Sinner Sandwich posted:

Also I'm not sure what that trait is after his (powerful?) voice genetic trait. I think that's a wreath of laurels?

Sinner Sandwich posted:

So I'm a little uncertain about some of the custom traits in Elder Kings.

Tiberius is ethnically a nord and bisexual, if I'm reading that correctly? Also I'm not sure what that trait is after his (powerful?) voice genetic trait. I think that's a wreath of laurels?

Clayren posted:

He is both ethnically and culturally a Colovian, taking after his mother who was Colovian. Starting from left to right he is:
A level 4 military education (level 5 is the highest, but can only be achieved through hard work, not education alone), a trickster level 1 command trait, fair (he's a handsome boy), Colovian (Martial +1, Stewardship +1, Learning -1), birth sign: the Tower (intrigue +1, stewardship +1), powerful voice (martial +1, diplomacy +1, sex appeal +1), follower of Akatosh (favor +0.1,prestige +0.5), bisexual, dragonborn (a poo poo ton of bonuses, some of which are invisible), brave, honest, lustful and charitable.

The good news is we will have our first bisexual leader. The bad news is he will perpetuate the trope that bisexuals are always horny.

Clayren posted:

He is both ethnically and culturally a Colovian, taking after his mother who was Colovian. Starting from left to right he is:
A level 4 military education (level 5 is the highest, but can only be achieved through hard work, not education alone), a trickster level 1 command trait, fair (he's a handsome boy), Colovian (Martial +1, Stewardship +1, Learning -1), birth sign: the Tower (intrigue +1, stewardship +1), powerful voice (martial +1, diplomacy +1, sex appeal +1), follower of Akatosh (favor +0.1,prestige +0.5), bisexual, dragonborn (a poo poo ton of bonuses, some of which are invisible), brave, honest, lustful and charitable.

The good news is we will have our first bisexual leader. The bad news is he will perpetuate the trope that bisexuals are always horny.

Erwin the German posted:

Literally a modern-day RPG protagonist. This couldn't have gone any better.

Arcorion Adire Jorlock Duure Highal Wethrin Hilnore Larethus Elsinorin-Stormaire posted:

Mr. Buteo,

As per your request I have gathered and collated every account I could find on the life of Tiberius Renlius. As you might assume from so pivotal a figure, there was a surfeit of stories, legends and official accounts about him. These range from the well-documented official account, to the ramblings of various mystics and charlatans from throughout Tamriel. Quite a few are preserved only in fragmentary form, covering just a specific event or period of his rule. Others cover the entire reign of the emperor, but the texts have been so damaged that they are rendered worthless.

Four accounts stand out for their completeness and preservation. The Life and Reign of Emperor Tiberius the First by the Imperial Library is of course the best known, being the official account of Tiberius’ life according to the government. The Sigaar Heresy was harder to track down, with only a few dozen copies in existence, but I found one in a bookshop in the Imperial City. The author of the text is purported to be Sigaar Skjorsson himself, although that is unlikely. Finding a Khajiit who was willing to relay the Tale of Tadhargo the Wereman took some doing, but I got lucky and was put in contact with an old skooma addict who traded legends for coin. Finally there is the account which comes from the Lessons of the esteemed Prophet Alard , a collection of sayings, debates and lessons relayed by the students of the second century mystic Alard Cloud-Eye. I must admit that this final account is of very dubious value and I hesitated to include it, but you specifically asked about it when we discussed this project of yours. Personally I think it is simply a diary of the ramblings of a mad Reachman.

I have included an accounting of these four texts in the document that goes along with this letter. The books themselves, along with the other materials I have gathered, will be sent along once I receive payment for this enterprise. I hope the weather is well Leyawiin, I will be glad to be rid of this High Rock rain and on my way home to Summerset once this business is wrapped up.

Thank you,

Arcorion Adire Jorlock Duure Highal Wethrin Hilnore Larethus Elsinorin-Stormaire

The Sandman posted:

So everyone has their own myths about the forthcoming Emperor.

This being The Elder Scrolls, I assume they're all true, even especially the parts where they contradict each other?

Deadmeat5150 posted:

This isn't Glorantha, for Urox's sake.

The Opportunistic Tiber posted:

Tiberius Renlius in 2E 802 was uniquely situated to unify Tamriel. The first emperor of the Renlius dynasty is often credited as a uniquely brilliant general and statesman, but the truth is less exciting. Civil unrest, unsteady dynasties, decentralized power, epidemic disease and stalled technological progress in the other regions of the continent were exploited by the dragonborn king to create the modern empire. I intend here to discuss the political situation of Tamriel on the eve of Tiberius’ coronation, paying special attention to the issues which weakened each.

The Opportunistic Tiber posted:

We shall begin with the High Kingdom of High Rock. Unified by High King Hrol “the Eagle” Renault in 2E 581, High Rock had been ruled by 10 successive Renaults by 2E 802 when Tiberius was coronated. While internal conflicts between vassals were frequent, the general lack of major civil wars or foreign invasions meant that High Rock enjoyed a level of technological, cultural and economic development unseen in most of Tamriel.

The High Rock crown collected taxes from a vast expanse of territory, much of which was used to fund its ever-growing standing army. The First and Second Legions established by High King Torvic One-Eye had tripled in size by the reign of Tiberius. Each was composed of 5,000 heavy infantry, 2,000 dedicated skirmishers, 600 Breton warmages and 500 heavy legionary cavalry, giving a sum total of 14,200 soldiers standing at the ready. This was further supplemented by auxiliaries whose numbers were variable, but were never less than 10,000 men serving as light infantry, skirmishers, battlemages and light cavalry.

Two internal areas of potential tumult had historically existed in High Rock, but by the reign of Tiberius both had been mostly eliminated. The first was the Reach, whose native inhabitants have historically been resistant to outside conquest. While the Renaults never officially recognized the right of Reachman to practice their daedra-worshipping ways, a policy of quiet tolerance was practiced for the commoners and minor nobility. Everyone in a Reachman village knew to keep their shrines out of sight on the rare occasion a witch hunter passed through. Most Reachmen enjoyed a better standard of living as part of High Rock and only a small radical minority sought to free themselves of the Breton yoke.

The second area of concern was Skyrim. The Nordic region had been acquired by High Rock over a long process, with the exception of Riften. The Skyrim Civil War led by the daughter of the Nord hero Valdimar the Mighty marked the highpoint of Nord resistance to Renault rule. Whatever the dragonblooded duchesses fame, the coastal cities of Skyrim had been more interested in maintaining the profitable stability of Renault rule than in an independent Skyrim and the revolt fell apart. After Tiberius slew Bryling the hope of an independent Skyrim died away and the Nords rallied behind the dragonborn king.

The Opportunistic Tiber posted:

The united High Kingdom of Hammerfell looks powerful indeed on a map of Tamriel circa 802, but the kingship of Salmaran Curesan was quite shaky by the rule of Tiberius. The defeat of the Redguard army by High King Aime and the loss of Falkreath had been a disaster for Salmaran. Further loss of territory in the southern grasslands to Colovian warlords in the following years led to most of the High King’s supporters abandoning him. Salmaran faced the very real risk of not having enough votes to secure the kingship for his chosen heir, which would have plunged Hammerfell in a disastrous civil war between his four landed children and their supporters.

Salmaran was thus forced to focus his energies on internal affairs and stay aloof from continental politics. Any hope for resisting the Renault war machine would have lain in an alliance with the other human kingdoms. By the time the Tiber Wars came to Hammerfell the Redguard king was entirely surrounded and politically isolated.

