Nordic Empire The Nordic Empire , formally the First Empire of the Nords , sometimes referred to as the First Empire of Men , or the First Empire of humankind , and sharing the Alessian Empire ' s simplified moniker of the First Empire , was the first known human Empire within Tamriel . The Empire ' s founding is usually traced to the year 1E 240 , with the beginning of High King Vrage ' s Skyrim Conquests . In 1E 369 , the Empire would be plunged into a civil war known as the War of Succession , following the death of High King Borgas . The War of Succession would rage on for fifty years , and would bring about the complete collapse of the Empire in 1E 416 , with the loss of all of Skyrim ' s outlying territories . History . Skyrim Conquests . The inception of the Skyrim Conquests , began with the first Nordic discoveries of the proto - Breton ' Manmeri ' beyond the western border of the Reach . According to Khosey ' s Tamrilean Tractates , the first sighting of Breton - Manmeri came from a group of Nordic hunters , who , at first , attacked the Bretons believing them some new , undiscovered , strand of Aldmer . Recorded as being " scarcely recognizable as humans , " the hunting parties ' slaughter only stopped when the oldest of the Manmeri began pleading for his life in some form of broken Nordic dialect . News of this discovery began to spread all across Skyrim , eventually to the capitol city , Windhelm . There , it was concluded that the Manmeri must have been remnants of human slaves taken from Saarthal during its fall and sacking , and that ten generations of forced intermingling with Elves had left them with their deformed , elven , appearance . With this verdict , the High King Vrage the Gifted saw no other choice than to invade the neighboring lands of High Rock and liberate the Nord ' s long separated kinsmen from the tyranny of Elven rulership . Thus began the Skyrim Conquests in 1E 240 , which in the span of fifty years would carve out an Empire spanning almost the entirety of northern Tamriel . The success of the Skyrim conquests can be partially attributed to the Tongues , who could easily breach the defenses of enemy strongholds with their powerful Thu ' um . High Rock . Vrage ' s initial onslaught drove through High Rock , quickly conquering the rolling hills and valleys of the Western Reach , then moving up towards the banks of the Bjoulsae River . Incursions beyond the Bjoulsae , however , were short - lived and were almost always halted due to Elven magical ability and those Bretons who sided themselves with the Elves . Incidentally , the Nords did manage to dominate High Rock ' s coastal regions , establishing fortified raiding villages along the shoreline . The most recognizable of these such settlements being Daggerfall , established around 1E 246 , which would eventually grow to become one of High Rock ' s most prominent cities . Morrowind . Early on during the conquests , given Vrage ' s fruitful expansions into High Rock , the enthusiastic Nords of northern Skyrim began to leave their snowy valleys and mountain settlements to mount an incredible invasion into the eastern territory of present - day Morrowind . The conquest of Morrowind is often considered to be one of the most epic clashes of the First Era . During the war , the Nords took on both the military might of the Chimer and the technologically advanced armies of the Dwemer . Nord sea raiders frequently harassed the land , dominating many of the scattered Chimer tribes . The long rivalry between the Dwemer and the Chimer played a significant role in the fall of the territory . Another notable factor that influenced the Chimer ' s poor resistance was the lack of unity between their own tribes . Many tribes of Chimer actually aided the invading forces , with the intent of defeating their opposing tribes . One of the unusual tactics employed by the Nords was the use of the Voice to conjure up storms , which almost always routed their fearful enemies . While the whole of mainland Morrowind would fall , the deep - seated Dwemer Kingdom of Vvardenfell proved a formidable foe for the armies of the First Empire , and was never successfully conquered . Nibenay . Inspired by the success of the conquests of High Rock and Morrowind in the north , Nordic earls of Skyrim ' s southern highlands began scouting out the lands beyond the Jerall Mountains to find their own opportunity . Unfortunately for the earls , northern Cyrodiil and the Jeralls proved a small prize for the Nords and was deemed unnecessary of conquest . However , in 1E 242 , favorable circumstances arose for Nordic intervention in Cyrodiil . At the time , the Alessian Slave Rebellion was spreading throughout the region , which had itself been partially inspired by the Nordic victories against the Elves in the north . In order to ensure her revolt ' s success , Alessia began looking to foreign lands for aid , convincing large Breton and Nordic war bands to help her cause with promises of rich lands and trade concessions . This support would eventually evolve into fully committed military aid from the Nordic Empire , with the creation of a loose alliance between the two factions . The Nords would admit large expanses of the Nibenay Valley into their Empire , with the Nordic mercenaries who settled in the region contributing to the eventual development of the prosperous Nibenean culture . Dwemer City - States of Skyrim . The High King Gellir , who is conventionally believed to have succeeded Vrage , was responsible for conquering the multiple independent Dwemer city - states of Skyrim within a span of three years . The Nords under Gellir ' s reign were surprised by the swift conquest , as the Dwemer had successfully resisted Nordic occupation for nearly a century . The abrupt collapse of the Dwemer city - states is normally attributed to Gellir ' s tactical prowess , bolstered by the blessings of Shor , however more recent discoveries suggest other components to the Nords ' success . For years the Dwemer city - states had been exhausted from constant internal disputes and infighting over the rare material known as Aetherium , discovered shorty after High King Harald ' s reign ( circa 1E 221 ) . This period of disunity between the Dwemer , referred to as the Aetherium Wars , was brought about when an alliance designed to extract Aetherium collapsed , with each member - state attempting to claim the Aetherium Forge of Bthalft for themselves . Over the subsequent decades , the war diminished the power of the Dwemer city - states , allowing for Gellir ' s subsequent conquest . The only Dwemer freehold within traditional Nordic lands known to have remained completely independent from occupation was the city of Nchardak , in Solstheim , whose