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<noinclude>{{Trail|Appendices|Wars|nocat=1}}[[Category:Lore-Wars-Battles]]
{{About|the event|the book|Lore:The Battle of Red Mountain}}
[[File:MW-book-Map Of Red Mountain.jpg|thumb|right|Red Mountain]]</noinclude>
The [[Lore:Battle of Red Mountain|Battle of Red Mountain]] was the battle which, among other things, led to the sudden disappearance of the entire [[Lore:Dwemer|Dwemer]] race.{{ref|name=TBORM|{{Cite book|The Battle of Red Mountain}}}}{{ref|name=NARM|{{Cite book|Nerevar at Red Mountain}}}} It took place around {{Year|1E 700}}, at the end of the [[Lore:War of the First Council|War of the First Council]] between the [[Lore:Chimer|Chimer]] (led by General [[Lore:Nerevar|Nerevar]], the Hortator) and the Dwemer (led by [[Lore:Dumac Dwarfking|Dumac Dwarfking]]).{{ref|name=NARM}}{{ref|name=PGE3All|{{Cite book|PGE|3|All the Eras of Man}}}} The whole truth of what happened cannot be determined due to conflicting accounts.{{ref|name=POT|{{Cite book|Progress of Truth}}}} Regardless, by the time the dust settled, much of that dust was all that remained of the Dwemer.{{ref|name=NARM}} Though Nerevar died, his people claimed victory, and four Chimer were positioned to become living gods.{{ref|name=TBORM}}{{ref|name=NARM}} It is speculated that some of the extraordinary events surrounding the battle may be explained by a {{Lore Link|Dragon Break}}.{{ref|name=WWYDB|{{Cite book|Where Were You ... Dragon Broke}}}}{{intnote|nb1|[nb 1]}}
This seems to have been the second "Battle of Red Mountain" recorded in history.{{intnote|nb2|[nb 2]}} Circa {{Year|1E 416}}, over two hundred years before the 1E 700 battle, Chimer-Dwemer forces under the newly-formed {{Lore Link|First Council}} repulsed {{Lore Link|Nord}} conquerors (who were weakened by the [[Lore:Skyrim|Skyrim]] {{Lore Link|War of Succession}}) and united [[Lore:Morrowind|Morrowind]] for the first time.{{ref|name=TWOTFC|{{Cite book|The War of the First Council}}}}{{ref|name=PGE1S|{{Cite book|PGE|1|Skyrim}}}} Witnessing that ignominious defeat compelled the Nordic leader {{Lore Link|Jurgen Windcaller}}, the most powerful {{Lore Link|Tongue}} of the {{Lore Link|First Era}}, to pursue his famous seven-year meditation on "how [[Lore:Thu'um|Strong Voices]] could fail", culminating in the discovery of the {{Lore Link|Way of the Voice}} and the formation of the {{Lore Link|Greybeards}}.{{ref|name=PGE3All}}{{ref|name=PGE1S}}{{ref|name=FSOKW|{{Cite book|Five Songs of King Wulfharth}}}}{{ref|name=Hrothgar|[[Skyrim:High Hrothgar#Etched Tablets|The Etched Tablets of High Hrothgar.]]}}{{intnote|nb1|[nb 1]}}<noinclude>
==History==
===Background===
The First Council was held together for hundreds of years thanks to the friendship between Dumac and Nerevar.{{ref|name=TBORM}} However, through means lost to history, Lord [[Lore:Dagoth Ur|Voryn Dagoth]] of {{Lore Link|House Dagoth}} learned of a Dwemer scheme: deep in the bowels of {{Lore Link|Red Mountain}} on the island of {{Lore Link|Vvardenfell}}, the Dwemer had found the {{Lore Link|Heart of Lorkhan}}, and High Craftlord {{Lore Link|Kagrenac}} planned to harness it and use it to power a giant {{Lore Link|Numidium|mechanical god}}.{{ref|name=TBORM}}{{ref|name=NARM}}{{ref|name=KT|{{Cite book|Kagrenac's Tools (book)}}}} Lord Dagoth reported this to the Chimer leadership, and eventually, the Hortator Nerevar confirmed it with his patron {{Lore Link|Azura}}. Nerevar confronted his friend Dumac, and they quarreled bitterly (some sources assert Dumac did not know of Kagrenac's plan at the time and thus misunderstood Nerevar's concerns). As a result, Nerevar led the Chimer to war in order to stop this "profane" usurpation.{{ref|name=TBORM}}{{ref|name=NARM}}
At the start of the war, Dwemeri forces were concentrated in the northwest of the province, and their campaign initially had great success throughout the north.{{ref|name=TWOTFC}}{{ref|name=TRN|{{Cite book|The Real Nerevar}}}} There's speculation that many of the great metal automatons the Dwemer used as troops in the battle were built in the Great Workshops of Nchardak on the island of {{Lore Link|Solstheim}}. The coastal Dwemeri city was reputedly able to produce one automaton a day, an apparently impressive rate of production.{{ref|name=DBNeloth|[[DB:Neloth|Neloth]]'s dialogue in [[DB:Dragonborn|Dragonborn]].}} Many westerners were at the battle, notably {{Lore Link|Orc}}s and {{Lore Link|Nord}}s, and sources often designate them as allies of the Dwemer.{{ref|name=TWOTFC}}
Nerevar, meanwhile, led his united people, the nomadic {{Lore Link|Ashlanders}} as well as the {{Lore Link|Great Houses}} ({{Lore Link|House Redoran}}, in particular, likes to trumpet its substantial contribution of warriors to the battle).{{ref|name=TWOTFC}}{{ref|name=TTNC|{{Cite book|The True Noble's Code}}}}{{ref|name=NMAS|{{Cite book|Nerevar Moon-and-Star}}}} Nerevar did not have full control of the Chimer forces until a series of defeats convinced the Great Houses to relinquish command.{{ref|name=TRN}} Once he had full command of the Chimer forces, Nerevar carefully orchestrated a confrontation at [[Morrowind:Dagoth Ur (Facility)|Dumac's citadel]], a great Dwemer stronghold within Red Mountain where the Heart was being kept.{{ref|name=TWOTFC}}{{ref|name=PGE1Ham|{{Cite book|PGE|1|Hammerfell}}}}{{ref|name=PGE1M|{{Cite book|PGE|1|Morrowind}}}}