The Opportunistic Tiber posted:

The Colovian Estates in the early 800’s of the Second Era had expanded far outside of Colovia proper. The independent nature of the dukes of Colovia allowed them to take advantage of unrest in neighboring regions during the Interregnum. Following the Nibenay Crisis and the collapse of the Kingdom of Nibenay adventurous dukes conquered the area around Bravil. During the chaos of the wild hunt which ended the Altmer colonies in Valenwood other lords ventured deep into the jungle to carve out their own fiefdoms. With Hammerfell reeling from the conquest of Falkreath by High Rock, Gold Coast merchants financed an invasion across the Brena River.

All of this expansion created tremendous strain for the confederal system of the Colovian Estates. An ever-growing number of vassals and frequent anti-Colovian revolts threatened to plunge the Estates into chaos. Queen Arenara was, however, a masterful diplomat and faced no major threats to her power within the confederation. Had she ruled for a decade longer she likely would have been able to negotiate an alliance with Bruma which could have stood against Tiberius. But on her own, even with the full support of her vassals, Arenara could not hope to stand against High Rock’s legions.

The Opportunistic Tiber posted:

For over 300 years the Nordic Stuhn dynasty ruled over the Kingdom of Bruma. This came to an end with the death of Asta II and the coronation of her grandson, the Nibenese Orcivius Arrian. A lazy man, Orcivius spent most of his time prior to his coronation feasting and gambling and saw no reason to change his habits after becoming king. This allowed King Orcivius’ vassals to raid into Morrowind, which would spark conflicts with the neighboring power.

The Opportunistic Tiber posted:

The First Era began with the unification of Valenwood by the Camoran Dynasty. Thousands of years later a descendant of the Camorans, Tuundir Gorinir, reunited the kingdom and chased out the Altmer and their Bosmer collaborators. A deeply conservative warlord, Tuundir proved his devotion to the Green Pact by consuming his enemies and not a few Altmer colonists ended up on his plate. Under this great High King Valenwood prospered, but by the early 800’s Tuundir was slowly dying of cancer and had been rendered unable to leave his palace. Without him to lead, many wondered if Valenwood could avoid collapse.

The Opportunistic Tiber posted:

Mane Azezin the Gracious was a weak Mane, who spent most of his reign meditating and tending his sugar gardens. But his courtiers were competent and kept the High Kingdom of Elsweyr stable, even as neighboring countries faced civil wars and revolution. The death of Azezin, like the death of every Mane, triggered a scramble for influence among the various factions of the kingdom over the new Mane J’zaraer. Like all Manes J’zaraer would have to build his power and system of officials from the ground up, a process which could take decades. Decades he would not have in the face of Tiberius Renlius.

The Opportunistic Tiber posted:

No nation in Tamriel was better positioned to resist conquest by Tiberius than Morrowind. Led by the Tribunal, the immortal god-kings of the Dunmer, the Great Houses had expanded far during the Interregnum. House Telvanni had expanded into the Nibenay Bay and Northern Black Marsh, while the new Great House Sul had taken advantage of the collapse of Nibenay to expand into the Nibenay Basin and its fertile rice fields. Hlaalu, Indoril and Redoran mostly remained within their traditional lands, but benefited from the increased trade brought in by Sul and Telvanni. Repeated slave revolts in lands once conquered by the former House Dres had, by this time, required the Tribunal Temple to take up direct control of the outposts, forts and plantations built by the slave merchants of Dres.

For all of its apparent strength Morrowind had in fact reached the apex of its Interregnum power. Constant slave revolts, border skirmishes between House Sul and Bruma and Nibenese nationalists were a drain on temple resources. More worryingly, the god kings of Morrowind seemed to become more withdrawn starting in the early 800’s, which many Dunmer saw as a bad omen.

The Opportunistic Tiber posted:

Invaded repeatedly during the Interregnum, the land of Black Marsh was greatly shrunken by the reign of Tiberius. The deepest swamps were then, as now, utterly impenetrable for non-Argonians, which spared them from complete enslavement and colonization. But the major cities of Stormhold, Thorn and Gideon had been lost and the An-eiuslan dynasty of Helstrom seemed incapable of recovering them for their people.

The Opportunistic Tiber posted:

The 150 year reign of High Queen Ciindewal of Alinor was a golden age for the Altmer. Their colonial efforts in Valenwood and Pyandonea brought great wealth to the Summerset Isles and the Altmer fleet was the dominant force on the seas, allowing Altmer merchants to bring even more wealth to the High Kingdom. The death of Queen Ciindewal, along with the Nibenay Crisis, saw this golden age come to an end. Civil wars ravaged the Summerset Isles, allowing for external invasions by Colovian and Redguard nobles.

The Remanada posted:

And in those days the empire of the Cyrodiils was dead, save in memory only, for through war and slug famine and iniquitous rulers, the west split from the east and Colovia's estrangement lasted some four hundreds of years. And the earth was sick with this sundering. Once-worthy western kings, of Anvil and Sarchal, of Falkreath and Delodiil, became through pride and habit as like thief-barons and forgot covenant. In the heartland things were no better, as arcanists and false moth-princes lay in drugged stupor or the studies of vileness and no one sat on the Throne in dusted generations. Snakes and the warnings of snakes went unheeded and the land bled with ghosts and deepset holes unto cold harbors. It is said that even the Chim-el Adabal, the amulet of the kings of glory, had been lost and its people saw no reason to find it.

-The Remanada

The Remanada posted:

And the spirit fled from them, and they split among hills and forests to find her, all grieving that they had become a villainous people. Hrol and his shieldthane were the only ones to find her, and the king spoke to her, saying, I love you sweet Aless, sweet wife of Shor and of Auri-el and the Sacred Bull, and would render this land alive again, not through pain but through a return to the dragon-fires of covenant, to join east and west and throw off all ruin. And the shieldthane bore witness to the spirit opening naked to his king, carving on a nearby rock the words AND HROL DID LOVE UNTO A HILLOCK before dying in the sight of their union.
When the fifteen other knights found King Hrol, they saw him dead after his labors against a mound of mud. And they parted each in their way, and some went mad, and the two that returned to their homeland beyond Twil would say nothing of Hrol, and acted ashamed for him.
-The Remanada

The Remanada posted:

But after nine months that mound of mud became as a small mountain, and there were whispers among the shepherds and bulls. A small community of believers gathered around that growing hill during the days of its first churning, and they were the first to name it the Golden Hill, Sancre Tor. And it was the shepherdess Sed-Yenna who dared climb the hill when she heard his first cry, and at its peak she saw what it had yielded, an infant she named Reman, which is "Light of Man."

-The Remanada

The Remanada posted:

And in the child's forehead was the Chim-el Adabal, alive with the dragon-fires of yore and divine promise, and none dared obstruct Sed-Yenna when she climbed the steps of White-Gold Tower to place the babe Reman on his Throne, where he spoke as an adult, saying I AM CYRODIIL COME.
-The Remanada

The Remanada posted:

And in the days of interregnum, the Chim-el Adabal was lost again amid the petty wars of gone-heathen kings. West and east knew no union then and all the lands outside of them saw Cyrodiil as a nest of snakemen and snakes. And for four more hundreds of years did the seat of Reman stay sundered, with only the machinations of a group of loyal knights keeping all its borders from throwing wide.
These loyal knights did go by no name then, but were known by their eastern swords and painted eyes, and it was whispered that they were descended from the bodyguard of old Reman.

