Tiberius Dracomir

{Characters
Atmora

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For the deity apotheosized from Tiber Septim, see Talos.
For other uses, see Septim.
**Emperor Tiberius Dracomir** , also called **Hjalti Early-Beard**, **General Talos Stormcrown**, the **Red King**, and **Ysmir**, was a Dragonborn and the first Emperor of the Dracomir Empire. He is regarded as one of Aldervia's most famous figures, having been the only one in history to unite the continent. Starting with his service under the Arcadian emperor Cuhlecain, Tiberius Dracomir fought under the name "General Talos" to unify Arcadia, eventually succeeding or usurping Cuchlecain and becoming emperor. After his unification of Tamriel, an effort that culminated in the birth of the Third Empire, he ended the lengthy Interregnum . Tiberius Dracomir gave his name to the lineage of Cyrodiil Emperors, the Septims. Upon his death he became the deity Talos and took his place among the Gods.

## Biography

> Tiber Septim brought peace to Tamriel in 2E 896, by conquering all of the known world. Thus began the Third Era.
>
> Loading screen, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Accounts differ on Tiberius Dracomir's biography. There are two commonly accepted theories, with the first usually taking precedence over the latter.

### Orthodoxy

 File:Talos farewells the king of atmora.jpg  The most commonly accepted story within the Empire is that Tiber Septim was born in Atmora as Talos, meaning Stormcrown in Ehlnofex, hence Talos Stormcrown. He had a brother named Agnorith. He grew up in Skyrim and learned the ways of war there. Talos became General of the Colovian Estates under King (and later Emperor) Cuhlecain. General Talos met the combined army of Skyrim and High Rock, who were hostile to Cuhlecain, on the cliffs of Sancre Tor. The Skyrim army joined him when they saw him use the thu'um and knew him to be blood of the Dragon and heir to the Empires of Men. However, there are also records that state that the Nords joined Tiber Septim after he had caught them off guard.

Cuhlecain and Talos conquered West Cyrodiil in one year.Template:Cite No one could stand before Talos' storms. They marched east and the enemy's battlemages surrendered before their armies. In 2E 854 they conquered the Imperial City and thus gained the full control over Cyrodiil.Template:Cite That year, a High Rock nightblade managed to assassinate Cuhlecain and slit Talos's throat, burning the palace in the process. Talos survived, but he could no longer shout, instead leading armies with a whisper. At one point, Talos had an affair with Barenziah of Morrowind, who became pregnant. Talos quickly had the unborn child aborted to prevent conflict with his legitimate heir.

The human kingdoms were conquered, even Hammerfell, which was predicted to be an arduous task. After sending the commander of the New West Navy Amiel Richton to Stros M'kai, the Battle of Stros M'kai had begun. Richton's assassin Dram shot a poisoned arrow at Hammerfell's Prince A'Tor, killing him and defeating the last of the Crown resistance. After this Tiber Septim appointed Amiel Richton as provisional governor of the island.

After the conquest of Hammerfell, Tiber turned to Morrowind. Following some initial skirmishes and after increasing internal friction between Morrowind's Great Houses, a treaty was signed by either Tiber or Zurin Arctus. This included Vivec giving the Numidium to Tiber in exchange for a higher degree of autonomy and self-rule for Morrowind.

The acquisition of the Numidium allowed Tiber to conquer the Summerset Isles, completing the conquest of Tamriel in 2E 896. Upon conquering all of Tamriel, Tiber declared that the following year a new era should begin, and thus the Third Era began. Tiber Septim's thirty-eight year reign is described as "lawful, pious, and glorious age." Tiber Septim is known for reviving the Cult of the One, and erecting a Temple dedicated to it within the Imperial City. Tiber also published the Pocket Guide to the Empire, First Edition in an attempt to make his newly found empire feel more united. Tiber Septim died in 3E 38, and was succeeded by his grandson, Pelagius.

### Heresy

Tiber Septim was born on the island kingdom Alcaire, as Hjalti Early-Beard, in 2E 828, where he learned to use a sword. Nords and Bretons had been fighting for centuries at the northern border of Falkreath, a kingdom in the Colovian Estates. At the age of twenty, Hjalti led the forces of Skyrim against the Reachmen of High Rock. During those days he met Cuhlecain, the king of Falkreath, who came to secure his northern border. They became allies and Hjalti was named general of the joined forces. Hjalti was a shrewd tactician, and his small band of Colovian troops and Nord berserkers broke the Reachmen's line, forcing them back beyond the gates of Old Hrol'dan. A siege seemed impossible, as Hjalti could expect no reinforcements from Falkreath. That night a storm came and visited Hjalti's camp. Hidden in the storm was Wulfharth, a long-dead Nordic king, who spoke with him in his tent and taught him the Way of the Voice. At dawn, Hjalti went up to the gates, and the storm followed just above his head. He shouted down the walls of Old Hrol'dan, and his men poured in. After their victory, the Nords called Hjalti "Talos", meaning "Stormcrown".

