Jagar Tharn | |||
---|---|---|---|
Jagar Tharn | |||
Race | Multiracial[nb 1] | Gender | Male |
Born | Valenwood | ||
Died | 3E 399 Imperial Palace, Imperial City |
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Resided in | Imperial City Camlorn |
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Next Ruler | Ria Silmane | ||
Appears in | Arena, Shadowkey |
Jagar Tharn (/ˈdʒeɪɡɑɹ θɑɹn/ jay-gar tharn)[1][2][3][4] was the Imperial Battlemage of Tamriel and later Emperor of Tamriel, who secretly imprisoned Emperor Uriel Septim VII in Oblivion and used Illusion magic to masquerade as Uriel VII for a decade.[3][5][6][7] During Tharn's reign from 3E 389 to 3E 399, a period known as the Imperial Simulacrum, Uriel VII was held captive in a plane of Oblivion while Tharn reigned over the war-torn Empire.[5][7][8] It is not entirely known what Tharn's goals and personal accomplishments were during his reign.[7]
BiographyEdit
BackgroundEdit
—Abnur Tharn, Grand Chancellor of the Elder Council[9]
Jagar Tharn was the descendant of House Tharn of Nibenay, a prestigious Imperial family.[10][UOL 1] One source states that Tharn was born in southern Valenwood to a Bosmer mother, that he lacked human ancestry, and that his racial traits were a result of interracial relationships between elves, being part Altmer, part Dunmer, and perhaps part something else as well.[11] Additionally, he was said to be a descendant of the Ra'athim Clan of Ebonheart and King Moraelyn.[11] Ultimately, Tharn was said to be of a newly emerging race, which had been bred into existence over many generations, much like the Bretons that emerged from interbreeding between men and mer long ago.[UOL 2][nb 1]
At some point prior to his appointment as Imperial Battlemage of Tamriel, Tharn served as a mage-priest at the Temple of Sethiete in Camlorn.[12] Tharn was more than likely a member of the Spire Council, the administrative body of the Imperial Battlespire, as it was customary at this time for the future Imperial Battlemage to be selected from their ranks.[13]:17
Theft of the Staff of ChaosEdit
When Jagar Tharn began planning the theft of the Staff of Chaos is unclear. During his time as a mage-priest at the Temple of Sethiete, Tharn stole information on powerful spells, the location of the Staff of Chaos, and how the staff could be used.[12] Circa 3E 376, a bard known as the Nightingale seduced Queen Barenziah of Morrowind, and she revealed the location of the Staff of Chaos to the Nightingale, who then stole the staff from its sanctuary beneath the city of Mournhold.[nb 2][14][15][16][17] Barenziah later recognized the Nightingale to be Jagar Tharn.[11][16]
However, an alternative account asserts that the bard who stole the Staff of Chaos was Drayven Indoril, a master thief and member of the Nightingale Trinity who Tharn hired to steal the staff, and that the truth was covered up for political reasons.[17] The account also claims that when Indoril gave the staff to Tharn, he attempted to kill Indoril, but his Nightingale abilities allowed him to escape.[17] Tharn then began searching for Indoril, but he eventually abandoned the search.[17] Nevertheless, both versions of events state that it was Tharn who was ultimately behind the theft and took possession of the Staff of Chaos.[11][16][17]
Soon after the theft of the Staff of Chaos, Barenziah's consort Symmachus sent urgent communiqués to Uriel Septim VII.[15] Uriel VII expressed shock and displeasure at the staff's theft and urged Symmachus to make every effort to locate its whereabouts and communicate developments to the newly appointed Imperial Battlemage, Jagar Tharn, who was tasked with tracking down the staff and those responsible for stealing it.[11]
Imperial Battlemage of TamrielEdit
During the two decades after Uriel VII acceded to the Ruby Throne in 3E 368, he expanded and consolidated Imperial influence and culture throughout the Empire, but especially in Morrowind and Black Marsh.[5][7][18] As Uriel VII's close advisor, Tharn provided shrewd counsel and arcane support to complement the Emperor's ambition and agile mind in these endeavors.[5] Uriel VII, and the Empire, greatly benefited from Tharn's arcane powers and wisdom.[5][19]
