Emperor

*This article is about monarchial office. For list of Emperors or Empresses, see Tamrielic and Cyrodilic Emperors.*

## Political information

### Member of

Elder Council
Tamrielic Alliance

## Historical information

### Reestablished date

4E 17
4E 128/129 (after the Varian Ruby Rebellion)

### Abolished date

3E 433 (during the Oblivion Crisis)
4E 119

### Era(s)

First–present era

The **Emperor** or **Empress**, unofficially known as the **Emperor**/**Empress of Cyrodiil**, is the name of a ruler of a specific Empire. It has also been applied to the rulers of the Ysgramor Dynasty, the Reman Dynasty, the Septim Dynasty, the Mede Dynasty, the Varian Dynasty and the Avento Dynasty. The Emperor is the Head of State for the entire Empire. The Emperor resides in the Imperial Palace in the Imperial City. Until the reign of Tiber Septim, the title was passed through lineage. After the death of the last-known Septim heir at the end of the Oblivion Crisis, Martin Septim, the Elder Council struggled to declare an emperor, until Titus Mede seized the Ruby Throne but it was short lived until the reign and potentate of Antonius Mede which broke into the Varian Ruby Rebellion lasted four years, lead to Reman Varian was crowned Emperor and his Dynasty. The Varians adopted the blood of Akatosh were Marcella Varian and her successors, the last Varian Emperor was Titus Varian III. Since the rise of the Crassius Avento, the Aventos had rebuild much of its homeland. The current reigning Empress is Romana Avento II.

With the title inherited through blood by the first-born male child of the current emperor, the title has been bestowed upon daughters and dowagers. Since the rule of Slave-Queen Alessia, the Amulet of Kings has traditionally been a symbol of the Emperor's power, with the Aedric relic being the means by which the ceremonial Dragonfires were lit within Temple of the One, at the Emperor's seat of power, the Imperial City. This tradition has been abandoned since during the Oblivion Crisis the Amulet of Kings was shattered and the Dragonfires were lit permanently.

## By game

* Emperor (Online)
	+ Emperor (Skill)
	+ Emperor (Skill Tree)
* Emperor (Legends)
	+ Emperor Titus Mede II (Legends)

## Ascension

Emperors ascend to the throne through bloodlines. The title is usually handed from father to son, upon the death of the former. The title has been handed to dowagers of Emperors, most notably Katariah. In the absence of an heir, the Empires successions were different, during the time of the Second Empire the Akaviri Potentate ruled in the Emperors stead.During the Third Empire the Elder Council elected a Potentate to rule in the Emperor's place until a suitable alternative can be crowned. However after the Cyrodiilic Civil War ended with the either death or vanish of Antonius Mede, General Reman Varian who become Reman Septim, the founder and first Emperor of the Fourth Empire, as well as the start of the Varian Dynasty or "Second Septims".

## The Amulet of Kings

 File:Amulet of Kings (Oblivion).png
The Amulet of Kings is the Crown Jewel of the Emperors of Tamriel.

When Saint Alessia rallied the slaves against the Ayleids, Akatosh bestowed upon her the gem that would later be faceted into the Amulet of Kings. The jewel later became crucial in the crowning of Cyrodilic Emperors.

During the Septim Dynasty, newly crowned Emperors brought the amulet to the Temple of the One to light the Dragonfires and keep the barrier between Tamriel and Oblivion shut. Martin Septim, an illegitimate heir, broke the tradition when he destroyed the amulet to invoke Akatosh and return Mehrunes Dagon to Oblivion, thus sealing the barrier between Oblivion and Tamriel forever.

## History

### Ysgramor Dynasty

The origins of the first Empire of the Nords date back to the late Merethic Era when Ysgramor and his sons escaped the slaughter of the first human city of Saarthal by the native elves. He returned to Skyrim with an army known as the Five Hundred Companions and lead a reprisal campaign against the elven population.The city of Saarthal was retaken and eventually rebuilt.Template:Cite Ysgramor then ordered the construction of Windhelm which would serve as the capital of the Empire.Template:Cite

In the following years, Ysgramor and his army hunted the remaining elves to near extinction. Once Skyrim had been purged of Snow Elves, the ancient Nords turned their attention to Solstheim where a great number of skirmishes were said to have taken place.Template:Cite

### Alessian Empire

The first Imperial Empire of Tamriel began with Queen Alessia. The Alessian Empire often called the "First Empire,"Template:Cite was founded by Alessia after the overthrow of the Ayleid by the human slaves in Cyrodiil. Outside of historical writings, the term more specifically refers to the Empire as it exists since the unification of Tamriel under Tiber Septim, Emperor of Cyrodiil at the end of the Second Era.Template:Cite

### Reman Empire

The birth of the Reman Empire is shrouded in myth.Template:Cite It is believed that in the first Interregnum, many lords and warlords fought for the throne, while others searched and prayed to Saint Alessia for the return of the peace brought with the first empire. Hrol, king of what is now known as Old Hroldan, specifically went searching for the spirit of Alessia. He had a vision of her standing with Akatosh, and was seduced by the spirit of Alessia. According to one of his shieldthanes, he "did love unto a hillock" in the belief it was Alessia.

