Chimer

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The Chimer (KY-mare) are the ancestors of the modern Dunmer, but looked quite different in appearance from them. Unlike the dark features of the Dunmer, the Chimer looked closer to the Altmer in appearance, with pale yellowish skin and "normal" eye colors, as opposed to the Dunmer's dark blue/gray skin and bright red eyes. The Chimer were transformed into the Dunmer after the battle at Red Mountain between the Dwemer and Chimer.

[edit] History

The Chimer were the second race to settle Resdayn (also known as Velothi, now known as the Imperial Province of Morrowind) after the Dwemer, led by the prophet Veloth but separated into many small barbaric tribes.

Lord Indoril Nerevar, one of the most famous of the Chimer race and leader of the Chimer and House Indoril, sought peace with the Dwemer and for about 250 years managed to maintain peaceful relations with Dumac Dwarfking of the Dwemer during the early first era (1E 416-1E 668). Nerevar managed to unite the two peoples after the Nords of the first Nordic Empire invaded the island of Vvardenfell and then successfully drove the nords off of the isle. The two cultures prosper under the peace brought by Nerevar and Dumac, and the two leaders form the united kingdom of Resdayn and are both elected the leaders of the First Council. However, the peace between the races is quite tense and not without argument, particularily over religion.

War broke out between the Chimer and the Dwemer in 1E 668 after Dagoth Ur, then leader of the Sixth House, House Dagoth, learned that the Dwemer sorcerer-architect Kagrenac and his followers had found a powerful magical stone known as the Heart of Lorkhan, and were preparing to use the power of the heart to make the entire Dwemer race immortal and construct a new living god that would mock the Aedra and Daedra. Dagoth Ur went to Nerevar and his Queen, Almalexia, and two councillors Vivec and Sotha Sil to plead that Nerevar declare war on Dumac and the Dwemer for such blasphemy. Everyone agreed with Dagoth Ur's advice, except Nerevar, who travelled to Red Mountain to meet with his old friend Dumac and asked if what Dagoth Ur had said was true. This meeting and a subsequent second both fail, and the second meeting ends with a declaration of war. Thus begins The War of the First Council.

In short, Nerevar and Dagoth Ur manage to infiltrate the Dwemer fortress at Red Mountain along with a small number of Chimer warriors, while the army of the Dwemer was kept busy in a nearby field by the Chimer army. Nerevar and Dagoth Ur reached the chamber where the heart of Lorkhan was kept and confronted Dumac and Kagrenac.

The next portion of the battle at Red Mountain is controversial and can not be confirmed or proven.

One account states that during the battle Kagrenac uses his tools on the heart instantly causing all the Dwemer on Nirn to disappear. Another account states that Nerevar and Dumac were both critically wounded when they fought and Dagoth Ur slew Kagrenac. Nerevar and Dagoth Ur then summoned Azura seeking her guidance, who shows them how to sever the connection of the Dwemer from the heart.

One way or another the one thing that is certain is that Nerevar died shortly after the battle at Red Mountain, whether he was murdered by the Tribunal or died of his wounds is not known. Dagoth Ur was temporarily put in charge of the tools and corrupted by its power, but Nerevar and the Tribunal take the tools from him.

After Nerevar's death Sotha Sil discovers how to use the power of the heart of Lorkhan to transform himself, Almalexia, and Vivec into gods. They decide to use the power of the heart, and afterward Azura then comes before them and curses the Tribunal and the entire Chimer race for what they have done, transforming them into the Dunmer.

[edit] Religion

The Chimer were Daedra-worshippers, unlike their rivals the Dwemer, who "worshipped" science and magic. Specifically, the Chimer primarily worshipped "the good Daedra" Azura, Boethiah, and Mephala.