Pelagius Septim III Emperor Thoriz Pelagius Septim III ( 3E 119 – 153 ) , also known as Pelagius the Mad and the Mad Emperor , was the Jarl of Solitude , and the twelfth Emperor of Tamriel after the death of his father Magnus Septim I . Because his mother was an Altmer i woman named Utheilla , he and his sister , Jolethe , are Imperial and Altmer half breeds . Later , he married a Dunmer i woman named Katariah I , who succeeded him to the throne as a regent - dowager , until their son Cassynder was old enough to rule . When Pelagius was just over a year old , Antiochus died and his daughter , Kintyra , assumed the throne to the acclaim of all . Kintyra II was Pelagius ' cousin and an accomplished mystic and sorceress . Kintyra II ' s reign was usurped by her and Pelagius ' cousin Uriel , by the power of his mother , Potema , the so - called " Wolf Queen of Solitude . " Biography . Early Life during the War of the Red Diamond . The man who would be Emperor of all Tamriel was born Thoriz Pelagius Septim , a prince of the royal family of Wayrest in 3E 119 at the end of the glorious reign of his uncle , Antiochus I . Wayrest had been showered with much preference during the years before Pelagius ' birth , for King Magnus was Antiochus ' favorite brother . When Pelagius was just over a year old , Antiochus died and his daughter , Kintyra , assumed the throne to the acclaim of all . Kintrya II was Pelagius ' cousin and an accomplished mystic and sorceress . Kintyra II ' s reign was usurped by her and Pelagius ' cousin Uriel , by the power of his mother , Potema , the " Wolf Queen of Solitude . " The year after her coronation , Kintyra was trapped in Glenpoint , and imprisoned in the Imperial dungeons there . All of Tamriel exploded into warfare as Prince Uriel took the throne as Uriel III , and High Rock , because of the imprisoned Empress ' presence there , was the location of some of the bloodiest battles . Pelagius ' father , King Magnus , allied himself with his brother Cephorus against the usurper Emperor , and brought the wrath of Uriel III and Queen Potema down on Wayrest . Pelagius , his brothers and sisters , and his mother Utheilla fled to the Isle of Balfiera . All who met Pelagius on the Isle described him as a handsome , personable boy , interested in sport , magic , and music . Even assuming diplomats ' lack of candor , Pelagius seemed , if anything , a blessing to the future of the Septim Dynasty . When Pelagius was eight , Cephorus defeated Uriel III at the Battle of Ichidag and proclaimed himself Emperor Cephorus I . For the next ten years his and Potema ' s armies clashed with one another . At the conclusion of the Siege of Solitude , which ended with Potema ' s death and the end of the war , Cephorus placed his nephew on the throne of Solitude . King of Solitude . As King of Solitude , Pelagius ' eccentricities of behavior began to be noticeable . As a favorite nephew of the Emperor , few diplomats to Solitude made critical commentary on Pelagius . For the first two years of his reign , Pelagius was at the very least noted for his alarming shifts in weight . Four months after taking the throne , a diplomat from Ebonheart called Pelagius " a hale and hearty soul with a heart so big , it widens his waist . " Five months later , the visiting Princess of Firsthold wrote to her brother that " the king gripped my hand and it felt like I was being clutched by a skeleton . Pelagius is greatly emaciated , indeed . " Cephorus died childless ( as his children perished during the War of the Red Diamond ) , three years after the Siege of Solitude . As the only surviving sibling , Pelagius ' father Magnus left the throne of Wayrest and took up residence in the Imperial City as the Emperor Magnus I . Magnus was elderly and Pelagius was his oldest living child , so the attention of Tamriel focused on Solitude . By this time , Pelagius ' eccentricities were becoming infamous . There are many legends about his acts as King of Solitude , but few well documented cases exist . It is known that Pelagius locked the young princes and princesses of Silvenar in his room with him , only releasing them when an unsigned declaration of war was slipped under the door . When he tore off his clothes during a speech he was giving at a local festival , his advisors apparently decided to watch him more carefully . On the orders of Magnus , Pelagius was married to the beautiful heiress of an ancient Dunmer noble family , Katariah Ra ' athim . Nordic Kings who marry Dunmer seldom improve their popularity . There were two reasons for their union ; Magnus was trying to cement relations with Ebonheart , where the Ra ' athim clan hailed from . Ebonheart ' s neighbor , Mournhold , had been a historical ally of the Empire since the beginning , and the royal consort of Queen Barenziah had won many battles in the War of the Red Diamond . Ebonheart had a poorly kept secret of aiding Uriel III and Potema . The other reason for the marriage was more personal . Katariah was as shrewd a diplomat as she was beautiful . If any person was capable of hiding Pelagius ' madness , it was she . Ascent and Death . On the 8th of Second Seed , 3E 145 , Magnus I died quietly in his sleep . Jolethe , Pelagius ' sister , took over the throne of Solitude , and Pelagius and Katariah rode to the Imperial City to be crowned Emperor and Empress of Tamriel . It is said that Pelagius fainted when the crown was placed on his head , but Katariah held him up so only those closest to the thrones could see what had happened . Pelagius Septim III never truly ruled Tamriel . Katariah and the Elder Council made all of the decisions and only tried to keep Pelagius from embarrassing them all . It was said that when the Argonian ambassador from Blackrose came to court , Pelagius insisted on speaking in all grunts and squeaks , as if that were the Argonian ' s natural language . It is known that Pelagius was obsessed with cleanliness , and many guests reported waking to the noise of an early morning scrub - down of White - Gold Tower . Pelagius , while inspecting the servants ' work , suddenly defecated on the floor to give them something to do . When Pelagius began to bite and attack visitors to the White - Gold Tower , he was sent to a private asylum on the Isle of Betony . Pelagius was transferred to several other asylums , including asylums in Valenwood , Torval , and Black Marsh . During his stay in the asylum in Torval , Pelagius planned a ball . On a warm night in Sun ' s Dawn in his 34th year , Pelagius Septim III died after a brief fever in his cell at the Temple of Kynareth on Betony . Katariah I reigned for another 46 years before passing the scepter onto the only child she had with Pelagius , Cassynder . Legacy . After Pelagius ' death , the asylum he was contained in was destroyed . However , a group known as the Apostles of Light transported each original stone to the Shivering Isles , where it was reconstructed and renamed The Howling Halls . Pelagius ' ghost still haunts the Isles to this day . During the first days of the Fourth Era , Sheogorath ' s champion raided the Halls and wiped out the Apostles . He also discovered Pelagius ' pelvis , the only surviving remains of the mad emperor . Later in the Fourth Era , the Last Dragonborn was given Pelagius ' Hip Bone during Sheogorath ' s quest , where he had to cure Pelagius of his madness by entering his mind and to send him back to the Shivering Isles . Pelagius ' wild behavior has made him perversely dear to the province of his birth and death . The 2nd of Sun ' s Dawn , which may or may not be the anniversary of his death , is celebrated as the Mad Pelagius Festival , a time when foolishness of all sorts is encouraged . And so , one of the least desirable Emperors in the history of the Septim dynasty has become one of the most famous .