Lore:Hopesfire

Hopesfire (Tribunal)

Hopesfire, or the Blade of Almalexia, is a one-handed Dwemeri sword from the early First Era. Hopesfire and its twin, Trueflame, 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.

History

Though Trueflame was shattered during the Battle of Red Mountain circa 1E 700, Almalexia kept Hopesfire well-preserved over the years.

Angered by the death and destruction wrought upon her city by Mehrunes Dagon, Almalexia drew Hopesfire, and she and Sotha Sil jumped into the battlefield that was lit by a barrage of flame which fell indiscriminately. Almalexia plunged her sword into the Flame Tyrant, and carved him from within. From this blade flurry originated the Ruinachs, which fell from Dagon's flayed skin. Almalexia took on the hordes of these ghoulish creatures which surrounded them, while Sotha Sil used "god-bronze whips" to lash the Daedric Prince into submission. Wounded, Sil whispered Dagon's Nymic, and the Prince "exploded throughout all time".

When the Nerevarine came to Mournhold after Dagoth Ur's fall in 3E 427, Almalexia sought to trick, entrap, and destroy them as part of this plot. She first turned on Sotha Sil and slew him in his Clockwork City, then unleashed its mechanical inhabitants into her own city in order to frame her old friend. Her ruse lured the Nerevarine to Sotha Sil's legendary home, where she hoped that the reincarnation of her husband would be killed by the inhabitants. When the Nerevarine persevered, Almalexia wielded her blue-flamed sword and tried to finish the job herself. But her powers failed her, and she died to the Nerevarine's hands in the Clockwork City.

It is unknown if the Nerevarine added Almalexia's blade to their arsenal after her defeat, but 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. An alternative is that she may have been buried with it when both her and Sotha Sil's corpses were retrieved from the Clockwork City by Vivec, who interred them in the proper Velothi fashion.

Hopesfire 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. 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. One member of the cult, a Dunmer named Erden Relvel, became corrupted by the dangerous relics in the cult's possession and became a priest of Dagoth Ur. He created ash zombie minions and sent them to attack the temple at Ashfall's Tear. After recovering Hopesfire from the heretic's armory, the Last Dragonborn challenged Erden, and slew him.

Gallery

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  Skyrim

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  Almalexia brandishing Hopesfire

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  Statue of Ayem wielding Hopesfire

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  Statue depicting Ayem plunging Hopesfire through Mehrunes Dagon

Notes

• A Dunmer flagship of the All Flags Navy, commanded by Captain Forvse Nelvilo, was also named Hopesfire after the sword.

See Also

• For game-specific information, see the Tribunal and Skyrim^CC articles.

References

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.

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