History Characters / TheElderScrollsOnline

* DrivenToMadness: [[spoiler: The consequence of too much TomeOfEldritchLore reading. Sheogorath will [[RestorationOfSanity cure her]] if you ask, but if you choose to take the Folium Discognitum instead, she remains permanently insane and Sheogorath takes her to live in the Shivering Isles.]]
* FateWorseThanDeath: [[spoiler: If you have Sheogorath cure her, she refers to remaining insane and going to the Isles as one]].

* TheDragon: Barbas serves as this as well as the FinalBoss for the ''Morrowind'' chapter, being fully cooperative with his master's schemes in this case in contrast to his role as TheConscience to Vile in other appearances.

* TookALevelInJerkass: Unlike his previous incarnations, who's fun-loving but never really malicious, Sheogorath in ''Online'' seems to really get a kick out of making life miserable for mortals for his own amusement. Whereas the most he did in prior titles was [[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion causing a rat infestation and a]] [[ItMakesSenseInContext rain of flaming dogs]], ''Online'' has him driving several peaceful settlements to ruin and many innocent people insane (or dead) just because he's bored.
* XanatosGambit: [[spoiler: The entire Mages' Guild questline is him performing one with the goal of humiliating Shalidor. The only way to get back Eyevea is to read Sheogorath's books, the only person who can do that is Valaste (Sheogorath cursed them so Shalidor couldn't read them) and doing so would inevitably corrupt her- the trials he puts you through are a distraction and just for fun. Valaste's corruption means that Shalidor is going to be faced with his obsession with returning Eyevea to fix his own mistakes just lead to him destroying another person's life. And while you ''can'' have Valaste restored to mental health, this is actually yet ''another'' slap in the face for Shalidor, since the only way you can do this is by giving up the Folium Discognitum for it; i.e., making the right choice where Shalidor made the wrong one.]]

* WellIntentionedExtremist: Her intentions are genuinely good, [[spoiler:But she goes too far and is drastically uninformed of the consequences of her actions.]]

* FatalFlaw: Hubris. He massively overestimated himself and his guild's ability to pull off the dowery heist, resulting in an unmitigated disaster that left the Thieves Guild on the run, and him [[spoiler:desperately playing defense to cover up his role in the whole thing. In the end, his habit of keeping trophies also bites him, as he kept al-Danobia's skull as a trophy. In a secret room next to his bride-to-be's room. Said bride-to-be is Danobia's descendant. His scheme falls apart once this fact is shown to her.]]

!!Psijic Order
An order of peace-loving, knowledge-seeking peoples of all races whose base is in Arteaum. They prefer not to influence events directly, but have been having more and more difficulty staying out of things as of late.

[[folder:The Auger of The Obscure]]
-->'''Voiced By:''' Creator/BenDiskin
A mysterious being from another dimension who has taken (or been forced into) the shape of a blue skull. It is able to see all of time and space and understand the infinite mysteries of the universe, but prefers to rant and joke rather than share anything particularly valuable.
----
* DitzyGenius: The Vestige questions the Auger's near-omniscience at the start of the quest due to its seeming inability to stay focused. However, it quickly becomes apparent just how profound its knowledge really is.
* TheGadfly: Loves to call humans "meat-brains" and poke fun at them for no other reason than to amuse itself. To its credit, it feels somewhat guilty should its antics go too far and suggests buying gifts to make up for them, such as in the case of [[spoiler:Josajeh]]. Unfortunately, the gifts it suggests would be too weird to be appreciated by the recipient.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: A very mild example, the Auger initially views all humans as idiotic "meat-brains" and doesn't hesitate to poke fun at them (especially you). [[spoiler:However, near the end of the Psijic quests it admits to having grown fond of you and confesses that it never truly thought all humans are stupid.]]

[[folder:Valsirenn]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/por_valsirenn.png]]

The first member of the Psijic Order to make contact with you in ''Summerset.''

* BerserkButton: Leythen purposely hits her right where it hurts during an argument, pointing out [[spoiler:that he was at their daughter's bedside when she passed, while Valsirenn wasn't.]] This drives her into an uncharacteristic rage.
* BigGood: She serves as this throughout the ''Summerset'' questline, despite carrying some deep grief and anger.
* CoolOldLady: She doesn't hesitate to jump right into the adventure alongside the Vestige.
* LadyOfWar: She accompanies the player character on a few combat missions, wielding Psijic magic.
* MyGreatestFailure: [[spoiler:She was not there when her daughter died, and instead was away researching a cure. It's left ambiguous whether she genuinely thought she could find a cure in time, or whether it was a pretext to avoid facing her child's death.]]
* OutlivingOnesOffspring: Her daughter died of a mysterious illness, which caused her to throw herself into her work.
* YouAreInCommandNow: [[spoiler:She ends up in charge of the Psijic Order after Ritemaster Iachesis' death.]]

[[folder:Ritemaster Iachesis]]
[[quoteright:320:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/por_ritemaster_iachesis.png]]

The leader of the Psijic Order, whose memories hold the key to the crisis on Summerset.

! Alliances

[[index]]

!!Aldmeri Dominion

[[Characters/TheElderScrollsOnlineAldmeriDominion See here.]]

!!Daggerfall Covenant

[[Characters/TheElderScrollsOnlineDaggerfallCovenant See here.]]

!!Ebonheart Pact

[[Characters/TheElderScrollsOnlineEbonheartPact See here.]]

[[/index]]

[[Characters/TheElderScrollsOnlineAldmeriDominion See here]].

[[folder:High King Emeric]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/por_emeric_of_cumberland.png]]
->'''Voiced By:''' Creator/BillNighy

Formerly a Merchant Prince of Wayrest, Emeric used his business and political savvy to become leader of the Daggerfall Covenant.

* {{Archenemy}}: In his backstory, he and King Ranser of Rivenspire were mortal enemies. Ranser came ''very'' close to dethroning him.
* AsskickingLeadsToLeadership: In his backstory, Emeric distinguished himself by fending off a Reachman invasion and saving Daggerfall, leading to an early version of the Covenant among various High Rock kingdoms. He -along with Prince Irnskar and Queen Ayrenn- gets a chance to show he can still kick ass in the ''High Isle'' storyline, personally fighting next to you against the final boss.
* BigGood: For the Covenant.
* CoolOldGuy: Despite his age, he's very laid-back, affable and willing to lead his armies himself.
* DeadpanSnarker: He holds nothing about being High King sacred, and frequently jokes about what a pain in the ass it is ruling the Covenant.
* DoesThisMakeMeLookFat: Inverted, in one of the overheard conversations between him and his wife, she asks if a particular dress makes her look too thin. Emeric awkwardly bumbles over the answer.
* DoubleInLawMarriage: He and his brother Nathaniel are married to the daughters of King Fahara'jad.
* GagPenis: According to an alleged former lover.
-->'''Chronicler:''' My gods! You practically admitted you played "sheathe the dagger" with High King Emeric in "Investigator Vale and the High Rock Revolt!"
-->'''Arabelle:''' I did no such thing! And besides, Emeric's dagger would more accurately be described as a sword ....
* GenghisGambit: Rather cannily, Emeric brought in the Redguards (via his marriage to Fahara'jad's daughter) and the Orcs (by promising to restore Orsinium) to aid him against King Ranser's rebellion. It is implied the mutual struggle ended up strengthening the Covenant.
* TheGoodKing: Yup. For one, he managed to get the Bretons, Orcs, and Redguards to form an alliance, despite the three peoples' mutual distrust.
* TheHighKing: In his own right, he is King of Stormhaven, ruling from Wayrest. He commands the loyalty, among others, of King Fahara'jad of Alikr and King Casimir of Daggerfall.
* ItsPersonal: Bangkorai's ArcVillain is Septima Tharn, who nastily rejected Emeric's romantic interest in their younger days. Now HappilyMarried, Emeric no longer has romantic feelings for her, but facing her again rankles his pride. For Septima's part, this is completely averted, as [[spoiler:Emeric is not her true target at all, merely bait so that she can try to kill [[GenreSavvy the player character]], whom she recognizes as the true threat to her designs on the Daggerfall Covenant.]]
* LikeAnOldMarriedCouple: In Wayrest Castle, Emeric and his queen Maraya can be heard lightly bickering about a variety of mundane topics.
* LoveTriangle: Emeric was engaged to Rayelle, the daughter of King Ranser, but broke it off abruptly when he fell in LoveAtFirstSight with Maraya. Ranser was so enraged that he ''started a war'' and nearly unseated Emeric from power.
* MerchantPrince: How he gained his prestige.
* ModestRoyalty: He's a pretty down-to-earth, recognizes talented individuals with the praise they deserve, admits when he is wrong, and doesn't let being High King get to his head.
* MyGodYouAreSerious: If you're a member of a rival Alliance, he has this reaction first when you propose the ceasefire conference on Stirk, then when you propose sending the Fighters and Mages Guilds into Coldharbour.
* PerfectlyArrangedMarriage: He and his brother Nathaniel married the daughters of King Fahara'jad of Alikr, and both ended up in happy marriages.
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure
* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: [[spoiler:Definitely does later on in the game.]]
* TookALevelInJerkass: A mild example, but Emeric is surprisingly pissy and obstinate in the Stirk conference compared to the Covenant storyline, where he's a ReasonableAuthorityFigure through and through.
* WhatTheHellHero: If you've completed the Thieves Guild questline prior to ''High Isle'', [[spoiler:an appalled Emeric will inform you that his spymaster linked you with the Guild's activities. And he isn't fooled by the BlatantLies you offer as an excuse, although he admits to the pragmatic usefulness of the criminal underworld.]]
* WhenAllYouHaveIsAHammer: Lampshaded and played for laughs. By the third or fourth major crisis the Player Character resolves, Emeric starts straight up admitting he's basing his strategy around sending you in to handle things.
* WrongGenreSavvy: He thought giving rule of Rivenspire to a triumvirate of leading noblemen would allow him to stymie any attempts to unify the region against him, pretty standard {{Chessmaster}} stuff. Unfortunately, it led to a civil war in Rivenspire at a time when the Covenant cannot afford internal conflict.
* YouAreInCommandNow: He ascended the throne of Wayrest when the entire royal family was killed off by the Khahaten Flu.

[[folder:King Fahara'jad]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/por_king_faharajad_3.png]]

The Redguard king, responsible for bringing Hammerfell into the Daggerfall Covenant.

* AuthoritySoundsDeep: He has a very deep voice and is a capable king.
* BirdsOfAFeather: He and High King Emeric have much in common, facing significant political opposition within their own kingdoms (Fahara'jad from the Crown population, and Emeric from King Ranser of Rivenspire), using [[MerchantPrince trade and commerce to shore up their own power]], and each acting as a ReasonableAuthorityFigure within their respective questlines. In fact, they are among the very few zone leaders who appear to be personally close with each other.
* TheMagnificent: He, his deceased wife, and all of his children have such titles. Fahara'jad is the All-Beneneficent King, his wife the "Flower of Taneth," his eldest daughter is Maraya "the Jewel of Satakalaam," his younger daughter Lakana is "the Star of the Almandine," and his son is "Lion of Antiphyllos."
* OlderThanTheyLook: He has three grown children, including one who's been in a relatively long marriage with King Emeric.
* PapaWolf: When his daughter [[spoiler:Lakana is killed by a Breton knight]], he threatens to withdraw the Redguards from the Daggerfall Covenant unless the guilty party is immediately put to death. This is despite the fact that Fahara'jad is a strong proponent of the Covenant otherwise, even overriding the wishes of a segment of his own people.
* PragmaticHero: Fahara'jad has no qualms about employing [[{{Privateer}} privateers]] to maintain control of the seas, nor in calling upon the highly taboo Ash'abah warriors when his kingdom is threatened by the undead. It's also implied that he approved of his daughter's marriage to High King Emeric in order to cement a trade alliance between Hammerfell and High Rock, thus strengthening his own political power.
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: During the Alik'r Desert questline. He endorses and assists the Vestige every step of the way, even doing so privately when he cannot be seen publicly endorsing attacks on the undead (due to a strong Redguard cultural taboo, which could be politically costly for him).
* {{Sucksessor}}: Fahara'jad himself doesn't actually suck as a ruler, but as a Forebear who brings the Redguards into an alliance with foreign powers, he is ''regarded'' as this by the more isolationist, tradition-bound Crown population.

[[folder:Prince Azah]]
[[quoteright:320:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/por_prince_azah.png]]

King Fahara'jad's only son.

* DistressedDude: Lampshaded; he expresses embarrassment the ''second'' time the Vestige has to rescue him from the bad guys.
* IgnoredExpert: When first encountered he's been conducting an investigation of the undead attacks, and tells you he's been pleading with his father for weeks to call upon the [[ForbiddenChekhovsGun otherwise shunned Ash'abah warrior clan.]]
* RoyalHarem: Subverted. He's known for spending time with a number of women at his seraglio. However, the women aren't mistresses or concubines - they are actually all part of his personal spy network.
* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: Despite the DistressedDude moments mentioned above, Azah is a capable warrior and a ReasonableAuthorityFigure much like his father.

[[folder:Captain Kaleen]]
[[quoteright:320:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/por_captain_kaleen.png]]

A Redguard Sailor, she saves the Soulless One from drowning if they sided with the Daggerfall Covenant.

* TheCaper: She's the brains behind one and has a questline requiring you to collect the members of, and pull off said heist.
* ChronicBackstabbingDisorder: Inverted, especially if you destroy the relic. During the course of two voyages, she managed to suffer a mutiny by two separate crews. This is mostly down to her increasingly stickler for the rules behavior clashing with her far more chaotic underlings.
* DidNotThinkThisThrough: Wants to give the Ayleid artifact to King Fahara'jad so he can use it to help the Covenant. The artifact has the ability to raise an army of undead. Redguards are virulently opposed to necromancy of any kind, and would never use such an artifact. At no point does any of this seem to occur to her.
* EvenTheGirlsWantHer: Her cabin girl is practically screaming it from the rooftops.
* MyCountryRightOrWrong: Kaleen's defining motivation is her loyalty to King Fahara'jad first and foremost, and consequently to the Daggerfall Covenant.
* {{Privateer}}: For King Fahara'jad.
* SkewedPriorities: Master Kasan, her mentor, thinks this of her when she says she wants to give an Ayleid ArtifactOfDoom to King Fahara'jad. Her first priority, in his opinion, should be to make sure something so evil never again can be used to harm people.
* UngratefulBastard: Even if you bend over backwards to recruit everyone for her heist, if you destroy the artifact that the Bloodthorn Cult was using to enslave Orc spirits on Betnikh, all her respect for you flies out the window, and she'll see you as a traitor to the Covenant.
** On the other hand, talking to her at Sentinel reveals that she feels awful for putting her alliance before Lambur's feelings, and shouldn't have been so insistent on keeping the thing. It also helps that, assuming the Rivenspire arc was completed beforehand, that by this point you [[spoiler:saved her life and helped her stop a traitorous spy from inciting a civil war in the Covenant.]]
* WhatTheHellHero: Lambur leaves her service in disgust after her actions on Betnikh.

[[folder:Jakarn]]
[[quoteright:320:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/por_jakarn.png]]
->'''Voiced By:''' Creator/SteveBlum

A Breton thief on Stros M'Kai who can be recruited by a Covenant-aligned Vestige.

* BrainwashedAndCrazy: Very briefly in Elsweyr, when he becomes so obsessed with the [[ArtifactOfAttraction Jewel of Baan Dar]] he's willing to take a fatal plunge off a cliff pursuing it. [[spoiler:The player character can snap him out of it via ThePowerOfFriendship.]]
* CardSharp: He scams some Khajiit thugs out of a great deal of money this way in Elsweyr, and only narrowly escapes the subsequent GamblingBrawl.
* TheCharmer: Several of his admirers flat-out admit they know he's full of it, but find him so attractive they don't care.
* ChickMagnet: He catches the eye of three women on the ''Spearhead.''
* EvenTheGuysWantHim: Along with the three women mentioned above, a male Nord also joins the crew just to see him work shirtless.
* EveryoneHasStandards: When warning the player character away from a particularly violent gang.
-->'''Jakarn:''' I'll liberate some poor sap's purse as quickly as the next man, but murder and bloodshed is not on my agenda.
* KarmicThief: Most of Jakarn's onscreen robbery targets are cruel, thuggish, or flat-out evil (such as the Bloodthorn Cult, who he particularly relishes the opportunity to steal from).
* LadykillerInLove: He catches actual feelings for Crafty Lerisa, another member of Kaleen's crew. Naturally, she's the one person who has zero romantic or sexual interest in him.
* LoveableRogue: Jakarn's a thief and a trickster, but also an easygoing and likable guy who generally avoids violent methods where possible.
* NiceGuy: Despite being a bit of a rake, he's actually one of the nicer members of the crew. He's always nice to the player character, doesn't get mad if you give the gemstone to Headman Bhosek's associate, and is the only Breton crewman on the Spearhead who thinks you should destroy the Ayleid ArtifactOfDoom, even if it might give the Covenant an advantage.
* ReallyGetsAround: One of Jakarn's defining characteristics. ''Elsweyr'' makes it clear that gender and race are no object to him.
* ShowSomeLeg: Or in his case, show some chest. In ''High Isle'' he offers to create a distraction at a party. Cut to Jakarn dancing on a table shirtless while a nearby bard plays a risque song. [[DistractedByTheSexy It's a very effective distraction.]]

[[folder:Neramo]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/por_neramo.png]]

An Altmer scholar investigating ruins on Stros M'Kai. He is recruited onto Captain Kaleen's crew.

* AdmiringTheAbomination: He would prefer to keep the Ayleid artifact on Betnikh for himself, instead of destroying it or using it for the Covenant war effort.
* BunnyEarsLawyer: Despite his personality, he's still one of the most knowledgable Dwemer scholars alive.
* ComedicSociopathy: Unlike everyone else on Betnikh, his decision to destroy the artifact isn't out of moral reasons but to spite the Covenant for not letting ''him'' study it. He is also very curious about the pained twitching caused by a shock device he made.
* {{Expy}}: A brilliant but abrasive Mer who treats the powerful hero as his personal assistant? He and Neloth would get along fantastic if they were born in the same era.
* FanBoy: He's very eager to impress Divayth Fyr and asks you to tell him about his personal exploits.
* {{Jerkass}}: He's very full of himself and walks all over Raynor Vanos when they have to work together.

[[folder:Crafty Lerisa]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/por_crafty_lerisa.png]]
->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/KariWahlgren

A Breton pirate captain found shipwrecked on Stros M'Kai, she can be recruited for Kaleen's heist.
----
* DistaffCounterpart: To Jakarn, as a fellow LoveableRogue who engages in shady business but is overall consistently helpful to the Vestige.
* TheMenFirst: Her condition for helping the Vestige on Stros M'Kai is that the Vestige must first assist in rescuing her crew from the Sea Drakes.
* PayEvilUntoEvil: Her retaliation against Captain Helane is horrifically painful -- although as Lerisa points out, she's using a poison [[HoistByHisOwnPetard Helane herself used against disobedient slaves]].
* ThePiratesWhoDontDoAnything: A literal example. Crafty Lerisa is supposedly a pirate captain, but spends much more of her time onscreen helping the player character than doing anything too pirate-y.
* StealthExpert: To somewhat ridiculous levels, as she appears to successfully disguise herself ''as a fern'' at one point.
-->'''Crafty Lerisa:''' Good trick that. Did I really disguise myself as a fern? Or did you see a fern because you weren't looking close enough?

[[folder:Gabrielle Benele]]
[[quoteright:330:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/por_gabrielle_benele_0.png]]

A Breton member of the Mages Guild, Gabrielle assists the Vestige in several Daggerfall Covenant zones as well as in the main quest.
----

* AbsentMindedProfessor: Frequently misplaces her things while wrapped up in research.
* BadassBookworm: Although Gabrielle is primarily a scholar, she jumps in to personally fight Angof alongside the Vestige.
* IWillFindYou: After [[spoiler:Darien Gautier]] goes missing in Coldharbour, she can subsequently be found in Anvil's guildhall, obsessed with researching a way to find [[spoiler:him]].
* NightmareFuelStationAttendant: As a scholar, Gabrielle can sometimes be cheerfully enthusiastic over freakish or disturbing magical anomalies.
** CharacterDevelopment: This is downplayed after the [[spoiler:Coldharbour]] quests, as the shock of losing [[spoiler:King Dynar and Darien Gautier]] appears to have genuinely shaken her.
* PersonaNonGrata: Banned for life from a tavern in Evermore after she used her arcane abilities to deal with an unwelcome yet persistent suitor.
-->Besides, what's the big deal? Scalp and beard hair always grows back eventually, even when it's been scorched off.
* ThinkingUpPortals: One of Gabrielle's greatest strengths as a mage. When she's given the opportunity to try to break into an impenetrable vault, she practically salivates over the challenge.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Captain Darien Gautier]]
[[quoteright:310:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/por_darien_gautier.png]]
->'''Voiced By:''' Creator/JonCurry

A captain in the army of the Covenant, and the son of General Gautier. The player first meets him during the campaign to retake the city of Camlorn from the werewolves of Angolf.

* AmbiguousSituation: [[spoiler:''Summerset'' reveals that he is a creation of Meridia and not fully human, but whether he is completely BornOfMagic or actually related to his human father (whom you meet in Glenumbra) is never clarified.]]
* AndIMustScream: [[spoiler:His implied fate at the conclusion of ''Summerset'', where he is trapped in Meridia's realm, with his mind and identity slowly slipping away. He knows it's happening, but is completely powerless to stop it.]]
* AwesomeButTemporary: [[spoiler:While serving as a GuestStarPartyMember in ''Summerset'', Darien turns out to be one of the only [=NPC=]s who can do a CombinationAttack with the player character using his Dawnbreaker sword. The attack is devastating to opponents and recharges constantly, so your joint raid on Evergloam is basically just [[CurbStompBattle curb stomping]] your way to the end of the level. Unfortunately, Dawnbreaker is stolen from Darien at the end of the level.]]
* BadassInDistress: [[spoiler:In ''Summerset'', he needs to be rescued from Mephala's realm. In subsequent quests, however, he's an incredibly capable GuestStarPartyMember.]]
* BigEgoHiddenDepths: Darien isn't shy about extolling his own charms, particularly with the opposite sex. However his friend Alinon comments that a lot of it is bluster, and a glimpse at his journal in Camlorn reveals he's been secretly tormented by nightmares -- and that he ''freaked the hell out'' when they started [[DreamingOfThingsToCome coming true.]]
* TheCasanova: Not to the extent of Raz, but Darien is an [[ChivalrousPervert unabashed flirt]] and will also hit on a female Vestige of any race, with several gender-specific pieces of dialogue having him inviting them out for a beer. As of ''Summerset'', a female Vestige can also flirt back at ''him''. He also seems to have the hots for Gabrielle Benele, as well as Gloria Fausta if she was spared during the Aldcroft arc, and his method of obtaining intel on Montclair troops in Northpoint is to [[HoneyTrap get into the pants of their female captain.]] Gwendis cheekily calls him out on the last bit, which he tries to deflect with sarcasm.
* CerebusRetcon: [[spoiler:The reveal that he is Meridia's vessel opens up a LOT of this in his Daggerfall Covenant zone appearances, from the way he freaks out at Tamrith's religiously-based healing in Rivenspire (initially played for laughs), to his seemingly unexplained lack of harm in the battles at Cath Bedraud and Northpoint.]]
* ChivalrousPervert: Darien loves the ladies, but he's a good guy.
* ContagiousHeroism: [[spoiler:Meridia claims that ''you'' as the player character have had this influence on him, stating that after meeting you "The knight had a single purpose, but somehow you complicated matters. Now the knight actually... cares."]]
* DeadpanSnarker: Is rather sarcastic in the situations he's in. For example when he is in a dangerous place he will sarcastically pretend it's a lovely place.
* EstablishingCharacterMoment: When you first encounter him in Camlorn, his top priority is saving as many of the city's civilians as he can. Assisting the player character's goals is firmly in second place.
* FailureKnight: He resigns as guard captain of Camlorn at the end of that city's quest, stating that the city fell to werewolves on his watch, but goes on to fight evil throughout the rest of Glenumbra and later Rivenspire.
* FireForgedFriends: Over the course of the Daggerfall Covenant questlines, he evolves into this with Skordo the Knife and Gabrielle Benele.
* {{Foreshadowing}}:
** One of the longest cases in the game! In Camlorn, you can find his journal, in which he describes having strange dreams about anchors dropping from the sky. In Rivenspire, not only does he fend off a horde of Bloodfiends with a flash of light, but he's miraculously not infected with vampirism despite having been mobbed and covered in bite marks. Later, [[spoiler:he will also mention his strange dreams during the main quest. In Summerset, he is finally revealed to be Meridia's vessel and not fully human. Whether it's a case of DivineParentage or being simply BornOfMagic is left ambiguous, but Darien claims to have known he was different all of his life.]]
** If you play through ''Orsinium'', [[spoiler:you can discover a note from Darien in Wrothgar's library, in which he describes being trapped in Meridia's realm. In ''Summerset'' this is a major plot point.]]
* TheGoodCaptain: He does his best to put TheMenFirst, and he frequently backs up the Player Character without any fuss.
* HandsomeLech: Darien's interest in any woman with a pulse is well-known and a turnoff for many recipients of his affections (he's shot down hard by Countess Tamrith, and [[spoiler:Valsirenn]] suggests abandoning him in Oblivion). If female, the player character can choose whether to flirt back or to reject him in similar fashion.
* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler:Pulls one off towards the end of the Summerset questline to give the Player Character a shot at defeating Nocturnal.]]
* HoneyTrap: His ChivalrousPervert tendencies pay off in Rivenspire, where during one quest you can walk in on him having just seduced information out of an enemy guard captain.
* IWillFindYou: [[spoiler:He mysteriously vanishes during one of the final battles of the main quest. In later zones, Daggerfall Covenant characters such as Gabrielle Benele and Alinon the Alchemist can be found searching for him. When you meet him again in Summerset, depending on your playthrough, you can also get a dialogue option to tell him that ''you'' have been looking for him for a long time.]]
* ItIsDehumanizing: [[spoiler:Meridia refers to him as "it" several times when revealing that Darien is the Golden Knight, emphasizing that "it" is purely her vessel.]]
* KnightInShiningArmor: His ChivalrousPervert tendencies aside, Darien is a genuinely good guy who assists the player character several times in fighting evil that's befallen the land. A subversion occurs [[spoiler:in ''Summerset'' when he gets upgraded to literal shining armor -- but it's because he's now the champion of Meridia, a daedric prince.]]
* LeeroyJenkins: Although he's able to keep his head often enough to avoid becoming TheMillstone, Darien does more than once rush blindly into battle and need to get bailed out by the player character.
* LuckilyMyShieldWillProtectMe: [[spoiler:In ''Summerset'', after he loses Dawnbreaker, he switches to a special holy shield the player character can get behind.]]
* MrFanservice: He's a KnightInShiningArmor who flirts incessantly with the player character, and gets a few beefy [[ShirtlessScene shirtless scenes]] to boot. Lampshaded during one of the aforementioned shirtless scenes as the player character has the option to remark, "I could get used to this."
* MissingMom: Asking him about who he is in ''Summerset'' has him revealing that although he knew his father well, he strangely has no idea who his mother is, as his childhood feels kind of like a blur to him. [[spoiler:Given that he's revealed to be an ArtificialHuman created by Meridia, she might as well ''be'' his mother in a sense.]]
* NeverFoundTheBody: [[spoiler:Twice over! He vanishes after the destruction of the Planar Vortex, but unlike King Dynar his death is not officially confirmed. It is heavily implied through his dialogue about his strange dreams that he was forcibly transported to Meridia's realm, the Colored Rooms. Sure enough, he returns in ''Summerset'', albeit with no memories of who he was before becoming Meridia's Knight. At the end of ''Summerset'' he vanishes again in a HeroicSacrifice, but you later receive a message from him establishing that he's yet again in Meridia's realm, [[AndIMustScream albeit this time being slowly stripped of his free will]].]]
%%* NiceGuy
* NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished: [[spoiler:His HeroicSacrifice in the Crystal Tower puts him back in Meridia's realm -- where she proceeds to punish him by stripping him of all memories and free will. A small side mission in ''Elsweyr'' confirms that she considers his actions to have been a betrayal.]]
* NoodleIncident: He and his buddy Skordo the Knife appear together in the Dragonstar Arena guestbook in Craglorn, but what exactly they were doing there is not elaborated upon.
* PleasePutSomeClothesOn: The player character gets the opportunity to tell him this during one of his [[ShirtlessScene shirtless scenes.]]
* RecurringCharacter: Darien starts out as a support character in Glenumbra, but gradually shows up in enough questlines that he evolves into a WalkingSpoiler.
* RomanceSidequest: Downplayed as it does not significantly affect the plot, but Darien is one of the few [=NPC=]s (along with Naryu Virian of the Pact) whose flirtatious advances the player can choose to return. [[spoiler:Becomes a case of StarCrossedLovers after the events of the main quest and especially Summerset.]]
* SemiDivine: He's [[spoiler:the vessel of Meridia]], meaning he is essentially a demigod.
* TrademarkFavoriteFood: He's seen chomping down on a loaf of bread in a few key scenes, a RunningGag that made it into [[https://www.elderscrollsonline.com/en-us/smolderscrolls Smolder Scrolls]].

