Lore:Titus Mede II
| Emperor Titus Mede II | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Emperor Titus Mede II |
|||
| Race | Imperial | Gender | Male |
| Died | Solitude Inlet | ||
| Reign | 4E 168- 4E 201 (Player determined) |
||
| Resided in | Imperial City | ||
| Appears in | Skyrim, Legends | ||
Titus Mede II was an Emperor of the Third Empire of Tamriel during the Fourth Era. Soon after his coronation, Mede was pulled into the Great War by the Thalmor, and while he initially pushed the invading armies of the Aldmeri Dominion out of the Imperial City despite heavy casualties, he was forced to sign the controversial White-Gold Concordat that outlawed the worship of Talos, forcing the Empire to pay large amounts of tribute to the Thalmor, and annexing the southern portions of Hammerfell before they were forced out of the region by protracted military resistance, leading to the outbreak of the Stormcloak Rebellion, and subsequently, the Skyrim Civil War.[1] In 4E 201, he was assassinated while visiting Skyrim aboard his personal transport vessel, the Katariah. Some reports claim that he was assassinated by the Dark Brotherhood, although conflicting reports state that the Dark Brotherhood was wiped out before they would have a chance.[2]
Contents
History[edit]
Background[edit]
Titus Mede ascended the Ruby Throne in 4E 168, inheriting a weakened Empire. Black Marsh ceded the Empire shortly following the Red Year in 4E 6, using it to attack a devastated Morrowind still reeling from both the eruption and the Oblivion Crisis. The Empire later 'released its grasp' on Morrowind[3]. Valenwood had ceded the Empire in 4E 29 and reformed the Aldmeri Dominion with Alinor. Elsweyr (As Anequina and Pellitine) also ceded the Empire and joined the Dominion in 4E 115. Hammerfell was plagued with infighting between the Crowns and Forebears. This left the Emperor with only Cyrodiil, High Rock and Skyrim as strong states under the Empire's rule by the time of his ascension.
The Great War[edit]
On the 30th of Frostfall, 4E 171, the Aldmeri Dominion sent an ambassador to the Imperial City demanding tributes, the disbandment of the Blades, the outlaw of Talos worship and that large swathes of Hammerfell be ceded to the Dominion. The Emperor's generals warned of the Empire's military weakness but despite this he rejected the Dominions ultimatum, thus starting the Great War.
The Dominion invaded both Hammerfell and Cyrodiil after the Emperor's rejection in 4E 171. By 4E 174 The Imperial City was surrounded and the Emperor made the bold decision to abandon it, breaking through the north of the city with his main army and linking up with forces from Skyrim. The Dominion, believing the war was won, attempted to negotiate with the Emperor during the winter of 4E 174-175. The Emperor entertained the thought to them that he was truly going to surrender, however this was a ruse to allow him to gather forces for the retaking of the Imperial City.
The Emperor divided his forces into three armies, one hid with legions from Hammerfell under General Decianus in the Colovian Highlands near Chorrol. Another comprised mostly of Nords positioned near Cheydinhal under General Jonna and the final army led by the Emperor mustered in the north ready to take back the Imperial City. On the 30th of Rain's Hand 4E 175 the Battle of the Red Ring began. The armies under Decianus and Jonna swept down upon the city and within five days the city was surrounded. The Emperor led the main assault from the north and captured the Thalmor general, Lord Naarifin while supposedly wielding Goldbrand. The Imperial City was once again in Imperial hands.
Kellen's account[edit]
The book 'The Great War' says that the Emperor's exploits during the war were his alone. However, the Moth Priest Kellen tells a story to his companions Nagh and Isha about A Forgotten Hero who took up the Emperor's mantle and fought in his stead. Kellen explains that the Hero and his companions uncovered a plot in which Lord Naarifin would use the citizens of the Imperial City as sacrifices to summon masses of Daedra in a prophecy known as 'The Culling'. Upon learning this they informed the Emperor who was horrified at Naarifin's plan but knew an attack on the city would fail. The Dominion somehow had knowledge of where the Empire's armies were at all times. Instead, he allowed the adventurers to enter the Imperial City alone to find and destroy the weapon. The adventurers discovered the Orb of Vaermina is what allowed Naarifin to see the Empire's movements and after destroying it they fled the Imperial City to tell the Emperor. When they returned they found the Emperor's guards dead and the Emperor himself wounded from a failed assassination attempt by the Dominion. The Emperor commanded the Forgotten Hero to wear his armour and lead the Battle of the Red Ring as him in disguise. After the retaking of the city, the hero quietly disappeared and the true Emperor took command [4].
The White-Gold Concordat[edit]
The Empire was devestated after five years of fighting and so the Emperor made the controversial decision to negotiate peace with the Dominion. The White-Gold Concordat was signed on 4E 175 and it included many stipulations on peace, the most controversial being the banning of Talos worship and large parts of southern Hammerfell being ceded to the Dominion. The Redguards refused to accept the concordat and the Emperor renounced Hammerfell from the Empire.
Aftermath of the war[edit]
Hammerfell continued to fight the Dominion, eventually striking the favourable Second Treaty of Stros M'kai in 4E 180 which returned all of Hammerfell to the Redguards. Critics of the Emperor's decision pointed to this as proof of the Empire's ability to continue the fight. The banning of Talos worship also lead to unrest in Skyrim, splitting the nation between the Empire and the Talos worshipping Stormcloaks lead by Ulfric Stormcloak.
Assassination[edit]
In 4E 201, Amaund Motierre, a member of the Elder Council, employed the Dark Brotherhood to kill multiple targets in an elaborate plan to draw out and assassinate the Emperor. After killing and impersonating The Gourmet, a renowned chef, the brotherhood murdered what appeared to be the Emperor, but was in fact a double. Commander Maro, head of the Penitus Oculatus used this double to catch the assassin in the act and kill them. Maro also attacked the base of the brotherhood's sanctuary and destroyed it, killing most its members. However despite all this the assassin survived and went on to finish the job aboard the Emperor's personal vessel, The Katariah. The assassin upon entering the Emperor's chambers was greeted by Titus Mede, he expected a visit from the brotherhood. The Emperor told the assassin that it was his destiny to be murdered by their hand, and that he wouldn't fight back. However, he asked for one small favour. To kill whomever put the brotherhood up to the task. The Emperor then turned around and waited to die. Emperor Titus Mede II was asassinated in the 201st year of the Fourth Era. However, conflicting reports state the Dark Brotherhood was destroyed before any such plan to assassinate the Emperor could occur.[1][2]
Gallery[edit]
-
Titus Mede during the Great War
-
Titus Mede circa 4E 201
-
Titus' body double, shortly before he was assassinated
.jpg)
See Also[edit]
- For game-specific information, see the Skyrim real and decoy articles and Legends character and card articles for Titus Mede II.
References[edit]
- ^ a b The Great War — Legate Justianus Quintius
- ^ a b Dark Brotherhood questline in Skyrim
- ^ Adril Arano's dialogue in Dragonborn.
- ^ The story as told in Elder Scrolls Legends.
![[Content is available under Attribution-ShareAlike]](http://en.uesp.net/w/images/4/4d/Somerights.png){kind=small}
