The Elder Scrolls series has an incredibly rich lore and history. It's filled with tales of gods, heroes of legend, and the rise and fall of empires. It tells its stories through exposition, books, and in-game references. Tamriel's fascinating figures appear at key moments in history, and their influence reaches far beyond what is shown in the games.
While figures such as the Daedric Princes are well-known, there are other figures who are only featured in books or legends, but are just as interesting and diverse as the characters who appear in-game. Without further ado, here's a look at 10 interesting characters from Elder Scrolls lore.
10 Pelagius Septim III
Skyrim players know Pelagius from Sheograth's quest The Mind of Madness.
Pelagius III had many titles. He was the Jarl of Solitude and the twelfth Emperor of Tamriel, but was also known as Pelagius the Mad and the Mad Emperor for his eccentricities. Luckily for him, he had married a competent and intelligent woman, Katariah, who ran the Empire from behind the scenes and kept Pelagius's worst bouts of madness hidden.
Stories of Pelagius's madness range from his dramatic shifts in his weight, going from obese to emaciated and back again in a matter of months, insist that the palace staff clean at all hours of the night, and spoke to Argonians in grunts under the belief that this was their language. As time went by so his madness worsened, and he eventually started attacking people at random. He was placed in an asylum, leaving his wife to rule in his stead.
9 Tiber Septim
Tiber Septim wasn't the first Emperor of Tamriel, but he was the first of the Septim dynasty. He was the first Emperor to unite the entire continent of Tamriel under one Empire.
Tiber Septim's story is disputed, but there are some facts which are not disputed. He was Dragonborn and an incredible warrior and leader. He was human, either Atmoran, Breton, or Nord. Some stories say he trained with the Greybeards. The most controversial story about him is that he became the god Talos upon death, and joined the Eight Divines. The Aldmeri Dominion refute this and banned the worship of Talos, one of the key reasons behind the civil war in Skyrim.
God or not, it's clear that Tiber Septim changed the course of Tamriel's history forever.
8 Barenziah
Barenziah was the Queen of Morrowind and a very long -lived Dunmer. Over her long life, she met a variety of figures important to the history of Tamriel, and even had a love affair with Tiber Septim.
Barenziah accumulated a wide range of skills and associates, most notably in the Thieve's Guild. Some of her descendants continued her legacy in the Thieve's Guild, and her granddaughter, Karliah, became a Nightingale in the Guild.
Barenziah was in the Elder Scrolls games Daggerfall and Tribunal, and her crown jewels can be found scattered across Skyrim.
7 The Night Mother
Dark Brotherhood players will be familiar with the Night Mother, one of the most enigmatic figures in the Elder Scrolls.
As Dark Brotherhood legend states, the Night Mother is the bride of Sithis and killed their five children in his name. People who wish for the Dark Brotherhood to kill a target will pray to the Night Mother using the Black Sacrament. The Night Mother exclusively communicates with the Listener, who then passes information on to other members of the Brotherhood.
Who the Night Mother was before her ascent is a matter of debate. It's generally believed she was born in the Second Era, and is either human or Dunmer. She's also closely associated with Morrowind's Morag Tong and the Daedric Prince Mephala.
6 Saint Alessia
The animosity between mer and man is as old as time, and it was no different during Alessia's era. Alessia was a Nedic woman who lived during the First Era. She grew up enslaved to the elves. She was emboldened by the success the Nords of Skyrim had against the elves, and prayed to the Eight Divines for their help in achieving their freedom.
Alessia was unique in that she was Dragonborn. She received a vision from the dragon-divine Akatosh, and the divine Kynareth sent her demigod son to aide her. They became lovers, and together they freed the humans from elven enslavement. Alessia became the first Empress of Cyridiil, and established the worship of the Eight Divines. Akatosh bound her soul to the Amulet of Kings upon her death, and named her the first human saint.
5 Potema Septim
Potema Septim, also known as the Wolf Queen, was the Queen of Solitude during the Third Era. She is most famous as a necromancer, and is generally regarded by historians as being wholly evil.
Potema tore Tamriel apart in her attempts to claim the title of Empress. As a necromancer, she supplemented her forces with armies of daedra and the undead. Pelagius III was her nephew, and some claim that his madness can be traced to her.
4 Reman Cyrodiil
Reman Cyrodiil was the first of the Cyrodiil emperors and united most of Tamriel, excluding Morrowind. His birth was allegedly prophesied a millenia before his birth by the crusader Pelinal Whitestrake, his mother was said to be the spirit of St. Alessia, and the mound on which he was conceived grew over nine months and became Sancre Tor.
Aside from his heritage, Reman conquered the Akaviri, who would eventually become the group known as the Blades. He died of unknown causes. After his death, he was worshiped as a god much like Talos for a time, but this practice fell away by the Third Era.
3 The Tribunal
The Tribunal, also known as The Three, were the ruling gods of Morrowind across the First, Second, and Third Eras. Their names were Sotha Sil, Almalexia, and Vivec. All three were Chimer, and were involved in the murder of their friend and comrade, Indoril Nerevar, in their quest for immortality.
All three are encountered in Morrowind and its add-on content. The Nerevarine rendered the Tribunal mortal after their defeat of Dagoth Ur. By the Oblivion Crisis, the Tribunal had all either been killed or had disappeared. The Dunmer returned to their worship of the Daedric Princes after the Tribunal's fall. Gods or not, the Tribunal had an unequivocal effect on Morrowind's culture, history, and social landscape.
2 Katariah Septim
Katariah's name appears in Skyrim as the Emperor's ship, but the woman the ship was named after was remarkable. Katariah was married to Pelagius Septim III, the Mad King. As a Dunmer, she felt uncomfortable in the Imperial City and spent much of her time travelling the Empire. She became popular with her subjects, and her reign is largely regarded as one of the most successful.
Katariah had to deal with discrimination and a mad husband. She was a famed diplomat, and used her skills to keep the damage her husband's madness caused to a minimum. She effectively ruled during his reign, and was Empress proper for over 40 years.
1 Indoril Nerevar
Indoril Nerevar was a Chimer leader in the First Era. He was also known as the Godkiller and the Moon-and-Star, a reference to his ties to the Daedric Prince Azura. He led the nation of Resdayn (now Morrowind) against the Dwemer.
Nerevar was betrayed by his friends, who would later become known as the Tribunal. In their quest for immortality and godhood, they murdered Nerevar. Azura was enraged by this act, and declared Nerevar would be reborn and overthrow the Tribunal. This event took place in the Third Era, where the Nerevarine defeated Dagoth Ur and rendered the Tribunal mortal.
Nerevar is honored in Morrowind, and his relationship with the Tribunal and Morrowind's history places him as one of the most important characters in the province's lore.