At some point, Tharn began planning to usurp Uriel VII.[20] Uriel VII eventually surpassed his teacher at balancing the skills of threat and diplomacy, and Tharn's role became less important as time went on.[5] It is believed that he carried on the facade of an out-paced counselor in order to feed Uriel VII's ego and self-assurance and to earn the Emperor's complete trust, all the while Tharn executed his own plans in the background.[5]
In 3E 389, Tharn attended the Mid Year's festival in the Emperor's banquet hall.[20] At the festival, Tharn listened to the leader of the Imperial Guard, General Talin Warhaft, tell an anecdote to Princess Ariella Septim about when his friend, Marten the Blade, used an illusion spell to change his own appearance into that of another, so that Marten might trick a group of bandits into thinking he was their leader.[20] This anecdote served as the inspiration Tharn needed to complete his plan and finally take Uriel VII's place on the Ruby Throne.[20]
As a cover story for his future absence, he requested a leave of absence to pursue magical studies.[20][16] Uriel VII was troubled by the potential absence of his powerful and wise Imperial Battlemage, but nonetheless, he accepted the request, wished him success in his endeavors, and asked only that Tharn select a replacement Imperial Battlemage for the duration of his absence.[20] Tharn appointed Ria Silmane, his oldest apprentice and a powerful mage, to fill his position.[20][16] The appointment was fully approved by the Elder Council.[20]
BetrayalEdit
Tharn plotted for months to bring his plan to fruition.[6] Later in 3E 389, he requested to meet with the Emperor to discuss rumors of treachery.[nb 3][6][18] However, when Uriel VII and General Warhaft arrived to discuss the rumors of treachery, Tharn used the Staff of Chaos to imprison them in Oblivion.[nb 4][7][5][6][13]:180 Time moved much slower in this plane of Oblivion; thus, it would be centuries before Uriel VII died, and he would experience nothing but inexplicable and haunting nightmares.[5][20][21] Tharn refrained from killing Uriel VII because the Amulet of Kings would have warned the Elder Council of the Emperor's death.[20][21] When Ria Silmane learned of what Tharn had done to Uriel VII, she attempted to inform the Elder Council, but before she could inform them, Tharn used the Staff of Chaos to kill her.[1][16][6]
With his plot successful, Tharn drained the Staff of Chaos of its power, and he imbued its energy, along with his own life force, into the Jewel of Fire.[1][22] Then, he divided the staff into eight pieces, and hid them throughout the Empire.[1][16] He took these precautions because the Staff of Chaos was the only item that could be used to free Uriel VII from Oblivion and because if someone did discover his deception, they would have to recover the pieces and reassemble the staff, only to discover it to be useless without the Jewel of Fire.[1][22]
Tharn used Illusion magic to assume the appearance of Uriel VII, and then he took the imprisoned Emperor's place on the Ruby Throne.[6][20][7] He dismissed Uriel VII's inner circle and replaced the Imperial Guards with Fire Daemons, whom Tharn cast an illusion spell on to give them the appearance of mortal Imperial Guardsmen.[6][20][21] After his usurpation of Uriel VII, he exiled Uriel VII's wife, Caula Voria, to the Temple of the One, and he sent the imprisoned Emperor's children to various prisons across Tamriel.[11]
Emperor of Tamriel and Imperial SimulacrumEdit
—Pocket Guide to the Empire, 3rd Edition: All the Eras of Man
The Empire suffered terribly during Tharn's decade-long reign, a period later known as the Imperial Simulacrum.[5][23][24] Tharn's neglect and mismanagement of Imperial affairs resulted in a steady decline in the Empire's economic prosperity.[5][24] The decline of Imperial authority in the provinces that accompanied this neglect and mismanagement caused many of the petty lords and kings to take advantage of the situation by engaging in wars of expansion.[5][8] However, little is known of what Tharn sought to accomplish during this time.[7]
