Talos

Talos, once known as Tiber Septim, Ysmir, or the Dragonborn, Heir to the Seat of Sundered Kings, is the greatest hero-god of Mankind, and is worshipped as the protector and patron of just rulership and civil society.

Background
Tiber Septim conquered all of Tamriel and began the Third Era, as well the Third Empire. At his death he ascended to godhood as the God of War and Man. Less prominent sects, such as the Talos Cult, were inspired by his apotheosis.

Known as Heir to the Seat of Sundered Kings, Ysmir, the Dragon of the North, and Dragonborn, he is also invoked as patron of questing heroes. He is referred to as the One in the phrase "The Eight and the One", as there were originally only Eight Divines before Tiber Septim ascended to godhood.

In, Tiber Septim makes an appearance as his avatar "Wulf".

Fourth Era
During the Fourth Era, a war broke out between the Aldmeri Dominion and the Mede Empire, and this war came to be called the Great War which forced all races to take at least some part in it. The war concluded with the signing of the White-Gold Concordat. Two provisions in the treaty had serious impacts on what remained of the Empire, but one of the terms banned the worship of Talos. This allowed the Aldmeri Dominion (whose agents within Skyrim are known as Thalmor) to stamp out Talos worship and worshippers throughout the Empire. The banning of Talos worship soon produced the Stormcloak Rebellion in Skyrim, where the effects of the ban were most felt. If the Stormcloaks manage to win the Civil War, Talos worship will be returned to Skyrim and a shrine to him will be added in the Temple of the Divines in Solitude.

Trivia

 * Talos has also been referred to as Ysmir by the Nords. Ysmir is also listed in some texts as being a name given to Pelinal Whitestrake.
 * How Tiber Septim became the god Talos is a matter of debate. In, much of the conflict between native Nords (particularly the Stormcloaks) and the Aldmeri Dominion comes from the Dominion's claim that a mortal could not become a Divine, and thus Talos is not a god and should not be worshipped.
 * In, the "blood of a divine" is needed to open the portal to Mankar Camoran's Paradise. The blood used is from the Armor of Tiber Septim, which implies that Tiber Septim indeed became a god.
 * In the Blessing of Talos is what allows the player to follow Umaril the Unfeathered into the spirit world and destroy his very soul preventing him from being reborn in oblivion and returning again. The blessing also allows the player to return to his body afterwards, further evidence of Talos' divinity.
 * At the end of, the player is met by an aging Imperial named Wulf, who bestows on him/her a power called "Favor of the Emperor." If Lalatia Varian is asked about this, she will tell the player that this is a manifestation of Talos; similar manifestations of Mara and Zenithar occur in the Imperial Cult quest line.
 * Tiber Septim is also not to be found in Sovngarde, alongside the other Nord heroes, during the Skyrim quest Sovngarde. This may further imply the claim that he became a god. Though this could also mean that Talos was not a Nord, as only Nords can ascend to Sovngarde after death.
 * The deification of Tiber Septim, the first emperor of Tamriel, as Talos could be a reference to the deification of Caesar Augustus, first emperor of Rome as Divus Augustus.
 * The name Talos is of Cretan origin, and means "sun". In ancient Greek mythology, Talos was the name of the legendary living bronze statue on Crete built to guard the island at the command of Zeus (who was worshipped as Zeus Tallaios in Crete). In addition, Talos is similar to another Greek figure, Heracles, as he too was a mortal who ascended to divinity.

Appearances


Talos Talos Талос Talos