The bulk of Nerevar's troops left Narsis and headed north at roughly the same time as a horde of westerners entered Morrowind from the west and began crossing the {{Lore Link|Inner Sea}}.{{ref|name=TBORM}}{{ref|name=FSOKW}} Some sources claim that all who opposed Nerevar's forces in the battle were exterminated.{{ref|name=TWOTFC}}{{ref|name=TRN}} Others state that while all enemies of the Chimer forces were decisively defeated, only the Dwemer were wiped out completely.{{ref|name=SN|{{Cite book|Saint Nerevar|ns=Morrowind}}}}
===Vivec's Account and the Heirographa===
[[File:MW-creature-Vivec.jpg|thumb|right|Lord Vivec the Poet]]
Vivec's account in ''{{Lore Link|The Battle of Red Mountain}}'' is the only one which is both firsthand and substantial, though it conspicuously fails to recount certain key elements, such as the death of Nerevar (other sources are used here to supplement Vivec's narrative).{{ref|name=TBORM}} According to Vivec, many of the Dwemeri forces were lured out of their secured stronghold at the start of the battle and pinned down by the Chimer thanks to Nerevar's contrivances (other sources mention the aid of Ashlander scouts and the efforts of {{Lore Link|Almalexia (god)|Almalexia}}, Nerevar's queen).{{ref|name=TBORM}}{{ref|name=NARM}}{{ref|name=TWOTFC}} This is almost the only information available on the events outside of the mountain during the battle, even though it was where the bulk of the fighting took place.
Nerevar left others to command the assault outside while he took a small party, including Lord Dagoth, to the Heart Chamber, the center of Dumac's citadel.{{ref|name=TBORM}}{{ref|name=NARM}}{{ref|name=TWOTFC}} While Vivec would only attribute their entry to "secret" means,{{ref|name=TBORM}} at least one source claimed an act of treason permitted them to enter.{{ref|name=TWOTFC}} Inside the Heart Chamber, they met and fought with Dumac and his guard. According to Vivec, Nerevar and Dumac fought each other directly, and both fell from terrible wounds.{{ref|name=TBORM}}{{ref|name=NARM}}
Here, the stories diverge. Vivec's private remembrances were part of the Apographa, or hidden writings, of the {{Lore Link|Tribunal Temple}}, and they bear some discrepancies with the Heirographa (priestly writings; the public, orthodox doctrine of the Temple).{{ref|name=NARM}}{{ref|name=POT}} The Heirographa and some other sources claimed that Nerevar, with the aid of Azura, destroyed the Dwemer, while Vivec claimed it was Kagrenac's own folly which brought about their demise (though he was evidently not present at the time).{{ref|name=TBORM}}{{ref|name=NARM}}{{ref|name=POT}} The Heirographa also did not recognize {{Lore Link|Kagrenac's Tools}} or the Heart at all, instead claiming that the Tribunal "achieved divine substance through superhuman discipline and virtue and supernatural wisdom and insight".{{ref|name=POT}}{{ref|name=SN}}{{ref|name=FOTT|{{Cite book|Fellowship of the Temple}}}}
According to Vivec, Kagrenac used his Tools on the Heart out of desperation in the heat of battle soon after Dumac fell, causing all known Dwemer then on {{Lore Link|Nirn}} to disappear.{{ref|name=TBORM}}{{ref|name=KT}}{{ref|name=Yagrum|[[Morrowind:Yagrum Bagarn|Yagrum Bagarn's]] dialogue in [[MW:Morrowind|Morrowind]].}} However, the Tools remained.{{ref|name=KT}} Lord Dagoth recommended their immediate destruction, but Nerevar wished to consult with his other counselors, so he entrusted the tools to Lord Dagoth and had himself carried out to the {{Lore Link|Tribunal}} on the slopes of the mountain.{{ref|name=TBORM}}{{ref|name=NARM}}{{ref|name=KT}} According to Vivec, they recommended to Nerevar that the Tools be preserved in case the Dwemer returned, but upon their return, Dagoth Ur refused to relinquish the Tools.{{ref|name=TBORM}}{{ref|name=KT}} He seemed to be behaving irrationally (Temple intelligence would later conclude that Dagoth Ur inexplicably adopted the views and motivations of Kagrenac).{{ref|name=TBORM}}{{ref|name=DUP|{{Cite book|Dagoth Ur's Plans}}}} Nerevar and his guard resorted to force, and when the battle was over, Dagoth Ur was gone, presumed dead, Nerevar was dying, and the Tribunal had the Tools.{{ref|name=TBORM}}
One source of disagreement in the accounts of the battle is the role of Dagoth Ur. Vivec's account does not suggest Lord Dagoth was anything but loyal to Nerevar up until the former's treasonous refusal to relinquish Kagrenac's Tools in the Heart Chamber.{{ref|name=TBORM}} And, as discussed below, at least one version claims Lord Dagoth was Nerevar's ''most'' loyal companion. However, other sources treat House Dagoth as having openly aligned with the Dwemer at the time, asserting that House Dagoth was a more "secular" organization which apparently did not want to go to war with the Dwemer over Numidium,{{ref|name=TRN}}{{ref|name=TWOTFC}}{{ref|name=LOTS|{{Cite book|Lives of the Saints}}}} which is difficult to reconcile with any of the more detailed records of what transpired.
