Dunmeri Pantheon

*Main article: Pantheons of Tamriel*
The **Dunmeri Pantheon** is one of the more unusual and constantly evolving religions on Tamriel, this is due to the fact that the Dunmer are opposed to worshipping the Aedra.

## The Tribunal

The Tribunal, also called *Almsivi*, is the tribune of Almalexia, Sotha Sil, and Vivec worshiped by the Dunmer as living gods. They reached 'Godhood' after the Battle of Red Mountain circa 1E 700 and continued to be worshiped until the Red Year. After this the Tribunal were relegated to saints.

### Almalexia (*Mother Morrowind*)

Also known as the *Lady of Mercy*, Almalexia was the anticipation of Boethiah. Her acts of amazing power and kindness are countless and her blessing was said to do extraordinary things, like protect a person infected with Corprus from suffering the disease's effects.

Most traces of Akatosh disappeared from ancient Chimer legends during their so-called 'exodus', primarily due to that god's association and esteem with the Altmeri. However, most aspects of Akatosh which seem so important to the mortal races, namely immortality, historicity, and genealogy, have conveniently resurfaced in Almalexia, the most popular of the Tribunal.

### Vivec (*Master of Morrowind*)

Warrior-poet god of the Dunmer, Vivec was the anticipation of Mephala.Vivec has always represented the spirit and duality of the Dunmer people, which is reflected in his half-Dunmer, half-Chimer appearance. For hundreds if not thousands of years, he mostly resided at the pinnacle of his Palace in Vivec, his capital, which was visited by hundreds of pilgrims and tourists daily.

Vivec is the invisible keeper of the holy land, ever vigilant against the dark gods of the Volcano. He has saved the Dunmeri people from certain death on numerous occasions, most notably when he taught them how to breathe water for a day so that he could flood Morrowind and kill the Akaviri invaders, ca. 2E 572.

### Sotha Sil (*Mystery of Morrowind*)

God of the Dunmer, Sotha Sil was the anticipation of Azura and the least known of the divine Tribunal. It was Sotha Sil who discovered how to use Kagrenac's Tools to achieve divinity. He is said to be reshaping the world from his hidden, clockwork city.

## The Reclamations

The destruction of Vivec City and the subsequent eruption of Red Mountain in 4E 5 cut deeply into the ancient religious beliefs of the Dunmer. The fall of the Ministry of Truth was the last straw in the tottering support for the Tribunals worship.

The Daedra venerated by the Ashlander tribes (Azura, Mephala and Boethiah) were named the "true way" and should be revered by the Dunmer people. The Daedra were named the "Reclamations," as if they were reclaiming their status from the Tribunal.

### Azura (*Goddess of Dusk and Dawn*)

Azura was the god-ancestor that taught the Chimer the mysteries needed to be different than the Altmer. Some of her more conventional teachings are sometimes attributed to Boethiah. In the stories, Azura is often more a communal cosmic force for the race as a whole than an ancestor or a god.

### Boethiah (*Prince of Plots*)

Boethiah is the original god-ancestor of the Dark Elves. Through his illuminations, the eventual 'Chimer', or Changed Folk, renounced all ties to the Aldmer and founded a new nation based on Daedric principles. All manner of Dark Elven cultural 'advances' are attributed to Boethiah, from philosophy to magic to 'responsible' architecture. Ancient Velothi allegories are uniformly heroic successes of Boethiah over enemies of every type, foundation stories of Chimeri struggle.

### Mephala (*Androgyne*)

Mephala is the *Webspinner*, or the *Spider God*. In Morrowind, she was the ancestor that taught the Chimer the skills they would need to evade their enemies or to kill them with secret murder. Enemies were numerous in those days since the Chimer were a small faction. She, along with Boethiah, organized the clan systems that eventually became the basis for the Great Houses. She founded the Morag Tong.

## The House of Troubles

The four Daedra Lords, Malacath, Mehrunes Dagon, Molag Bal, and Sheogorath, are known as the Four Corners of the House of Troubles. These Daedra Lords rebelled against the counsel and admonition of the Tribunal, causing great kinstrife and confusion among the clans and Great Houses. They are considered holy in that they serve the role of obstacles during the Testing.

### Malacath (*God-King of the Orcs*)

Malacath, called Malak by the Dunmer, is the god-king of the orcs. He is the reanimated dung that was Trinimac, Malacath is considered a weak but vengeful god by the Dunmer. He tests the Dunmer for physical weakness.

### Molag Bal (*King of Rape*)

In Morrowind, Molag Bal is the King of Rape. He tries to upset the bloodlines of Houses and otherwise ruin the Dunmer gene pool. A race of monsters, said to live in Molag Amur, are the result of his seduction of Vivec during the a previous era.

### Sheogorath (*King of Madness*)

Sheogorath is the King of Madness. He always tests the Dunmer for mental weakness. In many legends he is called upon by one Dunmer faction against another; in half of these stories he does not betray those who called him, further confusing the issue of his place in the scheme of things.

### Mehrunes Dagon (*God of Destruction*)

Mehrunes Dagon is the god of destruction. He is associated with natural dangers like fire, earthquakes, and floods. To some he represents the inhospitable land of Morrowind. He tests the Dunmer will to survive and persevere.

## Other revered deities

### Lorkhan (*The Missing God*)

This Creator-Trickster-Tester deity is in every Tamrielic mythic tradition. His most popular name is the Aldmeri 'Lorkhan', or Doom Drum. In Morrowind, for example, he is a being related to the Psijiic Endeavor, a process by which mortals are charged with transcending the gods that created them.

### Nerevar (*Godkiller*)

The Chimeri king of Resdayn, the Golden Age of old Veloth. Slain during the Battle of Red Mountain, Nerevar was the Herald of the Triune Way, and is the foremost of the saints of Dunmeri faith. He is said to have killed Dumac, the Last Dwarven King, and feasted on his heart.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 *The Battle of Red Mountain*
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 *The Reclamations*
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 *Vivec and Mephala*
4. ↑ *Gameplay in* The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind'
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 *Varieties of Faith in the Empire*
6. ↑ *Guide to Vivec*
7. ↑ *Guide to Vvardenfell*
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 *The House of Troubles*

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