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A list of characters found in The Elder Scrolls Online. For the cast directory of the franchise as a whole, go here.


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The Vestige

"That is the name I have given you. You are but a trace of your former self. A soulless one. An empty vessel that longs to be filled. It is as the Scrolls foretold, but not exactly as I imagined."
— The Prophet.


  • Action Girl: Being female does not hinder the Vestige's abilities at kicking ass.
  • The Ace: Thanks to the game's nature, the Vestige can get to level 50 in all weapon skills, world skills, and creation skills.
  • Adventurer Archaeologist - Many quests involve you exploring ruins for this reason. Two of your world skill lines (unlocked with Greymoor) are about Archaeology and you end up joining the Antiquarian Circle.
  • Anti-Hero: Easy to fall into this with soul magic and all. Amplified if the Vestige is a Nightblade, Necromancer, or Arcanist/Sorcerer and even more so if they are a vampire or werewolf.
  • The Archmage: The Vestige can complete all magic-related world and guild skill lines, reach max level in the mage's guild, and they even get a title called Master Wizard.
  • Badass Bookworm: The Vestige can collect lorebooks and will always know some type of magic yet they are a skilled warrior in their own right.
  • Bag of Holding: Since Online did away with the weight system of the traditional titles, your Vestige's inventory is slot-based and each item (or stack of items) will take up one of those, regardless of if said item is a tiny Lockpick or a furnishing piece the size of a small building.
  • Casting a Shadow: If the Vestige is a Nightblade. Nightblades use shadow magic to conceal themselves, protect themselves from attacks, teleport, and manipulate life force.
  • Gameplay and Story Integration: Unlike other Elder Scrolls games, all of the Vestige's deaths are canon thanks to saves and loads not being possible here. It's just that their connection to Coldharbour and lack of soul allows them to return from death.
  • Resurrective Immortality: It's one of the perks of their soullessness, as not having a soul while also possessing an intrinsic Anuic principle means mortal wounds simply won't stick on them as they would on regular living beings, since their connection to Coldharbour will allow them to keep returning to life. This makes it one of the rare cases of respawning being a part of Gameplay and Story Integration. The crux of the Bangkorai chapter is Septima Tharn trying to bait them into the Far Shores - where this connection is severed - and kill them there permanently, though it didn't work out the way she planned it to. However, Gameplay and Story Segregation is in play after the conclusion of the main questline, as the Vestige will have gained their soul back at the climax of that plotline, but dying will still allow them to pop back up like they've been doing up to that point.

Alliances

Aldmeri Dominion

See here.

Daggerfall Covenant

    High King Emeric 
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/por_emeric_of_cumberland.png
Voiced By: Bill Nighy

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.
  • Asskicking Leads to Leadership: 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.
  • Big Good: For the Covenant.
  • Cool Old Guy: Despite his age, he's very laid-back, affable and willing to lead his armies himself.
  • Deadpan Snarker: He holds nothing about being High King sacred, and frequently jokes about what a pain in the ass it is ruling the Covenant.
  • Does This Make Me Look Fat?: 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.
  • Double In-Law Marriage: He and his brother Nathaniel are married to the daughters of King Fahara'jad.
  • Gag Penis: 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 ….
  • Genghis Gambit: 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.
  • The Good King: Yup. For one, he managed to get the Bretons, Orcs, and Redguards to form an alliance, despite the three peoples' mutual distrust.
  • The High King: 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.
  • It's Personal: Bangkorai's Arc Villain is Septima Tharn, who nastily rejected Emeric's romantic interest in their younger days. Now Happily Married, Emeric no longer has romantic feelings for her, but facing her again rankles his pride. For Septima's part, this is completely averted, as Emeric is not her true target at all, merely bait so that she can try to kill the player character, whom she recognizes as the true threat to her designs on the Daggerfall Covenant.
  • Like an Old Married Couple: In Wayrest Castle, Emeric and his queen Maraya can be heard lightly bickering about a variety of mundane topics.
  • Love Triangle: Emeric was engaged to Rayelle, the daughter of King Ranser, but broke it off abruptly when he fell in Love at First Sight with Maraya. Ranser was so enraged that he started a war and nearly unseated Emeric from power.
  • Merchant Prince: How he gained his prestige.
  • Modest Royalty: 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.
  • My God, You Are Serious!: 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.
  • Perfectly Arranged Marriage: He and his brother Nathaniel married the daughters of King Fahara'jad of Alikr, and both ended up in happy marriages.
  • Reasonable Authority Figure
  • Royals Who Actually Do Something: Definitely does later on in the game.
  • Took a Level in Jerkass: A mild example, but Emeric is surprisingly pissy and obstinate in the Stirk conference compared to the Covenant storyline, where he's a Reasonable Authority Figure through and through.
  • What the Hell, Hero?: If you've completed the Thieves Guild questline prior to High Isle, an appalled Emeric will inform you that his spymaster linked you with the Guild's activities. And he isn't fooled by the Blatant Lies you offer as an excuse, although he admits to the pragmatic usefulness of the criminal underworld.
  • When All You Have Is a Hammer…: 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.
  • Wrong Genre Savvy: 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.
  • You Are in Command Now: He ascended the throne of Wayrest when the entire royal family was killed off by the Khahaten Flu.

    King Fahara'jad 
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/por_king_faharajad_3.png

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


  • Authority Sounds Deep: He has a very deep voice and is a capable king.
  • Birds of a Feather: 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 trade and commerce to shore up their own power, and each acting as a Reasonable Authority Figure within their respective questlines. In fact, they are among the very few zone leaders who appear to be personally close with each other.
  • The Magnificent: 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."
  • Older Than They Look: He has three grown children, including one who's been in a relatively long marriage with King Emeric.
  • Papa Wolf: When his daughter 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.
  • Pragmatic Hero: Fahara'jad has no qualms about employing 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.
  • Reasonable Authority Figure: 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.

    Prince Azah 
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/por_prince_azah.png

King Fahara'jad's only son.


    Captain Kaleen 
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.


  • The Caper: She's the brains behind one and has a questline requiring you to collect the members of, and pull off said heist.
  • Chronic Backstabbing Disorder: 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.
  • Did Not Think This Through: 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.
  • Even the Girls Want Her: Her cabin girl is practically screaming it from the rooftops.
  • My Country, Right or Wrong: 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.
  • Skewed Priorities: Master Kasan, her mentor, thinks this of her when she says she wants to give an Ayleid Artifact of Doom 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.
  • Ungrateful Bastard: 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 saved her life and helped her stop a traitorous spy from inciting a civil war in the Covenant.
  • What the Hell, Hero?: Lambur leaves her service in disgust after her actions on Betnikh.

    Jakarn 
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/por_jakarn.png
Voiced By: Steve Blum

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


  • Brainwashed and Crazy: Very briefly in Elsweyr, when he becomes so obsessed with the Jewel of Baan Dar he's willing to take a fatal plunge off a cliff pursuing it. The player character can snap him out of it via The Power of Friendship.
  • Card Sharp: He scams some Khajiit thugs out of a great deal of money this way in Elsweyr, and only narrowly escapes the subsequent Gambling Brawl.
  • The Charmer: Several of his admirers flat-out admit they know he's full of it, but find him so attractive they don't care.
  • Chick Magnet: He catches the eye of three women on the Spearhead.
  • Even the Guys Want Him: Along with the three women mentioned above, a male Nord also joins the crew just to see him work shirtless.
  • Everyone Has Standards: 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.
  • Karmic Thief: 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).
  • Ladykiller in Love: 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.
  • Loveable Rogue: Jakarn's a thief and a trickster, but also an easygoing and likable guy who generally avoids violent methods where possible.
  • Nice Guy: 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 Artifact of Doom, even if it might give the Covenant an advantage.
  • Really Gets Around: One of Jakarn's defining characteristics. Elsweyr makes it clear that gender and race are no object to him.
  • Show Some Leg: 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. It's a very effective distraction.

    Neramo 
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.


  • Admiring the Abomination: He would prefer to keep the Ayleid artifact on Betnikh for himself, instead of destroying it or using it for the Covenant war effort.
  • Bunny-Ears Lawyer: Despite his personality, he's still one of the most knowledgable Dwemer scholars alive.
  • Comedic Sociopathy: 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.
  • Fan Boy: 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.

    Crafty Lerisa 
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/por_crafty_lerisa.png
Voiced by: Kari Wahlgren

A Breton pirate captain found shipwrecked on Stros M'Kai, she can be recruited for Kaleen's heist.


  • Distaff Counterpart: To Jakarn, as a fellow Loveable Rogue who engages in shady business but is overall consistently helpful to the Vestige.
  • The Men First: 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.
  • Pay Evil unto Evil: Her retaliation against Captain Helane is horrifically painful — although as Lerisa points out, she's using a poison Helane herself used against disobedient slaves.
  • The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: 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.
  • Stealth Expert: 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?

    Gabrielle Benele 
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.


  • Absent-Minded Professor: Frequently misplaces her things while wrapped up in research.
  • Badass Bookworm: Although Gabrielle is primarily a scholar, she jumps in to personally fight Angof alongside the Vestige.
  • I Will Find You: After Darien Gautier goes missing in Coldharbour, she can subsequently be found in Anvil's guildhall, obsessed with researching a way to find him.
  • Nightmare Fuel Station Attendant: As a scholar, Gabrielle can sometimes be cheerfully enthusiastic over freakish or disturbing magical anomalies.
    • Character Development: This is downplayed after the Coldharbour quests, as the shock of losing King Dynar and Darien Gautier appears to have genuinely shaken her.
  • Persona Non Grata: 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.
  • Thinking Up Portals: 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.

    Captain Darien Gautier 
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/por_darien_gautier.png
Voiced By: Jon Curry

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.


  • Ambiguous Situation: Summerset reveals that he is a creation of Meridia and not fully human, but whether he is completely Born of Magic or actually related to his human father (whom you meet in Glenumbra) is never clarified.
  • And I Must Scream: 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.
  • Awesome, but Temporary: While serving as a Guest-Star Party Member in Summerset, Darien turns out to be one of the only NPCs who can do a Combination Attack 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 curb stomping your way to the end of the level. Unfortunately, Dawnbreaker is stolen from Darien at the end of the level.
  • Badass in Distress: In Summerset, he needs to be rescued from Mephala's realm. In subsequent quests, however, he's an incredibly capable Guest-Star Party Member.
  • Big Ego, Hidden Depths: 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 coming true.
  • The Casanova: Not to the extent of Raz, but Darien is an 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 get into the pants of their female captain. Gwendis cheekily calls him out on the last bit, which he tries to deflect with sarcasm.
  • Cerebus Retcon: 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.
  • Chivalrous Pervert: Darien loves the ladies, but he's a good guy.
  • Contagious Heroism: 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."
  • Deadpan Snarker: 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.
  • Establishing Character Moment: 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.
  • Failure Knight: 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.
  • Fire-Forged Friends: 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, 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 Divine Parentage or being simply Born of Magic is left ambiguous, but Darien claims to have known he was different all of his life.
    • If you play through Orsinium, 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.
  • The Good Captain: He does his best to put The Men First, and he frequently backs up the Player Character without any fuss.
  • Handsome Lech: 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 Valsirenn suggests abandoning him in Oblivion). If female, the player character can choose whether to flirt back or to reject him in similar fashion.
  • Heroic Sacrifice: Pulls one off towards the end of the Summerset questline to give the Player Character a shot at defeating Nocturnal.
  • Honey Trap: His Chivalrous Pervert 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.
  • I Will Find You: 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.
  • "It" Is Dehumanizing: Meridia refers to him as "it" several times when revealing that Darien is the Golden Knight, emphasizing that "it" is purely her vessel.
  • Knight in Shining Armor: His Chivalrous Pervert 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 in Summerset when he gets upgraded to literal shining armor — but it's because he's now the champion of Meridia, a daedric prince.
  • Leeroy Jenkins: Although he's able to keep his head often enough to avoid becoming The Millstone, Darien does more than once rush blindly into battle and need to get bailed out by the player character.
  • Luckily, My Shield Will Protect Me: In Summerset, after he loses Dawnbreaker, he switches to a special holy shield the player character can get behind.
  • Mr. Fanservice: He's a Knight in Shining Armor who flirts incessantly with the player character, and gets a few beefy 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."
  • Missing Mom: 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. Given that he's revealed to be an Artificial Human created by Meridia, she might as well be his mother in a sense.
  • Never Found the Body: 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 Heroic Sacrifice, but you later receive a message from him establishing that he's yet again in Meridia's realm, albeit this time being slowly stripped of his free will.
  • No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: His Heroic Sacrifice 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.
  • Noodle Incident: 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.
  • Please Put Some Clothes On: The player character gets the opportunity to tell him this during one of his shirtless scenes.
  • Recurring Character: Darien starts out as a support character in Glenumbra, but gradually shows up in enough questlines that he evolves into a Walking Spoiler.
  • Romance Sidequest: Downplayed as it does not significantly affect the plot, but Darien is one of the few NPCs (along with Naryu Virian of the Pact) whose flirtatious advances the player can choose to return. Becomes a case of Star-Crossed Lovers after the events of the main quest and especially Summerset.
  • Semi-Divine: He's the vessel of Meridia, meaning he is essentially a demigod.
  • Trademark Favorite Food: He's seen chomping down on a loaf of bread in a few key scenes, a Running Gag that made it into Smolder Scrolls.

