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.Pocket Guide to the Empire, First Edition: MorrowindThe Real Nerevar 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.Nerevar at 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.The Tale of Dro'Zira
 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,Saint Nerevar 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,Kagrenac's Tools 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.
==Aftermath==
*After the battle the Red Mountain erupts and the eruption became known as 'Year of Winter in Summer' by the Nords or "Sun's Death" by the Khajiit and Imperials. Some also say it was caused by the defeat of the god Mauloch.Varieties of Faith in the Empire The precise date for this event is disputed.
*Following the destruction of House Dagoth and the Dwemer, the First Council is reformed into the Grand Council, which comprises only the victorious Great Houses.
*The Tribunal recovered Kagrenac's Tools and, at some point, used them to become gods.
*The Chimer were changed into the Dunmer after the battle, although sources differ on when this occurred. Some say it was a curse from Azura made immediately after the battle to punish the Tribunal for their murder of Nerevar. Others claim it was done to punish their use of the Tools years later.
==References==
de:Krieg des Ersten Rates
es:Guerra del Primer Concilio
fr:Guerre du Premier Conseil
ru:Война Первого Совета
Category:Wars
Category:Lore: Events
Category:Lore: First Era Events