Auroran Crisis The Auroran Crisis was a significant conflict that occurred at about the same time as the Oblivion Crisis . It was fought primarily between the Knights of the Nine and the Auroran Forces of Umaril . The Crisis was the work of the ancient Ayleid Sorcerer - King Umaril the Unfeathered , who , after centuries of imprisonment , was released from the Waters of Oblivion to wreak his unholy vengeance on the gods that had masterminded his first downfall at the hands of the Divine Crusader , Pelinal Whitestrake . Using his servants , the Daedric warriors of Meridia known as Aurorans , Umaril launched an all out attack on the established Church of the Nine Divines in Cyrodiil . The Aurorans ' attacks consisted of entering one of Cyrodiil ' s Great Chapels , killing the staff , and desecrating the altars with bloody runes written in Ayleidoon . This began at Anvil . The Attack on Chapel Anvil drew attention from all around Cyrodiil , and eventually drew the Hero of Kvatch , Champion of Cyrodiil and hero of the Oblivion Crisis . Guided by the words of a mysterious Prophet , the Hero set out on a quest to recover the lost Crusader ' s Relics of Pelinal Whitestrake . During the course of this quest , the Hero would revive a knightly order dedicated to the Nine Divines , the Knights of the Nine . These Knights , led by the new Divine Crusader , were eventually able to defeat Umaril once and for all . History . In the First Era of Tamriel , Umaril the Unfeathered was one of the Ayleid Sorceror - Kings of ancient Cyrodiil . During this time , the Ayleids ' human slaves rebelled , led by the legendary Slave - Queen , Alessia . Alessia ' s Rebellion pitted the humans against their cruel Ayleid masters in a bloody conflict that would span many years . Into this fray came Pelinal Whitestrake , who pledged himself to Alessia ' s cause and , wielding armor and weapons crafted by the gods themselves , led the humans to victory after victory against the Ayleids . When it was apparent that Pelinal was a truly worthy foe , Umaril called him out to fight . Pelinal answered the call , and the rebels converged on White - Gold Tower , capital of the Ayleid kingdom . During the great Siege of White Gold Tower , Pelinal entered the throne room and challenged Umaril . There they fought , and Pelinal succeeded in defeating the great king , denting his helm into ugliness and cutting off his unfeathered wings . In a rage , the other Ayleid kings fell upon Pelinal and cut him into eighths before being killed themselves . Pelinal ' s head was still alive when it was found , and he foretold the return of Umaril , for though the Crusader ' s Relics had defeated Umaril ' s physical form , his Daedric spirit lived on , sustained by the power of the Daedric Prince Meridia . With that , Pelinal died ; Alessia ' s rebellion was successful , and the world forgot the Whitestrake ' s final prophecy . Knights of the Nine . The Crusader ' s Relics were not forgotten . Pelinal ' s armor and weapons that had been made by the Eight Divines were scattered and lost until the early Third Era . In the year 3E 111 , Sir Amiel Lannus , a follower of the Nine Divines , formed a group of holy knights dedicated to recovering and preserving the Crusader ' s Relics . They fashioned themselves the Knights of the Nine , and together succeeded in reuniting the lost Relics . After the slaying of the Wyrm of Elynglenn and recovering the Cuirass of the Crusader , Sir Amiel and his Knights rose to fame . The greatest knights of the time were lining up to join . One of the more prominent members to join was Sir Berich Vlindrel , scion of one of the great noble families of Colovia . After he joined it was clear that the Knights were by far the most prestigious of all knightly orders in the day . Their twilight was to be the War of the Red Diamond . Many of the nine Knights that had joined the order came from distinct families from either side of the civil war , and it was Sir Berich that first left , taking the Sword and Greaves of the Crusader with him . In his flight , he killed fellow Knight Sir Caius , who tried to stop him leaving . After that , the order fractured . The Knights scattered , either seeking more Relics or entering war with them . In time , the Relics were lost again , and Sir Amiel was left alone in the Priory of the Nine , the last remaining Knight . At some point , Amiel discovered the location of the Helm of the Crusader , hidden in the ruin of Vanua , which itself held the Shrine of the Crusader , where Pelinal ' s head had given its prophecy and died . In 3E 153 , Sir Amiel entered the Shrine and attempted to recover the Helm , and there died . 22 years previous , Sir Berich had a decree passed that officially dissolved the Knights of the Nine , and they faded into history . Umaril ' s Return . It would be many years before talk of Pelinal Whitestrake , Umaril the Unfeathered , the Crusader ' s Relics , or the Knights of the Nine would surface again . As chance would have it , all returned shortly after the end of the Oblivion Crisis . Even as Tamriel celebrated the defeat of Mehrunes Dagon and his Daedric Forces of Destruction , another threat brewed behind the scenes that had remained dormant for centuries . It is unknown when exactly Umaril returned . It is possible that the opening of the Oblivion Gate s gave him the ability to re - enter the mortal plane . But his spirit , which had been rejuvenating in the Waters of Oblivion since his death , was imbued in a physical body once more , in the manner that a Daedra is reborn . Umaril set up a base