| Eternal Champion | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race | Unknown[nb 1] | Gender | Unknown[nb 1] |
| Born | 3E 370 |
||
| Resided in | Imperial Province | ||
| Appears in | Arena | ||
TheEternal Champion,purportedly namedTalin,[1][nb 1](b.3E 370)[2]was an otherwise unknownherobest known for ending theImperial Simulacrumin3E 399by bringing together the pieces of theStaff of Chaos,killing the impostoremperorJagar Tharn,[3]and rescuing the true emperor,Uriel Septim VII,and general of theImperial Guard,Talin Warhaft,[nb 2]from adimension of Tharn's choosingwhere they had been imprisoned for ten years.[4][5]
HistoryEdit
Early LifeEdit
The Champion was the adopted ward of General Talin Warhaft, who they treated as their father.[UOL 1]The Champion's father fought in a battle atBorim Valley,and they had a great-aunt and a great-uncle who each lived in separate villages close to the Champion's home village. During their childhood, the Champion worked at the stables of their home village and was taught how to fight by Armsmaster Festil, an elderly warrior.[6]They became friends withRia Silmaneafter they were summoned to theImperial Courtto learn under her tutelage the ways ofsorcery.[1]At the Imperial Court they were considered only a minor member of no real consequence.[7]On their seventeenth birthday, they were bidden by their father to go out and exploreTamrieland return as a member of the Imperial household,[UOL 1]at one point returning briefly to theImperial Cityto celebrate theMid Year's Festival.[1]
Alternate BackstoriesEdit
Outside of the purported background of the Eternal Champion as Talin, various cultures throughout Tamriel have conflicting claims about the hero. Supposed identities for the Champion includeGrachtatheRedguardKnight,DunastyrtheBretonSorcerer,Shathrathe femaleOhmesKhajitiAssassin, andTyronicustheCyrodilicBattlemage.[UOL 2]Other unnamed identities include theAltmeraccount who claim in public the Champion was an enlightened wizard, but in private admit he was an outcast. TheNordssee them as the son of a proud king. TheDunmerhave legends that they were the daughter of the livinggoddessAlmalexia.TheBosmersay she was anAyleidonAuhreliar. Even somevampireclans have their own legends for the Eternal Champion, with the Lysrezi believing him to be a vampire from arealmoutside ofNirn.[UOL 3]
Imperial SimulacrumEdit
In3E 389,Jagar Tharn would overthrow Emperor Uriel, imprison him and General Warhaft inOblivion,and kill Ria Silmane. The Champion would coincidentally return home from their year-long journey immediately after this occurred. They would be imprisoned by Jagar Tharn in theImperial Dungeonsand left to die. Using what little of her life force remained, Silmane contacted the Champion from betweenthe mortal worldandthe afterlifeand guided them to freedom, tasking them with reassembling the Staff of Chaos and rescuing the emperor.[nb 3]Silmane aided the Champion in this task by using her magic to mask the Champion's identity,[7]which successfully concealed the Champion's name from Tharn until seven of the Staff's eight pieces had been recovered.[8]
Using Silmane's guidance to find the location of the pieces, with covert assistance fromQueen BarenziahandKing Eadwyrewho through contact with Silmane would gather intelligence on the locations of the pieces of the Staff of Chaos to be passed on to the Champion,[9]the Champion journeyed toStonekeep,Fang Lair,theFortress of Ice,Labyrinthian,Selene's Web,theElden Grove,theTemple of Agamanus,theHalls of Colossus,theTemple of Mad God,theCrystal Tower,theMines of Khuras,theCrypt of Hearts,theVaults of Gemin,Murkwood,Black Gate,andRed Mountainon a quest that spanned the course of a decade, before ultimately descending into the depths of theImperial Palaceto face Tharn. The Champion would defeat Tharn in3E 399(their battle doing considerable damage to the Imperial Palace)[10]by draining theJewel of Fireof its power and restoring the Staff of Chaos to its full power, killing Tharn in the process. The Champion would then free Emperor Uriel and General Warhaft from Oblivion and be proclaimed by the Emperor as theEternal Champion.They would then take their place at the emperor's side and would be tasked with seeing to the needs of theEmpire.[11]
Later LifeEdit
After the Imperial Simulacrum, the Eternal Champion would often be called upon to investigate evidence of "Tharn's aborted master plan", though little of great relevance was ever uncovered by3E 405.[UOL 4]
LegacyEdit
The Eternal Champion became somewhat of a cultural hero to Imperial Loyalists, many of whom retracing their steps as part of a pilgrimage.[12]Some remember them as one of the greatest warriors in the modern eras.[3]
GalleryEdit
-
Possible depictions of the Eternal Champion (Arenacover art)
-
Possible depictions of the Eternal Champion (Arenacover concept art)
-
Possible depictions of the Eternal Champion (Arena27th anniversary)
-
Possible depictions of the Eternal Champion (Arena28th anniversary)
-
Possible depictions of the Eternal Champion (Arena29th anniversary)
-
A pre-release screenshot depicting the Eternal Champion as aBretonmale named Talin.
NotesEdit
- The name, race, and gender of the Eternal Champion is ultimately player determined. Theintroductionto theofficial game manualrefers to them as a male named Talin.[1]Additionally, a pre-release screenshot depicts the Eternal Champion as a Breton male named Talin.[nb 4]In-universe references to the Champion simply describes them as an "unknown hero",[3]and an "Enigma tic Champion".[13]Alternate backstorieswere provided inunofficial lore.
- In the original release ofArena,General Warhaft is shown leaving Oblivion with Uriel VII, and thanks the Champion for his service. In theDeluxe Edition,Uriel VII alone is seen leaving Oblivion, with no mention of Warhaft whatsoever.
- The events ofArenastart in 3E 389, however, according to theBiography of Queen Barenziah,who assisted the Champion's escape from the Imperial City Prison, this happened after the death ofSymmachus,which occurred in3E 391.[2]
- InDaggerfall,abackground historywould have been used for a cut feature allowing players to import their character fromArenawhich would have madethe Agentand the Eternal Champion one and the same.[UOL 4]
ReferencesEdit
- ^abcdeArena Player's Guide
- ^abThe Daggerfall Chronicles— Ronald Wartow
- ^abcHallgerd's Tale—Tavi Dromio
- ^Arenaintroduction scene
- ^The Third Era Timeline—Jaspus Ignateous
- ^Arenacharacter creationscenario
- ^abRia Silmane's dialogue inArena
- ^Jagar Tharn's dialogue inArena
- ^Biography of Barenziah, v 3—Stern Gamboge,Imperial Scribe
- ^Imperial Palace Guard's dialogue inArena
- ^Events ofThe Imperial PalaceinArena
- ^A Minor Maze
- ^Brief History of the Empire v 4—Stronach k'Thojj III
Note:The following references are considered to beunofficial sources.They are included to round off this article and may not be authoritative or conclusive.
