Jenassa

*Not to be confused with Jehanna.*

*"I'm Jenassa, the advisor and head spymaster of the Empire and now, right here in Judhofkiin. I'm warned you, if you dare to attack the Dragonborn-Goddess, it's not going to end well for a mortal like you."*
―Jenassa[src]
**Jenassa**, also known as **Arelyl**, **Jenassa Telvanni**, the **Empress Mother**, and later **Saint Jenassa**, is a well-known member of House Telvanni of Morrowind and the Varian Dynasty. She was the Empress Consort of the Varian Empire as the wife of Marcella Varian, from marriage on 4E 201 to Marcella's death in 5E 68, making her the longest-serving royal consort in history. She is said to be the descendant of Barenziah, the former Queen of Morrowind.

## By Game

* Jenassa (Skyrim)
* Jenassa (Invasion)
* Jenassa (Legends)

## History

### Early life

*"She was born as Arelyl, she is member of House Telvanni and the Empress Consort of the Empire. She loved and cared for Marcella, the only thing she cared for is protecting her people and citizens of Cyrodiil."*
―Raelana[src]

Jenassa was born to a unnamed noble family of the House Telvanni in Morrowind in the Third Era. According to the Imperial Cult, she was born as Arelyl and her parents were of a humble Dunmer family that once lived on the island of Vvanderfell before they were driven out by the fires of Red Mountain during the Red Year. She was of the rare children to face the harsh life of the island, surviving on ash yams and what meat and fish her family could get, but she was hardy enough to grow strong in such a place. From a young age her parents knew she was strong and determined, rarely complaining about the tasks she had to do and rarely seeming to tire. Even though life was tough, Jenassa never lost her friendly spirit to the gloom of the ash. Her parents saw the spirit of a warrior in her, though they feared her becoming a guard of the city, facing the denizens of the ash spawn, so they made sure she had someone to train her in the ways of battle so she would be safe. It was no surprise to them that she excelled in her training, learning to wield a one handed blade with grace and skill, she had fire to her like that of the distant mountain that rose above the shores of the sea. Eventually she became a bodyguard to one of those of House Redoran, the bandits among the ashes learning a harsh lesson at the tip of her blade.

Some years later a shadows darken than even the ashen clouds above the city drifted to the island, a presence that unsettled the people of the city. Arelyl wished she could fight that feeling but it was no foe of flesh and blood easily dispatched by her blade. She watched as other Dunmer fell under the spell of a voice that whispered among the ash storms, her fiery side woke when she saw this. She later moved to Cyrodiil to joined briefly the Synod as a mage. During her tenure with the Synod, Jenassa was high skilled mage and was well-respected among her peers, including the Arch-Mage. While her future in the Synod, she rose the rank of Grand Councilor, and potential becoming Arch-mage. After her departure with the Synod, she travel to Skyrim under a new name, Jenassa and while Skyrim was mist of a civil war, she was a mercenary under various of employments.

### The Dominion Conflict

After Jarl Elisif was elected as High Queen of Skyrim by the Moot, which was the Imperial majority Jarls. Marcella travel back to Cyrodiil, while Jenassa stayed in Skyrim before travelling back to Cyrodiil. The Thalmor sent a embassy to the Imperial City by High King Larethahl Elsinlock to discussed about the Talos worship situation which the Empress showed loyalty and respectful towards the High Elfs that they can worship their gods that are living in Cyrodiil, and eventually both the Empire and the Dominion went to war. Jenassa joined her future wife Marcella's army as a mercenary mage for the majority of the war. After Marcella defeated the High Elves, which both sides claims victory. Marcella and High King Elsinlock made an three hundred year peace treaty and thus making end of the war and Marcella declares the end of the Fourth Era and beginning of an new era.

### Consort of the Empress

Since her youth, Jenassa was adored with and have huge crush on her future wife Empress Marcella Varian, which she later claimed that they met to be together by sending her gifts after Marcella being wounded and return to Cyrodiil after the Siege of Windhelm. Jenassa and her lover Empress Marcella Varian married at the Temple of the One, the exact location of Marcella's coronation in 4E 199, while becoming the first Empress Consort of the female Monarch on the Ruby Throne and this historical event becomes the first homosexual wedding in Cyrodiil. Due her marriage to Marcella, she is very known for her very protective, caring, and make the Empress more enjoyable and said that she wanted her love to be safe. The Imperial couple spend their honeymoon in Jenassa's homeland of Morrowind, meeting her uncle King Helseth Selodil. At the marriage between Marcella and Jenassa, it was commissioned by Helseth as a wedding gift for Marcella Varian when she married Jenassa, with two unique Dragonbone Daggers, Marcella was presented Holyblade, while Jenassa possessed its twin, Lightbless.

