Haymon Camoran

**Haymon Camoran**, best known as the **Camoran Usurper**, and also called as the **Hart-King**, and **Camoran Hart-King**, was a claimant and member of the Camoran Dynasty in Valenwood, together with Camoran Kaltos, a military leader and tactician, whom he initially served as advisor and sorcerer. After conquering the eastern potion of Valenwood and with disagreements with Kaltos, he begin his usurpation and took the throne in 3E 249 which led a period of violent warfare throughout western Tamriel ensued, affecting Valenwood, Colovia, Hammerfell and parts of High Rock. His reign ended when Haymon's forces were finally defeated by Baron Othrok at Dwynnen in 3E 267.

## History

The exact origins of Haymon Camoran are debatable as scholars are unable to come to a conclusion regarding them.

### Invasion of Tamriel

*"In the year 249 of the Third Era, a pretender to the ancient throne of the Camorans appeared, and with mundane and Daedric allies, stormed across Valenwood, destroying all who stood against him. The Bosmer were slow to unite against the threat, many too terrified to stand against the Camoran Usurper and some delighted that they were being freed, however violently, from the perceived yoke of the Empire. This minority grew as the Usurper's power did, and once he had consolidated his power in Valenwood, he turned his attentions northward. It took nearly two decades of tyranny before Valenwood found the strength to shrug off Haymon Camoran's rule."*
―Imperial Geographic Society[src]
In 3E 249, Camoran began a methodical invasion of western Tamriel, with in two years, his army of mercenaries, undead and daedra conquered most of Valenwood, the old seat of the Camoran Dynasty. After usurping the Camoran throne, he turned in Cyrodiil and Colovia. The Septim Empire at the time had a weak emperor, Cephorus Septim II who ascended the throne two years earlier, who was not able to quickly respond to the threat that it faced from Haymon. However the city of Kvatch was brutally sacked, which much of Camoran Kaltos's concern that not approve of the Usurper's violence against civilians. With Kaltos begged Haymon, who now called the Camoran Usurper, to return to Valenwood, however the Usurper turned on his lord and Kaltos was forced to flee, led a war.

### Hammerfall and Empire response

Despite the conflict with Kaltos, the Usurper continued his campaign in the West. He conquered the kingdoms of Rihad and Taneth, conquered most of Hammerfell in the thirteen years. The Emperor was weakened by an inheritance dispute with Andorak Septim, the legitimate son of Uriel Septim IV and Cephorus's cousin, attempted to halt the Usurper's invasion by sending mercenaries to Hammerfell, but to no avail.

### High Rock

The Iliac Bay region had no obvious leaders to unite the many petty states against the threat posed by Camoran's armies. With knowledge of the Usurper's relentless march northwards had reached High Rock as early as 3E 266, however, preparations to repel the invasion did not begin until early the following year. General sympathy for the Emperor was also low, and the Usurper, as an enemy of the Emperor, was initially seen as something of a liberator. In the course of the war of attempting conquering High Rock, several rulers had made secret alliances with the Usurper to protect their lands, however for these reasons, resistance against the Usurper was initially weak.

The lord of Reich Gradkeep (later renamed Anticlere), was deathly throughout the whole of 266 before he finally died in 3E 267. In short, there were no Breton leaders from its traditional sources able to unite the provinces against the Camoran Usurper. Of the other leaders who had any influence, even minor influence, at least eight (the Eight Traitors of legend) made secret allegiances with the Usurper in order to have their lands protected.

The second reason why there was a lack of urgency about meeting the threat faced was a breakdown in relations between the Septim Empire and the High Rock province. The reason for this was that the emperor Cephorus Septim II was a Nord, with sympathies towards Skyrim and Morrowind, and for the first time in the Septim Empire, the ruler did not overly favor the Bretons, nor had spent their childhood there, and for this reason, they supported the Usurper, being as he was, the archfoe of the hated Emperor.

