Jagar Tharn (Arena)

Imperial Battle-Mage Jagar Tharn is a fictional character of the Elder Scrolls universe created by Bethesda Softworks. Jagar Tharn appears in the first of these games, The Elder Scrolls: Arena. As the game starts, Tharn has used his magic to usurp the throne of Emperor of Tamriel, Uriel Septim VII, whom he then imprisoned in an alternate dimension, Oblivion. Normally when the Emperor of Tamriel dies, a Council is magically informed and meets to select a successor. By sequestering Uriel Septim VII in a magical prison, Tharn prevented this from happening. Using magic he then took the form of the Emperor and replaced the Emperor's most loyal servants and followers with demons and other fell creatures similarly altered.

Unable to suborn his apprentice Ria Silmane, Tharn murders her and imprisons the player's character (the Captain of the Imperial Guard and Ria's friend) beneath the city. Silmane is able to magically hold herself in the mortal plane long enough to direct the player's character in how to escape. Her wish is that the player seek the eight shattered pieces of Staff of Chaos (the tool Tharn stole to imprison the Emperor and kill her with) in order to defeat Tharn and remove him from power.

Tharn appears only occasionally for most of the game, mostly to taunt the player. The central "quest" or goal of the game involves learning how to defeat Tharn and gathering the necessary items. If the player completes this task and returns to the Imperial City, he or she can confront the villain who is extremely powerful at this point. If the player determines how to defeat him, the battle ends with Tharn's death and the gratitude of the restored Emperor. If not, Tharn will sooner or later destroy even the strongest character.

Numerous in-game literature from Morrowind and Oblivion make mention of Jagar Tharn, namely in the biography of Barenziah. Jagar Tharn seduced the Dark Elf queen, under the name of the nightingale, in order to obtain the Staff of Chaos, which he then hid throughout Tamriel. It was Barenziah that discovered the hidden locations of the pieces to the staff.

Jagar Tharn is also mentioned in The Elder Scrolls Legends: Battlespire as the figure who assists Mehrunes Dagon in conquering the Battlespire Academy as well as in The Elder Scrolls Travels: Shadowkey as the true master behind the events within Dragonstar revolving around eliminating other Battlemages of equal power as his own.