Alessian Empire The Alessian Empire of Cyrodiil , sometimes referred to as the first Empire of Cyrodiil , or simply the First Empire , was founded by Saint Alessia in the year 1E 243 after the Alessian Slave Rebellion and the overthrowing of Ayleid rule over the land . It was the first established human Empire within the region of Cyrod , later known as the province of Cyrodiil . The Empire fell after the ten year War of Righteousness , which began in the year 1E 2321 , and ended in 1E 2331 . History . Alessia ' s Reign . The formation of the Alessian Empire was a direct result of the slave rebellion of 1E 242 , brought about by centuries of cruel treatment and abuse by Daedra - inspired Ayleid slave masters . After the rebellion overthrew the Ayleid Hegemonies and seized White - Gold Tower in 1E 243 , the Slave - Queen Alessia proclaimed herself the first Empress of Cyrodiil , with the promised covenant between Men and the Dragon god , Akatosh . The covenant proclaimed that so long as Alessia ' s descendents held the throne of Cyrodiil , and the Dragonfires remained lit , Tamriel would be safe from Daedric incursion . A loose alliance was formed between Nibenay and Colovia , outlining the extent of what would be the immediate Alessian Empire . As the High Priestess of Akatosh , Alessia became the leading religious authority within Cyrodiil , and was forced to decide on what faith the Empire would maintain . In order to please both the Nord s of Skyrim , who were insurmountable in helping her cause , those Ayleids who stood with Alessia ' s rebellion , and the freed slaves who still kept elvish faith , Alessia merged portions of the Nordic Pantheon , and the Elven one , into a single religion , known wholly as the Eight Divines , with Akatosh as its chief . It is stated that , in this early stage of the religion , Shezarr was reassigned to a role as the " spirit behind all human undertaking . " Under Alessia ' s Empire , Ayleid nobles were allowed to keep their lordships as long as they submitted to the laws of the Empire and the Eight Divines religion , slavery was outlawed entirely . However , many Ayleids had already been driven out of the Empire during the rebellion . On Alessia ' s death bed in 1E 266 , she was visited by the long dead hero of the Slave Rebellion , Pelinal Whitestrake , as well as either Shezarr or Akatosh ( or both ) , who gifted her with the Amulet of Kings and placed her soul within the Red Diamond , where the souls of her future descendents would be placed as well . She was succeeded by her alleged Minotaur son , Belharza the Man - Bull , who was fathered by Alessia ' s demi - god lover Morihaus . His reign was said to be plagued by " elvish devils " . It was said that minotaurs began to appear in greater numbers around this time . The Alessian Reform . With the growing resentment of Ayleid nobility , a great religious and cultural movement , known as the Alessian Reform , began to spread throughout the human population of the Empire . The religious faction , known as the Alessian Order , began in the jungles of the Colovia n coastline , with the Imga prophet Marukh , who was said to have conversed with the spirit of Saint Alessia , on the questionable validity of Elven rulership , and sentiments that seemed to hint at the existence of only one " true " God . Marukh recorded Alessia ' s words with his own blood to create what were referred to as the " Seventy - Seven Inflexible Doctrines " . Throughout the early 4th Century of the First Era , many Ayleid cities within the Empire were sacked by Alessian sympathizers , sending the elves of Cyrodiil into a great panic . An ancient tablet called the " Belharza Stone " depicts the minotaur Emperor facing down his enemies , which appeared to be fanatical precursors of Alessian troops killing and driving off the minotaurs . This rise in anti - Aldmeri sentiment in Cyrodiil , however , did not deter the Camoran Dynasty of Valenwood from opening up trade agreements with the Empire in 1E 340 . Hatred of Elves was further escalated in 1E 358 , when news began to spread that the Nordic Empire was losing more and more of Greater Bretony to the Direnni Hegemony , resulting with the Alessian Emperor , Ami - El , sending armies to aid the Nords in their fight . In 1E 361 , the Alessian Order successfully orchestrated a coup , taking control of the Alessian Empire and establishing the Seventy - Seven Doctrines , now referred to as the Alessian Doctrines , as its own theocratic constitution for the Empire , with the belief that religious and political matters were one in the same . The Doctrines were extremely harsh in regards to the Elven population , completely outlawing their ability to hold any noble titles . Pograms began to sprout out in a few Ayleid cities , convincing many Ayleids to leave Cyrodiil for other lands , while others decided to leave after being sent ultimatums from the Emperor . Most of the remaining Ayleids were absorbed into the elven populations of the lands that their exoduses led them to . In the West , the Colovians were in a secure enough position , socially and geographically , that they were able to resist the influences of the growing Alessian Reform . Isolating itself from the new Alessian hegemony , the Colovians instead created their own autonomous union , referred to as the Colovian Estates . In order to spread their beliefs across Tamriel , the Alessian ' s incorporated the varying traditional pantheons of other religions into the Alessian canon , though , instead of recognizing them as deities , they were reappropriated as greater spirits or saints . With this inclusion , the Alessian Order quickly became the leading religious authority within Tamriel . The Doctrines were quickly accepted by the Nordic High King , Borgas , who is believed to have enforced them within the Nordic Empire . With the Alessians now in full control , hostilities began to rise between the Empire and the Camoran Dynasty , resulting with the annulment of the trade treaty made only a few years prior . In response , High King Borgas traveled to Cyrodiil , in 1E 369 to propose a coalition between the Nordic and Alessian Empires to war against the Bosmer of Valenwood . To prevent this from happening , a Wild Hunt was initiated , which succeeded in its main goal of assassinating High King Borgas . After Borgas ' death , the Moot failed to elect a successor to the throne , throwing Skyrim into the , 50 year , War of Succession , and extinguishing the Nordic Empire . The War of Succession ended in the year 1E 420 , after Jarl Olaf One - Eye of Whiterun reunited Skyrim under his rule with the Pact of Chieftains . Sometime around the later reign of Olaf , or the early reign of his successor Kjoric the White , the Kingdom of Skyrim fell under the vassalage of the Alessian Empire . Goreius ' Reign . Rislav ' s Rebellion . By the beginning of Emperor Goreius ' reign 1E 461 , the Alessian Empire had grown so influential that , despite the Order ' s xenophobia , the leaders of Anequina , the Direnni Hegemony , and Resdayn , all attended his coronation . However , the majority of the Colovian Estates were still independent from the Empire ' s rule . In 1E 472 , a powerful alliance was formed between the two bickering Kingdoms of Kvatch and Skingrad , after Rislav Larich of Skingrad was married to Belene of Kvatch . However , in the year 1E 478 , a great plague swept across the Colovian West , killing the majority of Skingrad ' s royal family . Dorald Larich , a very devout Alessian priest of the Imperial City , was the immediate heir of the Kingdom of Skingrad , and , with the belief that to resist the Emperor was to resist the god , his first edict was the cession of Skingrad to the Alessian Empire , shocking the entirety of Colovia . Angered by this action , Rislav Larich made haste to Skingrad with a small group of warriors , and without contention from the guards , Rislav murdered his older brother and usurped the Kingdom of Skingrad . Around this time , High King Kjoric the White of Skyrim attempted to secede from the Alessian Empire but was instead killed by the armies of Emperor Gorieus at the Battle of Sungard . While the Pact of Chieftans tried to elect a new leader , the Alessian Empire began invading Skyrim ' s southern territories . News quickly reached the Emperor that Rislav had taken control of Skingrad . In response , Gorieus marched westward to Skingrad , bringing an exceedingly massive army , with the intention of intimidating Rislav into submission and demonstrating to the Colovian Kings the true power of the Alessian Empire . However , instead of submitting to the Empire , Rislav triggered a surprise attack on the Alessian army before quickly retreating into the Colovian Highlands with his own . Gorieus , falling right into Rislav ' s trap , pursued this army throughout the Highlands only to have his men slowly picked off by Skingrad troops . When it became apparent that the Alessian army was exhausted , demoralized , and suffering heavy casualties , Gorieus ' army was led into an ambush by the armies