===The Ashlander Accounts===
The stories of the Ashlanders, which were handed down within the tribes and mostly recorded in the Apographa, paint a very different picture of the battle. First of all, Ashlander tradition "does not place the Tribunal at Red Mountain",{{ref|name=POT}} which may be meant to refute false claims in the Heirographa that the Tribunal were present in the Heart Chamber at the height of the battle (writings in the Apographa based on Ashlander accounts specifically mention the Tribunal being outside the mountain when the Dwemer disappeared).{{ref|name=NARM}} Most Ashlander stories hold, as Vivec's does, that the Dwemer destroyed themselves and that Nerevar left Dagoth Ur to guard the mountain while he went to confer with the Tribunal (at least one Ashlander myth asserts Dagoth Ur killed Kagrenac and a dying Nerevar summoned Azura to help him destroy the Dwemer{{ref|name=NARM}}).{{ref|name=TBORM}}{{ref|name=POT}} However, the Ashlander stories go on to accuse the Tribunal of poisoning Nerevar at the conference before confronting a defiant Dagoth Ur within Red Mountain, and when he would not yield, they drove him beneath the mountain and stole their divinity.{{ref|name=NARM}}{{ref|name=POT}}{{ref|name=NMAS}} Ashlanders attribute this story to {{Lore Link|Alandro Sul}}, the shield-companion to Nerevar remembered as the immortal son of Azura, who went to live with the Ashlanders following the battle.{{ref|name=NARM}}
===The Outlander Accounts===
[[File:Racemap05S-Morrowind.jpg|thumb|right]]
Nords, Orcs, and even {{Lore Link|Khajiit}} have their own legends of what happened at the battle. While they raise as many questions as answers, they offer greater understanding of the events outside the mountain during the battle and the tactics that may have been employed. Many sources speak to the presence of the Dwemer's "Western allies" during the battle, though in practice it seems the outlander hordes battled Dwemer and Chimer alike.{{ref|name=FSOKW}}{{ref|name=NMAS}} Nordic legend recounts their ancestors' desire to intervene in the war and reclaim Morrowind from the "devils" (Chimer), but they were reticent to intervene without a strong leader- that is, until the "Devil of Dagoth" (Dagoth Ur) came to them under a flag of peace. He told them of the Heart of Lorkhan (or {{Lore Link|Shor}}) and its role in the ongoing war. They trusted that his betrayal of his countrymer was genuine, as treachery was common among the Chimer. Naturally, the Nords wanted to reclaim Shor's Heart, but lacked a strong leader which could rally them for such a campaign. In a miracle attributed to Shor himself, {{Lore Link|Wulfharth}}, the Ash King, returned to lead the Nordic armies, and he forged an alliance with the Orcs to further bolster their ranks.{{ref|name=FSOKW}}
Wulfharth, along with Dagoth Ur, led the Nordic and Orc forces into Morrowind, although in accordance with the great Nordic oral tradition, accounts differ on what transpired. The "orthodox" tale declares that the whole thing was a ruse, that the Heart was a lie, and that the united Chimer-Dwemer forces lifted up the mountain, crushed Shor underneath it, and slaughtered the Nords. Wulfharth managed to kill Dumac and curse his people, but was "blasted [...] into Hell" by Vivec.{{ref|name=FSOKW}}
The other version of the story (dubbed the "Secret Song of Wulfharth Ashking" by the Nords) confirms the presence of the Heart of Lorkhan and goes into greater detail regarding military maneuvers leading up to the battle: the Nordic forces traversed mainland Morrowind and began crossing the Inner Sea to reach Vvardenfell while the Chimer forces were still leaving {{Lore Link|Narsis}}, in the middle of the southern mainland of the province. Dagoth Ur purportedly confessed that he had been sent by the {{Lore Link|Tribunal}}, who were betraying Nerevar's trust so that they might ensure the peace with the Dwemer would be broken, evidently believing that the peaceful coexistence with the Dwemer and pursuing the {{Lore Link|Veloth}}i way of life were mutually exclusive proposals. Dagoth Ur proffered the Tribunal's subversive efforts as the reason for the Chimeri force's sluggish advance to Red Mountain.{{ref|name=FSOKW}}
The Nords have their own unique account on what occurred at the battle, which is uncorroborated and contradicts other accounts. Their ancient songs claim Nerevar, his shield companion Alandro Sul, and Dumac, all armed with a Tool of Kagrenac, fought together against Wulfharth and Lorkhan, with Sul ''and'' Dumac acting as Nerevar's champions. While Wulfharth and Sul fought to a standstill, Dagoth Ur attacked and killed Dumac. Nerevar then slew Dagoth Ur for this betrayal, and Lorkhan used the opportunity to deliver a mortal wound to the Hortator. Nerevar managed to finish off Lorkhan before dying.{{ref|name=FSOKW}}
