Discover the Bizarre Origin and Power of the Amulet of Kings in Oblivion Remastered

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Summary

  • The Amulet of Kings originated in the Merethic Era from a drop of Lorkhan’s divine blood.
  • The Amulet played a pivotal role in forming the Alessian, Reman, and Septim Empires, shaping the fate of Tamriel.
  • The Amulet’s true nature may tie back to Lorkhan, challenging the popular belief that it is a divine gift from Akatosh.

In Oblivion Remastered, the Amulet of Kings is indispensable for vanquishing the Daedric threat, but it’s not the only instance where its importance shines in the extended chronicles of The Elder Scrolls. Throughout history, emperors have leveraged their ownership of the Amulet to legitimize their reign, as those with Dragonborn lineage are the only ones fit to don it.

In truth, the Amulet isn’t just an ordinary plot device; it possesses genuine power that Martin Septim harnesses significantly in the narrative of Oblivion Remastered. Though it may now be lost, its history spans millennia and can take some peculiar turns. This is all essential knowledge for any aspiring Champion of Cyrodiil regarding the Amulet of Kings.

The Amulet of Kings Was Formed Thousands of Years Before Oblivion Remastered

In the legendary era of the “The Elder Scrolls” universe, Lorkhan and the Aedra fashioned Mundus from their divine powers. As time passed, these deities came to be known as The Divines. They surrendered their power to create the Earthbones, thereby forming Nirn and the celestial bodies in the sky. However, it was only when they had finished their work that the gods fully realized the magnitude of the power they had relinquished.

Gathering at the impenetrable Adamantine Tower within Iliac Bay, the deities (Aedra) accused Lorkhan of deceiving them, seizing their divine power to fabricate transient mortal objects instead. Trinimac reached into Lorkhan’s body and extracted his heart, while Auriel, the elven counterpart of Akatosh, affixed it onto an arrow. In a single shot, the Heart of Lorkhan soared across Tamriel before coming to rest in Morrowind, but a solitary drop of Lorkhan’s blood dripped into an Ayleid well en route, solidifying as the vivid red Chim-el Adabal – the Amulet of Kings.

The First Empire Was Formed With the Amulet of Kings

Following its formation, the Amulet lay hidden for countless centuries. During the First Era, the Ayleid elves held power in Cyrodiil and cruelly oppressed the local human population, subjecting them to Daedric rituals. On a particularly grim night, Alessia, a common slave, implored Akatosh for assistance. Moved by her plea, the gods intervened, providing aid to her cause. The semi-divine Minotaur Morihaus and the crusader Pelinal Whitestrake would later join forces with Alessia’s rebellion of enslaved people to overthrow the Ayleid rulers.

Following their triumphant victory, tales tell of Akatosh’s descent to bestow Alessia with the Amulet of Kings. This act established the divine compact between deities and humans, a pact later invoked by Martin Septim to expel Mehrunes Dagon. As a result of this union, Alessia and her kin carried the Dragonborn lineage. With a ruler imbued with dragon blood on the throne, Akatosh fortified the boundaries between the mortal world and Oblivion, ensuring their impenetrability.

Throughout her rule, the renowned cat-burglar deity Rajhin momentarily acquired the Amulet of Kings, one of numerous daring thefts he is known for. After Alessia’s passing, her empire persisted, with the Amulet of Kings being handed down from ruler to ruler. However, the empire eventually met its end, and after two millennia, the Amulet was misplaced during a civil conflict.

The Reman Empire and the Soulburst

In the passage of time, some centuries down the line, I, a gamer, chanced upon an intriguing artifact – the legendary Amulet of Kings. The tale goes that it was rediscovered by King Hrol, who, as legend has it, had dealings with the spirit of St Alessia, adorned in the amulet. However, the veracity of this story is questionable, with some accounts suggesting the spirit was the very land itself. Regardless, a mound arose from their union, and upon it, an infant Reman Cyrodiil was discovered cradling the Amulet of Kings, embedded in his brow.

As a remarkable spectacle unfolded – a baby adorned with a precious stone on its skull – Reman’s popularity soared, leading to his coronation on the Ruby Throne. It was said that he possessed an adult’s voice. With Akatosh’s approval, Reman embarked on the conquest of Cyrodiil. At one stage, he faced an Akaviri invasion, which suddenly ceased when the Tsaesci of Akavir surrendered, submitting their weapons to him. The combined forces of Tamriel and Akavir marked the beginning of the Second Empire, and the Dragonfire ritual was officially established.