[[folder:Skordo The Knife]]

An Orc soldier initially based in Shornhelm, Skordo joins the player character through several campaigns in the Daggerfall Covenant.

* BoisterousBruiser: Skordo loves to bash skulls and make quips about it.
* BruiserWithASoftCenter: In ''Elsweyr'', he's hell-bent on rescuing two innocent civilians who were kidnapped alongside him. [[spoiler:And he's genuinely broken up when he can't reach one of them in time.]]
* DistressedDude: He is first encountered being held captive by Montclair's forces in Rivenspire.
* FireForgedFriends: With Darien Gautier in some of the Daggerfall Covenant zones.
* FirstPersonSmartass: His three volumes of ''The Adventurer's Almanac'' are written in this style.
-->You ever heard of Cyrodilic Collections? Me neither. Not until they started throwing gold around like King Jorunn in a bawd house.
* HotSkittyOnWailordAction: In Elsweyr, an ''Alfiq'' Khajiit finds him quite sexy, evidently not deterred by their highly different physiologies.
* LetUsNeverSpeakOfThisAgain: In ''Elsweyr'' you can encounter him shortly after he's been kidnapped; Skordo would strongly prefer that no one ever hear about it.
* TheMenFirst: Stranded in the Tower of Lies with his Fighters Guild unit, getting everyone out safely is Skordo's absolute top priority. When one of his guildmates cannot be saved, he ''furiously'' takes it out on the daedric overseer at the first opportunity.
* NoodleIncident: He and his buddy Darien Gautier appear together in the Dragonstar Arena guestbook in Craglorn, but what exactly they were doing there is not elaborated upon.
* RecurringCharacter: He pops up again in ''Orsinium'' and ''Elsweyr.''
* SignpostTutorial: He is the author of three almanacs that point the player towards daily repeatable quests.
* TookALevelInBadass: Skordo is a capable fighter to begin with, but he graduates from DistressedDude to Fighters' Guild member to [[spoiler:joining the assault on Coldharbour and Molag Bal in the main quest]].

[[folder:Angof the Gravesinger]]

Leader of the Bloodthorn Cult, Reachmen who seek to conquer the Glenumbra region.

* TheAtoner: [[spoiler:When the Observer lists the weaknesses of the three, he lists Thallik's [[AmbitionIsEvil ambition]] and Estre's [[ChronicBackstabbingDisorder deception.]] By contrast, he lists Angof's as an overwhelming sense of regret.]]
* ArcVillain: Of Glenumbra.
* HeelFaceTurn: [[spoiler:Like Estre and Thallik, he can undergo one in the Coldharbour arc and become an ally against his former master, Molag Bal. ''Unlike'' Estre and Thallik, however, his turn is heavily implied to be genuine, as unlike them he has no desire to return to Nirn and restart his schemes, only wanting to undo his transformation.]]
* {{Necromancer}}: Well, why else would he be called "the Gravesinger"?
* WorthyOpponent: [[spoiler:If you killed him before Coldharbour, he admits that he considers you this when you meet again in the Cliffs of Failure, and its exactly because of that respect that he urges you not to get roped into the Overseer's game.]]

[[folder:Duke Nathaniel of Alcaire]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/por_duke_nathaniel_of_alcaire.png]]

High King Emeric's brother, he is married to King Fahara'jad's other daughter Lakana.
----
* DoubleInLawMarriage: He and his brother Emeric are both married to a pair of sisters, the daughters of King Fahara'jad.
* HappilyMarried: Her sister claims that Lakana fell in LoveAtFirstSight with Nathaniel, while dialogue with Nathaniel confirms that he too deeply loves Lakana. It's implied in one of his letters to Emeric that is partly due to [[SexGoddess bedroom skills]].
* MalignedMixedMarriage: Lakana tells you there are many in Hammerfell who oppose the Daggerfall Covenant, and thus violently oppose the [[ArrangedMarriage political marriages]] (hers, and her sister's to King Emeric) that cement it.
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: [[spoiler:He is devastated and furious at Lakana's murder, yet also self-aware enough to recognize that any rash action on his part could imperil the Daggerfall Covenant. Thus he recuses himself from deciding her killer's fate and allows the player character to decide.]]

[[folder:Duchess Lakana]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/por_duchess_lakana.png]]

King Fahara'jad's youngest daughter and wife to Duke Nathaniel.
----
* DoubleInLawMarriage: She and her sister Maraya were part of an ArrangedMarriage to King Emeric and his brother Nathaniel, thus uniting Hammerfell and High Rock into the Daggerfall Covenant.
* HappilyMarried: Her sister claims that Lakana fell in LoveAtFirstSight with Nathaniel, while dialogue with Nathaniel confirms that he too deeply loves Lakana. Although by the time the player meets her, she's having doubts about the marriage, fearing he may be behind the attempts on her life.
* MalignedMixedMarriage: Lakana tells you there are many in Hammerfell who oppose the Daggerfall Covenant, and thus violently oppose the [[ArrangedMarriage political marriages]] (hers, and her sister's to King Emeric) that cement it.
* RedHerring: The start of the questline involving her makes her look like she's trying to sabotage the Daggerfall Covenant by acting like a spy to her father. But it's soon made clear she's only acting suspicious because of the several murder attempts on her life.
* SacrificialLion: [[spoiler:She ends up getting assassinated no matter what, causing a crisis to the Hammerfell and High Rock relationship.]]
* SexGoddess: Implied in one of his letters to Emeric.
-->"P.S.: The tricks these Redguard women employ in the bedchamber...! Why didn't you warn me, you old dog?"
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Countess Eselde Tamrith]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/por_eselde_tamrith.png]]

Head of House Tamrith, one of the Rivenspire Triumvirate. An intelligent and patient young woman though some believe her inexperience causes her to lack a firm hand.

* AwesomeMomentOfCrowning: The Rivenspire arc can potentially end with her crowned Queen of Shornhelm.
* BigSisterInstinct: She's outraged when she learns Reezal-Jul has her sister and even moreso after she learns ''what'' he plans for her. [[spoiler:However, this is subverted when her sister is afflicted with vampirism. Countess Tamrith ''immediately'' asks the player to [[MercyKill put Janeve down]], despite Janeve begging to live.]]
* ChasteHero: She's immune to all of Darien's flirtatious advances.
* TheFundamentalist: Countess Tamrith is ''extremely'' devoted to Arkay and prays over every decision. [[spoiler:When her own little sister -- whom she otherwise dearly loves -- is turned into a vampire, she immediately rejects her as an unholy abomination.]]
* MercyKill: [[spoiler:She asks the player to do this to her own little sister, although the player character can choose to spare Janeve.]]
* RedOniBlueOni: With Baron Dorell. She's the blue, being a peacekeeper who wants to focus on easing Rivenspire after a time of great turmoil.
* TheRival: To Baron Alard Dorell.
* TapOnTheHead: She tells you she gave the delirious Darien Gautier something to help him sleep. When asked what it is, she admits it was the blunt end of her staff.
* WhatTheHellHero: [[spoiler:She is ''livid'' if you spare Jeneve, angrily telling you that any deaths she causes due to her newfound thirst for blood will be on your head.]]

[[folder:Baron Alard Dorell]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/por_alard_dorell.png]]

Head of House Dorell and Baron of Northpoint. An experienced military man but some fear his hot-bloodedness will lead him to reckless decisions.

* AwesomeMomentOfCrowning: The Rivenspire arc can potentially end with him crowned King of Shornhelm.
* ButThouMust: [[spoiler:You can't change his mind regarding the fate of his traitorous son. Even if you argue in favor of going easy on him, he sadly admits that he ''can't'' afford to do so due to the severity of his son's crimes.]]
* IHaveNoSon: Alard is thoroughly disappointed in his son for falling under Lleraya's control and dooming the people of Northpoint to a FateWorseThanDeath. He himself says as much.
-->'''Alard:''' You're dead to me, Ellic. Dead!
* JerkassHasAPoint: During the conflict in Shornhelm, Tamrith is shocked to find herself agreeing with Dorell that a decisive attack is needed.
* RedOniBlueOni: With Countess Tamrith. He's the red, wanting to strengthen the kingdom's armies and defenses.
* TheRival: To Countess Eselde Tamrith

[[folder:Count Verandis Ravenwatch]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/por_verandis_ravenwatch.png]]

An Altmer nobleman of High Rock and old friend of King Emeric. In truth, he is a powerful vampire who is responsible for the current crisis and trying to atone for his mistake.

* AndNowForSomeoneCompletelyDifferent: A temporary case which the player controls Verandis while visiting his repressed memories.
* TheAtoner: Even though he was trying to save Lady Montclair's life by turning her into a vampire at request of her husband, it lead to her becoming a bloodfiend and turning her family too, making him indirectly for the Rivenspire crisis. In addition, its revealed that he was turned into a vampire by Molag Bal himself, implying that he had to commit some horrible atrocities to gain his favor.
* BigGood: Of the Rivenspire [[spoiler:and Markarth]] arcs.
* BrokenPedestal: Zig-zagged. [[spoiler:Gwendis and Fennorian, who idolized Verandis, are horrified to discover Verandis was a member of the Grey Host and a personal friend of Rada al-Saran. However, their faith in him is restored as Verandis works to stop Rada, eventually sacrificing himself in the process.]]
* TheBusCameBack: After being PutOnABus at the conclusion of the Rivenspire arc, Verandis returned during the prologue of ''Markarth'' and once again plays the role of the BigGood for much of its questline.
* ChickMagnet: Downplayed, but present -- both [[spoiler:Lleraya and Gwendis]] are explicitly stated to be in love with him at different parts of his quest line.
* DealWithTheDevil: Instead of being turned by another vampire, he was granted vampirism by Molag Bal this way.[[spoiler:At the end of his questline, in order to prevent the destruction of the Lightless Remnant and cursing everyone in Rivenspire with vampirism, he makes a deal with Molag Bal to take it with him to Coldharbour.]]
* {{Expy}}: To Janus Hassildor in ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion''; both are friendly vampire counts that are very protective of the regions they watch over and provide an extremely helpful back up for the main protagonists in their respective games.
* FriendlyNeighborhoodVampire: You walk in on him and his retinue feeding on someone, who then explains that he was well-paid and cared for by the Count in exchange for his blood. He also offers an invaluable insight into the bloodfiend problem in Rivenspire.
* GetAHoldOfYourselfMan: [[spoiler:After being resurrected in the ''Markarth'' prologue quests, Verandis is brought back in a blood frenzy and immediately attacks Gwendis and the Vestige, forcing them to beat some senses into him to snap him out of it]].
* HeelFaceTurn: Implied. Verandis is a kind and noble person but the fact he was turned directly by Molag Bal implies a dark past which we never get to hear of. [[spoiler:Greymoor implies he was a member of the Grey Host until he betrayed them for unspecified reasons. ''Markarth'' makes it explicit; not only was Verandis a member of the Host, he was Rada al-Saran's closest friend. He left the Host once it became clear that his philosophy and Rada's were not compatible, as Rada saw humans as nothing but cattle to be ruled and suppressed, while Verandis aims for peaceful, equal co-existence.]]
* HeroicSacrifice: He seems to be a huge fan of this trope, befitting his character type as TheAtoner. Interestingly, both of the times he pulled this, are to try and contain an ArtifactOfDoom that's about to go off.
** At the climax of the Rivenspire arc, Verandis teleports both himself and the Lightless Remnant to Coldharbour, in order to stop it from firing and turning the entirety of the region into bloodfiends, knowing full well that it's going to result in his doom. [[spoiler:The Vestige and Gwendis later manage to bring him back through a Gray Host ritual, so it didn't stick.]]
** [[spoiler:He then does it again during the epilogue to the Markarth questline, where he elects to remain within Rada al-Saran's Grayhaven to try and control the Dark Heart. Due to him already being weakened, Verandis does this willingly, knowing that it's probably going to kill him for real this time. It turns out that he's still alive in some capacity, as his soul is bound to the Dark Heart, but his physical form was "ejected" out of it. Even Verandis himself is surprised by this turn of events, but is relieved nonetheless.]]
* OldFriend: He was one of High King Emeric's earliest supporters.
* NiceGuy: Verandis is very welcoming and courteous to the player character.
* NiceJobBreakingItHero: The Dark Heart of Skyrim storyline reveals [[spoiler:that it was Verandis's own research (originally intended to help mortals) that Rada al-Saran used to create the harrowstorms amd enact his EvilPlan.]]
* RetiredMonster: Ultimately subverted. [[spoiler:While the ''Markarth'' prologue reveals that he was once an Exarch (General) of the original Grey Host, it quickly turns out that he maintained the same ideals regarding Vampires and mortals living in peace with each other back then as he does today. The one time he killed an innocent, it was a complete accident that he immediately regretted.]]
* SoProudOfYou: After returning from his [[spoiler:second]] HeroicSacrifice, Verandis expresses his pride over how much his charges have grown. He then relinquishes his title to them, and sets off for some time WalkingTheEarth alone, but also promises to visit them whenever he can.
* TokenHeroicOrc: An Altmer vampire who is a high-ranking nobleman of High Rock.
* WeUsedToBeFriends: With Baron Montclair, the ArcVillain of the Rivenspire.
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: At the conclusion of the Rivenspire arc, Verandis pulls a HeroicSacrifice by teleporting himself and the Lightless Remnant back to Coldharbour before it infects the entirety of the region, possibly the whole of Tamriel itself. Unlike many other characters, you can't find him anywhere when you actually return to Coldharbour yourself, leaving his ultimate fate unclear. Later on, however, [[spoiler:through notes left behind by Verandis himself long ago, the Vestige and Gwendis can manage to resurrect him during the prologue quests for ''Markarth'', for which he is very thankful.]]

[[folder:Gwendis]]

A young Bosmer vampire and a protege of Verandis Ravenwatch.

----

* ActionGirl: Fights alongside Verandis [[spoiler:and the Montclairs in Verandis' flashback]], and manages to hold off the enemies chasing both.
* AllLoveIsUnrequited: She's in love with Verandis, but he seems to regard her strictly as a student.
* BigDamnHeroes: In Verandis' flashback, Gwendis arrives to save him at the last moment [[spoiler:as the newly-turned Montclair vampires close in on him.]]
* CantHoldTheirLiquor: In Verandis' flashback, she's completely plastered after a relatively small amount of wine.
* CovertPervert: She evidently watched enough of Darien Gautier's [[HoneyTrap seduction of an enemy guard captain]] to pop up immediately afterwards and offer some snarky congratulations.
* DoesNotKnowHerOwnStrength: She gets carried away feeding at Ravenwatch manor, and has to be cautioned to go easy by Verandis.
* UndyingLoyalty: To Verandis.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Baron Wylon Montclair]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/por_wylon_montclair.png]]

Once part of the noble triumvirate that governed Rivenspire (alongside Countess Tamrith and Baron Dorell), he's gone rogue and now wants to have all of it for himself.

* ArcVillain: For Rivenspire arc.
* AntiVillain: Wylon was desperately trying to save his dying wife and his efforts end up [[spoiler:turning him into a vampire and driving him insane]].
* BaldOfEvil: A sympathetic variant at any rate.
* EvilSoundsDeep: Courtesy of being voiced by Creator/CrispinFreeman.
* NeverMyFault: Montclair seemingly places all of the blame on Verandis Ravenwatch for every misfortune that befell him.
** While Verandis ''was'' indeed complicit in the idea to use the Lightless Hollow to try and cure Leila Montclair of her illness, he did so at the behest (and later scornful demand) of Wylon himself, following very sketchy (and likely deliberately falsified) instructions provided by Reezal-Jul, an Argonian alchemist and necromancer that Montclair himself hired.
** Despite him not having the foggiest idea what the Hollow even does, he still angrily chastised and commanded Verandis to activate it anyway, resulting in him and his family being turned into vampires and bloodfiends, forcing Verandis to MercyKill Leila after she went berserk from the pain and attacked him. Somehow, in his twisted mind, Wylon saw this as an act of murder and betrayal, wilfully ignoring the fact that he's the cause of all of this.
** Later on, after the Vestige had slain his daughter Lleraya to liberate Northpoint, Wylon heaped that onto the pile as well, and remains indignant to the bitter end.
* OurVampiresAreDifferent: [[spoiler:Specifically, accidentally turned by Verandis after he came into contact with an Ayleid ArtifactOfDoom.]]
* TragicMonster: [[spoiler:He could have avoided being turned into a vampire had he simply accepted his wife's death.]]
* WeUsedToBeFriends: With Verandis. The death of Wylon's wife and Verandis's failure to save her disintegrated the friendship.

[[folder:Reezal-Jul]]

An Argonian necromancer who formerly served King Ranser, he now serves as one of Baron Montclair's top lieutenants.

* AvengingTheVillain: [[spoiler:He seeks to devastate the Covenant to avenge King Ranser.]]
* GreaterScopeVillain: [[spoiler:Manages to be this for Rivenspire despite likely being the first Montclair character defeated, since his desire for revenge against the Covenant and his manipulations of Baron Montclair kickstarted the plot.]]
* ManipulativeBastard: Discussed in his journals. Of the three nobles ruling Rivenspire, Reezal-Jul ingratiated himself with Montclair because he would be the easiest to manipulate. Indeed, he uses Leila Montclair's terminal illness to play both Baron Montclair and Verandis Ravenwatch like fiddles.
* MindWipe: He pulls this on Verandis, obscuring his own role in the FaceHeelTurn of Baron Montclair.
* MySpeciesDothProtestTooMuch: Lampshaded by Captain Janeve, who notes that she's met many Argonians who are calm and connected to nature -- but Reezal-Jul is the very opposite of that.
* NightOfTheLivingMooks: His ultimate goal is to command an army of undead, noting that he loves how obedient and unquestioning they are.
* {{Revenge}}: [[spoiler:His journal reveals that he knew exactly what the Lightless Remnant was capable of all along, and manipulated Montclair into unleashing its power in order to take revenge on the Covenant for King Ranser's death.]]
* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: In his backstory, he abandoned King Ranser when the latter was cornered at Traitor's Tor.
* TheStarscream: He personally wishes to rule Rivenspire (and whatever else he can conquer), with the strong implication that he intends to betray Montclair after the latter [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness has outlived his use]].
* TheUnfettered: Reezal-Jul has no moral compunctions and holds no personal loyalties sacred in his pursuit of personal power. His experiments on the townsfolk of Crestshade are nothing short of an atrocity.

[[folder:Throne Keeper Farvad]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/por_throne_keeper_farvad.png]]

The high priest of the Yokudan god Tu'whacca. He claims that his god speaks to him through his thoughts, and he quickly becomes one of the Vestige's main allies against the Withered Hand in the Alik'r Desert.
----

* BadassPreacher: He is a simple priest, but he is more than capable of defending himself.
* GuestStarPartyMember: [[spoiler:He is one of the three major Alikr' Desert characters who can assist you during the final battle against Shiri and Suturah.]]
* HearingVoices: He claims to be able to communicate with Tu'whacca this way, and there's a surprisingly large amount of evidence that it may be genuine.
* HeroicBSOD: [[spoiler:At the climax of the Alik'r Desert arc, he suffers a momentary one after being forced to kill a zombie in self-defense (attacking the dead is considered a major dishonor in Redguard culture).]]

[[folder:The Withered Hand]]

Decades ago, a powerful necromancer called Suturah raised an army of undead and marched on the Alik'r, determined to conquer it and transform it into a kingdom of death. Under the leadership of Fahara'jad and with the aide of the Ash'abah exiles, the Redguards were able to defeat the undead and Suturah himself was slain. Now, his twin sons Uwafa and Alasan have formed a cult of necromancers, seeking to finish what their father started.

* AvengingTheVillain: [[spoiler:Shiri makes it clear that she is ''not'' happy about her brothers' deaths when you finally confront her.]]
* EvilFormerFriend: Prince Azah claims that Uwafa and Alasan were once his childhood friends and they all studied together, but on reflection admits that their friendship was likely an act on the brothers' part.
* GenreSavvy: They take full advantage of the fact that Redguard culture forbids harming the dead.
* TheMole: [[spoiler:Unbeknownst to anyone but the Withered Hand themselves, Suturah had a third child: Shiri, who poses as the assistant of a prominent archaeologist in order to spy on the Vestige and their allies.]]
* ThanatosGambit: [[spoiler:Alasan allows himself to be killed so that his Wraith can corrupt his Ansei Ward. Thankfully, some quick thinking on the Vestige and their allies' parts prevents this.]]
* TheUndead: Naturally, as a necromancer cult, they have a lot of these at their disposal. [[spoiler:Suturah himself is risen as a Lich during the final battle.]]

[[folder:Queen Arzhela]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/por_queen_arzhela.png]]

King Emeric's cousin and the recently-widowed Queen of Evermore.
----
* BigGood: For the Evermore-centric half of the Bangkorai arc.
* OutlivingOnesOffspring: The Reachman invaders killed both of her children. You can actually meet both in sidequests, as they are [[spoiler:temporarily]] revived by supernatural means. [[spoiler:Princess Elara can survive as the Sentinel of Viridian Forest, but Prince Adrien must die again as a Daedra was trying to use his corpse as a vessel.]]
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Even though she's handed over authority of Evermore to her brother-in-law, you first meet her at the chapel where she's treating the wounded, trying to do something constructive for the city while she's grieving. When you present her with evidence that [[spoiler:Duke Renchant is planning to hand Evermore to the Empire]], she wastes no time in organizing a resistance and helping to defeat the attempted takeover.

[[folder:King Kurog]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kurog_groorsinium_eso.png]]
-->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/JBBlanc
The King of Orsinium and leader of the Orcs. Unlike Emeric and Faha'rajhad, he prefers to take a backseat regarding the Three Banners War in order to focus on rebuilding his kingdom.

