Dagoth Ur

Dagoth Ur is the main antagonist in the computer fantasy game The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. Until his death in the late 3E, he lived primarily in the crater of the volcano Red Mountain, which is itself called Dagoth Ur. Local legends referring to "terrible demons of the mountain" probably refer to Dagoth Ur and his cohorts. Although he is an important character and nemesis, he does not directly appear until the third game in the Elder Scrolls series which deals directly with him, together with the discovery of the continued threat he poses to the peoples of the world. He does, however, make a small yet important appearance in the first game where he seemingly helps the player.

Life
Historically, Dagoth Ur, who at this point was Lord Voryn Dagoth (the name Dagoth Ur did not come about until he awoke in Red Mountain), was a friend and loyal ally of Indoril Nerevar, and aided him in his endeavours. After the Battle of Red Mountain, which ended the long War of the First Council, he was temporarily entrusted with the Dwemer tools Keening and Sunder (a dagger and a hammer), as well as Wraithguard (a gauntlet), which would permit an individual to manipulate the Heart of Lorkhan with safety, and channel its power in some way. During this period, Nerevar consulted with his Tribunal of advisors, Almalexia, Vivec, and Sotha Sil, as to the proper course of action regarding the tools. However, Dagoth was tempted by the power of the Heart, and when Nerevar returned to destroy the tools, Dagoth refused to relinquish them. A conflict ensues which left Dagoth Ur seemingly dead and Nerevar mortally wounded.

Being in possession of the tools, Dagoth Ur's life was sustained by the power of the Heart, and though his body was discarded by Nerevar and the Tribunal, he continued to live, gradually feeding on the power of the Heart, eventually becoming a living god. Sotha Sil, Almalexia, and Vivec would later attain the same state through similar means. Wounded and corrupted, Dagoth Ur began to see these three persons as his enemy. This is possibly because of the rumours that the three of them betrayed and murdered Nerevar. As Dagoth Ur slept, however, he began to see all of Tamriel as being full of enemies, and that the only way to 'save' the world would be to conquer it completely. To this end, he begins a millennial campaign to defeat all those things he sees as threats. He steals Sunder and Keening from the Tribunal so that they may not continue to draw their god-hood from the Heart of Lorkhan. Slowly, he begins subverting the population of Morrowind through his enhanced psychic powers and he builds a power-base for himself in the form of a cult who act as his physical servants. His fortresses are rebuilt in secret and domesticated beasts are bred as war animals; diseases are bred by Dagoth and his close associates to weaken the bodies and souls of those whose minds he seeks to dominate (called the Blight, the worst of which is called Corprus); and his cultists begin construction of a second Numidium in an attempt similar to that of the Dwarves which resulted in the War of the First Council to begin with.

At the end of the 3E, Dagoth Ur was finally killed by the reincarnation of Indoril Nerevar (the player character in Morrowind). Depending on player choices, Dagoth Ur may or may not be told that his slayer is, in fact, the reincarnation of his former general.