in the ruins of the western - most Ayleid outpost , Garlas Malatar , and summoned to him Aurorans , the Daedric warriors of his mistress Meridia . Now , returned and possessing both power and soldiers , Umaril the Unfeathered had one thing on his agenda : the destruction of the gods that had caused his first defeat . He set his sights on the Church of the Nine Divines . The first attack was swift , and foreseen by no one . An assault was carried out on the Great Chapel of Dibella in the city of Anvil . Aurorans entered the chapel undetected , and killed its staff , and desecrated it . Blood was splattered everywhere , pews and altars knocked about , and around the main altar were set bloody runes in the Ayleidoon : The chapel was discovered desecrated , and a panic swept across Cyrodiil . Shortly after the event , a mysterious Prophet appeared in Anvil with no explanation . Across the street from the chapel he began to preach daily to the citizens . Claiming to be a holy man of the Nine Divines , he foretold the return of Umaril and the downfall of the gods unless a hero stepped forward to answer the Divines ' call for a champion . Some took the Prophet for a fake , others simply dismissed him , and still others were wary of what he said and took heed of the unholy doom . In time , word of him and the Anvil chapel attack would reach the ears of none other than the Hero of Kvatch . The Pilgrim ' s Way . The Hero arrived in Anvil , seeking after the rumors about the chapel attack . There the Hero beheld the desecrated chapel , and afterwards went to listen to the Prophet . The Hero approached the Prophet and questioned him about the attack . The Prophet told the Hero all that he knew about the return of Umaril and the need for a new Divine Crusader . When the Hero denounced all his claims to fame , and swore to walk humbly in the eyes of the Nine , The Prophet told him to walk the Pilgrim ' s Way , an ancient rite that would determine whether or not the Hero was a worthy knight . The Hero walked the Pilgrim ' s Way , visiting each of the Wayshrines to the Nine in the wilderness of Cyrodiil . Following a map given by the Prophet , the Hero managed to complete the pilgrimage , and was then given a vision . Pelinal Whitestrake , the Divine Crusader of legend , came to the Hero on a cloudy plane above Cyrodiil , and spoke on Umaril ' s return . Pelinal gave the Hero the location of the Helm of the Crusader , and also gave his blessing . After the vision , the Hero proceeded to Vanua , which held the Shrine of the Crusader , which itself held the ancient Helm . The Hero fought to the Shrine , and there found the remains of Sir Amiel . From Sir Amiel ' s Journal , the Hero learned that the Cuirass of the Crusader was in the Priory of the Nine in the West Weald . After recovering the Helm , the Hero left Vanua , and proceeded west , to the long - forgotten home of the Knights of the Nine . The Relic Quest Begins . In the Priory , the Hero was able to use Amiel ' s ring to enter the basement and the undercroft . There , the spirits of the original Knights of the Nine appeared and attacked the Hero one by one . The Hero proved his worth as a knight , defeating them all and gaining access to the Cuirass . Once it was recovered , the ghostly Knights told the tale of their downfall , and from four of them the Hero learned the location of four of the missing Relics . Leaving the Priory , the Hero went to each of the locations the Knights had described . At the Shrine and Grove of Kynareth , the Hero recovered the Boots of the Crusader . In Leyawiin , using the Boots , the Hero passed Zenithar ' s Test of Faith and recovered the Mace of the Crusader . But his actions were not unnoticed . Whether Umaril knew of the Hero ' s quest , or was merely putting his plan into action , is unknown . But two chapels next came under attack . The Great Chapel of Mara in Bravil was assaulted and desecrated , while the Chapel of Zenithar was attacked even as the Hero emerged with the holy Mace . Leyawiin ' s chapel escaped undesecration due to the vigilance of the Hero and a knight named Carodus Oholin . After the battle , Oholin , having heard rumors of the Hero ' s quest , asked to join him , and to become a Knight of the Nine . The Hero accepted Oholin ' s request . The Hero went on to the Great Chapel of Stendarr in Chorrol , where the Gauntlets of the Crusader had lain unmmovable for years due to Sir Casimir ' s murder while wearing them . The Hero repealed Casimir ' s actions by selflessly taking on the curse that had been placed on Casimir ' s family . With this act of mercy , the Hero was able to pick up the Gauntlets . Some time later , the Hero succeeded in recovering the Shield of the Crusader from the ruins of Fort Bulwark . There , he also rescued Sir Thedret , a fellow knight , who had been imprisoned and tortured by a group of rogue Conjurers seeking the Shield . Thedret immediately pledged himself to the Hero ' s cause . Now , with all four known Relics , the Hero returned to the Priory to seek more information on the other two . The Knights Restored . At the Priory , the Hero was greeted by a host of individuals . There was Avita Vesnia , a priestess of Kynareth ; Carodus Oholin ; Areldur , a priest of Stendarr ; two brothers , Gukimir and Geimund ; and Sir Thedret , who acted as the Hero ' s second - in - command . All sought to become Knights of the Nine . The Hero was suddenly at the head of a restored order . The prospective Knights , in the Hero ' s absence , had restored the Priory to its former glory . Once more , there