Lore:Symmachus

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Symmachus
Symmachus's Dagger
Race	Dunmer	Gender	Male
Born		2E 865
Died		3E 391 Mournhold
Resided in		Morrowind

Symmachus was the Dark Elven general of Tiber Septim's army who later became husband to Barenziah, Queen of Mournhold. Father to Helseth (born in 3E 376) and Morgiah (born in 3E 384 and named after Symmachus' mother).

History

Symmachus was born as a peasant in Almalexia City to his mother who was named Morgiah and his father who was a miner. He was considered remarkable only for his size, and rumors suggested he had Nordic blood. By his thirtieth year, his mother had fallen ill and his father had already passed on. After the Rite of Naming for the new born heiress of the Lord and Lady of Mournhold interrupted a health crisis of his mother and left her dead, Symmachus blamed the Lord and made up his mind that one day he would marry that baby as vengeance, and that his mother's grandchildren would one day rule Mournhold.

Symmachus later joined the forces of Tiber Septim, took part in the Morrowind campaign, and was granted a rank of General after the fall of Mournhold in late Second Era. When little Princess Barenziah and her nurse were found among the wreckage of the city, Symmachus suggested to Emperor Tiber that the child might someday be valuable. Therefore Barenziah was placed with Count Sven Advensen, a loyal supporter who had recently retired from the Imperial Army to his fiefdom in Skyrim.

About a decade later, when teenage Princess Barenziah ran away from Count Sven's household, it was Symmachus again who found her in the city of Riften. He took her into his custody and informed her that she was to be reinstated as the Queen of Mournhold as soon as she turned eighteen. Then he escorted the Princess to Tiber Septim's court in the Imperial City, where she stayed until adulthood. When Barenziah was eighteen, Symmachus led her to the city of Mournhold to be crowned as the new Queen. Gradually they came to love one another and were married and crowned in a splendid ceremony officiated by the Emperor himself.

Symmachus reigned in Mournhold as a royal consort for centuries. Always loyal to the Empire, he won many battles in the War of the Red Diamond against the supporters of Uriel III and Potema in 3E Second Century. During the Imperial Simulacrum in late Fourth Century, when civil unrest spread in Mournhold, Symmachus let Queen Barenziah take their young children and travel to the Imperial City to seek the ear of the Emperor Uriel VII while he remained in Mournhold to deal with the grumbling peasants and annoyed nobility. Some days later he fell in battle with the revolting peasants.

When the plot of impostor Jagar Tharn was ruined, a rightful Emperor was restored, and the tumultous period of Simulacrum had ended, a grand state memorial service was held for Symmachus at the Imperial City, befitting a man who had served the Septim Dynasty for so long and so well.