of Kvatch . Unable to continue fighting , the Alessians retreated to the Imperial Reserve , than back to Nibenay . War with the Direnni . Rislav ' s success in his rebellion convinced the rest of the Colovian Estates to join Kvatch and Skingrad in their resistance against the Empire . It also inspired the leaders of Clan Direnni to begin outlawing the growing Alessian Reform within the Direnni Hegemony . In 1E 479 , the hegemony began scourging those Bretons caught following the Alessian faith , in which the Alessians swiftly responded to with an invasion of Craglorn . Full on warfare , between the Alessian Empire and Direnni Hegemony , broke out in 1E 480 with the Direnni winning many strategic victories in Alessian held territories . A delicate alliance was formed between Kjoric the White ' s son , now High King , Hoag Merkiller of Skyrim , and the Direnni Hegemony , over their mutual hatred of the Alessians . The Alessian army eventually broke through the Direnni ' s defenses , pushing deep into Glenumbra . In 1E 482 , a plan was made by the Direnni and their Ayleid allies , to lure the advancing Alessian Army into Glenumbra Moors and ambush them there . Despite the Alessians truly expecting a counter - offensive , their army was still routed in the costly Battle of Glenumbra Moors . While the Direnni were still capable of driving the remnants of the Alessian Army back out of High Rock , the battle so horribly diminished the Direnni ' s military power that they were no longer able to control the emerging power of the Bretons , causing the complete collapse of their empire by the year 1E 500 . Upon the death of Hoag Merkiller in the battle , the legendary Ysmir Wulfharth was elected to the throne of Skyrim , in which his first edicts were a fiery reinstatement of the Nordic traditional pantheon . Wulfharth outlawed the Alessian Reform within Skyrim , putting all its priests to the stake and razing their monastic complexes , finally removing the shadow High King Borgas cast upon Skyrim . The defeat at Glenumbra Moors would be remembered for millennia as one of the greatest follies of the Alessian Order . The Alessian Empire , in its severely weakened state , was no longer able to assert its influence over rival nations , and would never fully recover . Hestra ' s Reign . After the Empire ' s sharp decline in power , it would not be until the start of Empress Hestra ' s reign over Cyrodiil , that the Empire would truly begin to recover from its past follies . Hestra was said to have soothed the long lasting tensions between the Alessian Empire and the Colovian West , possibly even admitting it into the Empire . In 1E 1029 , Hestra led a campaign against the dreaded Vampire - King , Styriche of Verkarth City , deposing him and pushing his army west . When Styriche ' s retreat was halted by the defenders of Bangkorai , Hestra ' s army eliminated what remained of his Gray Host , and peacefully incorporated High Rock into the Alessian Empire . Around the year 1E 1030 , Hestra ' s legions invaded the ten Reachmen kingdoms of the Reach , with the intentions of annexing them into the Empire . The Empire made great progress at the beginning of the incursion , quickly conquering the entire Reach . However , given two years , the Red Eagle ' s insurrection was able to completely remove Imperial influence from the Reach . Hestra responded to this with a full - fledged invasion of the Reach , swiftly reconquering the territory and killing the Red Eagle . Hestra is also credited with commencing a staunch war on piracy in 1E 1033 , most notably on the various pirates using Black Marsh as a launching point for raids on Southern Tamriel . Hestra ' s Navy was successful in capturing the infamous Pirate - King , " Red " Bramman , providing the first reliable accounts of the interior territories of the mysterious Black Marsh . Hestra was also known to have greatly improved the road system of the Alessian Empire , and possibly creating the Hestra Rune Stone s . Around this time , the Alessians began launching short - lived invasions of the northern territories of Valenwood and possibly the sixteen Khajiit states of Elsweyr . The Dragon Break . While Hestra ' s reign made it appear as though the Alessian Empire was recovering from its decline under the rule of Emperor Gorieus , this prosperity was , unfortunately , not to last . In the year 1E 1188 , a man by the name of Fervidius Tharn was believed to have been appointed as the Arch - Prelate of the Alessian Order . A rank , that , at the time , rivaled