* AlasPoorVillain: [[spoiler:Even after his plans have been exposed and foiled, the people of Orsinium still mourn him as an ultimately well intentioned leader who simply went too far.]]
* ApologeticAttacker: [[spoiler:When Forgemother Angra poisons you in the penultimate ''Orsinium'' main quest, just before you pass out he genuinely apologizes that it had to come to this, as he ''did'' consider you a friend.]]
* BigBad: [[spoiler:Of ''Orsinium'', as he is secretly plotting a mass genocidal purge of his people in order to forcibly convert them to the worship of Trinimac instead of Malacath.]]
* BigEater: Described as such in ''The Chronicles of King Kurog'', and he frequently holds meetings at his favorite cornerclub in Orsinium.
* TheFundamentalist: He is extremely adamant in his belief that the worship of Trinimac is essential to the Orcs' survival. [[spoiler:So much so that he is willing to do a ''lot'' of morally reprehensible things to accomplish it.]]
* MyBelovedSmother: Many characters remark on the power Kurog's mother wields over him, [[spoiler:and after their deaths, she is assigned much of the blame for Kurog's FaceHeelTurn.]]
* OddFriendship: With Emeric, at least on the surface, as Kurog is blunt and brash while Emeric is diplomatic and refined. However underneath, both men are not so different as they are both highly ambitious for themselves and their kingdoms.
* OutOfFocus: Despite being a racial leader, before ''Orsinium'' he barely had any presence in the main game. In fact, the only time he truly appears is as an illusion during the Mages Guild arc.
* {{Polygamy}}: A standard practice for Orc leaders, Kurog and his mother go a step further by handpicking an enormous ''network'' of wives for pragmatic and political purposes.
* TurnsRed: [[spoiler:During the final battle of ''Orsinium'', if Forge-Mother Alga is defeated before him, he flies into a rage and gains a significant damage boost.]]
* UnwittingPawn: many Orcs consider him one to Emeric, with one such Orc outright defecting to the Dominion due to this belief. [[spoiler:Its also heavily implied that his FaceHeelTurn in ''Orsinium'' was due in part to manipulations by his mother, Forgemother Angra.]]
* ViolentlyProtectiveGirlfriend: His shield-wives are VERY willing and able to fight to the death to defend him. [[spoiler:Including against you.]]
* WellIntentionedExtremist: [[spoiler:As brutal as his methods and goals are, he genuinely believes its for the good of the Orcs.]]

[[folder:Lady Clarisse Laurent]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/por_lady_clarisse_laurent.png]]

A Breton noblewoman, scholar, and treasure hunter, she and her loyal manservant/ButtMonkey Stibbons can be found on a variety of expeditions across the Daggerfall Covenant and other parts of Tamriel.

* ComedicSociopathy: She is a hilariously awful boss to her manservant Stibbons, and is unrepentantly responsible for a variety of terrible and demeaning things that happen to him.
* {{Flanderization}}: While she has a bit of contempt with Stibbons in the past, ''Blackwood'' has her act like a raving lunatic with her complaining about her manservant's entire existence to the point that it makes you wonder why hasn't she permanently got rid of him.
* PerspectiveFlip: In ''High Isle'', her and Stibbons' usual roles are switched. This time, ''she's'' the one in trouble (in this case, possessed by the amnesiac ghost of an All Flags Navy admiral), and ''Stibbons'' is the one who needs the Vestige's help to save her.
* PetTheDog: In Coldharbour, Lady Laurent has an ''extremely'' rare moment of concern for Stibbons and sends the player to rescue him from the Spurned Peak.
* PointyHairedBoss: Despite her pretensions of scholarly exploration, most of the actual accomplishments of her expeditions are done by the player character.
* RecurringCharacter: She and Stibbons appear across several zones in the Daggerfall Covenant, join the invasion force in Coldharbour, and pop up again in Orsinium, Vvardenfell, Murkmire, Blackwood, and High Isle.
* UpperClassTwit: She is a noble from Daggerfall whose aspirations of greatness far exceed her actual abilities.
%%* {{Expy}}: Of Lara Croft

[[folder:Stibbons]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/por_stibbons.png]]

Lady Laurent's loyal manservant, he endures a variety of bizarre misfortunes as a result of his adventures with her.

* DamnedByFaintPraise: An item in his possession was given to him by Lady Laurent "in recognition of years of adequate service."
* ExtremeDoormat: To Lady Laurent, rushing to obey even her most outlandish and dangerous demands.
* FatalAttractor: In Coldharbour, he is ''twice'' the object of daedric affections.
* GrandTheftMe: Depending on the player's decision in an early quest in Glenumbra, it is entirely possible for Stibbons to be permanently possessed by an ancient Breton ghost, which will be referenced on subsequent quests.
* IronButtMonkey: Without fail, every quest involving Stibbons ends with him being subjected to some bizarre, painful or humiliating misfortune. In one quest, he is turned into ''an egg.''
* SycophanticServant: Stibbons is absolutely loyal to Lady Laurent no matter how much physical torment and demeaning abuse she heaps upon him. In one quest when she fires him, he's devastated, and goes all-out to get re-hired by her.
* ThrowTheDogABone: Finally gets a break in ''High Isle'', where this time ''he'' gets to help save Laurent from a perilous situation. Even when it seems like his bad luck will show up again, he quickly countered it and even used it to his advantage to help break the curse.

!!Ebonheart Pact

[[folder:Almalexia (a.k.a. Ayem)]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/por_almalexia.png]]

One of the three living gods that compose the Tribunal of Morrowind, and leading representative of the Dunmer in the Ebonheart Pact. Ruling alone in the absence of Vivec and Sotha Sil, she resides in the Tribunal Temple in the Dunmer capital city of Mournhold.
----
* ConsumateLiar: Sotha Sil makes the observation that she's a master liar, noting that the reason it works so well is because [[BelievingTheirOwnLies she believes them too]].
-->'''Sotha Sil''': She sows lies like a master gardener sows seeds, and the harvest of trust and adulation is breathtaking in scope.
* DeityOfHumanOrigin: Rather, Deity of Elven Origin, like the rest of the Tribunal.
* GodsNeedPrayerBadly: A variation. Almalexia acknowledges that the power and influence of the theocratic Tribunal is proportionate to the amount of faith the people have in it. Just like any other political ruler, Almalexia would be powerless without the support of the masses.
* GoodIsNotSoft: Kind, benevolent, fair, and capable of ruthlessly smiting anyone who dares to threaten the peace of Mournhold.
* LadyOfWar: She may be a god, but that doesn't mean she won't personally deal with those who attack her city or people. See GoodIsNotSoft directly above.
* LightEmUp: Employs a variety of light-based magic, ranging from relatively mundane (hands-free lanterns) to incredibly lethal (massive spears of [[HardLight golden light]]).
* MamaBear: If you do ''anything'' to threaten the lives of her 'children', Divines help you.
* NiceJobBreakiingItHero: [[spoiler:After Magistrix Vox's son led a failed rebellion against the Tribunal, Almalexia executed him right in front of Vox as the magistrix begged for her son's life. Afterwards, she did nothing to console the grieving mother. While Almalexia may have been justified in killing Vox's son, the callous way she went about it led to Vox losing her faith which made it simple for Boethiah to twist her into a much more severe threat to Morrowind and the Tribunal then her son was.]]
* PhysicalGod: Like the rest of the Tribunal, thanks to the power of the Heart of Lorkhan. And as Dagoth Ur hasn't yet returned to ruin everything, she can still do things with said divine power.
* PowerFloats: She's always seen elegantly hovering a few inches above the ground.
* PraetorianGuard: The 'Hands of Almalexia' stationed throughout Mournhold.
* RedBaron: Sacred Lady, Mother Morrowind.
* TragicHero: Her genuinely heroic nature shown here makes her inevitable fall into madness in ''Tribunal'' all the more tragic.

[[folder:Jorunn the Skald-King]]
[[quoteright:320:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/por_jorunn_the_skald_king_5.png]]
-->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/PeterStormare
-->'''Dubbed by:''' Creator/DanielBeretta (European French)

The High King of the Ebonheart Pact, who rules the Great Moot. In Nordic terms, he's also Jarl of Eastmarch (Windhelm) and High King of Eastern Skyrim.
----
* AltarDiplomacy: He and King Svargrim ''almost'' reconciled years ago by suggesting a betrothal between Jorunn's son and Svargrim's daughter. It fell apart but Prince Irnskar notes that at least the young couple-to-be had fun playing in the snow while their parents fought.
* BigGood: For the Ebonheart Pact, though he officially shares this role with Almalexia.
** Indirectly serves as this in ''Greymoor'; Lyris (and possibly you, if you're not a newly created character but one who did the prologue quest) are there to help Western Skyrim by his explicit order, as even though they aren't part of the Ebonheart Pact, Jorunn still wants to help his Nordic brethren. (The fact that this help isn't particularly wanted by Svargrim is a huge sticking point). [[spoiler:He arrives in Western Skyrim to directly help out at the very end, but you've already stopped the Gray Host's big plan; his offers of supplies, manpower, and military assistance, though, are graciously accepted.]]
* TheCavalry: [[spoiler:Appears at the very end of the ''Greymoor'' chapter, leading a Pact army into the independent Kingdom of Western Skyrim to help out against the Gray Host (he's just a little too late). This very nearly starts a war since Western Skyrim does not trust or like him; fortunately cooler heads prevail and Princess Svana graciously accepts what help he can offer.]]
* TheDandy: Jorunn's not really that eccentric but the fact he's a former Skald causes many, particularly his enemies, to regard him as this.
* DistressedDude: In the ''Greymoor'' prologue quest. You and Lyris help him out. He is rather embarassed about it.
* TheGoodKing: He's a just and diligent ruler who's willing to ally Eastern Skyrim with races it has a history of fighting with for the greater good.
* GenderBlenderName: In Norwegian, Jorunn is a ''female'' given name, meaning either "a lover of horses" or, rather ironically for someone who's a King, "lover/friend of the king" (i.e. a ''Queen'').
* LargeAndInCharge: He is a Nord after all. When all 3 alliance leaders meet to negotiate, he towers over Ayrenn and Emeric.
* ModestRoyalty: Overseeing the reconstruction of Windhelm after the Akaviri invasion, Jorunn ordered that his palace be the ''last'' thing rebuilt, and that the areas needed by citizens should take priority. His own personal dress is also humble, as he's most commonly wearing armor rather than any particularly fancy clothes.
* PutOnABus: As of ''High Isle,'' with his son Irnskar attending the peace talks on his behalf. [[spoiler:Irnskar informs you that Jorunn is too smitten with his new girlfriend to leave her.]]
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: His rational thinking and diplomatic approach to whatever's thrown at him is the main reason he won the right to the crown over his big brother.
* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: Personally oversees [[spoiler:just about every major event in the Eastmarch and Riften plotlines]].
* SpareToTheThrone: His older sister was meant to succeed their mother. He became king after she died in the Akaviri invasion.
* WarriorPoet: Prior to becoming King, he was a skilled Skald.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Prince Irnskar]]
[[quoteright:310:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/por_prince_irnskar.png]]

King Jorunn's loyal yet hotheaded son.

* AscendedExtra: In the base game, Irnskar only "stars" in one or two quests in Eastmarch, but otherwise takes a backseat to his father or other Pact leaders. In ''Greymoor'' and especially ''High Isle'', he takes on a much larger role as his father's second-in-command/designated representative.
* BadassInDistress: In ''High Isle''. Unlike Emeric and Ayrenn, who managed to drive away their attackers, Irnskar was actually captured and stripped down to his boxers by the Ascendant Order. It took a TrojanHorse gambit by the Vestige and the other two faction leaders to break him out.
* ButtMonkey: Being a brash, inexperienced prince, Irnskar is often mocked and disrespected by his fellow Pact leaders, and also frequently lands himself in hot water that the Vestige has to save him from. Even after he managed to establish his own authority, Irnskar is still the butt of many jokes, and comes ''High Isle'', he gains another strike to his track record of being captured by the enemy.
* PetTheDog: Despite his poor behavior, Irnskar is genuinely protective and loyal towards his father.
* PrinceCharmless: When first encountered, Irnskar is a pompous, bigoted jerk who nearly drives his Dunmer and Argonian allies away completely.
* ShipTease: In the ''Markarth'' storyline, he's plainly smitten with Princess Svana.
* SuspiciouslySpecificDenial: If you're a member of the Dominion or Covenant and have him as a Houseguest, he assures you that he is most certainly ''not'' at your home to spy on you.
* TookALevelInKindness: Irnskar is insufferable throughout most of the Pact questline, but witnessing his father's near-murder (and seeing Dunmer and Argonian allies help save him) teaches him some humility. By the time of ''Greymoor'' he's almost a ReasonableAuthorityFigure.

[[folder:Naryu Virian]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/por_naryu_virian.png]]
-->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/KathSoucie

A Dunmer assassin under the employment of the Morrowind-based [[MurderInc Morag Tong]]. She is encountered multiple times throughout the Ebonheart Pact storyline on missions to investigate (and neutralize) potential threats to the security of the Pact.

* AmbiguouslyBi: Naryu is the Ebonheart Pact counterpart to Raz and Darien Gautier in this aspect as the one recurring ally whom the Vestige can flirt with, and also showing up alongside them in the joke DatingSim ''[[https://www.elderscrollsonline.com/en-us/smolderscrolls The Smolder Scrolls Online]]''. Unlike them, though, Naryu can be hit on by a Vestige of either gender, and will actually reciprocate their feelings if you've been consistent with her up until the ending of the ''Morrowind'' arc.
* ActionGirl: A very lethal assassin in service to the Morag Tong. At one point, she kills three armed men to save the Vestige's life.
* BreakoutCharacter: Zenimax, well aware of her popularity, made her outfit available for purchase in the Crown Store and made her a main character in the ''Elder Scroll Online: Morrowind'' expansion pack. Heck, she was even the central focus of its reveal trailer.
* CodeOfHonour: Bound to one, like all Morag Tong assassins.
* DeadpanSnarker: Quite possibly the snarkiest female character in the game.
* EasilyForgiven: [[spoiler:In ''Dark Brotherhood'', she's left ''very'' bitter if you side with Raz and spare the Fate Binders, but by ''Morrowind'' is completely over it.]]
* EnemyMine: As an agent of the Morag Tong, Naryu is rather willing to work with you, a Dark Brotherhood assassin, during the Gold Coast arc, despite the two organizations having been (and will continue to be) immensely bitter enemies for centuries. Justified in that it's more who the person she works with is in this case, rather than what group they represent.
* FormerTeenRebel: Implied, with her comment that her apprentice, Veya, is just as obnoxious as she was in her youth.
-->Dealing with an arrogant, impatient, overconfident young woman ... now I know how my mother must have felt!
* FemmeFatale: She can certainly turn up the charm when it's needed.
* GroinAttack: Pulls one on an unfortunate House Dres courier during the Mournhold act in order to obtain a key into the city's underground tunnels.
* HoneyTrap: She's not above pulling this, and can even be persuaded to do this in one of her quests.
* HitmanWithAHeart: Without a doubt one of the nicest (and snarkiest) assassins ever encountered.
* HypercompetentSidekick: She considers herself one to the Vestige. She does all of the work getting information, casing targets, and gathering contacts, and then they use it and become seen as a hero. She doesn't mind, though, since she's not in it for glory.
* KickTheSonOfABitch: Literally, in the ''Elder Scrolls Online: Morrowind'' reveal trailer. She kicks her mark into a giant Dwemer HumongousMecha's [[KillItWithFire flamethrower]].
* InLoveWithTheMark: Averted, but {{Discussed|Trope}}. She sincerely hopes that the Vestige doesn't ever appear on her ledger as her mark, as she's loyal to both them ''and'' the Morag Tong.
* ProfessionalKiller: As a member of the Morag Tong, she is a hired assassin.
* RealWomenDontWearDresses: She LOATHES having to wear the SimpleYetOpulent dresses that dunmeri nobility are known for, even when the job calls for it. Her general argument is that in her line of work, [[ImpracticallyFancyOutfit fancy feminine outfits aren't the most practical thing to wear]]. [[spoiler:Players can pass a persuasion check to tell her that she looks good in a dress, leading her to quietly daydream for a moment about [[TomboyWithAGirlyStreak wearing something more elegant in her off-time]]... and immediately follow up with a CantBelieveISaidThat and remind the player they have a job to do.]]
* RecurringCharacter: She pops in at least once in each Ebonheart province, as well as the Gold Coast in Cyrodil. She appears again in ''Morrowind'', this time with her own questline.
* RomanceSidequest: Naryu is one of the few [=NPC=]s (along with Darien Gautier of the Covenant) whose flirtatious advances the player can choose to return.
* StarCrossedLovers: A possible relationship between herself and the Vestige if they have the Persuasion perk, from her perspective and ''especially'' if you join the Dark Brotherhood. Her job, worldly affairs, and the Vestige's (possible) Brotherhood membership means that she can't act on her feelings as much as she'd like, but she's clearly smitten with them. [[spoiler:She even gives the Vestige a BigDamnKiss in the conclusion of the Dark Brotherhood DLC quest, The Sweetroll Killer]].
* TallDarkAndSnarky: A female example.
* ThisIsGonnaSuck: When she discovers [[spoiler:that the magical wards sealing off access to the hidden tunnels beneath Mournhold have been disabled]].
-->'''Naryu:''' So, um, fair warning. This could be bad. Real bad.
* {{Tsundere}}: She takes quite a liking to the Vestige, although she claims it's purely for professional reasons, and unlike the cases of Raz or Darien Gautier, most of the flirting regarding Naryu is instead initiated by ''you''. Based on her dialogue, she seems to have developed some feelings for your PlayerCharacter by the time you meet in Eastmarch, though as ever she will try to deny it to your face. Nevertheless, she loves hearing the Vestige compliment her, goes way beyond her assigned duties to assist them, and admits to watching them from afar whenever she has the chance. All for ''professional'' interest, she assures you. By the time of ''Morrowind'', if the player had met and flirted with her in all other locations, this trait is mostly gone, with her being much more open about her feelings.

[[folder:Veya Releth]]
[[quoteright:290:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/por_veya_releth.png]]
Veya is [[ProfessionalKiller Naryu Virian]]'s apprentice and a member of House Redoran.

* CuttingOffTheBranches: Her ''Morrowind'' quest ends with an option to instruct Naryu to kill her for her crimes, which if chosen to happen supposedly does so offscreen. Whether pre-planned or not, this ensured the possibility of her much more prominent return as TheDragon to Nocturnal in ''Summerset''.
* ForegoneConclusion: She aims to [[spoiler:murder the entire council of House Redoran after discovering her father's involvement in her brother's death]], but it is obvious that she will fail, even before the player character and Naryu stop her, because House Redoran is still alive and well during the events of ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind Morrowind]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim Skyrim]]'' (they control Solstheim in the ''Dragonborn'' DLC), both set several millennia after ''The Elder Scrolls Online''.
* MeaningfulRename: During the ''Summerset'' quest "Lost in Translation", it is revealed that [[spoiler:after entering the Daedric Prince Nocturnal's service in the Court of Bedlam, Veya takes the title "Earl Tundilwen", reflecting her new allegiance.]]
-->'''The Vestige''': [[spoiler:Veya, you can't let Nocturnal destroy the world!]]
-->'''Earl Tundilwen''': [[spoiler:Stop calling me that! Veya died on a cold, hard floor in Balmora. I'm Tundilwen now, champion of Nocturnal!]]
* OneWingedAngel: Played uniquely straight with what appeared at the time of ''Summerset'''s release to be a completely unique mutated version of herself rather than any established type of Daedra or other being, but later somewhat subverted as other specimens of such a creature have [[DegradedBoss since appeared]] in the game.
* {{Patricide}}: [[spoiler:Veya murders her father, Councillor Eris, after she discovers that he was responsible for the death of her brother Ulran in a test of loyalty gone wrong.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Eris Releth]]
Eris is a councillor of House Redoran. He hires you to find his runaway daughter, Veya.

* FantasyForbiddingFather: Eris does not want his daughter involved with the [[MurderInc Morag Tong]] in any way, shape, or form. Of course, she runs off and joins them anyway, feeling shackled by the obligations of being a part of House Redoran. [[JustifiedTrope Justified]], by him citing that her joining a guild of assassins is not a particularly safe profession.
-->'''The Vestige''': So your strict observance of rules and obligations caused this rift between you and your daughter?
-->'''Eris''': I walk a narrow path between House Councilor and loving father. Unfortunately, the former often supersedes the latter. That's why I want to speak to Veya again.
* HonorBeforeReason: He admits that at times, he values following the ideals and rules of House Redoran more than keeping his family together, which caused his daughter to run away.
* HonorRelatedAbuse: After [[spoiler:Ulran]] killed one of his own soldiers on patrol after that soldier murdered an innocent Ashlander, Eris exiled him from House Redoran and abandoned him to seek shelter with the Zainab tribe.

[[folder:Rigurt the Brash]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/por_rigurt_the_brash.png]]

A Nord "diplomat" and member of the Glorious Expedition for Nord Cultural Exchange who is tasked with diplomatic missions to far-off lands...all of which are simply excuses for King Jorunn to get him away from Skyrim.

* AccidentalMarriage: His appearance in ''Orsinium'' ends with him becoming engaged to an Orc ambassador after he accidentally tries to woo with an ancient marriage custom.
* TheAlcoholic: Like most Nords. His mission to gain alcohol for a group of envoys goes a bit awry when he drinks part of the gift.
* ComicallyMissingThePoint: Is ecstatic when the Lord of Alabaster reports him to Queen Ayrenn for war crimes since it means the queen will hear about him. He also took someone describing him "always being around when there's trouble" to mean he is brought in for his expertise in fixing it.
* InnocentlyInsensitive: He's just too dumb to notice. For example, offering [[CatFolk Khajiit]] the pelts of ''Saber Cats'' as an offering.
* LethalChef: His baked bread is apparently awful. Played with in Greymoor in that the food he makes is actually surprisingly delicious only for him to reveal the ''horrific'' ingredients he used.
* RecurringExtra: He doesn't have much importance to the overall story but has become a regular appearance.
* SmallNameBigEgo: He's cheerfully oblivious to the fact Jorunn wants him gone.
* SnipeHunt: None of his missions are actual diplomatic missions. The Pact just wants him gone.
* ThirdPersonPerson: Lampshaded in ''Summerset''. The Sapiarch's letter of recommendation rather hilariously remarks on Rigurt's unique habit of reminding people of his own name.
* ThrowTheDogABone:
** His brash and boisterous Nordic behavior actually nets him a win in ''Summerset'' when he gets an audience with the Proxy Queen who finds such attitudes [[DoubleEntendre refreshing]] for the country.
** At the end of his quest in ''Elsweyr'', Lady Izza notes that his intentions were genuinely pure even if his diplomatic methods left something to be desired. She even gives him a gift, namely a collar and bell so the Khajiit will hear him coming. Rigurt is thrilled.

[[folder:Tanval Indoril]]
[[quoteright:310:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/por_tanval_indoril.png]]

Tanval is grandmaster of House Indoril and leader of Pact forces in Stonefalls.

* FallenHero: [[spoiler:After a Daggerfall Covenant general kills his son, Tanval utterly snaps and tries to unleash a nigh-unstoppable monster in retaliation.]]
* FireForgedFriends: With Holgunn One-Eye and Walks-in-Ash, Nord and Argonian commanders respectively, after they fought together against [[GreatOffscreenWar the Akaviri invasion.]]
* GodzillaThreshold: He unleashes a "Brother of Strife" (an enormous Bone Colossus) to defend Davon's Watch from the Covenant. [[spoiler:Later, in fury over his son's death, he attempts this again with a different monster, and has to be stopped.]]
* GoodParents: Tanval adores his son Garyn, and has evidently raised him to be a capable fighter and a NiceGuy.
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: By the time you catch up to him [[spoiler:on the Tormented Spire, he's realized the folly of unleashing another Brother of Strife, and passes his leadership role to Holgunn.]]
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: He's a strong supporter of the Pact and highly respectful of his Nord and Argonian allies. [[spoiler:Which makes it all the more heartbreaking when he snaps after the death of his son.]]
* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: He starts one against the Daggerfall Covenant [[spoiler:after General Serien kills his son.]]

[[folder:Holgunn One-Eye]]

A Nord commander serving under Tanval Indoril in Stonefalls.

* EyepatchOfPower: He wears a rugged eyepatch over the eye he lost in battle during the Akaviri Invasion, Hence his name.
* HeterosexualLifePartners: He and Tanval have very good friends since the Akaviri Invasion and Holgunn regards him as his Shield-Brother, which is quite an honor to give especially to a non-Nord.
* InterspeciesRomance: He and Walks-in-Ash, an Argonian fellow commander, eventually become involved with each other.
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Much like Tanval, Holgunn is a strong supporter of the Pact and a sensible commander in Stonefalls.
* RecurringCharacter: He first shows up in Ebonheart Pact zones, but also joins the assault on Coldharbour during the main quest.
* YouAreInCommandNow: [[spoiler:After Tanval Indoril's FaceHeelTurn and subsequent death, Holgunn is unwillingly promoted to leadership of the Pact forces in Stonefalls.]]

[[folder:The Vanos Twins]]
[[quoteright:280:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/por_kireth_vanos_7.png]]
[[caption-width-right:280:Kireth Vanos]]
[[quoteright:280:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/por_raynor_vanos.png]]
[[caption-width-right:280:Raynor Vanos]]

Dunmer siblings and explorers initially encountered in Deshaan.

* AbsentMindedProfessor: Raynor has shades of this. They ended up in Anvil instead of Sentinel because he mixed up "Anvil" and "Hammerfell".
* ExtremeDoormat: Kireth accuses Raynor of being this in Clockwork City. He grows out of it and decides to be more assertive.
* HollywoodToneDeaf: Kireth insists she's a great singer. We don't hear it but the patrons of the Anvil find it hilarious.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Kireth is a bit rough but usually means well. Their argument in Clockwork City stemmed from her [[AngerBornOfWorry belief that Raynor let Neramo bully him]].
* NiceGuy: Raynor's a pleasant guy to hang around with.
* SiblingTeam: They're two siblings who work together and are never seen apart.
* SiblingYinYang: Raynor is passive, nerdy, and eager to please. Kireth is boisterous, rash, and impulsive.

[[folder:General Serien]]

A Daggerfall Covenant general who seeks to conquer Stonefalls and forcibly annex it into High Rock.
----

* ArcVillain: Of Stonefalls, [[spoiler:or at least the first two thirds of it]].
* TheFarmerAndTheViper: Serien being the viper, of course. [[spoiler:During the seige at Fort Virak, Garyn Indoril permits the Covenant to retrieve their dead each day out of respect. Serien repays this by raising the dead troops as an undead army.]]
%%* FlamingSword:
* {{Foreshadowing}}: On Bleakrock, you find out that despite Necromancy being officially banned in the Covenant military, Serien not only intervened to have a convicted necromancer pardoned, but enlisted said Necromancer into his forces. [[spoiler:Fort Virak reveals that Serien is no stranger to the necromantic arts himself.]]
* {{Necromancer}}: [[spoiler:Its revealed late in the Stonefalls arc that he's been raising his slain soldiers as zombies in order to keep the Pact at bay when they have him cornered]].
* OneWingedAngel: [[spoiler:Transforms into a Flesh Atronach when he's down to half health.]]
* SnubByOmission: He and many of his troops have the battlecry "High Rock and Hammerfell!", [[OurOrcsAreDifferent evidently forgetting there's a third nation in the Daggerfall Covenant.]]
* TakingYouWithMe: [[spoiler:Upon his death, his ghost manages to murder Tanval's son before he is banished.]]