The Reman Empire didn’t last as long as the Alessian Empire, and the time period when the Akaviri Potentates ruled is unclear. Later, in the fifth century of the Second Era, the Amulet was lost again during the Interregnum until it was found by Varen Aquilerios. Deceived into thinking he could transform into a Dragonborn, Varen was eventually betrayed by the necromancer Mannimarco who exploited the Amulet to unleash the Soulburst, initiating the Planemeld – the merging of Molag Bal’s realm, Coldharbour.

Sai Sahan, one of Varen’s associates, successfully escaped the ritual location with the Amulet, eventually bringing it to Sancre Tor – the birthplace of Reman. This was done so that the Amulet could be taken by the Vestige when ready, thus preventing Mannimarco from using it. The Vestige, through communion with Akatosh, thwarted Molag Bal’s invasion of Tamriel and reclaimed their soul during this process. After these events, Abnur Tharn departed Cyrodiil, and the Amulet was lost to records for many centuries.

Tiber Septim Finds the Amulet of Kings

During the Second Era’s late period, Talos, later known as Tiber Septim, served as a general under King Cuhlecain. In a significant engagement at Sancre Tor, he emerged victorious. This ancient battlefield, steeped in history from the Alessian era onwards, once again held immense strategic value. During this instance, it was no exception. Tiber Septim is famously associated with retrieving the Amulet, an artifact he could wear due to his Dragonborn lineage.

If King Cuhlecain were to meet an untimely end under mysterious circumstances, Tiber Septim – a respected general with dragon’s blood in his veins – would likely not remain a general for long. Instead, he ascended to the throne and eventually established the Septim Empire.

In my enthusiastic recounting as a devoted fan, I’d say: For centuries, the Amulet of Kings, an artifact steeped in imperial authority, had dictated who was fit to rule, all along the Septim line. Until one day, it was passed on to its near-final guardian. In dreams, Emperor Uriel Septim VII foresaw a captive and entrusted the Amulet to them. After his tragic demise, the Amulet found its way into Mankar Camoran’s hands, setting in motion events that would shatter the bond with Akatosh and unleash Mehrunes Dagon. In a valiant final stand, the Hero of Kvatch vanquished Mankar, reclaiming the Amulet for Martin to destroy, thus becoming the embodiment of Akatosh, forever sealing the covenant.

The Amulet of Kings Might Be a Symbol of Lorkhan, Not Akatosh

In the Empire, the Amulet of Kings is believed to be a divine favor bestowed by Akatosh, the dragon deity representing time and the head of the Imperial Nine Divines pantheon. Legend has it that Alessia received this amulet from him personally, and its power is said to stem directly from Akatosh. However, there’s a secretive belief that has been passed on in quiet discussions: the Amulet might instead be a gift bestowed by Lorkhan, the supposedly deceased god.

To grasp the reason behind this theory’s existence, it’s crucial to comprehend why Lorkhan is viewed as contentious. In the eyes of the elves, Lorkhan is portrayed as the deceiver who deceived them, and his heart was cast into Red Mountain. He is perceived as a god by men, the one blamed for confining their immortal spirits within a common, limited world. During Alessia’s successful slave rebellion, she faced the challenging task of uniting both elves and men under a single pantheon of gods. Lorkhan was not accepted by the elves, so they reached an agreement, blending human characteristics with the elven god Auriel to create Akatosh.

Some players have pointed out that since Akatosh came into being following the rebellion, it’s implausible for Alessia to have pleaded to him for aid in overthrowing the Ayleids. Instead, it’s speculated that it was Lorkhan who answered her prayers, concealing himself as another entity to escape Elven persecution. The Chim-el Adabal is believed to be a drop of his blood.

The enigmatic warrior Pelinal Whitestrake, known for his dislike of elves, adds strength to this hypothesis. His true persona has long been debated, as he’s been heard shouting the name Reman in battles, centuries before Reman was even born, and he appears to be an unlikely ally for a deity influenced by elves. Pelinal bears resemblance to a Shezzarine, a manifestation of Shezzar, another name for Lorkhan, but when someone proposed this idea to him, they met an untimely and mysterious end. It seems as though Lorkhan prefers to remain hidden in plain sight.

There’s no denying it – the Amulet of Kings has vanished, leaving an Empire in the Fourth Era dramatically altered. Without a Dragonborn’s authority, the Amulet will serve as a bittersweet reminder of times long past, when valiant heroes dared to confront the Daedric Princes themselves, and either Akatosh or Lorkhan seemed to guard us all.

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2025-05-02 04:07