Hero of Kvatch

"As for what you have done, it does not matter. That is not what you will be remembered for."

- Uriel Septim VII on the future of the Hero of Kvatch.

The Hero of Kvatch (also recognized as the Savior of Bruma, 7th Champion of Cyrodiil , Second Divine Crusader and Lord Sheogorath, Daedric Prince of Madness ) was an unnamed hero of the Oblivion Crisis, Auroran Crisis and the Graymarch.

In the beginning of the game, the Hero is locked away in the Imperial Prison. The precise nature of the Hero's crime is unknown — it is believed that not even the Hero knew what they had done to result in their incarceration. Also of note, the Hero was placed in a cell that is supposed to be off-limits. Considering this and Uriel Septim's statement that the prisoner had been in his dreams, it is suggested that divine intervention played a role in the Hero's destiny. The Hero of Kvatch briefly joins Emperor Uriel Septim VII's retinue along with the Blade members Renault, Glenroy and Baurus as they attempted to escort the Emperor to safety from Mythic Dawn assassins. The prisoner is freed when the Emperor's retinue passed through his cell on their way to a secret passage, and the Emperor mysteriously identifies the Hero as a person of importance. He follows Uriel Septim and the Blades, but was later on forced to be left behind, despite Uriel Septim wanting the Hero to follow them. However, the Hero discovered a secret path behind a damaged wall. Fighting his way through, the Hero managed to catch up to the Emperor's retinue, just in time to witness a small fight between the Blades and the Mythic Dawn. The Hero then follows the entourage the rest of the way.

Some time later, The Emperor tells the Hero that "this is where our journey ends". He gives the Hero an amulet — the Amulet of Kings — and tells him to bring it to Jauffre. Soon after, he's killed by a Mythic Dawn assassin who comes out of a secret passage. The Hero and the Blades fight and killed him, but they'd be too late to save the Emperor. Baurus mentions that Jauffre was located at Weynon Priory and reluctantly entrusts the Amulet to the Hero. The Hero leaves the prison through the sewers, and travels to Weynon Priory, where Jauffre awaits.

Arriving at Weynon Priory
After meeting with Jauffre, now a monk at the priory, and showing him the Amulet of Kings, the old monk demanded to know how such an important artifact came to be in the Hero's possession. The former prisoner then recounted recent events to Jauffre - the assassination of the Emperor and his 3 heirs by the Mythic Dawn - and fulfilled Uriel Septim's last wish by giving the Amulet of Kings to the Grandmaster of the Blades. Jauffre promptly explained that in order to keep the creatures of Oblivion away from the mortal realm, Akatosh gave Alessia the Amulet of Kings and the eternal Dragonfires of the Imperial City and made a covenant to keep the gates of Oblivion shut so long as a descendant of Alessia wore the amulet.

Despite the direness of the situation, Jauffre told the Hero that not everything was lost for one last heir still lived: Martin Septim, the Emperor's illegitimate son, who as a baby was entrusted to Jauffre. Knowing full well what was at stake, the old monk asked the Hero to retrieve Martin from the city of Kvatch, where he lived as a priest, and hurry back so they could begin the journey to Cloud Ruler Temple, the headquarters of the Blades located in the Jerall Mountains, where Martin could be kept safe by the knights sworn to his bloodline. Jauffre provided the Hero with some supplies and armor and sent them on their way.

Battle of Kvatch
The Hero traveled to Kvatch, but was met with a problem. Daedra had invaded Kvatch and whole city was destroyed - only a few survivors escaped and retreated to a camp near the city. The Hero proceeded closer to the city gates and saw guards and their captain. The leader of the guards accepted his offer of helping them close the gate to Oblivion. He explained that Hero must proceed to the Oblivion Gate, because this is where the attacks had originated from. Before proceeding, the Hero moved behind the gate and approached the city, and found Martin in the Chapel of Akatosh. He was alive and well, but he also refused to leave until he could make sure that the town's people were safe. The Hero proceeded to the Gates of Oblivion and appeared in the demonic realm. He realized that he had to remove the Sigil Stone in order to close the Gate. The Hero succeeded in closing the gate. No more Daedra appeared in Kvatch, but the whole city was in ruins. Martin finally agreed to escape the city. They returned to Weynon Priory, to be confronted by Mythic Dawn Assassins. Martin and the Hero proceeded to save the monks and killed the attacking Assassins. Jauffre had survived and immediately began to search for the Amulet of Kings, fearing that it had been taken. Indeed, confirming his fears, it had been. Jauffre then escorted Martin to Cloud Ruler Temple, under the protection of The Blades and told him to stay there until the Daedric Invasion had ended.

Baurus and the Path of Dawn
After speaking to Martin, then Jauffre, the Hero learned that he should talk to Baurus to see if he found anything out about the assassins. Once the Hero made it to the Imperial City, he found Baurus in Luther Broads Boarding House. Baurus told him that the man sitting behind him was watching him. Baurus then told the Hero to back him up when the man followed him to the basement. In the basement, the man attacked, revealing himself to be a member of the Mythic Dawn cult, a group that Baurus tells the Hero about. The Hero then retrieved the first volume of a book called the "Mythic Dawn Commentaries" off the corpse of the dead cultist. Baurus suggested that the Hero go see Tar-Meena at the Arcane University to see what she knew about the book.

At the University, Tar-Meena revealed that the Commentaries were a collection of four books written by Mankar Camoran, the leader of the Mythic Dawn, and that there was a hidden message for those interested in joining. Tar-Meena returned the first volume to the Hero and gave him the second volume as well. She suggested that the Hero look for the last two volumes at First Edition.