    Skordo The Knife 

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


  • Boisterous Bruiser: Skordo loves to bash skulls and make quips about it.
  • Bruiser with a Soft Center: In Elsweyr, he's hell-bent on rescuing two innocent civilians who were kidnapped alongside him. And he's genuinely broken up when he can't reach one of them in time.
  • Distressed Dude: He is first encountered being held captive by Montclair's forces in Rivenspire.
  • Fire-Forged Friends: With Darien Gautier in some of the Daggerfall Covenant zones.
  • First-Person Smartass: 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.
  • Hot Skitty-on-Wailord Action: In Elsweyr, an Alfiq Khajiit finds him quite sexy, evidently not deterred by their highly different physiologies.
  • Let Us Never Speak of This Again: In Elsweyr you can encounter him shortly after he's been kidnapped; Skordo would strongly prefer that no one ever hear about it.
  • The Men First: 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.
  • Noodle Incident: 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.
  • Recurring Character: He pops up again in Orsinium and Elsweyr.
  • Signpost Tutorial: He is the author of three almanacs that point the player towards daily repeatable quests.
  • Took a Level in Badass: Skordo is a capable fighter to begin with, but he graduates from Distressed Dude to Fighters' Guild member to joining the assault on Coldharbour and Molag Bal in the main quest.

    Angof the Gravesinger 

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


  • The Atoner: When the Observer lists the weaknesses of the three, he lists Thallik's ambition and Estre's deception. By contrast, he lists Angof's as an overwhelming sense of regret.
  • Arc Villain: Of Glenumbra.
  • Heel–Face Turn: 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"?
  • Worthy Opponent: 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.

    Duke Nathaniel of Alcaire 
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.


  • Double In-Law Marriage: He and his brother Emeric are both married to a pair of sisters, the daughters of King Fahara'jad.
  • Happily Married: Her sister claims that Lakana fell in Love at First Sight 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 bedroom skills.
  • Maligned Mixed Marriage: Lakana tells you there are many in Hammerfell who oppose the Daggerfall Covenant, and thus violently oppose the political marriages (hers, and her sister's to King Emeric) that cement it.
  • Reasonable Authority Figure: 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.

    Duchess Lakana 
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/por_duchess_lakana.png

King Fahara'jad's youngest daughter and wife to Duke Nathaniel.


  • Double In-Law Marriage: She and her sister Maraya were part of an Arranged Marriage to King Emeric and his brother Nathaniel, thus uniting Hammerfell and High Rock into the Daggerfall Covenant.
  • Happily Married: Her sister claims that Lakana fell in Love at First Sight 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.
  • Maligned Mixed Marriage: Lakana tells you there are many in Hammerfell who oppose the Daggerfall Covenant, and thus violently oppose the political marriages (hers, and her sister's to King Emeric) that cement it.
  • Red Herring: 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.
  • Sacrificial Lion: She ends up getting assassinated no matter what, causing a crisis to the Hammerfell and High Rock relationship.
  • Sex Goddess: 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?"

    Countess Eselde Tamrith 
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.


  • Awesome Moment of Crowning: The Rivenspire arc can potentially end with her crowned Queen of Shornhelm.
  • Big Sister Instinct: She's outraged when she learns Reezal-Jul has her sister and even moreso after she learns what he plans for her. However, this is subverted when her sister is afflicted with vampirism. Countess Tamrith immediately asks the player to put Janeve down, despite Janeve begging to live.
  • Chaste Hero: She's immune to all of Darien's flirtatious advances.
  • The Fundamentalist: Countess Tamrith is extremely devoted to Arkay and prays over every decision. When her own little sister — whom she otherwise dearly loves — is turned into a vampire, she immediately rejects her as an unholy abomination.
  • Mercy Kill: She asks the player to do this to her own little sister, although the player character can choose to spare Janeve.
  • Red Oni, Blue Oni: With Baron Dorell. She's the blue, being a peacekeeper who wants to focus on easing Rivenspire after a time of great turmoil.
  • The Rival: To Baron Alard Dorell.
  • Tap on the Head: 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.
  • What the Hell, Hero?: 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.

    Baron Alard Dorell 
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.


  • Awesome Moment of Crowning: The Rivenspire arc can potentially end with him crowned King of Shornhelm.
  • But Thou Must!: 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.
  • I Have No Son!: Alard is thoroughly disappointed in his son for falling under Lleraya's control and dooming the people of Northpoint to a Fate Worse than Death. He himself says as much.
    Alard: You're dead to me, Ellic. Dead!
  • Jerkass Has a Point: During the conflict in Shornhelm, Tamrith is shocked to find herself agreeing with Dorell that a decisive attack is needed.
  • Red Oni, Blue Oni: With Countess Tamrith. He's the red, wanting to strengthen the kingdom's armies and defenses.
  • The Rival: To Countess Eselde Tamrith

    Count Verandis Ravenwatch 
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.


  • And Now for Someone Completely Different: A temporary case which the player controls Verandis while visiting his repressed memories.
  • The Atoner: 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.
  • Big Good: Of the Rivenspire and Markarth arcs.
  • Broken Pedestal: Zig-zagged. 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.
  • The Bus Came Back: After being Put on a Bus at the conclusion of the Rivenspire arc, Verandis returned during the prologue of Markarth and once again plays the role of the Big Good for much of its questline.
  • Chick Magnet: Downplayed, but present — both Lleraya and Gwendis are explicitly stated to be in love with him at different parts of his quest line.
  • Deal with the Devil: Instead of being turned by another vampire, he was granted vampirism by Molag Bal this way.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 The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion; 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.
  • Friendly Neighborhood Vampire: 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.
  • Get A Hold Of Yourself Man: 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.
  • Heel–Face Turn: 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. 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.
  • Heroic Sacrifice: He seems to be a huge fan of this trope, befitting his character type as The Atoner. Interestingly, both of the times he pulled this, are to try and contain an Artifact of Doom 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. The Vestige and Gwendis later manage to bring him back through a Gray Host ritual, so it didn't stick.
    • 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.
  • Old Friend: He was one of High King Emeric's earliest supporters.
  • Nice Guy: Verandis is very welcoming and courteous to the player character.
  • Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: The Dark Heart of Skyrim storyline reveals that it was Verandis’s own research (originally intended to help mortals) that Rada al-Saran used to create the harrowstorms amd enact his Evil Plan.
  • Retired Monster: Ultimately subverted. 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.
  • So Proud of You: After returning from his second Heroic Sacrifice, Verandis expresses his pride over how much his charges have grown. He then relinquishes his title to them, and sets off for some time Walking the Earth alone, but also promises to visit them whenever he can.
  • Token Heroic Orc: An Altmer vampire who is a high-ranking nobleman of High Rock.
  • We Used to Be Friends: With Baron Montclair, the Arc Villain of the Rivenspire.
  • What Happened to the Mouse?: At the conclusion of the Rivenspire arc, Verandis pulls a Heroic Sacrifice 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, 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.

    Gwendis 

A young Bosmer vampire and a protege of Verandis Ravenwatch.


  • Action Girl: Fights alongside Verandis and the Montclairs in Verandis' flashback, and manages to hold off the enemies chasing both.
  • All Love Is Unrequited: She's in love with Verandis, but he seems to regard her strictly as a student.
  • Big Damn Heroes: In Verandis' flashback, Gwendis arrives to save him at the last moment as the newly-turned Montclair vampires close in on him.
  • Cant Hold Their Liquor: In Verandis' flashback, she's completely plastered after a relatively small amount of wine.
  • Covert Pervert: She evidently watched enough of Darien Gautier's seduction of an enemy guard captain to pop up immediately afterwards and offer some snarky congratulations.
  • Does Not Know Her Own Strength: She gets carried away feeding at Ravenwatch manor, and has to be cautioned to go easy by Verandis.
  • Undying Loyalty: To Verandis.

    Baron Wylon Montclair 
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.


  • Arc Villain: For Rivenspire arc.
  • Anti-Villain: Wylon was desperately trying to save his dying wife and his efforts end up turning him into a vampire and driving him insane.
  • Bald of Evil: A sympathetic variant at any rate.
  • Evil Sounds Deep: Courtesy of being voiced by Crispin Freeman.
  • Never My Fault: 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 Mercy Kill 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.
  • Our Vampires Are Different: Specifically, accidentally turned by Verandis after he came into contact with an Ayleid Artifact of Doom.
  • Tragic Monster: He could have avoided being turned into a vampire had he simply accepted his wife's death.
  • We Used to Be Friends: With Verandis. The death of Wylon's wife and Verandis's failure to save her disintegrated the friendship.

    Reezal-Jul 

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


  • Avenging the Villain: He seeks to devastate the Covenant to avenge King Ranser.
  • Greater-Scope Villain: 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.
  • Manipulative Bastard: 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.
  • Mind Wipe: He pulls this on Verandis, obscuring his own role in the Face–Heel Turn of Baron Montclair.
  • My Species Doth Protest Too Much: 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.
  • Night of the Living Mooks: His ultimate goal is to command an army of undead, noting that he loves how obedient and unquestioning they are.
  • Revenge: 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.
  • Screw This, I'm Outta Here: In his backstory, he abandoned King Ranser when the latter was cornered at Traitor's Tor.
  • The Starscream: 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 has outlived his use.
  • The Unfettered: 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.

    Throne Keeper Farvad 
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.


  • Badass Preacher: He is a simple priest, but he is more than capable of defending himself.
  • Guest-Star Party Member: He is one of the three major Alikr' Desert characters who can assist you during the final battle against Shiri and Suturah.
  • Hearing Voices: 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.
  • Heroic BSoD: 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).

    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.

  • Avenging the Villain: Shiri makes it clear that she is not happy about her brothers' deaths when you finally confront her.
  • Evil Former Friend: 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.
  • Genre Savvy: They take full advantage of the fact that Redguard culture forbids harming the dead.
  • The Mole: 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.
  • Thanatos Gambit: 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.
  • The Undead: Naturally, as a necromancer cult, they have a lot of these at their disposal. Suturah himself is risen as a Lich during the final battle.

    Queen Arzhela 
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/por_queen_arzhela.png

King Emeric's cousin and the recently-widowed Queen of Evermore.


  • Big Good: For the Evermore-centric half of the Bangkorai arc.
  • Outliving One's Offspring: The Reachman invaders killed both of her children. You can actually meet both in sidequests, as they are temporarily revived by supernatural means. 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.
  • Reasonable Authority Figure: 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 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.