Cuhlecain's intent was to crown himself emperor. But Talos was still haunted by the prophecy given him by the Greybeards. Before Cuhlecain could be crowned, Talos secretly murdered him. The Imperial Palace was burned to the ground in the action, and Talos slit his own throat to take the suspicion off of him. Though he lived, his Voice failed him. To prevent Cyrodiil from falling apart again, Zurin Arctus, the Grand Battlemage, crowned Talos as Tiber Septim, new Emperor of Cyrodiil. In order to hide his involvement in the assassination, a lie was made that Tiber's own throat was cut.

 File:Tiber Septim Redguard.png  Following the assassination, Hjalti enlisted the help of both Ysmir Wulfharth and Zurin Arctus to help administer the empire. Ysmir was consistently pushing for further invasions of Hammerfell and Morrowind, but Tiber resisted his urgings. Wulfharth ultimately left Tiber in disgust at his inaction. Hammerfell and Morrowind were ultimately brought into the empire by a combination of peaceful accommodation and support of various warring factions, rather than unilateral conquest.Template:Fact

In that time, the great Dunmer general Symmachus, a friend of Tiber Septim's, brought Barenziah to the Imperial City where she met the Emperor and they fell in love. The Emperor and Barenziah engaged in an affair but it was soon discovered that Barenziah was pregnant. Septim determined that he could not allow such a threat to his son's dominion and so ordered a healer to force Barenziah to miscarry. Barenziah was dispatched from the Imperial City very soon after this.

After receiving the Numidium from the Tribunal, Tiber Septim summoned Wulfharth back to his court, saying that he had been right all along. On his return, Tiber seized him and had his soul ripped out to power the Mantella, a soul gem that functioned as the power source for Numidium. This allowed the device to be activated and complete Tiber's conquest of the Summerset Isles. He would rule over a united Tameriel for thirty-eight years until his death in 3E 38.

## Race

> Septim's no Cyrodiil from what I've heard, though he rules their remnants and rebuilds their Empire; he's something worse, or greater, depending on your disposition to the center sun. [...] For the last four hundred years the petty kings of Cyrodiil have been squabbling over the title of Emperor, all claiming forbearance -- Imperial throne's blood's thinner than a sea dream and half as wet.
>
> Tobias, The Elder Scrolls Adventures: Redguard

The exact race of Tiber Septim is unknown, but what is known is that he was not a Mer or Beastfolk, but a subspecies of Men.

If the statement that he is from Alcaire is true, then he was most likely a Breton. According to Kier-jo, General Stormcrown was a Breton, not a Nord. Kyne also refers to him as a "manmer" in Michael Kirkbride's C0DA, and Bretons are both man and mer.

If the statement that he is from Atmora is true, then he was most likely an Atmoran or Nord. Some sources often say that Septim was an Atmoran, but not a Nord. However, Heimskr states directly that Tiber Septim was a Nord.

During the Tiber Wars, it was said that Tiber Septim was not an Imperial, which was not uncommon for Emperors during the Interregnum regardless. His avatar, Wulf, however, is also an Imperial, who is stated to look like the figure on the Septim coins, which would imply that Tiber Septim might have been an Imperial.

### Physical appearance

Tiber Septim was described by Queen Barenziah. He was of average height, half a head shorter than Symmachus, well-knit of figure and flexible of movement. He had a winning smile, bright blue eyes, and his hair was stark white, while his face was lined and weathered. Barenziah presumed his age ranged from forty to sixty years old at the time. Other features of Tiber Septim were a ruthless brow and powerful chin.

## Godhood

Main article: Talos
Talos died in 3E 38, and was succeeded by his grandson, Pelagius. After his death Septim is believed by most to have ascended to godhood. He became Talos again, the God of War and Governance,Template:Cite for after a lifetime of war, he had united Tamriel for the first time in history. Upon his ascension the Eight Divines became the Nine.

During the Great War between the Empire and the Aldmeri Dominion however, peace was agreed upon with one of the conditions being that the Empire cease to recognize Talos as one of the Divines. After word got out that the Empire wasn't enforcing the Talos ban, the Thalmor had all shrines to him removed from the temples in towns loyal to the Empire. The Stormcloaks in the province of Skyrim reject the White-Gold Concordat that instates this law.

## Legacy

 File:Tiber Septim Imperial City Statue.png  Tiber Septim had a bloodline, but it went extinct in the main line with the death of Pelagius Septim. The line then switched to Pelagius' cousin Kintyra and her heirs, who were the descendants of Tiber Septim's brother, Agnorith. Tiber Septim was the founder of the Septim Dynasty, which ruled Tamriel for the entire Third Era until the bloodline died out with Martin Septim.

