The Oblivion Crisis
When the gates of hell opened, one hero stood between the world and total annihilation.
The Oblivion Crisis stands as one of the most catastrophic events in Tamrielic history, marking the moment the barrier between the mortal realm and the chaotic plane of Oblivion was shattered by the Daedric Prince Mehrunes Dagon. Triggered by the assassination of Emperor Uriel Septim VII and the subsequent loss of the Amulet of Kings, this invasion saw countless portals open across Cyrodiil, unleashing legions of Daedra upon the Empire while the Imperial City itself fell under siege.
- Primary Antagonist
- Mehrunes Dagon
- Key Protagonist
- The Hero of Kvatch
- Emperor Assassinated
- Uriel Septim VII
- Location of Climax
- Imperial City, Temple District
- Outcome
- Daedric invasion repelled; Empire temporarily destabilized
Lore & Background
While the Empire's armies crumbled under the weight of the invasion, a lone champion rose from the prisons of Kvatch to guide the last heir of the Septim line. Their journey was not merely one of combat, but of restoring faith in the old gods and uniting the fractured provinces against an existential threat that cared nothing for politics or borders. The eventual victory came at a terrible cost: the end of the human-led Empire's divine mandate and the beginning of the Third Era's twilight.
In Their Own Story
Above Kvatch, the azure sky had curdled into a bruised purple, choked by ash and the sickly green luminescence of tearing rifts. A soldier, his armor scorched black and sword snapped in two, stumbled through the rubble of the shattered gates, only to be met not by a comrade, but by a towering Scamp with eyes like molten gold. 'The Emperor is dead,' the creature hissed, its voice vibrating from every direction at once. 'The walls are down. There is no one left to stop us.' But just as the soldier raised his trembling blade against impossible odds, a figure in steel armor emerged from the shadows of a ruined archway, the weight of destiny heavy on their shoulders.
Reader's Guide
Freed from the Imperial Prison by the dying Emperor's spirit, the Hero must shepherd Martin Septim across a Cyrodiil turned inside out. The path demands closing volatile Oblivion Gates while rallying fractured factions and surviving the apocalyptic Siege of Kvatch.
The journey culminates in the burning ruins of the Imperial City, where Daedric legions have already breached the walls. In a final, desperate ritual within the Temple District, Martin Septim sacrifices his humanity to ignite the Dragonfires with the Amulet of Kings. The resulting surge permanently seals the gates and banishes Dagon, but at the cost of extinguishing the divine bloodline that held the Empire together.
Did You Know?
- The Mythic Dawn cult was meticulously founded by Mehrunes Dagon's followers to infiltrate the Empire and facilitate this specific invasion.
- The Hero of Kvatch is the only protagonist in the series whose name remains officially unknown, a deliberate choice to preserve player immersion.
- During the final ritual, Martin Septim does not merely die; he transforms into an avatar of Akatosh to physically banish Dagon from Mundus.
- The power vacuum left by the end of the Septim line directly enabled the rise of the Thalmor and set the stage for the eventual collapse of the Third Empire.