After a storm and a strange vision in his dreams, the player begins fresh off a boat from a mainland prison in a town called Seyda Neen, freed by the string pulling of the current ruler of the
Tamrielic Empire, Emperor Uriel Septim VII, with the task of meeting Caius Cosades, a member of the Blades, a secret group tasked with the protection of the Emperor and the Empire.
Cosades inducts the player into the Blades under orders of the Emperor, and sets the player on various quests to uncover the mysterious disappearances and revelations that the citizens of Vvardenfell have experienced, particularly the Sixth House and the Ashlander prophecies of the Nerevarine. It is later revealed that The Sixth House, and Dagoth Ur, has been directly influencing the people within their dreams, including attempts to invade the player's mind.
Prophecies from the nomadic people living in the Ashlands, The Ashlanders, predict that Nerevar's incarnate will fulfil a set of seven prophecies. The first two prophecies are that Nerevar will be born on a certain day to uncertain parents, and will be cured of Corprus disease. Fulfilling these, the player seeks to complete the third prophecy, a test to find the Moon-and-Star, the symbolic ring worn by Nerevar, which would instantly kill any other who tried to wear it. Once the player finds and equips the ring, he receives a vision from Azura, the ancient Daedric Queen of the Dawn and Dusk, who confirms that the player is Nerevar's incarnate. Nerevar completes the fourth and fifth trials, which are to rally the Great Houses and Ashlanders of Vvardenfell under one banner. After receiving the support and being declared "Hortator" of the
Great Houses and "Nerevarine" of the nomadic Ashlander tribes, the player is officially, albeit reluctantly, called "Nerevarine" by the Tribunal Temple, who normally persecute anyone who claims to be the Nerevarine and sentences them to death.
Nerevar is invited to the palace of the poet god-King Vivec to discuss the assault on Dagoth Ur's stronghold in the heart of Red Mountain. Vivec presents the player with the artifact gauntlet Wraithguard, an ancient Dwemer artifact that can use the tools of 'Sunder' and 'Keening'. The ancient implements will destroy the fabled Heart of Lorkhan, but without having the Wraithguard equipped, it will deal a fatal blow to whoever wields it.
The player travels into Red Mountain to Dagoth Ur's citadel. After talking with Dagoth Ur, who attempts to sway the player to his side with the claim that he is merely following Nerevar's final orders, the player and Dagoth Ur fight. Besting Dagoth Ur, the player breaks the Heart of Lorkhan with Kagrenac's tools, destroying the source of Dagoth Ur's power and killing him in the process. Akulakhan's Chamber where Lorkhan's heart resides is destroyed, and in turn Red Mountain is cleared of blight and The Sixth House falls. Upon escaping from the chamber, Nerevar is congratulated by Azura, who appears before him to reward his efforts of fulfilling the prophecy.[SUP]
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After the Main Quest's completion, the game does not end. Vvardenfell is however affected in many different ways. The Blight Storms cease to plague the land, and the weak minded followers of the Sixth House are re-awakened, remembering nothing of their ordeal. The Dreamers who harassed Nerevar fall silent, and Nerevar becomes widely known as the savior of Vvardenfell. The quintessential consequence of defeating Dagoth Ur was the destruction of the Heart of Lorkhan. Due to their immortality linked to the heart, Vivec and the Tribunal become mortal again, leaving Vivec's future in question and up to the player to determine his fate. The loss of divinity among the Tribunal is the main concept for the game's expansion, "Tribunal". It has since been rumored that the hero pursued an expedition to the continent Akavir.