[[folder:The Brothers of Strife]]

During the ancient war betweem the Chimer and the Nedes, two Chimer brothers, Balreth and Sedal, made the ultimate sacrifice to save their people, willingly allowing themselves to be transformed into nigh unstoppable bone colossi. The Brothers successfully defeated the Nedes, but it quickly became apparent that the Chimer could no longer control them, and they began rampaging throughout Morrowind, slaughtering hundreds and summoning Daedra before both were finally subdued and sealed beneath Ash Mountain and the Tormented Spire, waiting for some foolhardy summoner to break their seals once more.

* ArcVillain: [[spoiler:Ultimately share this position with General Serien, as stopping them from rampaging after they are released becomes the main conflict of Stonefalls after Serien dies.]]
* AxCrazy: Balreth is silent but Sadal speaks in great glee about how much he'd love to brutally kill.
* BloodMagic: The ritual that transformed the Brothers into what they are now required the hearts of Nedic warriors and the essences of two powerful Daedra as catalysts.
* DoomMagnet: Literally. The ambient magic they radiate attracts fire oriented Daedra such as scamps.
* EvilIsNotAToy: Tanval quickly learns this upon releasing Balreth. [[spoiler:Tragically, he's too obsessed with revenge to care when he releases Sedal.]]
* FallenHero: They were once noble protectors of Resdayn who gave up their lives to protect their people. Unfortunately, the transformation has twisted them into monsters.
* GoneHorriblyRight: The Brothers were created by the Chimer to defeat the invading Nedes, which they succeeded at doing... and then they promptly went berserk and became an even bigger threat to Resdayn than the threat they were created to deal with.
* PersonOfMassDestruction: They are both capable of fighting entire armies by themselves, and unless stopped, would be a threat to all of Morrowind.
* PlayingWithFire: They exclusively use fire magic and are constantly wreathed in flames.
* SealedEvilInACan: They're both sealed within the massive mountains of Stonefalls at the start of the zone's arc.
* SummonBiggerFish: Tanval releases Balreth in a final attempt to halt the Covenant invasion, [[spoiler:and later releases Sedal in a vengeful fury after his son is murdered.]]

[[folder:Magistrix Urili Vox]]

The leader of the Maulborn Cult. On the surface, Vox and her cult are a humanitarian organization travelling throughout Deshaan, curing illnesses and assisting struggling villages. In reality, however, Vox and the Maulborn are fanatical devotees of Boethiah, and she seeks to ovethrow the Tribunal in revenge for her son's death.

* ArcVillain: Of Deshaan.
* FallenHero: [[spoiler:Vox was once a decorated faithful of the Tribunal, held in high respect by Almalexia herself. Then her son revolted and was killed, her faith was destroyed, and Boethiah wrapped his/her hands around her, turning her into a major threat to Morrowind.]]
* HammerOfTheHoly: She stole the legendary Veloth's Judgement, the warhammer used by the eponymous Saint Veloth capable of absorbing and manipulating SoulPower to enable her to perform feats of immense destruction. Although [[GameplayAndStorySegregation due to it using the same model as the Dark Elf style maul, the "warhammer" is clearly a mace]].
* MamaBear: The whole reason she began the Maulborn movement was due to [[spoiler:her son being killed during a failed revolt against the Tribunal.]]
* PlagueMaster: The main modus operandi of her Maulborn is a virulent plague that turns those it infects into ravenous zombies.
* RageAgainstTheHeavens: Her main goal is to overthrow the Tribunal completely.
* SanitySlippage: The combination of [[spoiler: losing her child and the ensuing CrisisOfFaith]] did a number on her mental health. Then [[spoiler: [[TheCorrupter Boethiah]]]] came along and gleefully destroyed what was left.
* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: She can seen as one for [[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind Dagoth Ur]]. Like Dagoth Ur, Vox draws immense power from a holy/divine object that allows her to threaten the Tribunal, and the Llodos Plague her Maulborn cult creates works like a proto-version of the Corpus disease Dagoth Ur would later create.
* TragicVillain: [[spoiler: Vox is ultimately a grieving mother driven mad by the death of her son at the hands of the goddess she worshipped, and the manipulations of Boethiah.]]
* WithUsOrAgainstUs: As far as Vox is concerned, you're either on her side or you're an enemy. When the head priest of Selfora refused to accept her invitation to join her uprising, she furiously responded by using Veloth's Judgment to rip open a dimensional tear that ripped out the souls of half of the town's population and unleashed vengeful ghosts upon the survivors.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Ruuvitar]]


A high ranking Dominion alchemist tasked with crippling the Argonians's contribution the Pact war effort. He is noted for his extreme cruelty and racism towards non-Dominion races.

* ANaziByAnyOtherName: As if [[spoiler:the attempted genocide of the Argonians]] were not enough, Ruuvitar also engages in Mengele-like experiments on Argonian captives in order to further his research. In his notes describing said experiments, he labels the captives as ''numbers'' (e.g. "Subject 17").
* ArcVillain: Of Shadowfen.
* EveryoneHasStandards: Quite a few Dominion soldiers and officers under his command are rightly uneasy or outright horrified and disgusted by his true goals, [[spoiler:one in particular will outright defect to the Pact at the end of the Shadowfen arc if you decide to spare her]].
* FaceStealer: One of his earliest schemes is [[spoiler:assassinating Pact officials and having his spies adopt their faces via a Daedric ritual so they can sabotage and disrupt the Pact from within.]]
* FinalSolution: [[spoiler:His secret ultimate goal; corrupt the Emnemic Egg and forcibly sterilize the Argonians, dooming them to extinction.]]
* MilitaryMaverick: Its heavily implied that his [[spoiler:genocidal]] ambitions go against his orders.
* {{Unperson}}: [[spoiler:Heavily implied to be his final fate if you convince Heita-Meen to spare Kazdi so she can expose his war crimes to the rest of the Dominion.]]
* WouldHurtAChild: [[spoiler:Babies, even. His attack on the Argonian Hatching Pools causes a large number of soon-to-be-hatched Argonian eggs to burst apart before your eyes.]]

[[folder:Fildgor Orcthane]]
[[quoteright:310:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/por_fildgor.png]]

Leader of the Stormfist bandits and Jorunn's estranged brother. When Jorunn was elected Skald-King after the Akavirii invasion, Fildgor refused to accept it and went into hiding. He has now returned with an army of loyalists and Orc mercenaries, determined to take what he considers his rightful throne.

* AmbitionIsEvil: He does some truly despicable and dishonorable things in his quest to take the throne of Eastern Skyrim.
* ArcVillain: Of Eastmarch.
* BadassCrew: The Stormfist Brigade, a group of thirteen warriors he formed with the Stormfist clan and has led since he was a young man who are some of his greatest and most loyal soldiers.
* BrutishCharacterBrutishWeapon: Fittingly for a Nord prince known for his strength and temper, he uses a two-handed hammer when fought.
* CainAndAbel: The Cain to Jorunn's Abel.
* DidntThinkThisThrough: Fildgor uses horrible means in pursuit of the throne of Eastern Skyrim, the worst of which include [[spoiler: hiring the Daggerfall Covenant -- Skyrim's enemies -- to assassinate his brother with Daedric poison, and desecrating his sister's remains and soul with necromancy]], actions that are especially heinous in [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy Nord culture]]. After the Vestige foils his plans, passing characters will occasionally comment on his actions, wondering how in the world he thought the people of Skyrim would accept a king who resorts to such things.
* EvilIsBigger: Fildgor is huge even by Nord standards. He's easily a head taller than his brother Jorunn, who is already LargeAndInCharge.
* FallenHero: In his youth, Fildgor was a beloved hero who travelled across Skyrim adventuring and righting wrongs with his Stormfist Brigade, and when the Akaviri invaded Tamriel, he fought alongside his brother Jorunn to repel them. But 10 years after Jorunn was forced to exile him, he's become a brutal warlord who lets the Stormfists rampage across Skyrim and commits atrocities that are unthinkable to his countrymen.
* FusionDance: His ultimate plan is to [[spoiler: fuse his late sister's soul with his own in an attempt to force the [[ChooserOfTheOne Crown of Freydis]] to accept him as the new king of Eastern Skyrim]].
* GracefulLoser: [[spoiler:When he's beaten in battle, he accepts his defeat and leaves his fate in the hands of the Vestige, who can either kill him or turn him over to King Jorunn to face judgment.]]
* HeelFaceTurn: [[spoiler:Implied. After he is defeated, Jorunn can be convinced to spare him in the hopes of one day convincing him to join the Pact.]]
* JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope: Once an honorable warrior, his obsession with the throne of Skyrim has led him to commit unthinkable crimes, including [[spoiler:desecrating his sister's remains for the crown she was buried with]] and [[spoiler:hiring Covenant assassins to kill his brother.]]
* VillainsWantMercy: [[spoiler:If the Vestige chooses to turn him over to King Jorunn for judgement following his defeat, Fildgor will beg his brother to spare his life, offering his allegiance in return. Jorunn has none of it and executes him, but if the player has the Persuasive Will ability, they can convince Jorunn to spare him.]]

[[folder:Thallik Wormfather]]

A high ranking member of the Worm Cult operating in the Rift. Working alongside the local Reachman tribes, he seeks to resurrect the legendary Giant Sinmur and bind him to his will.

* ArcVillain: Of the Rift.
* EnemyMine: [[spoiler:Is one of the three {{Arc Villain}}s of previous zones you can ally with in Coldharbour.]]
* {{Necromancer}}: Naturally, as he is in the Worm Cult after all.
[[/folder]]

! Factions

!!The Dark Brotherhood
A secret society of assassins spanning the entire continent of Tamriel. They worship Sithis and the Night Mother, believing all souls they kill go into the Void. As cutthroat assassins go, however, they are very loyal to their "family".

[[folder:Speaker Terenus]]

An Imperial speaker for the Dark Brotherhood who recruits the Vestige.

* AffablyEvil: He's about as pleasant as a speaker for an order of assassins can be.
* {{Expy}}: He has a lot of similarities to Oblivion's Lucien Lachance, being an Imperial Speaker who recruits the player character and makes them [[spoiler:his silencer.]]

[[folder: Astara Caerellius]]

An Imperial assassin and matron of the Gold Coast Dark Brotherhood sanctuary who assigns the Vestige their higher priority contracts.

* CoolOldLady: She's clearly getting up in years, but is about as spry a killer as everyone else in the Dark Brotherhood.
* DarkAndTroubledPast: She doesn't go into details, but she does note she was recruited into the Brotherhood at a very young age.
* IronLady: She's a tough, no-nonsense old woman who doesn't suffer fools or setbacks.

[[folder:Elam Drals]]

A dry-humored Dunmer who mans the treasury, dolling out payment and comments whenever the player returns from a successful contract kill.

* DeadpanSnarker: Very dry and sarcastic, Elam will often greet you with an insulting crack or a sardonic story of one of his many contracts.
* EdibleBludgeon: Claims to have killed several people this way.
* EqualOpportunityOffender: Your contracts take you to nearly every zone in Tamriel, and Elam has a wry or snarky remark for all of them.
* EvilTastesGood: Elam often regales you with tales about food and murder, and it's hard to tell which of the two he enjoys more.
* EvilVersusOblivion: Literally. He joins forces with the Vestige during the conflict with Mehrunes Dagon to ensure Tamriel isn't destroyed, and him along with it.
* InappropriateHunger: Goes with the above. Elam often mixes work and meals...in some rather unsavory ways.

[[folder:Mirabelle Motierre]]

A young Breton woman from a wealthy family. By her own admission, she grew bored of her pampered lifestyle and strangled a servant girl with a golden chain, after which she was contacted by the Brotherhood. She has never looked back since.
* CallForward: Veterans of [[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion Oblivion]] and [[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim Skyrim]] will recognize that she's not the last member of the Motierre family to get involved with the Dark Brotherhood.
* CrusadingWidower: Of the female lover variety. While she was never officially anything more than a lover to Cimbar, she goes to great lengths [[spoiler:eventually losing her own life]] to avenge his murder.
* RevengeBeforeReason: She will not listen to anyone, even when it's clear she's in over her head.
* SacrificialLamb: [[spoiler:She's the Black Dragon's first onscreen victim.]]
* TheTease: Mirabelle likes to play this up upon meeting you, despite holding legitimate feelings for her lover, Cimbar.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Green-Venom-Tongue]]

An Argonian Shadowscale who was brought into the Dark Brotherhood as a hatchling. He is the sole survivor of a previously cleansed sanctuary.

* DarkAndTroubledPast: As a Shadowscale, he was destined to become a member of the Dark Brotherhood, and on top of that, his sanctuary was cleansed, and he was only spared because circumstances proved he couldn't possibly have betrayed the Brotherhood.
* DeadpanSnarker: He's very quick-witted and tends to make jokes often.
* LiteralMinded: Has a tendency to take things said to him very literally.
* SacrificialLion: He's a very competent killer for the Dark Brotherhood, [[spoiler:but he is no match for the Black Dragon when he faces her.]]

[[folder: Primate Artorius Ponticus]]

An Imperial priest, head of the Akatosh Chantry as well as the Order of the Hour, a religious military who is dedicated to bringing order to the Gold Coast. Or so it seems.

* AmbitionIsEvil: [[spoiler:Used the Dark Brotherhood to reach his position, and has been operating a war of subterfuge with other leaders in the Gold Coast all to attain power for himself.]]
* ArcVillain: Of the Dark Brotherhood quest line.
* BitchInSheepsClothing: He presents himself as a pious and devoted follower of Akatosh, [[spoiler:but he's really a selfish, ambitious manipulator.]]
* TheChessmaster: [[spoiler:After using the Dark Brotherhood to reach heights of power, he used a network of spies to manipulate the political situation on the Gold Coast to maintain his power.]]
* ChurchMilitant: The Order of the Hour is this, and is under his command.
* EvilOldFolks: He's quite on in his years, [[spoiler:and is very evil.]]
* ManipulativeBastard: [[spoiler:He manipulated Lyra into becoming his pawn by playing on her guilt.]]
* ThePurge: He's been having Dark Brotherhood agents killed for some time before the Vestige joins, and part of the guild's quest line is figuring out how and why. [[spoiler:He's doing it to ensure no one can use the Dark Brotherhood to kill him.]]
* SinisterMinister: He's a religious authority [[spoiler:who used assassins to climb to power.]]
* TimeMaster: Has some ability to manipulate time, albeit on a fairly small scale.
* VillainWithGoodPublicity: He's a religious figure in Kvatch, which is practically a theocracy under his rule. [[spoiler:He used the Dark Brotherhood to reach power, and has begun killing them to ensure no one can do the same to him.]]

[[folder: The Black Dragon]]

A mysterious warrior aligned with the Order of the Hour who is responsible for the deaths of Dark Brotherhood agents throughout the Gold Coast.

* AntiHero: She's motivated by a genuine desire to do good, but is still running around killing people without any kind of trial.
* TheAtoner: Her motivation is to atone for past crimes. [[spoiler:Specifically, she was a Silencer for the Dark Brotherhood, until she converted to a follower of Akatosh and began killing Dark Brotherhood members as penance for her crimes.]]
* BlackKnight: She wears all-black armor and is a force to be reckoned with. Unlike most examples, she's a HeroAntagonist.
* DarkAndTroubledPast: Hoo boy. [[spoiler:She used to be a Silencer for the Dark Brotherhood, and a devoted follower of Sithis. However, her faith was shaken when she was ordered to purge her sanctuary, filling her with doubt. To make matters worse, her Speaker was verbally abusive and dismissive of her concerns, making it easy for Artorius to manipulate her.]]
* DraggedOffToHell: [[spoiler:Her ultimate fate is to be dragged to the Void by a wraith of Sithis for betraying the Dark Brotherhood.]]
* HeelFaithTurn: She mentions that she recently converted to follow Akatosh, and that she was a terrible person beforehand. [[spoiler:And since she was a Dark Brotherhood Silencer, that claim is more than accurate.]]
* HeroAntagonist: A religious warrior who specializes in killing Dark Brotherhood assassins would be the hero of any other story.
* HunterOfHerOwnKind: [[spoiler:She used to be in the Dark Brotherhood, and specializes in killing the assassins.]]
* TheStarscream: [[spoiler:Once she realizes Artorius manipulated and used her, she turns on him, but is killed by the Vestige before she has a chance to do anything about it.]]
* TokenGoodTeammate: For the Order of the Hour. Most are pirates and thugs looking to abuse their power and authority, [[spoiler:and that's not even getting into the primate,]] while she is a genuine devoted follower of Akatosh trying to do the right thing.
* UnwittingPawn: [[spoiler:To Artorius, who manipulated her into believing he cared for her, convinced her to convert to an Akatosh follower, and kill Dark Brotherhood members on his behalf.]]

!!The Fighters Guild
The nationwide faction of adventurers whom usually work as expert mercenaries, but during the Molag Bal crisis have shifted priorities to stopping his invasion at all costs.

[[folder:Guild-master Sees-All-Colors]]
-->'''Voiced By:''' Creator/RachelRobinson

An Argonian knight, thrust into the position of guild-master after the untimely demise of the previous leader. Under her leadership, the guild has shifted its priorities from financial gain to stopping Molag Bal.

* ActionGirl: Action ''lizard'' girl.
* HazyFeelTurn: [[spoiler:It's left up to the player to decide if she is truly evil or simply doing what she felt was right.]]
* IDidWhatIHadToDo: [[spoiler:She murdered the previous Guild-master because of his indifference to the plight of Tamriel's citizens, and uses this trope as her justification.]]
* KarmaHoudini: [[spoiler:She can be let completely off the hook at the player's discretion, though she receives a demotion from Guild-master. Although whether she truly deserved punishment for her actions is [[GrayAndGrayMorality left up to you.]] If not, then she is either executed or exiled from the guild.]]
* LightIsNotGood: [[spoiler:She is a devout follower of Meridia, and it's implied that Meridia is the one that drove her to killing the previous Guild-master.]]
* MeaningfulName: [[spoiler:She is revealed to be working on behalf of Meridia, whose realm of Oblivion is known as the Colored Rooms.]]
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: She is highly regarded by the guild members and genuinely wants to help the people of Tamriel. [[spoiler:No matter the cost.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Merric-at-Aswalla]]
-->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/ChristopherCoreySmith
A Redguard blacksmith and knight, who helps the player throughout the questline. A childhood friend of Aelif.

* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: [[spoiler:He's made Guild-master as the quest's conclusion.]]
* ChildhoodFriends: With Aelif. [[spoiler:He's shocked and saddened when she shows her true colors.]]
* GuestStarPartyMember: He joins your group several times in the questline. [[spoiler:After Aelif's betrayal, he's your ''only'' ally.]]
* GeniusBruiser: He's a capable fighter ''and'' the Guild's resident expert on [[spoiler:a one-of-a-kind Dwemer forge]].
* IncorruptiblePurePureness: Merric's soul is targeted for capture early in the questline. Precisely ''because'' it's so pure and dedicated to Stendarr, it would be an especially prized sacrifice [[spoiler:to Molag Bal]].
* KnightInShiningArmor: The straightest example in the guild, being heroic and friendly as well as a sword and board knight. [[spoiler:He's also the only main character in the questline without any dark secrets.]]
* RealMenLoveJesus: The equivalent. His defining characteristic is his dedication to Stendarr and belief in righteous principles.

[[folder:Aelif]]

A Khajiit Nightblade, and a scout for the guild. She is also a skilled necromancer, able to enslave and communicate with undead souls.

* ArcVillain: [[spoiler:For the Fighter's Guild questline. She's an agent of Molag Bal trying to destroy the guild's infrastructure, as the guild is seen as a threat to Molag Bal's plans.]]
* FaceHeelTurn: [[spoiler:She used to be a proud member of the guild, but she was tempted by the power Molag Bal granted her.]]
** HeelFaceDoorSlam: [[spoiler:if the Fighter's Guild was completed before the main quest, you can find her in the Halls of Torment alongside Mannimarco. She promises to defect to your side if you free her. Turns out, she's telling the truth, as she joins your group if you let her go... until Molag Bal forcibly transforms her into a pathetic skeletal daedra that you must put down.]]
* FateWorseThanDeath: [[spoiler:She is subject to eternal torment for [[YouHaveFailedMe failing Molag Bal]], though the player can take pity on her and release her.]]
* OneWingedAngel: [[spoiler:Molag Bal turns her into a Titan at the end of the final quest, which you and Merric have to put down.]]
* VillainWithGoodPublicity: [[spoiler:After you've completed the Fighters' Guild questline, some Khajiit [=NPC=]s can occasionally be overheard condemning the fact that an honorable Khajiit was killed while a "daedra-worshipping Argonian" was given leadership of the guild.]]

[[folder:Cardea Gallus]]
An Imperial stationed in the Guild hall of the alliance capital, she hands out Dark Anchor contracts.
----
* EyepatchOfPower: Over her left eye.
* SnarkKnight: She gives the player character contracts all over Tamriel, and often has some choice commentary about the particular region she's sent you to.
-->'''Cardea Gallus:''' [''after you complete a contract in Eastmarch'']: Yes, the Eastmarch chapter said your name would be carved into the halls of Sovngarde. But they didn't send gold. Your deeds are good enough to commemorate for all time, yet they left me to pay the reward. Typical for the Eastmarch chapter.

[[/folder]]

!!Psijic Order
An order of peace-loving, knowledge-seeking peoples of all races whose base is in Arteaum. They prefer not to influence events directly, but have been having more and more difficulty staying out of things as of late.

[[folder:The Auger of The Obscure]]
-->'''Voiced By:''' Creator/BenDiskin
A mysterious being from another dimension who has taken (or been forced into) the shape of a blue skull. It is able to see all of time and space and understand the infinite mysteries of the universe, but prefers to rant and joke rather than share anything particularly valuable.

* DitzyGenius: The Vestige questions the Auger's near-omniscience at the start of the quest due to its seeming inability to stay focused. However, it quickly becomes apparent just how profound its knowledge really is.
* TheGadfly: Loves to call humans "meat-brains" and poke fun at them for no other reason than to amuse itself. To its credit, it feels somewhat guilty should its antics go too far and suggests buying gifts to make up for them, such as in the case of [[spoiler:Josajeh]]. Unfortunately, the gifts it suggests would be too weird to be appreciated by the recipient.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: A very mild example, the Auger initially views all humans as idiotic "meat-brains" and doesn't hesitate to poke fun at them (especially you). [[spoiler:However, near the end of the Psijic quests it admits to having grown fond of you and confesses that it never truly thought all humans are stupid.]]

[[folder:Valsirenn]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/por_valsirenn.png]]

The first member of the Psijic Order to make contact with you in ''Summerset.''

* BerserkButton: Leythen purposely hits her right where it hurts during an argument, pointing out [[spoiler:that he was at their daughter's bedside when she passed, while Valsirenn wasn't.]] This drives her into an uncharacteristic rage.
* BigGood: She serves as this throughout the ''Summerset'' questline, despite carrying some deep grief and anger.
* CoolOldLady: She doesn't hesitate to jump right into the adventure alongside the Vestige.
* LadyOfWar: She accompanies the player character on a few combat missions, wielding Psijic magic.
* MyGreatestFailure: [[spoiler:She was not there when her daughter died, and instead was away researching a cure. It's left ambiguous whether she genuinely thought she could find a cure in time, or whether it was a pretext to avoid facing her child's death.]]
* OutlivingOnesOffspring: Her daughter died of a mysterious illness, which caused her to throw herself into her work.
* YouAreInCommandNow: [[spoiler:She ends up in charge of the Psijic Order after Ritemaster Iachesis' death.]]

[[folder:Ritemaster Iachesis]]
[[quoteright:320:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/por_ritemaster_iachesis.png]]

The leader of the Psijic Order, whose memories hold the key to the crisis on Summerset.

* BigGood: The head of the Psijic Order, he's committed to stopping the Sload incursion and the Court of Bedlam. [[spoiler:Tragically this is subverted, as his desperate deal with Nocturnal ends up giving her the tool she needs for her OmnicidalManiac ambitions.]]
* FakeMemories: Due to the MindRape mentioned below.
* LivingMacGuffin: [[spoiler:He and the Order spend a great deal of time searching for the Heart of Transparent Law; turns out Iachesis hid it ''within himself''. Nocturnal kills him in order to retrieve it.]]
* MindRape: The Sea Sloads do this to him, setting in motion many of the events of the ''Summerset'' plotline. Later, [[spoiler:in a sense he gets this a ''second'' time, as Nocturnal causes him to lose all memories of hiding the Heart of Transparent Law.]]
* NiceJobBreakingItHero: He successfully kept the Heart of Transparent Law out of the hands of the Sea Sload. [[spoiler:However, it required making a deal with Nocturnal, who went on to use the Heart to nearly unmake ''reality itself.'']]
* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: [[spoiler:Nocturnal pulls this on him.]]

[[folder:Earl Leythen]]
Valsirenn's estranged husband, he abandoned the Psijic Order after the death of his daughter.

* HazyFeelTurn: He is a dedicated servant of the Court of Bedlam to start off with, [[spoiler:but once Nocturnal betrays the other court members, he sides firmly with Mephala. He edges toward a full HeelFaceTurn by reconciling with Valsirenn and performing a HeroicSacrifice to assist the Vestige, yet he never renounces Mephala and remains a staunch defender of the initial goals of the Court of Bedlam.]]
* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler:He dies so that the Vestige and Darien Gautier can advance through the Crystal Tower and defeat Nocturnal.]]
* OutlivingOnesOffspring: His and Valsirenn's daughter died of a mysterious illness. Unlike Valsirenn who doubled down on her research as a Psijic scholar, Leythen lost his faith in the order completely.
* PetTheDog: His treatment of the dying Sapiarch [[spoiler:in the Crystal Tower]] is deeply merciful, calming her terror and ensuring that her final moments are filled with peace.
* SourSupporter: [[spoiler:Even when he's eventually roped into helping the player, he makes it very clear he's still scornful of your attempts to stop the Court of Bedlam.]]

