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, the Guildmaster of the Fighters Guild, Archmage of the Mages Guild, the Gray Fox, Listener of the Dark Brotherhood, and Lord Sheogorath, Daedric Prince of Madness ) was the hero of the Oblivion Crisis, the Auroran Crisis and the Greymarch at the end of the Third Era. The Hero of Kvatch is the playable character, and protagonist, of, and its expansions, and.

Escaping prison
"You... I've seen you... let me see your face... you are the one from my dreams."

- Emperor Uriel Septim VII upon meeting the Hero of Kvatch. In the beginning of the game, the Hero is locked away in the Imperial Prison. The precise nature of the Hero's crime, if any, that led to their arrest is unspecified. The Hero was placed in a cell that is supposed to be off-limits due to a mix up in their placement (something that is said to happen often). 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 Blades 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 passes through their cell on their way to a secret passage, and the Emperor mysteriously identifies the Hero as a person of importance. The Hero escorts Uriel Septim and the Blades for a while. Eventually, Mythic Dawn assassins appear to ambush the group, but they are fended off.

Finding The Heir
Eventually the Hero and the Emperor are cornered in a small room whilst his bodyguards engage several Mythic Dawn agents. In the midst of the fight, the Emperor hands the Hero an amulet — The Amulet of Kings — and tells the hero to bring it to Jauffre. Soon after, he is killed by a Mythic Dawn assassin who comes out of a secret passage. The assassin is quickly dispatched, but the damage has already been done. Baurus mentions that Jauffre was located at Weynon Priory and reluctantly entrusts the Amulet to the Hero. The Hero then leaves the prison through the sewers, and proceeds to Weynon Priory.

Arriving at Weynon Priory
After meeting with Jauffre, now a monk at the priory, and showing him the Amulet of Kings, he demands to know how such an important artifact came to be in the Hero's possession. The hero then informs Jauffre of the deaths of the Emperor and his three heirs. Jauffre explains that in order to keep the Daedra of Oblivion from invading Tamriel, Akatosh gave St. Alessia the Amulet of Kings and the eternal Dragonfires of the Imperial City. They then made a covenant to keep the gates of Oblivion shut, so long as those of the dragon blood wore the amulet.

Despite the direness of the situation, Jauffre tells the Hero that not all is lost, for one last heir still lives: Martin Septim, the Emperor's illegitimate son, who as a baby was entrusted to him. The Hero then heads to the Chapel of Akatosh in the city of Kvatch, where Martin is now living as a priest. The Hero is then to bring him back to the priory so that he can be escorted to Cloud Ruler Temple, the headquarters of the Blades located in the Jerall Mountains, where Martin can be kept safe by the knights sworn to his bloodline.

Battle of Kvatch
Upon reaching Kvatch, the Hero finds that Daedra have invaded it in search of Martin. At the city gates, the few remaining guards and their captain are attempting to hold off the Daedra coming out of the nearby Oblivion Gate. The Hero enters the gate and removes its Sigil Stone, closing it. Another small skirmish ensues inside the city, after which the hero finds Martin in the Chapel of Akatosh. He follows the Hero, now that the Oblivion Gate is closed and the townsfolk safe. The Hero aids the remaining guards in purging the city of Daedra, then returns to Weynon Priory, only to be confronted by Mythic Dawn Assassins. Martin and The Hero fight their way to Jauffre, who survived the attack, but had failed to prevent them from taking the Amulet of Kings.

Baurus and the Path of Dawn
After speaking to Martin and Jauffre, the Hero learns that they should talk to Baurus to see if he learned anything about the assassins. Once in the Imperial City, they find Baurus in Luther Broad's Boarding House. Baurus tells them that the man sitting behind him was watching him, and tells the Hero to back him up and proceeds to the basement. In the basement, the man attacks, revealing himself to be a member of the Mythic Dawn cult. Baurs tells the Hero about the cult. The Hero retrieves the first volume of a book called the "Mythic Dawn Commentaries" off the corpse of the dead cultist. Baurus suggests that the Hero go see Tar-Meena at the Arcane University to see what she knows about the book.

Investigating the Mythic Dawn
At the University, Tar-Meena reveals that the Commentaries are a collection of four books written by Mankar Camoran, the leader of the Mythic Dawn, and that there is a hidden message for those interested in joining. She returns the first volume to the Hero and gives them the second volume as well. She suggests that the Hero look for the last two volumes at First Edition.

After arriving there, the shopkeeper says that he has a copy of third volume, but it has been reserved for a man named Gwinas. When Gwinas arrives, 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 it over, 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.

Impersonating an Initiate
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 hidden message: "Green Emperor Way Where Tower Reaches Midday Sun."

Mysterium Xarxes
The Hero travels to Green Emperor Way and locates a map on the tomb of Prince Camarril showing the location of the Mythic Dawn base. The Hero follows the map to Lake Arrius Caverns and infiltrates the Mythic Dawn's base there. After seeing Mankar Camoran travel through a portal to his "Paradise", the Hero steals the Mysterium Xarxes, and brings it to Martin at Cloud Ruler Temple.

Martin expresses shock that the Hero would bring him the Mysterium Xarxes, explaining that it is dangerous even to handle. However, Martin calms down and decides that bringing it to him was the best thing to do, regardless of the danger. He asks the Hero to give him the Mysterium Xarxes, because he knows of ways to protect himself from its evil power, and he is capable of deciphering it.

Obtaining the Blood of a Daedra
After deciphering part of the Mysterium Xarxes, Martin discovers that Mankar Camoran bound himself to the book, 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 speaks of Daedric shrines and how Daedric artifacts are created from the essence of a Daedra Lord. The Hero must obtain any Daedric artifact and bring it to Martin.

