The Empire of Tamriel is the greatest political force in recorded history, an institution that rose from conquest and endured through millennia of wars, rebellions, and divine upheavals. Its origins lie in the ambition of Tiber Septim, the Dragonborn warlord who in the late Second Era united all of Tamriel under one banner for the first time.
Before Septim, Tamriel was fractured. Elves clung to ancient dominions, men fought among themselves, and provinces rose and fell in endless conflict. Septim’s vision was not merely conquest but permanence: a singular empire that would transcend borders, blood, and centuries. His victories, achieved with armies, diplomacy, and the god-machine Numidium, birthed the Third Empire of Man.
The Empire is a centralized monarchy, though its power has shifted across eras.
Emperor: The Dragon Throne of Cyrodiil is seat of ultimate authority. An Emperor’s legitimacy derives from coronation at the Temple of the One and, traditionally, Dragonborn blood.
Elder Council: A body of nobles, generals, and bureaucrats who administer provinces and advise the Emperor. In times of weak emperors, the Council often rules in practice.
Provinces: Each province is governed by local rulers — kings, jarls, tribal chiefs, or governors — who owe allegiance to the Empire. In exchange for autonomy, they pay tribute and provide troops.
Legions: The backbone of Imperial power. Disciplined, professional armies, capable of holding provinces together. Legionary training, armor, and tactics remain unmatched in Tamriel.
Law and Bureaucracy: The Empire enforces Imperial Law across provinces, often clashing with local customs. Taxes, census, and administration are overseen by a vast bureaucracy in the Imperial City.
This system blends pragmatism and coercion. Provinces retain some traditions but are bound to the Ruby Throne through military power and economic necessity.
Under Tiber Septim and his heirs, the Empire reached its zenith. The Septim Dynasty (2E 896–3E 430) ruled Tamriel for four centuries, embedding Imperial culture across the continent.
Expansion: Tiber Septim conquered Summerset, Hammerfell, and Morrowind, forcing even proud Elves into submission.
Religion: The Cult of the Eight Divines became Imperial faith, enshrining Talos as god after Tiber’s apotheosis.
Culture: Cyrodiilic law, trade, and language spread, blending with local traditions.
Stability: Despite wars and succession crises, the Septim name commanded loyalty.
The Septims embodied legitimacy. As Dragonborn, they symbolized divine right, binding provinces by faith as well as force.
After the assassination of Emperor Uriel Septim VII and his heirs in 3E 433, the Empire entered crisis. Without Dragonborn emperors, legitimacy faltered. The Elder Council struggled to rule, but corruption, civil war, and Daedric invasion (the Oblivion Crisis) weakened the state.
In the Fourth Era, the Empire fractured further:
Morrowind was devastated by Red Year and seceded.
Black Marsh withdrew after the Oblivion Crisis.
Elsweyr eventually broke away to join the Aldmeri Dominion.
Hammerfell resisted Dominion invasion, severing ties with the Empire.
By 4E 201, the Empire holds Cyrodiil, Skyrim (fractured by civil war), and tenuous influence in High Rock. It is but shadow of Septim’s dominion.
The greatest blow came in 4E 171, when the Aldmeri Dominion declared war. The Dominion armies swept across Cyrodiil and Hammerfell, burning cities, enslaving populations, and reaching the Imperial City itself.
Though the Empire won a pyrrhic victory at the Battle of the Red Ring (4E 175), it was forced to sign the White-Gold Concordat, a humiliating peace treaty. Terms included:
Outlawing the worship of Talos, striking at the heart of Nord and Imperial faith.
Allowing Thalmor Justiciars to operate freely in Imperial lands.
Ceding Hammerfell, though Hammerfell rejected both treaty and Empire.
The Concordat shattered Imperial prestige. Many Nords saw it as betrayal, fueling the Stormcloak Rebellion in Skyrim.
The Empire is more than government — it is culture, religion, and idea.
Religion: The Eight Divines (later Nine) form Imperial faith, blending Nord, Breton, and Ayleid traditions. Talos worship is central, though outlawed under the Concordat.
Language: Cyrodiilic speech became lingua franca across Tamriel, uniting provinces in trade and governance.
Law: Imperial law codified property, inheritance, and governance, influencing even distant provinces.
Identity: To be Imperial is to believe in unity through strength, law, and civilization. Yet provinces often view this as arrogance and occupation.
Legions:
Imperial legions are professional armies, disciplined and standardized. They combine heavy infantry with auxiliary troops from provinces. Their discipline often outmatches provincial militias, though morale has declined in Fourth Era.
The Imperial City:
Capital of the Empire, seat of the Ruby Throne. Built upon Ayleid foundations, centered on the White-Gold Tower, it is both symbol and prize of Tamriel. Whoever holds the Imperial City commands the continent.
Relations with Provinces:
Skyrim: Fractured by civil war, resenting Talos ban.
Hammerfell: Estranged after Great War.
Elsweyr: Lost to Dominion.
Black Marsh: Independent and hostile.
Morrowind: Withdrawn and devastated.
High Rock: Still loyal, though weakened.
Summerset/Valenwood: Enemies under Dominion.
Philosophy of Rule:
Imperial doctrine views itself as bringer of law and stability, contrasting “barbarism” of independent provinces. Critics see this as imperial arrogance, a mask for conquest.
The Empire’s legacy is vast. It united Tamriel, spread law and language, defeated Daedra and Elves alike, and endured longer than most dynasties. Yet it also committed conquest, outlawed faiths, and ruled through force as often as consent.
By 4E 201, the Empire teeters. It remains symbol of order in a fractured world, but its power is waning, its provinces seceding, its faith shaken. Whether it endures or falls, its mark is indelible: Tamriel’s history is inseparable from the Empire, and even its enemies define themselves in opposition to it.
The Empire is dream and tyranny, unity and domination, civilization and empire. Its rise and decline mirror Tamriel itself — forever struggling between order and freedom, faith and power, god and man.