{{Lore Link|Khajiit}} still tell their pups of Dro'Zira, a mad Khajiiti warrior and an old ally of Wulfharth, who answered the Ash King's call to arms. The tale claims Dro'Zira acted as the Ash King's war mount and helped him in his fight against Dumac. Besides the fact that one version of the Nordic legend mentions Wulfharth fighting Dumac, the Khajiit tale is not corroborated by any other source.{{ref|name=TTOD|{{Cite book|The Tale of Dro'Zira}}}}
===Dagoth Ur's Account===
Dagoth Ur himself recalled, in a short letter addressed to Nerevar, that "beneath Red Mountain, you struck me down as I guarded the treasure you bound me by oath to defend. It was a cruel blow, a bitter betrayal, to be felled by your hand".{{ref|name=MFDU|{{Cite book|Message from Dagoth Ur}}}} If taken to be true, it would contradict the Ashlander chain of events (if not the events themselves), but could partially corroborate both Vivec's story as well as one version of the Nordic narrative.
===Aftermath===
Dagoth Ur was presumed to have died (except in Ashlander stories) until nearly the beginning of the {{Lore Link|Third Era}}.{{ref|name=KT}} Nerevar's lieutenants Vivec, Almalexia, and {{Lore Link|Sotha Sil}} rose to power amongst the Chimer. Within a few years, they would successfully use Kagrenac's Tools to become living gods, leading the Chimer to transform into the Dunmer.{{ref|name=TBORM}} They manipulated preexisting ancestral and Daedra worship into the {{Lore Link|Tribunal Temple}} dedicated to their worship, and concealed the truth of how they gained their divinity.{{ref|name=POT}} House Dagoth was branded as a nest of traitors, and its members were killed or incorporated into other houses.{{ref|name=LOTS}}{{ref|name=HNFC|{{Cite book|Hasphat's notes for Cosades|ns=Morrowind}}}} With the Dwemer gone, the Dunmer laid claim to all of modern-day Morrowind and their divine protectors kept them autonomous and relatively happy for millennia.{{ref|name=PGE3M|{{Cite book|PGE|3|Morrowind}}}} The Heart of Lorkhan remained in the mountain, and the {{Lore Link|Tribunal}} would return to it annually to refresh their energy.{{ref|name=DUP}} The Ashlanders, who refused to accept the Tribunal, returned to the ash wastes, where they passed down very different accounts of the battle and its villains.{{ref|name=NARM}} Red Mountain erupted around this time (the year of {{Lore Link|Sun's Death}}, the first eruption of the mountain, occurred in {{Year|1E 668}}), though it's not clear if this was just before, during, or soon after the battle.{{ref|name=FSOKW}}{{ref|name=PGE1Ham}}{{ref|name=PGE1M}}
==Notes==
:{{LNote|nb1|1.|In ''{{Lore Link|Five Songs of King Wulfharth}}'', before the Battle of Red Mountain, [[Lore:Wulfharth|Ysmir Wulfharth]] said to the reticent Nordic troops, "Don't you see where you really are? Don't you know who Shor really is? Don't you know what this war is?" This was purportedly referring to their presence within the Dragon Break of the "Red Moment".{{Ref|name=mkirc|group=OOG|{{TIL|Michael Kirkbride - IRC Q&A Sessions|mkirc}}}}}}
:{{LNote|nb2|2.|The inference that there was a Battle of Red Mountain in 1E 416, preceding the 1E 700 battle, is based on reading ''Five Songs of King Wulfharth'' in harmony with the other sources provided. Among other contextual clues, parts of ''Five Songs'' take place circa 1E 500, but mention the Greybeards and {{Lore Link|High Hrothgar}}. If Jurgen Windcaller did not form the Greybeards until after the 1E 700 battle, this would not appear to comport with the historical narrative established by the other sources. However, this may not be reliable due to the apocryphal nature of ''Five Songs'', and the potential ramifications of a Dragon Break surrounding the battle.}}
==References==
<references/>
{{OOG}}
<references group="OOG"/></noinclude>
{{About|the event|the book|Lore:The Battle of Red Mountain}}
[[File:MW-book-Map Of Red Mountain.jpg|thumb|right|Red Mountain]]</noinclude>
The [[Lore:Battle of Red Mountain|Battle of Red Mountain]] was the battle which, among other things, led to the sudden disappearance of the entire [[Lore:Dwemer|Dwemer]] race.{{ref|name=TBORM|{{Cite book|The Battle of Red Mountain}}}}{{ref|name=NARM|{{Cite book|Nerevar at Red Mountain}}}} It took place around {{Year|1E 700}}, at the end of the [[Lore:War of the First Council|War of the First Council]] between the [[Lore:Chimer|Chimer]] (led by General [[Lore:Nerevar|Nerevar]], the Hortator) and the Dwemer (led by [[Lore:Dumac Dwarfking|Dumac Dwarfking]]).{{ref|name=NARM}}{{ref|name=PGE3All|{{Cite book|PGE|3|All the Eras of Man}}}} The whole truth of what happened cannot be determined due to conflicting accounts.{{ref|name=POT|{{Cite book|Progress of Truth}}}} Regardless, by the time the dust settled, much of that dust was all that remained of the Dwemer.{{ref|name=NARM}} Though Nerevar died, his people claimed victory, and four Chimer were positioned to become living gods.{{ref|name=TBORM}}{{ref|name=NARM}} It is speculated that some of the extraordinary events surrounding the battle may be explained by a {{Lore Link|Dragon Break}}.{{ref|name=WWYDB|{{Cite book|Where Were You ... Dragon Broke}}}}{{intnote|nb1|[nb 1]}}