    King Kurog 
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kurog_groorsinium_eso.png
Voiced by: JB Blanc
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.
  • Alas, Poor Villain: 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.
  • Apologetic Attacker: 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.
  • Big Bad: 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.
  • Big Eater: Described as such in The Chronicles of King Kurog, and he frequently holds meetings at his favorite cornerclub in Orsinium.
  • The Fundamentalist: He is extremely adamant in his belief that the worship of Trinimac is essential to the Orcs' survival. So much so that he is willing to do a lot of morally reprehensible things to accomplish it.
  • My Beloved Smother: Many characters remark on the power Kurog's mother wields over him, and after their deaths, she is assigned much of the blame for Kurog's Face–Heel Turn.
  • Odd Friendship: 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.
  • Out of Focus: 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.
  • Turns Red: 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.
  • Unwitting Pawn: many Orcs consider him one to Emeric, with one such Orc outright defecting to the Dominion due to this belief. Its also heavily implied that his Face–Heel Turn in Orsinium was due in part to manipulations by his mother, Forgemother Angra.
  • Violently Protective Girlfriend: His shield-wives are VERY willing and able to fight to the death to defend him. Including against you.
  • Well-Intentioned Extremist: As brutal as his methods and goals are, he genuinely believes its for the good of the Orcs.

    Lady Clarisse Laurent 
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/por_lady_clarisse_laurent.png

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


  • Comedic Sociopathy: 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.
  • Perspective Flip: 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.
  • Pet the Dog: In Coldharbour, Lady Laurent has an extremely rare moment of concern for Stibbons and sends the player to rescue him from the Spurned Peak.
  • Pointy-Haired Boss: Despite her pretensions of scholarly exploration, most of the actual accomplishments of her expeditions are done by the player character.
  • Recurring Character: 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.
  • Upper-Class Twit: She is a noble from Daggerfall whose aspirations of greatness far exceed her actual abilities.

    Stibbons 
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.


  • Damned by Faint Praise: An item in his possession was given to him by Lady Laurent "in recognition of years of adequate service."
  • Extreme Doormat: To Lady Laurent, rushing to obey even her most outlandish and dangerous demands.
  • Fatal Attractor: In Coldharbour, he is twice the object of daedric affections.
  • Grand Theft Me: 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.
  • Iron Butt Monkey: 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.
  • Sycophantic Servant: 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.
  • Throw the Dog a Bone: 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

    Almalexia (a.k.a. Ayem) 
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.


  • Consumate Liar: Sotha Sil makes the observation that she's a master liar, noting that the reason it works so well is because 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.
  • Deity of Human Origin: Rather, Deity of Elven Origin, like the rest of the Tribunal.
  • Gods Need Prayer Badly: 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.
  • Good Is Not Soft: Kind, benevolent, fair, and capable of ruthlessly smiting anyone who dares to threaten the peace of Mournhold.
  • Lady of War: She may be a god, but that doesn't mean she won't personally deal with those who attack her city or people. See Good Is Not Soft directly above.
  • Light 'em Up: Employs a variety of light-based magic, ranging from relatively mundane (hands-free lanterns) to incredibly lethal (massive spears of golden light).
  • Mama Bear: If you do anything to threaten the lives of her 'children', Divines help you.
  • Physical God: 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.
  • Power Floats: She's always seen elegantly hovering a few inches above the ground.
  • Praetorian Guard: The 'Hands of Almalexia' stationed throughout Mournhold.
  • Red Baron: Sacred Lady, Mother Morrowind.
  • Tragic Hero: Her genuinely heroic nature shown here makes her inevitable fall into madness in Tribunal all the more tragic.

    Jorunn the Skald-King 
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/por_jorunn_the_skald_king_5.png
Voiced by: Peter Stormare
Dubbed by: Daniel Beretta (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.


  • Altar Diplomacy: 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.
  • Big Good: 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). 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.
  • The Cavalry: 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.
  • The Dandy: Jorunn's not really that eccentric but the fact he's a former Skald causes many, particularly his enemies, to regard him as this.
  • Distressed Dude: In the Greymoor prologue quest. You and Lyris help him out. He is rather embarassed about it.
  • The Good King: 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.
  • Gender-Blender Name: 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).
  • Large and in Charge: He is a Nord after all. When all 3 alliance leaders meet to negotiate, he towers over Ayrenn and Emeric.
  • Modest Royalty: 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.
  • Put on a Bus: As of High Isle, with his son Irnskar attending the peace talks on his behalf. Irnskar informs you that Jorunn is too smitten with his new girlfriend to leave her.
  • Reasonable Authority Figure: 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.
  • Royals Who Actually Do Something: Personally oversees just about every major event in the Eastmarch and Riften plotlines.
  • Spare to the Throne: His older sister was meant to succeed their mother. He became king after she died in the Akaviri invasion.
  • Warrior Poet: Prior to becoming King, he was a skilled Skald.

    Prince Irnskar 
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/por_prince_irnskar.png

King Jorunn's loyal yet hotheaded son.


  • Ascended Extra: 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.
  • Badass in Distress: 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 Trojan Horse gambit by the Vestige and the other two faction leaders to break him out.
  • Butt-Monkey: 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 manged 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.
  • Pet the Dog: Despite his poor behavior, Irnskar is genuinely protective and loyal towards his father.
  • Prince Charmless: When first encountered, Irnskar is a pompous, bigoted jerk who nearly drives his Dunmer and Argonian allies away completely.
  • Ship Tease: In the Markarth storyline, he's plainly smitten with Princess Svana.
  • Suspiciously Specific Denial: 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.
  • Took a Level in Kindness: 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 Reasonable Authority Figure.

    Naryu Virian 
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/por_naryu_virian.png
Voiced by: Kath Soucie

A Dunmer assassin under the employment of the Morrowind-based 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.


  • Ambiguously Bi: 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 Dating Sim 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.
  • Action Girl: A very lethal assassin in service to the Morag Tong. At one point, she kills three armed men to save the Vestige's life.
  • Breakout Character: 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.
  • Code of Honour: Bound to one, like all Morag Tong assassins.
  • Deadpan Snarker: Quite possibly the snarkiest female character in the game.
  • Easily Forgiven: 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.
  • Enemy Mine: 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.
  • Former Teen Rebel: 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!
  • Femme Fatale: She can certainly turn up the charm when it's needed.
  • Groin Attack: Pulls one on an unfortunate House Dres courier during the Mournhold act in order to obtain a key into the city's underground tunnels.
  • Honey Trap: She's not above pulling this, and can even be persuaded to do this in one of her quests.
  • Hitman with a Heart: Without a doubt one of the nicest (and snarkiest) assassins ever encountered.
  • Hypercompetent Sidekick: 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.
  • Kick The Son Of A Bitch: Literally, in the Elder Scrolls Online: Morrowind reveal trailer. She kicks her mark into a giant Dwemer Humongous Mecha's flamethrower.
  • In Love with the Mark: Averted, but Discussed. 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.
  • Professional Killer: As a member of the Morag Tong, she is a hired assassin.
  • Real Women Don't Wear Dresses: She LOATHES having to wear the Simple, yet Opulent dresses that dunmeri nobility are known for, even when the job calls for it. Her general argument is that in her line of work, fancy feminine outfits aren't the most practical thing to wear. 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 wearing something more elegant in her off-time... and immediately follow up with a Can't Believe I Said That and remind the player they have a job to do.
  • Recurring Character: 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.
  • Romance Sidequest: Naryu is one of the few NPCs (along with Darien Gautier of the Covenant) whose flirtatious advances the player can choose to return.
  • Star-Crossed Lovers: 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. She even gives the Vestige a Big Damn Kiss in the conclusion of the Dark Brotherhood DLC quest, The Sweetroll Killer.
  • Tall, Dark, and Snarky: A female example.
  • This Is Gonna Suck: When she discovers 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 Player Character 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.

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

  • Cutting Off the Branches: 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 The Dragon to Nocturnal in Summerset.
  • Foregone Conclusion: She aims to 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 Morrowind and Skyrim (they control Solstheim in the Dragonborn DLC), both set several millennia after The Elder Scrolls Online.
  • Meaningful Rename: During the Summerset quest "Lost in Translation", it is revealed that 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: Veya, you can't let Nocturnal destroy the world!
    Earl Tundilwen: Stop calling me that! Veya died on a cold, hard floor in Balmora. I'm Tundilwen now, champion of Nocturnal!
  • One-Winged Angel: 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 since appeared in the game.
  • Patricide: 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.

    Eris Releth 
Eris is a councillor of House Redoran. He hires you to find his runaway daughter, Veya.
  • Fantasy-Forbidding Father: Eris does not want his daughter involved with the 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. 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.
  • Honor Before Reason: 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.
  • Honor-Related Abuse: After 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.

    Rigurt the Brash 
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.


  • Accidental Marriage: His appearance in Orsinium ends with him becoming engaged to an Orc ambassador after he accidentally tries to woo with an ancient marriage custom.
  • The Alcoholic: Like most Nords. His mission to gain alcohol for a group of envoys goes a bit awry when he drinks part of the gift.
  • Comically Missing the Point: 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.
  • Innocently Insensitive: He's just too dumb to notice. For example, offering Khajiit the pelts of Saber Cats as an offering.
  • Lethal Chef: 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.
  • Recurring Extra: He doesn't have much importance to the overall story but has become a regular appearance.
  • Small Name, Big Ego: He's cheerfully oblivious to the fact Jorunn wants him gone.
  • Snipe Hunt: None of his missions are actual diplomatic missions. The Pact just wants him gone.
  • Third-Person Person: Lampshaded in Summerset. The Sapiarch's letter of recommendation rather hilariously remarks on Rigurt's unique habit of reminding people of his own name.
  • Throw the Dog a Bone:
    • 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 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.

    Tanval Indoril 
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/por_tanval_indoril.png

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


  • Fallen Hero: After a Daggerfall Covenant general kills his son, Tanval utterly snaps and tries to unleash a nigh-unstoppable monster in retaliation.
  • Fire-Forged Friends: With Holgunn One-Eye and Walks-in-Ash, Nord and Argonian commanders respectively, after they fought together against the Akaviri invasion.
  • Godzilla Threshold: He unleashes a "Brother of Strife" (an enormous Bone Colossus) to defend Davon's Watch from the Covenant. Later, in fury over his son's death, he attempts this again with a different monster, and has to be stopped.
  • Good Parents: Tanval adores his son Garyn, and has evidently raised him to be a capable fighter and a Nice Guy.
  • My God, What Have I Done?: By the time you catch up to him on the Tormented Spire, he's realized the folly of unleashing another Brother of Strife, and passes his leadership role to Holgunn.
  • Reasonable Authority Figure: He's a strong supporter of the Pact and highly respectful of his Nord and Argonian allies. Which makes it all the more heartbreaking when he snaps after the death of his son.
  • Roaring Rampage of Revenge: He starts one against the Daggerfall Covenant after General Serien kills his son.

    Holgunn One-Eye 

A Nord commander serving under Tanval Indoril in Stonefalls.


  • Heterosexual Life-Partners: 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.
  • Interspecies Romance: He and Walks-in-Ash, an Argonian fellow commander, eventually become involved with each other.
  • Reasonable Authority Figure: Much like Tanval, Holgunn is a strong supporter of the Pact and a sensible commander in Stonefalls.
  • Recurring Character: He first shows up in Ebonheart Pact zones, but also joins the assault on Coldharbour during the main quest.
  • You Are in Command Now: After Tanval Indoril's Face–Heel Turn and subsequent death, Holgunn is unwillingly promoted to leadership of the Pact forces in Stonefalls.

    The Vanos Twins 
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/por_kireth_vanos_7.png
Kireth Vanos
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/por_raynor_vanos.png
Raynor Vanos

Dunmer siblings and explorers initially encountered in Deshaan.


  • Absent-Minded Professor: Raynor has shades of this. They ended up in Anvil instead of Sentinel because he mixed up "Anvil" and "Hammerfell".
  • Extreme Doormat: Kireth accuses Raynor of being this in Clockwork City. He grows out of it and decides to be more assertive.
  • Hollywood Tone-Deaf: Kireth insists she's a great singer. We don't hear it but the patrons of the Anvil find it hilarious.
  • Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Kireth is a bit rough but usually means well. Their argument in Clockwork City stemmed from her belief that Raynor let Neramo bully him.
  • Nice Guy: Raynor's a pleasant guy to hang around with.
  • Sibling Team: They're two siblings who work together and are never seen apart.
  • Sibling Yin-Yang: Raynor is passive, nerdy, and eager to please. Kireth is boisterous, rash, and impulsive.