[[folder: Loremaster Celarus]]
The Loremaster of the Psijic Order responsible for training initiates and for stopping the time breaches forming in Tamriel.
----
* TheMentor: He serves as this for new initiates, and Josajeh and the Vestige in particular.
* NiceGuy: He's consistently kind, understanding, and forthright with his charges. If anything, he's too accommodating.

[[folder: Josajeh]]
An initiate in the Psijic Order apprenticed under Celarus who is working with him to stop the time breaches.

* AlternateSelf: [[spoiler:This is the form her boss battle takes, as the Vestige must fight various alternate versions of her from different realities, most of which were villains threatening Nirn.]]
* AntiVillain: To the point that she can barely be called a villain at all. [[spoiler:She steals the Staff of Towers in an effort to turn Nirn into a utopia, genuinely unaware that meddling with time can unmake reality.]]
* ArcVillain: [[spoiler:For a given value of "villain," she is ultimately the antagonist of the Psijic Order questline, but she genuinely means no harm.]]
* TheAtoner: [[spoiler:She's horrified by her actions at the end, and decides to spend her life atoning for nearly destroying time.]]
* BigBadSlippage: She doesn't start off evil, [[spoiler:but as the line goes on, it becomes increasingly clear she wants more than to study the Staff of Towers and eventually steals it, unaware her actions could destoy time itself.]]
* ButNowIMustGo: [[spoiler:As punishment for stealing the Staff of Towers, she is kicked out of the Psijic Order and becomes a wanderer for the rest of her days.]]
* DarkAndTroubledPast: She used to be the heir apparent to a wealthy merchant family, but she jumped at the chance to join the Psijic Order instead, causing her incompetent brother to inherit the family business and immediately drive them into poverty. The guilt she feels over this event is what causes her to think the Order can do more.
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: [[spoiler:When she realizes her actions nearly destroyed time itself, she is horrified.]]
* TragicHero: She goes from a promising and bright initiate to a [[spoiler:desperate thief trying to save Nirn by making it into a utopia by manipulating time, unaware that her actions will doom it instead. After she's defeated, she's utterly heartbroken and expelled from the Psijic Order.]]
* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: [[spoiler:Would have become this had her plan succeeded. Her efforts to turn Nirn into a utopia would have instead doomed it.]]
* UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans: She believes the Staff of Towers can be used to right every historical wrong ever committed and turn Nirn into a paradise, [[spoiler:And she is willing to sabotage the Order and steal to do it.]]
* WalkingTheEarth: [[spoiler:Her ultimate fate is to travel Tamriel righting wrongs across the continent to atone for her actions.]]
* WellIntentionedExtremist: Her intentions are genuinely good, [[spoiler:But she goes too far and is drastically uninformed of the consequences of her actions.]]

!!Thieves Guild

[[folder:Zeira]]
A young and hotheaded Redguard, Zeira became the Guildmaster after the guild's previous leader and many other members were killed on a botched heist.
----

* BestServedCold: [[spoiler:Her view on Nicolas, the former Guildmaster, who is revealed to have betrayed the Guild. When you track him down, she doesn't flat out ''order'' you to kill him, but pretty strongly encourages it.]]
* TheChainsOfCommanding: Zeira ''very'' unexpectedly gained leadership of the Guild, and expresses a great deal of doubt and insecurity at times.
* CulturalRebel: In contrast to the Alik'r Desert zone where the Redguard populace struggles against the Withered Hand due to the extreme cultural taboo against disrespecting the dead, Zeira has no compunctions about breaking into ancestral Redguard tombs and looting them for all they're worth.
* LeeroyJenkins: Zeira has a tendency to rush in when a problem arises, to her own detriment.
* MyGreatestFailure: She was the only survivor of a botched heist that killed the former Guildmaster and many other members of the guild. [[spoiler:You will later join her trying to do the same heist again, and discover that her LeeroyJenkins tendencies partially contributed to the disaster that befell the team.]]
* WithFriendsLikeThese: She and Velsa cannot interact without sniping at each other; Velsa is contemptuous of Zeira's impulsiveness and inexperience, while Zeira thinks Velsa is a smug jackass.
* WomanScorned: Downplayed. [[spoiler:Although Zeira had feelings for Nicolas and is ''pissed'' when she discovers he's alive and a traitor, she mainly expresses anger about how his actions affected the Guild. The degree to which ItsPersonal for her is left much more ambiguous.]]
* YouAreInCommandNow: She ended up as Guildmaster due to every other possible contender either dead, disappeared or retired.

[[folder:Quen]]
A young Altmer woman who left her studies behind to take up thieving. Despite her inexperience, she is highly determined.
----

* DisappearedDad: Her father was tied up in Thieves Guild business, and part of Quen's interest in joining the guild is to find out what happened to him.
* InTheBlood: Both she and her father became thieves.
* NewMeat: The youngest and freshest-faced member of the Guild. Despite that, she's quite competent at stealth and setting up heists.
* ParentalSubstitute: [[spoiler:She learns that her father had a long relationship with Lady Sulima, a Redguard noblewoman in Abah's Landing. Sulima ends up becoming something of a surrogate mother to Quen.]]
* {{Roofhopping}}: A favorite strategy of Quen's, given that she's acrobatic enough to reach high places. She even directly recommends this at one point, stating that no one ever looks up.
* ShipTease: There is some ship tease between her and the Vestige and the Vestige can even have her be the one to accompany them to a fancy party, saying that she is important to them.

[[folder:Walks-Softly]]
An Argonian raised by a Breton family in Abah's Landing where the Guild is headquartered.
----

* BewareTheNiceOnes: As his childhood friend Anais finds out the hard way when she behaves like a total {{Jerkass}} towards him. [[spoiler:He has her kidnapped and tied up until she learns a lesson, and even considers leaving her with a group of bandits who capture her later.]]
* TheDandy: He's impeccably dressed at all times, and his living area has a few mirrors prominently displayed.
* RaisedByNatives: He's an Argonian raised in a wealthy Breton household. His speech, mannerisms and dress all lean strongly Breton.

[[folder:Velsa]]
A Dunmer woman who was a longtime member of the guild, and who retired shortly before the botched heist that killed many other Guild members.
----

* CombatPragmatist: She has zero qualms about [[InTheBack attacking from behind.]] [[spoiler:As Chief Inspector Rhanbiq learns when the guild rescues Zeira from his ship.]]
* DefrostingIceQueen: Her tongue never grows less sharp, but she does warm up considerably to the player and the new Guild members over time.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: She misses ''no'' opportunity to inform other Guild members how stupid their ideas are, particularly Zeira. Yet her backstory reveals [[spoiler:that she was a member of House Dres, and rebelled against her house by freeing all of her family's slaves, including the Khajiiti woman she had fallen in love with.]]
* SourSupporter: Velsa is a textbook example of the trope, being the oldest member of the group, and the one who makes no secret of how foolish and disastrous she thinks most of the Guildmaster's plans are. Nevertheless, she does not shirk when called upon to actually participate in missions.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Percius Loche]]
An Imperial clothier based in Abah's Landing. While he isn't a full-fledged member of the Guild, he assists with costuming and disguises on more than one occasion.
----

* BestServedCold: After he turned down Magnifica Falorah's advances, the resulting scandal ruined his life and career. [[spoiler:He bitterly tells you that he's ''happy'' to help the Guild break into her family's ancestral tomb as payback. This is especially vengeful given that dishonor to the dead is one of the highest taboos in Magnifica Falorah's culture (Redguard).]]
* NonActionGuy: He'll assist you with heists, even [[spoiler:with gaining access to al-Danobia tomb]], but flatly refuses to actually go anywhere dangerous or engage in combat.
* UltimateJobSecurity: Loche's fashions are so highly coveted that he's basically untouchable, despite his ties to the Thieves Guild. [[spoiler:During one quest when he's arrested by the Iron Wheel, the nobles of Abah's Landing throw such a fit that Loche gets a ''personal apology'' from Chief Inspector Rhanbiq, who is otherwise hell-bent on crushing the Guild.]]
* UnwantedHarem: He has had at least ''two'' noblewomen practically throw themselves at him, but declined both due to IncompatibleOrientation.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Nicolas]]
An Imperial and the former guild master of the Thieves Guild who was killed during a heist GoneHorriblyWrong that resulted in the Thieves Guild being hunted.

* ArcVillain: [[spoiler:He's revealed to be the villain of the Thieves Guild story.]]
* BornLucky: He's shockingly lucky, and gets breaks that are incredibly unlikely. [[spoiler:He survived the death traps that killed his crew during the dowery heist through sheer chance, and then, just as it seems his number's up, he manages to escape justice thanks to a storm happening to shipwreck the prison ship he's on.]]
* ConArtist: Ultimately, this is his real specialty. His guildmates note that he absolutely sucks at every aspect of thievery except for sweet-talking marks.
* ConsummateLiar: As befitting a ConArtist, he lies so much and so often that it's difficult, if not impossible, to tell when or if he's telling the truth.
* DirtyCoward: [[spoiler:For much of the Thieves Guild quest line, he's built up as someone who double-crossed the Thieves Guild on purpose, but as it turns out, every action he's taken since the heist was a desperation tactic to save his own sorry hide.]]
* FaceDeathWithDignity: [[spoiler:When he's ultimately caught at the end, he resigns himself to death and accepts it, or his execution, with remarkable grace.]]
* FatalFlaw: Hubris. He massively overestimated himself and his guild's ability to pull off the dowery heist, resulting in an unmitigated disaster that left the Thieves Guild on the run, and him [[spoiler:desperately playing defense to cover up his role in the whole thing. In the end, his habit of keeping trophies also bites him, as he kept al-Danobia's skull as a trophy. In a secret room next to his bride-to-be's room. Said bride-to-be is Danobia's descendant. His scheme falls apart once this fact is shown to her.]]
* HoistByHisOwnPetard: [[spoiler:His habit of keeping trophies bites him royally. Keeping your fiancee's ancestor's skull next to her room tends to do that.]]
* GoneHorriblyWrong: The dowery heist went wrong in every conceivable way. [[spoiler:His plan was to redirect the Iron Wheel to the Thieves Guild's previous hideout while he set up a Thieves Guild operation in his new city while posing as a wealthy merchant. However, Velsa's retirement caused him to proceed with an inexperienced crew that got themselves killed. From that point on, he's forced to throw the Thieves Guild under the bus just to keep himself from being captured, while moving on with his plan without them. And things get worse for him when the Guild discovers said bus-throwing.]]
* KarmaHoudini: He's [[spoiler:captured and ready to be taken to trial in the penultimate mission, only to escape justice thanks to a storm shipwrecking the ship transporting him, enabling him to live a life of peace by marrying a lonely noblewoman. In fact, the player can choose to spare his life.]]
* KarmaHoudiniWarranty: [[spoiler:Once the player finds him, they can either execute him on the sport or reveal his identity to his new wife, guaranteeing that he will be tried and executed.]]
* {{Slimeball}}: [[spoiler:He's revealed to not be the charismatic and likable guild master everyone thought he was: He is, in fact, a cowardly, selfish asshole who wouldn't hesitate to screw his friends over if it meant saving himself.]]
* XanatosSpeedChess: After his original plan went sideways, [[spoiler:he's forced to improvise the rest, and even does a pretty good job of it too, until the guild he screwed over to get that far figured out what he was up to.]]

[[folder:Chief Inspector Ranbiq]]
The chief inspector of the Iron Wheel, an order of bailiffs from Taneth who is hired to capture the Thieves Guild after the failed Dowery Heist, believing that they succeeded in their goal.

* ButtMonkey: Pretty much everything in the story goes wrong for him. [[spoiler:His first appearance has him set a trap for the Thieves Guild, only for two non-guild thieves to get caught instead, and they still get away. He's humiliated by the Thieves Guild in Abah's Landing time after time, he's forced to apologize to an affiliate of the Thieves Guild for rightly arresting him simply because the nobles of Abah's Landing loved the man too much, he finds out he's been working for the actual dowery thief, gets knocked out trying to bring in Zeira, loses Nicolas in a storm, and is finally relieved from his command after his incompetence makes it back to his superiors.]]
* CluelessDetective: He's a shockingly inept detective, [[spoiler:working for the ArcVillain without realizing it and being unable to make any meaningful headway against the Thieves Guild forces him to resign when his superiors find out just how incompetent he is.]]
* HeroAntagonist: He genuinely believes in justice, despite working for money, and is trying to capture the Thieves Guild because he genuinely believes they committed the crime they've been frame for.
* HowTheMightyHaveFallen: [[spoiler:His last appearance shows how he's gone from a wealthy SympatheticInspectorAntagonist to a poor wanderer driven only by a vengeful desire to capture the man responsible for his humiliation.]]
* SympatheticInspectorAntagonist: He genuinely believes the Thieves Guild stole the dowery, [[spoiler:and is unaware that he's working with the true thief to flush them out.]]

!!Pelletine Dragonguard

[[folder:Za'ji]]

Captain of the Perfect Pounce, Za'ji assists Sai Sahan in fighting the dragon menace to Southern Elsweyr. He and his crew eventually become the re-formed Dragonguard.

----

* BigGuyLittleGuy: Za'ji, a diminutive but spirited Khajiit, and his hulking first mate Caska are a textbook example of the trope.
* CantHoldTheirLiquor: To the point that Sai Sahan wants to track down the official historian and ensure that Za'ji's drunken antics do not become part of Dragonguard legend.
* TheLancer: To Sai Sahan. Where Sai is deeply serious, heroic and honorable, Za'ji is a LoveableRogue reformed pirate.
* LoveableRogue: Za'ji may be a pirate and smuggler, but he's friendly and extremely helpful against the Dragon menace.

[[folder:Caska]]

Za'ji's first mate, Caska is large, taciturn and very imposing.
----

* TheBigGuy: Caska is ''unquestionably'' the muscle of the operation, being not only the physically largest of Za'ji's crew, but having an undefeated record in cage fights to boot.
* BrutalHonesty: Caska has no patience for social niceties and speaks extremely bluntly.
* SportsHeroBackstory: Caska was an undefeated champion in the underground fighting arena of Senchal.

[[folder:Aeliah Renmus]]

The daughter of General Renmus, she works as her father's envoy in the city before deciding to join the Dragonguard.
----

* TheHeart: As the daughter of a Redguard and an Imperial, Aeliah grew up learning to navigate different cultures, and as a result she finds her niche as the diplomatic arm of the Dragonguard.
* IJustWantToBeBadass: Aeliah angsts over her role in the Dragonguard as a young and relatively untrained warrior, but grows to realize that being TheHeart is her own unique strength.
* MissingMom: Her mother passed away when she was young, and thus she accompanied her father on his mission to Senchal.

[[folder:General Renmus]]
An Imperial general sent to restore order in southern Elsweyr years earlier, he found himself stranded there after the death of the Emperor and subsequent chaos in Cyrodiil. While not a member of the Dragonguard, he provides assistance from the city of Senchal.

----

* HeroOfAnotherStory: Renmus arrived in Senchal to restore order years earlier, and succeeded to such a degree that the local population renamed them "the Shields of Senchal." Prefect Calo also geeks out over meeting him, claiming Remnus' tactics during the Colovian revolt were studied in military schools.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: He's initially ''very'' brusque and standoffish when asked for help about the dragon menace, but it's because he is genuinely concerned about diverting resources and protection from Senchal.
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: A variation in that he fully acknowledges Sai Sahan and the Vestige are correct about the threats facing Senchal, but is so badly strained for resources that he cannot help. He also gives no opposition to his daughter joining the Dragonguard, aside from normal worries for her safety.

!Non-Alliance Characters

!!The Five Companions
[[folder:The Five Companions In General]]
A group of five individuals led by Varen Aquilarios who set out to help find the Amulet of Kings in hopes of making Varen the next Emperor of Tamriel by making him a Dragonborn through a ritual. It fails thanks to Mannimarco, who is revealed quickly to be working with Molag Bal.
* AlwaysWithYou: [[spoiler:At the end of the main quest, both Meridia and Cadwell reveal that the Companion you sacrificed to power the Amulet of Kings has become a permanent part of your soul.]]
* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler:In the final main quest, either Varen, Lyris or Sai must be sacrificed in order to give the Amulet of Kings the power it needs to help you defeat Molag Bal.]]
* TeethClenchedTeamwork: They really don't get along at all, with only Lyris getting along with Sai Sahan and Varen.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Abnur Tharn]]
[[quoteright:320:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/por_abnur_tharn.png]]
-->'''Voiced By:''' Creator/AlfredMolina

Imperial Battlemage, Chancellor of the Imperial City, and ancestor of [[Characters/TheElderScrollsArena Jagar Tharn]]. It was he who convinced Varen to perform the ritual that would supposedly make him a true Dragonborn, and ultimately betrayed the rest of the Five Companions to ally himself with Mannimarco once the latter's treachery was revealed.

* ADarkerShadeOfGrey: He may prove to be an ally at some parts of the game, but he ''is'' a ruthless sorcerer who betrayed everyone in the Five Companions and aligned himself with Mannimarco just for his own benefit.
* ALighterShadeOfGrey: In Elsweyr. Still a bit of a jerk, still power hungry, but he caused the dragon menace now afflicting the province, and he will do anything necessary to help clean it up.
* CorruptPolitician: Chancellor of the Imperial City and apparent second-in-command to Mannimarco.
* TheCreon: As much as he desires power, he doesn't want the position of being emperor of Tamriel, and is content to just advise whosoever in charge.
* DeadpanSnarker: Some of his exchanges with Lyris and Sai are hilariously snotty.
* DirtyOldMan: He makes more than one casual reference to visiting prostitutes.
* TheDragon: To Mannimarco. [[spoiler:At least, that's what he likes to believe he is.]]
* EvenEvilHasStandards: Whatever degree of evil you believe he is, he's outright disgusted that his half-sister Euraxia has conquered the Khajiiti kingdom of Anequina (or, at least, that she did it without sanction from the Elder Council), and that her method of keeping her ill-gotten kingdom pacified is to have siege engines ready to level Rimmen if Anequina dares even hint of trying to throw her out.
** Additionally, he's certainly powerful and likes having power, but he never once made a move against the Emperor to seize the throne; he's always been content to be TheDragon to the Emperor, or perhaps the DragonInChief.
* EvilChancellor: Ally of Mannimarco and chancellor to his daughter, the Empress Regent of Cyrodiil.
* EvilSorcerer: Very proud of his skill in magic, to say the least. Also TheDragon to Mannimarco.
* ForgottenFallenFriend: Despite the growing number of Tharns you eventually have to kill across all content of the game, Abnur never seems to be too concerned with any of their deaths at your hands, even that of Clivia, ''his own daughter''. Granted, his bloodline is admittedly full of people with far worse moral characters than his, so it's probably a ''good'' thing that he doesn't care.
* TheFriendNobodyLikes: Sai and Lyris both treat him with barely-concealed contempt (which he gives right back), even as they acknowledge his skills and knowledge as a mage and how essential he is to their efforts to mend the damage the Soulburst caused. [[spoiler:Averted afterwards; though he and Sai still snark quite a bit at each other, it's obvious to Sai that Abnur has either changed for the better or allowed his hidden good nature to shine through a bit more; after Abnur's HeroicSacrifice Sai outright mourns and regrets his death.]]
* HeelFaceTurn: Defects to the protagonists' side [[spoiler:after [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness outliving his usefulness to Mannimarco]].]] In Elsweyr and the Season of the Dragon storyine, he is unambiguously a good character, even if he's still more than a bit cranky and snarky. Even Sai Sahan now trusts him (even if he still doesn't like the man much).
* HeelFaceRevolvingDoor: [[spoiler:Playing through Elsweyr before the vanilla Main Quest apparently causes him to switch from being a good guy fighting alongside the Khajiit against an oppressor (his half-sister, no less), to a self-serving lackey of Mannimarco, and then back to fighting with the Good Guys in an attempt to stop the Planemeld.]]
* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler:Averted at the end of the main quest: he's the only one of the Five Companions you can't sacrifice to use their soul to empower you with Akatosh's power from the Amulet of Kings (apart from yourself; you have no soul, which also makes you the only one who can be empowered), as he is the only mage present and the only one who knows the ritual.]]
** [[spoiler:(Apparently) played straight, however, at the end of the Season of the Dragon questline; after Kaalgrontiid is defeated at Dragonhold, the Aeonstone that the dragon was using to empower himself in an attempt to become a God is rendered unstable and will explode and wipe out at least Elsweyr, if not all of Tamriel. He stays behind to contain the explosion to only Dragonhold, saving tens of thousands of lives in the process. But then again, his death isn't 100% confirmed, as they NeverFoundTheBody...]]
* {{Hypocrite}}: [[spoiler:He lampshades a lot of Mannimarco's ego and lust for power. While he is against Mannimarco's plan to outplay Molag Bal, he has absolutely no problem in taking the Amulet of Kings at the end of the final quest and attempting to make himself a Dragonborn, according to Meridia.]]
* InsistentTerminology: Euraxia Tharn is not his sister, she's his half-sister, and he will not miss a chance to correct you or anyone else.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Ambitious? Yes. Prideful? Yes. Power-hungry? Beyond doubt. However, he makes it very clear that all that really matters to him is keeping what remains of the Empire whole and prosperous, and the citizens of Tamriel safe. In addition, if he screws up, he will do whatever possible to fix it. The gathering of power is just his secondary priority.
* {{Jerkass}}: Lyris makes it a point to call him out on being this whenever the opportunity presents itself. However...
* JerkassHasAPoint: His magical prowess and extensive knowledge of the Daedra, Coldharbour and Mannimarco's plans often prove invaluable.
* KavorkaMan: He is old, quite old, [[LongLived about 164 years old to be exact]], yet somehow has had at least ''seven'' wives.
* LongLived: He's 164 years old. Nobody knows why, given Imperials typically have far shorter lives than that. It might relate to his connection with [[{{Necromancer}} Mannimarco]], however.
* OlderThanTheyLook: Despite his advanced age, Abnur only looks to be about middle-aged for an Imperial. In fact, there are many male Imperials who look way older than him in the game, yet pale in comparison age-wise.
* PercussivePrevention: [[spoiler:In the [[https://youtu.be/cBAJvJVIFPI final season of the dragon trailer]] depicting the battle atop Dragonhold, Khamira hesitates before going through her escape portal, reluctant to leave Tharn behind. Tharn makes the decision for her by hitting her with a blast of magic that knocks her straight through the portal to safety!]]
* {{Pride}}: He thinks very highly of himself, to put it lightly.
* TheQuisling: Immediately allied himself with Mannimarco in order to keep his position of power within the Imperial Court and get his daughter on the throne as Empress-Regent. Mannimarco holds all the true power, though.
** However, he claims he did so only so he could do what he could to preserve the Empire. That said, given the fact that he certainly is self-serving and ambitious even if he is telling the truth, keeping his holdings and power might have been a good reason for him to make that decision.
* RedemptionQuest: The nature of his involvement in the outbreak of Dragons in the Elsweyr chapter; his half-sister tricked him into releasing the dragons out into the province, and he assists the Khajiit militia in cleaning up the mess he helped create.
* TokenEvilTeammate: With the Five Companions being a rare case of a FiveManBand with ''two'' traitors, he's the one who ends up as this while Mannimarco remains an unrepentant villain.
* WhiteSheep: For all his flaws, Abnur is actually one of the ''nice'' members of House Tharn compared to Euraxia, Septima, and Javad, and ''especially'' [[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsArena Jagar]], each of whom are out-and-out villains.
* YouDontLookLikeYou: Applies to his [[https://en.uesp.net/wiki/File:ON-render-Abnur_Tharn.jpg character model]] when compared with [[http://blur.com/media/pages/projects/elder-scrolls/1861598136-1571942215/wren_02.jpg how he looks in the cinematic trailers]], related cards in ''Legends'', and even some of the in-game achievement icons. Game!Abnur always looks the same, with slightly grayish hair, a trimmed goatee, and male-pattern baldness, with whatever's left of it being braided up behind his head, whereas his cinematic self has an almost full head of white hair and long flowing beard.

[[folder:Lyris Titanborn]]
[[quoteright:320:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/por_lyris_titanborn.png]]
-->'''Voiced By:''' Creator/JenniferHale

A Nord partial giant, Lyris is Varen's [[TheLancer Lancer]] and most loyal ally. She is also one of the first characters met in the game, helping you escape Coldharbour and freeing The Prophet.