This seems to have been the second "Battle of Red Mountain" recorded in history.{{intnote|nb2|[nb 2]}} Circa {{Year|1E 416}}, over two hundred years before the 1E 700 battle, Chimer-Dwemer forces under the newly-formed {{Lore Link|First Council}} repulsed {{Lore Link|Nord}} conquerors (who were weakened by the [[Lore:Skyrim|Skyrim]] {{Lore Link|War of Succession}}) and united [[Lore:Morrowind|Morrowind]] for the first time.{{ref|name=TWOTFC|{{Cite book|The War of the First Council}}}}{{ref|name=PGE1S|{{Cite book|PGE|1|Skyrim}}}} Witnessing that ignominious defeat compelled the Nordic leader {{Lore Link|Jurgen Windcaller}}, the most powerful {{Lore Link|Tongue}} of the {{Lore Link|First Era}}, to pursue his famous seven-year meditation on "how [[Lore:Thu'um|Strong Voices]] could fail", culminating in the discovery of the {{Lore Link|Way of the Voice}} and the formation of the {{Lore Link|Greybeards}}.{{ref|name=PGE3All}}{{ref|name=PGE1S}}{{ref|name=FSOKW|{{Cite book|Five Songs of King Wulfharth}}}}{{ref|name=Hrothgar|[[Skyrim:High Hrothgar#Etched Tablets|The Etched Tablets of High Hrothgar.]]}}{{intnote|nb1|[nb 1]}}<noinclude>
==History==
===Background===
The First Council was held together for hundreds of years thanks to the friendship between Dumac and Nerevar.{{ref|name=TBORM}} However, through means lost to history, Lord [[Lore:Dagoth Ur|Voryn Dagoth]] of {{Lore Link|House Dagoth}} learned of a Dwemer scheme: deep in the bowels of {{Lore Link|Red Mountain}} on the island of {{Lore Link|Vvardenfell}}, the Dwemer had found the {{Lore Link|Heart of Lorkhan}}, and High Craftlord {{Lore Link|Kagrenac}} planned to harness it and use it to power a giant {{Lore Link|Numidium|mechanical god}}.{{ref|name=TBORM}}{{ref|name=NARM}}{{ref|name=KT|{{Cite book|Kagrenac's Tools (book)}}}} Lord Dagoth reported this to the Chimer leadership, and eventually, the Hortator Nerevar confirmed it with his patron {{Lore Link|Azura}}. Nerevar confronted his friend Dumac, and they quarreled bitterly (some sources assert Dumac did not know of Kagrenac's plan at the time and thus misunderstood Nerevar's concerns). As a result, Nerevar led the Chimer to war in order to stop this "profane" usurpation.{{ref|name=TBORM}}{{ref|name=NARM}}
At the start of the war, Dwemeri forces were concentrated in the northwest of the province, and their campaign initially had great success throughout the north.{{ref|name=TWOTFC}}{{ref|name=TRN|{{Cite book|The Real Nerevar}}}} There's speculation that many of the great metal automatons the Dwemer used as troops in the battle were built in the Great Workshops of Nchardak on the island of {{Lore Link|Solstheim}}. The coastal Dwemeri city was reputedly able to produce one automaton a day, an apparently impressive rate of production.{{ref|name=DBNeloth|[[DB:Neloth|Neloth]]'s dialogue in [[DB:Dragonborn|Dragonborn]].}} Many westerners were at the battle, notably {{Lore Link|Orc}}s and {{Lore Link|Nord}}s, and sources often designate them as allies of the Dwemer.{{ref|name=TWOTFC}}
Nerevar, meanwhile, led his united people, the nomadic {{Lore Link|Ashlanders}} as well as the {{Lore Link|Great Houses}} ({{Lore Link|House Redoran}}, in particular, likes to trumpet its substantial contribution of warriors to the battle).{{ref|name=TWOTFC}}{{ref|name=TTNC|{{Cite book|The True Noble's Code}}}}{{ref|name=NMAS|{{Cite book|Nerevar Moon-and-Star}}}} Nerevar did not have full control of the Chimer forces until a series of defeats convinced the Great Houses to relinquish command.{{ref|name=TRN}} Once he had full command of the Chimer forces, Nerevar carefully orchestrated a confrontation at [[Morrowind:Dagoth Ur (Facility)|Dumac's citadel]], a great Dwemer stronghold within Red Mountain where the Heart was being kept.{{ref|name=TWOTFC}}{{ref|name=PGE1Ham|{{Cite book|PGE|1|Hammerfell}}}}{{ref|name=PGE1M|{{Cite book|PGE|1|Morrowind}}}}