    General Serien 

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


  • Arc Villain: Of Stonefalls, or at least the first two thirds of it.
  • The Farmer and the Viper: Serien being the viper, of course. 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.
  • 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. Fort Virak reveals that Serien is no stranger to the necromantic arts himself.
  • Necromancer: 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.
  • One-Winged Angel: Transforms into a Flesh Atronach when he's down to half health.
  • Snub by Omission: He and many of his troops have the battlecry "High Rock and Hammerfell!", evidently forgetting there's a third nation in the Daggerfall Covenant.
  • Taking You with Me: Upon his death, his ghost manages to murder Tanval's son before he is banished.

    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.

  • Arc Villain: 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.
  • Ax-Crazy: Balreth is silent but Sadal speaks in great glee about how much he'd love to brutally kill.
  • Doom Magnet: Literally. Their very presence attracts Daedra.
  • Evil Is Not a Toy: Tanval quickly learns this upon releasing Balreth. Tragically, he's too obsessed with revenge to care when he releases Sedal.
  • Fallen Hero: They were once noble protectors of Resdayn who gave up their lives to protect their people. Unfortunately, the transformation has twisted them into monsters.
  • Sealed Evil in a Can: They're both sealed within the massive mountains of Stonefalls at the start of the zone's arc.
  • Summon Bigger Fish: Tanval releases Balreth in a final attempt to halt the Covenant invasion, and later releases Sedal in a vengeful fury after his son is murdered.

    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.

  • Arc Villain: Of Deshaan.
  • Fallen Hero: Vox was once a decorated faithful of the Tribunal, held in high respect by Almalexia herself. Then her son revolted and was killed, then Boethiah wrapped his/her hands around her.
  • Mama Bear: The whole reason she began the Maulborn movement was due to her son being killed during a failed revolt against the Tribunal.
  • Plague Master: Their main modus operandi is a virulent plague that turns those it infects into ravenous zombies.
  • Rage Against the Heavens: Her main goal is to overthrow the Tribunal completely.

    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.


  • A Nazi by Any Other Name: As if 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").
  • Arc Villain: Of Shadowfen.
  • Everyone Has Standards: Quite a few Dominion soldiers and officers under his command are rightly uneasy or outright horrified and disgusted by his true goals, one in particular will outright defect to the Pact at the end of the Shadowfen arc if you decide to spare her.
  • Face Stealer: One of his earliest schemes is assassinating Pact officials and having his spies adopt their faces via a Daedric ritual so they can sabotage and disrupt the Pact from within.
  • Final Solution: His secret ultimate goal; corrupt the Emnemic Egg and forcibly sterilize the Argonians, dooming them to extinction.
  • Military Maverick: Its heavily implied that his genocidal ambitions go against his orders.
  • Unperson: 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.
  • Would Hurt a Child: 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.

    Fildgor Orcthane 
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 loyalist and Orc mercenaries, determined to take what he considers his rightful throne.

  • Arc Villain: Of Eastmarch.
  • Cain and Abel: The Cain to Jorunn's Abel.
  • Graceful Loser: When he's finally defeated, he accepts his defeat and submits himself to his brother's judgement.
  • Heel–Face Turn: Implied. After he is defeated, Jorunn can be convinced to spare him in the hopes of one day convincing him to join the Pact.
  • Jumping Off the Slippery Slope: Once an honorable warrior, his obsession with the throne of Skyrim has led him to commit unthinkable crimes, including desecrating his sister's remains for the crown she was buried with and hiring Covenant assassins to kill his brother.

    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.

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".

    Speaker Terenus 

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


  • Affably Evil: 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 his silencer.

     Astara Caerellius 

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


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

    Elam Drals 

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


  • Deadpan Snarker: Very dry and sarcastic, Elam will often greet you with an insulting crack or a sardonic story of one of his many contracts.
  • Edible Bludgeon: Claims to have killed several people this way.
  • Equal-Opportunity Offender: Your contracts take you to nearly every zone in Tamriel, and Elam has a wry or snarky remark for all of them.
  • Evil Tastes Good: Elam often regales you with tales about food and murder, and it's hard to tell which of the two he enjoys more.
  • Evil Versus Oblivion: Literally. He joins forces with the Vestige during the conflict with Mehrunes Dagon to ensure Tamriel isn't destroyed, and him along with it.
  • Inappropriate Hunger: Goes with the above. Elam often mixes work and meals...in some rather unsavory ways.

    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.

  • Call-Forward: Veterans of Oblivion and Skyrim will recognize that she's not the last member of the Motierre family to get involved with the Dark Brotherhood.
  • Crusading Widower: Of the female lover variety. While she was never officially anything more than a lover to Cimbar, she goes to great lengths eventually losing her own life to avenge his murder.
  • Revenge Before Reason: She will not listen to anyone, even when it's clear she's in over her head.
  • Sacrificial Lamb: She's the Black Dragon's first onscreen victim.
  • The Tease: Mirabelle likes to play this up upon meeting you, despite holding legitimate feelings for her lover, Cimbar.

    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.


  • Dark and Troubled Past: 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.
  • Deadpan Snarker: He's very quick-witted and tends to make jokes often.
  • Literal-Minded: Has a tendency to take things said to him very literally.
  • Sacrificial Lion: He's a very competent killer for the Dark Brotherhood, but he is no match for the Black Dragon when he faces her.

     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.


  • Ambition Is Evil: 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.
  • Arc Villain: Of the Dark Brotherhood quest line.
  • Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: He presents himself as a pious and devoted follower of Akatosh, but he's really a selfish, ambitious manipulator.
  • The Chessmaster: 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.
  • Church Militant: The Order of the Hour is this, and is under his command.
  • Evil Old Folks: He's quite on in his years, and is very evil.
  • Manipulative Bastard: He manipulated Lyra into becoming his pawn by playing on her guilt.
  • The Purge: 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. He's doing it to ensure no one can use the Dark Brotherhood to kill him.
  • Sinister Minister: He's a religious authority who used assassins to climb to power.
  • Time Master: Has some ability to manipulate time, albeit on a fairly small scale.
  • Villain with Good Publicity: He's a religious figure in Kvatch, which is practically a theocracy under his rule. He used the Dark Brotherhood to reach power, and has begun killing them to ensure no one can do the same to him.

     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.


  • Anti-Hero: She's motivated by a genuine desire to do good, but is still running around killing people without any kind of trial.
  • The Atoner: Her motivation is to atone for past crimes. 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.
  • Black Knight: She wears all-black armor and is a force to be reckoned with. Unlike most examples, she's a Hero Antagonist.
  • Dark and Troubled Past: Hoo boy. 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.
  • Dragged Off to Hell: Her ultimate fate is to be dragged to the Void by a wraith of Sithis for betraying the Dark Brotherhood.
  • Heel–Faith Turn: She mentions that she recently converted to follow Akatosh, and that she was a terrible person beforehand. And since she was a Dark Brotherhood Silencer, that claim is more than accurate.
  • Hero Antagonist: A religious warrior who specializes in killing Dark Brotherhood assassins would be the hero of any other story.
  • Hunter Of Her Own Kind: She used to be in the Dark Brotherhood, and specializes in killing the assassins.
  • The Starscream: 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.
  • Token Good Teammate: For the Order of the Hour. Most are pirates and thugs looking to abuse their power and authority, and that's not even getting into the primate, while she is a genuine devoted follower of Akatosh trying to do the right thing.
  • Unwitting Pawn: 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.

    Guild-master Sees-All-Colors 
Voiced By: Rachel Robinson

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.


  • Action Girl: Action lizard girl.
  • Hazy-Feel Turn: It's left up to the player to decide if she is truly evil or simply doing what she felt was right.
  • I Did What I Had to Do: She murdered the previous Guild-master because of his indifference to the plight of Tamriel's citizens, and uses this trope as her justification.
  • Karma Houdini: 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 left up to you. If not, then she is either executed or exiled from the guild.
  • Light Is Not Good: 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.
  • Meaningful Name: She is revealed to be working on behalf of Meridia, whose realm of Oblivion is known as the Colored Rooms.
  • Reasonable Authority Figure: She is highly regarded by the guild members and genuinely wants to help the people of Tamriel. No matter the cost.

    Merric-at-Aswalla 
A Redguard blacksmith and knight, who helps the player throughout the questline. A childhood friend of Aelif.
  • Authority Equals Asskicking: He's made Guild-master as the quest's conclusion.
  • Childhood Friends: With Aelif. He's shocked and saddened when she shows her true colors.
  • Guest-Star Party Member: He joins your group several times in the questline. After Aelif's betrayal, he's your only ally.
  • Genius Bruiser: He's a capable fighter and the Guild's resident expert on a one-of-a-kind Dwemer forge.
  • Incorruptible Pure Pureness: 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 to Molag Bal.
  • Knight in Shining Armor: The straightest example in the guild, being heroic and friendly as well as a sword and board knight. He's also the only main character in the questline without any dark secrets.
  • Real Men Love Jesus: The equivalent. His defining characteristic is his dedication to Stendarr and belief in righteous principles.

    Aelif 

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


  • Arc Villain: 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.
  • Face–Heel Turn: She used to be a proud member of the guild, but she was tempted by the power Molag Bal granted her.
    • Heel–Face Door-Slam: 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.
  • Fate Worse than Death: She is subject to eternal torment for failing Molag Bal, though the player can take pity on her and release her.
  • One-Winged Angel: Molag Bal turns her into a Titan at the end of the final quest, which you and Merric have to put down.
  • Villain with Good Publicity: After you've completed the Fighters' Guild questline, some Khajiit NPCs can occasionally be overheard condemning the fact that an honorable Khajiit was killed while a "daedra-worshipping Argonian" was given leadership of the guild.

    Cardea Gallus 
An Imperial stationed in the Guild hall of the alliance capital, she hands out Dark Anchor contracts.
  • Eyepatch of Power: Over her left eye.
  • Snark Knight: 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.

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.

    The Auger of The Obscure 
Voiced By: Ben Diskin
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.
  • Ditzy Genius: 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.
  • The Gadfly: 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 Josajeh. Unfortunately, the gifts it suggests would be too weird to be appreciated by the recipient.
  • Jerk with a Heart of Gold: 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). 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.

    Valsirenn 
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/por_valsirenn.png

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


  • Berserk Button: Leythen purposely hits her right where it hurts during an argument, pointing out that he was at their daughter's bedside when she passed, while Valsirenn wasn't. This drives her into an uncharacteristic rage.
  • Big Good: She serves as this throughout the Summerset questline, despite carrying some deep grief and anger.
  • Cool Old Lady: She doesn't hesitate to jump right into the adventure alongside the Vestige.
  • Lady of War: She accompanies the player character on a few combat missions, wielding Psijic magic.
  • My Greatest Failure: 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.
  • Outliving One's Offspring: Her daughter died of a mysterious illness, which caused her to throw herself into her work.
  • You Are in Command Now: She ends up in charge of the Psijic Order after Ritemaster Iachesis' death.

    Ritemaster Iachesis 
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.


  • Big Good: The head of the Psijic Order, he's committed to stopping the Sload incursion and the Court of Bedlam. Tragically this is subverted, as his desperate deal with Nocturnal ends up giving her the tool she needs for her Omnicidal Maniac ambitions.
  • Fake Memories: Due to the Mind Rape mentioned below.
  • Living MacGuffin: 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.
  • Mind Rape: The Sea Sloads do this to him, setting in motion many of the events of the Summerset plotline. Later, in a sense he gets this a second time, as Nocturnal causes him to lose all memories of hiding the Heart of Transparent Law.
  • Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: He successfully kept the Heart of Transparent Law out of the hands of the Sea Sload. However, it required making a deal with Nocturnal, who went on to use the Heart to nearly unmake reality itself.
  • You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: Nocturnal pulls this on him.

