Lore:Nerevar

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Nerevar is the Chimeri king of Resdayn, the Golden Age of old Veloth, and also known as Indoril Nerevar of House Indoril. Nerevar united the warring clans of Chimer and Dwemer into the First Council and developed a personal friendship with Dumac Dwarfking. This alliance faced many challenges and suspicions, but succeeded in driving out the Nord invaders out of Morrowind by 1E 416. Nerevar possessed the Dwarven artifact Moon-and-Star, a ring which lent him supernatural powers of persuasion.

Killed during or shortly after the Battle of Red Mountain, Nerevar was the Herald of the Tribune Way, and is the foremost of the saints of Dunmeri faith, along with his wife, blessed Almalexia the Warden, Lord Sotha Sil the Magus, Lord Vivec the Poet and Saint Veloth the Pilgrim.

He is said to have killed Dumac, the Last Dwemer King. In some versions, he rejoiced in the deed, and feasted on his heart: in others, Dumac and Nerevar had been allied, and the betrayal (by Dumac's minion Kagrenac), which led them into conflict, grieved both Nerevar and Dumac greatly. It is also worth noting that Nerevar, who was supposedly betrayed by Dagoth Ur, was (at least in some reports) murdered. Interestingly, Nerevar was supposedly "reborn," and returned to Morrowind in the late years of the Third Era as the Nerevarine, who was a hero spoken of in Dunmeri prophecy.

In Ashlander texts as well as accounts by the Dissident Priests found in Vivec's temple, however, Nerevar was not killed in combat, but by his three advisors, Vivec, Almalexia, and Sotha Sil. In this account, Nerevar made them swear to never use the tools, and they obeyed, but secretly conspired to murder Nerevar so that they might gain power. When attempting to summon Azura, Nerevar was foiled; Almalexia used poisoned candles and Sotha Sil used poisoned robes and Vivec used poisoned invocations. Nerevar was killed. In retribution for their betrayal, Azura turned the skin of the Chimer gray, and turned their eyes fiery red. However, the Tribunal (that is, Vivec, Almalexia and Sotha Sil) went on to use the power of the tools and the Heart to become immortal. Afterwards, they set themselves up as the new gods of the Dunmer, claiming superior divinity to the Daedra, whom the Chimer had self-exiled for the worship of. Eventually, their Tribunal Temple took control of all of Morrowind, becoming the monolithic and seemingly infallible entity it was by the end of the Third Era, and leaving only isolated pockets of Ashlanders to maintain the old beliefs.

For their treachery, Azura proclaimed that someday Nerevar would be reincarnated and would make things right again. The Tribunal had merely brushed this off, and it took a great while for any thought of this to be taken seriously.