-The Remanada

Rody One Half posted:

You are hyping the hell out of this dude before he dies of Syphilis.

xthetenth posted:

There's been enough foreshadowing through the whole thing that I'm nearly certain posts are written after at the very least the end of the reign covered, and likely one more.

DivineCoffeeBinge posted:

While this is probably true, "dude's gonna die of consumption in a couple of years, isn't he" is the reaction of a hardened CK2 player

The Imperial Library Press posted:

The Life and Reign of Emperor Tiberius the First: Volume II

Following his coronation and the Dragonblood Clash, King Tiberius moved swiftly to consolidate power and support for his rule. Generous gifts were distributed to nobles throughout Skyrim and High Rock to convince the nobility to support Tiberius and his plans.

Sigaar Skjorsson posted:

The Sigaar Heresy


We had to be more careful with the nobles, couldn’t kill them all without anybody noticing. But every man has his secrets and the secrets kept by dukes can be deadly. The High Rock coffers bought an awful lot of dependable informants who scoured the kingdom for secret bastards, illicit trysts and evidence of daedra worship. Wasn’t long before I was blackmailing half the drat realm into supporting Tiber’s wars. A real pain in the rear end, but it worked.

The Imperial Library Press posted:

The Life and Reign of Emperor Tiberius the First: Volume II

In the 804th year of the Second Era Tiberius Renault, Dragonborn and true chosen of Akatosh, sent word to the dukes and merchants of Cyrodiil and said “Come let us confer in Balfiera, that the land long sundered might be healed. For long has the throne sat vacant, its ruby face a hollow lie and Nirn been under threat of demon scheming.” But the men of that day had grown wicked and lustful of power and refused. So Tiberius sent word to the Colovians and said “If Cyrodiil cannot be healed by convention then it shall be healed by violence, come to Pale Pass where once your fathers served Reman loyally and I shall speak at you, as he did then.”

To the storied Pale Pass Tiber marched his legions. There they found a paltry garrison hiding behind walls raised by old Reman himself. Tiber shouted “Cyrodiil, I am come!” and the walls crumbled to the ground. The Colovian soldiers fled before the Dragonborn, spreading tales of his might far and wide.

The Alardists posted:

Lessons of the esteemed Prophet Alard


After we had been chased from the Wayshrine of Zenithar for mocking the fat priest who maintained it, the Prophet spoke to us, saying “The Snake and the Dragon are one, this is readily visible to the moron and the high math-talkers. The former simply sees the scales and says “same”, while the latter thinks long and comes to the same conclusion.” Brother Willem then asked “Then what is the importance of place?”

The Prophet nodded and grabbed a handful of dirt from the ground, which he held upon his open palm towards the students. “The dragon,” he said “is very old and has been wounded many times. Some wounds are deep and gaping, so that the right eyes can see past the skin, the fat, the bone, even the era. But most are shallow, nearly invisible and almost healed into non existence. If the dragon is wounded, so too is the snake and a place may be a wound.” This we long pondered until the Sun grew cold and we returned to our lodgings.

Sigaar Skjorsson posted:

The Sigaar Heresy


The Battle of Pale Pass was an utter sham. Two full legions massacring a feeble collection of farm boys in ill-fitting armor manning a crumbling ruin in the mountains. But Tiber insisted that we needed a fight up there, since that’s where old Reman beat the Akaviri. “Optics” is the word he used, as if I was too dumb to know what he meant. I might have mouthed off at him, but Skjor calmed me down. I suppose it’s natural Tiber’d get a bit of a big head, suddenly being a demi-god or a dragon baby or whatever it’s called.

The Imperial Library Press posted:

The Life and Reign of Emperor Tiberius the First: Volume II

By Summer of 805 the capital of Colovia, Sancre Tor, had fallen to Tiberius without any serious resistance from the Colovians. At the holy site, where St. Alessia received her vision from Akatosh and where the Remans had been buried, High King Tiberius said prayers of thanksgiving to Akatosh and the Eight.

The Imperial Library Press posted:

The Life and Reign of Emperor Tiberius the First: Volume II

As the First and Second Legion settled into their winter quarters the main army of the Colovians was at last spotted, in High Rock, where it was beginning preparations to return to Colovia and retake Sancre Tor. The nobility of the Estates, in what could only have been a fit of madness, had decided to spend 2E 805 marching through the deserts and wastelands of Hammerfell to launch a direct assault on Balfiera, even as the heart of Colovia was besieged by Tiberius. The constant need to stop and resupply at oasis villages slowed the Colovians down and by the time they finally crossed into High Rock news came of the fall of Sancre Tor. The Cyrodiils left High Rock, having never set siege to a single holding.

Hastily raised forces of mercenaries, levies and adventurers sought and failed to slow the Dragonborn’s progress. At Hrol’s Hillock once such party was annihilated by Tiberius in the first battle of the 806 campaigning season. The Colovians, organized in the manner of Reman-era legionary tactics, was composed mostly of heavy infantry and light auxiliary. Tiberius’ army, however, was organized in the Colovian-Breton style pioneered by Torvic One-Eye, with plenty of battlemages and professional heavy cavalry. The first volley of spellfire scattered the Colovians, who were run down by Adamantine riders.

Sigaar Skjorsson posted:

The Sigaar Heresy


All through Winter and Spring I traced the trail of the Colovian army. Poisoning water sources, ruining supply caches, doing favors for village elders and local nobles in exchange for promises not to aid the Colovians on their way back across Hammerfell. It was the inbred fops of Colovia who made the moronic decision to cross the province and I made drat sure they paid for it.

The Imperial Library Press posted:

The Life and Reign of Emperor Tiberius the First: Volume II

Through Spring and Summer the Legions of Tiberius were unstoppable, while the foolish Colovians made their shamed way through Hammerfell. Queen Arenara made pleading entreaties to the King of Bruma for aid, but he was engaged in conflict with House Sul, whose Dunmer ruled over a portion of old Nibenay.

The Imperial Library Press posted:

The Life and Reign of Emperor Tiberius the First: Volume II

With the coming of Autumn came news that the bedraggled Colovian main force had at last returned from its unwise trip through Hammerfell. When scouts reported that Queen Arenara was leading her forces northeast towards Coldcorn, Tiberius surmised that she was planning to swing around both Legions and recapture Pale Pass. From that mountain fort her army could cut off supply lines to the High Rock army and hold out while reinforcements arrived.

King Tiberius and the First Legion headed south, meeting the Colovians in the thick forests near the ruins of Lindai. The Colovian infantry were rigid and disciplined, staying on the field despite horrific losses to Breton magefire. With the skirmish lost to them the Colovian cavalry sought to flank the First Legion, but were outmatched. Their cavalry was made of a few hundred heavily armored nobles and a great many more conscripted auxiliaries, hardly a match for the disciplined graduates of Balfiera’s cavalry school. As the Colovian riders were chased off the difference in infantry began to tell and the Colovian mainline retreated.

The Imperial Library Press posted:

The Life and Reign of Emperor Tiberius the First: Volume II

The High King pursued, but already the Consumption outbreak which would haunt central Cyrodiil from 807 to 814 was beginning. Tiberius and the First Legion engaged the Colovians several times in the following months, while the Second Legion stayed in the Highlands sieging holds and cities.

The Imperial Library Press posted:

The Life and Reign of Emperor Tiberius the First: Volume II

The final battle of the war came in late Winter of 2E 808, when the largest remnant of the Colovian army was beaten northeast of Chorrol. Tiberius accepted the surrender of Queen Arenara shortly thereafter, taking up the crown of the Colovian Estates.

