Lore:Durcorach

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Emperor Durcorach
ON-trailer-Deadlands and Damnation-Durcorach.jpg
Durcorach the Black Drake
Race Reachman Gender Male
Born 2E 485
The Reach
Died 2E 542
Daggerfall
Reign 2E 533-
2E 542
Previous Ruler Attrebus
Next Ruler Moricar
Resided in The Reach
Imperial City
Black Drake Villa
Deadlands
Appears in ESO

Durcorach, known as the "Black Drake", was a Reachman warlord and later Emperor of Cyrodiil during the Interregnum. After gaining control of the Reach, he and his army conquered the Empire of Cyrodiil in 2E 533, where he was crowned Emperor of Cyrodiil, becoming the first emperor of the Longhouse Emperors dynasty.[1] In 2E 541 or 2E 542, he led an invasion of High Rock and captured and sacked many of the province's cities, but he was killed by Emeric of Cumberland while attempting to besiege Daggerfall.[1][2] Durcorach was succeeded by his son, Moricar.[1]

Biography[edit]

Early Life and Rise to Power[edit]

Tagh Droiloch

According to a hagiography commissioned by Durcorach, on the night of his birth around 2E 485,[1] a great comet blazed across the sky, and "seven sevens of silver swans" flew over his mother's shelter in the snowy mountains of the Reach.[3] All who beheld the infant were said to be "struck by the strong beauty of his young face, with eyes so dark and fierce that great warriors could not bear to meet his gaze".[3] He was raised in the challenging wilderness of the Reach, which taught him "the value of courage, honor, endurance, and wisdom".[3] The hagiography continues to describe his early life: At the age of three, a young Durcorach allegedly saved his mother's life by seizing his father's hunting spear and instantly slaying a great black bear that had already devoured twenty men.[3] At the age of five, he saved his village from starving in a harsh winter by hunting a herd of "a hundred elk from Karthwasten to the high peaks of the Druadach Mountains".[3] On his seventh birthday, a tribe of giants invaded the peaceful pastures where his people kept their flocks, and he somehow managed to beat them back.[3]

Durcorach was known for his imposing stature, savage temper, and prowess with both blades and magic.[4][5][1] By the time he was in his late twenties, he had become the chieftain of his clan.[1] In 2E 518, Durcorach's son, Moricar, was born.[1] Durcorach soon became an exceptionally strong and clever chieftain, and in 2E 527, he began building a following in the Reach.[5] His growing power caught the attention of the Tagh Droiloch, a witch-men coven, and he allied with them.[1][5][6] With their help, he grew and solidified his power and subdued all rival clans in the Reach through means involving Daedric bargains.[1][5] By 2E 528, he was a warlord in command of over two thousand soldiers, which rose to ten thousand by 2E 529.[5][1]

Conquest of Cyrodiil and Emperor of Cyrodiil[edit]

Bas-relief depicting Durcorach's conquest of Cyrodiil

By 2E 529, Durcorach and his army were in control of the Reach, having subdued the rival Reachfolk clans, so Durcorach set his sights beyond the Reach and had his army begin marching south towards Cyrodiil.[1][5] On the march south, Durcorach claimed victories and territory beyond the Reach.[1] Around this time, Durcorach, with the assistance of secret Daedra worshippers and noble supporters within the Empire, struck a deal with Mehrunes Dagon to have Durcorach crowned Emperor of Cyrodiil and secure his rule for generations.[1][7][8][9] The terms of the deal were that Mehrunes Dagon would assist Durcorach in being crowned Emperor of Cyrodiil; in exchange, the Black Drake would oversee the rituals and preparations needed to create the Daedric weapons known as the Four Ambitions, which were to be created under the specific signs and circumstances described in the Mysterium Xarxes.[7][9] The bargain was to last fifty years, and upon its completion, Mehrunes Dagon would claim his due.[7][8]

In 2E 533, Durcorach and his horde of Reachmen conquered Cyrodiil, and he was crowned Emperor of Cyrodiil.[10][1][5] The Tagh Droiloch disappeared soon after the conquest, but there were suspicions that Durcorach's sorcerers, Baarselg, Faoshor, and Old Wunagh, were members of the coven.[5] After the conquest, the Emperor's kinsmen and allies in the Reach founded the Blackdrake Clan.[11]

On 1 Sun's Dawn, 2E 534, Durcorach reappointed, appointed, and dismissed members of the Elder Council.[12][1] The Emperor reappointed Grand Chancellor Abnur Tharn, Councilor Itinia, and Councilor Velan Sophus; appointed Tarnian Lovidicus, Ertus Vandacia, Pheomas Lucasta, and Kelgan the Taker of Teeth; and dismissed Councilor Orlandus Plavi, Councilor Hestraia Silan, Councilor Martiax Granciola, and Councilor Sergan Euraphus.[12] Lovidicus was also made Chief Councilor upon his appointment to the Elder Council.[12]