    Earl Leythen 
Valsirenn's estranged husband, he abandoned the Psijic Order after the death of his daughter.
  • Hazy-Feel Turn: He is a dedicated servant of the Court of Bedlam to start off with, but once Nocturnal betrays the other court members, he sides firmly with Mephala. He edges toward a full Heel–Face Turn by reconciling with Valsirenn and performing a Heroic Sacrifice to assist the Vestige, yet he never renounces Mephala and remains a staunch defender of the initial goals of the Court of Bedlam.
  • Heroic Sacrifice: He dies so that the Vestige and Darien Gautier can advance through the Crystal Tower and defeat Nocturnal.
  • Outliving One's Offspring: 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.
  • Pet the Dog: His treatment of the dying Sapiarch in the Crystal Tower is deeply merciful, calming her terror and ensuring that her final moments are filled with peace.
  • Sour Supporter: 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.

     Loremaster Celarus 
The Loremaster of the Psijic Order responsible for training initiates and for stopping the time breaches forming in Tamriel.
  • The Mentor: He serves as this for new initiates, and Josajeh and the Vestige in particular.
  • Nice Guy: He's consistently kind, understanding, and forthright with his charges. If anything, he's too accommodating.

     Josajeh 
An initiate in the Psijic Order apprenticed under Celarus who is working with him to stop the time breaches.
  • Alternate Self: 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.
  • Anti-Villain: To the point that she can barely be called a villain at all. She steals the Staff of Towers in an effort to turn Nirn into a utopia, genuinely unaware that meddling with time can unmake reality.
  • Arc Villain: For a given value of "villain," she is ultimately the antagonist of the Psijic Order questline, but she genuinely means no harm.
  • The Atoner: She's horrified by her actions at the end, and decides to spend her life atoning for nearly destroying time.
  • Big Bad Slippage: She doesn't start off evil, 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.
  • But Now I Must Go: 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.
  • Dark and Troubled Past: 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.
  • My God, What Have I Done?: When she realizes her actions nearly destroyed time itself, she is horrified.
  • Tragic Hero: She goes from a promising and bright initiate to a 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.
  • Unwitting Instigator of Doom: Would have become this had her plan succeeded. Her efforts to turn Nirn into a utopia would have instead doomed it.
  • Utopia Justifies the Means: She believes the Staff of Towers can be used to right every historical wrong ever committed and turn Nirn into a paradise, And she is willing to sabotage the Order and steal to do it.
  • Walking the Earth: Her ultimate fate is to travel Tamriel righting wrongs across the continent to atone for her actions.
  • Well-Intentioned Extremist: Her intentions are genuinely good, But she goes too far and is drastically uninformed of the consequences of her actions.

Thieves Guild

    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.

  • Best Served Cold: 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.
  • The Chains of Commanding: Zeira very unexpectedly gained leadership of the Guild, and expresses a great deal of doubt and insecurity at times.
  • Cultural Rebel: 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.
  • Leeroy Jenkins: Zeira has a tendency to rush in when a problem arises, to her own detriment.
  • My Greatest Failure: She was the only survivor of a botched heist that killed the former Guildmaster and many other members of the guild. You will later join her trying to do the same heist again, and discover that her Leeroy Jenkins tendencies partially contributed to the disaster that befell the team.
  • With Friends Like These...: 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.
  • Woman Scorned: Downplayed. 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 It's Personal for her is left much more ambiguous.
  • You Are in Command Now: She ended up as Guildmaster due to every other possible contender either dead, disappeared or retired.

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

  • Disappeared Dad: 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.
  • In the Blood: Both she and her father became thieves.
  • New Meat: The youngest and freshest-faced member of the Guild. Despite that, she's quite competent at stealth and setting up heists.
  • Parental Substitute: 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.
  • Ship Tease: 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.

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

  • Beware the Nice Ones: As his childhood friend Anais finds out the hard way when she behaves like a total Jerkass towards him. 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.
  • The Dandy: He's impeccably dressed at all times, and his living area has a few mirrors prominently displayed.
  • Raised by Natives: He's an Argonian raised in a wealthy Breton household. His speech, mannerisms and dress all lean strongly Breton.

    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.

  • Combat Pragmatist: She has zero qualms about attacking from behind. As Chief Inspector Rhanbiq learns when the guild rescues Zeira from his ship.
  • Defrosting Ice Queen: Her tongue never grows less sharp, but she does warm up considerably to the player and the new Guild members over time.
  • Jerk with a Heart of Gold: She misses no opportunity to inform other Guild members how stupid their ideas are, particularly Zeira. Yet her backstory reveals 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.
  • Sour Supporter: 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.

    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.

  • Best Served Cold: After he turned down Magnifica Falorah's advances, the resulting scandal ruined his life and career. 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).
  • Non-Action Guy: He'll assist you with heists, even with gaining access to al-Danobia tomb, but flatly refuses to actually go anywhere dangerous or engage in combat.
  • Ultimate Job Security: Loche's fashions are so highly coveted that he's basically untouchable, despite his ties to the Thieves Guild. 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.
  • Unwanted Harem: He has had at least two noblewomen practically throw themselves at him, but declined both due to Incompatible Orientation.

    Nicolas 
An Imperial and the former guild master of the Thieves Guild who was killed during a heist Gone Horribly Wrong that resulted in the Thieves Guild being hunted.

  • Arc Villain: He's revealed to be the villain of the Thieves Guild story.
  • Born Lucky: He's shockingly lucky, and gets breaks that are incredibly unlikely. 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.
  • Con Artist: Ultimately, this is his real specialty. His guildmates note that he absolutely sucks at every aspect of thievery except for sweet-talking marks.
  • Consummate Liar: As befitting a Con Artist, he lies so much and so often that it's difficult, if not impossible, to tell when or if he's telling the truth.
  • Dirty Coward: 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.
  • Face Death with Dignity: When he's ultimately caught at the end, he resigns himself to death and accepts it, or his execution, with remarkable grace.
  • Fatal Flaw: 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 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.
  • Hoist by His Own Petard: His habit of keeping trophies bites him royally. Keeping your fiancee's ancestor's skull next to her room tends to do that.
  • Gone Horribly Wrong: The dowery heist went wrong in every conceivable way. 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.
  • Karma Houdini: He's 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.
  • Karma Houdini Warranty: 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: 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.
  • Xanatos Speed Chess: After his original plan went sideways, 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.

    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.

  • Butt-Monkey: Pretty much everything in the story goes wrong for him. 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.
  • Clueless Detective: He's a shockingly inept detective, working for the Arc Villain 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.
  • Hero Antagonist: 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.
  • How the Mighty Have Fallen: His last appearance shows how he's gone from a wealthy Sympathetic Inspector Antagonist to a poor wanderer driven only by a vengeful desire to capture the man responsible for his humiliation.
  • Sympathetic Inspector Antagonist: He genuinely believes the Thieves Guild stole the dowery, and is unaware that he's working with the true thief to flush them out.

Pelletine Dragonguard

    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.


  • Big Guy, Little Guy: Za'ji, a diminutive but spirited Khajiit, and his hulking first mate Caska are a textbook example of the trope.
  • Cant Hold Their Liquor: 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.
  • The Lancer: To Sai Sahan. Where Sai is deeply serious, heroic and honorable, Za'ji is a Loveable Rogue reformed pirate.
  • Loveable Rogue: Za'ji may be a pirate and smuggler, but he's friendly and extremely helpful against the Dragon menace.

    Caska 

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


  • The Big Guy: 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.
  • Brutal Honesty: Caska has no patience for social niceties and speaks extremely bluntly.
  • Sports Hero Backstory: Caska was an undefeated champion in the underground fighting arena of Senchal.

    Aeliah Renmus 

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


  • The Heart: 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.
  • I Just Want to Be Badass: Aeliah angsts over her role in the Dragonguard as a young and relatively untrained warrior, but grows to realize that being The Heart is her own unique strength.
  • Missing Mom: Her mother passed away when she was young, and thus she accompanied her father on his mission to Senchal.

    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.


  • Hero of Another Story: 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.
  • Jerk with a Heart of Gold: 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.
  • Reasonable Authority Figure: 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

    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.
  • Always with You: 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.
  • Heroic Sacrifice: 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.
  • Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: They really don't get along at all, with only Lyris getting along with Sai Sahan and Varen.

    Abnur Tharn 
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/por_abnur_tharn.png
Voiced By: Alfred Molina

Imperial Battlemage, Chancellor of the Imperial City, and ancestor of 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.


  • A Darker Shade of Grey: 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.
  • A Lighter Shade of Grey: 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.
  • Corrupt Politician: Chancellor of the Imperial City and apparent second-in-command to Mannimarco.
  • The Creon: 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.
  • Deadpan Snarker: Some of his exchanges with Lyris and Sai are hilariously snotty.
  • Dirty Old Man: He makes more than one casual reference to visiting prostitutes.
  • The Dragon: To Mannimarco. At least, that's what he likes to believe he is.
  • Even Evil Has Standards: 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 The Dragon to the Emperor, or perhaps the Dragon-in-Chief.
  • Evil Chancellor: Ally of Mannimarco and chancellor to his daughter, the Empress Regent of Cyrodiil.
  • Evil Sorcerer: Very proud of his skill in magic, to say the least. Also The Dragon to Mannimarco.
  • Forgotten Fallen Friend: 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.
  • The Friend Nobody Likes: 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. 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 Heroic Sacrifice Sai outright mourns and regrets his death.
  • Heel–Face Turn: Defects to the protagonists' side after 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).
  • Heel–Face Revolving Door: 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.
  • Heroic Sacrifice: 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.
    • (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 Never Found the Body...
  • Hypocrite: 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.
  • Insistent Terminology: Euraxia Tharn is not his sister, she's his half-sister, and he will not miss a chance to correct you or anyone else.
  • Jerk with a Heart of Gold: 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...
  • Jerkass Has a Point: His magical prowess and extensive knowledge of the Daedra, Coldharbour and Mannimarco's plans often prove invaluable.
  • Kavorka Man: He is old, quite old, about 164 years old to be exact, yet somehow has had at least seven wives.
  • Long-Lived: He's 164 years old. Nobody knows why, given Imperials typically have far shorter lives than that. It might relate to his connection with Mannimarco, however.
  • Older Than They Look: 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.
  • Percussive Prevention: In the 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.
  • The Quisling: 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.
  • Redemption Quest: 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.
  • Token Evil Teammate: With the Five Companions being a rare case of a Five-Man Band with two traitors, he's the one who ends up as this while Mannimarco remains an unrepentant villain.
  • White Sheep: For all his flaws, Abnur is actually one of the nice members of House Tharn compared to Euraxia, Septima, and Javad, and especially Jagar, each of whom are out-and-out villains.
  • You Don't Look Like You: Applies to his character model when compared with 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.

    Lyris Titanborn 
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/por_lyris_titanborn.png
Voiced By: Jennifer Hale

A Nord partial giant, Lyris is Varen's 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.


  • Action Girl: Would you expect anything less from someone with giant blood in their veins?
  • Affectionate Nickname: Sai tenderly refers to her as "Snow Lily".
  • All the Other Reindeer: Was teased when she was younger because of her height.
  • Amazonian Beauty: Imagine having Buffy the Vampire Slayer at your back, except she were king size rather than fun size. Lyris shares Sarah Michelle Gellar's looks and bigger, taller, than any character you can make, and treated as very attractive.
  • Badass Normal: She does said ass-kicking with no innate magic or enchanted equipment whatsoever.
  • Berserk Button: Happens whenever Abnur Tharn starts being a Deadpan Snarker and mocking her or the other companions.
  • Broken Bird: The regret of her parents deaths, both of which she believes herself to be responsible for, has left her this.
  • Deadpan Snarker: 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.
  • Defrosting Ice Queen: A non-romantic example in Greymoor. 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.
  • Good Scars, Evil Scars: Has a scar along her left eye.
  • Hidden Depths: Underneath that badass fighter is a woman plagued by Survivor's Guilt on account of her mother's death from childbirth, and the racism she endured for being a partial giant.
  • The Lancer: Follows Varen's choices without question and later The Prophet.
  • Mighty Glacier: Seems to favor strong, overwhelmingly powerful physical attacks and can take good damage, but isn't too quick.
  • Oblivious to Love: 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.
  • Odd Friendship: In Greymoor, she forms one with Svana and Fennorian. Some of the Vestige's dialogue teases her a little for becoming so protective of the pair.
  • Plucky Girl: She will save Sai Sahan with you or die trying.
  • Snark-to-Snark Combat: She actually does have a few with Abnur Tharn.
  • Statuesque Stunner: Lyris is ENORMOUS, towering over every other character in the game due to her giant ancestry and Sai is sweet on her.
  • The Smurfette Principle: The only female member of the Five Companions.
  • Took a Level in Jerkass: Downplayed, but she's noticeably more curt and impatient in Greymoor and Markarth then she was in the core game.
  • Uneven Hybrid: She's somehow part Nord, part giant through her father's family. Try not to think too hard about that.
  • Unexplained Recovery: 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.
  • "Well Done, Daughter!" Girl: 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. In truth, he loved her, but he was unable to find ways to show it and he died before he could do so.

