Lore:Akaviri Potentate

Akaviri Potentate
Akaviri Potentate armor
2E 1 – 2E 430
Capital		Imperial City
Location		Cyrodiil
Common languages		Cyrodilic
Religions		Eight Divines
Government		Absolute monarchy
Preceded By			Succeeded By
Second Empire			Empire of Cyrodiil

The Akaviri Potentate (also called the Akaviri Empire or the Akaviri Dynasty), additionally known as the Colovian Emperor-Potentate or the Colovian Dynasty was the period of the Second Empire after the assassination of Reman III and the end of the Reman Dynasty. Prior to this period, potentate was the title of the chief advisor of the Reman Emperors.

History

First Era

In the battle of Pale Pass, Reman I decisively defeated an Akaviri invasion but other events forced him to offer the defeated army amnesty in return for their service in his own army. This led to Akaviri influence in other spheres of life, and over time the position of Potentate was usually filled by one of the snake people.

In the year 1E 2920, Potentate Versidue-Shaie plotted to assassinate Emperor Reman III. He assassinated Reman III shortly after the death of Crown Prince Juilek, and declared Reman's line to be extinct. On 22 Evening Star, 1E 2920, Versidue-Shaie declared that he was taking over the leadership of the empire but retaining his title of Potentate. In the same speech, he declared the end of the First Era and the start of the Second.

Second Era

After becoming the ruler of the Empire, Versidue-Shaie began persecuting those who opposed his rule and remained loyal to the Reman Dynasty, a period known as the Reman Purges. By 2E 283, Versidue-Shaie was faced with a disintegrating empire. The vassal kingdoms throughout Tamriel had reached a new height of rebellion, openly challenging Imperial rule by refusing to pay taxes and leading sorties against Imperial garrisons. To suppress the rebellious armies, Versidue-Shaie declared martial law in 2E 283, initiating the War of Subjugation, which finally ended in Imperial victory in 2E 320. The immense cost of the War of Subjugation resulted in the impoverishment of both the Empire and its constituent kingdoms. To maintain order without incurring the expense of a standing army, Versidue-Shaie agreed in 2E 321 to a proposal from his kinsman Dinieras-Ves, which established what would later be known as the Fighters Guild.

In 2E 324, Versidue-Shaie was assassinated by the Morag Tong in the city of Senchal and succeeded by his son, Savirien-Chorak. The Morag Tong were outlawed across the continent and reformed secretly as the Dark Brotherhood. In 2E 400, Savirien-Chorak held a celebration to commemorate four centuries of potentate rule. Savirien-Chorak and all his heirs were assassinated by the Dark Brotherhood on a night in the month of Sun's Dawn 2E 430—within a fortnight the Akaviri Potentate crumbled. By 2E 431, civil wars and insurrection had dissolved the Empire, ushering in the Imperial Interregnum.

Potentates

Name	Born	Race	Beginning of Reign	Died, Deposed, Abdicated, or Office Abolished	Additional Information
Second Empire — Akaviri Potentate
Versidue-Shaie	1E ?	Tsaesci	1E 2920	2E 324	Upon assuming leadership of the Empire, Versidue-Shaie declared the beginning of the Second Era. Assassinated by the Morag Tong.
Savirien-Chorak	1E ?	Tsaesci	2E 324	2E 430	Son of Versidue-Shaie. Assassinated by the Dark Brotherhood.

Notes

• ^1

  In the original lore of Daggerfall the "Akaviri Potentates" were not defined as Akaviri. Instead the potentates were called the "Colovian Dynasty" and Versidue-Shaie is called the "Colovian Emperor-Potentate" of the "Tamrielic Empire," with the cultural background of the potentate being entirely undefined, though Versidue-Shaie is mentioned as having had a palace in the Elsweyr city of Senchal. The Brothers of Darkness book was the first and only source across all of Daggerfall's materials to refer to any "Colovian" peoples. When authoring the first Pocket Guide to the Empire for Redguard, writer Michael Kirkbride recalled nabbing the name "Colovian" from Daggerfall's documents and using it for the name of the Imperial Province's westernmost region. Additionally, the Pocket Guide added the Akaviri contextualization to the potentates. The Brothers of Darkness book has appeared in every main Elder Scrolls release after Daggerfall, wherein the potentates' description retained the "Colovian" contextualization, but the Elder Scrolls Online version of the book altered the line mentioning the "Colovian Dynasty" to the "Akaviri Dynasty." Ultimately, the potentates' relationship to Colovia and/or the Colovian people as established in Daggerfall has yet to be explored in the lore.

• ^2

  Most sources such as The Brothers of Darkness, Pocket Guide to the Empire, 3rd Edition, and Systres History: Volume 7 state that Savirien-Chorak was assassinated in 2E 430, but other sources such as the Pocket Guide to the Empire, 1st Edition and the Crafting Motifs series state that Savirien-Chorak was assassinated in 2E 431. Since more sources state that Savirien-Chorak was assassinated in 2E 430, this year is presumably the correct year of the assassination.

• ^3	It's unclear which assassin organization assassinated Savirien-Chorak. The Brothers of Darkness states that the Dark Brotherhood assassinated Savirien-Chorak, while Sacred Witness states that the Morag Tong were responsible for the assassination.

• Sidri-Ashak was an obscure and lesser known potentate. He is perhaps best known for five runestones dotted across the Imperial province that bear his name. He advised Emperor Brazollus Dor, who ruled between the reigns of Reman II and Reman III. Neither interested nor skilled in matters of state, Emperor Dor left most of the governing to him, and he proved to be a capable statesman.
• The Akaviri Potentate's peculiar armorsmithing practices were said to have changed the Imperial Legion forever.
• The Magnates of the town of Hakoshae in Elsweyr believed themselves to be descendants of the Potentates through Proconsul Beloren-Kaie, but it was revealed in 2E 582 that they were in truth descended from Lein-Barduik, the bodyguard of the Proconsul, who had abandoned him to assassins and taken his identity.
• The next Potentate to rule the Empire was Ocato of Firsthold, who assumed control of the Third Empire at the beginning of the Fourth Era after the Elder Council failed to appoint a new emperor.

References

Note: The following references are considered to be unofficial sources. They are included to round off this article and may not be authoritative or conclusive.