In 2E 534, Durcorach married Veraxia Tharn, of the prominent Nibenese Tharn family, to reinforce his commitment to the Empire and to legitimize his claim to the Ruby Throne.[1][13] He attempted to embrace Imperial culture during his reign, and he attempted to merge Reach sensibilities with Imperial culture in an effort to win more support in Cyrodiil.[1] Durcorach tried to hold his Imperial court in a way similar to that of prior Cyrodilic emperors, as he wanted to carry himself like an Imperial.[14] He demanded to be taught the proper procedures and protocols of the Imperial Court, and while he tried hard to carry himself like an Imperial, it was said to have brought him unease and frustration, and he was never able to truly understand Imperial culture.[14] He also appointed Imperial tutors to educate Moricar, which allowed Moricar to understand Imperial culture in a way Durcorach never could.[1][14]

At some point during his reign, Durcorach ordered the construction of an estate called Black Drake Villa on the Gold Coast.[15][16] Durcorach stored many of the items he acquired during his conquests at Black Drake Villa.[16] The Gold Coast was later noted as a retreat for the Longhouse Emperors.[17]

Invasion of High Rock[edit]

Durcorach did not wish to rest on his past victories and began planning another campaign to capture more territory.[1] In 2E 541,[2] or 2E 542,[18] the Emperor led a horde of Reachmen through Craglorn into the mountains east of the region of Bangkorai, which allowed his forces to bypass the Bangkorai Garrison, and Durcorach's horde descended from the mountains along the south shore of the Bjoulsae River.[1][19][20] The Reachfolk horde laid siege to Evermore, which fell after only three days of besiegement; the Reachmen then sacked the city.[21][2][18] A breed of wolves known as Black Drake Howlers were among the first creatures to storm Evermore when the Reachmen's attack broke through the city's walls.[22] To the north of Evermore, Durcorach's forces attacked and burned the village of Murcien's Hamlet.[23][24] After sacking Evermore, the Reachfolk horde marched south, and the Reachmen began assaults on the walls of the Bangkorai Garrison.[20][25] Durcorach sent wave after wave of Reach warriors against the walls of the garrison, but after five months of daily slaughter at the gates, the Reachmen and the Knights of Saint Pelin were at a stalemate, so Durcorach and his forces decided to retreat from the Bangkorai Garrison.[25][20] Undeterred by the failure to capture the garrison, Durcorach and his forces once again bypassed the Bangkorai Garrison, marched south, and besieged Hallin's Stand.[2] Although Hallin's Stand held out longer than Evermore, eventually the Reachmen breached the city walls and sacked the city.[2][4]

Durcorach and his forces crossed the Bjoulsae within days of sacking Hallin's Stand, quickly overran much of the Stormhaven region, and the Reachmen began besieging the well-fortified settlements of Wayrest and the Alcaire Castle.[2][26] The Siege of Wayrest lasted for fifty-seven days, during which the Bretons of Stormhaven manned the walls and repulsed the assaults by the Reachmen.[2][27] The Black Drake's forces were unable to breach the city walls due to a lack of siege engines, and they could not reduce the city to starvation due to a lack of ships to blockade the harbor.[2] Eventually, Durcorach grew impatient with the siege, so he left enough troops in the revetments around Wayrest's walls to keep the defenders confined inside the city.[2][1] He then marched west to the region of Glenumbra.[2]

In Glenumbra, the Reachfolk horde took Camlorn by surprise, and after capturing the city, they sacked it.[2][19] Following the sacking of Camlorn, the Emperor and his forces set their sights on Daggerfall, located to the south.[2] When his forces arrived at Daggerfall, they massed before the city gates, and then they began investing the city.[2][27] While his forces were investing Daggerfall, Emeric of Cumberland, in command of the Menevia Heavy Dragoons, executed an attack on the rear of Durcorach's ranks, taking them by surprise.[2][1][27] In the ensuing battle, Emeric sought out and struck down Durcorach himself.[2][1][27] After Durcorach's death, the Knights of the Dragon, led by King Bergamot, launched a sortie against the Reachmen, completely routing them.[2][27]

Aftermath and Afterlife in the Deadlands[edit]

Emperor Durcorach's soul in the Deadlands

Moricar, already a vital advisor to the throne, declared himself emperor as soon as news of his father's death reached him in the Imperial City.[1] In one of his first acts as emperor, Moricar negotiated peace with High Rock, as he considered the invasion his father's quagmire and did not want it to become his own.[14] He also recognized the Daggerfall Covenant, an alliance of High Rock's kingdoms formed in response to Durcorach's invasion.[14][19][27]

Upon his death, Durcorach's soul was sent to the Deadlands.[28] Moricar inherited responsibility for the Four Ambitions from Durcorach, which Moricar passed on to his son Leovic upon his death in 2E 564.[8][9][29] Leovic died in the Colovian Revolt in 2E 577, and he failed to pass responsibility for the Four Ambitions to an heir, leading to the declaration that the Longhouse Emperors had defaulted on their bargains with Mehrunes Dagon.[9] Eventually, the souls of Durcorach, Moricar, and Leovic were imprisoned in the Brandfire Reformatory in the Deadlands, where Daedra tortured them by fusing the Longhouse Emperors' souls with a chunk of iron slag.[28][30]