    Sai Sahan 
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/por_sai_sahan.png

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.


  • A Day in the Limelight: The Dragonhold DLC gives him a very prominent role as the leader of the newly re-formed Dragonguard.
  • A Father to His Men: In Dragonhold, he takes this role with the Dragonguard, sternly but kindly shaping the ragtag crew into dragon hunters.
  • Amazon Chaser: 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.
  • Big Good: He is the driving force in stopping the dragon menace in Southern Elsweyr.
  • Cold-Blooded Torture: Was a victim of this at the hands of Mannimarco.
  • Does This Remind You of Anything?: In a sidequest in the Markarth DLC, he finally learns to summon his spirit sword, but only because he’s thinking of Lyris.
  • Good Scars, Evil Scars: An x-shaped one on the left side of his chest.
  • Made of Iron: It's said that no one can break him... which is shown in the Halls of Torment quest, where he supposedly endures physical and mental torture for years.
  • My Greatest Failure: He considers his inability to master the sacred art of sword-singing passed down by his Yokudan ancestors to be this. He's also pretty broken up about failing to protect Varen from Mannimarco.
  • Proud Warrior Race Guy: Like most Redguards.
  • Reasonable Authority Figure: 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.
  • Snark-to-Snark Combat: He has a little bit of this with Abnur Tharn in the Valley of Blades quest.
  • Unexplained Recovery: 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.
  • Walking Shirtless Scene: 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.
  • Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: 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.

    Mannimarco 
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/por_mannimarco.png
Voiced By: Jim Ward

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


  • Badass Long Robe: You gotta admit, this guy has a damn good sense of fashion.
  • The Chessmaster: He successfully plays Varen and the other four companions into getting the Amulet of Kings, thus kicking off the game's main plot.
  • Dark Is Evil: This guy is the necromancer in Tamriel, and his companions found out he was Evil All Along way too late.
  • The Dragon: To Molag Bal. Doubles as a Dragon with an Agenda as he has his schemes to supplant his master.
  • Did You Just Flip Off Cthulhu?: Oh, he definitely does when Molag Bal finds out he's been plotting against him.
  • Evil Sorcerer: A textbook example. Necromancy is a big no-no in most of Tamriel, and he's The Dragon to Molag Bal.
  • False Friend: The others didn’t like him, but they still assumed he was loyal to their cause. They were horribly wrong.
  • Godhood Seeker: His true goal is to replace Molag Bal as the God of Schemes.
  • Hypocrite: 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.
  • Karma Houdini: If you decide to 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 quite predictable.
    • Foregone Conclusion: Mannimarco has to survive (for a given lich-allowing value of the word) the events of the game and (eventually) be able to move around on Tamriel, given that he appears in Daggerfall some six centuries later.
  • Pride: Takes this to a whole new level. 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.
  • Religion of Evil: His Worm Cult are responsible for dropping the Daedric Anchors across Tamriel, and have been rounding up sacrifices to do so.
  • Smug Snake: He seems to think that he is a Magnificent Bastard, but the fact that Molag Bal learns of his betrayal and subjects him to eternal torment would suggest otherwise.
  • The Starscream: He attempts to usurp Molag Bal. Doesn't go so well for him.
  • Too Dumb to Live: Mannimarco made an extremely grave mistake by trying to 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.
  • Villainous Breakdown: His torment after trying to outplay Molag Bal leaves him begging for mercy that will not come for ages.
    Mannimarco: 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.

     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.


  • The Antichrist: 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.
  • Big Bad: Of Season of the Dragon.
  • Godhood Seeker: His goal is revealed to be to ascend to godhood so he can rival Akatosh and rule over Tamriel.
  • Greed: Noted to be his Fatal Flaw. 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, he begins using aeonstones to siphon power from his fellow dragons, causing many of his allies to abandon him in the final battle.
  • Green and Mean: Has green scales and is the main villain of his story arc.
  • Hijacked by Ganon: He apparently fled defeated at the end of Elsweyr and hadn't been seen since, but returns as the true villain of the Dragonhold DLC.
  • It's All About Me: Doesn't care a lick about his fellow dragons, and is only in it for his own personal power.
  • Screw This, I'm Out of Here!: Flees the battle after Jode's Core is destroyed instead of fighting to the end.
  • Sealed Evil in a Can: A powerful dragon who was sealed in the Halls of Colossus in the past, only to be accidentally released by Abnur Tharn.

     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.


  • Aloof Ally: 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.
  • Anti-Hero: He's surly, brusque, ruthless, and doesn't value individual lives, but he is on the side of good nonetheless.
  • Arch-Enemy: Of Laatvulon, having helped to defeat him in the past.
  • Big Good: Shares this role with Sai Sahan in the Dragonhold DLC.
  • But Now I Must Go: Leaves for parts unknown once the dragon threat is removed.
  • Ineffectual Loner: He doesn't get along with the Dragonguard and is usually off doing his own thing. This actually hurts more than it helps.
  • Jerk with a Heart of Gold: He is very hard to get along with, but he also genuinely means well.
  • Only Friend: He doesn't get along with anyone in the Dragonguard except for the Vestige.
  • Red Is Heroic: Is the only major dragon with red scales, and is one of the only good ones seen in the game.
  • Token Heroic Orc: He's the only heroic dragon seen in the whole game.

     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.

  • Ancient Evil: He was defeated in ancient times, and is released in the Second Era.
  • Apocalypse Cult: Runs one in the form of the New Moon, which seeks to wipe out all life on Tamriel except for their followers.
  • Arch-Enemy: Nahfahlaar. They have been at war for centuries.
  • Arc Villain: Of Dragonguard. At first.
  • Ax-Crazy: He's completely insane, driven by a desire to kill everything on Tamriel that he can.
  • Big Bad Ensemble: A completely different dragon unaligned with Kaalgrontiid, but whose ambitions are on par with his. Subverted however, when it turns out he was working for Kaalgrontiid the entire time.
  • Dark Is Evil: His scales are all black, and he is pure evil.
  • The Heavy: He's the driving threat through most of the Dragonguard story arc, and is defeated 2/3 of the way through, which leads to the reveal that he was working for Kaalgrontiid.
  • Omnicidal Maniac: His goal is the complete and utter destruction of all life on Tamriel. Except no, that was a lie he told his cult so that they could help him pave the way for Kaalgrontiid's rule.
  • Sealed Evil in a Can: A completely different can that he escaped from at the same time as Kaalgrontiid, by sheer chance.

     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.

  • The Dragon: To Laatvulon. He's his master's representative in the New Moon Cult.
  • Driven by Envy: His motivation. He wants the title of Mane, and is willing to side with dragons to claim it for himself.
  • It's All About Me: His utterly selfish motivation for siding with his genocidal maniac of a master is that he didn't get to be Mane.

     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.

  • Affably Evil: 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.
  • The Brute: He's his master's enforcer and protector.
  • Final Boss: Of the Elsweyr chapter, as he's defending his master who is busy extracting power from Jode's Core.
  • Go Through Me: During the final battle, he tries to hold off the Vestige and their allies from stopping Kaalgrontiid siphoning power from Jode's Core.
  • Noble Demon: 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.

     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.

  • The Dragon: Second in command to Euraxia. Until he double crosses her to serve Kaalgrontiid instead.
  • Enigmatic Minion: To Euraxia. He corresponded with her at first, and later brought an undead army to her, but has always been pursuing his own agenda.
  • I Fight for the Strongest Side!: He's willing to work for Euraxia as long as she's the power in Elsweyr, but once the dragons return, he doesn't hesitate to sell her out to them.

     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.

  • Back from the Dead: He's revived as a result of Zumog Phoom's efforts.
  • Evil Old Folks: He's quite old, and is a villain who has decided to align with dragons.
  • Fallen Hero: He was once a revered and beloved hero, but at some point, his lust for power overcame any morality he had.
  • Hate Sink: 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.
  • Living MacGuffin: Well, undead Macguffin, but he's the only one who knows the location of Jode's Core, making him very valuable.
  • Manly Facial Hair: The only nice thing anyone can say about him is he does have a magnificent beard.
  • Master Swordsman: During his time as a knight, he was regarded as one of, if not, the greatest swordsmen of his time.
  • The Sociopath: Displays all the hallmarks of one. He has no empathy, violent impulses, is casually cruel, and shockingly short-sighted.

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.

    High King Svargrim 
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.


  • Abusive Parent: He is not very supportive or loving at all towards his daughter. After his true colors are revealed, he has no hesitation about killing her when she takes up arms alongside you against him.
  • Arc Villain: 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.
  • Ambition Is Evil: Svargrim has been an ambitious jerk who alienated his daughter and dreams of unifying Skyrim under his rule for years before you meet him. This is why he willingly betrays his kingdom and family and joins up with the Gray Host.
  • Excessive Mourning: His wife is murdered by the Gray Host, which drives Svargrim so far into grief that he refuses to trust anyone. 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 his true allegiance.
    • 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 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", 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.
  • One-Winged Angel: Transforms into a Vampire Lord during the final battle in Greymoor.
  • Properly Paranoid: 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. 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.
  • The Rival: 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.
  • Royals Who Actually Do Something: 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. 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.
  • Shameless Self-Promoter: In contrast to other monarchs throughout the game, Svargrim prominently displays portraits of himself throughout the Blue Palace. Which foreshadows his attempt to sacrifice his family and kingdom for his own personal gain.

    Queen Geryhld 
Wife of High King Svargrim and mother of Svana.

  • Reasonable Authority Figure: By far the more reasonable between herself and her husband.
  • Royals Who Actually Do Something: She is a very helpful figure working against her husband's refusal to even believe you. Which is why she's assassinated very early in the questline, causing a major setback and the loss of your best ally at court.

    Princess Svana 
The daughter of High King Svargrim and Queen Geryhld, and heir to the Hold of Haafingar.

  • The Alcoholic: 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.
  • Fiery Redhead: To a tee. She has bright red hair, and can be Hot-Blooded, rebellious and impulsive.
  • Modest Royalty: She's not on good terms with her father and spends as much time as she can drinking at the local tavern.
  • Odd Friendship: Her closest friend and favorite drinking buddy is a middle-aged Orc barfly.
  • Reasonable Authority Figure: She doesn't have much authority, but she's eminently reasonable.
  • Rebellious Princess: 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.
  • Reluctant Ruler: 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. 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.
  • Royals Who Actually Do Something: She does A LOT to work with you.
  • Tomboy Princess: Very much so. Of course, in Tamriel, this isn't generally regarded poorly.

    Rada al-Saran 
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.


  • Alas, Poor Villain: As he dies, he mournfully wonders if his defeat is punishment from Leki as Verandis comforts him in his final moments.
  • Big Bad: Of the Dark Heart of Skyrim storyline.
  • Big Fancy Castle: Greymoor Keep, a massive citadel full of his minions, located deep within Blackreach.
  • The Corrupter: Successfully tempts Svargrim to join him. Downplayed, as its made clear that Svargrim was a petty, ruthless bastard even before Rada approached him.
  • Et Tu, Brute?: 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 Berserk Button.
  • Even Evil Has Loved Ones: 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.
  • Evil Counterpart: To Verandis Ravenwatch. 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.
  • Fallen Hero: Once a legendary Yokudan Ansei, now a murderous Vampire warlord.
  • Greater-Scope Villain: 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.
  • Master Swordsman: As a former Ansei, he's this by default. His greatest feat when he was alive was dueling Leki, the Yokudan War God, for three days and three nights before breaking her blade in two. Sure enough, he conjures his own personal Sehai during the final battle.
  • Our Vampires Are Different: He's a Vampire Lord, which are among the strongest Vampires in all of Nirn.
  • Villainous Valour: 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.
  • We Can Rule Together: He is almost as obsessed with bringing Count Verandis Ravenwatch over to his side as he is with his actual overall plan.

