Indoril Nerevar

Indoril Nerevar, or at least his actions, played a major part in the events that set in motion the setting of Morrowind. Nerevar was also the first Hortator, or war-leader/champion, of the unified Dunmer.

Legendary Origins
According to official Temple accounts, Nerevar was the Hortator and Leader of the Chimer. Featured prominently in the negotiations for the creation of the First Council and the united kingdom of Resdayn (now Morrowind), he was a friend of the Dwemer leader, Dumac Dwarf-Orc. However, the Chimer eventually went to war against the Dwemer (ironically, the Dwemer King would have aided Nerevar had he known what his lead scientist Kagrenac was undertaking), culminating in the Battle of Red Mountain, where Nerevar fell after the death of Dumac.

In some accounts, however, the death of Nerevar is not attributed to wounds he received during the Battle. After the Battle, Nerevar and Dagoth Ur (then known as Voryn Dagoth) proceeded into the center of the Dwemer stronghold, where they discovered the Heart of Lorkhan, as well as Kagrenac's Tools: Keening, Sunder, and Wraithguard. Nerevar commanded Dagoth Ur to guard the tools, as he went back to his advisors for instruction on what to do next. When he reached his advisors, he conferred with them for some time. They decided to leave the tools alone, and made a vow to Azura. The official account says that Nerevar went to Dagoth Ur to retrieve the tools, but Ur had been driven mad by the power of the Heart of Lorkhan in Nerevar's absence, and refused to relinquish the tools. Nerevar fought with Ur, and defeated him. Unfortunately, Nerevar was mortally wounded, and only survived long enough for his advisors to find him, and for him to make them swear to never use the tools. Unfortunately, they eventually used the tools to turn themselves into gods, and when they did, Azura appeared and cursed the entire Chimer race by "turning their eyes to fire and their skin to ash", making them into the Dunmer.

In Ashlander texts, however, Nerevar was not killed in combat, but by his three advisors, Vivec, Almalexia, and Sotha Sil. In this account, Nerevar made them swear to never use the tools, and they obeyed, but secretly conspired to murder Nerevar so that they might gain power. When attempting to summon Azura, Nerevar was foiled; Almalexia used poisoned candles and Sotha Sil used poisoned robes and Vivec used poisoned invocations. Nerevar was killed. In retribution for their betrayal, Azura turned the skin of the Chimer gray, and turned their eyes fiery red. However, the Tribunal (that is, Vivec, Almalexia and Sotha Sil) went on to use the power of the tools and the Heart to become immortal. Afterwards, they set themselves up as the new gods of the Dunmer, claiming superior divinity to the Daedra, whom the Chimer had self-exiled for the worship of. Eventually, their Tribunal Temple took control of all of Morrowind, becoming the monolithic and seemingly infallible entity it was by the end of the Third Era, and leaving only isolated pockets of Ashlanders to maintain the old beliefs.

Nerevarine
"You are the Nerevarine. You are the Chosen. You can't fail."

- Ghosts of previous Nerevarines to the Nerevarine.

For their treachery, Azura proclaimed that someday Nerevar would be reincarnated and would make things right again. The Tribunal had merely brushed this off, and it took a great while for any thought of this to be taken seriously.

For a long while, the Ashlanders continued to believe in the eventual reincarnation of Nerevar, despite the oppression of the Temple. Several people appeared claiming to be the Nerevarine, but none were able to withstand the Nerevarine Prophecy. Then, during 3E 426, a prisoner born of uncertain parentage, but under a certain sign, was sent by the ailing Emperor to Morrowind, and arrived in the port town of Seyda Neen. The Septim dynasty had long possessed The Elder Scrolls, and thus had some prophetic abilities. It is never shown just how strong these prophetic abilities are, nor how detailed the visions of the future they provide are.

Uriel Septim VII, although quite advanced in years, had a sharp mind and knew quite well the value of the wrong man in the right situation. He sent the prisoner there as a form of religious manipulation. He did this to meet the criteria of the Nerevarine, to rise to the occasion seemingly out of nowhere, and all the while being a secret inductee of the Blades. This would ensure he was under constant Imperial supervision and observation, and that he/she would have no choice but to act in the best interests of the Empire. To the surprise of all involved, save perhaps the Emperor and the Elder Council, the prisoner began to exhibit more and more of the specific criteria of the Nerevarine. When he/she obtains the ring that Nerevar used to persuade the other factions to his cause, One-Clan-Under-Moon-and-Star, or simply Moon-and-Star, from its resting place, The Cavern of the Incarnate, it is revealed that the Prisoner is Nerevar reincarnated (since supposedly no one but Nerevar himself can wear the Moon-and-Star ring without dying), or at least, as close as was mortally possible.

Eventually, the Nerevarine accomplished the goal of defeating Dagoth Ur, in turn bringing about the eventual fall of the Tribunal.

In The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, the character can overhear that the Nerevarine has left on an expedition to Akavir, but has not been heard from since his/her departure, so, officially, his/her fate is uncertain. Some (players) might argue that the Nerevarine, being a seemingly unstoppable, potentially 'godkilling' entity wielding artifacts of unmentionable power and immune to disease (and because of the corprus is also immortal according to Divayth fyr) is likely to be alive and well, even with a lack of contact to the outside world.

Appearances

 * The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
 * The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion