Dagoth Ur (Character)

Voryn Dagoth/Dagoth Ur
Race	Dunmer Chimer (formerly)
Gender	Male
Eyes	Red
Hair	Black
Birth	Circa First Era
Death	1E 700 (initial) 3E 427
Homeland	Resdayn (Morrowind), in Red Mountain
Affiliation	House Dagoth Ash Creatures
Family	Descendants of Dagoth Clan
Title(s)	Lord High Councillor (First Era) "The Sharmat"

For other uses, see Dagoth Ur.

"What a fool you are. I'm a god, how can you kill a god? What a grand and intoxicating innocence. How could you be so naive? There is no escape. No recall or intervention can work in this place. Come, lay down your weapons, it is not too late for my mercy."

―Dagoth Ur

Dagoth Ur, known as Voryn Dagoth in life, and whom Vivec would later come to call The Sharmat, was a powerful Chimer lord and Lord High Councillor to House Dagoth, and is the main antagonist of The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind.

History

Early life and Councilorship

Voryn Dagoth was born into the great house Dagoth. Accounts of his early life are few but it is known that he did later in life become the Lord High Councillor of the house. After the defeat of the Nords at the Battle of Red Mountain, the Chimer and Dwemer created an alliance known as the First Council formed by Indoril Nerevar and Dumac, the king of the Dwemer in Morrowind. The First Counsel lasted for centuries until Voryn, through unknown means, claimed to have discovered that the Tonal Architect, Kagrenac had found the Heart of Lorkhan, and that the Dwemer would use the power of the heart to create a giant Golem known as the Numidium to use against the Chimer. Voryn, along with Nerevar, Vivec, Nerevar's wife Almalexia and Sotha Sil were the only ones before Kagrenac to learn about the heart. The Daedric Prince Azura later confirmed Voryn's claims and Nerevar declared war on the Dwemer culminating in the race's disappearance at Red Mountain.

Nerevar's death

After the defeat of the Dwemer the artifacts Sunder, Keening, and Wraithguard fell into the hands of Nerevar who had to decide what to do with the tools. Voryn urged the destruction of the tools while Nerevar convened with the Tribunal and Azura. When Nerevar and the Tribunal returned to lock away the tools, Voryn refused to give them up saying that he was entrusted to keep them safe. Unknown to Nerevar and the Tribunal, Voryn had experimented on the tools and the heart and had managed to steal its divine energy. Voryn now called himself Dagoth Ur from that point on, though other sources claim that Nerevar coined the name. Nerevar and the Tribunal's guards fought and drove off Dagoth Ur who was thought to have died. Nerevar was said to have died from his injuries fighting Dagoth Ur, though the cause of Nerevar's death is often disputed. In truth, it was the Tribunal who killed Nerevar but only after he had vowed along with the Tribunal to never use the tools.

The Tribunal took possession of the tools, and after some time, Sotha Sil managed to find a way to become gods by using the tools. The Tribunal traveled to Red Mountain and used Kagrenac's tools on the Heart of Lorkhan thus becoming gods. For breaking their promise to never use the tools, Azura appeared in anger, turning the Chimer into the Dunmer and Prophesying that Nerevar would be incarnated and curse them for their deeds. Dagoth Ur managed to maintain a connection to the heart through unknown means and managed to stay alive and immortal, although temporarily bodiless and presumed to be dead by most.

The Birth of Dagoth Ur

Dagoth Ur

In 2E 882, the Tribunal journeyed to Red Mountain to renew their god-like powers. However. by that time, Dagoth Ur and his house had been reborn in new bodies that more than matched the Tribunal's power. Unable to enter the Red Mountain to renew their powers, the Tribunal grew weaker while Dagoth Ur grew more powerful as a result. During this time, Almalexia and Sotha Sil, in a vain attempt to regain their powers, lost Sunder and Keening to Dagoth Odros and Dagoth Vemyn, only surviving after Vivec saved them. Dagoth Ur began to spread the Blight and Corprus by ash storms from Red Mountain, beginning a complex plan to conquer Morrowind and all of Tamriel with the second Numidium, Akulakhan.

His main goals were to:

• Establish a theocracy in Morrowind based on the new-born god Akulakhan.
• Establish the ancient heirs of House Dagoth as the god-priests of Akulakhan, and the Sixth House of Dagoth Ur as the dominant political power in Morrowind.
• Through charismatic conversion, unite the Dunmer under the guidance of Dagoth Ur to battle against the foreign animals who hold Morrowind in subjection.
• Expose the false worship of the Tribunal and destroy the ecclesiastical authority and political power of the Temple.
• Extirpate all remaining individuals of inferior and mongrel races from Morrowind.
• Reclaim ancient territories stolen by Skyrim and Argonia
• Drive the Empire from Morrowind.
• Extend the worship of Akulakhan to all nations of Tamriel through subversion and conquest.