    Fennorian 
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/por_fennorian.png
Voiced by: Robbie Daymond

An Altmer vampire dispatched by House Ravenwatch to investigate vampire activity in Western Skyrim.


  • Ambiguously Related: 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.
  • Badass Bookworm: Fennorian is not a natural combatant and mainly serves as The Smart Guy of the team. However, during the final battle in Solitude, Lyris reports that he was nigh-unstoppable once he unleashed his full vampiric powers.
  • Distressed Dude: Poor Fennorian is repeatedly captured and/or harmed throughout the Greymoor questline, most severely when the Ashen Lord's forces abduct and experiment on him.
  • Happily Adopted: While all the Ravenwatch members like Verandis, Fenn is the only one to call him "father".
  • How Do I Shot Web?: He is admittedly very new to being a vampire, and as a result, sometimes struggles with his vampiric powers and hunger.
  • Nice Guy: Fennorian is genuinely kind and heroic, and adheres scrupulously to the Ravenwatch principles of ethical blood consumption. Even when near-death after excruciating torture by Tzinghalis, he rejects the idea of drinking blood of anyone unwilling in order to recover.
  • Odd Friendship: 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.

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 True Companions status and earn their loyalty.
    Mirri Elendis 
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.


  • Action Mom: 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.
  • Adventurer Archaeologist: A relic hunter and Daedra scholar who moonlights as an adventurer.
  • Aerith and Bob: She has this dynamic with her brother, who despite being a Dunmer has the oddly-human name of...Liam.
  • Berserk Button: 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.
  • Casting a Shadow: Her class skills is a modified version of the Nightblade skills.
  • Cultural Rebel: 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.
  • Friend to Bugs: 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.
  • Lady Drunk: Mirri loves alcohol, and making some in her company is a good way to gain rapport.
  • Lady Swears-a-Lot: Mirri has quite a foul mouth if you know what the Foreign Cuss Words 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 The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind 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.
  • Massive Numbered Siblings: 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.
  • The Straight and Arrow Path: Although Mirri states that she is comfortable with everything, she seems to have a preference for bows and 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.
  • "Well Done, Son" Guy: 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.
  • Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: She does actually hate and fear snakes, and has unique quotes that she will say whenever you kill one.

    Bastian Hallix 
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.
  • Childhood Friend: 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 Spoiled Brat attitude in all of their interactions.
  • Dark and Troubled Past: 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. Add in the fact that they lied to him about being the last member of his family.
  • Does Not Like Spam: Lowers affinity whenever you cook something that has cheese in it. It is implied that this is because he's lactose intolerant.
  • Good Is Not Soft: 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.
  • Hidden Depths:
    • 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.
  • Ideal Hero: Bastian is a through-and-through Nice Guy 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.
  • Knight in Shining Armor: 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.
  • Magic Knight: 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.
  • The Nose Knows: Bastian can apparently "smell magic", as he will usually claim when a Psijic portal is nearby.
  • Playing with Fire: 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.
  • Race Lift: 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.
  • Sins of Our Fathers: 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.
  • The Unfavorite: 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.
  • Welcome to Corneria: 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.

    Isobel Velois 
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/por_isobel_velois.png

Voiced by: Laura Bailey

  • Childhood Friend Romance: 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.
  • Good Is Not Soft: Like Bastian, she doesn't object to using the Blade of Woe against hostile NPCs.
  • Ideal Hero: 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.
  • The Knights Who Say "Squee!": 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 Squees 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.
  • Magic Knight: While she claims to be not much of a mage, she does make use of a few spells even before formally joining the player.
  • Non-Idle Rich: 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.
  • The Paladin: Isobel is a templar knight, which naturally makes her one.
  • Religious Bruiser: 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.
  • Sweet Tooth: 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.
  • When You Coming Home, Dad?: 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.

    Ember 
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/por_ember.png
Voiced by: Elysia Rotaru

  • Animal Jingoism: 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.
  • Berserk Button: 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. 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.
  • By the Lights of Their Eyes: 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.
  • Do Wrong, Right: 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.
  • I Just Want to Have Friends: Despite her 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.
  • It's All My Fault: She blames herself for her childhood friends disappearing since she was away when they were captured.
  • Kleptomaniac Hero: 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.
  • Only Known by Their Nickname: "Ember" isn't her real name, but a nickname she adopted after people likened her glowing eyes to the warm embers of a campfire.
  • Satisfied Street Rat: 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).
  • Shock and Awe: As a Sorcerer, she naturally learns a good number of shock spells, and initially carries a Lightning Staff.
  • Street Urchin: 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".

    Azandar al-Cybiades 
Voiced by: Tommie Earl Jenkins

  • Combat Medic: 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.
  • Cultural Rebel: 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.
  • Discard and Draw: 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.
  • Does Not Like Spam: He does not like coffee at all. The sight of seeing someone drink it is enough for him to be disgusted.
  • For Science!: 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.
  • Must Have Caffeine: 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.
  • Noodle Incident: 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.
  • Sesquipedalian Loquaciousness: To paraphrase an encounter with his ex-boyfriend, he speaks with a ten coins worth of words when only one would do.
  • Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: 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.

    Sharp-as-Night 
Voiced by: Brandon Keener

  • An Ice Person: Can learn some ice spells, though he doesn't start with a staff of his specialty like Bastian or Ember do.
  • Call-Forward: 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.
  • Dual Wielding: Starts off with two axes.
  • Hates Being Touched: 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.
  • Heroes Gone Fishing: He likes it when you take a break from adventuring to go fishing.
  • Identity Amnesia: He doesn't remember a thing about his past to the point where he almost killed someone who freed him as a slave.
  • Rape as Backstory: 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 hatred of physical contact (a common trait among sexual assault survivors), it heavily indicates that Sharp was used as a Sex Slave.
  • Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: He detests ghosts and constructs, and killing such creatures in his presence is a good way to increase his rapport.

Daedra

    Clavicus Vile and Barbas 

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

  • Affably Evil: Barbas is actually quite friendly towards you once he reveals himself, admitting that he came to genuinely like you while he was masquerading as Archcanon Travus. He even puts his mission on hold for a moment to chat with you.
  • Big Bad Duumvirate: Alongside Barbas in Morrowind, and with Mephala and Nocturnal in Summerset.
  • Deal with the Devil: As per usual with Vile, this is his specialty.
  • The Dragon: Barbas serves as this as well as the Final Boss for the Morrowind chapter, being fully cooperative with his master's schemes in this case in contrast to his role as The Conscience to Vile in other appearances.
  • Enemy Mine: 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.
  • Non-Action Big Bad: 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.
  • Villainous Breakdown: 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.

    Mephala 
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/por_mephala.png

The Daedric Prince of spiders, secrets and shadows.

  • Disc-One Final Boss: 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.
  • Enemy Mine: 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.
  • Greater-Scope Villain: Of the Fungal Grotto and Crypt of Hearts dungeons.
  • Multi-Armed and Dangerous: Her physical manifestation has multiple arms, like a spider.

    Meridia 

The Daedric Prince of Life and Energy.


  • Abusive Parents: 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 Death of Personality getting closer to happening, is especially heart-breaking for him and damning upon Meridia.
  • Big Good: 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.
  • The Chessmaster: 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.
  • The Evils of Free Will: 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, personality and even capacity for independent thought of their own. This is her ideal form of other life.
  • Gameplay and Story Segregation: 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 Enemy Mine, but still.
  • Good Is Not Nice: Par for the course for her. She will stop at nothing to stop Molag Bal. Nothing. She just barely manages to stay shy of Well-Intentioned Extremist territory.
  • Greater-Scope Villain: 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.
  • It's Personal: Post-Summerset, it is heavily implied that she blames you specifically for Darien having Grew Beyond Their Programming, and now harbors a nasty grudge.
  • The Reveal: She turns up ahead of the player's forces during the siege on Molag Bal, while still under the guise of The Groundskeeper, and reveals her true identity.
  • Took a Level in Jerkass: While she's mostly a case of Good Is Not Nice during the main quest, Meridia is far less benevolent in some of the DLC chapters.
    • In Summerset, the And I Must Scream fate Meridia inflicts on her Golden Knight, Darien Gautier is downright cruel. To the point where some fans wondered if she was being set up as the Big Bad of a future DLC.
    • In Greymoor, one quest 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.
  • Walking Spoiler: She plays a significant part in the main storyline.
  • We Have Reserves: 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.

    Molag Bal 
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/por_molag_bal.png
Voiced By: Malcolm McDowell

The Daedric Prince of Enslavement and Domination. He is currently trying to merge his realm of Oblivion, known as Coldharbour, with Tamriel.


  • And I Must Scream: When you "kill" him. Seems like the God of Brutality that has caused so much pain to mortals has finally received immense agony in return.
  • Berserk Button: Whatever you do, don't betray him! Mannimarco learned this the hard way.
  • Big Bad: He's this for the entire game.
  • Carry a Big Stick: It's not so fun being on the receiving end of his mace this time around.
  • The Dreaded: 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.
  • Evil Sounds Deep: His voice when Dark Anchors appear.
  • God of Evil: 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, Big Bad of Oblivion, had positive attributes as the god of change and revolutions. Molag Bal's spheres are Domination and Brutality, which generally means making sure the strong oppress the weak as cruelly as possible.
  • Graceful Loser: After the final battle when you defeat him, you transport to 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. At first, he says that you could have 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 Sore Loser, but considering what has been going on in the Craglorn arc, he might have actually been serious.
  • Knight of Cerebus: Molag's always been bad news in The Elder Scrolls, but he takes it up to eleven this time around.
  • The Man Behind the Man: Mannimarco worships him. Well, not for long.
  • Rape Is a Special Kind of Evil: Why Lamae Bal hates him so much. He's not called the 'King of Rape' for nothing.
  • Red Baron: 'Prince of Domination,' 'God of Schemes,' 'King of Rape'...
  • Religion of Evil: While he is worshipped by quite a few Daedric cults, the most prominent during the game is the Worm Cult.
  • Satanic Archetype: Complete with horns and a tail.
  • Worthy Opponent: After completing the main quest, he grudgingly admits that you are this in the Colored Rooms.
  • Xanatos Gambit: Meridia implies that him being defeated actually might have worked out in his favor, in some ways... and that he's not done with you yet.
  • Your Soul Is Mine!: And you're going to go To Hell and Back to retrieve it from him. Literally, in this case.
  • You Have Failed Me: When Doshia fails to kill you. As well as Aelif.

    Nocturnal 

The Daedric Prince of Night and Darkness.


  • Big Bad: She serves as the main antagonist of the Clockwork City DLC and the Summerset expansion.
  • Big "NO!": She lets loose one of these right before the Vestige thwarts her plans with the Dawnbreaker.
  • Navel-Deep Neckline: She is wearing the same outfit with a navel deep neckline that she did in Skyrim.
  • Nothing Personal: 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.
  • Power of the Void: Claims to have powers other the void since she existed before Oblivion did.
  • The Starscream: 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.
  • Took a Level in Jerkass: In previous games, she was generally one of the less malevolent Daedra and a case of Dark Is Not Evil by their standards; here, she is an Omnicidal Maniac. 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 Took a Level in Kindness by the era of the numbered games.

    Sheogorath 

The 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.