The bulk of Nerevar's troops left Narsis and headed north at roughly the same time as a horde of westerners entered Morrowind from the west and began crossing the {{Lore Link|Inner Sea}}.{{ref|name=TBORM}}{{ref|name=FSOKW}} Some sources claim that all who opposed Nerevar's forces in the battle were exterminated.{{ref|name=TWOTFC}}{{ref|name=TRN}} Others state that while all enemies of the Chimer forces were decisively defeated, only the Dwemer were wiped out completely.{{ref|name=SN|{{Cite book|Saint Nerevar|ns=Morrowind}}}}
===Vivec's Account and the Heirographa===
[[File:MW-creature-Vivec.jpg|thumb|right|Lord Vivec the Poet]]
Vivec's account in ''{{Lore Link|The Battle of Red Mountain}}'' is the only one which is both firsthand and substantial, though it conspicuously fails to recount certain key elements, such as the death of Nerevar (other sources are used here to supplement Vivec's narrative).{{ref|name=TBORM}} According to Vivec, many of the Dwemeri forces were lured out of their secured stronghold at the start of the battle and pinned down by the Chimer thanks to Nerevar's contrivances (other sources mention the aid of Ashlander scouts and the efforts of {{Lore Link|Almalexia (god)|Almalexia}}, Nerevar's queen).{{ref|name=TBORM}}{{ref|name=NARM}}{{ref|name=TWOTFC}} This is almost the only information available on the events outside of the mountain during the battle, even though it was where the bulk of the fighting took place.
Nerevar left others to command the assault outside while he took a small party, including Lord Dagoth, to the Heart Chamber, the center of Dumac's citadel.{{ref|name=TBORM}}{{ref|name=NARM}}{{ref|name=TWOTFC}} While Vivec would only attribute their entry to "secret" means,{{ref|name=TBORM}} at least one source claimed an act of treason permitted them to enter.{{ref|name=TWOTFC}} Inside the Heart Chamber, they met and fought with Dumac and his guard. According to Vivec, Nerevar and Dumac fought each other directly, and both fell from terrible wounds.{{ref|name=TBORM}}{{ref|name=NARM}}
Here, the stories diverge. Vivec's private remembrances were part of the Apographa, or hidden writings, of the {{Lore Link|Tribunal Temple}}, and they bear some discrepancies with the Heirographa (priestly writings; the public, orthodox doctrine of the Temple).{{ref|name=NARM}}{{ref|name=POT}} The Heirographa and some other sources claimed that Nerevar, with the aid of Azura, destroyed the Dwemer, while Vivec claimed it was Kagrenac's own folly which brought about their demise (though he was evidently not present at the time).{{ref|name=TBORM}}{{ref|name=NARM}}{{ref|name=POT}} The Heirographa also did not recognize {{Lore Link|Kagrenac's Tools}} or the Heart at all, instead claiming that the Tribunal "achieved divine substance through superhuman discipline and virtue and supernatural wisdom and insight".{{ref|name=POT}}{{ref|name=SN}}{{ref|name=FOTT|{{Cite book|Fellowship of the Temple}}}}
According to Vivec, Kagrenac used his Tools on the Heart out of desperation in the heat of battle soon after Dumac fell, causing all known Dwemer then on {{Lore Link|Nirn}} to disappear.{{ref|name=TBORM}}{{ref|name=KT}}{{ref|name=Yagrum|[[Morrowind:Yagrum Bagarn|Yagrum Bagarn's]] dialogue in [[MW:Morrowind|Morrowind]].}} However, the Tools remained.{{ref|name=KT}} Lord Dagoth recommended their immediate destruction, but Nerevar wished to consult with his other counselors, so he entrusted the tools to Lord Dagoth and had himself carried out to the {{Lore Link|Tribunal}} on the slopes of the mountain.{{ref|name=TBORM}}{{ref|name=NARM}}{{ref|name=KT}} According to Vivec, they recommended to Nerevar that the Tools be preserved in case the Dwemer returned, but upon their return, Dagoth Ur refused to relinquish the Tools.{{ref|name=TBORM}}{{ref|name=KT}} He seemed to be behaving irrationally (Temple intelligence would later conclude that Dagoth Ur inexplicably adopted the views and motivations of Kagrenac).{{ref|name=TBORM}}{{ref|name=DUP|{{Cite book|Dagoth Ur's Plans}}}} Nerevar and his guard resorted to force, and when the battle was over, Dagoth Ur was gone, presumed dead, Nerevar was dying, and the Tribunal had the Tools.{{ref|name=TBORM}}
One source of disagreement in the accounts of the battle is the role of Dagoth Ur. Vivec's account does not suggest Lord Dagoth was anything but loyal to Nerevar up until the former's treasonous refusal to relinquish Kagrenac's Tools in the Heart Chamber.{{ref|name=TBORM}} And, as discussed below, at least one version claims Lord Dagoth was Nerevar's ''most'' loyal companion. However, other sources treat House Dagoth as having openly aligned with the Dwemer at the time, asserting that House Dagoth was a more "secular" organization which apparently did not want to go to war with the Dwemer over Numidium,{{ref|name=TRN}}{{ref|name=TWOTFC}}{{ref|name=LOTS|{{Cite book|Lives of the Saints}}}} which is difficult to reconcile with any of the more detailed records of what transpired.
