Game story · Tamriel

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

The assassination of Uriel Septim VII leaves the empire without an acknowledged heir as Mehrunes Dagon opens gates across Cyrodiil.

2006End of the Third EraCanon status: Fixed main story

What happens in the game

The Hero of Kvatch finds Martin Septim and helps rebuild the ritual protection that once separated Tamriel from direct Daedric invasion.

The defense of cities and the recovery of the Amulet of Kings turn a dynastic crisis into a collective struggle, culminating when Dagon enters the Imperial City.

The story, step by step

  1. The last heir

    The Mythic Dawn murders Uriel Septim and his heirs, opening Oblivion Gates across Cyrodiil. The prisoner who survives the escape finds Martin, an unknown son whose blood can restore the covenant with Akatosh.

  2. The defense of Tamriel

    Closing gates, obtaining Daedric and Ayleid artifacts and defending Bruma turn Martin's claim into collective resistance. The Mankar Camoran pursuit reveals a cult that interprets Mehrunes Dagon's invasion as rightful liberation.

  3. The end of the Septims

    When Dagon enters the Imperial City, Martin shatters the Amulet of Kings and becomes Akatosh's avatar. His sacrifice banishes Dagon and seals the barrier permanently, saving Tamriel while ending the dynasty that structured the empire.

What the story is really about

Legitimacy becomes sacrifice

Martin earns authority not through conquest but through study, doubt and finally the surrender of the throne he was meant to inherit.

Victory creates a vacuum

The crisis is resolved metaphysically while the empire loses its ruling line, preparing the instability visible in Skyrim.

How it ends

Martin sacrifices himself by taking the form of Akatosh, defeats Dagon and permanently seals the immediate invasion, but ends the Septim bloodline.

What changes afterward

  • The Third Era ends with the Septim dynasty.
  • The empire enters the weakened political order inherited by Skyrim.

How it connects forward

Skyrim takes place two centuries later in a province divided over its relationship with that diminished empire.

Places in this game

Characters in this game

Sources:

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