A Dark Anchor merging Nirn into Coldharbour - ©ZeniMax
Dark Anchors falling over the Imperial City - ©ZeniMax
The Planemeld was an invasion of Tamriel orchestrated by the Daedric Prince Molag Bal during the Interregnum in 2E 282. Molag Bal utilised his own design of colossal daedric machines, called Dark Anchors, to attempt to transport Nirn into his own realm of Coldharbour. Dark portals emerged throughout Tamriel, creating pathways between the continent and Coldharbour. With each death on Tamriel, the barriers between Nirn and other realms weakened, and the concurrent Three Banners War hastened the Planemeld's progression. Similar to the Oblivion Crisis, the Planemeld's scale was monumental. However, the Five Companions were able to halt the Planemeld with the aid of Meridia.
Background[]
Varen I's Rebellion[]
In the year 2E 576, Emperor Leovic I Longhouse made the worship of daedra legal throughout the Empire of Cyrodiil, which was already in a state of decay. This news prompted Duke Varen Aquilarios of Colovia to gather the armies of the Colovian Highlands to overthrow the Emperor. The uprising, which lasted a year, was led by Varen with the help of the necromancer Mannimarco. Varen operated from Bruma and coordinated his troops to liberate other cities in Cyrodiil, thus weakening Leovic's grip on the Empire. The final battle was fought in the Imperial City, where Varen's forces emerged victorious, and Varen himself killed Leovic before declaring himself the new emperor.
The Five Companions[]
Following Varen's capture of the White-Gold Tower, he sought to cement his claim to the Ruby Throne by lighting the Dragonfires, a feat that only a true Dragonborn Emperor could achieve. As a non-Dragonborn like his predecessor, Leovic I, Varen was not eligible to perform the ritual. His advisor, Mannimarco, proposed a modified coronation ceremony that would not only light the Dragonfires, but also convince Akatosh to grant Varen the dragon's blood. This involved locating the lost Amulet of Kings, which was essential to the ritual and had been missing since the fall of the Reman dynasty. In 2E 577, Varen formed the Five Companions, which consisted of himself, Mannimarco, Lyris Titanborn, Sai Sahan, and the Imperial Grand Chancellor Abnur Tharn. Over the next two years, they embarked on a quest to locate the Amulet of Kings.
The Soulburst[]
The Five Companions embarked on a two-year quest that ended with the successful recovery of the Amulet in 2E 579. The Five then gathered at the Temple of the One in the Imperial City to perform the ritual, but at that moment, Mannimarco revealed that he was actually an agent of Molag Bal, the Daedric Prince of Domination.
Mannimarco's deception led to a catastrophic event known as the Soulburst, which weakened the barriers between Nirn and Oblivion, allowing Molag Bal to initiate the Planemeld. The Soulburst caused magical aftershocks across Nirn, leading to widespread destruction and chaos. Varen disappeared in the flames of the event, and Mannimarco used the opportunity to accuse Lyris Titanborn and Sai Sahan of regicide, leading to Lyris's capture and Sai's escape with the Amulet of Kings.
After the event, Varen I's widow Clivia Tharn became regent to the crumbling Empire, and made a pact with Mannimarco to strengthen the Imperial armies by resurrecting their fallen soldiers. Abnur Tharn, Clivia's father, grew to hate Mannimarco after the Soulburst and was later imprisoned in the Castle of the Worm in Coldharbour. Mannimarco also formed an alliance with Ard Caddach of Markarth, pledging justice for the overthrown Reachfolk[N 1] in exchange for the Worm Cult's shelter in the city. Mannimarco spent time in Markarth and was granted access to the ruins of Nchuand-Zel, as well as a large plot of land in the foothills near the city for experimentation. It was on this land that Mannimarco attempted a ritual to meld it with Coldharbour, leading to the creation of the lost realm of Greyhaven.
The Planemeld[]
In the year 2E 582, the Planemeld commenced with the appearance of Dark Anchors in various parts of Tamriel. These portals tore parts of Nirn away from the ground, causing them to float in Oblivion, and were linked to the Great Shackle, a massive structure in Coldharbour that was capable of completing the Planemeld[N 2]. The epicentre of the Planemeld was the Endless Stair, an impossible fortress constructed by the Mad Architect. As the torn sections of Tamriel were gradually reformed as a Coldharbour pocket realm, they were absorbed into the Planar Vortex, an inter-planar realm that converged with Tamriel and Coldharbour, which could only be accessed from the Endless Stair. The biggest Dark Anchor, located over the Imperial City, aimed to pull the White-Gold Tower into Coldharbour.
With the kingdoms of Tamriel torn apart by the Three Banners War, and Cyrodiil in shambles, the daedric invasion proceeded unopposed. Sees-All-Colors, Meridia's servant, assassinated the Fighters Guild leader to take on the role of Guildmaster. The guild, now under daedric command and funded by the riches of Meridia's worshippers, focused on destroying Dark Anchors and thwarting Molag Bal's machinations. On the other hand, a prison break within Coldharbour led to the escape of Lyris Titanborn from captivity and the reformation of the Five Companions. Together with the mysterious Prophet, Lyris rescued the remaining Companions from Molag Bal's grip and regained the Amulet of Kings, triumphing over Mannimarco in the process.
Joint Invasion of Coldharbour[]
Molag Kena & the White-Gold Tower[]
Defeating Molag Bal[]
Aftermath[]
Quotes[]
Varen: By the lighting of the Dragonfires, I claim my rightful lineage! By the fires of creation, let me be reborn! By the will of Akatosh, I proclaim myself... Dragonborn!
Mannimarco: Varen Aquilarios, you are no heir to Alessia! You will pay for your sacrilege! The veil between Tamriel and Oblivion tears and splits asunder!
Varen: Akatosh! Forgive me! Have mercy on our souls!
Abnur: What's happening? The sky is opening up! This is bad! This is very bad!
Varen: This isn't supposed to happen! What's the meaning of this? Mannimarco, what have you done?
Mannimarco: Gullible fools! The veil between Oblivion and this world has been torn! My master, Molag Bal, is free to claim Tamriel for his own!
—Mannimarco causing the Soulburst
The ritual tore the veil between Nirn and Oblivion, allowing Mannimarco to begin stealing the souls his master needed to power the Dark Anchors and initiate the Planemeld.
—Varen I Aquilarios about the Soulburst
Notes[]
- ↑ The dynasty of the former Emperor Leovic I was Reachman in origin. After finally reaching ultimate power and being overthrown, many Reachmen sought to reclaim power in Cyrodiil.
- ↑ The Great Shackle effectively acted as an engine for the many Dark Anchors across Tamriel, ensuring their continued functionality and even being capable of completing the Planemeld on its own if given enough time and energy.