Sigaar Skjorsson posted:

The Sigaar Heresy


When we captured one of the leading generals of the last Colovian army we found out she was an inbred imbecile who couldn’t talk. This was the cream of the crop of Colovian royalty, for whom tens of thousands had died. If we’d done it my way the entire Colovian nobility would have been killed and dumped into lake Rumare, but Tiber was already planning the next step and needed a stable Colovia.

Sigaar Skjorsson posted:

The Sigaar Heresy


The next step was, of course, invading Bruma and reuniting Cyrodiil for the first time in over 400 years. But Orcivius Arrian had just begun yet another war with House Sul in Morrowind and the fetid jungles and swamps of Nibenay were filled with people dying of Consumption, so we waited. The First and Second Legions set up fortifications on the shores of Lake Rumare, our campfires visible to the residents of the Imperial City at night. We weren’t at war, but everyone knew what was going to happen once the disease died down and all of Bruma’s troops were far off at the Morrowind border.

Tadhargo posted:

The Tale of Tadhargo the Wereman

It was wiley Tadhargo who advised his cruel captor to wait for his enemies to die of disease, rather than fight them. He observed that humans get sick more often than cats, because they do not clean their genitals or nap often enough, both of which are essential to bodily harmony and cleanliness.

The Imperial Library Press posted:

The Life and Reign of Emperor Tiberius the First: Volume II

Unopposed did mighty Tiberius enter the Imperial City, whose white stone avenues had long suffered without an emperor. The people of the city, though suffering from Consumption, thronged the streets to see him and sing his praises.

Sigaar Skjorsson posted:

The Sigaar Heresy


Going back, after all that time was weird. That city had been my whole universe for so long, but seeing it again made me realize just how small the island is. A squalid little place compared to Balfiera, with its fountains and parks.

The Alardists posted:

Lessons of the esteemed Prophet Alard


One day we met at a stable outside Leyawiin and the Prophet asked us “What is the Tower?”. To this Brother Mondran asked “Which tower do you speak of, master?”, prompting the prophet to fling a pellet of horse feces at him in disgust.

“When will you see, young Dunmer, that all towers are the same? Foolishly you children search for violence(truth) and quibble over semantics! I will ask again, what is the Tower!?” None answered, for fear of being pelted by the Prophet, until brother Gashzug said “The Tower is that which must be taken” and the Prophet smiled. “Yes, the Tower must be taken. ”

Sigaar Skjorsson posted:

The Sigaar Heresy


The year that followed the capture of the City is a blur to me, now. Disease, swamps, jungles, long sieges of mountaintop fortresses. The sieges were bad, but chasing those damned Nibenese across the width of Cyrodiil was worse. The Nords and Bretons complained about the climate endlessly and even as a local I had to agree with them.

Sigaar Skjorsson posted:

The Sigaar Heresy


So when we finally cornered them outside Anvil it was a real bloodbath. The legionaries took out all their frustrations on them and we choked the Strid with corpses. That’s how I’ll always remember the Cyrodiil campaigns: a slow jungle river full of the dying and the dead, the smell of smoke and rot in the air. The war was over, Tiber won, but somehow I didn’t feel much like celebrating.

The Imperial Library Press posted:

The Life and Reign of Emperor Tiberius the First: Volume II

So it came to be that in the 813th year of the Second Era the Red Diamond Throne, its foundations long shattered and seat long vacant, was claimed once more by a true Dragonborn. Tiberius Renault, called Tiber Renlius by the Cyrodiils, reunited the heartland of Tamriel and was crowned in the late Autumn as Emperor of Tamriel. To his assembled legions he spoke, saying “By your duty is Cyrod, ancient seat of Man, made whole once more. I have in my heart the blood of merciful Akatosh and as my heart beats for you, so too must his swell with pride for you men today! Behold this gift, for you who have long mourned the Seasons of Arkay’s cycle! I speak now in royal truth and the Tower sees first Winter’s breath!”

The Alardists posted:

Lessons of the esteemed Prophet Alard


From Bravil we traveled north along the Green Road until at last we reached the home of Viator Falto, a fisherman and crabber who was friend to the Prophet. He welcomed us with bread and crab meat and we rested on his porch looking out across Lake Rumare, where we could see the White Gold Tower. After some time the Prophet placed some tobacco into his pipe and continued a story, which he had last told told a portion of many months prior. This was a common habit of his, so we students were not surprised and listened intently. He said:

“When the snakes had all died or left to hide gemstones in the mountains the great violence faded and the whole Arena was home to many small truths. Then came Alaur and her brotherself Tysn and, in the shadows, their deadmother Sigaar and their violence numbered thirty-thousand strong. Alaur said to her brotherself “If one can be two then two can be one” and he said to her “Strange maths rule thy ways, speak plain and my sword shall be wetted.”

So Alaur weaved magicks of subtle destruction and sowed confusion and bad blood among the Cyrods. Her brotherself wielded his sword and hung a mantle of dragonskin over his form, bringing war-truth to all he saw as liars. The Underqueen, who has duplicitously served all manner of masters, spoke at length with the Taskmaster and brought a pestilence to sap the strength of Cyrod. In this way they claimed to restore truth, but really just established a new truth.

Then Alaur brought her followers before White-Gold and said unto them “Now see my strength, for by royal word I cast my truth upon these bones and all shall be as I see fit!” So saying she thrust the heart of Atmora’s last tree into the tower, whose soul was alike Green-Sap. Then by word of dov she placed Atmora’s truth upon the heart of Tamriel.

Sigaar Skjorsson posted:

The Sigaar Heresy


Imagine holding two thin sheets of parchment up to a candle, one on top of the other and then trying to read them both. That’s what my memories of growing up in Cyrodiil are like now. I remember Summers when my friends and me would steal bananas from an orchard. I remember going to that same orchard and stealing tobacco from a warehouse, which we’d smoke in crummy hand-whittled pipes out on the docks. Strange divergences which give me a headache when I think about them too much.

Tadhargo posted:

The Tale of Tadhargo the Wereman
Tarbi complained bitterly of the Bosmer, who dwelt in the trees like cats and fired arrows at his soldiers. So he tasked Tadhargo with shouting at the trees until they were all knocked over, promising to return his soul if he did so. This was hard work and Tadhargo never would have finished, so he tied all of the trees to a great tower and shouted at it. When it fell it brought all the trees down with it. But Tarbi was a liar and claimed that the grass blades were small trees and refused to return poor Tadhargo’s soul.

GunnerJ posted:

I see.

The Imperial Library Press posted:

The Life and Reign of Emperor Tiberius the First: Volume III

The early years of the Empire of Tamriel were rough. Emperor Tiberius was possessed of boundless ambition and might, but was stymied in his plans by the financial and political issues of his new realm. The first two Tiber Wars had drained the coffers of High Rock, disease still raged throughout central Cyrodiil and the more powerful nobles in Skyrim sought to take advantage of the confusion surrounding the declaration of the Third Empire of Man. The Njimal Jarl Lillith of the Pale and the Ranald Jarl Augustina of the Reach both declared themselves queens of their respective realms, with equal legal status to the High Kingdom of High Rock. This would complicate future attempts to organize Skyrim as a High Kingdom.

