Lore:Trueflame

Trueflame (Tribunal)

Trueflame, or the Blade of Nerevar, is a one-handed Dwemeri sword from the early First Era. Trueflame and its twin blade, Hopesfire, represented the pinnacle of Dwemer craftsmanship. The twin blades possessed unearthly fire enchantments. They were presented as wedding gifts to Lord Indoril Nerevar and Almalexia by the Dwemer King Dumac. Trueflame was shattered during the Battle of Red Mountain circa 1E 700, and the pieces were lost, though it was later restored to its full glory by the Nerevarine.^[1] It possesses the ability to kill a god if wielded by one of noble intent.^[2]

HistoryEdit

In 3E 427, the Nerevarine was tasked by Almalexia to reforge the blade as a step to retaking their station and reuniting Morrowind. The sword had been broken into three pieces, one which the goddess provided. Another was held by King Hlaalu Helseth's champion, Karrod, who gave the piece to the Nerevarine for being the first to best him in battle. The final piece was in the possession of Torasa Aram, who provided an odd Dwemer battle shield (which contained a part of the sword) as thanks for the hero's donations to her Museum of Artifacts. After the Nerevarine retrieved the pieces, the smith Yagak gro-Gluk was tasked with reconstructing the blade, to which it was a success. Seeking to enchant the blade, the Nerevarine then journeyed into Bamz-Amschend, hoping to retrieve the writings of a Dwemer "mystic" Radac Stungnthumz. There, they discovered Radac's ghost, a mere solider who applied Pyroil Tar to the blade, which the Nerevarine had retrieved from the depths of Norenen-dur.^[1]

With the blade reforged and reignited, Almalexia sent the Nerevarine to stop Sotha Sil's madness, hoping that the blade would be enough to slay him. In truth, the goddess Almalexia, having been driven mad by her loss of immortality, murdered Sotha Sil, and was hoping to lure Nerevarine into the Clockwork City. Once there, she attempted to murder the Nerevarine as well, but the waning of her divinity had diminished her powers, and the Nerevarine struck her down.^[3]

Rumors swirled at the end of the Third Era that the Nerevarine went on an expedition to Akavir and has not been heard from since.^[4] Regardless of the claim's veracity, Trueflame eventually found its way into the hands of an underground cult based in Solstheim that was still dedicated to the worship of the Tribunal in the Fourth Era. These cults were considered heretical by wider Dunmeri society and were persecuted by the New Temple.^[5]

Circa 4E 201, the Last Dragonborn was alerted to the cult's existence while the Tribunal faithful were attempting to recover additional artifacts. It is unknown if the Dragonborn agreed to help the cult or if it was wiped out.^[6] During their investigation, the Dragonborn came across one of the Hands of Almalexia, Kenro Hlan, within the ruins of Fahlbtharz. Kenro attacked the Last Dragonborn upon being confronted, and the Last Dragonborn recovered Trueflame from his person. Seeking to restore the blade to its former glory, the Last Dragonborn sought to collect a power source capable of powering Fahlbtharz's forge. With the combination of pyroil tar as the base, the forge managed to breathe life back into Trueflame.