the power of even the Emperor . During his papacy , a threatening ideological schism began to form within the ranks of the Alessian priesthood , surreptitiously wearing away at the doctrinal foundations of the Order . This antithetical movement to the orthodox Alessian Reform , referred to themselves as the Marukhati Selectives . The Marukhati Selectives were extremely fanatical in their dogma , most notably in their vehement belief that the humanadic Akatosh , the Alessian ' s Supreme - Spirit , was incapable of being the same god as the Elven , Auriel . When it became apparent to the Selectives that they could not prove their thesis through conventional means , they decided to force the universe into accepting it . While Arch - Prelate Tharn is said to have frequently attempted to halt the Selectives ' plans , some primary sources seem to imply that these actions may have been done purely to cover the fact that he was secretly the master of the Selectives . In the year 1E 1200 , seemingly left with no other choice , the Marukhati Selectives purposefully initiated a Dragon Break , later known as the Middle Dawn , with the intention of using the Hurling Disk to manipulate the universe to their liking . The Middle Dawn would last for what is normally reported to be 1008 , timeless , years , finally ending in 1E 2208 . Throughout the Break , all sorts of strange happenings occurred . While most people were incapable of recalling the events that entailed , the Emperor souls held within the Red Diamond revealed varying accounts of what took place . The Emperor , Shor - El , claimed that the entirety of Cyrodiil morphed into an egg , while Empress Hestra stated that the Alessian Empire spread its reaches across the stars ; most other accounts from the Red Diamond are reportedly spoken in an incomprehensible language that is only spoken ' sideways ' . Whether or not the Selectives were successful in their goal is unknown . However , if one thing is certain , it is that the Dragon Break crushed a good amount of trust the people held in the Alessian Empire . Dissolution of the Alessian Empire . As if the Dragon Break weren ' t enough , in the year 1E 2200 , the Thrassian Plague ravaged Tamriel , eventually killing off , what is normally believed to be , around half of the continent ' s population . In the year 1E 2260 , The Alessian Emperor , at the time , assembled the greatest ever coalition of fleets from across Tamriel , known as the All Flags Navy , to invade the source of the plague , the Sload homeland of Thras . The fleet was led by Baron - Admiral Bendu Olo , King of Anvil , who was also credited with adding the fleets of Hammerfell into the great armada . With Bendu ' s success over the Sload , the glory of the Colovian West quickly spread across Tamriel , overshadowing that of the traditionally richer and Imperial - tied , Nibenay , causing tensions to slowly arise . In the year 1E 2305 , the apparent excesses of the Alessian Order led to the secession of the Kingdom of High Rock from the Empire . While the Alessians attempted to reestablish control of the region through conquest , and managed to swiftly pass through Hammerfell , their forces failed , being routed at Bangkorai . The War of Righteousness . Though the Alessian Reform was at first the driving force of the Empire , by the twenty - fourth century of the First Era it was noticeably becoming a cancerous blight on the Empire ' s competency . The Alessian Empire ' s fate was truly sealed once the Alessian Order ' s influence spread to nearly every Tamrielic religion . Because of this , the Alessian priesthood was spread to thin and infighting quickly began amongst the varying sects of the Order . With the flourishing Colovian West seceding from the Empire in the year 1E 2321 , it was too late for the Empire to heal its wounds , and its lack of land and money quickly erupted the Alessian Empire into the War of Righteousness , which would spread as far as the Iliac Bay , nearly halving its population . Within its ten - year span , the conflict quickly evolved into an all out evangelical war between the myriad sects of the now splintered Alessian faith , with the purging of most Alessian texts and monastic complexes . The war would cause the complete dissolution of the Alessian Empire in 1E 2331 , and reverted Nibenay back into a mercantile - magocracy form of government . With Nibenay ' s ministries being far too alien for the Colovian culture , the lands remained split for around 400 years , until the rising of the Reman Empire .