were true defenders of the Faith . Yet there was another in the Priory ; Lathon , the squire of a knight named Sir Roderic , whom the Hero had met while on Pilgrimage , arrived to inform the Hero of Roderic ' s fate . After completing his Pilgrimage , Roderic had received a vision from none other than Sir Berich , the one former Knight who did not stand with the other ghosts in the Priory ' s undercroft . Berich had been overtaken by the evil that had ensnared him when he killed Sir Caius with the Sword of the Crusader . Roderic and Lathon had traveled to Underpall Cave to put Berich ' s ghost to rest , but it was to no avail . Upon reaching the bottom of the cave , they were confronted by the Wraith of Lord Vlindrel — Sir Berich . Roderic instructed Lathon to flee while he faced the Wraith . Lathon escaped , and went to the Priory . Lathon then gave the Hero the Greaves of the Crusader , which he and Sir Roderic had recovered from Lord Vlindrel ' s tomb . The last Relic , the Sword of the Crusader , was possessed by none other than the Wraith . Lathon then asked to become a Knight of the Nine , to avenge his fallen lord . The Hero accepted , and together they journeyed to Underpall Cave . In the depths , they found the body of Sir Roderic alongside Berich Vlindrel ' s tomb . On the shores of a great underground lake , they fought the great Wraith , and succeeded in avenging Sir Roderic and recovering the Sword of the Crusader . Lathon returned to the Priory to deliver the news to the other Knights , while the Hero traveled to Cheydinal to reconsecrate the Sword , which had been dragged into evil with Sir Berich . Umaril , who had remained dormant for some time , chose this moment to strike out . The Hero was forced to fight through Aurorans to reach the chapel ' s main altar , where the Sword was reconsecrated by the power of Arkay . All eight of the Relics had been recovered . Now the reborn Knights of the Nine were ready to attack Umaril . Umaril the Unfeathered . At the Priory , the Hero was surprised to see the mysterious Prophet who had begun the Hero ' s journey . The Prophet commended the Hero on the recovery of the Relics , and said that Umaril was based in Garlas Malatar and there he had to be defeated . The Prophet then told the Hero of Umaril ' s Daedric nature , and that the power of the eight Relics alone would not defeat him . Since the Unfeathered ' s first defeat , the Eight Divines had become Nine , and the Prophet bestowed upon the Hero the final Crusader ' s Relic : The Blessing of Talos . Now , with the Prophet ' s blessing , the Knights of the Nine left for Garlas Malatar and the final battle with the Aurorans . At Garlas Malatar , they attacked on the Hero ' s orders . Storming the fortress , they fought off the Aurorans stationed there . They made their way past the first level relatively easily . It was on the second level that they met powerful resistance . A Dark Orb there allowed the Aurorans to return to life after being killed . The task fell to the Hero to destroy the Orb before all the Knights were killed . When the Orb shattered , all time fell still , and friend and foe alike vanished . The Hero was left alone in Garlas Malatar , and proceeded to the final level and the battle with Umaril . In the throne chamber , the Hero came face to face with his foe . In a blaze of light , Umaril appeared , and the two . Umaril was a powerful opponent , but the Crusader ' s Relics , designed to weaken Umaril , gave the Hero a greater power . Umaril died under the Hero ' s blade . But the fight was not over ; the Hero invoked the Blessing of Talos and , doing what Pelinal Whitestrake could not , followed Umaril into the spirit plane . There , the Hero dueled Umaril ' s Daedric spirit , which was immune to the Relics as a whole , but not immune to the weapons . In the cloudy plane high above Cyrodiil , the Hero slew Umaril ' s spirit , killing him once and for all . With Umaril ' s death , the attack on the church , the Auroran Crisis , ended . Aftermath . The Hero awoke in the Priory undercroft , surrounded by the ghostly Knights of the Nine . Sir Amiel praised the Hero ' s victory , and the Knights vanished , departing at last to Aetherius . All but Sir Berich , who had been redeemed when the Hero defeated his Wraith form , and now stayed to thank the Hero before departing with his comrades . In the Priory , the Hero was greeted by Sir Thedret , who told that the Knights had found him dead beside Umaril ' s corpse . Thedret hurried outside to address the other Knights , informing them of the homecoming of the Lord Crusader , the Hero ' s new title . Word of the Knights ' deeds spread across Cyrodiil . The Crisis was over , the Auroran threat beaten back , and the Knights of the Nine restored . Tactics . The Crisis , which was mainly the work of Umaril and his Aurorans , was truly Umaril ' s plan of wiping out the gods that had engineered his first downfall . Using the Aurorans , Umaril planned to attack all the Great Chapels of the Nine Divines in Cyrodiil before launching an invasion on Cyrodiil and most likely all of Tamriel . Only four of the nine chapels were attacked , though . Umaril also seemed concerned about the recovery of the Crusader ' s Relics , as two of the four attacks occurred as an obstacle to the Hero . The task of fighting Umaril fell to the Knights of the Nine . The plan of the Hero , the Knights , and the Prophet was to gather the Relics , then strike out at Umaril . In this way , the war was mostly contained in the battle at Garlas Malatar , as opposed to in the chapels .