Circa 3E 397, a shadowmage named Skelos Undriel was driven from the Imperial City by Tharn's agents, and Undriel fled to the Western Reach, a region at the time engulfed in the War of the Bend'r-mahk.[25][26] Tharn ordered his agents to track down Undriel.[25][26][27] Undriel hid in the village of Azra's Crossing, but bandits employed by Tharn attacked the village and captured Undriel, but he was later rescued.[25][28]
In 3E 397, Tharn and a shadowmage named Pergan Asuul vied to gain control of the Umbra' Keth, a "Shadow of Conflict", which was created by the ongoing War of the Bend'r-mahk.[27][26][29] To strengthen the Shadow of Conflict and advance Imperial influence in the region, Tharn bribed many prominent families in Hammerfell to support Skyrim in the war.[30][31] To further strengthen the Umbra' Keth, he provided funding for a bandit leader named Lakvan to kill soldiers fighting on the side of Hammerfell.[27][30] Tharn's plans to gain control of the Umbra' Keth were foiled when it was destroyed.[29][32]
In 3E 396, Tharn made a deal with the Daedric Prince, Mehrunes Dagon.[33][13]:18 Tharn gave the Battlespire to Mehrunes Dagon, and in exchange, Dagon's forces were required to slay the five battlemage administrators who governed the Battlespire.[33][24][13]:18 Xivilai Moath helped engineer Tharn's involvement in the fall of the Battlespire.[13]:158 He made this deal to eliminate the competition for his position as Imperial Battlemage of Tamriel, as the Battlespire administrators were customarily selected for the position.[13]:17 The deal also served as partial recompense for the assistance that Mehrunes Dagon provided Tharn in his usurpation of Uriel VII.[3][4][34]:2 He had an association with a worshipper of Mehrunes Dagon, the mage Carecalmo, who was involved in Tharn's plot against Uriel VII.[35]
In 3E 398, Tharn sent one of his retainers, Sirran Angada, to the Battlespire.[3][33][36] Angada used a special transmorph spell to take on the appearance of Lomegan Mariel, Uriel VII's Personal Liaison to the Battlespire, which allowed him to infiltrate the facility.[36][37] At the Battlespire, Angada bribed Paxti Bittor, the Exalted Summoner, to betray the Battlespire to Mehrunes Dagon's forces, and Angada gave the facility's portal keys to the Daedric invaders.[37][38][39] The invasion largely accomplished Tharn's goal, as only a few of the facility's battlemages, such as Clarentavious Valisious, survived.[40][13]:92 After Mehrunes Dagon's forces captured the Battlespire, Tharn assigned Angada to read the vagaries of the magicka tides for the Prince of Destruction.[3] An apprentice used Mehrunes Dagon's neonymic to banish him, but when the Imperial Legion recaptured the Battlespire in the aftermath of the invasion, the facility was in ruins.[41][42][43][13]:180
DownfallEdit
As a consequence of the banishment of Mehrunes Dagon, Tharn no longer had Dagon to bolster his regime.[24][13]:180 When Tharn used the Staff of Chaos to kill Ria Silmane, he destroyed the corporeal form of Silmane, but he made the costly mistake of not destroying her spirit.[1][22] Circa 3E 391, the spirit of Silmane appeared in the dreams of Eadwyre, King of Wayrest, and told him of what Tharn had done to her.[nb 5][14][11][16] Silmane also told Eadwyre about a prisoner and friend of hers who had the potential to defeat Tharn.[11][16] This prisoner was formerly a minor member of Tharn's Imperial Court, and because of this, he did not view them as a threat.[1] Eadwyre divulged Silmane's information to Barenziah, who had suspicions about the Emperor after an audience with him, and the monarchs formulated a plan to gain Tharn's confidence.[11][16] Tharn was aware of the fact that Barenziah and Eadwyre had deduced that he was not Uriel VII.[11] Nonetheless, Barenziah managed to charm and eventually befriend him, which allowed her to slowly learn the locations of the eight pieces of the Staff of Chaos.[11][16] Barenziah also obtained a copy of the key to the cell of Silmane's friend, and she bribed a guard to leave the key there.[16] One account claims Barenziah became pregnant with Tharn's son during this time.[11]