The Imperial Library Press posted:

The Life and Reign of Emperor Tiberius the First: Volume III

Emperor Tiberius sought to rebuild his warchest in the years 813 through 817 of the Second Era by a number of means. After the Kingdom of Nibenay collapsed in the early 700’s the merchant princes of Soulrest had laid claim to trade in Lake Rumare and the Niben River. Tiberius sought to unify the Nibenese and Colovians by means of anti-Argonian campaigns in the major cities. When rioters chased Soulrest merchants from dockyards up and down the Niben the Emperor’s allies were always ready to move in and take over operations. These loyalists merchants were always quick to show their gratitude in the form of donations to their lordship’s war fund.

Further funding came from taxes collected on the Imperial Island, which was seized by the emperor as his right. While not equal to the splendor of Balfiera, the heart of old Cyrodiil was still the crossroads of a great many trade routes and contributed much to the Dragonborn’s warchest.

Sigaar Skjorsson posted:

The Sigaar Heresy


Velus the Gracious wasn’t so gracious when Tiber made it known he considered the Imperial Island his by right. But the “baron” of the Imperial Island was nothing more than a puppet for the merchants who really ran the city. The Argonians were thoroughly on the side of Velus, so I went to the human merchants and asked them what they’d do for us if we got the lizards out. Pretty soon there were anti-Argonian riots going on where quite a lot of the “Cyrodiil” rioters looked Nordic or Breton. But what can you do, there’s no law against legion veterans doing some traveling. The human businessmen were most appreciative.

The Imperial Library Press posted:

The Life and Reign of Emperor Tiberius the First: Volume III

As he sought to refill his treasury the Emperor also worked to restrict the power of his vassals. The Law of Kings of 814 made any future attempt by the nobility to acquire authority equal to the title of a High King illegal. Tiberius also rooted out the few Daedra still lurking among the nobility of the Heartland from the days of Castricius Aforanian and redistributed their wealth to loyal supporters.

The Imperial Library Press posted:

The Life and Reign of Emperor Tiberius the First: Volume III

Conflict over trade rights in the Niben and Rumare continued throughout the early years of the Empire. Emperor Tiberius made repeated demands for a deal more favorable to his merchants, but the terms offered by the government of Soulrest were never enough to satisfy Tiberius. Riots provoked by the emperor led to the presence of mercenaries on the docks defending Soulrest warehouses and ships. The Imperial government objected to the presence of foreign mercenaries in its cities, the Soulrest government insisted they were simply local security professionals hired from the Fighters Guild by individual merchants. By 2E 814 the emperor had tired of negotiation and declared that all merchants with Soulrest citizenship had a month to vacate the Empire, prompting a declaration of war from the merchant republic.

The Imperial Library Press posted:

The Life and Reign of Emperor Tiberius the First: Volume III

The conflict which followed was a short affair. The First Legion was in complete control of coastal Soulrest within two years and auxiliaries in towns and cities throughout eastern Cyrodiil made short work of any Soulrest merchants who hadn’t left the Empire. Peace brought an end to Soulrest’s presence in Cyrodiil and a hefty payment to the Empire.

The Imperial Library Press posted:

The Life and Reign of Emperor Tiberius the First: Volume III

In the year 816 the Jarls of Skyrim were organized into an imperial province. While the powerful Queens of the Pale and Reach both petitioned to be granted the title of High Queen, Tiberius instead granted it to Rikke Lungalth, Jarl of Winterhold. Neither self-crowned queen swore allegiance to Rikke, but with Haafingar, Falkreath, Winterhold, Whiterun and Morthal under her control Rikke was far more powerful than either of the reluctant vassals.

Sigaar Skjorsson posted:

The Sigaar Heresy


So Tiber’s facing this big problem, right? Two Jarl’s have declared themselves queen and he’s gotta pick which of them gets to be in charge of all the Nords because managing all them vassals and clans and blood-oaths is getting to be a real headache. Only problem is that neither candidate is a good choice. If he picks his relative he’ll piss off all the Nords, who don’t want some old Nibenese woman in charge. But if he picks the Jarl of the Pale, he’ll be handing Skyrim over to the daughter of a woman he killed with his own drat hands and Nord’s take that sort of thing personal.

So what does he do, that absolute bastard? He hands over the High Kingdom to an old mentally deficient woman whose realm is ruled by a council of caretakers. She is an utter non-entity in Skyrim politics, no threat to him at all.

The Imperial Library Press posted:

The Life and Reign of Emperor Tiberius the First: Volume III

In 2E 817 the Emperor Tiberius I declared war upon the Redguard Kingdom of Hammerfell, with the intention of making Hammerfell a province of the growing Empire of Tamriel. Many advised against this war, fearing that the new empire was too unstable for so large a conflict so shortly after the unification of Cyrodiil. But Tiberius Renlius was a man of great ambition and vigor and could not stand to be far from the field of battle for long. He gathered his First and Second Legions and headed west, across Colovia, intending to cross the river Brena and set siege to the grassland cities of Taneth and Rihad.

The Alardists posted:

Lessons of the esteemed Prophet Alard


One day Sister Abadi came and told us that the Count of Bravil had ordered the arrest of the Prophet for heresy. That night we left when the moon was darkest and traveled by road until we reached Anvil, where the Prophet's brother Lanovic gave us shelter. One morning the Prophet, Brother Sandor, Brother Bralos and myself went out fishing and as we sighted a ship flying the banner of Hammerfell the Prophet spoke to us.

“The Redguards are closer to Freedom than we, for they have no Tower. Orichalc in its time was a great Violence upon the land and the people who dwelt upon it. But when the Tower was lost the people were liberated as refugees.

The Imperial Library Press posted:

The Life and Reign of Emperor Tiberius the First: Volume III

The first year of the Tiber War for Hammerfell went well. The Redguards made no attempt to challenge the Emperor’s march on Rihad, instead choosing to gather their strength while High King Yaghoub II desperately sought an alliance with Bruma or Valenwood. The King of Valenwood, however, was not interested in an official war with the Empire of Tamriel. He prefered to instead foment rebellion among the Khajiit and Bosmer living in the Colovian-occupied enclave deep in Valenwood.

The Imperial Library Press posted:

The Life and Reign of Emperor Tiberius the First: Volume III

A pact of non-aggression was meanwhile signed between the Emperor and King Jan of Bruma in late Spring of 218, effectively eliminating any hope for an alliance against Tiberius.

The Imperial Library Press posted:

The Life and Reign of Emperor Tiberius the First: Volume III

By Winter of 819 the Hammerfell capital of Jandal, along with the rich city of Rihad, had fallen to the Legion. Still the Redguard army did not show its face and the plans of the High King could not be guessed. Emperor Tiberius thought he might be waiting for one or both of the legions to be pulled back to put down the rebellion in Valenwood, which grew more powerful by the day. If both were pulled back Yaghoub II might have retaken his capital and inspired another kingdom to rally to his side. If only one was pulled back the one left behind might be overwhelmed and destroyed by superior numbers. So Tiberius chose neither option, hoping to end the war for Hammerfell quickly and return south to put down the rebellion soon.

The Imperial Library Press posted:

The Life and Reign of Emperor Tiberius the First: Volume III

Spring of 820 at last brought news of the Hammerfell army. A portion of the enemy force was reported to have landed on the Imperial Island, a clever move in normal times, but a poor one in the midst of a Typhoid epidemic. The remainder of the Redguards, led by Yaghoub II, sought to retake Roseguard while Tiberius was busy besieging Taneth. The two met at Dokan, where the superior First Legion killed or captured the entire force, although the High King escaped to the north.

