Cerberus65
Ancient One
This will be my second published back story for a character that I am going to play within the Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. My previous back story made my experience playing Skyrim all the more personal, and a lot more immersive. This time around I am going to be focusing upon Mankar Camoran (the primary antagonist of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion) and his two children Ruma and Raven Camoran, eventually leading up to the birth of Aringoth, who is going to be the incestuous child of Ruma and Raven (Based on Altmer society's highly selective traditions surrounding reproduction).
Rather than this be a journal like my other back story, I am going to write this one as it were a lore book that would be found in game. As usual, I try to stay as close to the lore of series as possible, only making claims within areas that are unconfirmed and sketchy, to make my character feel more personal.
I appreciate constructive criticism, so don't be afraid to comment if you find fault with anything.
Enjoy.
Rather than this be a journal like my other back story, I am going to write this one as it were a lore book that would be found in game. As usual, I try to stay as close to the lore of series as possible, only making claims within areas that are unconfirmed and sketchy, to make my character feel more personal.
I appreciate constructive criticism, so don't be afraid to comment if you find fault with anything.
Enjoy.
Rise of Dawn: The family that toppled the Septim Dynasty
-
by Dexion Evicus
-
Introduction
The year is 4E 172; the great Cyrodilic Empire of old is in complete dissaray, Bravil and Anvil have both fallen under occupation by Aldmeri forces and what little resources that are left are spent fighting this 'Great' War; a war that our emperor, Titus Mede II doesn't intend to back down from. During this dark hour in Cyrodiil's history, I find myself looking back at the events that led up to where we are now, and how they could of been prevented with proper vigilance. My many years spent within the white gold tower as a member of the Cult of the Ancestor Moth were spent safeguarding and studying the Elder Scrolls; however in my spare time I afforded myself the luxury of studying Daedra Worship in its many incarnations, and the cults dedicated to such worship.
One of the most prolific cults in Tamriel's history is the Order of the Mythic Dawn; a cult comprised of radical extremists and followers of the Daedric prince of destruction, change, revolution, energy and ambition; Mehrunes Dagon. The cult of the Mythic Dawn was single handedly responsible for the Oblivion Crisis, resulting in the assassination of the last surviving legitimate members of the septim dynasty; if it wasn't for the gallant efforts of the Hero of Cyrodiil, the illegitimate son of Uriel Septim VII and last surviving heir to the throne Martin would have faced the same fate to that of his half-brothers and father. Putting the events of the Oblivion Crisis aside, the Order of the Mythic Dawn was spearheaded by the Altmer mage Mankar Camoran, who himself was the illegitimate son of Haymon Camoran, ruler of the Camoran Dynasty of Valenwood. But how can two Bosmer produce an Altmer of such stature?
One of the most prolific cults in Tamriel's history is the Order of the Mythic Dawn; a cult comprised of radical extremists and followers of the Daedric prince of destruction, change, revolution, energy and ambition; Mehrunes Dagon. The cult of the Mythic Dawn was single handedly responsible for the Oblivion Crisis, resulting in the assassination of the last surviving legitimate members of the septim dynasty; if it wasn't for the gallant efforts of the Hero of Cyrodiil, the illegitimate son of Uriel Septim VII and last surviving heir to the throne Martin would have faced the same fate to that of his half-brothers and father. Putting the events of the Oblivion Crisis aside, the Order of the Mythic Dawn was spearheaded by the Altmer mage Mankar Camoran, who himself was the illegitimate son of Haymon Camoran, ruler of the Camoran Dynasty of Valenwood. But how can two Bosmer produce an Altmer of such stature?
Chapter I - Racial Phylogeny: Ancient Bloodlines
It has been the subject of much discussion in recent years as to how Mankar Camoran was an Altmer by birth, when both of his parents were Bosmer; from much research on my part and by cross referencing numerous texts with several different theories I think I have found the answer.
During the middle of the Merethic Era, The Aldmer, (who were a race of ancient elves) left their homeland of Aldmeris and travelled to different regions of Tamriel, first taking roots in the Summerset Isles, becoming the Altmer we know today. After settling down in the Summerset Isles, a number of Aldmer left to explore the rest of Tamriel, eventually settling in both Valenwood, Morrowind and Cyrodiil becoming the Bosmer, Chimer, (the elves that the Dunmer are descendants from) and the Aylieds, or heartland high-elves as they're more commonly known. Altmer are known as the most pure of the Mer races, in that their biology is the closest to their Elven Ancestors of Aldmeris, which is also clearly shown in their arrogance towards other races. The other descendants of the Aldmer that took up roots across Cyrodiil also share the same bloodline and biology, but to a lesser degree due to environmental factors, and adaption to a foreign environment; for example the Dunmer have adapted differently to the other Mer races due to the hostile climate of Morrowind and Red Mountain. They have been known in the recent era as the Dark Elves, a synonymous reputation of the colour of the ash that falls from Red Mountain, matching their skin tone; however they still hold the ancient blood of the Aldmer, leaving racial phylogeny at a bit of standstill when irregularities occur from conception.