In 3E 399, Silmane entered the dreams of the prisoner, and she informed them what needed to be done to defeat Tharn and restore Uriel VII to the throne.[1][21][18] After receiving this information, Silmane's champion escaped their cell by using the ruby key left by the bribed guard, and they escaped the prison by traveling through a Shift Gate.[1][21][44] Silmane's champion was indefatigable and unstoppable in their journey across Tamriel to retrieve the pieces of the Staff of Chaos.[16][45] As the champion retrieved each piece of the staff, Tharn used magical visions to threaten and taunt them, and he sent his minions to try and defeat them.[22][45] Finally, the champion retrieved the final piece of the Staff of Chaos from the mountain of Dagoth-Ur, but when they reassembled the staff, Tharn mocked them, and he told them that he had drained the staff of its power.[22][46] He taunted Silmane's champion to confront him in the Imperial Palace and retrieve the Jewel of Fire.[22]
The champion entered the Imperial Palace, and they fought their way through the halls of the palace until they reached Tharn.[47] The champion fought Tharn and defeated him, and then they used the Staff of Chaos to drain the power of the Jewel of Fire, which destroyed Jagar Tharn, and Uriel VII was returned to Tamriel.[47][5][7][23] The Emperor named his liberator the Eternal Champion, and granted them a place by his side.[47] On the topic of Jagar Tharn's demise, High Chancellor Ocato reportedly said: "Tharn is dead. He is actually worse off, but I will not discuss those details."[UOL 2]
LegacyEdit
When Uriel VII was restored to the Ruby Throne, he began a period of healing for the Empire known as the Restoration.[5][16][23][24] After his emancipation, Uriel VII worked diligently to reunite Tamriel, although he did so through more subtle means, no longer displaying the brashness he had before his imprisonment.[5][7] Uriel VII stated that his change in strategy and disposition was a reaction to and revulsion to the early teachings and counsel of Jagar Tharn.[5] Due to the audacity and scope of his plot, Tharn was remembered in history as the arch-traitor to the Empire.[2][48][49] Uriel VII launched investigations into Tharn's plot, but little information was discovered.[UOL 3] Decades after his death, circa 3E 427, it was rumored that Uriel VII's own heirs had been replaced by Tharn's doppelgangers.[50][51] Many people were killed when the Imperial Guard charged a mob that demanded the destruction of the "false heirs".[50] Circa 3E 432, the last of Tharn's known associates were prisoners awaiting their deaths in The Rose, an infamous prison in Black Marsh.[52]
GalleryEdit
NotesEdit
- Jagar Tharn was known to align himself with The Dark, better known as Padomay or Sithis.[56][UOL 5] One source may imply some connection to the Temple of the One, and another source states that he once served as a mage-priest within the Brotherhood of Setheite.[11][12]
- Early ideas proposed for the Oblivion Crisis story by Michael Kirkbride involved at least one clone-simulacrum of Jagar Tharn and his sleepers as antagonists, with the simulacrum being called Tharnatos Ultimo who resided in the "starry heart of Nirn", whom had ties to the Morag Tong, seemingly via the Tong's simulacrum/incarnation mechanism and their additional ties to Sithis / Padomay / The Dark.[57][UOL 5][UOL 6][UOL 7][UOL 8]
- Jagar Tharn was based on Arena designer, director, and producer Vijay Lakshman.[UOL 2]
See AlsoEdit
BooksEdit
- Brief History of the Empire v 4 by Stronach k'Thojj III — Part 4 of a description of events in the history of the Empire
- A Life of Uriel Septim VII by Rufus Hayn — A short biography of Uriel Septim VII's accomplishments