The Empress granted her wife Jenassa the style and title of The "Empress Consort of the Fourth Empire" by the Elder Council. However she was recognized as "Jenassa, the Empress Consort" or "Imperial Consort Jenassa" in case of confusion of Empress Marcella as sovereign. Jenassa was not herself crowned in the coronation, but knelt before Marcella, with her hands enclosing hers. When Jenassa become consort, she became first female consort of the female monarch in Cyrodiilic history, and was the first homosexual royal couple. Her first royal duties as consort, is by strengthen the Tamrielic Alliance as its advisor and Commander of the Tamrielic Alliance of Mages.

As consort to the Empress, Jenassa supported her wife in her new duties as sovereign, accompanying her to ceremonies such as the State Opening of Parliament in various countries, state dinners, and tours abroad. Like most consorts, she is a spouse of the Empress, and is *de facto* acting empress when Marcella was ill or when she go on campaign but also taking the role as a advisor, which she acknowledge that the Empress in fact ruler of the Empire. The Elder Council offered a position of her being Marcella's battlemage, she did accepted but it will not be last long, and the battlemage position now passed to Marcella's friend, Constantius Emmanuel during civil war in Skyrim, ended in Empire victory and rebellion was ended. In her role and life as consort, Jenassa had spend time in times of war and in peace with Marcella, which she accompanying at all time. In the course of the war with the Dominion, Marcella re-installed the title of Head of the Alliance, which was vacated after the aftermath of the Great War, and Emperor Caius Varian was forced to abolished the title in 4E 175.

Jenassa had involved in philosophies, education, arts and culture, economics, and finance. She had a prosperous role for her wife the Empress on passing the same-sex marriage into law in the later years of Marcella's reign. During the final months of the Fourth Era, and a war with the Dominion, Jenassa becomes the "de-facto" regent of the Empire. Jenassa travel to Morrowind to improved diplomatic and trade relations between two nations. She is also responsible for having respected relations with her respectable Great Houses of Telvanni, the ruling house, and Redoran, the house that rules Solstheim.

### Post-War and Tour around Tamriel

After the war ended with the Second White-Gold Concordat and peace was restored across Tamriel, Janessa and her wife the Empress visited the Altmeri High King Larethahl Elsinlock at the Imperial City and later become friends and acquaintance with each other, including forgiving their past, respectfully in 5E 9. In the following year, the royal couple visit the Samuruik in Hammerfell, as well visiting major cities like Sentinel, Dragonstar and Rihad. Than they return to Skyrim for the first time after the Stormcloak Rebellion, visiting cities of Falkreath, Whiterun, Windhelm, and many others. Janessa and Marcella stayed in Solitude to keep the relationship with High Queen Elisif and her son, Haakon, the future High King and explore other parts in Skyrim before traveling to Morrowind. Janessa's native homeland, Morrowind had been shaky at some times, however she does missed her homeland. Both Jenassa and Marcella visited Morrowind during her wife's series of adventure visits at the beginning years of the Fifth Era, where the royal couple met and become friendly with King Helseth Selodil. The final visits including a series of visits in the Summerset Isles, which they met the health declining High King Larethahl Elsinlock, and visiting cities of Skywatch and Alinor. Janessa and Marcella return to Cyrodiil the follow month.

### Later life and death

Now at peace in Tamriel, Marcella and Jenassa still reign supreme in their peaceful rule. At the end of the Second Great War, they adopted a daughter named Brinella, which later named Livia and becoming adoptive heir to the Ruby Throne. Jenassa supporting her wife, Marcella after the Empress sign the same-sex marriages laws. They themselves spend their time, celebrating the both Marcella's Sapphire and Platinum Jubilees, her 65th and her 70th year anniversaries of her reigns, respectfully. When she heard the deaths of her sister-in-law Tulvia Varian, and General Tiberia Macelia, she accompanying with Marcella. After the death of her beloved wife Marcella, she mourned her death at her deathbed and become Empress dowager, which she later to be known as the Empress Mother. She claimed that she loved her late spouse Marcella which based on her true personally.