Racial phylogeny is clear in that the offspring takes the racial traits of the mother, leading me to believe that Haymon Camoran's mistress held a strong concentration of the Aldmer blood within her DNA, mixing this with the strong parent bloodline of the Camoran Dynasty, lead to Mankar being born as an Altmer, a close representation of the Aldmer.
Chapter II - The Camoran Dynasty: The Birth of Dawn
It's no secret that the Camoran Dynasty ruled over Valenwood for much of its history, founded by King Eplear in year zero of the First Era, they are one of the earliest known dynasties in all of Tamriel. It wasn't until the third era that Mankar's father, Haymon Camoran would suceed the high throne of Valenwood. It was the year 3E 249 that there was a internal dispute regarding the succession of the Camoran throne, which boiled into a civil war which lasted for two years. It wasn't until the claimant to the throne, Camoran Kaltos, conquered most of Valenwood with the help of Haymon Camoran (who was another claimant aswell as Kaltos' chief advisor and sorcerer) that Haymon declared war on the people of Colovia. Against Kaltos' wishes he marched north on Cyrodiil; betraying Kaltos, and claiming the Camoran throne, he became known as Camoran Usurper. Haymon's armies ravaged Tamriel for nearly twenty years, while Kaltos attempted counter attacks against Haymon's forces they were largely unsuccessful. It wasn't until the Principality of Dwynnen rallied forces from other cities within High Rock and joined forces with Camoran Kaltos that Haymon fell at the Battle of Firewaves in 3E 267.
From first and second hand accounts it was said that the Usurper's armies were made up of summoned undead and Daedra, mainly the risen dead of his countrymer; he would rely on scare tactics to instil fear in the heart of his enemies and their people alike. In the book 'The Refugees', it is suggested that Haymon acquired the ability to summon Daedra and raise the undead from a Daedric Lord, which one in paticular is unknown; in this same book the "The mistress of the Camoran Usurper" referred to as Kaalys is refereed to being pregnant, while occasionally screaming the name "Mankar!" out of both fear of death by the hands of the Usurper and admiration for her child. It's not known exactly when Mankar was conceived, or who raised him after his mother abandoned him; he was born right around the time that Haymon died, and wasn't heard from again until the 'Commentaries on the Mysterium Xarxes' were written and published by a 'Mankar Camoran'.
From first and second hand accounts it was said that the Usurper's armies were made up of summoned undead and Daedra, mainly the risen dead of his countrymer; he would rely on scare tactics to instil fear in the heart of his enemies and their people alike. In the book 'The Refugees', it is suggested that Haymon acquired the ability to summon Daedra and raise the undead from a Daedric Lord, which one in paticular is unknown; in this same book the "The mistress of the Camoran Usurper" referred to as Kaalys is refereed to being pregnant, while occasionally screaming the name "Mankar!" out of both fear of death by the hands of the Usurper and admiration for her child. It's not known exactly when Mankar was conceived, or who raised him after his mother abandoned him; he was born right around the time that Haymon died, and wasn't heard from again until the 'Commentaries on the Mysterium Xarxes' were written and published by a 'Mankar Camoran'.
Chapter III - The Mysterium Xarxes: Plotting the Oblivion Crisis
As aforementioned, Mankar Camoran was the leader of the Order of the Mythic Dawn, a cult he formed after he developed a close relationship with the Daedric prince of destruction, Mehrunes Dagon. When Kaalys abandoned Mankar it is unknown what happened to him until he resurfaced as an author of a series of four books called the 'Commentaries on the Mysterium Xarxes' which were an in depth study of the tome written by Mehrunes Dagon himself, the 'Mysterium Xarxes'.
The Mysterium Xarxes was an artifact of great power, to even read the book the reader must use some magical protection to ward themselves from the power of the tome, which is said to have been scribed in the "deserts of rust and wounds". It is not known how Mankar came into possession of the tome, but many have suggested that it was given to Mankar by Dagon himself, even though there is no solid evidence that suggests this. With the Xarxes in Camoran's possession he began to study it profusely, slowly but surely gathering followers until the Order of the Mythic Dawn became the greatest Dagon cult in existence. They eventually settled in Cyrodiil, within the caverns underneath Lake Arrius, which is a lake just north of the city of Cheydinhal; There they constructed a secret shrine to Mehrunes Dagon, which eventually became the headquarters and Base of Operation of the order.
At some point in the order's history, Mankar fathered two children with an unknown Altmer mother; a son and a daughter known as Raven and Ruma Camoran, who would both in time grow to become two of the highest members in the cult's hierarchy. Raven Camoran, Mankar's son was placed in charge of finding and recruiting new members for the order, while his sister Ruma was charged with initiating the recruits that Raven brought in. While the order was growing daily, Camoran began writing his studies of the Mysterium Xarxes into a series of commentaries; which were said to mirror the original tome itself. While writing the commentaries, Camoran educated his followers on the nature of Destruction and Dagon himself, while leaving hidden clues that would test the novitiate to find the secret Shrine of Dagon beneath Lake Arrius itself. As time went on, and his studies of the Xarxes got more in depth, Mankar became more and more powerful; right before the Oblivion Crisis at the end of the third era it is said that Camoran was Dagon's equal, dealing with each other on the same level. Whether this is true is speculation for the most part, but one thing for sure is that Camoran was afforded some degree of Daedric power.