The Imperial Library Press posted:

The Life and Reign of Emperor Tiberius the First: Volume III

While Emperor Tiberius met with success after success in Hammerfell, his rule in the empire was greatly damaged. By the end of the Summer the outer forts of the Imperial City had fallen into the hands of the Redguards. A large peasant uprising erupted near Leyawiin. Worst of all, the emperor was forced to recognize the independence of Heimthor to avoid a mass execution of Colovian nobles in Imperial Valenwood, much to the pleasure of the High Kingdom of Valenwood. With the emperor away some courtiers and vassals even sought to undermine his close friends and advisors back at court.

The Imperial Library Press posted:

The Life and Reign of Emperor Tiberius the First: Volume III

Stern was Emperor Tiberius Renlius, who refused to withdraw from Hammerfell even as the Redguards besieged the last defences of his capital. As 821 came to its close the southern half of Hammerfell was his and the High King’s vassals threatened rebellion should he not come to terms. In Rain’s Hand the war was ended and the title of High King stripped from the Curesan dynasty. House Aryanvir, which had ruled Hammerfell until 2E 728, was returned to power in exchange for an oath of fealty. High King Salyar was fiersome, but quite insane, warrior near the end of his life. While some questioned the emperor’s choice, Salyar was certainly loyal to Tiberius.

So it was that in 2E 822 the human races of Tamriel were united under one empire and Tiberius Renlius returned to his battle-scarred capital to plan his next campaign.

Sigaar Skjorsson posted:

The Sigaar Heresy


Tiber was different after Hammerfell. Humbled, maybe. His stubbornness had cost him Valenwood and Aurine had been in the White-Gold when the Redguards were sieging the island. If she’d been killed he’d never have forgiven himself.

Truth is if nothing else had happened I think he might have given up on any more wars. Been content with ruling half the drat continent and living a nice lazy life until Arkay collected his soul. I’d have accepted that Aurine was never going to choose me over him and settled down with some nice Nord shieldmaiden, maybe have some kids.

But then that drat snake had to show up.

The Imperial Library Press posted:

The Life and Reign of Emperor Tiberius the First: Volume IV

In the years which followed the conquest of Hammerfell all of Mer and Beastfolk were united in fear and hostility to the Empire of Man reborn. With his enemies without united and unrest within still present, the emperor focused on improving the economy and infrastructure of the empire. Shipyards and ports damaged during the war with Soulrest were repaired and craftsmen were encouraged to expand their businesses.

Sigaar posted:

The Sigaar Heresy


I don’t think he ever stopped loving Aurine, much as it hurts me to admit that. Would be a whole lot easier to stomach it if I believed he had just tossed her aside in favor of some pretty young widow and when he did what he did it was because he didn’t feel anything for her anymore. But I know he still loved Aurine, even when set her up to die, that son of a bitch.

The Imperial Library Press posted:

The Life and Reign of Emperor Tiberius the First: Volume IV

In 2E 823 the emperor was married to Muazona Daggershout, a fair daughter of the Niben who ruled over a chiefdom in Falkreath as descendant of Kodrir the Just. Twice widowed, she was a somewhat controversial choice, especially since she already had one son by her second husband. But her noble demeanor and dragon blood impressed most in the court and the two spent much time together in the years leading up to the war with Morrowind.

The Alardists posted:

Lessons of the esteemed Prophet Alard


In Anvil we spent many days with the prophet, fishing in the morning and debating in the afternoon. One day in Spring he left us in a boat and spent 20 days fasting on an island off the Gold Coast. When he returned to us we rejoiced and he told us of the Underking.

“The Underking has tried many times to seize divinity by violence and I suspect he shall try many times more. The origin of this spirit being is hidden to us, but the suspects are known. Castricius Aforanian, herald of Molag Bal is one. So too is Faida Renault, undying servant of the Father of Torment. Hjalti, who schemed against his emperor and was yoked to the Brass Walker was almost certainly another. Other names too come to us, though their schemes were short-lived: Gr’Ondo the slug, Galerion of the Psijics, Sigaar the Black, Tadhargo the Furless, Bryling the Accursed. I have told you once already this story, I shall not repeat it for fear that I might do violence by word.”

“Instead,” he continued “I shall speak to you now of the ghosts of Stormhold and the coming of Hjalti Early-Beard, that you might see how this spirit moves and the length of its schemes. After he was chased from Summerset by the High Queen of Alinor the slug, Gr’Ondo, fled with his few allies to Black Marsh. There the Saxhleel suffered under the chains of Morrowind and uncounted generations were taken by the earth knowing nothing of freedom. With permission from lizard kings and holy mystics Gr’Ondo raised grand armies of ghostly undead who thirsted for vengeance and set every plantation to the flame. His armies marched north, unstoppable, until stopped by the living god Vivec. The warrior-poet scattered the vengeful dead and struck Gr’Ondo’s head from his body, though his corrupt spirit once more escaped final judgement.

When the Underking came once more wearing the flesh of a dragon-who-wears-the-flesh-of-a-man (Dovahkiin) he was intent upon killing the gods of the Dunmer for three reasons. First he now saw them as a threat to his apotheosis, secondly he hoped to usurp their mantles and finally he knew, through his networks of the living and dead, that the Heart was lost to them now and they grew weak. With the Sleeper now ascendant his old foes might be challenged.

So Hjalti Early-Beard appeared and by what strange magics he did so I cannot say. For the thunder of Tiberius Renlius was heard by all and his progress was chronicled (wrongly) every step of the way, but Dragonborn Hjalti simply WAS one day. Early-Beard met with the emperor and spoke to him of Brass Walker, which the Dunmer gods kept hidden and tempted him to war. Tiberius StormCrown pondered these things for long and kept the schemer Hjalti close by his side.”

The Imperial Library Press posted:

The Life and Reign of Emperor Tiberius the First: Volume IV

The years 824 and 825 brought the birth of a daughter and a son for the emperor. Princess Antonia was named for Tiberius’ mother and though born sickly, soon recovered. Both children from an early age had the handsome features of their mother.

Sigaar Skjorsson posted:

The Sigaar Heresy


Hjalti had talent, that much was obvious from the beginning. It would’ve been odd if Tiber hadn’t hired him, but we were both wary. Another dragonborn just shows up one day, claiming to hale from Atmora, a continent that nobody has been in hundreds of years? Yeah, bullshit. That bastard was up to something, so we figure better to have him on the Island where we can keep an eye on him than out fermenting a rebellion.

For all his talents Hjalti wasn’t very good at hiding his ambitions. It became apparent real quick that he was looking to assassinate the lot of us and declare himself emperor. But Tiber insisted he had knowledge we needed, so we waited for the right moment. In ‘25 Aurine started work on the Mantella, hell if I know where she got a gem that big. She was still dedicated to Tiber, though she had gotten into a sham marriage to keep up appearances. Wouldn’t due to have a princess go unwed so long.

But I think she was starting to have doubts. Maybe age made her wiser or maybe distance had tarnished her image of Tiber. If only she’d talked to me about it, if anyone could have convinced me of something it was her.

The Imperial Library Press posted:

The Life and Reign of Emperor Tiberius the First: Volume IV

Revolution and disorder were frequent in the 82nd decade as the conquests of Tiberius Renlius reverberated throughout northern Tamriel. The successful revolt in Colovian-controlled Valenwood inspired further revolts, which the newly organized Third Legion put down. Renewed Cyrodilic nationalism inspired uprisings in Dunmer-controlled Nibenay, which the houses of Morrowind failed to contain. Argonian uprisings in southern Morrowind were also common.