===The Ashlander Accounts===
The stories of the Ashlanders, which were handed down within the tribes and mostly recorded in the Apographa, paint a very different picture of the battle. First of all, Ashlander tradition "does not place the Tribunal at Red Mountain",{{ref|name=POT}} which may be meant to refute false claims in the Heirographa that the Tribunal were present in the Heart Chamber at the height of the battle (writings in the Apographa based on Ashlander accounts specifically mention the Tribunal being outside the mountain when the Dwemer disappeared).{{ref|name=NARM}} Most Ashlander stories hold, as Vivec's does, that the Dwemer destroyed themselves and that Nerevar left Dagoth Ur to guard the mountain while he went to confer with the Tribunal (at least one Ashlander myth asserts Dagoth Ur killed Kagrenac and a dying Nerevar summoned Azura to help him destroy the Dwemer{{ref|name=NARM}}).{{ref|name=TBORM}}{{ref|name=POT}} However, the Ashlander stories go on to accuse the Tribunal of poisoning Nerevar at the conference before confronting a defiant Dagoth Ur within Red Mountain, and when he would not yield, they drove him beneath the mountain and stole their divinity.{{ref|name=NARM}}{{ref|name=POT}}{{ref|name=NMAS}} Ashlanders attribute this story to {{Lore Link|Alandro Sul}}, the shield-companion to Nerevar remembered as the immortal son of Azura, who went to live with the Ashlanders following the battle.{{ref|name=NARM}}
===The Outlander Accounts===
[[File:Racemap05S-Morrowind.jpg|thumb|right]]
Nords, Orcs, and even {{Lore Link|Khajiit}} have their own legends of what happened at the battle. While they raise as many questions as answers, they offer greater understanding of the events outside the mountain during the battle and the tactics that may have been employed. Many sources speak to the presence of the Dwemer's "Western allies" during the battle, though in practice it seems the outlander hordes battled Dwemer and Chimer alike.{{ref|name=FSOKW}}{{ref|name=NMAS}} Nordic legend recounts their ancestors' desire to intervene in the war and reclaim Morrowind from the "devils" (Chimer), but they were reticent to intervene without a strong leader- that is, until the "Devil of Dagoth" (Dagoth Ur) came to them under a flag of peace. He told them of the Heart of Lorkhan (or {{Lore Link|Shor}}) and its role in the ongoing war. They trusted that his betrayal of his countrymer was genuine, as treachery was common among the Chimer. Naturally, the Nords wanted to reclaim Shor's Heart, but lacked a strong leader which could rally them for such a campaign. In a miracle attributed to Shor himself, {{Lore Link|Wulfharth}}, the Ash King, returned to lead the Nordic armies, and he forged an alliance with the Orcs to further bolster their ranks.{{ref|name=FSOKW}}
Wulfharth, along with Dagoth Ur, led the Nordic and Orc forces into Morrowind, although in accordance with the great Nordic oral tradition, accounts differ on what transpired. The "orthodox" tale declares that the whole thing was a ruse, that the Heart was a lie, and that the united Chimer-Dwemer forces lifted up the mountain, crushed Shor underneath it, and slaughtered the Nords. Wulfharth managed to kill Dumac and curse his people, but was "blasted [...] into Hell" by Vivec.{{ref|name=FSOKW}}
The other version of the story (dubbed the "Secret Song of Wulfharth Ashking" by the Nords) confirms the presence of the Heart of Lorkhan and goes into greater detail regarding military maneuvers leading up to the battle: the Nordic forces traversed mainland Morrowind and began crossing the Inner Sea to reach Vvardenfell while the Chimer forces were still leaving {{Lore Link|Narsis}}, in the middle of the southern mainland of the province. Dagoth Ur purportedly confessed that he had been sent by the {{Lore Link|Tribunal}}, who were betraying Nerevar's trust so that they might ensure the peace with the Dwemer would be broken, evidently believing that the peaceful coexistence with the Dwemer and pursuing the {{Lore Link|Veloth}}i way of life were mutually exclusive proposals. Dagoth Ur proffered the Tribunal's subversive efforts as the reason for the Chimeri force's sluggish advance to Red Mountain.{{ref|name=FSOKW}}