  • Affably Evil: He genuinely seems to like the player character. In his own way, of course.
  • All-Powerful Bystander: 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.
  • Arc Villain: Of the Mages' Guild questline.
  • Cloud Cuckoolander: Did you honestly expect anything else from him?
  • The Corrupter: Drove the citizens of Southpoint completely insane, and corrupted its Mayor into being his Dragon for his own amusement.
  • Even Evil Has Loved Ones: Played for Laughs. The way he reacts to Gutsripper dying is one of the most humorous Villainous Breakdowns in the entire series.
    Sheogorath: Puppy-killer! Come to steal me books? Who? Where? What? When? Sometimes why?
  • Faux Affably Evil: His friendliness is much more mocking and backhanded towards Shalidor. 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.
  • Friendly Enemy: 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.'
  • It's Personal: He and Shalidor really have it out for one another.
  • Mad God: Par for the course for him.
  • Non-Action Big Bad: 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 Final Boss for the Mage's Guild quest.
  • Took a Level in Jerkass: 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 causing a rat infestation and a 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.

    Vaermina 

The Daedric Prince of Fear and Nightmares. She serves as the Arc Villain 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 because she can.


  • Arc Villain: Of the Stormhaven Questline in the Daggerfall Covenant.
  • Best Served Cold: 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.
  • Big Bad Duumvirate: She and Peyrite serve as the main antagonists of the "Shadow Over Morrowind" arc.
  • Cool Mask: She is depicted as wearing one of these, and it's even one of her main symbols, along with a snake.
  • Cute Is Evil: She sounds like a little girl, which contrasts perfectly with how she gleefully describes how she's going to Mind Rape High King Emeric... and you, after you kill her Champion.
  • Even Evil Has Loved Ones: She is stated to actually be in love with her Champion. Her reaction to his death would seem to confirm this.
  • Evil Plan: 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 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 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 tries to have her champion/consort assassinate High King Emeric and take his place, allowing him to drive the Covenant into the ground.
  • For the Evulz: The only motivation she needs to throw the Covenant into chaos.
  • Mind Rape: Basically her favorite pastime.
  • Nightmare Fetishist: Literally. She dragged her Champion into Quagmire to be with her, knowing full well what that can do to someone and seemingly not caring, or maybe even sees that in and of itself as a show of affection.
  • Reptiles Are Abhorrent: Her emblem, as well as her statue, features a snake, wrapped around her Cool Mask in her banner, and draped across her shoulders on her statue.
  • Tranquil Fury: After you kill her Champion, she goes into a Villainous Breakdown in which, still in her usual tone of voice, she describes how she's going to spend the next century or so Mind Raping you for doing so.
  • Villainous Breakdown: She's not happy at all about you killing her Champion, and makes that absolutely clear.
    Vaermina: You have slain my consort as well. I'll get over my loss, but I think I'll keep you here for a while in his stead. Perhaps a century or two will teach you humility. [...] Even if you escape Quagmire, mortal, you will not escape my vengeance. I can be patient, very patient. Goodbye... for now.
  • Yandere: If her reaction to 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?

    Lyranth 
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.


  • But Now I Must Go: 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.
  • Deadpan Snarker: Her dialogue is practically dripping with dry humour and sarcasm, even when she's trying to implore you to help her.
  • Early-Bird Cameo: For Pact players in base game, they would encounter Lyranth in Shadowfen before meeting her in Coldharbour like the other two alliances.
  • Everyone Hates Mimes: 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."
  • Noble Demon: 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.
  • Sole Survivor: 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. Nothing is said about her employing your help to do the deed, though.
  • Wild Card: 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.

    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.
  • Cassandra Truth: No one believes his claims that he is the legendary Arox, least of all Rynkyus. This changes when he temporarily assumes his true form.
  • Forced Transformation: Once one of the strongest Ash Titans in the Deadlands, now a near-powerless Daedrat.
  • Heroic Sacrifice: Non fatal variant. At the climax of Deadlands, he willingly gives up the chance to permanently remove his curse in order to help you reach Nokvroz.
  • It's Personal: Once he realizes Valkynaz Nokvroz was the one who betrayed and cursed him, he is furious and vows revenge.
  • Undying Loyalty: Towards you, the player, for rescuing him from a Watcher holding him captive.

Other Characters

    The Prophet 
Voiced By: Michael Gambon

A mysterious enemy of Molag Bal and Mannimarco kept as prisoner in Coldharbour. He helps the Soulless One to escape and is in turn rescued by him.


  • Amnesiac Hero: He was found by Moth Priests with no memory of his past life. 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.
  • Big Good: 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.
  • Blind Seer: The result of him reading the Elder Scrolls.
  • Cutting Off the Branches: Downplayed. 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.
  • Handicapped Badass: 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.
  • I Was Quite a Looker: Flashbacks to before he prematurely aged show he was a handsome, dark-haired man.
  • My Greatest Failure: When he was over-confident enough to think trusting Mannimarco was a good idea.
  • The Reveal: He's none other than Varen Aquilarios, former leader of the Five Companions and Emperor of Cyrodiil.
  • Redemption Equals Death: 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.
  • Younger Than They Look: Looks 70 when he's at most in his 40s.

    Sir Cadwell 
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/por_sir_cadwell.png
Voiced By: John Cleese

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.


  • Amnesiac Dissonance: Elsweyr reveals that he was not a good person in life, something he takes great shame in once he remembers.
  • Back from the Dead: Twice over! The first time is decidingly unwilling, as 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.
  • Beware the Silly Ones: Various Daedra learned this the hard way.
  • Big Damn Heroes: 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.
  • Cloud Cuckoolander: 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.
  • I Hate Past Me: In Elsweyr , when he learns/remembers just how terrible he was when he was alive.
  • Insanity Immunity: 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.
  • Post-End Game Content: After the main quest is completed, he is put in charge by Meridia of allowing the Vestige to safely travel to their rival Alliances and experience their content.

    King Laloriaran Dynar 
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.


  • Alas, Poor Villain: Invoked by him in regards to the fate of his species. 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.
  • And I Must Scream: 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.
  • Badass in Distress: He's trapped in the Lightless Oubliette. You first quest in Coldharbour is to rescue him.
  • Big Good: Of the Coldharbour arc. He's the reason Hollow City is a safe haven for those trying to fight Molag Bal.
  • Call-Back: Dynar is the ruler of Nenalata, one of the many Ayleid ruins explorable in 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".
  • Cool Old Guy: 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.
  • Early-Bird Cameo: He shows up in a quest in Glenumbra Moors, ages before you actually meet him.
  • Go Out with a Smile: As a result of his Heroic Sacrifice, 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.
  • Heroic Sacrifice: 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.
  • Impoverished Patrician: The Alessian Order's Ayleid genocides left him without much of a kingdom to rule, something his Direnni allies mocked him for.
  • Last of His Kind: He's not only the last Ayleid King, he's the last known Ayleid in existence.
  • Meaningful Name: 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.
  • One-Man Army: 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.
  • Royals Who Actually Do Something: 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.
  • Token Heroic Orc: 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. 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.

    Eveli Sharp-Arrow 
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, here and here.
  • Action Girl: 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.
  • Badass Adorable: 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.
  • Book Worm: 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.
  • Break the Cutie: The events of Orsinium are not kind to her.
  • Good News, Bad News: 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 what kind of meat he's eating. It'll be priceless!"
  • Massive Numbered Siblings: The youngest of twelve, and says that this is normal for wood elves living deep in the Valenwood.
  • Master Archer: She is one if you believe her when she says she always hits what she's aiming at. Except 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.
  • Noodle Incident: 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!
  • Skilled, but Naive: 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.

    The Ascendant Order 
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/por_ascendant_lord.png
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.


  • Big Bad: The Ascendant Lord is the main antagonist of the "Legacy of the Bretons" arc.
  • Contrasting Sequel Antagonist: Compared to the previous Arc Villains, which have included Daedric Princes, Dragons and Vampire Lords, the Order is surprisingly mundane by comparison. Or so it seems as the leader turned out to be a descendant of the last Druid King and knows about spirits.
  • Evil Counterpart: 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. 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.
  • Fallen Hero: 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 Damard Dufort being the Ascendant Magus:
    • Of the three main nobles suspected of colluding with the Order, only Damard is shown to be a mage.
    • 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.
    • The Dufort Shipyard, which is stated to be under Damard's jurisdiction, turs out to be an Order hideout.
    • 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, 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, 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...
  • Join or Die: 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".
  • Made of Iron: 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!
  • One-Winged Angel: In the final battle, the Ascendant Lord fuses with Mount Firesong's Guardian Spirit to become a titanic knight of flame and lava.
  • Slouch of Villainy: The Ascendant Lord gives an impressive one at the end of the High Isle announcement trailer.
  • Tin Tyrant: The Ascendant Lord is covered from head to toe in fully concealing armour.
  • Visionary Villain: They present themselves as heroes of the downtrodden, seeking to "liberate" them from what they claim is an oppressive system.
  • We Are Everywhere: 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.
  • Well-Intentioned Extremist: 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.
    • Not-So-Well-Intentioned Extremist: 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".
  • You Have Failed Me: 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.

The Trailer Specific Characters

    General Tropes 
  • Asskicking Leads to Leadership: Every champion can kick massive amounts of asses and as the result became leader of their faction.
  • Canon Foreigner: 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.
  • Enemy Mine: The cinematic trailer for High Isle has all three of them working together for the first time to take on the Ascendant Order.
  • Fighter, Mage, Thief: The Nord, Altmer, and Breton leaders respectively each exemplify one of the archetypes.
  • Heroes Prefer Swords: Every champion wields a sword.
  • Mêlée à Trois: Three factions attack the fort and come to blows with one another, before the Dremora show up.
  • No Name Given: We're never given their names (except the Warden) because all of them are meant to be, for lack of a better word, 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.
  • Redshirt Army: 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 the Altmer Swordknight wouldn't be able to stroll around the walls of the Imperial City.
  • The Champion: The raid squad leaders are the Champions of their respective groups.
  • The Quiet One: They are there (an unidentified fort and Imperial City) to fight, not talk.

    Nord 
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/por_nord_barbarian.png

  • A Day In The Lime Light: Takes center stage in the trailers for Greymoor and the Dark Heart of Skyrim storyline, fighting alongside Lyris.
  • Barbarian Longhair: He goes into battle with hair that reaches his waist.
  • Braids of Barbarism: Styles his hair in braids and happens to be a Nord.
  • And I Must Scream: 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.
  • Horny Vikings: His helmet is adorned with unique horns.
  • Kick the Dog: He uses the ribbon which the Breton Ranger held as a rag.
  • Large and in Charge: 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.
  • Mighty Glacier: Strong, can soak up a lot of damage, and can return the favor, but is the least agile out of three champions.
  • Old Soldier: Has a long white beard but is easily a match for warriors half his age.
  • Tribal Face Paint: On his face, underneath his helmet.

    Altmer Swordknight 
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/por_altmer_spellsword.png

  • A Day In The Lime Light: 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.
  • Action Girl: She's deadly with either a sword or magic.
  • Badass in Distress: Captured at the end of the second trailer, but manages to get out of being a magic battery in the third trailer.
  • The Bus Came Back: Returns for the cinematic trailer for Summerset.
  • Redheaded Hero: She's red-headed and leader of the Aldmeri Dominion raid group.
  • Magic Knight: Can kick ass with sword as well as magic.
  • Mercy Kill: She kills/purifies the undead Breton in the last trailer.
  • Never Trust a Trailer: 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.
  • Pet the Dog: She mercy kills the Breton and seems to show sympathy despite him being an enemy soldier.
  • Smurfette Principle: The only (clearly identified and significant) female in the trailers.

    Breton Ranger 
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/por_breton_assassin.png

  • A Day in the Limelight: 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.
  • And Then John Was a Zombie: In the mid-second trailer and onward.
  • Back from the Dead: In addition to being turned undead to begin with, the Elsweyr trailers show him alive again and helping to deal with the dragons ravaging the country.
  • Bow and Sword in Accord: As befitting of the Ranger class, he wields a bow.
  • Dying as Yourself: His eyes and skin return to their natural tone in his final moments and he doesn't resist the Altmer.
  • Forgot About His Powers: 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.
  • I Die Free: The Altmer Swordknight kills/purifies the undead Breton in the fourth trailer.
  • The Lady's Favour: 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.

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


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