The Tribunal's decline

Dagoth Ur's first phase of his plan was to Secure Red Mountain against Tribunal intruders and deny the Tribunal's access to the Heart, weakening the Temple and the three tribunes while claiming the land of Red Mountain for the creation of Akulakhan. A large part of the plan was to keep the construction of Akulakhan a secret from the Temple and Tribunes.

The second phase was to create passive servants in ever-widening areas around the Red Mountain by sending compulsions couched in dream imagery to weak-willed subjects in their sleep.

The third phase of the plan was to establish a large operational base at Kogoruhn for further operations in the Ashland region.

The fourth phase of the plan was to create smaller bases near small port settlements and in lower-class waterfront locations in Vivec City.

The fifth phase of the plan was to infiltrate and subvert smuggling operations.

The sixth phase of the plan was to recruit willing servants from disaffected populations, including the underworld, the poor and anti-Imperials.

The seventh phase was to expand from smaller bases to larger towns and settlements, and recruit and indoctrinate citizens made susceptible by dream sendings.

The eighth phase of the plan was to occupy abandoned towers and ruins, and train cultists as raiders and troops.

The ninth phase of the plan was to identify, discredit, and decimate possible sources of political resistance. The tenth phase of the plan was to use assassination and terror to weaken, distract, and disrupt the Legions and the Imperial bureaucracy, along with their House Hlaalu supporters.

The eleventh phase of the plan was to inspire uprisings of the native poor against foreigners, the rich, and those in power. The final phase of the plan was to summon Sleepers and Dreamers to Dagoth Ur to work on Akulakhan.

The Tribunal could never defeat Dagoth Ur due to two things. The first was that every time the Tribunes would invade Red Mountain and kill Dagoth Ur, the power of the Heart of Lorkhan would always revive him. The second reason was that the Tribunal had to maintain the Ghostfence to keep Dagoth Ur's minions from invading Morrowind.

The Nerevarine Prophecy

"This is the end. The bitter, bitter end."

―Dagoth Ur

In 3E 427 a prisoner matching the description of the Nerevarine was sent to the island of Vvardenfell by Uriel Septim VII and after it was revealed in the Cavern of the Incarnate that this person was Nerevar reincarnated, They obtained Wraithguard, recovered the other tools of Kagrenac and met with Dagoth Ur in Red Mountain. There, they severed the Heart of Lorkhan from the mortal plane by using the tools, and without the heart to sustain them, Dagoth Ur and his Ash Vampire brothers perished, and Akulakhan was destroyed. By doing this the Nerevarine ended the Blight and Corprus and the threat of House Dagoth. This also caused the Tribunal to become mortal.

Powers

Dagoth Ur could send messages in dreams and was able to make people serve him. It was also said that he could speak through the mouths of his minions. He was a powerful mage, with long lethal claws. Only by destroying the Heart of Lorkhan was the Nerevarine able to defeat him.

Personality

Dagoth Ur maintained the honorable ceremonies notable to his house as he allowed the Nerevarine to take the first hit when they battled. When asked by the Nerevarine on how he justified his crimes he replied that he accepted the responsibility of leadership and that Morrowind could not be liberated from the Empire without bloodshed and that he viewed his actions as just and noble. It was said that Dagoth Ur had adopted the views and motivations of the Tonal Architect Kagrenac.

Note on name usage

In The Elder Scrolls: Arena, a simple map of the continent of Tamriel is shown, including the island of Vvardenfell. The center of this island is a volcano which is referred to only as Dagoth-Ur. However, in The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, the volcano is referred to by its inhabitants almost exclusively as Red Mountain. This discrepancy is explained by the fact that Dagoth Ur resides inside of Red Mountain for most of his life. Thus, in local legend the mountain is sometimes referred to by this name.

Note: It is commonly accepted that the name Dagoth Ur should properly be used to refer to the character, and the volcano should be referred to as Red Mountain. However, if the name has the hyphen, Dagoth-Ur, it is referring to the volcano.

Interactions

The Citadels of the Sixth House

With the help of Kagrenac's tools, Sunder, Keening and Wraithguard, the Nerevarine journeys to Red Mountain, to defeat Dagoth Ur.

Abilites, Attributes and Spells

Note: Dagoth Ur has two sets of statistics, depending on his location.