Nine months later, the Hill birthed Reman Cyrodiil, who even as an infant spoke with the voice of an Adult. He marched into The Imperial City and was proclaimed a divine emperor. Reman managed to unite the Empire's claims of Skyrim, High Rock, Hammerfell, Nibenay, and Colovia by repelling Akaviri invaders at Pale Pass.Template:Cite Elsweyr and Valenwood were taken militarily in the next decade or so.Template:Cite Morrowind never joined the Empire because, as the war between them was concluding, Reman Cyrodiil III and his son were both assassinated by the Dark Brotherhood.Template:Cite

The Reman Empire fell twice.Template:Cite First it fell at its peak, with the assassination of all Reman Cyrodiil's heirs.Template:Cite This led to the slow decline of the empire under the Akaviri potentate, Versidue Shaie. In 2E 324, the potentate was assassinated by the Morag Tong and his son, Savirien Chorak, took power. The new potentate and all his heirs were assassinated in the years to come by the Dark Brotherhood, ending the empire.Template:Cite

The Potentate Versidue Shaie ruled for 430 years in prosperity that established some traditions of the empire before the last Potentate was assassinated by Morrowind's official assassins guild, the Morag Tong. His successor, also a Tsaesci, was promptly murdered by the Dark Brotherhood, leaving no Akaviri heirs, and officially ending the Second Empire.Template:Cite

### Septim Empire

 File:Martin Septim.png
A series of non-noteworthy Emperors would follow over the next four hundred years, until the rise to prominence of the Imperial General Talos Stormcrown, also known as Tiber Septim.Template:Cite Septim commanded the army and navy of Cyrodiil through a number of victories or stalemates, slowly bringing the independent states of Tamriel under the umbrella of Imperial Provinces. Talos' own emperor was assassinated in 2E 854, leaving the Elder Council in charge of the government and, effectively, putting Tiber Septim in charge of the Empire.Template:Cite He continued to press his attacks across Tamriel, until in 2E 896, he enacts a truce between Cyrodiil and Morrowind to bring the Dunmer province into the Empire as a mostly independent province, in return for the aid of the golem Numidium in defeating the rest of the continent.Template:Cite Talos succeeds, and is named Emperor Tiber Septim, beginning both the Third Era and the Third Empire, the Septim Empire.Template:Cite

During his time as Emperor, Tiber Septim had an affair with a Dunmeri queen named Barenziah. Outraged by the pregnancy, he ordered the child aborted. Barenziah fled the province.

The first few in the line of Septim Emperors ruled with relative peace and prosperity, but within 50 years, mismanagement and political infighting become the norm.Template:Cite In more than one case, wars are fought over the throne, including the notable War of the Red Diamond, fought among three surviving heirs.Template:Cite Potential kings or queens frequently attack the sitting Emperor, or have him assassinated, and the Empire begins to lose its grip on several provinces.Template:Cite It would not be until the reign of Uriel Septim V that the lands of Tamriel were reconquered and the Empire returned to its place of power.Template:Cite Unfortunately, Uriel V also chose to launch an ill-planned invasion of Akavir, in which he was defeated soundly and killed.Template:Cite

The next generations of Septim rule restored the peace, prosperity, and most importantly, the stability of the Imperial line to Cyrodiil.Template:Cite By the time of Pelagius IV and his son, Uriel VII, the Empire was back almost to the height of its power.Template:Cite

Uriel VII's reign was overall a stable one, but was dotted with occasional strife and near-catastrophe. His Imperial Battlemage Jagar Tharn, possibly at the urging of Mehrunes Dagon, imprisoned him and ruled in his stead for several years.Template:Cite The Emperor escaped just in time to thwart an attempt by the King of Wayrest to conquer Daggerfall.Template:Cite By the time of the Dagoth Ur crisis in Morrowind, there was talk of the failing health of the Emperor, and concerns over the future of the Empire.Template:Cite