Sigaar Skjorsson posted:

The Sigaar Heresy


Hjalti was an arrogant bastard, but he was too useful to get rid of. When he said he had contacts in Black Marsh I didn’t believe him. But he goes away for 2 months and by the time he comes back all of southern Morrowind is on fire. Trouble is he was just as dangerous as he was useful and he was getting really pushy. Every day he was harping about how important it was to declare war on Morrowind and kill their gods, which was a tall order, even for Tiber.

Still, he wasn’t wrong. Morrowind was the biggest threat AND the biggest opportunity for the empire, but Tiber wasn’t going to give Hjalti what he wanted. Morrowind would be his, but not in the way Early-Beard wanted it.

The Imperial Library Press posted:

The Life and Reign of Emperor Tiberius the First: Volume IV

The snakemen of Akavir, possessed of long lives, swore their oaths to Reman Cyrodiil and the sons of Reman. When the dynasty met its ending the Dragonguard hid the Amulet of Kings deep in the lost halls of Sancre Tor, swearing to defend it until one who was worthy came along.

In the 800 years which followed the Dragonguard faced persecution at the hands of the Akaviri Potentates and their numbers fell from tens of thousands to merely a thousand and they were forced to hide. The Knahaten Flu killed a great many more, till only a few hundred remained. When Kodrir and Valdimar, the Dragonblooded heroes, fought against the invading forces of Molag Bal these devoted Dragonborn returned once more to serve. In bloody battles the snakemen proved their valor and upheld their long oaths, but most died and less than a dozen still lived.

It was one of these snakemen, his duty unforgotten, who came before the emperor and said “Long has the Stormcrown languished, without one of worthy blood to wear it. Long has the Red Diamond sat dark and cold, without righteous covenant rekindled. If you are kin of Akatosh and rightful emperor then come, be granted your rightful amulet and White-Gold shall recognize you as we now recognize you.”

Tiberius Renlius accepted the Amulet of Kings and wore it nobly upon his person. To the old Dragonguard he declared “Good knight, your duty is upheld and your words seemly. I shall grant to you lands and holdings, that you might rebuild your honorable order and that they might be my Blades and serve me in honor.” Then did the emperor go into the Temple of the One, where the Dragonfires had lain unkindled for 8 centuries. With Amulet and blood of dragon, Emperor Tiberius Renlius the First restored the covenant between Akatosh and Man.

In the Imperial City and on every shore of Lake Rumare the Fires could be seen by day and night for 9 days and 9 nights. All who saw trembled and sang praises to Akatosh for his mercy. The emperor declared thereafter that this was to be the year 0 of the Third Era.

Sigaar Skjorsson posted:

The Sigaar Heresy


There was a time in my life where I figured I’d seen everything. I stopped believing that when I met Lein-Ashak the Tsaesci. Once you see a snakeman you don’t doubt that anything is possible.

He was a stodgy old warrior, endlessly obsessed with honor, duty and that sort of thing. He bluntly told Tiber that he was there to decide between him and Hjalti who was the rightful heir to the Amulet of Kings. He talked about trials and tests and such for quite some time, but his fellow Dragonguard just stood silent. Ormax was a Tsaesci too, but it was clear he wasn’t a full-blooded one. His hair was brown and had a few strands of gray mixed in, a clear sign he was aging in a way his 900 year old comrade wasn’t.

So Tiber had me talk to the guy, find out his deal. Turns out old Lein-Ashak hadn’t just been waiting for a dragonborn to come along quietly in a tomb somewhere. He’d had a few wives and lovers over the centuries and they’d born him half breeds like Ormax a few dozen times. And while Lein-Ashak had several lifetimes to spend testing candidates for the Ruby Throne, his children did not. Took a lot of gold to convince Ormax that Tiber should have the amulet, but agree he did. Once his father “fell” from a balcony on White-Gold Ormax inherited the grandmastership of the Dragonguard and declared Tiber heir of Reman.

The Dragonfires, that’s when Tiber truly started to believe his own bullshit. I don’t know what all happens when someone lights those things, but Tiber was completely changed afterwards. Or maybe the changing he’d been doing was accelerated, I don’t know. But soon after he declared the start of a new era and accelerated plans to pursue a war against Morrowind.

The Imperial Library Press posted:

The Life and Reign of Emperor Tiberius the First: Volume IV

To make war on living gods was not something Emperor Tiberius took lightly. The conquest of Morrowind was planned for many years and was aided by the circumstances of that nation. The Archcannon Mallam, who was the head of the Dunmer theocracy, was an alcoholic who was seldom able to leave his palace in Vivec City. Under his disastrous rule the Nibenese lands taken by Morrowind after the collapse of that kingdom were lost to rebels and Argonian slave revolts wracked the province. Daedric cults infested the land, undermining the authority of the Tribunal Temple. The Tribunal themselves, meanwhile, were strangely quiet as their worshippers suffered chaos and unrest.

The Alardists posted:

Lessons of the esteemed Prophet Alard


“The Underking sought by manifold scheme to do what the Dreamer now does through long planning. I cannot guess what awoke him, but since then he has expanded his reach bit by bit and the Tribunal, heartless, has been in slow retreat.”

The Imperial Library Press posted:

The Life and Reign of Emperor Tiberius the First: Volume IV

In the Spring of 3E 2 Emperor Tiberius declared war upon the Temple and Houses of Morrowind. At this point the Imperial army was composed of 3 legions numbering 24,000 standing soldiers and an additional 26,000 auxiliaries. The emperor took direct command of the First Legion and led all three forces through the Velothi Pass near Riften with the aim of quickly establishing a base on the shores of the Vvardenfell Rift by which he might be resupplied by sea. Before the Winter of 3E 2 the port town of Almhold was in hand.

The Imperial Library Press posted:

The Life and Reign of Emperor Tiberius the First: Volume IV

Early in the year of 3E 3 a united army of Dunmer Houses led by a champion of the Temple arrived in Greymist Falls, south of Almhold. Spellswords and temple ordinators, wielding weapons blessed by priests of the Tribunal, marched in great numbers from Mournhold to challenge Tiberius. With numbers on both sides the battle at the falls came down to army composition and tactics.

With nearly 7,000 spellcasters on their side the Dunmer dominated the early skirmishing, but the emperor's shouts warded his men from the worst of the spellfire as the heavy infantry line marched upon the Dunmer in an orderly manner. With the frontlines clashing the Breton armored cavaliers and Colovian riders outflanked the Dunmer and rode into the spellswords and skirmishers, slaughtering them in great numbers. With confusion in the flank the frontline first wavered, then collapsed when Tiberius Renlius unleashed a shout which brought thunder and lightning.

The scattered remnants of this force fled south and linked up with reinforcements at Matron’s Clutch, where the combined forces were again beaten, this time by the Second Legion under the command of Hjalti Early-Beard.

The Imperial Library Press posted:

The Life and Reign of Emperor Tiberius the First: Volume IV

As the 3rd year of the era came to an end the First Legion crossed the Vvardenfell Rift and captured the city of Balmora, before marching upon the Temple capital of Vivec City and putting that grand citadel to siege. On the mainland, meanwhile, a second Battle of Greymist was fought and won by the Second Legion under Commander Hjalti Early-Beard.

Sigaar Skjorsson posted:

The Sigaar Heresy


The fighting in and around Vivec City in year 3 and 4 was nasty, some of the nastiest fighting I’ve ever been in. We took the Foreign Quarter late in the year and had just broken through to the Redoran District when the first Dunmer army hit us. Nothing the First couldn’t handle, but it was clear that more would be on their way.