The following is the list of Dagoth Ur's abilities, attributes and spells:

Abilities

• Divine Abilities — Fortify Strength 100 points, Fortify Attack 50 points.

In Akulakhan's Chamber, Ur has the following extra abilities:

• Resits Fire: 50
• Resist Frost: 50
• Resist Shock: 50
• Shield: 50

Attributes

In Dagoth Ur, Facility Cavern, Ur has the following attributes:

		Soul	Level	Melee Attack
300	300	0	35	50-75 points — 25-100 points — 60-60 points

In Akulakhan's Chamber, Ur has the following attributes:

		Soul	Level	Melee Attack
1000	1000	0	35	50-75 points — 25-100 points — 75-75 points

Spells

• Wrath of Dagoth: Damage health for 5-50 points, during 3 seconds; Damage Agility, Endurance, Luck, Speed, Strength, and Willpower for 1-3 points on target.

Character IDs and locations

ID	Location
dagoth_ur_1	Dagoth Ur, Facility Cavern
dagoth_ur_2	Akulakhan's Chamber

Morrowind dialogue

Show: The Citadels of the Sixth House.

Voice "Come, Nerevar. Friend or traitor, come. Come and look upon the Heart, and Akulakhan. And bring Wraithguard... I have need of it." "Come to the Heart Chamber. I wait for you there, where we last met, countless ages ago." "Come to me, through fire and war. I welcome you." "Welcome, Moon-and-Star. I have prepared a place for you." "Come. Bring Wraithguard to the Heart Chamber. Together let us free the cursed false gods." "Welcome, Nerevar. Together we shall speak for the Law and the Land, and shall drive the mongrel dogs of the Empire from Morrowind." "Is this how you honor the Sixth House, and the tribe unmourned? Come to me openly, and not by stealth." Dialogue "It began here. It will end here. Have you any parting words? Or would you prefer to skip the speeches, and get to our business. You are the challenger here, after all. So to you goes the courtesy of the first blow." parting words: "Now that you have come to me here, there can be but one result. Many times I have considered offering to share this place with you. I considered offering to accept your oath of service. You might try to buy my trust by giving me Wraithguard, Keening, and Sunder. I thought we might once again be friends... comrades... brothers in arms." "But I have won this place and power by right of conquest. By right of daring and enterprise. I will not risk it to cunning and deceit. I offer you no deals. If you are my enemy, I cannot trust you. And even if you are not my enemy, I cannot let you live." "It will all be decided here. I believe I will prevail. But I cannot be sure, and I am vain enough that, should I fall, I would wish to be remembered in my own words. So, if you have final questions you would ask, ask them now. I have final questions I would ask you, if you would answer." final questions: "My first question is: Are you really Nerevar reborn?" By the grace of gods and fate, I am Nerevar reborn. "That is bitter. The gods and fates are cruel. I served you faithfully once, Lord Nerevar, and you repaid me with death. I hope this time it will be you who pays for your faithlessness." I'm a loyal servant of the Emperor. "Then I salute you for your faithful service to your lord. And I curse you and your Emperors as my enemies, for your stealing and spoiling Morrowind and degrading the Dunmer race. Your death and humiliation will give me special pleasure." I am a self-willed hero, and I make my own fate. "You are bold. I honor your independence. You are one to teach the gods their limits. I hope the bards will praise the glory of your death in song." I know no more than you do. "What a world.... Perhaps we shall never know. But as I have sympathy for you, and the melancholy fate of all mortals, I shall weep for your death." final questions: "My second question is: if you win, what do you plan to do with the power from the Heart? Will you make yourself a god, and establish a thearchy? Or will you complete Akulakhan, and dispute control of Tamriel with the Septims? Or will you share the Heart with your followers, as I have, and breed a new race of divine immortals?" Make myself a god. "You will follow the model of the Tribunal? That is a dull and unenterprising ambition. See what the Tribunal have done. They've sacrificed the honor and dignity of the Dunmer race, and handed over our ancient land to the mongrel dogs of the Empire. You may mean well, but you lack vision. You are not worthy of the Heart." Complete Akulakhan. "A noble ambition. And anyone who would make war upon the Septims should be my friend. A pity we cannot trust one another as allies." Share the Heart. "You have a noble spirit. I share the power I have from the Heart to help free mortals from their ancient fears of the gods. Who knows what we may be capable of once we not longer fear death? Your goal is worthy, and I honor you for it." I have my own, secret plan for the Heart. "Well. Perhaps there may be surprises in store for me yet. Or perhaps you obscure your plans on principle. Or perhaps you are an instinctive bluffer. No matter." final questions: "My final question is: if I had offered