As it turned out, the Emperor's health was not an issue, but he was assassinated trying to flee the Imperial City after learning of the murder of every known heir to the throne.Template:Cite Their murderers, a cult called the Mythic Dawn, serving Mehrunes Dagon, were preparing Tamriel for an invasion by the Daedric Lord.Template:Cite Septim's one remaining illegitimate son Martin eventually led a defense of the Empire by becoming an avatar of Akatosh and defeating Dagon, but died in the process.Template:Cite

The Empire was left without an heir once more, but this time, with no one even distantly related to Tiber Septim available to be crowned.Template:Cite The Elder Council, which had essentially ruled during the periods of the weakest emperors, was now officially running the Empire.Template:Cite Many provinces floated rumors of dissolving the Empire; after the Oblivion Crisis many provinces left the empire like Black Marsh.Template:Cite

After the death of the last Septim and the subsequent beginning of the Fourth Era, the Elder Council struggled to maintain peace in Cyrodiil, placing new Emperors on the throne—none of which were well-taken by the people of the Empire. Eventually a Colovian warlord named Titus Mede conquered the Imperial City with just a thousand men and crowned himself Emperor. Thus began the Mede Dynasty.

### Varian Empire

The Mede Dynasty's popularity was faded during the reign of Attrebus Mede II, the people of Cyrodiil during that time often called, "one of the worst Emperors of Cyrodiil." His worse and also the cause of his downfall when he mistook Talos as an Necromancer; which proven false and Attrebus may have been a Daedric worshipper which often summoned Mad-god Sheogorath because of his madness. His rule as Emperor, was unpopular that mobs to opposed Attrebus Mede; but many of riots by mobs failed. Emperor Attrebus tried married multiple women but failed to produce a successor, that led to his madness.

This caused known as the Cyrodiilic Civil War and plunged Cyrodiil until the rise to prominence of the Imperial General and Councilor Reman Varian to try to overthrowing the Ruby throne for peace. The Supports of Reman , which known as the Loyalists; manage to victorious with victories at Battle of Rivalry, Battle of Silver Road, Raid of the Ages and at Battle for Ruby Throne, Reman was victory and was crown Emperor by the Elder Council in 4E 129 as Emperor Reman Varian. Attrebus Mede however was managed to somehow escaped, with good possibilities to be murdered or killed at the battlefrield, but his body never recovered. This makes start an new dynasty, the Varian Dynasty.Template:Cite As Emperor, Reman was most popular and brings Cyrodiil former glory and was founder of the his new dynasty.Template:Cite After Reman's death, Reman's son, also named Caius was succeeded and inherited as Emperor Caius Varian. During the reign of Tiber II, he confronted the High Chancellor Lylirilamil with hours of heated debate between Lylirilamil and the Emperor. Both Lylirilamil and Caius Varian made agreement that the policy failed and allow the council to have a new policy, which opposite to his policy.Template:Cite Caius than go to war with the Third Almeri Dominion in 4E 175 and begin the Great War; but it was peace with Dominion after the Empire weakened, called the White-Gold Concordat. Caius I and her wife, Alessara Cyrodiil were both killed when civil war broke out in Skyrim at the Battle of Grimpen Ward at The Pale.Template:Cite

Prince Uriel Lotdwiin was succeeded to the Ruby throne as Emperor Uriel Varian. Uriel I also had becoming King of Hammerfell when he married High Queen Yisine way before becoming Emperor. Uriel then contuning at outgoing war in Skyrim with the rise of Jarl Ulfric Stormcloak and the Stormcloaks. Uriel's children refused to becoming their new Emperor/Empress of the Empire, which cause a Succession Crisis, but he adopted Imperial Princess Dragonborn Marcella Varian, also known as the Purple Empress. Marcella succeeds, and is named Empress, beginning both the Fifth Era and the Fourth Empire, the Varian Empire. As her time as Empress, Marcella Varian had successfully defeating multiple enemies just like Alduin and Ulfric Stormcloak that end the civil war in Skyrim; and had a relationship with a Imperial Pandora Cheyagen. Both Marcella and Pandora adopted a child, named Brinella from Winter-Honored family.

After Marcella Varian's death, the first eight Varian Emperors ruled with relative peace and prosperity, but within 300 years, mismanagement and political infighting become the norm.Template:Cite Emperor Claudius Varian IV suffered an long-time illness and refused to in his duties of his illness.Template:Cite Claudius's sons had beef to fought over the throne, which Marlena Varian II took the throne. Marlena then was assassinated, some say that Claudius's son, called Claudius assassinated her, but with no proof. It would not be until the reign of Claudius Varian V that the most popular Emperor since Marcella Varian; fought final war with the Summerset Isles but the Isles was defeated by the Empire, but was later accidentally killed while hunting with Claudius's son, Pelagius.