* ActionGirl: Would you expect anything less from someone with giant blood in their veins?
* AffectionateNickname: Sai tenderly refers to her as "Snow Lily".
* AllTheOtherReindeer: Was teased when she was younger because of her height.
* AmazonianBeauty: Imagine having ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' at your back, except she were king size rather than fun size. Lyris shares Creator/SarahMichelleGellar's looks and bigger, taller, than any character you can make, and treated as very attractive.
* BadassNormal: She does said ass-kicking with no innate magic or enchanted equipment whatsoever.
* BerserkButton: Happens whenever Abnur Tharn starts being a DeadpanSnarker and mocking her or the other companions.
* BrokenBird: The regret of her parents deaths, both of which she believes herself to be responsible for, has left her this.
* DeadpanSnarker: Lyris is in fine form in ''Greymoor''. She has little patience for Svargrim's paranoia or Solitude's politics in general, and isn't afraid to let anyone know it.
* DefrostingIceQueen: A non-romantic example in ''Greymoor.'' [[spoiler:Lyris is initially dismissive of Svana as a drunken brat and nearly attacks Fennorian upon first meeting him, but by the end of the main questline, she's scolding the ''Vestige'' not to let anything happen to either of them.]]
* GoodScarsEvilScars: Has a scar along her left eye.
* HiddenDepths: Underneath that badass fighter is a woman plagued by SurvivorsGuilt on account of her mother's death from childbirth, and the racism she endured for being a partial giant.
* TheLancer: Follows Varen's choices without question and later The Prophet.
* MightyGlacier: Seems to favor strong, overwhelmingly powerful physical attacks and can take good damage, but isn't too quick.
* ObliviousToLove: Although it could not be more obvious that Sai Sahan is carrying a torch for her, Lyris seems genuinely bewildered at the idea that he has feelings for her.
* OddFriendship: In ''Greymoor'', she forms one with [[TomboyPrincess Svana]] and [[FriendlyNeighbourhoodVampire Fennorian]]. Some of the Vestige's dialogue teases her a little for becoming so protective of the pair.
* PluckyGirl: [[spoiler:She will save Sai Sahan with you or die trying.]]
* SnarkToSnarkCombat: She actually does have a few with Abnur Tharn.
* StatuesqueStunner: Lyris is ENORMOUS, towering over every other character in the game due to her giant ancestry and Sai is sweet on her.
* TheSmurfettePrinciple: The only female member of the Five Companions.
* TookALevelInJerkass: Downplayed, but she's noticeably more curt and impatient in ''Greymoor'' and ''Markarth'' then she was in the core game.
* UnevenHybrid: She's somehow part Nord, part giant through her father's family. Try not to think too hard [[HotSkittyOnWailordAction about that.]]
* UnexplainedRecovery: [[spoiler:Much like Sai Sahan, she has no clue as to how she came back after sacrificing herself to the Amulet of Kings if chosen. It is implied that she truly died as she described Sovngarde but then somehow came back to life afterwards.]]
* WellDoneDaughterGirl: Believed her father hated her for the death of her mother in childbirth and it provides her a big source of resentment towards him because she simply wanted his love. [[spoiler:In truth, he loved her, but he was unable to find ways to show it and he died before he could do so.]]

[[folder:Sai Sahan]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/por_sai_sahan.png]]
-->'''Voiced By:''' Creator/KevinMichaelRichardson

A Redguard noble who is the leader of the Imperial Dragonguard as well as being the Grandmaster of the Blades. He currently resides in Coldharbour being interrogated by Mannimarco.

* ADayInTheLimelight: [[spoiler:The ''Dragonhold'' DLC gives him a very prominent role as the leader of the newly re-formed Dragonguard.]]
* AFatherToHisMen: [[spoiler:In ''Dragonhold'', he takes this role with the Dragonguard, sternly but kindly shaping the ragtag crew into dragon hunters.]]
* AmazonChaser: He is shown to have feelings for Lyris when the player goes to rescue him from the Chamber of Seduction in the Halls of Torment.
* BigGood: [[spoiler:He is the driving force in stopping the dragon menace in Southern Elsweyr.]]
* ColdBloodedTorture: Was a victim of this at the hands of Mannimarco.
* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: [[spoiler:In a sidequest in the Markarth DLC, he finally learns to summon his spirit sword, but only because he's thinking of Lyris.]]
* GoodScarsEvilScars: An [[XMarksTheHero x-shaped one]] on the left side of his chest.
* MadeOfIron: It's said that no one can break him... [[spoiler:which is shown in the Halls of Torment quest, where he supposedly endures physical and mental torture for years.]]
* MyGreatestFailure: He considers his inability to master the sacred art of sword-singing passed down by his Yokudan ancestors to be this. [[spoiler:He's also pretty broken up about failing to protect Varen from Mannimarco.]]
* ProudWarriorRaceGuy: Like most Redguards.
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: [[spoiler:In ''Dragonhold'' he is one of ''the'' most reasonable authority figures in the game as the head of the Dragonguard. He is completely correct about the Dragon threat, understandably skeptical about Za'ji's crew but willing to give them a chance, and listens to the Vestige at every turn.]]
* SnarkToSnarkCombat: He has a little bit of this with Abnur Tharn in the Valley of Blades quest.
* UnexplainedRecovery: [[spoiler:Even if you sacrificed him to power up the Amulet of Kings in the main storyline, he will show up in the ''Dragonhold'' prologue. Even he doesn't know how he is still alive.]]
* WalkingShirtlessScene: Doesn't wear a shirt. He gets a new outfit in ''Dragonhold'' which is slightly more covering but still leaves much of his chest bare.
* WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes: [[spoiler:In Southern Elsweyr's questline, the thin and transparent walkways of the Jonelight path make him ''very'' nervous, causing him to mutter "don't look down, don't look down..." to himself.]]

[[folder:Mannimarco]]
[[quoteright:320:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/por_mannimarco.png]]
-->'''Voiced By:''' Creator/JimWard

An Altmer necromancer, Mannimarco serves not only as the hook for getting the PlayerCharacter into the story via stealing their soul but through his Worm Cult is a threat to all Tamriel.

%%zce* AndIMustScream: [[spoiler:Predictably so, this is his punishment for betraying Molag Bal.]]
* BadassLongRobe: You gotta admit, this guy has a damn good sense of fashion.
* TheChessmaster: He successfully plays Varen and the other four companions into getting the Amulet of Kings, thus kicking off the game's main plot.
* DarkIsEvil: This guy is ''the'' necromancer in Tamriel, and his companions found out he was EvilAllAlong way too late.
* TheDragon: To Molag Bal. Doubles as a DragonWithAnAgenda as he has his schemes to supplant his master.
* DidYouJustFlipOffCthulhu: Oh, he definitely does when [[spoiler:Molag Bal finds out he's been plotting against him.]]
* EvilSorcerer: A textbook example. Necromancy is a big no-no in most of Tamriel, and he's TheDragon to [[GodOfEvil Molag Bal]].
* FalseFriend: The others didn't like him, but they still assumed he was loyal to their cause. They were horribly wrong.
* GodhoodSeeker: His true goal is to [[spoiler:replace Molag Bal as the God of Schemes.]]
* {{Hypocrite}}: [[spoiler:He calls you an arrogant, presumptuous, egotistical twaddle for wanting to defeat Molag Bal, yet he considers himself a god and was cocky enough to think he actually had a chance against the Lord of Domination. Abnur Tharn even lampshades this.]]
* KarmaHoudini: If you decide to [[spoiler:release him from Heart's Grief during the last main quest. He himself says you that will regret this decision, and the other Five Companions' reactions are [[WhatTheHellHero quite predictable]].]]
** ForegoneConclusion: Mannimarco ''has'' to survive (for a given lich-allowing value of the word) the events of the game and ([[spoiler:eventually]]) be able to move around on Tamriel, given that he appears in ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIDaggerfall Daggerfall]]'' some six centuries later.
* {{Pride}}: Takes this to a whole new level. [[spoiler:He even thinks he can outplay Molag Bal and replace him as the new God of Schemes. This goes as well as you'd expect.]]
* ReligionOfEvil: His Worm Cult are responsible for dropping the Daedric Anchors across Tamriel, and have been rounding up sacrifices to do so.
* SmugSnake: He seems to think that he is a MagnificentBastard, but [[spoiler:the fact that Molag Bal learns of his betrayal and subjects him to eternal torment would suggest otherwise.]]
* TheStarscream: He attempts to [[spoiler:usurp Molag Bal]]. Doesn't go so well for him.
* TooDumbToLive: Mannimarco made an ''extremely'' grave mistake by trying to [[spoiler:outplay Molag Bal and take his place to become the new God of Schemes.]] To say that his arrogance cost him dearly would be putting it lightly.
* VillainousBreakdown: His torment after [[spoiler:trying to outplay Molag Bal]] leaves him begging for mercy that will not come for ages.
-->'''Mannimarco:''' [[spoiler:Please! No more! It was a misunderstanding, great one! Let me prove my loyalty. No more, I beg of you!]]

!!Dragons and their Allies
Due to Abnur Tharn's meddling, a pack of powerful dragons are unwittingly released into Northern Elsweyr and begin terrorizing the locals. Led by Kaalgrontiid, the dragons seek to reestablish their rule over Tamriel.

[[folder: Kaalgrontiid]]

The leader of the dragons released from the Halls of Colossus, who was once defeated by the khajiit hero Kunzar-Ri, and who seeks to dominate Elsweyr as revenge before spreading his rule across Tamriel.

* TheAntichrist: Believes he is the subject of a khajiiti prophecy telling of the Dark Aeon, an evil god who will usher in an age of darkness over Tamriel.
* BigBad: Of Season of the Dragon.
* GodhoodSeeker: His goal is revealed to be to ascend to godhood so he can rival Akatosh and rule over Tamriel.
* {{Greed}}: Noted to be his FatalFlaw. Kaalgrontiid seeks power above all else, and is willing to steal power from his fellow dragons to take it. In the First Era, Kunzar-Ri tricked him into convincing his allies to store a portion of their power in Jode's Core, which was just enough power to defeat and trap them the first time. In his second try, [[spoiler:he begins using aeonstones to siphon power from his fellow dragons, causing many of his allies to abandon him in the final battle.]]
* GreenAndMean: Has green scales and is the main villain of his story arc.
* HijackedByGanon: He apparently fled defeated at the end of Elsweyr and hadn't been seen since, but [[spoiler:returns as the true villain of the Dragonhold DLC.]]
* ItsAllAboutMe: Doesn't care a lick about his fellow dragons, and is only in it for his own personal power.
* ScrewThisImOutOfHere: [[spoiler:Flees the battle after Jode's Core is destroyed instead of fighting to the end.]]
* SealedEvilInACan: A powerful dragon who was sealed in the Halls of Colossus in the past, only to be accidentally released by Abnur Tharn.

[[folder: Nahfahlaar]]

A dragon roosting on an island off the coast of Senchal who is revealed to mean no harm to the town, having chosen his area to oppose his rival, the dragon Laatvulon, joining an uneasy alliance with the Pelletine Dragonguard to achieve their mutual goal.
----

* AloofAlly: To the Dragonguard. He is not a member and spends most of his time pursuing his own agenda, but he is definitively on their side.
* AntiHero: He's surly, brusque, ruthless, and doesn't value individual lives, but he is on the side of good nonetheless.
* ArchEnemy: Of Laatvulon, having helped to defeat him in the past.
* BigGood: Shares this role with Sai Sahan in the Dragonhold DLC.
* ButNowIMustGo: [[spoiler:Leaves for parts unknown once the dragon threat is removed.]]
* IneffectualLoner: He doesn't get along with the Dragonguard and is usually off doing his own thing. This actually hurts more than it helps.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: He is very hard to get along with, but he also genuinely means well.
* OnlyFriend: He doesn't get along with anyone in the Dragonguard except for the Vestige.
* RedIsHeroic: Is the only major dragon with red scales, and is one of the only good ones seen in the game.
* TokenHeroicOrc: He's the only heroic dragon seen in the whole game.

[[folder: Laatvulon]]
A dragon that, through sheer coincidence, was defeated and imprisoned in a completely different prison from the Halls of Colossus, and escaped around the same time as Kaalgrontiid. Starting a cult called the New Moon, he seeks to usher in the Dark Aeon and wipe out all life on Tamriel.
----

* AncientEvil: He was defeated in ancient times, and is released in the Second Era.
* ApocalypseCult: Runs one in the form of the New Moon, which seeks to wipe out all life on Tamriel except for their followers.
* ArchEnemy: Nahfahlaar. They have been at war for centuries.
* ArcVillain: Of Dragonguard. [[spoiler:At first.]]
* AxCrazy: He's completely insane, driven by a desire to kill everything on Tamriel that he can.
* BigBadEnsemble: A completely different dragon unaligned with Kaalgrontiid, but whose ambitions are on par with his. [[spoiler:Subverted however, when it turns out he was working for Kaalgrontiid the entire time.]]
* DarkIsEvil: His scales are all black, and he is pure evil.
* TheHeavy: He's the driving threat through most of the Dragonguard story arc, [[spoiler:and is defeated 2/3 of the way through, which leads to the reveal that he was working for Kaalgrontiid.]]
* OmnicidalManiac: His goal is the complete and utter destruction of all life on Tamriel. [[spoiler:Except no, that was a lie he told his cult so that they could help him pave the way for Kaalgrontiid's rule.]]
* SealedEvilInACan: A completely different can that he escaped from at the same time as Kaalgrontiid, by sheer chance.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Ra'khajin]]
Laatvulon's dragon priest who was once a member of the Pride of Alkhosh. However, when he learned he would never become the Mane of the khajiit, he betrayed the order and became the dragon priest of the New Moon Cult instead.
----

* TheDragon: To Laatvulon. He's his master's representative in the New Moon Cult.
* DrivenByEnvy: His motivation. He wants the title of Mane, and is willing to side with dragons to claim it for himself.
* ItsAllAboutMe: His utterly selfish motivation for siding with his genocidal maniac of a master is that he didn't get to be Mane.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Mulaamnir]]
A dragon sealed in the Halls of Colossus with his master, Kaalgrontiid, and the second-in-command of his faction, joining his master in terrorizing Elsweyr.
----

* AffablyEvil: Unlike most of his kin, he's remarkably polite and is willing to engage the Vestige in conversation, even offering a chance to leave Elsweyr out of sincere gratitude for releasing him.
* TheBrute: He's his master's enforcer and protector.
* FinalBoss: Of the Elsweyr chapter, [[spoiler:as he's defending his master who is busy extracting power from Jode's Core.]]
* GoThroughMe: [[spoiler:During the final battle, he tries to hold off the Vestige and their allies from stopping Kaalgrontiid siphoning power from Jode's Core.]]
* NobleDemon: Unlike his kin, he is genuinely grateful to the Vestige and Abnur for releasing him and his allies, and is wiling to peacefully allow them to leave Elsweyr.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Zumog Phoom]]
An orc necromancer serving under Euraxia Tharn as her strategist and court mage, and represents her interests in her alliance with Kaalgrontiid. Is usually accompanied by the head of Cadwell the Betrayer.
----

* TheDragon: Second in command to Euraxia. [[spoiler:Until he double crosses her to serve Kaalgrontiid instead.]]
* EnigmaticMinion: To Euraxia. He corresponded with her at first, and later brought an undead army to her, but has always been pursuing his own agenda.
* IFightForTheStrongestSide: He's willing to work for Euraxia as long as she's the power in Elsweyr, but [[spoiler:once the dragons return, he doesn't hesitate to sell her out to them.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Cadwell the Betrayer]]
The original mind and body whom Sir Cadwell is based upon. However, unlike his gallant soul-shriven counterpart, the Betrayer is a crude, self-serving monster who is revived by Zumog Phoom as a floating head.
----

* BackFromTheDead: He's revived as a result of Zumog Phoom's efforts.
* EvilOldFolks: He's quite old, and is a villain who has decided to align with dragons.
* FallenHero: He was once a revered and beloved hero, but at some point, his lust for power overcame any morality he had.
* HateSink: He's cruel, selfish, constantly insults everyone around him, and is just plain unpleasant.
* {{Jerkass}}: The one thing that separates him from the other villains is just how much of a colossal dick he is.
* LivingMacGuffin: Well, undead Macguffin, but he's the only one who knows the location of Jode's Core, making him very valuable.
* ManlyFacialHair: The only nice thing anyone can say about him is he does have a magnificent beard.
* MasterSwordsman: During his time as a knight, he was regarded as one of, if not, the greatest swordsmen of his time.
* TheSociopath: Displays all the hallmarks of one. He has no empathy, violent impulses, is casually cruel, and shockingly short-sighted.
[[/folder]]


!!Western Skyrim
Sundered from Eastern Skyrim decades before the Alliance War, Western Skyrim is ruled by High King Svargrim of Solitude, who rules over the holds of Haafingar, Hjaalmarch, and the newly established Karthald.

[[folder:High King Svargrim]]
[[quoteright:320:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/por_svargrim.png]]

The High King of Western Skyrim and Jarl of Haafingar, Svargrim rules his kingdom independent of any of the three Alliances, including their sundered Nordic brethren of Jorunn Skald-King and the Ebonheart Pact's Eastern Skyrim. His wife is Queen Gerhyld and his daughter and heir is Princess Svana.
----

* AbusiveParent: He is not very supportive or loving at all towards his daughter. [[spoiler:After his true colors are revealed, he has no hesitation about killing her when she takes up arms alongside you against him.]]
* ArcVillain: [[spoiler:He's the final boss and the chief antagonist you deal with during the ''Greymoor'' storyline, even though he answers to Rada al-Saran and the Gray Host, who is the big bad for the entire ''Dark Heart of Skyrim'' arc.]]
* AmbitionIsEvil: Svargrim has been an ambitious jerk who alienated his daughter and dreams of unifying Skyrim under his rule for years before you meet him. [[spoiler:This is why he willingly betrays his kingdom and family and joins up with the Gray Host.]]
* ExcessiveMourning: [[spoiler:His wife is murdered by the Gray Host, which drives Svargrim so far into grief that he refuses to trust anyone.]] [[spoiler:This winds up being subverted; he actually helped arrange his wife's death, because he turned traitor before you ever arrived in Western Skyrim. The mourning is just a ruse that he uses to keep his refusal to help you and Lyris completely believable.]]
* {{Foreshadowing}}: Quite a bit regarding [[spoiler:his true allegiance]].
** [[spoiler:When the Queen is assassinated, Pentarch Khorb doesn't even try to go after Svargrim as well and immediately flees.]]
** One of the first things you learn during the main quest is that [[spoiler:Svargrim has given his men explicit orders not to touch the Reachmen's Witch Pikes. This sets off a lot of red flags even ''before'' you learn that the Witch Pikes are central to the Harrowstorms.]]
** At the end of "Danger in the Holds", [[spoiler:you see a large group of docile Harrowfiends being escorted to the church, under Svargrim's orders. This turns out to be so they can burst from the church once Svargrim activates Solitude's Harrowstorm.]]
* OneWingedAngel: [[spoiler:Transforms into a Vampire Lord during the final battle in ''Greymoor''.]]
* ProperlyParanoid: He's surrounded by the Reach (which is independent and ruled by the barbaric Reachmen) on the west and the rival Kingdom of Eastern Skyrim, part of the Ebonheart Pact, on the east. [[spoiler:Events of the game show that the Reach is a colossal threat... in fact, such a threat that Svargrim himself has already turned traitor and joined them.]]
* TheRival: He is one to Skald-King Jorunn, ruler of Eastern Skyrim and head of the Ebonheart Pact; the fact that his enemy is a lot stronger than him is part of what drives his paranoia against you and Lyris.
* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: Inverted. He outright refuses to take any actions against the Gray Host and Icereach Coven, only moving very slowly to actually do anything, and his actions are actually counter-intuitive. [[spoiler:Winds up being subverted; turns out he actually was doing a whole lot. Except, he was doing it for the other side; he's a traitor.]]
* ShamelessSelfPromoter: In contrast to other monarchs throughout the game, Svargrim prominently displays portraits of himself throughout the Blue Palace. [[spoiler:Which foreshadows his attempt to sacrifice his family and kingdom for his own personal gain.]]

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Queen Geryhld]]
Wife of High King Svargrim and mother of Svana.
----

* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: By far the more reasonable between herself and her husband.
* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: She is a very helpful figure working against her husband's refusal to even believe you. [[spoiler:Which is why she's assassinated very early in the questline, causing a major setback and the loss of your best ally at court.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Princess Svana]]
The daughter of High King Svargrim and Queen Geryhld, and heir to the Hold of Haafingar.
----

* TheAlcoholic: Even by Nord standards, Svana's known for her drinking, and is a few sheets to the wind the first time the player character encounters her. However, she sobers up as the Greymoor plot goes on.
* FieryRedhead: To a tee. She has bright red hair, and can be HotBlooded, rebellious and impulsive.
* ModestRoyalty: She's not on good terms with her father and spends as much time as she can drinking at the local tavern.
* OddFriendship: Her closest friend and favorite drinking buddy is a middle-aged Orc barfly.
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: She doesn't have much authority, but she's eminently reasonable.
* RebelliousPrincess: Svana is a dark take on the trope: it is implied that she acts out and drinks heavily to cope with her alienation from her paranoid, abusive father.
* ReluctantRuler: She doesn't want the throne, and nor does her father want to give it to her. She grows into the rulership more as the questline progresses. [[spoiler:At the end, after her father's revealed as a traitor and is killed, she assumes the Jarldom of Haafingar and all indications are she will be a much better leader than her father was.]]
* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: She does A LOT to work with you.
* TomboyPrincess: Very much so. Of course, in Tamriel, this isn't generally regarded poorly.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Rada al-Saran]]
[[quoteright:320:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/por_rada_al_saran.png]]

In life, Rada al-Saran was a legendary Ansei famous for breaking the Yokudan War God Leki's sword after a three day and three night duel. Now, he is the Ashen Lord of the Gray Host, an army of Vampires, dark sorcerers and lycanthropes who have set their hungry eyes on Skyrim.
----

* AlasPoorVillain: [[spoiler:As he dies, he mournfully wonders if his defeat is punishment from Leki as Verandis comforts him in his final moments.]]
* BigBad: Of the Dark Heart of Skyrim storyline.
* BigFancyCastle: Greymoor Keep, a massive citadel full of his minions, located deep within Blackreach.
* TheCorrupter: [[spoiler:Successfully tempts Svargrim to join him. Downplayed, as its made clear that Svargrim was a petty, ruthless bastard even before Rada approached him.]]
* EtTuBrute: [[spoiler:In the past, he had 13 close comrades during his time in the Grey Host before becoming its leader, but one of them, the one he had the closest bond with, eventually betrayed him. Any mention of this 13th former comrade is his single biggest BerserkButton.]]
* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: The Gray Host treat each other as siblings and Rada is especially pissed at you for killing Tzinghalis and Ulfra, damning their souls to Coldharbour.
* EvilCounterpart: To Verandis Ravenwatch. [[spoiler:Much like Verandis, he is deeply loyal and caring toward his adoptive family of vampires and werewolves, to the point of challenging Molag Bal himself for their sake. Unlike Verandis, he is willing to sacrifice untold numbers of lives to achieve his goals.]]
* FallenHero: Once a legendary Yokudan Ansei, now a murderous Vampire warlord.
* GreaterScopeVillain: Of both ''Harrowstorm'' and ''Greymoor''. He never appears in person in the first and only briefly confronts you personally in the second, but his presence and influence is felt throughout the story of both.
* MasterSwordsman: As a former Ansei, he's this by default. His greatest feat when he was alive was dueling Leki, the Yokudan WarGod, for three days and three nights before breaking her blade in two. [[spoiler:Sure enough, he conjures his own personal [[LaserBlade Sehai]] during the final battle.]]
* OurVampiresAreDifferent: He's a Vampire Lord, which are among the strongest Vampires in all of Nirn.
* VillainousValour: Say what you will for the guy, he's willing to spit in the eye of Molag Bal himself to try to free his friends.
* WeCanRuleTogether: He is almost as obsessed with bringing [[spoiler:Count Verandis Ravenwatch]] over to his side as he is with his actual overall plan.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Fennorian]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/por_fennorian.png]]
-->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/RobbieDaymond

An Altmer vampire dispatched by House Ravenwatch to investigate vampire activity in Western Skyrim.
----
* AmbiguouslyRelated: Fennorian's exact relationship with Verandis is not made very clear at any point, despite the length of time he's in your company. He specifically refers to Verandis as his father, which could be true considering how both are Altmers, although the Count doesn't explicitly acknowledge him as his son, and neither does anyone else of House Ravenwatch. Even Fennorian's official Meet the Characters blog post cast doubt on his relation to Verandis, saying that while he is in most likelihood related to the Count, the relation is probably rather distant.
* BadassBookworm: Fennorian is not a natural combatant and mainly serves as TheSmartGuy of the team. However, [[spoiler:during the final battle in Solitude, Lyris reports that he was nigh-unstoppable once he unleashed his full vampiric powers]].
* DistressedDude: Poor Fennorian is repeatedly captured and/or harmed throughout the Greymoor questline, most severely when the Ashen Lord's forces abduct and [[ColdBloodedTorture experiment on]] him.
* HappilyAdopted: While all the Ravenwatch members like Verandis, Fenn is the only one to call him "father".
* HowDoIShotWeb: He is admittedly very new to being a vampire, and as a result, sometimes struggles with his vampiric powers and hunger.
* NiceGuy: Fennorian is genuinely kind and heroic, and adheres scrupulously to the Ravenwatch principles of ethical blood consumption. [[spoiler:Even when near-death after excruciating torture by Tzinghalis, he rejects the idea of drinking blood of anyone unwilling in order to recover.]]
* OddFriendship: With Lyris and Svana, who initially distrust him as a vampire. Also with Old Mjolen, a Nord witch who normally dislikes "scholarly" mages, but who nevertheless seems to enjoy collaborating with Fennorian.
[[/folder]]
!!Companions
First introduced in ''Blackwood'', Companions are friendly [=NPCs=] who will tag along with the Vestige as followers after helping them out with their quests. Each Companion has his or her likes and dislikes to suit their personality and backstory, and Vestiges who manage to build a stable friendship with them will be promoted to TrueCompanions status and earn their loyalty.
----
[[folder:Mirri Elendis]]
[[quoteright:330:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/por_mirri_elendis.png]]
-->'''Voiced by:''' Erin Yvette

