Dragonfires

*"Since the days of the Second Empire, the Dragonfires are the coronation ritual of the ascending monarch of Cyrodiil and sealed permanently of portals of Oblivion with the power of Akatosh."*
―The Dragonborn Monarchs[src]
The **Dragonfires** is an initiation ceremony that marks the accession of a new emperor to the Ruby Throne, must go to the Temple of the One after the death of the monarch's predecessor, and must be lit anew of the new ascending emperor or empress who must be a Dragonborn upon their coronation. Akatosh created the Dragonfires with a burning handful of his heart's blood. The Dragonfires themselves are the ward against the planes of Oblivion and protects against all immortal realms. While they are lit, Daedra cannot exist permanently in Tamriel and portals to Oblivion are not possible. A Dragonfires coronation is a symbolic formality and does not signify the official beginning of the Imperial monarch's reign; *de jure* and *de facto* their reign commences from the moment of the preceding monarch's death, maintaining legal continuity of the monarchy.

## Background

*"But should these Dragonfires fail, and should no heir of our joined blood wear the Amulet of Kings, then shall the Empire descend into darkness...."*
―*Trials of St. Alessia*; also found in Imperial City loading screens in *Oblivion*[src]
A Dragonborn Emperor or Empress had to use the Amulet of Kings to light the Dragonfires in the Sublime Brazier, a sacred cauldron located in the Dragonfire Cathedral deep beneath the Imperial Sewers. Once the Sublime Brazier was kindled, it would light the Dragonfires in the Temple of the One. The Dragonfires could also be lit directly from the Temple of the One.

The essential elements of the Dragonfires coronation have remained largely unchanged for the past 1,000 years. The ascending emperor or empress worn the Robes of the Imperial monarch regalia, the Red Dragon Crown and the Amulet of Kings, before they lit the Dragonfires, a portal against the planes of Oblivion, which cannot bring the Daedra in Tamriel.

## History

### The Interregnum and the Planemeld

The darkening of the Dragonfires played an essential role in two Daedric invasions of Tamriel. The first occurred in 2E 579, when Emperor Varen Aquilarios of the Empire of Cyrodiil misused the Amulet of Kings in a ritual that Varen's advisor Mannimarco had convinced him would curry Akatosh's favor and make Varen a Dragonborn. Instead, the ritual violated the Covenant with Akatosh and caused the Soulburst, which set Nirn adrift in the Mundus. Molag Bal took the opportunity to begin rending the souls of Nirn's mortals from their hosts to use as fuel for the Planemeld, the process of merging Nirn with Coldharbour using devices called Dark Anchors. Fortunately, a Vestige who had been a victim of Mannimarco and Molag Bal's schemes arose to unite the warring nations of Tamriel against Molag Bal, invading Coldharbour and halting the Planemeld in 2E 582.

Molag Bal sought to destroy the Sublime Brazier to prevent the Dragonfires from ever being relit, sending a Xivkyn General known as Malivus to spearhead an attack on the temple. This attack was repelled by the Vestige, the Drake of Blades and Captain Anatolius Caudex using siege weapons. While the attack was repelled, Father Egnatius, a priest of Akatosh, performed a ritual on the Brazier. Once this ritual was complete the Drake of Blades became the immortal guardian of the Brazier and the Dragonfire Cathedral, blessed with the power of Akatosh himself and forever bound to the temple. The Vestige also later stopped an alternate form of the Planemeld ritual called the Planemeld Obverse from being carried out by the Xivkyn Molag Kena at White-Gold Tower.

### The Oblivion Crisis

With the ascension of Tiber Septim as Emperor of the Third Empire at the end of the Second Era, the Dragonfire ritual was resumed while the Septim Dynasty reigned, but in 3E 433 that dynasty was broken and Mehrunes Dagon threatened Tamriel with an invasion of his own. With the assassination of Emperor Uriel Septim VII and all of his legitimate heirs by the Mythic Dawn cult, no known Dragonborn heir remained to relight the Dragonfires. The barriers between Oblivion and Mundus were broken, allowing stable portals to the Deadlands to be created. When Martin Septim, the illegitimate son of the late Emperor, smashed the Amulet of Kings to summon an avatar of Akatosh, the barriers were resealed permanently, thus ending the long but now obsolete tradition.

### The Restoration and Coronation

In the Fourth Era, the Dragonfires restored from its glory during the reign of Reman Varian, and was re-light at the ascension of Marcella Varian with the Amulet of Kings were recreated since Martin Septim during the end of the Third Era. Since then, the Dragonfires now used as the enthronement coronation initiation ceremony for the Imperial monarchs. With the dragonfires of Marcella Varian in 4E 199, sparking the first Imperial monarch to be crowned as the coronation ceremony.

### Imperial Usurpation and Restoration

The Dragonfires continued to be a notable event within Cyrodilic history for the next eight centuries and the doors of Nirn and Oblivion remained closed in the Fifth Era. However in year 5E 723, the Dragonfires became extinguished and at risk when the rumors of the Daedric Prince Haidoneus invasion of Cyrodiil. King Shamar gro-Rogdul usurped the Ruby Throne after slaying the last Varian Emperor Titus III. Shamar crowned himself Emperor without using the Dragonfires, causing the first of many events of the portal between Nirn and Oblivion had been reopened and a possible invasion since the Oblivion Crisis at the end of the Third Era. Shamar then overthrown by Crassius Avento, ending the Shamar's reign of terror and the Dragonfires was re-stored. However Haidoneus invaded Nirn, causing the Imperial City and among other cities around Tamriel became either destroyed or damaged by the forces of the Dead, however the Prince was banished back into Oblivion where Marcella entered Haidoneus' realm, the Underworld and defeat him.

## Quotes

* *"So long as you and your heirs wear the Amulet of Kings, than shall this Dragonfire burn -an eternal flame- as a symbol to all men and gods of our faithfulness..." - Trials of St. Alessia, Imperial City loading screens.*

## Sources

* *Histories of Cyrodiil*
* *Trials of St. Alessia*
* *Remanada*
* *The Amulet of Kings*
* *The Dragonborn Monarchs*
* *The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion* main quest
* *The Elder Scrolls VI: Invasion* main quest
* *The Elder Scrolls Online* main quest

## Appearances

* *The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion*
* *The Elder Scrolls VI: Invasion*
* *The Elder Scrolls Online*
	+ *The Elder Scrolls Online: Imperial City* (mentioned only)

## References

1. ↑ *The Sublime Brazier (Book)*
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Events of *The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion*
3. ↑ *The Chim-el Adabal*
4. ↑ Events of ""The Sublime Brazier" in Template:ESO
5. ↑ Events of Template:ESO
6. ↑ *The Amulet of Kings*
7. ↑ *Assassination!*
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 *Dynasties: The Varians of Cyrodiil*
9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 *The Dragonborn Monarchs*
10. ↑ *Year in Cyrodiil: 5E 723*
11. ↑ *Year in Cyrodiil: 5E 725*
12. ↑ Events of *The Elder Scrolls VI: Underworld*