War of the First Council The War of the First Council was a war started due to religious differences between the Dwemer and Chimer of Resdayn . The conflicts turned to war following the discovery of the Heart of Lorkhan by the Chimer , culminating in the legendary Battle of Red Mountain , which saw the disappearance of the Dwemer and destruction of House Dagoth . Prelude . Prior to the war , the Chimer and Dwemer had united under Nerevar to drive out the Nords from Resdayn during the Nordic War of Succession . This marked the founding of the Great Houses , which one source divides into " orthodox " and " secular " , with Houses Dres , Hlaalu , Indoril , Redoran , and House Telvanni comprise the former , and House Dagoth and " House Dwemer " comprise the latter . Discovery of the Heart of Lorkhan . Several accounts attribute the war to simple cultural differences between the Dwemer and the Chimer that were too great to allow for peace . The event that began the march to war was the discovery by House Dagoth that the Dwemer had discovered the Heart of Lorkhan beneath Red Mountain . This led to heated negotiations between Nerevar and Dumac Dwarfking . Upon being told by Azura that the Dwemer were building a new god under the mountain , Nerevar and the Tribunal issued an ultimatum to the Dwemer to stop work on their new god , or face destruction . Dumac , ignorant of the work Kagrenac had done on the Heart , refused . And so the Chimer and Dwemer went to war . Events of the War . The exact events of the war are unknown , as there are various conflicting accounts on what happened . One account notes that the Orthodox Houses suffered defeat after defeat until Nerevar was made commander of the army , whereupon the Dwemer were outmanoeuvred thanks to the use of Ashlander scouts , forcing a last stand at Red Mountain . However , other sources suggest that Nerevar was leading troops at the start of the war , and that the majority Dwemer troops were in fact led away from Red Mountain so that the Tribunal and Nerevar could enter Red Mountain uninterrupted . With the Chimer and the Dwemer fighting among themselves in the First Era , the Nords either saw an opportunity to regain their old dominions and invaded , or were invited to participate in the war by House Dagoth and the Dwemer . The Tongues who led this war summoned Shor , who summoned a resurrected Wulfharth to lead the Nords . One tale claims that the Nords and Wulfharth were at Red Mountain to reclaim the Heart of Shor . All accounts note that the war culminated in the Battle of Red Mountain . Belligerents . Some accounts claim that the war was a simple conflict of the Dwemer and Chimer , while others note the involvement of the Nords , Orcs , and Khajiit in the conflict . Similarly , some books claim that House Dagoth was allied to the Dwemer , rather than fighting alongside the Chimer . Other accounts claim House Dagoth was allied with King Wulfharth ' s Nord - orc army . Battle of Red Mountain . Accounts of the Battle of Red Mountain in 1E 700 vary , and state that the battle was either the last stand of the Dwemer , an attack contrived by leading the bulk of the Dwemer away from Red Mountain , a pitched battle where the Chimer and Dwemer armies ( and any potential allies ) simply met in pitched battle . , or a massive battle between the Chimer - Dwemer alliance and Wulfharth ' s Nord - orc crusaders . During the battle , there was a major standoff at the chamber where the Heart of Lorkhan was kept . One tale claims Nerevar , the Tribunal and Dagoth Ur snuck into the chamber where the Heart of Lorkhan was kept , and confront Dumac and Kagrenac . Another version claims Wulfharth " rode " the Khajiit hero Dro ' Zira up the Red Mountain itself to strike at the heart of the Chimer . In the chamber , Wulfharth had obtained the Heart but needed time to acclimate to its power . During this time , he and Voryn Dagoth faced Nerevar and his two companions , Alandro Sul and Dumac Dwarfking and was said to have fell in this fight . In the ensuing battle , Dumac is killed , although precisely who killed Dumac is uncertain . Some sources claim Nerevar , others Wulfharth , and yet others a Khajiit called Dro ' Zira . Sources are similarly unclear as to whether Nerevar was killed during the battle , died from his wounds after the battle , or was murdered by the Tribunal . And Wulfharth , if he had been at the battle at all , either died at the Heart ' s chamber after being weakened by Dumac and slained by Indoril Nerevar , or blasted away into ashes by Vivec if Voryn Dagoth led his army into a trap . All available sources agree , however , that the Dwemer disappeared during the battle . This is either because Kagrenac turned his Tools on the heart , or because Azura told Nerevar and the Tribunal how to use the tools to banish the Dwemer . House Dagoth was also destroyed either in this battle or in its immediate aftermath .