After Leovic's death, Black Drake Villa was abandoned.[16][31] Following the estate's abandonment, most of the items Durcorach acquired during his campaigns were looted and later appeared on the black market.[31]

In 2E 582, the Vestige and Mairead, one of the Four Ambitions, released the Longhouse Emperors' souls from a chunk of iron slag in the Brandfire Reformatory Forge.[28] The Vestige then questioned the spirits of the Longhouse Emperors about the Four Ambitions.[28] Sombren and Calia, two of the Four Ambitions, along with Eveli Sharp-Arrow and Lyranth the Foolkiller, interrupted when they entered the Reformatory Forge through a portal.[28] Sombren then destroyed the Longhouse Emperors' spirits with frost magic, although he claimed their spirits would reform in the Deadlands eventually.[28][32]

See Also[edit]

Books[edit]

Gallery[edit]

  • Durcorach as depicted on the bas-relief located in Black Drake Villa's athenaeum

  • Exterior of Black Drake Villa, Durcorach's estate on the Gold Coast

  • Interior of Black Drake Villa

  • Fountain of the Fiery Drake

  • Symbol associated with Black Drake Villa

  • Symbol associated with Black Drake Villa

  • A Reachman wearing Black Drake Clanwrap and Black Drake warpaint

  • The Black Drake's Body Warpaint

  • The Black Drake's Face Warpaint

  • Black Drake Howler

Notes[edit]

  • Durcorach had a warhound named Elf-Biter,[33] and a female Black Drake Howler, a specimen of the breed of wolves named after him.[22]
  • Durcorach reportedly based his warpaint on a pattern he saw in the flickering flame of his hearth.[34] The warpaint was made from soot and ash.[34]
  • When Durorach allied with the Tagh Droiloch coven, the witch-men added asp oil to his soot warpaint.[6] It was said that he fell into a battle frenzy whenever he applied the warpaint.[6]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x Secret History of the Longhouse Emperors — Councilor Vandacia
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Triumphs of a Monarch, Ch. 3 — His Majesty King Emeric
  3. ^ a b c d e f The Crowned Dragon — Auguthan Corovel
  4. ^ a b Mazrahil the Sly Scarab's dialogue in ESO
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h High Chancellor's Papers: The Tagh Droiloch — Abnur Tharn
  6. ^ a b c The Black Drake's Face Warpaint description in ESO
  7. ^ a b c A Deal is Struck
  8. ^ a b c Secrets of Moricar the Inheritor — Devastator Irenian Dast
  9. ^ a b c d Xynaa's Book of Contracts — Xynaa
  10. ^ History of Markarth: A Story in Stone — Consul Cardea, the Ard's Administrator
  11. ^ On the Clans of the Reach — Theopho Harvian, Imperial Scribe
  12. ^ a b c Imperial Decree Regarding the Elder Council
  13. ^ Chronicles of the Five Companions 4 — Abnur Tharn
  14. ^ a b c d e Audiences with the Longhouse Emperors — Sentanus Marillin, aide to the Elder Council
  15. ^ Flames of Ambition Preview—Black Drake Villa
  16. ^ a b c Eveli Sharp-Arrow's dialogue in ESO: Flames of Ambition
  17. ^ Gold Coast Guide, Part One — Astinia Isauricus
  18. ^ a b The Improved Emperor's Guide to Tamriel: Northern Bangkorai and the Mountains — Flaccus Terentius, 2E 581
  19. ^ a b c Guide to the Daggerfall Covenant
  20. ^ a b c Bangkorai, Shield of High Rock — King Eamond
  21. ^ The Royal House of King Eamond — Seneschal Derric Andras of Castle Evermore
  22. ^ a b Black Drake Howler description in ESO
  23. ^ Vital Records, 2E 541—2E 542
  24. ^ Rolbert Foucher's dialogue in ESO
  25. ^ a b The Gray Host: A History Part 1 — Lord Archibald Laurent, Lordly Explorer
  26. ^ Statue of Sir Byric
  27. ^ a b c d e f The Improved Emperor's Guide to Tamriel: High Rock — Flaccus Terentius, 2E 581
  28. ^ a b c d e f Events of The Last Ambition in ESO: The Deadlands
  29. ^ Emperor Moricar's dialogue in ESO: The Deadlands
  30. ^ Mairead's dialogue in ESO: The Deadlands
  31. ^ a b Black Drake Villa loading screen in ESO: Flames of Ambition
  32. ^ Sombren's dialogue in ESO: The Deadlands
  33. ^ Elf-Biter's Collar description in ESO
  34. ^ a b The Black Drake's Body Warpaint description in ESO
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