Of all the many villains inThe Elder Scrolls, few are as enigmatic as Mankar Camoran is inOblivion Remastered. He heads up the Mythic Dawn cult, the group that slew emperor Uriel Septim, taking the Amulet of Kings in the hope that all of Nirn would be consumed when Mehrunes Dagon invaded through the Oblivion portals. It is the Hero of Kvatch’s responsibility inOblivionto make sure that he ultimately fails.
But Mankar Camoran is a much stranger figure than he may seem. For achampion of Mehrunes Dagon, he is calm, collected, and utterly sure of himself, which seems very unusual for a follower of a god as destructive as Dagon. There is much more to know about Mankar, why he would want to destroy Tamriel, and what sort of mer he really is.
The Strange Origin Story of Mankar Camoran
Mankar Camoran was born as a Wood Elf, or Bosmer, in the year 3E 267, born to Haymon Camoran and his Bosmer mistress, Kaalys. Coming into the world during the sacking of the city Dwynnen in High Rock, not much is known about Mankar’s early life, other than his mother screaming his name before birth as an omen of destruction. Mankar’s father, Haymon, was a powerful warlord from Valenwood, known asthe Camoran Usurper, who was responsible for a lot of strife during the middle of the Third Era.
With such a chaotic family history, it is unknown what happened to Mankar next, but at some point he found himself exploring Daedra worship, coming into the service of Mehrunes Dagon. The Prince of Destruction picked Mankar out from his followers specifically, granting him one of his powerfulDaedric artefacts, The Mysterium Xarxes.
After studying the contents of Dagon’s gift, Mankar became convinced that Tamriel and Oblivion were not so different from one another. He penned theMythic Dawn Commentaries, outlining his philosophy, drawing in many eager cultists who felt lost in the world. When his following grew large enough, Mankar began his plan to unleash Mehrunes Dagon on the world, assassinating Uriel Septim in the sewers beneath the Imperial City, extinguishing the Dragonfires that protected Tamriel from Daedric invasion.
Spoilers for Oblivion’s main quest immediately ahead
Why Would Mankar Camoran Want to Invade Tamriel?
Not the usual type of cackling villain that wants to blow up the world, Mankar Camoran’s goals can seem very unusual from the surface. By delving into Mankar’s commentaries, though, and listening to his dialogue, his philosophy starts to take shape. Mankar’s core belief is thatTamriel is a realm of Oblivion, and its Prince is the dead god Lorkhan.
Not everyone who has playedThe Elder Scrollsseries will know the name Lorkhan, or why it is so significant. As a dead god, this makes sense. Lorkhan is not actively taking part in the story, and he is not present in the Imperial pantheon of the Nine Divines. But Lorkhan is essential to the entireElder Scrollsuniverse, and anyone who has played Morrowind will remember theHeart of Lorkhanthat lies in Red Mountain.
“This heart is the heart of the world, for one was made to satisfy the other.”
Mankar believes that the Aedra, or the Divines as they are commonly known, betrayed Lorkhan when he made the world, but when they killed him, they could not erase him forever. This suggests to Mankar that Lorkhan is no different from a Daedra, who similarly cannot be destroyed. When they are killed, their essence is sent back to the realm they are from, and Lorkhan’s heart beating in Red Mountain is no different. Mankar believes thatTamriel is a Daedric realm of Oblivion.
By inviting Mehrunes Dagon into Tamriel, Mankar is not trying to destroy the world; In his own words, he wants to liberate it. Mankar seems to sympathize with Lorkhan, saying that the Daedra are the true gods, and that the Divines are cowardly overlords. Mehrunes Dagon’s sphere of influence is more than destruction; it is change, revolution, and even hope. The Mythic Dawn’s name refers to Tamriel’s earliest period, the Dawn Era, when Lorkhan made the world, and Mankar wants to bring it back to that time.
How Mankar Camoran Changed His Race, and Possibly Became Dragonborn
As alluded to earlier, Mankar’s Camoran is a Bosmer by descent, yet when confronted in the game, he appears as a High Elf, or Altmer. Elves, much like humans on Tamriel, have distinct races which do not change. They do not change just because they move to a different place, for example. Mankar is even able to wear theAmulet of Kings, the jewel that can only be worn by a Dragonborn, and the item that solidified someone as the true ruler of the Empire.
Much of the lore around these aspects of Mankar is more speculative, but it is suggested that with theDaedric artefact Mehrunes Razor, Mankar was able to cut into his metaphysical being and alter his attributes. It is suggested that he was not a Dragonborn by birth, but retroactively became one by using the Razor, and then did the same for his race. Many have noticed that his Paradise, Gaiar Alata, resembles the Ayleid ruins that lie around Cyrodiil, suggesting that he could even have transformed himself into an Ayleid.
Ultimately, Mankar’s plot to remake Tamriel failed, but his legacy lives on. InSkyrim,the Mythic Dawn museum, either ironically or intentionally located in Dawnstar, tells the story of a family that has remained loyal to the cause, proud of its role in the invasion of Tamriel. However, with the Dragonfires relit, and Mehrunes banished from Tamriel forever, it seems unlikely that they will ever get their wish, and Mankar’s dream will never come to pass. But Mankar Camoran has remained one of the most memorable villains ofThe Elder Scrolls, and now, thanks toOblivion Remastered, many more players will know his story.