Tiber sent calls for assistance to the Second and Third, but these kept “mysteriously” getting lost and when they did arrive we got back excuses from Hjalti. Bastard probably hoped we’d get swarmed in the city and Tiber would die so he could take over the empire. So I was sent out, along with a few Blades, to remind Early-Beard of his duty. I was able to reach his lines following the Battle of Aduran and get his rear end moving, but in the meantime Tiber’s legion faced repeated attempts to dislodge his besieging force alone.

The Imperial Library Press posted:

The Life and Reign of Emperor Tiberius the First: Volume IV

In late Spring of 3E 4 the First Legion under the command of Tiberius Renlius was besieging the city of Vivec. A massive Mer-made structure, Vivec was composed of 9 rectangular islands, or “cantons”, each holding a multi-tiered structure full of houses, shops, tombs and temples. Between these cantons was a system of canals which allowed for transportation and the draining of sewage. By late Spring the emperor had captured the Foreign Quarter Canton, which was connected to mainland Vvanderfell by a bridge to the north, the centrally located Redoran Canton and the Canton of Hlaalu, which was connected to the mainland by a bridge to the west.

As the First Legion awaited reinforcement from the Second and Third legions five armies of Dunmer arrived outside of the city, numbering 22,000 mer, nearly twice that of the First Legion. These forces surrounded Tiberius’ army, positioning themselves at both of the bridges he had taken and at the guarded bridges to the cantons of St. Delyn and the Arena. Rather than stretch his forces thin Tiberius pulled his men back from the Foreign Quarter and Hlaalu Canton to face the massive army as one in the streets of the Redoran Canton.

The First Legion took up positions in tight passageways and corridors, forming defensive squares with their tall tower shields. The fighting was long and bloody, with little in the way of strategy among the cramped urban passages and sewers. Bodies filled the canals so thoroughly that the water could not be seen and Redoran Plaza was choked with piles of the dead. When the Dunmer at last withdrew the First Legion was miraculously intact, with only a couple thousand casualties to the Dunmer’s 12,000. The Battle of Redoran Plaza was the bloodiest battle of the war by far.

The Imperial Library Press posted:

The Life and Reign of Emperor Tiberius the First: Volume IV

Following the Battle of Redoran Plaza the long-awaited reinforcements from the Third and Second legions arrived. Throughout the Summer the Dunmer tried 3 more times to relieve the city of Vivec and each time failed in the face of Emperor Tiberius Renlius and his loyal legionnaires. But the dead had piled up in every street and canal, spreading filth and disease throughout the city. As the imperial army at last broke through to the Temple Canton a foul plague began to spread through the city and Tiberius, who loved his soldiers like they were his own children, sought an agreement with Vivec in order to spare his men from illness.

In the Palace of Vivec, the one canton which Tiberius had failed to capture yet, the two leaders spoke at length and drafted the Vivec Armistice. Morrowind was to become part of the Empire of Tamriel willingly, so long as her ancient customs were respected. Though he loathed the practice, Tiberius agreed to allow the practice of slavery to continue in the Dunmer lands, along with a number of other Dunmer practices. The imperial legions vacated Vivec City and returned across the Velothi Mountains and back to Cyrodiil.

The Alardists posted:

Lessons of the esteemed Prophet Alard


“The Underking had tempted Tiberius, who was Tysn, with sweet words of the Brass Walker. But Tysnalaur had spoken to Vivec long before meeting that ghost and the two had agreed upon an exchange of the High Craftlord’s skin. So when Tysn came again with thunder and Red Diamond Vivec saw no good in a deal unfulfilled and gave willingly Brass Walker, though it lacked a heart.

The Underking, who had long held a grudge against Vivec for his humiliation in the Black Marsh, howled with fury when he heard that Tysn had spared the god from death and sought out the emperor. In the throne room of White-Gold a trap was laid for him by Tysn and Alaur.”

Sigaar Skjorsson posted:

The Sigaar Heresy


You haven’t seen angry until you’ve seen a dragonborn angry. Hjalti screamed so much he nearly caused an earthquake when he heard that Tiber had accepted peace with Vivec. He wanted that god DEAD and threatened to do it himself if Tiber wouldn’t. That was about it for my old friend’s patience, Hjalti had been scheming behind his back all this time and now was questioning him in front of his own army. So Tiber stripped Hjalti of his command and all titles.

The young dragonborn wasn’t going to go down that easy, of course. He headed back to the Imperial City ahead of us, to plot his betrayal. But Aurine and Tiber had been planning for a long time to kill Hjalti. That big...thing, the Numidium, that Vivec had given Tiber as part of the armistice, well it was alive. Or, sort of alive, I still can’t quite describe what it is, honestly. But whatever it was, it needed a heart to function. The Dwarves had apparently used the heart of Shor himself to run it, but that wasn’t available to us.

For years Aurine had been crafting a soulgem big enough to replace that heart. It was the size of a giant’s head and deep emerald green, not at all like the little purple and blue ones I was used to seeing. Aurine called it the Mantella and said it needed an especially powerful soul. We all decided that Hjalti was the best candidate.

So when he got back to the city Tiber called Hjalti out and challenged him to a duel for leaving us high and dry during that bloodbath in Vivec. Hjalti probably figured that he could take the old man easily enough. He was wrong, Tiber had sent his Blades all over the continent to dig up old dragon words and he knew some real nasty shouts. Shouts that could make a man blind for a bit or fill his lungs with water, real nightmare poo poo. So when Hjalti was knocked to the ground Aurine cast her spell and Tiber buried his blade in the bastard’s chest.

The Mantella glowed brightly then, but it wasn’t enough. Aurine told us it would need more power to control the Numidium. That was when he made his suggestion and we all agreed, the fools that we were. I wonder if he had known, all along, that it would be necessary to do it. Mostly, I wonder if he ever considered not doing it, if he ever doubted it was worth it. I wonder if he ever doubted himself period, maybe that’s what it takes to do all he did.

The Alardists posted:

Lessons of the esteemed Prophet Alard


“So Alaur, who was learned in all magics, took most of her soul from her body and placed it into the Mantella, alongside that of the Underking. Brass Walker awoke and spoke in strange resonance to Tysn. The Earthbones themselves shivered in fear then, anticipating the truth that was to be inflicted upon them.”

Tadhargo posted:

The Tale of Tadhargo the Wereman

Into the gem which held Tadhargo’s Khajitiness the cruel Tarbi placed the soul of the Smokeghost Husar, to power his big suit of armor. Then Tarbi took his big suit and started stomping around like mister big shot, but stopped for a moment when a young Alfiq came to him and meowed at him like a cat. Fooled, the tyrant stooped to pet the Alfiq as if she were a cat, she then bit his soulgem necklace and stole a sliver of the stone

The Alfiq, whom Tadhargo had saved from a wereman long ago, brought the splinter and its trapped soul back to Tadhargo, who awaited his chance to use his returned power against Tarbi.

The Imperial Library Press posted:

The Life and Reign of Emperor Tiberius the First: Volume IV

By 3E 10 the Emperor Tiberius Renlius ruled all of northern Tamriel from the Eltheric Ocean in the west to the Padomaic Ocean in the east and with the mighty Numidium under his control no obstacle could stand before him.

GunnerJ posted:

Feel like I might have missed something but did Morrowind become part of the empire when the war was to make it a tributary and ended in a draw?

Clayren posted:

frankenfreak posted:

I mean the whole story right now is great, but I can't wait to see how this turns out.