- The Real Barenziah, v 5 by Anonymous — Unauthorized biography of the famous Queen Mother of Morrowind, Volume 5
- Biography of Barenziah, v 3 by Stern Gamboge, Imperial Scribe — A factual biography of Queen Barenziah, Volume 3
ReferencesEdit
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Ria Silmane's dialogue in Arena
- ^ a b Daggerfall CES Cinematic
- ^ a b c d e Sirran Angada's dialogue in Battlespire
- ^ a b Jauffre's dialogue in Oblivion
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p A Life of Uriel Septim VII — Rufus Hayn
- ^ a b c d e f g Arena Introduction Scene
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Brief History of the Empire, v 4 — Stronach k'Thojj III
- ^ a b Pocket Guide to the Empire, 3rd Edition: All the Eras of Man, A Comprehensive History of our History — Imperial Geographical Society, 3E 432
- ^ Chronicles of the Five Companions 4 — Abnur Tharn
- ^ a b House Tharn of Nibenay — Count Opius Voteporix
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n The Real Barenziah, v 5 — Anonymous
- ^ a b c Mystery of Talara, v 4 — Mera Llykith
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Battlespire Athenaeum — Ronald Wartow
- ^ a b c d Royal Family Tree, The Daggerfall Chronicles — Ronald Wartow
- ^ a b The Real Barenziah, v 4 — Anonymous
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Biography of Barenziah, v 3 — Stern Gamboge, Imperial Scribe
- ^ a b c d e The Nightingales Vol. 2 — Gallus Desidenius
- ^ a b c Tamriel's Timeline, The Daggerfall Chronicles — Ronald Wartow
- ^ A Dance in Fire, v7 — Waughin Jarth
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l French version of the Arena Player's Guide/Introduction
- ^ a b c d e English version of the Arena Player's Guide/Introduction
- ^ a b c d e f Jagar Tharn's dialogue in Arena
- ^ a b c Assassination!
- ^ a b c d e Elderscrolls.com Archive/Codex
- ^ a b c The Elder Scrolls Travels Shadowkey on Vir2l.com
- ^ a b c Skelos Undriel's dialogue in Shadowkey
- ^ a b c Brown Scroll — Jagar Tharn
- ^ Events of Rescue Prisoners in Shadowkey
- ^ a b Cutscenes of Crypt of Hearts III in Shadowkey
- ^ a b Red Scroll
- ^ Events of Bribery Papers in Shadowkey
- ^ Events of the Main Quest of Shadowkey
- ^ a b c Elderscrolls.com Archive/Timeline
- ^ The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Official Game Guide — Peter Olafson
- ^ Lalatia Varian's dialogue in Morrowind
- ^ a b Jagar Tharn's Letter — Jagar Tharn
- ^ a b Paxti Bittor's dialogue in Battlespire
- ^ Letters for the Battlespire Hero — Vatasha Trenelle or Josian Kaid
- ^ Letter to Mactana
- ^ Clarentavious Valisious' dialogue in Battlespire
- ^ Events of Level 7 in Battlespire
- ^ The Doors of Oblivion — Seif-ij Hidja
- ^ Tamrielic Lore — Yagrum Bagarn
- ^ Events of Imperial Dungeons in Arena
- ^ a b Events of the Main Quest of Arena
- ^ Events of Dagoth-Ur in Arena
- ^ a b c Events of The Imperial Palace in Arena
- ^ Battlespire Introduction Scene
- ^ Response to Bero's Speech — Malviser, Battlemage
- ^ a b Caldera rumors in Morrowind
- ^ Sjoring Hard-Heart's dialogue in Morrowind
- ^ Pocket Guide to the Empire, 3rd Edition: The War with the Trees: Argonia and the Black Marsh — Imperial Geographical Society, 3E 432
- ^ Notes on Racial Phylogeny — the Council of Healers, Imperial University
- ^ Aeliah Renmus in ESO: Dragonhold
- ^ Bacaro Volorus in ESO: High Isle
- ^ The Light and the Dark — Irek Unterge
- ^ Dram Character Biography on Redguard.com
Note: The following references are considered to be unofficial sources. They are included to round off this article and may not be authoritative or conclusive.
- ^ a b The Elder Scrolls Online: From Skyrim to Morrowind, and everything in between
- ^ a b c d e Ted Peterson's Posts
- ^ Cut Daggerfall imported character background history
- ^ The Creator Of The Elder Scrolls, Sheogorath Himself, TED PETERSON - Full Interview!
- ^ a b Redguard Forum Madness
- ^ The Xal-Gosleigh Letters
- ^ Masser and Secunda
- ^ Nu-Mantia Intercept