The next generations of the Varians' rule restored the peace, prosperity, and most importantly, the stability of the Imperial line to Cyrodiil.Template:Cite By the time of Attrebus Varian and his daughter Kintyra II, the Empire was back almost to the height of its power.Template:Cite

Kintyra IV's reign was most stable and loyal one, but it was that she becoming Dragonborn after Marcella Varian.Template:Cite While Kintyra was Half Imperial, Dunmer and Nord from her predecessor family members. Kintyra IV's military career was most successful of all of Cyrodiil, when defeated two decent wars between Forsworn in Skyrim and Northern Cyrodiil. Kintyra IV than makes her final battle at near border in Skyrim which she was died of her wounds.Template:Cite

Her son, Titus Varian III becomes Emperor but at the time of his six-year reign, the rumors are that popular Orcish warlord by the name, Shamar gro-Rogdul planning to invade Cyrodiil. Titus III was preparing of war and got the Tamrielic Alliance to out-numbered the Orcs 6-1. Even though the Orcs were powerful.Template:Cite

As it turned out, the Oricismer then suddenly gained the upperhand and being to raid on Imperial City, Shamar than stormed into the palace with the Emperor waited. Titus's children was later wounded or killed during the sacking and the Emperor himself was later killed by Shamar, but Shamar was defeated and killed before he was going to usurped the throne.

The Empire was left without an heir once more, but this time, with no one even distantly related to both Cepherous Varian I or Marcella Varian available to be crowned.Template:Cite The Varian Dynasty had ended their 854 long-year reign and becoming one of the popular, devoted and longest empire dynasty in Tamriel and Cyrodiil and surpassing the Septim dynasty.Template:Cite

After the death of the last second Septim in 5E 725, the Elder Council stuggled to maintain peace in Cyrodiil, but months after, most popular Imperial General Lioninus Avento, who fought in Titus and his mother, Kintya's reigns respectful who persuaded the Elder Council for being himself to on the throne, which the council accepts and was crowned himself Emperor. Thus began the Avento Dynasty.

Lioninus's son, Uriel, later Emperor Uriel Avento who was spoke with Ten Divine Goddess Marcella who was late Empress Marcella Septim. The rumors that the return of Hades and was helped by Marcella as armies of Hades invaded Tamriel. It also that another sacking on the Imperial City by the UnDead Army of Lord Hades, which leads to Uriel Avento's death by the UnDead King. Hades was defeated once again by Marcella, last time was in 192th of the Fourth Era. Uriel's brother, Cavotan was installed by Marcella to the Ruby throne as Emperor Cavatan Avento I and was successful rebuilding Cyrodiil.Template:Cite

## Other royalty

* King
* Jarl
* High King

## Trivia

* When Rome (the Empire on which this Empire is based) turned into a *de facto* monarchy in the second half of the 1st century BCE, at first there was no name for the title of the new type of monarch. Ancient Romans abhorred the name Rex ("king"), and it was critical to the political order to maintain the forms and pretenses of republican rule.

## Notes

1. ↑ The Emperor's reign the Empire, normally the ascended monarch reign until his/her death is most likely. But most monarchs may face abdication, deposed, assassinated or the abolition of monarchy.

## Appearances

* Template:Arena
* *The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall*
* *The Elder Scrolls Adventures: Redguard*
* *The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind* (Mentioned only)
* *The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion*
* *The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim*
* *The Elder Scrolls VI: Invasion*
	+ *The Elder Scrolls VI: Akavir*
* Template:Online
	+ Template:Imperial City

## References

1. ↑ *Brief History of the Empire, Book I*
2. ↑ *The Madness of Pelagius*
3. ↑ *Pocket Guide to the Empire, First Edition: Cyrodiil*
4. ↑ *Rising Threat, Vol. III*
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 *The Amulet of Kings*
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 *Remanada*
7. ↑ *Gameplay from* The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion'
8. ↑ *Night of Tears*
9. ↑ *Songs of the Return, Vol 2*
10. ↑ *Fall of the Snow Prince*
11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 *Shezarr and the Divines*
12. ↑ *Pocket Guide to the Empire, Third Edition: Eras*
13. ↑ *Mysterious Akavir*
14. ↑ *The Brothers of Darkness*
15. ↑ *The Nightingales Vol. 2*
16. ↑ *Rising Threat, Vol. IV*
17. ↑ *The Madness of Attrebus*
18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 *The Dragon Empress*
19. ↑ *Sacking of Windmen Inn*
20. ↑ *Rising Threat, Vol. V*