The Nords have their own unique account on what occurred at the battle, which is uncorroborated and contradicts other accounts. Their ancient songs claim Nerevar, his shield companion Alandro Sul, and Dumac, all armed with a Tool of Kagrenac, fought together against Wulfharth and Lorkhan, with Sul ''and'' Dumac acting as Nerevar's champions. While Wulfharth and Sul fought to a standstill, Dagoth Ur attacked and killed Dumac. Nerevar then slew Dagoth Ur for this betrayal, and Lorkhan used the opportunity to deliver a mortal wound to the Hortator. Nerevar managed to finish off Lorkhan before dying.{{ref|name=FSOKW}}
{{Lore Link|Khajiit}} still tell their pups of Dro'Zira, a mad Khajiiti warrior and an old ally of Wulfharth, who answered the Ash King's call to arms. The tale claims Dro'Zira acted as the Ash King's war mount and helped him in his fight against Dumac. Besides the fact that one version of the Nordic legend mentions Wulfharth fighting Dumac, the Khajiit tale is not corroborated by any other source.{{ref|name=TTOD|{{Cite book|The Tale of Dro'Zira}}}}
===Dagoth Ur's Account===
Dagoth Ur himself recalled, in a short letter addressed to Nerevar, that "beneath Red Mountain, you struck me down as I guarded the treasure you bound me by oath to defend. It was a cruel blow, a bitter betrayal, to be felled by your hand".{{ref|name=MFDU|{{Cite book|Message from Dagoth Ur}}}} If taken to be true, it would contradict the Ashlander chain of events (if not the events themselves), but could partially corroborate both Vivec's story as well as one version of the Nordic narrative.
===Aftermath===
Dagoth Ur was presumed to have died (except in Ashlander stories) until nearly the beginning of the {{Lore Link|Third Era}}.{{ref|name=KT}} Nerevar's lieutenants Vivec, Almalexia, and {{Lore Link|Sotha Sil}} rose to power amongst the Chimer. Within a few years, they would successfully use Kagrenac's Tools to become living gods, leading the Chimer to transform into the Dunmer.{{ref|name=TBORM}} They manipulated preexisting ancestral and Daedra worship into the {{Lore Link|Tribunal Temple}} dedicated to their worship, and concealed the truth of how they gained their divinity.{{ref|name=POT}} House Dagoth was branded as a nest of traitors, and its members were killed or incorporated into other houses.{{ref|name=LOTS}}{{ref|name=HNFC|{{Cite book|Hasphat's notes for Cosades|ns=Morrowind}}}} With the Dwemer gone, the Dunmer laid claim to all of modern-day Morrowind and their divine protectors kept them autonomous and relatively happy for millennia.{{ref|name=PGE3M|{{Cite book|PGE|3|Morrowind}}}} The Heart of Lorkhan remained in the mountain, and the {{Lore Link|Tribunal}} would return to it annually to refresh their energy.{{ref|name=DUP}} The Ashlanders, who refused to accept the Tribunal, returned to the ash wastes, where they passed down very different accounts of the battle and its villains.{{ref|name=NARM}} Red Mountain erupted around this time (the year of {{Lore Link|Sun's Death}}, the first eruption of the mountain, occurred in {{Year|1E 668}}), though it's not clear if this was just before, during, or soon after the battle.{{ref|name=FSOKW}}{{ref|name=PGE1Ham}}{{ref|name=PGE1M}}
==Notes==
:{{LNote|nb1|1.|In ''{{Lore Link|Five Songs of King Wulfharth}}'', before the Battle of Red Mountain, [[Lore:Wulfharth|Ysmir Wulfharth]] said to the reticent Nordic troops, "Don't you see where you really are? Don't you know who Shor really is? Don't you know what this war is?" This was purportedly referring to their presence within the Dragon Break of the "Red Moment".{{Ref|name=mkirc|group=OOG|{{TIL|Michael Kirkbride - IRC Q&A Sessions|mkirc}}}}}}
:{{LNote|nb2|2.|The inference that there was a Battle of Red Mountain in 1E 416, preceding the 1E 700 battle, is based on reading ''Five Songs of King Wulfharth'' in harmony with the other sources provided. Among other contextual clues, parts of ''Five Songs'' take place circa 1E 500, but mention the Greybeards and {{Lore Link|High Hrothgar}}. If Jurgen Windcaller did not form the Greybeards until after the 1E 700 battle, this would not appear to comport with the historical narrative established by the other sources. However, this may not be reliable due to the apocryphal nature of ''Five Songs'', and the potential ramifications of a Dragon Break surrounding the battle.}}
==References==
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