Soon after he finished writing the Commentaries; inspired by the prophecies and promises from the book, Mankar used the Xarxes to create his own plane of Oblivion, referred to by some as Gaiar Alata or 'Paradise'. Within Mankar's Paradise, members of the Mythic Dawn who perished in Tamriel would live forever as immortals there. When inside the 'Paradise' however Mankar would subject his followers to death by the hands of the Daedra over and over again, as a way of tempering them for when they would rule Tamriel when Mehrunes Dagon overtook it, which was prophesied within the Mysterium Xarxes when it was initially written. The Mythic Dawn prepared for the day that Dagon would return to Tamriel, which was referred to as the 'Time of Cleansing'. During the year of 3E 433, their preparations came to an end; Mehrunes Dagon was ready to invade Tamriel, which required the Dragonfires that prevented Oblivion breaching the mortal world needed to be extinguished. Mankar Camoran and Mehrunes Dagon constructed a plan to break down the barriers holding Oblivion at bay; with the Mythic Dawn working as the earthly agents of Dagon. The plan involved the regicide of the Emperor of Tamriel, Uriel Septim VII, and all of his known heirs and relatives; the purpose was to get those of the Dragon Blood out of the picture, as it was their blood that kept the dragonfires lit, and prevented the barriers from being breached by Dagon.
Chapter IV - The Oblivion Crisis: The End of a Dynasty
With no Emperor of the Dragon Blood on the throne, or more specifically no Emperor wearing the Amulet of Kings, the Dragonfires would not protect Tamriel from Dagon's Invasion. This was the plot masterminded by Mehrunes Dagon and Mankar Camoran; who were successful in killing the three well known heirs to the Septim throne, effectively forcing Uriel Septim VII into hiding; through a secret escape route that exists beneath the Imperial City within the Sewers. Mankar knew the Emperor would use this path to flee, and sent numerous agents to dispatch Uriel and obtain the Amulet of Kings; they were only partly successful. After many Mythic Dawn agents failed, falling at the hands of the Blades (the Emperor's personal guard) the remaining few staged a distraction to leave the Emperor unguarded, and by use of a secret panel were successful in digging a dagger into the Emperors spine killing him instantly; all the agents were eventually dispatched by the Blades before they could obtain the Amulet of Kings, they had succeeded in the short term however. The throne was now empty and soon the dragonfires went dark, Mehrunes Dagon began to prepare his attack on Tamriel; Mankar knowing that Uriel still had one heir that was alive and was unbeknownst to his destiny, sent agents to the city of Kvatch in search of Martin, who was a priest at the chapel of Akatosh within the city.
The advance on Kvatch was one that served two paticular objectives for Dagon and the Mythic Dawn; the first would be the assassination of the last surviving heir of the throne, and the second would be the initial opening of the first oblivion 'gates' that would allow Dagon's forces to breach the realm of Nirn. The attack was launched in the early hours of the morning, when most of the residents of Kvatch were in their bed chambers. Initially three gates were open outside of the city gates of Kvatch, filling Kvatch with Dagon's Daedric armies, which resulted in the townsfolk being butchered like cattle; this however was just the beginning. Once the town fell almost silent, The Mythic Dawn agents were successful in opening a great Oblivion gate which summoned Dagon's death machine known only as the 'Siege Crawler'. The Siege Crawler was a huge arachnoid drill constructed of the most horrifying material ever seen by Men and Mer; from first hand accounts it laid waste to the city of Kvatch, butchering the defences of the city, leaving it a smouldering ruin. By the end of the massacre there were very few citizens left alive, those who managed to survive the initial onslaught either escaped while the city was being attacked, or ran for cover inside the city's Chapel of Akatosh.
The advance on Kvatch was one that served two paticular objectives for Dagon and the Mythic Dawn; the first would be the assassination of the last surviving heir of the throne, and the second would be the initial opening of the first oblivion 'gates' that would allow Dagon's forces to breach the realm of Nirn. The attack was launched in the early hours of the morning, when most of the residents of Kvatch were in their bed chambers. Initially three gates were open outside of the city gates of Kvatch, filling Kvatch with Dagon's Daedric armies, which resulted in the townsfolk being butchered like cattle; this however was just the beginning. Once the town fell almost silent, The Mythic Dawn agents were successful in opening a great Oblivion gate which summoned Dagon's death machine known only as the 'Siege Crawler'. The Siege Crawler was a huge arachnoid drill constructed of the most horrifying material ever seen by Men and Mer; from first hand accounts it laid waste to the city of Kvatch, butchering the defences of the city, leaving it a smouldering ruin. By the end of the massacre there were very few citizens left alive, those who managed to survive the initial onslaught either escaped while the city was being attacked, or ran for cover inside the city's Chapel of Akatosh.
Last edited:
