War of the Red Diamond The War of the Red Diamond was a war that was fought in 3E 121 , with the crowning of Uriel Septim III as the Emperor of Tamriel . This war took place because Uriel Septim III declared that the current ruler , Kintyra II , was a " bastard child " , and alluded to the famous decadence of the Imperial City at the time . Once this failed to stop her coronation , he instead gathered the armies loyal to him , those of High Rock , northern Morrowind and Skyrim , and attacked the Empire , alongside his mother , Potema Septim , who later became known as the Wolf Queen of Solitude . There was a long time period during which he was conquering the Empire . This battle became known as the War of the Red Diamond , after Tiber Septim ' s famous diamond . Evidence suggests that this diamond belonged to Saint Alessia . The participants . On Uriel III ' s side , there was his mother , Potema , and the forces of High Rock , northern Morrowind , and Skyrim . On the opposing side , there was Pelagius II ' s surviving children ( Antiochus Septim being already deceased ) , Imperial loyalists and many of the kings of Tamriel although many of them refused to become directly involved . It took a fair while for Uriel III to successfully conquer the majority of the empire , despite the Imperial City falling within two weeks . As such , it was not until 3E 121 that he was able to declare himself the new Emperor , having secured a large enough portion of the Empire to do so . Despite his true name being Uriel Mantiarco , he took the name Uriel Septim , becoming Uriel III . During the Battle of Ichidag , Uriel III was captured by enemy forces and sent to the Imperial City so he could face trial for his actions . Unfortunately , his convoy was attacked by a group of vigilantes en route , and he was killed in the process . Soon afterward , by popular consent , Cephorus Septim was chosen to rule the Empire . However , the War of the Red Diamond was not yet over , for the Wolf Queen was still undefeated , and continued to harass the Empire ' s forces with undead and Daedric forces . The Battle Continues . The Wolf Queen continued to attack the Empire ' s forces for the next decade . It was only after she died in one of the many sieges upon her city of Solitude that The War of the Red Diamond ended , and a modicum of peace settled over the Empire once more . Noticable battles . The Battle of Falconstar . In 3E 127 , as the Argonian forces under Magnus Septim were stationed in Kogmenthist Castle , Queen Potema and Lord Vhokken launched an attack with their Legions , beating back Magnus in the process . When Potema heard of her son being captured , she became enraged , and decided to lead the assault herself , which proved succesful , resulting in Magnus fleeing with his army . The Battle of Ichidag . This battle was fought between the Imperial Legion under Uriel Septim III and Cephorus Septim in 3E 127 . While Uriel fought bravely , his men were outmatched and he was brought to Gilane after being captured . It later became clear that Uriel Septim III had been killed by an angry mob in Hammerfell , and Cephorus Septim was being proclaimed Emperor . As a result of the death of Uriel III , many of the allies of Potema turned against them , in favor of the new Emperor . Siege of Solitude . The last battle in the War of the Red Diamond , fought in 3E 127 . After numerous defeats Potema started signing pacts with the Daedra and had necromancers resurrect her fallen forces , which were used to fight battle after battle against Magnus and Cephorus Septim ' s forces . In 3E 137 , Potema ' s forces had been pushed back to the Blue Palace , with the city falling to the Empire again . During the siege , Potema gave a necklace that would slowly drive him to insanity . As Potema knew that Pelagius would become Emperor due to the Elder Scrolls , she wanted one final act of revenge on the Empire .