged through a decades-long conflict to unite   known as the  .  It lasted throughout the whole of the   and two centuries into the  , when it began to decline.

:See the main article: Third Empire''

Imperial Institutions

Battlespire
 

Elder Council
 

Imperial Legion
 

Imperial Mananauts
The Royal Imperial Mananauts of the Elder Council were a largely unknown group who were known to travel to Aetherius. They were believed to be a holdover from the days of the Reman Dynasty.  
During the reign of  Reman the Cyrodill, the Imperials would come up with a plan to colonize the two moons Masser and Secunda, and would start building the Megalomoth vessel-fortress NVN Manywife, for this purpose. However, Reman didn't live long enough to see its completion and the vessel would be rechristened the NVN Accrual by Emperor Reman II.  Reman II would personally oversee the first lunar landing of the moon Secunda. 

University of Gwylim
 

Religion
Imperial Religion primary focuses on the Eight Divines, or the Eight and One which includes the ascended Talos.   The Imperials have a lot of cults dedicated to various religions with the Imperial City.    Despite this, the Imperials have a history of restricting and banning the worship of deities that are not of the traditional Eight Divines. The study of these other gods was encouraged though. During the First Empire, the Imperials were strictly forbidden from worshiping or idolizing the deities Magnus, Y'ffre, Sheor, and Phynaster and worship of these deities was considered heresy.  

Divines
The Eight and One
:; , the Dragon God of Time
:: Chief among the gods, with mastery over the flow of time. Associated with   and the qualities of endurance and virtuous service. 

:; , the Mortals' God
:: God of cycles, particularly that of birth and death. Presides over funerals and burial rites, as well as ushering in the changes of the seasons. 
:; 
:: Goddess of beauty and art, and one of the most popular of the Divines. Widespread cults are dedicated to both healing and sexual instruction. 
:; 
:: God of logic, wisdom, and the arts of  . His temples act as educational institutions in literature, history, and law. 
:; 
:: Goddess of the heavens, winds, and rain. Patron of sailors and travelers, and often propitiated for good fortune in life. 
:; , the Mother-Goddess
:: Goddess of love, compassion, and the bounty of nature. Presides over marriage ceremonies, befitting her ancient origins as a fertility goddess. 
:; , the Steadfast
:: God of mercy, justice, and righteousness. Patron of all those who wield righteous might to protect the weak, from emperors to  .  
:; , the Trader God
:: God of work, commerce, and wealth, invoked for success in business ventures. Teaches prosperity through honest industry, rather than violence or deceit. 
:; / 
::A mortal and emperor who upon death became a divine, the respect and admiration Imperials had for Tiber Septim is nothing compared to the veneration they have for him as a god of the Nine Divines, regardless of the heresies often espoused about him.   His accomplishments inspired them to believe they could do anything they set their mind to.  The end of his dynasty was greeted with great mourning, although also with great pride, as his last known descendant, Martin Septim, sacrificed himself to save all of Tamriel.  Imperials know all too well that dynasties are destined to rise and fall; all it will take is time before the Glorious Empire once again reigns over Tamriel.  

Other Deities 

:;Reman, The Cyrodiil
:: Culture god-hero of the Second Empire, Reman was the greatest hero of the Akaviri Trouble. Indeed, he convinced the invaders to help him build his own empire, and conquered all of Tamriel except for Morrowind. He instituted the rites of becoming Emperor, which included the ritual geas to the Amulet of Kings, a soulgem of immense power. Also called the Worldly God and called a conqueror god along with Talos. 

:;Morihaus, First Breath of Man
:: Ancient cultural hero god of the Cyro-Nordics. Legend portrays him as the Taker of the Citadel, an act of mythic times that established Human control over the Valley Heartland. He is often associated with the Nordic powers of thu'um, and therefore with Kynareth.   

:;Shezarr, God of Man
:: Shezarr was the spirit behind all human undertaking, especially against Aldmeri aggression. He is sometimes associated with the founding of the first Cyrodilic battlemages. In Colovia they worship him as Shor. 

Daedra
 

The Imperials generally have a negative view of Daedra, with notable differences between the behavior of Colovians and the Nibenesse during the Interregnum. As Colovians are especially religious, they will typically refuse to associate themselves with Daedra.  During this period, however, the Nibenese were more inclined to turn to Daedra worship.  In Tiber Septim's empire, the Daedric Princes were invoked as the 16 Acceptable Blasphemies. 

The Imperial's distaste for Daedra was readily apparent during the reign of the Longhouse Emperors, a short-lived Reachfolk Dynasty that was brought to an end after Emperor Leovic legalized Daedra worship (allegedly at the behest of corrupt advisors). Leovic consequently drew the ire of many nobles who had once been counted among his supporters.  One of these erstwhile supporters, Duke   of  , marshaled the armies of the   and led them against Leovic in open   from   to  .  In the end, Varen killed Leovic in the Imperial Throne Room, and the reign of the Longhouse Emperors came to a close.  

House Tharn of Nibenay has always kept ties with the forces of Oblivion.  During Emperor Varen's reign, Abnur Tharn unwittingly helped Mannimarco cause the Soulburst, and subsequently pledged his loyalty to the necromancer (and by extension, Molag Bal) in the interest of preserving the Empire.   Unlike Abnur Tharn, several other members of the family had aligned themselves with Molag Bal wholesale: Abnur's nephew   was a prominent figure in the Stonefire Cult (an offshoot of Mannimarco's Worm Cult),  and   led the   in the Daedric Prince's name.    

The Tharn family's dealings with Molag Bal was the primary motivator for the Daggerfall Convenant, Aldmeri Dominion and Ebonheart Pact's invasion of Cyrodiil. At first, their goal was to depose the Tharn family, but the conflict devolved into the Alliance War.  To his credit, Abnur Tharn joined the Five Companions in their quest to end the Planemeld. 

Despite the Imperial distaste for Daedra worship, it is not banned in Cyrodiil, due in part to the Imperial Charter that permits the Mages Guild to summon Daedra. However, the opinion of religious institutions and the general public is hostile, a fact that encourages Daedra worshippers to practice in secret. Some even build their shrines out in the wilderness, where they may be attended by a community of faithful in peace. 

Sanguine has been a favorite for several Emperors since the foundation of the first Empire. During the reign of Reman Cyrodiil records indicate Sanguine resided in White-Gold Tower where he is said to have helped Reman with the dubious draftsmanship of the Crendali Festivals. The vulgarities found within these festivals did nothing but hinder Imperial expansion efforts within the Summerset Isles during Reman Cyrodiil's tenure. 

 

Gallery
Appearances
 

Notes
Common Cyrodilic names, certain aspects of Nibenese architecture, and Colovian martial tradition (military organization and equipment) should seem familiar, as they are inspired by the real-world Roman Empire.
Imperials were not considered a distinct race within the games until Redguard, but have been a playable race in every major entry since. The only named character from the earlier games that has been confirmed to be an Imperial is Emperor Uriel Septim VII, though this knowledge only comes from the later games of the series.

See Also
For Imperial names, see here.
For a list of notable Imperials, see here.
For game-specific information, see the Redguard, Morrowind, Oblivion, Skyrim, ESO, Legends, and Blades articles.

Books
 
 
 
 
 
 

References
 
Unofficial Lore