### Downfall at Dwynnen

The downfall and fall of Haymon were finally reach his end and eventually his reign at the hands of his former lord Kaltos. The combined forces of High Rock and Camoran Kaltos, consisting of the greatest navy ever combined as well as land forces, faced the Camoran Usurper in Dwynnen, which it is known as the Battle of Firewaves in 3E 267. A large scalled battle occurred, and at the same time, it not possess a major sea port, but have a tiny dock catching on fire, probably gave the battle its name. Baron Othrok's forces managed to prevent him from entering the Iliac Bay, so instead he went through the Wrothgarian Mountains, and eventually reached the township.

During the battle, the Baron Othrok had allies in the rulers of Ykalon, Phrygias, and Kambria. It was these allies that changed a popular misconception about the Usurper, which was that he wished to free the people from the Empire, who resented that the Emperor at the time was a Nord and once he had, he was soon able to assemble the second largest navy that Tamriel had ever seen, which is comparable only with that of the ill-fated Navy of Uriel Septim V.

The Usurper's forces were decisively defeated, and the Usurper himself fell in the battle. It was also at this moment that his son, Mankar Camoran, was born to the Usurper's former mistress, Kaalys. The weather worked against the Usurper, which is attributed to divine intervention.

## Legacy

The pirate Captain Dugal notes with regret in 3E 286, after the defeat of the Usurper, Imperial naval commodores were able to focus once more on pirate threats such as the Red Sabre. It also saw an increase in hostility towards the seemingly ineffective empire, from the regions of Hammerfell, High Rock, and Valenwood. It had a major impact on the history of the Third Era, however, even making its way into the fictional story of *Hallgerd's Tale*. The Camoran Usurper also supposedly left behind a son, Mankar Camoran, who would later play a significant role in *The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion*. Also, in Dwynnen, the Barony where the defeat of the Usurper occurred, a Holiday is held ever year called Othroktide, paying homage to the famous first Baron of the town.

### Strategies

Camoran's army, allegedly made up entirely of summoned undead and daedra and it likely consisted mainly of Redguard and Bosmer mercenaries. It suggested that he raised fallen enemies to fight for him as undead. The Usurper was known for employing scare tactics in battle, such as fake beast roars, and for the brutality and cruelty of his forces against captives and civilians. He is given his use of the Daedra to conquer parts of Tamriel, which it possible that he allied to Haidoneus, a Daedric Prince, similar to Mankar Camoran's pact with Mehrunes Dagon. It is suggested that he had a "Master" of some kind (other than Camoran Kaltos, with whom he had lost favor), causing his invasion to slow drastically as he marched into High Rock.

## Trivia

* In the book *The Third Era Timeline*, Haymon Camoran is described as a Lich. The book also hints at a possible connection to the Nightmare Host that plagued the Dwynnen Region, though it is uncertain whether Camoran led the Host personally or some other Lich under his command led them in his stead.

## Notes

1. ↑ Most documents claiming Haymon, a part of the Bosmeri Camoran lineage, a urban legend occured that Haymon Camoran is the son of Molag Bal and a Breton woman has nonetheless persisted through the years. If this were true, it would make the Camoran Usurper a Breton rather than a Bosmer, and possibly even a Demiprince.

## References

1. ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 *The Refugees*
2. ↑ *Pocket Guide to the Empire, Third Edition: Valenwood*
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 *Brief History of the Empire, v3*
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 *Pocket Guide to the Empire, Third Edition: Eras*
5. ↑ 5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 *The Fall of the Usurper*
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 *Pocket Guide to the Empire, Third Edition: High Rock*
7. ↑ *The Daggerfall Chronicles*
8. ↑ *Pocket Guide to the Empire, Third Edition: Skyrim*
9. ↑ *Cap'n Dugal's Journal, Book III* Template:TD
10. ↑ *Hallgerd's Tale*
11. ↑ *The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion*
12. ↑ Dialogue of Koagorath

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