Obtaining the Blood of a Divine
Next, Martin asks for the second ritual piece, "the Blood of a Divine", which is a puzzle as "the Divines do not manifest themselves in the mortal world." He deduces that the blood of Tiber Septim (who ascended to become the Divine Talos), which was on his armor, would fill the requirement. The Hero travels to Sancre Tor to find that the way to the armor is blocked by an evil force. After the spirits of four ancient Blades are freed, the spirits gather and completed their original mission - to purge Sancre Tor of the evil force plaguing it. With the evil banished, the Hero retrieves the armor and brings it back to Martin.

Obtaining the Great Welkynd Stone
Martin then requests the third item, a Great Welkynd Stone. The Hero heads to Miscarcand to find it. After fighting the King of Miscarcand and some zombies, the hero obtains the Great Welkynd Stone and takes it to Martin.

The Great Sigil Stone and Second Battle of Bruma
A Great Sigil Stone is the final requirement in order for Martin to open a portal into Paradise. However, the only way to obatin one is from a Great Gate, similar to the one at Kvatch. Thus the Mythic Dawn must be allowed to proceed with a plan to attack Bruma. Martin suits up in armor, states that he will lead the battle (with the army the Hero may have assembled from the quest Allies for Bruma), despite the protests from Jauffre and the Hero.

The Hero then makes their way to Bruma and speaks with Countess Narina Carvain and Captain Burd to explain the plan. While they are doubtful, they both agree and all meet at the Chapel of Talos to discuss the upcoming battle.

When everything is prepared, the soldiers of Cyrodiil make their way to the battlefield, led by Martin, the Hero, Jauffre, Baurus and Captain Burd. After Martin gives a motivating speech, an Oblivion Gate opens and the Daedra begin to pour out. The Hero and the soldiers begin to fight against the hordes of Daedra as two other Oblivion Gates open. Eventually, the Great Gate opens and the Hero enters Oblivion once again.

Inside, the Great Siege Crawler which destroyed Kvatch is sighted. Time is limited, so the Hero quickly travels through Oblivion, slaying Daedra along the way. The Hero then reaches the Great Sigil Stone and removes it.

The Hero arrives back on the battlefield, seeing part of the Great Siege Machine out on their world, but broken and destroyed. The Oblivion Gates have closed and the soldiers of Cyrodiil slay the remaining Daedra.

In the end, the battle is won and Mehrunes Dagon is dealt a blow. The soldiers cheer their victory and cheer for their new emperor, who has proven himself well on the battlefield. Martin then urges the Hero to meet him at Cloud Ruler Temple where they can finally conduct the ritual and enter Paradise.

Invading Camoran's Paradise
Martin, in possession of the four items needed to open a portal to Camoran's Paradise, tells the Hero that the portal is a one-way trip, and that if he is right, the Hero can only escape by killing Camoran. The Hero accepts this and proceeds to Paradise. After making their way through the Savage Garden and Forbidden Grotto, the hero finds and kills Camoran and his family and, just as Martin guessed, Paradise is destroyed and the hero returned to Mundus.

Relighting the Dragonfires
Martin, the Hero, and their allies move to the Imperial City to crown Martin and end the crisis. The Daedra launch a last-ditch assault on the city, led by Mehrunes Dagon himself. The Hero and Martin make their way to the Temple of the One, where Martin breaks the Amulet of Kings and absorbs its power to become the Avatar of Akatosh in order to combat Mehrunes Dagon. Martin, as the Avatar of Akatosh, succeeds in defeating the Prince of Destruction, but spends all of his energy in doing so. The Avatar/Martin's body then turns to stone, forever protecting Nirn from the Daedra of Oblivion.

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

Ocato, recognizing the Hero's contributions to the Empire, proclaims the hero the Champion of Cyrodiil and has a set of Imperial Dragon Armor crafted as a reward.

Fate
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."

After the Oblivion Crisis, the Hero of Kvatch went on to mantle Pelinal Whitestrake by reclaiming the lost relics of the Divine Crusader, becoming the Divine Crusader, defeating Umaril the Unfeathered and stopping the Auroran Crisis. The Hero of Kvatch also got involved with the Greymarch in the Shivering Isles which events may in theory have caused them to mantle Sheogorath, becoming the Daedric Prince of Madness known today.

Conjecture
Upon completion of the official add-on, the Sheogorath seen in  is destroyed, and the Hero of Kvatch is crowned as the new Sheogorath. Haskill, the Aureals,the Mazken, and the inhabitants of the Isles will all begin calling the Hero "Lord Sheogorath".

The Sheogorath encountered in Skyrim mentions that he has seen the entire Oblivion Crisis, Martin Septim, the Gray Fox, and Mathieu Bellamont's mother's severed head, and that his title gets passed on from "me to myself." Another fact is that the Skyrim model for Sheogorath is lacking a heavy beard, heavy beards were not among the facial hair choices in the character creation menu of Oblivion. It is also possible that Sheogorath heard of these events through the other Daedric Princes, since Mehrunes Dagon was heavily involved with the Oblivion Crisis. Another theory contends that Sheogorath's many Tamrielic disciples informed him of the events.

Trivia

 * Unlike the Nerevarine of or the Last Dragonborn of, the Hero is always depicted explicitly as male. His probable appearance in Skyrim supports this.
 * If the Sheogorath encountered in Skyrim is indeed the Hero of Kvatch, then the quest The Mind of Madness will be the first time two playable characters meet in the Elder Scrolls series.
 * This might also mean that the Hero, now an immortal daedra, is the longest-surviving protagonist of the series (over 200 years old). This is unless, of course, the Nerevarine, who does not age after the completion of Morrowind, is still alive.

Appearances

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