to let you join me, would you have surrendered Wraithguard, Sunder, and Keening to me to seal your oath?" No, I would never join you.. "Thank you for your forthright response. And now, if you have any questions, ask them. Otherwise, you are the challenger. I await your first blow." No, I would never surrender the tools. "An interesting response. You might have been willing to join me, but never to surrender the tools. Very interesting. I'm glad I didn't try to bargain with you. And now, if you have any questions, ask them. Otherwise, you are the challenger. I await your first blow." Yes, perhaps, with the right guarantees. "Since it hardly matters, let me assure you... there are no guarantees that would help you once I had my hands on those tools. Pity I didn't try to bargain with you. It might have made things so much easier. But now, if you have any questions, ask them. Otherwise, you are the challenger. I await your first blow." Yes, if I had a cunning plan. "Yes, of course. I doubt that any cunning plan would have been of much use once I had the tools in hand. But now we'll never know. Pity. But now, if you have any questions, ask them. Otherwise, you are the challenger. I await your first blow." Questions What is your plan for the Heart? "I will continue to draw divine power from the Heart and distribute it to my kin and followers. I will continue to broadcast divine power upon the blight winds, so that it will touch each soul on Vvardenfell, and then more broadly, across the waters to the rest of Morrowind and Tamriel. In time, every mortal in Tamriel shall feel the liberating contact with the divine." What is your plan for the Sixth House? "The Sixth House will serve as the elite cadre of our movement. As cultists evolve through various stages of enlightenment, they will become, as suits their abilities, either holy warriors or priests. Their duty is to prepare themselves for service; their joy and liberation is to enter ever-more-deeply into the profound enlightenment of the divine dreamworld." What is your plan for the Dunmer? "I will free the Dunmer from the Imperial yoke, and cast down the false gods of the Temple. I will lead them out of their ancient superstitions, and gift them with intimate knowledge of the divine. Then, perhaps, when Morrowind is once again restored to its ancient glories, it will be time to consider whether the Dunmer should cultivate ambitions of empire." "How do you justify your crimes? "If, by my crimes, you mean the inevitable suffering and destruction caused by war, then I accept the burden of leadership. The Sixth House cannot be restored without war. Enlightenment cannot grow without the risk of upsetting the tradition-bound and complacent herd. And the mongrel armies of the Empire cannot be expelled from Morrowind without bloodshed. As I have charity and compassion, I grieve. But our mission is just and noble." What happened to the Dwemer? "I have no idea what happened to the Dwemer. I have been denied the opportunity to study Wraithguard, and I am not sure how much of Kagrenac's lore was invested in his tools, and how much in his own sorcery and mastery. I have long studied Kagrenac, and have come to admire his wisdom and craft. Someday, after the campaigns of the Sixth House are secure, I hope to have time to dedicate to this mystery." Why are you building Akulakhan? "Akulakhan will serve three purposes. First, it will be the champion of my armies, liberating first Vvardenfell, then Morrowind, and then, perhaps the rest of Tamriel. Second, it will serve as a sower and cultivator of the divine substance derived from the Heart. Three, it will serve as the prominent banner and symbol of our cause -- to defy the Empire, to liberate mortals from ancient superstitions, and to glorify our crusade against the gods." Battle Dialogue "Oh. Please, Nerevar! Spare me!" "I surrender! I surrender! Hah-hah-hah-hah-hah!" "Farewell, sweet Nerevar. Better luck on your next incarnation." "This is getting tiresome." "You are a stubborn thing, Nerevar." "Come on!" "Hah-hah-hah-hah. Oh, dear me. Forgive me, but I am enjoying this." "What a fool you are. I'm a god, how can you kill a god? What a grand and intoxicating innocence. How could you be so naive? There is no escape. No recall or intervention can work in this place. Come, lay down your weapons, it is not too late for my mercy." "Omnipotent. Omniscient. Sovereign. Immutable. How sweet it is to be a god!" "Persistent, aren't you." "STUpid...." "This is taking too long." "Damn this thing…" Heart Hit Dialogue "What are you doing?" "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" "FOOL!" "STOP!" "This is the end. The bitter, bitter end."

Trivia

• Both versions of Dagoth Ur must be defeated to complete "The Citadels of the Sixth House," the last main quest.

Gallery

Dagoth Ur concept art

Dagoth Ur in the Facility Cavern

Dagoth Ur in Akulakhan's chamber

Appearances

• The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
• The Elder Scrolls V: Dragonborn (mentioned only)