Lore:Mede Dynasty

Symbol worn by Titus Mede II

After the demise of the Septim Dynasty at the close of the Third Era, High Chancellor Ocato became Potentate and stewarded the Empire for over a decade before his assassination, which initiated a seven-year-long period of infighting over the Ruby Throne known as the Stormcrown Interregnum. The Interregnum was brought to an end in 4E 22 when the Colovian warlord Titus Mede captured the Imperial City from the unpopular Nibenese battlemage, Thules the Gibbering with a force of only one thousand men and was crowned Emperor of Tamriel, thus founding the Mede Dynasty. The support of Hierem, who hailed from an old Nibenese family with many connections, assisted greatly in smoothing over the conquest by helping convince the Elder Council to accept Titus Mede as a liberator rather than a conqueror.

As a consequence of the destruction and confusion wrought across Tamriel by the Oblivion Crisis, Imperial control over the provinces had waned and the Empire began to crumble despite Titus Mede's intervention. Between 4E 1 and 4E 29, Black Marsh, Elsweyr, and Summerset Isle (since renamed Alinor) seceded from the Empire. Morrowind was devastated by the twin catastrophes of the eruption of Red Mountain and an Argonian invasion, and ceased to be an Imperial province at some point prior to 4E 48. Valenwood fell to a Thalmor-backed coup and was absorbed by Alinor to form the third Aldmeri Dominion.

Over a century later, the Empire was brought to its knees during the reign of Titus Mede II. In 4E 171, only three years after Titus II was crowned Emperor, the Aldmeri Dominion invaded the Empire and ushered in the Great War. When the conflict ended in 4E 175 under the White-Gold Concordat, Titus II was forced to renounce Hammerfell as a province because it refused to concede its territory to the Thalmor as the Concordat required. By 4E 201, the Empire was reduced to only Cyrodiil, High Rock, and Skyrim, with the latter embroiled in two rebellions, the Stormcloak Rebellion in the Old Holds and the Forsworn Rebellion in The Reach.

Mede BloodlineEdit

Name	Born	Crowned	Died
Titus Mede I	?	4E 22	After 4E 48
Attrebus Mede	4E 26	4E ?	4E ?
Unknown	?	?	?
Unknown	?	?	4E 168
Titus Mede II	4E ?	4E 168	4E ???

The table to the left shows the birth and regnal dates of the emperors. The chart below details the lineage of the Mede family in the first-degree only. All unknown individuals and dates are noted with the inclusion of "???". A † symbol next to a date of death indicates that the death was not natural. Names in bold indicate ruling emperors.

References are given in the usual style, but notes are also provided for cases where calculation or inference are involved, or where contradictions exist.

??? 3E ??? - ?E ???

??? 3E ??? - ?E ???

??? ?E ??? - 4E ???

Titus Mede I 3E ??? - 4E ???

??? ?E ??? - 4E ???

??? ?E ??? - 4E ???

Attrebus Mede 4E 26 - 4E ???

Annaïg Hoïnart 4E 31 - 4E ???

??? 4E ??? - 4E ???

??? 4E ??? - 4E ???

??? 4E ??? - 4E ???

??? 4E ??? - 4E 168

Alexia Vici 4E ??? - 4E ???

??? 4E ??? - 4E ???

Titus Mede II 4E ??? - 4E ???

Vittoria Vici 4E ??? - 4E ???

Asgeir Snow-Shod 4E ??? - 4E ???

NotesEdit

1. ^	Although it is never stated that Attrebus Mede succeeded his father Titus I as Emperor, it can be assumed that he did since he was Crown Prince as of 4E 48, there was no indication of other heirs to the throne at the time, and the Mede bloodline survived until the time of Titus II.

2. ^

   It is unknown how many Mede Emperors reigned between Attrebus and Titus II. Given the gap of 142 years between Attrebus' birth in 4E 26 and Titus II's ascension to the throne in 4E 168, as well as the knowledge that Titus II's father had a sister (Alexia Vici) while Attrebus had no known siblings, Attrebus was most likely not Titus II's father or grandfather. Assuming the former is correct, and assuming no break in the lineage, it can be surmised that at least two or more Medes reigned as emperor between Attrebus and Titus II.

3. ^	An unidentified brother of Titus Mede I. As of 4E 48, this brother was kept under surveillance in case he attempted to act against Titus I.

4. ^	Another unidentified brother of Titus Mede I. As of 4E 48, he was deceased, having built a cabin in the township of Ione fifteen years prior, which he had left to his nephew Attrebus Mede.

5. ^	At the end of Lord of Souls, Attrebus Mede and Annaïg Hoïnart, who had fallen in love during their adventures, resolved to spend their lives together. Whether this resulted in matrimony or otherwise remains uncertain.

6. ^

   Vittoria Vici is said to be the "first cousin" of Titus Mede II, however, it is unknown if Vittoria is his cousin on his mother's side or his father's side. Correspondingly, it is unknown what Alexia Vici's familial connection to the Mede family is—whether or not she's the sister or sister-in-law of Titus II's father.

7. ^	Depending on player choice, Titus Mede II may have been murdered by the Dark Brotherhood in 4E 201 on the orders of Councillor Amaund Motierre.