Jenassa remain to resided at the White Gold Tower, while becoming an advisor to her daughter now Empress Livia Varian. She helped Livia build The Marcella, a Imperial Navy ship in her late wife's honor in 5E 75. She went on to continuing giving advise to Marcella's nine successors, Claudius I, Titus I, Pelagius I, Claudius II, Magnus I, Kintyra, Titus II, and the first decade of Marlena's reign. After retiring, Jenassa died in 5E 282 while living a normal life, and was buried alongside with her wife in Dovah Skor, the first and only consort to do so. She becoming a saint of both the Imperial and the Dunmeri Pantheons, and was reside at Judhofkiin, a sub realm of her wife's apotheosis.

## Personality

Jenassa is not fond of talking about herself, particularly her race, but if inquired about the Dunmer's history to Winterhold she will explain that many elves visited the College over the years. Jenassa's public image was known for that she is a somewhat tends to be more friendly and cared people who is loyal to her, which most example is towards Empress Marcella Varian which she had a massive crush on, and later marrying her. Like her wife, Jenassa had a serious, kind, and loving-like figure personality traits of her public image as consort and in after life. She considered herself as both a strong warrior and a mage, which her studies when she was with House Telvanni.

She developed a quiet ferocity and passionate demeanor, maintained her curiosity and sense of humor for the rest of her life as consort. Jenassa is mostly known for shown to have more kind and protective to her spouse in hand holding. During her time in Houses Redoran and Telvanni, Jenassa had less kind prior met her future love, and more than capable and is touted as having natural talent. Even after her lover's death, Jenassa remained to be friendly and become retired in public life, and spent time counseling, guiding, and advising her adopted daughter to the next eight Varian Emperors.

## Trivia

* Jenassa is more protective to her wife or spouse, than her pervious service as a mercenary.
* She is the only "co-monarch" in Cyrodiil and eventually all of Tamrielic Emperors/Empresses before her, she is only called "the Empress Consort" or simply "Consort Jenassa".

## Appearances

* *The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim*
* *The Elder Scrolls VI: Invasion*
	+ *The Elder Scrolls VI: Underworld* (mentioned only)
	+ *The Elder Scrolls VI: Akavir* (mentioned only)
* *The Elder Scrolls: Legends* (*The Rise of the Varians*)

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 *The Peacemaker of Tamriel*
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Dialogue of Jenassa
3. ↑ Events of *The Elder Scrolls VI: Invasion*
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Year in Morrowind: 4E 171
5. ↑ Dialogue of Telagius Annellia
6. ↑ Year in Morrowind: 4E 175
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Conversations between Vidonia and Veesei Tibercles
8. ↑ *Year in Cyrodiil: 4E 201*
9. ↑ *Year in Morrowind: 4E 201*
10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 *Year in Skyrim: 4E 201*
11. ↑ Events of *The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim*
12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Events of *The Elder Scrolls V: Dominion*
13. ↑ *The Confrontation*
14. ↑ Dialogue with Titus Vulcanus
15. ↑ *My future Girlfriend*
16. ↑ *Marrying my Love*
17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 *Love Letter to Marcella Varian*
18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 *Marcella Varian's Memoirs*
19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 Dialogue with King Helseth Telvanni in *Dominion*
20. ↑ *Declaration of Consort Jenassa*
21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 Dialogue with Adebnis Salvian
22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 *The Consort of the Empire*
23. ↑ Dialogue of Raelana
24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 Dialogue of Claudius
25. ↑ Dialogue of Vidonia
26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 26.2 *Dynasties: The Varians of Cyrodiil*
27. ↑ *Spouse of the Empire*
28. ↑ *Year in Cyrodiil: 5E 09*
29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 29.2 29.3 29.4 *The Fifth Era*
30. ↑ *Marcella and the Altmer*
31. ↑ *Brief History of the Empire, Book I*
32. ↑ *Royal Family in Alinor*
33. ↑ *The Proxy War*
34. ↑ *The Dragon Queen of Cyrodiil*
35. ↑ *My Sister*
36. ↑ *Empress Marcella the Ship*
37. ↑ Inscription found in Dovah Skor in *The Elder Scrolls VI: Invasion*
38. ↑ Dialogue of Novulvenkaal in *Invasion*
39. ↑ 39.0 39.1 39.2 Dialogue of Jenassa in *The Elder Scrolls VI: Invasion*
40. ↑ Dialogue of Hulkus Mesareeth
41. ↑ Dialogue of Dinenas Telur

**Notice**: The following are unlicensed references. They are not copyrighted by a ZeniMax Media company, but can still be considered part of *The Elder Scrolls* lore and are included for completeness.
1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 *First Pansexual Empress of Cyrodiil*
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 *First Lesbian Empress of Cyrodiil*
3. ↑ *The First Bisexual or Lesbian Empress of Cyrodiil*