Duel in Dagoth Ur

"The time for words is past. Now only deeds can resolve this matter between Dagoth Ur and I."

- Nerevarine

The Duel in Dagoth Ur was the final confrontation of the Vvardenfell Crisis, fought between the Hero of Morrowind, the Nerevarine, and the Lord High Councilor of the Sixth House, Dagoth Ur. Fought over the legendary Heart of Lorkhan, this duel ultimately decided the fate of Morrowind itself.

Prelude
Immediately prior to confronting Dagoth Ur within his citadel, the Nerevarine made a daring attack on the region of Red Mountain, the last leg of a long quest to defeat House Dagoth and end the centuries old conflict that culminated in the Vvardenfell Crisis. Assaulting the citadels of Dagoth Ur's Ash Vampire kin, the Nerevarine succeeded in recovering the artifacts Keening and Sunder, a dagger and hammer that, when wielded wearing the gauntlet Wraithguard, could be used to destroy the Heart of Lorkhan and end the flow of divinity from whence Dagoth Ur derived his power. When at last in possession of all three Tools, the Nerevarine fought through Dagoth Ur's citadel to reach the Lower Facility where the powerful lord was waiting.

The Duel
In the Lower Facility, Dagoth Ur greeted the Nerevarine with the courtesy befitting House Dagoth, lending the Nerevarine the first blow. In the dialogue that followed, Dagoth Ur asked questions of the Nerevarine, inquiring after the hero's motives and true identity as the reincarnation of Ur's former king, Indoril Nerevar. The Nerevarine also asked questions of Dagoth Ur, about his plans for the Heart, and the goals surrounding his conquests. When all questions had been asked and all answers had been given, the Nerevarine bade Dagoth Ur to defend himself, and the fight was on.

No quarter was given in the first stage of the duel. The two engaged in a pure knock-down, drag-out fight with no tricks or suprises, the Nerevarine utilizing special artifacts taken from the Ash Vampires that aided in the battle. Dagoth Ur used his own physical might as well as powers granted by the divine essence of the Heart, both of which proved difficult to beat. But after a time Dagoth Ur was laid low, struck down by the Nerevarine's might. The god's physical form dissipated, his spirit fleeing from the Lower Facility into the Heart Chamber.

Destroy Dagoth
The Nerevarine followed, intent on ending both Ur and the Heart. Upon entering the Heart Chamber, the Nerevarine was faced with a revived Dagoth Ur, now far more powerful and entirely undefeatable. Sixth House creatures lined the walls of the cavern, ready to serve their lord. In the center of the Chamber, above a lake of lava, was the half-constructed form of Akulakhan, the giant automaton that Dagoth Ur planned to use to fuel his conquest of Morrowind. And in Akulakhan's center lay the Heart of Lorkhan.

The Nerevarine fought past Dagoth Ur and all his servants, reaching the Heart. Following the method set down by Lord Vivec, the Nerevarine struck the Heart once with Sunder, then once with Keening. At this, Dagoth Ur teleported behind the Nerevarine and attempted to prevent any further tampering, believing the Nerevarine to be performing the ritual to draw divinity from the Heart. The Nerevarine managed to fend of Ur long enough to strike the Heart repeatedly with Keening, disrupting its divine tones. Dagoth Ur, feeling the shift in his divinity, cried out in dismay, and tried ever harder to stop the Nerevarine. But the hero was successful. After the fifth strike with Keening, the Heart vanished in a blaze of red light. Dagoth Ur's powers vanished, as did his immortality, and in a final bout with the Nerevarine was at last defeated forevermore.

Aftermath
The destruction of the Heart triggered a catastrophic collapse of Akulakhan. The Nerevarine fled the quake and the falling giant, leaving the Heart Chamber and re-entering the Lower Facility. There the Nerevarine was met by the presence of the Daedric Prince Azura, who informed him that the Blight was ended and the Sixth House no more. Azura charged the Nerevarine with the defense of Morrowind thereafter, and bestowed her ring upon the hero as a token of her blessing. The skies above Red Mountain were clear for the first time in centuries. Thereafter, the Nerevarine was acknowledged fully as Hero and Protector of Morrowind.

Behind the Scenes

 * The duel is seen in the Main Quest mission "The Citadels of the Sixth House", along with the accompanying battle.


 * In the first fight against Dagoth Ur, he is powerful but beatable. In the second fight, he has many more resistances, and his health is reset every frame, making him impossible to defeat. After the Heart is destroyed, his resistances and magicka are removed, and his health is reset to normal.


 * It is possible to evade all the Sixth House creatures by levitating or slowfalling to the bridge that leads to the Heart. Dagoth Ur can be avoided this way too. He can also be pushed into the lava.


 * The Heart has a health of 5000 that is reset every frame. It can only be killed conventionally by doing over 5000 points of damage to it. This can be accomplished using the Ebony Arrows of Slaying from the Bloodmoon expansion, but will make the game impossible to finish.

Appearances

 * The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind