Lore:House Tharn

A depiction of Jagar Tharn

House Tharn is a noble Imperial family from Cheydinhal. They have held estates in and around the Nibenay Basin since the early parts of the First Era. Once the family established itself as one of reliability and utmost loyalty, they were used more and more to subjugate and eliminate Imperial dissenters. By the time of the Interregnum the family had established itself as one of the most important and involved families in the Empire.

History

First Era

The family traces its lineage back to a Tharanus Ye Redde-Hand, who is mentioned in the Tamrilean Tractates written in 1E 200. Tharanus was apparently involved in the Ayleid slave operation at Fanacas. Lady Euphemia Glaber posited a theory that this Tharanus was the same notorious Tharhan the Mutilant of the Gradual Massacre in 1E 227, but this was dismissed after Abnur Tharn discovered the "Scroll of Precursor Saints" in the vaults below White-Gold Tower in 2E 541. The House also holds that Vilius Tharn, "Blade-Serrator and Master of the Abbatoir" to Pelinal Whitestrake during St. Alessia's slave uprising, is a member of the family, but the only known link is his name. The first positively identifiable Tharn is Fervidius Tharn of the Alessian Order, who was Arch-Prelate of the Maruhkati Selective from 1E 1188 until his death. Fervidius is the author of the Sermons Denouncing the Seventeen Leniencies.

Members of the House led mercenary companies that fought on both sides in the War of Righteousness in the 2300s, and when the dust settled General Turpis "Volte-Face" Tharn was in possession of the holdings that the family today calls home. Taking the title Earl of Outer Cheydinhal, Turpis married a niece of Admiral Bendu Olo and set about fathering numerous descendants. Several generations of Tharns served during the Reman Empire, including Regulus Tharn, who revived the tradition of Imperial Battlemages, and Excoraeus Tharn, Emperor Kastav's Minister of Punition.

Second Era

Abnur Tharn became Chancellor of the Elder Council in 2E 465, and served at least five emperors (Durcorach, Moricar, Leovic, Varen Aquilarios, and his own daughter, Clivia Tharn). Clivia was Abnur's daughter by his seventh wife Pulasia. Clivia was the widow of two emperors, having been the consort of both Leovic and Varen Aquilarios. In truth she was only an Empress Regent in Varen's absence, and under her rule, Mannimarco held the true power and had entranced Clivia with offers to teach her the secrets to immortality. The Chancellor's younger half-sister, Euraxia Tharn, became Queen of Rimmen after the Frostfall Coup in 2E 576. Her son Javad Tharn was something of a celebrity around the Imperial City.

Abnur was part of a group of five companions formed by Emperor Varen Aquilarios, including Mannimarco, Lyris Titanborn, and Sai Sahan, with the intention of locating the lost Amulet of Kings to solidify the legitimacy of Varen's rule. Mannimarco betrayed the others and used the coronation ceremony to create the Soulburst which killed Varen and created massive ecological disruption around Tamriel. Abnur pledged loyalty to Mannimarco in the immediate aftermath of the event to save himself from execution. Once it became clear that his usefulness to Mannimarco was coming to an end he enticed Lyris to rescue him. Abnur and Lyris joined forces and located Sai. Sai revealed the location of the Amulet, which he had taken and hidden after the Soulburst. The three then joined forces with the Vestige and defeated Molag Bal.

During the events of the Soulburst, various members of the Tharn family took actions in the war, mostly as necromancers on the side of the Worm Cult. Septima Tharn, for instance, attempted to take over Bangkorai after conquering the town of Hallin's Stand, summoned a Dark Anchor into the Bangkorai Garrison, and even stabbed High King Emeric at the Hall of Heroes. Magna Tharn is thought to have been involved with a Worm Cult expedition to Rulanyil's Fall in Greenshade, which attempted to raise and control a powerful Ayleid warlord from history, unaware that the body had been lost long ago and substituted by that of an unfortunate archaeologist who died in a cave-in: and Martialis Tharn attempted to break into the Do'Krin Monastery in Reaper's March to steal a powerful Khajiit relic, the Golden Claw, and raise an army of Dro-m'Athra. The latter was almost certainly acting in support of Javad Tharn, who harnessed the power of the legendary Dark Mane to possess and corrupt the Khajiit Mane, Akkhuz-ri. All of these Tharns, however, failed in their plans, being stopped by one or more Vestiges.

Euraxia Tharn, meanwhile, searched for the Wrathstone to summon an army of Dragons to cement her rule over northern Elsweyr. She tricked her half-brother Abnur into actually searching for the Wrathstone, with the intention of ambushing him and seizing it: however, he and his allies foiled the ambush and retrieved the Wrathstone themselves, although the Dragons were released into Elsweyr nevertheless. Euraxia, however, was driven from Rimmen by a popular Khajiiti uprising led by the Princess Khamira, daughter of the late King Hemakar, who subsequently was crowned Queen of Anequina - with the help of Abnur Tharn, who aided Khamira. Euraxia's alliance with the Dragons did not prove as fruitful as she hoped, either, since they were too powerful to be controlled and had plans of their own, and did not aid her against Khamira's rebellion, in which Euraxia died. The most powerful of the released dragons Kaalgrontiid, in fact, had designs on nothing less than ascending to godhood, attempting first to seize control of Jode's Core and then, when foiled there before he could absorb more than a portion of its power, to siphon the power he had seized from it through the Aeonstone of Dragonhold Island. Abnur Tharn, fresh from having aided Khamira on to the throne of Anequina, teamed up with Sai Sahan who had re-founded the Dragonguard, to oppose and defeat Kaalgrontiid: and this was accomplished, however at great cost, for Abnur was still on the island of Dragonhold when it exploded, resulting in his being "missing presumed dead" in a heroic sacrifice.

Third Era

Jagar Tharn is the next notable Tharn, and probably the most infamous. He was Imperial Battlemage for some time up to 3E 389 and Emperor during the Imperial Simulacrum until his death in 3E 399 at the hands of the Eternal Champion. For some time it was thought that Jagar was the Nightingale who bedded Queen Barenziah and stole the Staff of Chaos, but later information confirmed that Jagar had only hired the Nightingale Drayven Indoril to steal the staff. As much as his ancestors had been loyal to the Empire and subjugating dissent, Jagar's reign as the disguised emperor saw the Empire crumble as the provinces waged war on one another (see the Five Year War, the Arnesian War, the War of the Blue Divide, and the War of the Bend'r-mahk). It is unknown whether this was Jagar's intent, or what any of his aims were beyond seizing the throne.

Jagar Tharn is also credited with assisting Mehrunes Dagon in conquering the Battlespire Academy, and was suspected of being behind the creation of the Umbra' Keth, a 'Shadow of Conflict', which was slain by the Soul of Conflict in 3E 397.

Notable Members

• Tharanus Ye Redde-Hand (fl. 1E 200) — Cleric to the Ayleids in Fanacus, possibly related to "Tharhan the Mutilant" of the Gradual Massacre
• Vilius Tharn (fl. 1E 242) — "Blade-Serrator and Master of the Abbatoir" to Pelinal Whitestrake
• Fervidius Tharn (fl. 1E 1188) — Arch-Prelate of the Maruhkati Selective
• Turpis "Volte-Face" Tharn (fl. 1E 2321) — General during the War of Righteousness who later established the Tharn estates
• Regulus Tharn (fl. late First Era) — Reestablished the tradition of Imperial Battlemages under the Second Empire
• Excoraeus Tharn (fl. late First Era) — Minister of Punition under Emperor Kastav of the Second Empire
• Knavus Tharn (fl. early Second Era) — Great grandfather of Abnur Tharn.
• Abnur Tharn (born c. 2E 418) — Chancellor of the Elder Council during the Interregnum
• Veraxia Tharn (fl. 2E 541) — Consort to Emperor Durcorach
• Camhain Tharn (fl. 2E 558) — Reachfolk member of House Tharn, nephew of Durcorach and author of A Reach Travel Guide
• Euraxia Tharn (died 2E 582) — Half-sister to Abnur and Queen of Rimmen following the Frostfall Coup
• Javad Tharn (died 2E 582) — Son of Euraxia, celebrity in the Imperial City, leader of the Imperial invasion of Reaper's March
• Pulasia Tharn (fl. Sixth Century of the Second Era) — Seventh wife of Abnur, mother of Clivia
• Clivia Tharn (fl. 2E 582) — Empress Regent of the Empire of Cyrodiil, consort to Emperors Leovic and Varen Aquilarios
• Septima Tharn (died 2E 582) — Magus-General of the Imperial forces based near High Rock during the Alliance War
• Magna Tharn (died 2E 582) — Associate of the Worm Cult
• Martialis Tharn (died 2E 582) — Member of the Reaper's March invasion force
• Jagar Tharn (died 3E 399) — Imperial Battlemage and Emperor during the Imperial Simulacrum