the inhabitants would submerge underwater until their would - be invaders left . Borgas ' Reign . The next known ruler of the Empire , the successor to Gellir , was the High King Borgas , who was one of the Prophet Marukh ' s chief supporters . His reign saw increased flirtation with the Alessian Empire , to the south . In 1E 358 , during what is assumed to be Borgas ' reign , the Nordic Empire began losing large amount of its territory in Greater Bretony to the growing power of the Direnni Hegemony , being pushed back all the way to the Western Reach . The Alessian Emperor , Ami - El , sent armies to aid in the Nord ' s struggle , but the forces weren ' t enough . Borgas brought Marukh ' s great cultural and religious movement , the Alessian Reform , to Skyrim . He did so by enforcing the strict Alessian ' s doctrines which now governed the Alessian Empire , and by outlawing the traditional Nordic Pantheon . Borgas ' zeal saw him orchestrate many campaigns in the name of the Alessian faith . In 1E 369 , after the Camoran Dynasty backed out of an important trade agreement with the Alessian Empire , High King Borgas traveled to Cyrodiil to propose a joint war against the Bosmer of Valenwood . To prevent this , the Bosmer initiated a Wild Hunt with the intention of assassinating Borgas for the inequities of his Alessian faith , in which they were successful . Legend holds that his body was secretly returned to Skyrim , and buried in a tomb in which particular location was lost to the ages , along with the Skyrim ' s ancient and symbolic Jagged Crown . The War of Succession . As Borgas died with no known heirs , a Moot was formed to determine who would be his successor . While Jarl Hanse of Winterhold was believed by many to be the most capable ruler , the Moot failed to elect a legitimate successor , plunging Skyrim into a fifty - year period of widespread conflict and infighting referred to as the War of Succession . With all of Skyrim ' s lords fighting to claim the throne , there was little trust to go around . Windhelm , the heart of the Empire , was sacked , showing just how far Nordic unity had collapsed . Even though the war raged on , the Nordic realm would continue to expand in some regions until the year 1E 415 . Fall of the Empire . With the armies of Skyrim fighting amongst themselves , the Empire was no longer able to effectively defend its outer territories , giving enemies of the Empire a great opportunity . The Western Reach quickly fell into the hands of the Direnni Hegemony , with the Elves of High Rock slaughtering the region ' s Nordic population . By the year 1E 401 , the Direnni Elves had completely removed Nordic influence from High Rock , and then continued pushing further into Skyrim ' s traditional borders . In the rainforests of Nibenay , the Cyro - Nordic Nibenese people , became culturally and economically self - reliant and separated themselves from the Nords of Skyrim . In the East , the Chimer general Indoril Nerevar , once a humble caravan guard , united the bickering Chimer tribes of Resdayn , who had now consolidated into the Great Houses , and formed an alliance with the Dwemer King , Dumac , with the shared goal of pushing the Nords out of their land . In 1E 416 , the Dwemer and Chimer struck the Nords during their period of weakness , and drove them out with great slaughter . Even the scattered Dwemer City - States of Skyrim began to break free of the Empire ' s hold . Some myths point to the alliance between the legendary King of Daggerfall , Edward , and his old friend and companion , the Dunmer King Moraelyn , defeating the Nords with the help of the Horn of Summoning . Other Nordic tales attribute the rise and fall of the Empire to the prolonged presence and sudden departure of the God of Luck , Sai . Whatever the reason , with the Nords no longer holding any territories beyond the borders of Skyrim , the Empire was no more . End of the War of Succession . The War of Succession would finally come to an end with the rise of Jarl Olaf One - Eye of Whiterun , who would successfully annex Winterhold , Falkreath , and Solitude into his domain . At some point , Olaf would also reconquer the Reach from the Reachmen . However , Olaf is mostly remembered for having subdued and captured the great dragon , Numinex , in which would remain in his newly built keep , Dragonsreach , as a symbol of his power . In 1E 420 , the Pact of Chieftains was signed , officially ending the War of Succession . Here it was agreed that Olaf One - Eye was the true and rightful heir to the Kingdom of Skyrim . While , Skyrim had now recovered from its most costly war , it would never regain the power it held during the existence of the First Empire of the Nords . Legacy . While the First Empire of the Nords was not long - lasted , in its relatively short existence it upset the balance of power between Elves and Men so much that it is often credited with beginning the age of mannish dominance over Tamriel . Its expansions and military might would be of insurmountable assistance and inspiration to the Nedic rebellions to the south , and would help bring about the creation of the First Cyrodilic Empire . The Nordic Empire had a resounding effect on the growing Cyrodilic cultures . Nordic expansion into the Nibenay Valley contributed to the flourishing of an independent Nibenese identity and culture , while in Colovia , the culture and religion can be seen to deeply reflect that of its Nordic counterpart . The mixture of Imperial and Nordic cultures during the beginning of the Cyrodilic Empire is often pointed out as a factor contributing to the development of the Eight Divines faith . Some northern Cyrodilic cities , such as Bruma , remain almost entirely Nordic . The Nords of the First Empire are also credited with being excellent architects . Masters of wood and timber , the Nords of the First Empire had built many large structures , capable of surviving for thousands of years . This grand form of architecture can be seen reflected in areas heavily influenced by Nordic culture , such as Solstheim and Bruma . The Nords used a method of lifting massive igneous rocks which were fitted together with no need for mortar . The results of this method of construction were often colossal , nearly impenetrable fortifications , which required very little time to build . Perhaps the most famous display of Nordic architectural achievement of the First Empire is the Old Fort , a massive royal bastion built to defend Skyrim ' s southern frontier . Its stature is so awe - inspiring that some claim that it appears to have been constructed by the mythical Ehlnofey , rather than mere men . In later years , Nordic techniques were often used and expanded upon by Cyrodilic architects .