Tribunal goddess Almalexia commissioned an expansion of Mournhold as a reaction to Septim's rising greatness, returning the city to its former glory since its destruction in 1E 2920. The expansion was finished in the early Third Era. An aspect of Tiber Septim appeared in 3E 427, as a retired Imperial Legionnaire named Wulf. He aids the Nerevarine by asking him to keep his lucky coin while they journey to Red Mountain on their quest to defeat Dagoth Ur. Later, an Imperial priest in Ebonheart tells the Nerevarine that Wulf may have actually been a divine manifestation of Tiber Septim and that this visitation may be "a sign of great doom" for the Hero. Wulf's dialogue regarding the weakening empire and old emperor later occurred during the Oblivion Crisis of 3E 433, with the Septim bloodline ending with Martin Septim's sacrifice.

## Conflicting reports

There are still conflicting reports about Tiber's life due to many aspects of his early reign being rewritten, and this is why there is such confusion over his origins. Brought up by Ysmir in *The Arcturian Heresy*:

* His birthplace is left as a matter of debate. Alcaire claims to be the birthplace of Tiber Septim, while various other sources suggest that he was born in Atmora.
* Tiber Septim begins to change in character and personality after his roaring conquests.
* It is left unclear why Tiber Septim betrayed his battlemage.
* It is unknown whether the Mantella is the heart of the battlemage, the heart of Ysmir, or the heart of Tiber Septim.

## Artifacts

* Totem of Tiber Septim
* Boots of the Apostle
* Armor of Tiber Septim
* Hjalti's Sword
* Old Man's Lucky Coin

## See also

* Battle of Sancre Tor
* *The Legendary Sancre Tor*
* *Pocket Guide to the Empire, First Edition*
* *The Real Barenziah*
* *2920, vol 12 - Evening Star*
* *The Arcturian Heresy*
* *Pocket Guide to the Empire, Third Edition*

## Trivia

* The currency of the Empire, the Septim, is derived from Tiber's surname.

## Appearances

* Template:Arena Template:Mo
* Template:Daggerfall Template:Mo
* Template:Redguard
* Template:Morrowind Template:Mo
* Template:Oblivion Template:Mo
	+ Template:Knights of the Nine Template:Mo
* Template:Skyrim Template:Mo
	+ Template:Dragonborn Template:Mo
* Template:Legends
* Template:Blades Template:Mo

## Notes

1. ↑ The Ghost of Old Hroldan specified that Tiber Septim and him both learned the way of the sword from the swordmasters of Alcaire.
2. ↑ It should be noted that the last shipment from Atmora arrived in 1E 68, as stated in the *Pocket Guide to the Empire, Third Edition: Other Lands*. This occured 3680 years before Tiber Septim was born, and the shipment arrived largely filled with corpses.

## References

Template:Reflist Template:UL

Template:Succession boxcs:Tiber Septim de:Tiber Septim es:Tiber Septim fi:Tiber Septim it:Tiber Septim pl:Tiber Septim pt:Tiber Septim ru:Тайбер Септим th:Tiber Septim

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 *The Arcturian Heresy*
2. ↑ *Holidays of the Iliac Bay*
3. ↑ *Pocket Guide to the Empire, First Edition: Cyrodiil*
4. ↑ *Pocket Guide to the Empire, First Edition: Skyrim*
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 *Pocket Guide to the Empire, First Edition: Cyrodiil*
6. ↑ *Mythic Dawn Commentaries*
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 *Varieties of Faith in the Empire*
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 *Brief History of the Empire, Book I*
9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 *Battle of Sancre Tor*
10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 *Pocket Guide to the Empire, First Edition: Cyrodiil*
11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 *The Real Barenziah, Book III*
12. ↑ Intro of Template:Redguard
13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 *On Morrowind*
14. ↑ Pocket Guide to the Empire, Third Edition: Foreword
15. ↑ *Dialogue with the Ghost of Old Hroldan*
16. ↑ Dialogue with Eydis
17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 Dialogue with Heimskr
18. ↑ Dialogue with Tobias
19. ↑ Dialogue with Lalatia Varian
20. ↑ *The Wolf Queen, Book IV*
21. ↑ *The Great War*
22. ↑ Dialogue with Thalmor Justiciars
23. ↑ Dialogue with Alvor
24. ↑ Events of Template:Skyrim
25. ↑ *Brief History of the Empire, Book I*
26. ↑ Events of "Imperial Dragon Armor" in Template:Oblivion
27. ↑ Events of Template:Morrowind
28. ↑ Events of Template:Oblivion
29. ↑ Dialogue with The Prophet

1. ↑ *Kier-jo, Forum Archives: Other Developers* — Imperial Library
2. ↑ *C0DA*, Page 40
3. ↑ *Letters to The Elder Scrolls Adventures* — Bethesda Softworks
4. ↑ *Zenimax Online Writer's AMA* — Lawrence Schick