After arriving there, the shopkeeper says that he has a copy of volume 3, but it's reserved for a man named Gwinas. After Gwinas picks up the book and the Hero tells him about its connection to the Mythic Dawn cult and the Emperor's assassination, Gwinas, flustered by this news and eager to remove any connection between himself and the assassins, gladly hands over the third volume as well as a note arranging a meeting with a member of the Mythic Dawn, which Gwinas says is the only way to get the fourth volume.

After hearing this news, Baurus and the Hero make their way through the sewers to the meeting place, but have to fight and kill the cultists. After retrieving the last volume of the Commentaries, the Hero brings all four books to Tar-Meena, who deciphers the hidden message after a few days. She tells the Hero the message: "Green Emperor Way Where Tower Reaches Midday Sun."

The Hero traveled to Green Emperor Way and located a map showing the location of the Mythic Dawn Base on a tombstone at noon. After seeing the map, the Hero went to Lake Arrius Caverns and infiltrated the Mythic Dawns base there. After seeing Mankar Camoran travel through a portal to his "Paradise", the Hero stole the Mysterium Xarxes and brought it to Martin at Cloud Ruler Temple.

Martin expressed shock that the Hero would bring him the Mysterium Xarxes, explaining that such a thing is dangerous even to handle. However, Martin calmed down and decided that bringing it to him was the best thing to do, regardless. He asked the Hero to give him the Mysterium Xarxes because he knew ways to protect himself from its evil power and he would be capable of deciphering it.

Obtaining Blood of the Daedra
After having deciphered part of the Mysterium Xarxes, Martin discovered that Mankar Camoran bound himself to the Mysterium Xarxes and used a ritual to create his Paradise. Martin was only able to decipher what the first item was, "the Blood of a Daedra". Martin spoke of Daedric shrines and how Daedric artifacts were created from the essence of a Daedra Lord. Since it was the best they could do, the Hero sought out a Daedric shrine, spoke with the associated Lord, and performed a task for them, receiving a Daedric artifact as a reward. The hero may have obtained several of these artifacts before choosing one to give to Martin.

Obtaining Blood of the Gods
Martin asked the hero to acquire the second ritual piece, "the Blood of a Divine", which was a puzzle as "the Divines do not manifest themselves in the mortal world" but deduced that the blood of Tiber Septim (who ascended to become the Divine Talos), which was on his armour would fill the requirement. The Hero made his way to Sancre Tor to find that the way to the armor was blocked by an evil force. After freeing the spirits of four ancient Blades, the spirits gathered and completed their original mission- to purge Sancre Tor of the evil force plaguing it. With the evil banished, the Hero retrieved the armor and brought it back to Martin.

Obtaining the Great Welkynd Stone
Martin asked the Hero to obtain the third item, a Great Welkynd Stone. The Hero agreed once again and arrived in Miscarcand. After fighting its undead king and zombies, he obtained the Great Welkynd Stone. The Hero then returned to Cloud Ruler Temple and gave the stone to Martin.

Invading Camoran's Paradise
Martin, having the four items needed to open a portal to Camoran's Paradise, told the Hero that the portal was a one-way trip, and that if he (Martin) was right, the Hero could escape by killing Camoran. The Hero agreed to help him and proceeded to Paradise. After making his way through the Savage Garden and Forbidden Grotto, he found and killed Camoran and his family and, just as Martin guessed, destroyed the Paradise by doing so, returning to Mundus.

Relighting the Dragonfires
Martin, the Hero, and their allies moved to the Imperial City to crown Martin and end the crisis. The Daedra launched a last-ditch assault on the city led by Mehrunes Dagon himself. Martin, seeing Dagon in the flesh, had an idea to destroy the Daedra lord. The Hero and Martin made it to the Temple of the One, where Martin crushed the Amulet of Kings and absorbed its power to become the Avatar of Akatosh to combat Mehrunes Dagon. Martin, as the Avatar of Akatosh, succeeded in defeating the Prince of Destruction, but spent all of his energy in doing so. The Avatar/Martin's body then turned to stone, forever protecting Nirn from the Daedra of Oblivion.

After the Oblivion Crisis
Soon after Dagon's defeat, High Chancellor Ocato arrived at the scene of the climactic battle. He and the Hero talked about how Martin's sacrifice permanently protected all of Tamriel and Nirn from Oblivion. Ocato says that Martin died a hero that would rival Tiber Septim himself and that he would have made a great Emperor. With the Septim bloodline being lost, however, the Elder Council would have to keep the Empire running until a new Emperor was coronated.

Ocato, recognizing the Hero's contributions to the Empire, proclaimed him the Champion of Cyrodiil and had a set of Imperial Dragon Armor crafted as a reward.

The Champion's life afterwards has been lost to time. However, in the cutscene following the combat between Dagon and Akatosh, the voice of Martin is heard talking to the Hero about Tamriel's future, as well as the Champion's; "When the next Elder Scroll is written, you shall be its scribe. The shape of the future, the fate of the Empire - these things, now, belong to you." It is uncertain whether the Champion ever played such a big role after the Oblivion Crisis as the Champion replaced Sheogorath after he defeated Jyggalag and became the new God of Madness. It seems that the champion did indeed grow into his station and by the Fourth Era has fully morphed into the new Sheogorath, just as Haskill and Jyggalag foretold.