A Dunmer relic hunter and Daedra scholar who is a part of a huge family. First appears in Blackwood where she needs help to rescue her adventuring party and joins you afterwards as a sign of thanks for helping her out.
----
* ActionMom: Her mother was an adventurer before her and still occasionally travels the world. If her brother Liam survives her recruiment quest, he'll remark that their mother could have beaten the quest villain with just her ''cookpot'', and its not made clear of he's joking or not.
* AdventurerArchaeologist: A relic hunter and Daedra scholar who moonlights as an adventurer.
* AerithAndBob: She has this dynamic with her brother, who despite being a Dunmer has the oddly-human name of...Liam.
* BerserkButton: She absolutely hates anything and everything associated with the Dark Brotherhood. Using the Blade of Woe, even against hostile [=NPCs=], will anger her, and even getting ''near'' the door to the Gold Coast Sanctuary is enough to immediately dock 10 points off her rapport meter.
* CastingAShadow: Her class skills is a modified version of the Nightblade skills.
* CulturalRebel: A whole family of them in fact. While she is a devote Tribunal worshipper, that's about the only part of Dunmer culture that she embraces and even then, she's not a fan of Ordinators. She and her immediate family are against slavery in Morrowind, would rather support each other instead of the House they are technically a part of, and she personally feels that ancestral worship is outdated because they are just as fallible as any mortal.
* FriendToBugs: She has an affinity for Torchbugs and butterflies, and disapproves of harvesting them for materials. Literally any other bug is fair game though, and she seems to have it out for fetcherflies in particular.
* LadyDrunk: Mirri loves alcohol, and making some in her company is a good way to gain rapport.
* LadySwearsALot: Mirri has quite a foul mouth if you know what the {{Foreign Cuss Word}}s she spouts on a regular basis mean. Her perennial favorite seems to be variations of "fetch", which is the Dunmeri equivalent of the F-word. Really, the only cuss she never uses is "n'wah", which is the Dunmeri N-word, so for those who have played through ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind'' and heard all of the local swear words, Mirri wouldn't sound out of place in Third Era Vvardenfell at all. Her Meet the Character page even compares her swearing to that of a maormer pirate.
* MassiveNumberedSiblings: Her immediate family is apparently large enough that populated cities "remind her of home". Other than her brother Liam, Mirri mentions at least three other siblings in dialogue, and it's implied that she still has a lot more that we've yet to see or hear of.
* TheStraightAndArrowPath: Although Mirri states that she is comfortable with everything, she seems to have a preference for bows and [[DualWielding daggers]], with a stronger lean towards the former option given that it's her default weapon, and her unique ultimate ability is also a massive critical arrow shot.
* WellDoneSonGuy: She loves her mom but she has plenty of hang ups about her because she's focused on following through a vow to return something to the latter father's grave.
* WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes: She does actually hate and fear snakes, and has unique quotes that she will say whenever you kill one.
-->'''Mirri:''' [[PunctuatedForEmphasis I. Hate. Snakes.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Bastian Hallix]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/por_bastian_hallix.png]]
-->'''Voiced by:''' Griffin Puatu
An Imperial who is a member of a disgraced noble family in High Rock who was raised by a rival family. First appeared in Blackwood where he has to rescue his foster brother from a cult.
----
* {{Bookworm}}: Bastian loves books, and his rapport with you increases when you read one.
* ChildhoodFriend: With Quistley Silvelle, who is also his foster brother, though "friend" is taking it very charitably, as Bastian is very visibly annoyed of Quistley's SpoiledBrat attitude in all of their interactions.
* DarkAndTroubledPast: He was part of a family who betrayed King Emeric and was unofficially adopted into the Sivelle family who treated him more like a servant rather than as another family member or even nobility. [[spoiler:Add in the fact that they lied to him about being the last member of his family.]]
* DoesNotLikeSpam: Lowers affinity whenever you cook something that has cheese in it. It is implied that this is because he's lactose intolerant.
* GoodIsNotSoft: Unlike Mirri who freaks out if you use the Blade of Woe under any circumstances, Bastian is completely fine with it being used against bandits and other hostile [=NPCs=]. Some of his battle quotes also reveal he has little pity for bad guys you've killed.
* HiddenDepths:
** Loves magic in general, from studying it to seeing different types of magic. He's even a devote follower of Julianos.
** Some players were shocked to discover the massive tattoos decorating Bastian's chest and arms, a seeming contrast with his otherwise nerdy and straitlaced nature.
* IdealHero: Bastian is a through-and-through NiceGuy who strives to help the weak and punish the wicked, and he's not going to go two steps without reminding you of that. Gaining positive rapport with him is as easy as killing bandits and cultists, though he will be quick to berate you if you commit crimes in his presence like murdering civilians, stealing, or running away from a guard who's trying to arrest you.
* KnightInShiningArmor: He has the personality down to a tee although this doesn't stop him from wearing something less traditional like leather or mage robes. Curiously enough, his love for magic helps maintain that image of him.
* MagicKnight: He's skilled with both sword and shield and knows enough magic to be confident about using a staff although he can be used for any role without much issue.
* TheNoseKnows: Bastian can apparently "smell magic", as he will usually claim when a Psijic portal is nearby.
* PlayingWithFire: He uses a modified version of the Dragonknight tree with most of his abilities revolving around doing fire damage, and initially wields an Inferno Staff.
* RaceLift: Kind of. Bastian was originally intended to be a Breton instead of Imperial, according to his pre-release Meet the Characters page and his default Ancestral Breton garb.
* SinsOfOurFathers: His family rebelled against the former king and was punished accordingly. Bastian was only really young when it happened and was spared when the Sivelle family raised him to ensure that he's loyal to High Rock.
* TheUnfavorite: He occupied a Cinderella type of role in the Silvelle household, describing himself as "not quite a brother and not quite the help." This was in contrast to the Silvelles' biological son Quistley, who grew up absolutely spoiled.
* WelcomeToCorneria: He misses few opportunities to cheerfully inform you "This is a GREAT area for harvesting!" whenever you pull a resource node, even if you're in the middle of a bandit cave, draugr-infested crypt, daedric hellscape, etc.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Isobel Velois]]
[[quoteright:320:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/por_isobel_velois.png]]

-->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/LauraBailey
----
* ChildhoodFriendRomance: She had a crush on her friend Aurelia since they were young and even gave the latter her family signet ring as a token of her love. To her dismay, she realizes that Aurelia doesn't think of her this way.
* GoodIsNotSoft: Like Bastian, she doesn't object to using the Blade of Woe against hostile [=NPCs=].
* IdealHero: She's in the same boat as Bastian in this regard, with her morality being firmly on the lawful side. As such, Isobel detests acts of crime, such as murder or thievery, and going near shady establishments like the Dark Brotherhood sanctuary or outlaw refuges will earn her ire, though at high positive rapport she will tolerate your shenanigans as long as you don't do them in her company.
* TheKnightsWhoSaySquee: She has more than a few idol figures among your list of expanded acquaintances:
** Naturally for a Breton knight aspirant, Isobel is a massive {{Fangirl}} of High King Emeric and regularly {{Squee}}s in his presence. Talking to him earns the most positive rapport out of her of all three faction leaders, and she's also noted to be an avid reader of his writing.
** She also idolizes Lyris Titanborn, and speaking to her in Isobel's presence will give as much positive rapport as Emeric. Based on her flustered responses, Isobel might very well have a crush on the half-giant warrior.
** To a lesser extent, she also deeply respects the Undaunted folks, especially Bolgrul. Visiting any of their enclaves nets a small rapport bump and positive remarks from her, and completing Bolgrul's daily quests will earn the Vestige considerable appreciation.
* MagicKnight: While she claims to be not much of a mage, she does make use of a few spells even before formally joining the player.
* NonIdleRich: Her family owns a rather respectable and profitable trading company, but Isobel chose the path of chivalry and became a knight in order to help the people of High Isle.
* ThePaladin: Isobel is a templar knight, which naturally makes her one.
* ReligiousBruiser: Like Bastian, Isobel is a devout worshipper of Stendarr, and would constantly pray to him in battle or while traveling with the Vestige. Unlike him, however, Isobel is a career knight rather than a scholar who just so happened to be trained in magic.
* SweetTooth: Isobel loves sweet things and talks constantly about them, and entering cities with her will almost immediately prompt her to ask if she could visit a local candy store. In fact, crafting candies in her presence is a good way to make her like you more, and her keepsake item is her personal trove of sweets. Amusingly, if her rapport level is Allied or higher, Isobel will apparently adore you more than she does saltwater taffy.
* WhenYouComingHomeDad: One of her idle quotes has Isobel asking the Vestige about their parents, while also sharing her own story of hers and her family business. While she is proud of their accomplishments, she also wasn't exactly happy about their absence in her youth due to them being constantly away on business trips, which is implied to be one of the reasons why Isobel ultimately chose to become a knight instead of a merchant like her parents.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Ember]]
[[quoteright:321:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/por_ember.png]]
-->'''Voiced by:''' Elysia Rotaru
----
* AnimalJingoism: Being basically a cat person, Ember has a pronounced disliking for dogs. In gameplay terms, this translates into positive rapport whenever you kill a wolf or werewolf in her presence. Normal house dogs are fine, however, if only due to the essential status set on them that makes them immune to harm.
* BerserkButton: She really doesn't like fishing, finding it ''excrutiatingly'' boring. Downplayed somewhat as, compared to Mirri's hatred of the Dark Brotherhood and Bastian and Isobel's disdain for murder and theivery (which all carry hefty rapport penalties), fishing with Ember present only docks a single rapport point.
** As someone who values personal freedom, she ''abhores'' slavery in all its forms. [[spoiler:When you and her are forced to parlay with a sleazy Telvanni slaver to find one of her missing childhood friends, it takes all of Ember's self-control to resist the urge to put a knife in his ribs]].
* ByTheLightsOfTheirEyes: How she was given her current name. Ember wears the Darloc's Golden Eyes cosmetic by default, which gives her eyes a bright golden shine that her old friends used to describe as being similar to the warm flickering embers of a fire.
* DoWrongRight: Ember openly cheers the player on and has a positive rapport increase whenever the player successfully commits certain larceny-type crimes like pickpocketing or looting a safebox... but disapproves (with corresponding loss of rapport) if the player messes up and gets caught.
* IJustWantToHaveFriends: Despite her [[SadClown chipper demeanor]], speaking to Ember and doing her personal quests reveals that she's desperately longing for companionship, since whatever relationships she had with other people before the Vestige came along either didn't work out or were tragically taken from her. Although she tried distracting herself by studying magic, the loneliness still pokes through, though the player can become her best friend if they're willing to go along with her shenanigans, in which case Ember will pour her heart out out of gratitude.
* ItsAllMyFault: She blames herself for her childhood friends disappearing since she was away when they were captured.
* KleptomaniacHero: Naturally for a khajiit, Ember has a penchant for nicking things that are not nailed down. Thievery and committing minor crimes is a good way to earn positive rapport with her, assuming you don't get caught. She also likes it if you ''do'' get caught stealing but refuse to surrender to guards, since resisting arrests and successfully fleeing will net you a lot of points, while yielding and paying bounty will make her scoff.
* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: "Ember" isn't her real name, but a nickname she adopted after people likened her glowing eyes to the warm embers of a campfire.
* SatisfiedStreetRat: Ember grew up scrapping for survival on the city streets. She's quite proud of what it taught her, and likes it when *you* show similar skills (such as stealing without getting caught).
* ShockAndAwe: As a Sorcerer, she naturally learns a good number of shock spells, and initially carries a Lightning Staff.
* StreetUrchin: She grew up in the streets and got by through petty thievery and other such mischief. Killing an enemy while Ember is the active companion may sometimes prompt her to remind her enemies never to "mess with a street kid".
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Azandar al-Cybiades]]
-->'''Voiced by:''' Tommie Earl Jenkins
----
* CombatMedic: Starts out with a Restoration Staff and can fight as well as heal, though it's mainly for show during his time as a quest follower.
* CulturalRebel: Being a Redguard mage is automatically one since they don't really like the use of magic. He pretty much states that he is disowned by his remaining family for being a mage alone.
* DiscardAndDraw: As a quest follower, he makes use of Fatecarver and Rune of Displacement, like enemy arcanists, but when he becomes a formal companion, he loses those skills entirely, but can learn other Arcanist skills and an ultimate attack neither player nor enemy arcanists can access.
* DoesNotLikeSpam: He does not like coffee at all. The sight of seeing someone drink it is enough for him to be disgusted.
* ForScience: Mage equivalent since magic is treated like science in the ''Elder Scrolls'' universe. All of his experiments are in pursuit of knowledge, no matter how unethical they are.
* MustHaveCaffeine: He is addicted to tea, to the point where his reward for completing everything with him is his own personal tea set. He can make do without coffee though.
* NoodleIncident: He does not like to go to Eyevea or Arteaum, as it is implied that he did something to have members of both the Mages Guild and Psijic Order want him dead.
* SesquipedalianLoquaciousness: To paraphrase an encounter with his ex-boyfriend, he speaks with a ten coins worth of words when only one would do.
* WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes: He ''hates'' chitinous creatures, ''especially'' mudcrabs and dreugh. When you have to venture into a dreugh nest as part of his questline, he makes it clear that he is ''not'' okay and is actively resisting the urge to have a panic attack.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Sharp-as-Night]]
-->'''Voiced by:''' Brandon Keener
----
* AnIcePerson: Can learn some ice spells, though he doesn't start with a staff of his specialty like Bastian or Ember do.
* CallForward: His questline contains many allusions to what would one day become the Twin Lamps, an abolitionist movement that operated in Vvardenfell during the events of ''Morrowind''.
* DualWielding: Starts off with two axes.
* HatesBeingTouched: When a Dumner associate of his put a hand on his shoulder unprompted, he responded by ''clawing his eye out''. To the Dumner's credit, he admits that he doesn't actually hold it against him, since the resulting scar makes him look intimidating.
* HeroesGoneFishing: He likes it when you take a break from adventuring to go fishing.
* IdentityAmnesia: He doesn't remember a thing about his past to the point where he almost killed someone who freed him as a slave.
* RapeAsBackstory: Implied. Sharp's former master is repeatedly described as being obsessed with Sharp, seems to regard him with a sort of twisted affection, and many of the notes written by him are weirdly focused on (and complementary towards) Sharp's physical appearance. Combined with Sharp's [[HatesBeingTouched hatred of physical contact]] (a common trait among sexual assault survivors), it heavily indicates that Sharp was used as a SexSlave.
* WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes: He ''detests'' ghosts and constructs, and killing such creatures in his presence is a good way to increase his rapport.
[[/folder]]
!Daedra

[[folder:Clavicus Vile and Barbas]]

The Daedric Prince of deals and bargains, and his loyal, if snarky companion.

* AffablyEvil: Barbas is actually quite friendly towards you once he reveals himself, admitting that he came to genuinely like you while he was [[spoiler:masquerading as Archcanon Travus]]. He even puts his mission on hold for a moment to chat with you.
* BigBadDuumvirate: Alongside Barbas in ''Morrowind'', and with Mephala and Nocturnal in ''Summerset''.
* DealWithTheDevil: As per usual with Vile, this is his specialty.
* TheDragon: Barbas serves as this as well as the FinalBoss for the ''Morrowind'' chapter, being fully cooperative with his master's schemes in this case in contrast to his role as TheConscience to Vile in other appearances.
* EnemyMine: [[spoiler:After Nocturnal turns on him and Mephala at the climax of ''Summerset'', he agrees to help the Vestige for a chance to get back at her. He even agrees to join Sotha Sil's Coldharbour Compact once Nocturnal is defeated.]]
* NonActionBigBad: Despite being the mastermind behind the plot to steal Vivec's power in ''Morrowind'', he doesn't actually do any of the heavy lifting himself, instead leaving everything to Barbas.
* VillainousBreakdown: [[spoiler:Vile is ''not'' happy after you defeat Barbas and foil his plans, forcefully pulling you into his realm and threatening to imprison you there for "several decades" until Barilzar helps you escape.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Mephala]]
[[quoteright:330:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/por_mephala.png]]

The Daedric Prince of spiders, secrets and shadows.

* DiscOneFinalBoss: [[spoiler:She spends the majority of ''Summerset'' as the Court of Bedlam's primary leader and the main vilain of the main quest, only for Nocturnal to usurp her near the end.]]
* EnemyMine: [[spoiler:After Nocturnal turns on her and Vile, she agrees to help the Vestige stop Nocturnal in revenge. Like Vile, she even agrees to join the Coldharbour Compact after Nocturnal is defeated.]]
* GreaterScopeVillain: Of the Fungal Grotto and Crypt of Hearts dungeons.
* MultiArmedAndDangerous: Her physical manifestation has multiple arms, like a spider.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Meridia]]

The [[Characters/TheElderScrolls Daedric Prince]] of Life and Energy.
----
* AbusiveParents: [[spoiler:In whatever sense she created him, to Darien as her son; infuriated by his individuality and compassion, she took him to her Coloured Rooms to have all of that stripped away. The final note found from him, as he feels this DeathOfPersonality getting closer to happening, is especially heart-breaking for him and damning upon Meridia.]]
* BigGood: [[spoiler:Is this for the main questline in Coldharbour, being the biggest force assisting you in the main Coldharbour quests to thwart Molag Bal and end the Planemeld.]]
* TheChessmaster: [[spoiler:She uses you (which she even admits) to build her an army and use it to destroy the Planar Vortex and outplay Molag Bal, which completely ends his Planemeld.]]
* TheEvilsOfFreeWill: [[spoiler:Completely against free will as a concept. Along with the fate of some followers she is said to abduct people and make them her Purified, who are deathless but also completely emptied of all will, [[DeathOfPersonality personality]] and even capacity for independent thought of their own. This is her ideal form of other life.]]
* GameplayAndStorySegregation: Despite her absolute loathing for the undead, she doesn't even mention it if you are a vampire. Granted, it could be a case of EnemyMine, but still.
* GoodIsNotNice: Par for the course for her. [[spoiler:She will stop at nothing to stop Molag Bal. ''[[WeHaveReserves Nothing.]]'' She just barely manages to stay shy of WellIntentionedExtremist territory.]]
* GreaterScopeVillain: [[spoiler:Is technically this for the Fighters Guild arc, as she orchestrated the murder of Jofnir Icebeard in order to manipulate the Guild into fighting Molag Bal's forces in her name. Darien, who is her champion, even warns the Player Character at the end of Summerset questline that she cannot be trusted.]]
* ItsPersonal: Post-''Summerset'', it is heavily implied that [[spoiler:she blames you specifically for Darien having GrewBeyondTheirProgramming, and now harbors a nasty grudge.]]
%%* KnightTemplar: Not surprisingly.
* TheReveal: She turns up ahead of the player's forces during [[spoiler:the siege on Molag Bal, while still under the guise of The Groundskeeper, and reveals her true identity.]]
* TookALevelInJerkass: While she's mostly a case of GoodIsNotNice during the main quest, Meridia is far less benevolent in some of the DLC chapters.
** In ''Summerset'', the AndIMustScream fate Meridia inflicts on [[spoiler:her Golden Knight, Darien Gautier]] is downright ''cruel''. To the point where some fans wondered if she was being set up as the BigBad of a future DLC.
** In ''Greymoor'', one quest [[spoiler:revolves around a Harrowstorm that ravaged her temple at Kilkreath. Rather than help her devoted followers, Meridia simply abandoned them. The temple's priestess and many followers bitterly abandon their worship of Meridia in turn.]]
* WalkingSpoiler: She plays a significant part in the main storyline.
* WeHaveReserves: [[spoiler:She sends the player and many of his/her allies on a mission where she knows many, if not all of them will die. She even seems unfazed as her most devout follower, King Laloriaran Dynar, dies because of her actions.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Molag Bal]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/por_molag_bal.png]]
-->'''Voiced By:''' Creator/MalcolmMcDowell

The [[Characters/TheElderScrolls Daedric Prince]] of Enslavement and Domination. He is currently trying to merge his realm of Oblivion, known as Coldharbour, with Tamriel.
----
* AndIMustScream: When you [[spoiler:"kill" him. Seems like the God of Brutality that has caused so much pain to mortals has finally received immense agony in return.]]
* BerserkButton: Whatever you do, ''don't'' betray him! [[spoiler:Mannimarco]] learned this the hard way.
* BigBad: He's this for the entire game.
* CarryABigStick: It's not so fun being on [[spoiler:the receiving end of his mace]] this time around.
* TheDreaded: Many of the Daedric Princes qualify as this, but few names in Tamriel inspire as much unmitigated fear as his does. Especially during this time period.
* EvilSoundsDeep: His voice when Dark Anchors appear.
* GodOfEvil: While he's not the only malevolent Daedric Prince in Oblivion, he's certainly the most prominent one in this game, and the largest threat to Tamriel. Indeed, out of all the Daedric Lords, he's the only one who seems to be purely malevolent; even Mehrunes Dagon, BigBad of Oblivion, had positive attributes as the god of change and revolutions. Molag Bal's spheres are Domination and Brutality, which generally means [[SocialDarwinist making sure the strong oppress the weak as cruelly as possible]].
* GracefulLoser: After the final battle when you defeat him, you transport to [[spoiler:the Colored Rooms of Meridia to reclaim your soul. He appears as a phantom and congratulates you in a cold and venomous tone.]]
** This might also double as {{Foreshadowing}}. [[spoiler:At first, he says that you could have [[WeCanRuleTogether been his servant]], and that the world would have been better off had the Planemeld been allowed to succeed, and that if it had, he would have 'protected you' and that there are 'far worse masters than him.' At first, this sounds like him being a SoreLoser, but considering what has been going on in the Craglorn arc, ''he might have actually been serious.'']]
* KnightOfCerebus: Molag's always been bad news in ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'', but he takes it up to eleven this time around.
* TheManBehindTheMan: Mannimarco worships him. [[spoiler:Well, not for long.]]
* RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil: Why Lamae Bal hates him so much. He's not called the 'King of Rape' for nothing.
* RedBaron: 'Prince of Domination,' 'God of Schemes,' 'King of Rape'...
* ReligionOfEvil: While he is worshipped by quite a few Daedric cults, the most prominent during the game is the Worm Cult.
* SatanicArchetype: Complete with horns and a tail.
* WorthyOpponent: [[spoiler:After completing the main quest, he grudgingly admits that you are this in the Colored Rooms.]]
* XanatosGambit: [[spoiler:Meridia implies that him being defeated actually might have worked out in his favor, in some ways... and that [[WeWillMeetAgain he's not done with you yet]].]]
* YourSoulIsMine: And you're going to go ToHellAndBack to retrieve it from him. Literally, in this case.
* YouHaveFailedMe: When Doshia fails to kill you. [[spoiler:As well as Aelif.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Nocturnal]]

The Daedric Prince of Night and Darkness.
----
* BigBad: [[spoiler:She serves as the main antagonist of the Clockwork City DLC and the Summerset expansion.]]
* BigNO: [[spoiler:She lets loose one of these right before the Vestige thwarts her plans with the Dawnbreaker.]]
* NavelDeepNeckline: She is wearing the same outfit with a navel deep neckline that she did in ''Skyrim''.
* NothingPersonal: Does not hold a grudge against you if you thwarted any of her plans during the Daedric War Arc by the time of Blackwood, and willingly accepts the help of the Vestige during a side quest.
* PowerOfTheVoid: Claims to have powers other the void since she existed before Oblivion did.
* TheStarscream: [[spoiler:At the climax of ''Summerset's'' main quest, she backstabs Clavicus Vile and Mephala in order to take the Crystal Tower's power all for herself.]]
* TookALevelInJerkass: In previous games, she was generally one of the less malevolent Daedra and a case of DarkIsNotEvil by their standards; here, she is an OmnicidalManiac. Considering the fact that ESO is a prequel to the entire rest of the series, this trope does not apply in-universe and instead means that she TookALevelInKindness by the era of the numbered games.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Sheogorath]]

The [[Characters/TheElderScrolls Daedric Prince]] of Madness, Insanity, and the Arts. He plays a central role in the Mages' Guild questline, and shows up in a few other quests as well.
----
* AffablyEvil: He genuinely seems to like the player character. In his own way, of course.
* AllPowerfulBystander: He indicates several times that he's fully aware of what Molag Bal is doing, but doesn't seem to care enough to do anything about it.
* ArcVillain: Of the Mages' Guild questline.
* CloudCuckoolander: Did you honestly expect anything else from him?
* TheCorrupter: Drove the citizens of Southpoint completely insane, and corrupted its Mayor into being his [[TheDragon Dragon]] [[ItAmusedMe for his own amusement.]]
* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: PlayedForLaughs. The way he reacts to Gutsripper dying is one of the most humorous {{Villainous Breakdown}}s in the entire series.
-->'''Sheogorath:''' Puppy-killer! Come to steal me books? [[{{Metaphorgotten}} Who? Where? What? When? Sometimes why?]]
* FauxAffablyEvil: His friendliness is much more mocking and backhanded towards Shalidor. [[spoiler:Especially when it comes to Valaste.]]
* {{Flanderization}}: Due to a few memorable lines spoken in the ''Shivering Isles'' DLC of ''Oblivion'', Sheogorath had since become associated with cheese, but only on a mild level. ''Online'' practically made this into everything he says and does, since almost anything associated with him has to involve cheese in some way, and all of his lines reference them to an obsessive level.
* FriendlyEnemy: Towards the player character. He even refers to them as his "favorite mortal", and says that the trials were 'the most fun he's had in years.'
* ItsPersonal: He and Shalidor really have it out for one another.
* MadGod: Par for the course for him.
* NonActionBigBad: True to his previous depictions, such as ''Shivering Isles'' where physically attacking him is demonstrated to be both futile and suicidal. Instead, Haskill rather humorously serves as the FinalBoss for the Mage's Guild quest.
* TookALevelInJerkass: Unlike his previous incarnations, who's fun-loving but never really malicious, Sheogorath in ''Online'' seems to really get a kick out of making life miserable for mortals for his own amusement. Whereas the most he did in prior titles was [[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion causing a rat infestation and a]] [[ItMakesSenseInContext rain of flaming dogs]], ''Online'' has him driving several peaceful settlements to ruin and many innocent people insane (or dead) just because he's bored.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Vaermina]]

