This year, the gates of Oblivion open in the MMORPG The Elder Scrolls Online (ESO). You will face the Daedric Prince Mehrunes Dagon. But who is he actually?
Who is Mehrunes Dagon? The dark Daedric Prince of Destruction is referred to as the enemy of all mortal races of the land of Tamriel. He resides in one of the realms of Oblivion. He continually attempts to conquer the planet Nirn.
The reason assumed is that Dagon believes Tamriel is actually part of the realm of Oblivion and thus his rightful possession.
Mehrunes Dagon will be the central antagonistic character you will encounter in the upcoming expansion Blackwood.
The Prince of Destruction Can’t Help Himself
What is Oblivion? Oblivion, also known as the Realm of Forgetting, is a dimension divided into several realms. Mehrunes Dagon rules here in the so-called Deadlands. The remaining 15 realms belong to other Daedric Princes.
The realms can take on different forms and are subject to their own unique rules and laws. The Deadlands, with their magma lakes and fire-red sky, resemble hell.
What does he look like? Mehrunes Dagon takes the form of a gigantic horned demon with four arms in the realm of mortals. His body is marked by tattoos and scars.
He can also take on other forms, such as that of a regular Dremora, which resemble humans with horns and demonic faces.
Where does the Daedric Prince come from? Long ago, Dagon was a ghost king who assisted Lorkhan, the Missing God, in combating the God of Destruction and World-Eater Alduin. Alduin’s task is to devour the so-called Kalpas, so that the cycle of the universe can begin anew. A Kalpa refers to the time it takes for the universe in The Elder Scrolls to form, pass away, and return to its primal state.
However, Lorkhan wanted to hide parts of the Kalpas so that Alduin could later devour them and thus explode. This was meant to prevent any further cycles of ages. Mehrunes Dagon assisted him in this.
Alduin found this out and cursed Dagon, who was to find and destroy the previously hidden pieces of the Kalpa. Thus, he became the Prince of Destruction.
Why is Mehrunes Dagon so well-known? The Daedric Prince is a familiar figure for fans of the RPG series The Elder Scrolls. He was already the villain in the game TES: Battlespire from 1997. He attacked the Academy of Battle Mages, Battlespire, to plan an invasion from there, with which he wanted to conquer Tamriel.
His perhaps most famous appearance takes place in TES 4: Oblivion, where he again attacked the continent. This led to the assassination of Emperor Uriel Septim VII. Through Oblivion gates, Dagon sent the demonic Daedra into the land, and only the sacrifice of Martin Septim, the last descendant of the emperor, could stop the invasion.
Mehrunes Dagon continues to appear throughout the history of The Elder Scrolls, including a quest in The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim.
Why is he so cool? Mehrunes Dagon essentially fulfills every requirement that a villain must possess. He looks dark and demonic, follows an evil plan, and rules over a dimension that resembles hell. His backstory is interesting and quite profound.
Moreover, he keeps appearing in the story of The Elder Scrolls, and his attack on the Imperial City in TES 4: Oblivion as a gigantic, four-armed demon who tramples the inhabitants is unforgettable.
What is his role in ESO? In the new year-long story “Gates of Oblivion” and in the expansion Blackwood, Mehrunes Dagon reappears.
A Longhouse Emperor made a pact with the Daedric Prince to rule over Tamriel for him. However, this pact did not go as intended, and now four powerful weapons are in Tamriel that could cause devastating destruction.
The heroes of the MMORPG must set out to find and defuse these weapons. In doing so, they will confront Mehrunes Dagon. When exactly in the story you will meet the Daedric Prince is still unclear. The Blackwood addon would be suitable as the highlight of the ESO year 2021.
Are you looking forward to Mehrunes Dagon? Or would you have preferred another villain?
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