The [[Characters/TheElderScrolls Daedric Prince]] of Fear and Nightmares. She serves as the ArcVillain of the Stormhaven Questline in the Daggerfall Covenant, in which she and her cult, the Supernal Dreamers, drag High King Emeric and several others into an endless nightmare, for seemingly no reason other than [[ForTheEvulz because she can]].
----
* ArcVillain: Of the Stormhaven Questline in the Daggerfall Covenant.
* BestServedCold: [[spoiler:If you've previously completed the Stormhaven arc in the base game, then during the final battle of "Necrom", she makes it clear that she remembers you and is ''very'' eager for another chance to avenge her consort.]]
* BigBadDuumvirate: She and Peyrite serve as the main antagonists of the "Shadow Over Morrowind" arc.
* CoolMask: She is depicted as wearing one of these, and it's even one of her main symbols, along with [[ReptilesAreAbhorrent a snake]].
* CuteIsEvil: She sounds like a little girl, which [[VocalDissonance contrasts perfectly]] with how she gleefully describes how she's going to MindRape High King Emeric... and [[spoiler:you, after you kill her Champion.]]
* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: She is stated to actually be [[UnholyMatrimony in love with her Champion]]. [[spoiler:Her [[IllKillYou reaction]] to his death would seem to confirm this.]]
* EvilPlan: Her primary goal in Stormhaven is to spread chaos and anarchy throughout the Covenant, and she has various methods to do this:
** First, she attempts to drive a wedge between the Bretons and the Redguards by [[spoiler:manipulating a Breton knight into murdering King Faharijad's daughter]].
** Next, she has one of her Omens infiltrate the Midnight Union crime syndicate and corrupt it from within, using them to steal a powerful artifact from her hated rivals, the Spirit Wardens.
** Next, she attempts to [[spoiler:take advantage of an Orc general's lingering resentment over the Bretons' prejudice against the Orcs to incite a civil war.]]
** Finally, when all her previous plots are foiled, she goes all in and [[spoiler:tries to have her champion/consort assassinate High King Emeric and take his place, allowing him to drive the Covenant into the ground.]]
* ForTheEvulz: The only motivation she needs to throw the Covenant into chaos.
* MindRape: Basically her favorite pastime.
* NightmareFetishist: Literally. She dragged her Champion into Quagmire to be with her, knowing full well [[MindRape what that can do to someone]] and seemingly not caring, or maybe even sees that in and of itself as a show of affection.
* ReptilesAreAbhorrent: Her emblem, as well as her statue, features a snake, wrapped around her CoolMask in her banner, and draped across her shoulders on her statue.
* TranquilFury: After [[spoiler:you kill her Champion]], she goes into a VillainousBreakdown in which, still in her [[CuteIsEvil usual tone of voice]], she describes how she's going to spend the next century or so [[MindRape Mind Raping]] you for doing so.
* VillainousBreakdown: She's not happy at all about [[spoiler:you killing her Champion]], and makes that [[TranquilFury absolutely clear]].
-->'''Vaermina:''' [[spoiler:You have slain my consort as well.]] I'll get over my loss, [[IllKillYou but I think I'll keep you here for a while in his stead]]. Perhaps [[AndIMustScream a century or two]] will teach you humility. [...] Even if you escape [[EldritchLocation Quagmire]], mortal, you will not escape my vengeance. I can be patient, very patient. Goodbye... for now.
* {{Yandere}}: If her reaction to [[spoiler:her Champion's death]], as well as the fact that she dragged him into Quagmire with zero regard for his sanity, is anything to go by. Maybe having a Daedric Prince for a girlfriend isn't a good idea?
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Lyranth]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/por_lyranth.png]]

A Dremora of the Foolkillers Clan in service to Molag Bal, Lyranth nonetheless is willing to work with mortals to achieve her goals. Thus, she becomes an odd ally in Coldharbour. Lyranth shows up years later during the Gates of Oblivion storyline.
----
* ButNowIMustGo: She bids the player farewell after the completion of the ''Blackwood'' arc, as your and her goals are no longer aligned by then, though her wording implies that your paths may cross again in the future, it's just that you won't be seeing more of her ''right now''.
* DeadpanSnarker: Her dialogue is practically dripping with dry humour and sarcasm, even when she's trying to implore you to help her.
* EarlyBirdCameo: For Pact players in base game, they would encounter Lyranth in Shadowfen before meeting her in Coldharbour like the other two alliances.
* EveryoneHatesMimes: In her houseguest dialogue, Lyranth talks about her encounter with a mime. She approves:
->'''Lyranth:''' "I ventured into a mortal city recently and encountered--oh, what were they called again?--ah, mimes, that was it. I encountered mimes for the first time. They are absolutely horrifying. Well done."
* NobleDemon: Lyranth is unapologetically a Dremora, and would happily rip out your heart in different circumstances. But she will uphold her end of any bargain she makes.
* SoleSurvivor: Prior to the game, Lyranth's clan was wiped out in a power struggle. She was forced to take an oath to not raise a hand against those responsible. [[LoopholeAbuse Nothing is said about]] her employing ''your'' help to do the deed, though.
* WildCard: Lyranth makes no secret that she is willing to side against the Vestige if her goals require them to. There are plenty of times she will aid them but she is still a Dremora and thus holds no allegiance to them or any other mortal.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Arox the Mutilator]]
Once a mighty Ash Titan and favored minion of Mehrunes Dagon, Arox was betrayed by a subordinate and cursed into the form of a lowly Daedrat. Despite his new, diminiutive form, he remains proud and determined to claw his way back to the top.
----
* CassandraTruth: No one believes his claims that he is the legendary Arox, least of all Rynkyus. [[spoiler:This changes when he temporarily assumes his true form]].
* ForcedTransformation: Once one of the strongest Ash Titans in the Deadlands, now a near-powerless Daedrat.
* HeroicSacrifice: Non fatal variant. [[spoiler:At the climax of ''Deadlands'', he willingly gives up the chance to permanently remove his curse in order to help you reach Nokvroz.]]
* ItsPersonal: [[spoiler:Once he realizes Valkynaz Nokvroz was the one who betrayed and cursed him, he is ''furious'' and vows revenge.]]
* UndyingLoyalty: Towards you, the player, for rescuing him from a Watcher holding him captive.
[[/folder]]

!Other Characters

[[folder:The Prophet]]
-->'''Voiced By:''' Michael Gambon

A mysterious enemy of Molag Bal and Mannimarco kept as prisoner in Coldharbour. He helps the [[PlayerCharacter Soulless One]] to escape and is in turn rescued by him.
----
* AmnesiacHero: He was found by Moth Priests with no memory of his past life. [[spoiler: Played With in that he ''was'' amnesiac but by the time you meet him, he has recovered his memories and simply hides it out of shame.]]
* BigGood: None of the three big factions really want Molag Bal to win, but their main focus is one each other. The sole goal of the Prophet is stopping the Daedric Prince and saving Tamriel.
* BlindSeer: The result of him reading the Elder Scrolls.
* CuttingOffTheBranches: Downplayed. [[spoiler:As Sai Sahan and Lyris are canonically alive in ''Elsewyr'' and ''Greymoor'', respectively, and ''Orsinium'' reveals that he is now in the realm of Aetherius regardless of what happened to him, it is all but stated that he is canonically the one who sacrifices himself to power the Amulet of Kings. That said, if either Sai Sahan or Lyris ''was'' chosen as the sacrifice in the vanilla main quest, they're given updated dialogue admitting even they're confused.]]
* HandicappedBadass: He may be blind, but he certainly doesn't need vision for anything. His senses are extremely impressive, he always knows when you're there, and where you are at all times.
* IWasQuiteALooker: Flashbacks to before he prematurely aged show he was a handsome, dark-haired man.
* MyGreatestFailure: [[spoiler:When he was over-confident enough to think trusting Mannimarco was a good idea.]]
* TheReveal: He's none other than [[spoiler:Varen Aquilarios, former leader of the Five Companions and Emperor of Cyrodiil.]]
* RedemptionEqualsDeath: [[spoiler:As atonement for the damage his past hubris has caused to Tamriel, he willingly volunteers to be the sacrifice needed to empower the Vestige for their showdown against Molag Bal, knowing full well that it would result in his demise. The later expansions have effectively made this the canonical outcome of the main questline.]]
* YoungerThanTheyLook: Looks 70 when he's at most in his 40s.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Sir Cadwell]]
[[quoteright:320:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/por_sir_cadwell.png]]
-->'''Voiced By:''' Creator/JohnCleese

An old and surprisingly sane soul shriven of Coldharbour who will guide you on a certain quest throughout Coldharbour. He later appears in Elsweyr, where he learns about his past.
----
* AmnesiacDissonance: [[spoiler:''Elsweyr'' reveals that he was ''not'' a good person in life, something he takes great shame in once he remembers.]]
* BackFromTheDead: [[spoiler:Twice over! The first time is decidingly unwilling, as [[DragonAscendant Zumog Phoom]] ends up using his lifeforce to resurrect his living body, Cadwell the Betrayer. After Phoom and Cadwell the Betrayer are defeated, Sir Cadwell returns, claiming that all he needed was "a quick dip" in the pools of Coldharbour.]]
* BewareTheSillyOnes: Various Daedra learned this the hard way.
* BigDamnHeroes: [[spoiler:He becomes one of the closest allies to you once you go to Coldharbour, he assists you on nearly every single main quest. He definitely isn't joking when he calls himself a Knight.]]
* CloudCuckoolander: Most notable trait about him, he even has a pot on his head. Ironically, he's the only soul shriven in Coldharbour that's considered sane.
* IHatePastMe: In ''Elsweyr'' , [[spoiler:when he learns/remembers just how terrible he was when he was alive.]]
* InsanityImmunity: The reason he's still lucid (for a given value of such) despite being soul shriven - he was ''already'' mad prior to being taken to Coldharbour. In fact, he openly admits to liking the place.
* PostEndGameContent: After the main quest is completed, he is put in charge [[spoiler:by Meridia]] of allowing the Vestige to safely travel to their rival Alliances and experience their content.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:King Laloriaran Dynar]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/king_laloriaran_dynar_eso.png]]

The last king of the Ayleids, who was thought to have perished in the invasion of Delodiil by Molag Bal's forces. It turns out, he was Meridia's champion and master tactician, and was present when Meridia took Delodill, later referred to as the Hollow City, into Coldharbour. Despite her placing the city into Coldharbour in a manner which Molag Bal could not enter, King Dynar was still captured and held in the Lightless Oubliette, where he remained in waiting for the Vestige for approximately 3000 years. He is one of the primary questgivers in Coldharbour.
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* AlasPoorVillain: Invoked by him in regards to the fate of his species. [[spoiler:Despite the fact that he admits that his people were as monstrous as history says they are, he also mourns them and dialogue reveals he can't imagine a darker day than the end of the Ayleids.]]
* AndIMustScream: After the city of Delodiil was transported to Coldharbour, Dynar was one of those captured by Molag Bal's forces. He was imprisoned in the Lightless Oubliette and tortured endlessly for millennia, until his rescue at the Vestige's hands.
* BadassInDistress: He's trapped in the Lightless Oubliette. You first quest in Coldharbour is to rescue him.
* BigGood: Of the Coldharbour arc. He's the reason Hollow City is a safe haven for those trying to fight Molag Bal.
* CallBack: Dynar is the ruler of Nenalata, one of the many Ayleid ruins explorable in ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion Oblivion]]''. Additionally, his crown serves as the centerpiece to one of the more interesting sidequests in that game, though his name had been lost to time by then, being known simply as "the last king of the Ayleids".
* CoolOldGuy: He's positively ancient, even if one discounts the fact he probably hasn't much due to being in Coldharbour. He's also wise, friendly and a great fighter.
* EarlyBirdCameo: He shows up in a quest in Glenumbra Moors, ages before you actually meet him.
* GoOutWithASmile: As a result of his HeroicSacrifice, Dynar passes on with relief, knowing that he had helped redeem the legacy of his people by defying Molag Bal's will by taking part in the saving of all of Nirn.
* HeroicSacrifice: At the climax of The Final Assault, he, along with Darien Gautier, chooses not to enter Meridia's teleportation aura in order to try and close Molag Bal's portals and buy everybody more time to escape. As a result, he takes the full brunt of Bal's destructive magic and is grievously wounded. Although he was recovered by Meridia's forces, he quickly succumbs to his injuries after having a brief chat with the Vestige.
* ImpoverishedPatrician: The Alessian Order's Ayleid genocides left him without much of a kingdom to rule, something his Direnni allies mocked him for.
* LastOfHisKind: He's not only the last Ayleid King, he's the last known Ayleid in existence.
* MeaningfulName: His name means "Ruler in Dark Times" in Ayleidoon, appropriate for his role as basically the final leader during the dying days of his people.
* OneManArmy: It was said that, during the final moments of Delodiil's presence on Nirn, Dynar held off an enemy onslaught by himself in his defense of the city gates. It wasn't until the city was spirited into Coldharbour that Molag Bal's forces managed to subdue him in the ensuing disarray.
* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: Upon finding out that the Fighter's Guildhall in the Hollow City doesn't have a leader, he takes it upon himself to assume the position.
* TokenHeroicOrc: The Ayleids were a monstrously brutal race of elves, at least according to human historical sources, but Dynar himself is actually not a bad guy. [[spoiler:Further dialogue reveals that he turned against his fellow Ayleids because he believed in the younger race's cause. Also, unlike the reveal of the Falmer in Skyrim, he admits that the Ayleids were just as monstrous as history states them.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Eveli Sharp-Arrow]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/900px_on_npc_eveli_sharp_arrow_1.jpg]]
A young wood elf who has left the Valenwood in search of adventure. She is first met in Orisinium, and later in the Deadlands. Gets two meet the character articles, [[https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Meet_the_Character_-_Eveli_Sharp-Arrow_(Orsinium) here]] and [[https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Meet_the_Character_-_Eveli_Sharp-Arrow_(Flames_of_Ambition) here]].
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* ActionGirl: A wood elf girl, fresh from the Valenwood, with archery skills that put most in-game archers to shame that she regularly uses to kick ass and take names.
* BadassAdorable: Called adorable repeatedly in-universe and is capable of taking out dozens of foes on-screen and off without breaking a sweat. Yes, you'll sometimes walk in on her offing bandits trying to rush her while telling you to wait a second while she finishes with them.
* BookWorm: Oddly for a Bosmer (who usually hate paper because it's made of trees), she loves books, especially the ''Investigator Vale'' series of mystery fiction. When you enter a library with her, she gets excited and asks if you think they have any ''Investigator Vale'' books and is horrified when the library starts to burn with all the books in it, as so much knowledge and so many good stories are lost.
* BreakTheCutie: The events of ''Orsinium'' are ''not'' kind to her.
* GoodNewsBadNews: Really good news, bad news, irrelevant news. When you're seeking to break into a fort for Barzag, Eveli, who arrived first says she has good news, disappointing news, and downright awful news. The good news is that Barzag's instructions were easy to follow. The disappointing news is that she doesn't see a way in, and even if there were, there's no way they could get in without being attacked. The downright awful news?
-->"I lost a bet with Talviah and now I owe him a traditional Valenwood dinner. You know, the kind Wood Elves like to eat. I can't wait to see the look on his face when he realizes [[IAteWhat what kind of meat he's eating.]] It'll be priceless!"
* MassiveNumberedSiblings: The youngest of twelve, and says that this is normal for wood elves living deep in the Valenwood.
* MasterArcher: She is one if you believe her when she says she always hits what she's aiming at. Except [[NoodleIncident that one time]]. She did tell Bomfor not to move! Also, in her first character spotlight, the eye of the queen traveling with her says that she drove off a bunch of Red Rook Bandits almost as quickly as they ambushed the convoy they were riding in, with each arrow she fired hitting its mark without fail.
* NoodleIncident: Once accidentally shot another wood elf named Bomfor. She says that it's the one time that she hit something she wasn't aiming at, but it doesn't count because he moved.
-->No worries. I never hit anything I'm not aiming at. Well, except for that one time. But that totally doesn't count. I told Bomfor not to move!
* SkilledButNaive: An incredibly skilled fighter, especially with a bow, as noted by no less than one of the eyes of the queen in her first of two character spotlights. However, said eye notes that has no idea how the world outside of the Valenwood works.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:The Ascendant Order]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/por_ascendant_lord.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:The Ascendant Lord]]

A mysterious group that originated in the Breton homeland of High Rock, but has now grown to include all races of Tamriel. Led by the mysterious Ascendant Lord, they seek to dismantle the Three Alliances in order to create a "crownless world" where all are free and equal.
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* BigBad: The Ascendant Lord is the main antagonist of the "Legacy of the Bretons" arc.
* ContrastingSequelAntagonist: Compared to the previous {{Arc Villain}}s, which have included Daedric Princes, Dragons and Vampire Lords, the Order is surprisingly mundane by comparison. [[spoiler:Or so it seems as the leader turned out to be a descendant of the last Druid King and knows about spirits.]]
* EvilCounterpart: To the Society of the Steadfast. Both groups seek to end the Alliance War, but while the Society favors diplomacy and negotiation, the Order utilizes violence and terrorism to achieve their goals. [[spoiler:And then it turns out that they were both founded by the same person, with the Society's real purpose being to act as Bacaro's cover while he leads the Order]].
* FallenHero: [[spoiler:Its implied that Lord Bacaro ''was'' a genuinely noble and philanthropic man once, and that his formation of the Society of the Steadfast ''was'' genuine, but his growing resentment over how the Alliances continue their war year after year, the rapidly fading power of his house, and discovering his lineage to the Druid King, corrupted him into becoming the Ascendant Lord.]]
* {{Foreshadowing}}: Throughout High Isle's main quest, there are numerous hints regarding [[spoiler:Damard Dufort being [[TheDragon the Ascendant Magus]]]]:
** [[spoiler:Of the three main nobles suspected of colluding with the Order, only Damard is shown to be a mage.]]
** [[spoiler:During the party at Castle Nevire, Damard expresses frustration as to how High Isle's government is being dragged into the three Alliances' politics, which lines up with the Order's professed goals.]]
** [[spoiler:The Dufort Shipyard, which is stated to be under Damard's jurisdiction, turs out to be an Order hideout.]]
** [[spoiler:Damard Dufort speaks at the party to you of his interest in druidic magic. Other quests reveal the Ascendant Magus has been utilizing said magic to tap into the volcanic activity of the Systres (with mixed results)]]
** At the climax of ''High Isle's'' main quest, [[spoiler:Lord Bacaro is oddly insistent that you hold off on rushing to All Flags Islet to stop the Ascendant Order and wait until he's mustered reinforcements. And after the Ascendant Magus is defeated, he is briefly, but still noticeably surprised to see you still alive. The ''Legacy of the Bretons'' epilogue reveals that this is because Bacaro is the Ascendant Lord, and he just realized that his plan to have the Alliance leaders killed has failed and he's just lost one of his top enforcers.]]
** In ''Firesong'', [[spoiler:during the Dreadsails' attack on Vastyr, Bacaro insists that you bring any survivors you find to the cathedral. Once Sealord Nalos is defeated, the cathedral collapses with Bacaro as the sole survivor...]]
* JoinOrDie: Early in ''High Isle'', the Ascendant Magus crashes a party at Castle Nevire to tell the attendants to either swear fealty to the Order or be "wash away with the tide".
* MadeOfIron: In the ''High Isle'' launch trailer, the Ascendant Lord is zapped with magic and impaled with his own sword before having an entire stone column dropped on him...and it ''still'' isn't enough to kill him!
* OneWingedAngel: [[spoiler:In the final battle, the Ascendant Lord fuses with Mount Firesong's Guardian Spirit to become a titanic knight of flame and lava.]]
* SlouchOfVillainy: The Ascendant Lord gives an impressive one at the end of the ''High Isle'' announcement trailer.
* TinTyrant: The Ascendant Lord is covered from head to toe in [[https://www.elderscrollsonline.com/en-us/news/post/61847 fully concealing armour.]]
* VisionaryVillain: They present themselves as heroes of the downtrodden, seeking to "liberate" them from what they claim is an oppressive system.
* WeAreEverywhere: Part of what makes them such a threat is that they have agents in all facets of society, each one slavishly devoted to the Order's cause.
* WellIntentionedExtremist: While its heavily implied that the Ascendant Lord and his inner circle have ulterior motives, many of their rank and file are shown to genuinely believe that their crimes are for the sake of creating a better Tamriel for the commonfolk.
** NotSoWellIntentionedExtremist: [[spoiler:Sure enough, the ''Legacy of the Bretons'' epilogue reveals that the Ascendant Lord doesn't actually give a damn about peace and just wants to rule Tamriel himself as its new "Druid King".]]
* YouHaveFailedMe: [[spoiler:In his journal, the Ascendant Lord admits that even if the Ascendant Magus had succeeded in killing the Alliance leaders and the Vestige at All Flages Islet during the ''High Isle'' finale, he would have had the Magus killed anyway due to having failed to kill the leaders in the shipwreck at the start of the story as was the original plan.]]
[[/folder]]
!!The Trailer Specific Characters

[[folder:General Tropes]]
* AsskickingLeadsToLeadership: Every champion can kick massive amounts of asses and as the result became leader of their faction.
* CanonForeigner: They are only featured in the trailer produced by Studio Blur and not a single line is mentioned about them in-game. However, Zenimax then released the costumes worn by the champions in the game.
* EnemyMine: The cinematic trailer for ''High Isle'' has all three of them working together for the first time to take on the Ascendant Order.
* FighterMageThief: The Nord, Altmer, and Breton leaders respectively each exemplify one of the archetypes.
* HeroesPreferSwords: Every champion wields a sword.
* MeleeATrois: Three factions attack the fort and come to blows with one another, before the Dremora show up.
* NoNameGiven: We're never given their names (except the Warden) because all of them are meant to be, for lack of a better word, ''[[AudienceSurrogate you]]''. The only reason there are primarily three of them is to give the players equal representation no matter which of the Alliances they are part of.
* RedshirtArmy: Every character other than the respective faction's champion are easily taken down and, soon, forgotten. Possibly extended to the mage corps and possibly some chunks of the Ebonheart forces who attack Imperial City during the third trailer, since otherwise [[spoiler:the Altmer Swordknight wouldn't be able to stroll around the walls of the Imperial City.]]
* TheChampion: The raid squad leaders are the Champions of their respective groups.
* TheQuietOne: They are there (an unidentified fort and Imperial City) to fight, not talk.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Nord]]
[[quoteright:320:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/por_nord_barbarian.png]]
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* ADayInTheLimeLight: Takes center stage in the trailers for ''Greymoor'' and the Dark Heart of Skyrim storyline, fighting alongside Lyris.
* BarbarianLonghair: He goes into battle with hair that reaches his waist.
* BraidsOfBarbarism: Styles his hair in braids and happens to be a Nord.
* AndIMustScream: [[spoiler:He was (for a time) defeated, captured, and imprisoned by Mannimarco and Molag Bal in Coldharbour. He shows up later in the Greymoor trailer leading a force investigating the aftermath of a vampire attack.]]
* HornyVikings: His helmet is adorned with unique horns.
* KickTheDog: [[spoiler:He uses the ribbon which the Breton Ranger held as a rag.]]
* LargeAndInCharge: He is the biggest Tamrielic character in all trailers. Notably subverted in the ''Greymoor'' trailers where he's fighting alongside Lyris Titanborn, who towers over him.
* MightyGlacier: Strong, can soak up a lot of damage, and can return the favor, but is the least agile out of three champions.
* OldSoldier: Has a long white beard but is easily a match for warriors half his age.
* TribalFacePaint: On his face, underneath his helmet.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Altmer Swordknight]]
[[quoteright:320:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/por_altmer_spellsword.png]]
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* ADayInTheLimeLight: Takes center stage in the cinematic trailers for ''Summerset'', alongside Razum-dar. Notably, she's the only one of the three heroes with spoken dialogue.
* ActionGirl: She's deadly with either a sword or magic.
* BadassInDistress: [[spoiler:Captured at the end of the second trailer, [[DamselOutOfDistress but manages to get out of being a magic battery in the third trailer.]]]]
* TheBusCameBack: Returns for the cinematic trailer for ''Summerset''.
* RedheadedHero: She's red-headed and leader of the Aldmeri Dominion raid group.
* MagicKnight: Can kick ass with sword as well as magic.
* MercyKill: [[spoiler:She kills/purifies the undead Breton in the last trailer.]]
* NeverTrustATrailer: The Altmer hero's model was created specifically for promotional materials and does not match the aesthetics of her in-game race, with very human-looking facial features and eyes that are simply not available to High elves in the character creation. Most notably, there is simply no way to create an Altmer with eyes that have prominent sclera like hers, and even the lightest available skin tone for this race still has a noticeably brownish-gold hue, unlike her rosy human-like complexion.
** She's also incredibly short for an Altmer, with the Nord towering over her in the ''High Isle'' launch trailer.
* PetTheDog: [[spoiler:She mercy kills the Breton and seems to show sympathy despite him being an enemy soldier.]]
* SmurfettePrinciple: The only (clearly identified and significant) female in the trailers.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Breton Ranger]]
[[quoteright:310:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/por_breton_assassin.png]]
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* ADayInTheLimelight: Shows up in the ''Elsweyr'' trailers, alongside Khamira, Abnur Tharn, and Sai Sahan. Though where as the Swordknight and the Nord played equal parts to Razum-Dar and Lyris, respectively, the Ranger serves more as a supporting role to Khamira, the real star of the trailers, mainly serving to show off some of the new necromancer class abilities.
* AndThenJohnWasAZombie: [[spoiler:In the mid-second trailer and onward.]]
* BackFromTheDead: In addition to being turned undead to begin with, the ''Elsweyr'' trailers [[spoiler:show him alive again and helping to deal with the dragons ravaging the country.]]
* BowAndSwordInAccord: As befitting of the Ranger class, he wields a bow.
* DyingAsYourself: [[spoiler:His eyes and skin return to their natural tone in his final moments and he doesn't resist the Altmer.]]
* ForgotAboutHisPowers: The Elsweyr trailers portray him as a necromancer. Come High Isle, he's back to fighting like a common rogue again, displaying none of the magical abilities he used against dragons in the previous trailer.
* IDieFree: [[spoiler:The Altmer Swordknight kills/purifies the undead Breton in the fourth trailer.]]
* TheLadysFavour: [[spoiler:Breton Ranger held a ribbon which came from a woman, maybe his lover]].
* McNinja: Cowl and masker? Check. Throwing Knives? Check. Extremely agile? Big check.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Boldekh]]
[[quoteright:297:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/boldekh.png]]
A Redguard Warden who appears alongside Naryu in the cinematic trailer for the ''Morrowind'' chapter.

* AllThereInTheManual: His given name, Boldekh is revealed in [[http://en.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Naryu%27s_Journal/Vvardenfell,_Before Naryu's Journal]].
* AnIcePerson: Uses ice magic to attack and shield with during the trailer.
* LoyalAnimalCompanion: His bear companion, overlaps with ActionPet.
[[/folder]]