Vivec




 * This article is about the deity, for the city named after him, see Vivec, Morrowind

Vivec is a character from the video game Morrowind, one of the three living Gods of the Tribunal Temple, he is the 'warrior-poet' of the Tribunal.

Legendary Origin
Vivec was the counselor of Nerevar. According to legend, recorded in the 36 Sermons, Vivec was born to the wife of a netch herder, who was cast into the sea by the Daedra Prince Boethiah, by legend the Anticipation of Almalexia. Dreughs, octopus-like men, took her to a great city underwater, where she produced an egg. The egg of Vivec was visited by Seht (Sotha Sil) and seven Daedra, who told her to find the Great Land of the Indoril. On her journey, she met many spirits, who told her of various things regarding Vivec, still unborn. The netchiman's wife was captured by the Dwemer inside a cave on the way to the Indoril lands, who tried to remove the egg from inside her, however, their efforts were to no avail. Vivec's egg was put in a simulacrum of his mother, and sent on the way, however, the creation, being of poor quality, broke down, and was taken to the city of Ayem, or Almalexia, however, he was saved by Nerevar. In the court of Almalexia, Vivec merged with the simulacrum of his mother, forming the "magic hermaphrodite, the martial axiom, the sex-death of language and unique in all the middle world."

War with the Nords soon followed, forcing a union between the Dwemer and the Chimer. Nerevar led the war, with Vivec at his side. The First Council rose to power, and Nerevar became the Hortator, the leader of all Chimer.

Vivec wandered away from Mournhold, and began to practice his god-powers in a span of wastelands, at one point making himself less dense, so as not to sink into the earth. At this point, Molag Bal, the first corner of the House of Troubles, made himself known to Vivec, who said to him "How very beautiful you are, that you do not join us." Molag Bal summoned armies to attack the feet of Vivec, the part of him that were not invulnerable, and chained him to the earth, and married him. Thousands of sons and daughters of Vivec and Molag Bal were produced that day. They were killed later by Vivec, using his spear, Muatra. Vivec lay with Molag Bal for eighty days, though headless. His feet were restored by the legions of Daedra, and filled with Daedra-blood, so that he would never have to worry about harming the earth.

Nerevar, troubled by the lessons of Kinghood, made his way to Vivec, who was weaving his hair into an incomplete map of adulthood and death. He did this to make room for the fire- unbeknownst to Nerevar, Vivec had been practicing his Water Face, learned from the Dreughs before his birth. Vivec and Nerevar traveled the world, teaching Nerevar everything he needed to know before the War with the Dwemer.

Vivec faced the eight monsters that escaped from Muatra, defeating first Moon Axle, then Treasure Wood Sword, followed by Horde Mountain (Which became Vivec City), The Pocket Cabal, The Ruddy Man (Whose destruction created the West Gash), City-Face, and Lie Rock.

Then the war against the Dwemer broke out, the Dwemer coming out of their mighty fortresses, with golden ballistae and many atronachs. Dumac Dwarf-Orc was their leader, but Kagrenac was their High-Priest. Nerevar slew Dumac at Red Mountain, and saw the Heart of Lorkhan for the first time. The Dwemer, with great brass machines, broke down the gates of Mournhold, but were kept at bay by Almalexia, who she overcame with the "meaning of the stars." Red Mountain erupted upon the entrance of Nerevar, at which point Kagrenac revealed his great creation- a great machine, a "walking star", which destroyed the armies of the Tribunal and destroyed much of Morrowind, forming the Inner Sea. The Tribunal then combined, destroying the Numidium and banishing the Dwemer.

Historical Origins
Unlike the story set in the 36 Sermons, Vivec's recorded biography is much less spiritual and amazing. Born the son of a Netchman, he became one of Nerevar's three most trusted advisors, Vivec and the other advisors convinced their general to make war on the Dwemer. It is also believed that Vivec was the mastermind behind the advisors' plan to murder Nerevar and take his place. It is also hinted that the cause of this was based on Vivec's desire for Almalexia, the wife of Nerevar.

Vivec as both god and mortal
As conflicting as the historical and legendary accounts may appear, there is some evidence to reveal that they are both true. Many devs and in-game books hint that Vivec was first a man (Vehk) who followed the historical origins. However, when he performed the ritual to gain powers from the heart, he and the rest of the Tribunal rewrote history such that they had long been gods before their mortal lives. Vekh also makes references in his sermons about having lived two lives - one as a mortal, the other as a god.

Vivec in Modern Morrowind
In the modern politics of Morrowind, Vivec, beyond being one of the unofficial rulers of Morrowind, is venerated, along with Almalexia and Sotha Sil, as a god among men, the Warrior-Poet of the Tribunal, or Almsivi. Although not as visible a figure as Almalexia or the King of Morrowind, Vivec maintains considerable influence on the people, particularly in the Province of Vvardenfell, where he resides in the giant city of Vivec.

According to many accounts, the power of Vivec, and the rest of the Tribunal, is waning. Since they were cut off from the Heart of Lorkhan by Dagoth Ur, their continuing godhood is questionable.

Vivec in TES IV: Oblivion
Though not a specific subject the player can still hear of Vivec in Oblivion. In NPC conversations, before the completion of the main quest, Vivec is said to have gone missing. There are no details to how or why. The two most likely theories so far is that he is taken by the Daedra (as is rumored by the NPCs having the conversation) or that he is slain by the Nerevarine as prophesied by Azura. It could also be assumed that, according to "the Trial of Vivec" (see below), he may have simply escaped to, and possibly still reside in, as of Oblivion, an unknown location after attacking Azura near the end of his trial.

Another scenario presented by many of the devs and ex-devs is that Vivec achieved something called CHIM, which is a concept that can be found in the background stories of Morrowind and Oblivion (most notably in Vivec's sermons).

The Trial of Vivec
Michael Kirkbride (uncredited author of the 36 Sermons of Vivec), Ted "Tedders" Peterson, Ken Rolston, and several other Bethesda Software Developers participated in a roleplaying session on their Official Forums.

Several prominent TES characters (Divayth Fyr, Uriel Septim VII, and Daedra Prince Sheogorath included) are called to witness in the Trial of Vivec; specifically in order to judge Vivec's role in the death of Indoril Nerevar and the shift from Daedra worship towards that of The Tribunal (Almsivi).

Towards the end of the story, Daedric Prince Azura personally appears to present arguments against Vivec. In a surprising twist, Vivec begins an incantation using "evidence" brought against him in a powerful binding spell to permanently banish Azura from Tamriel:

"By this Shadow, I call your neonymic forth, your chosen throne, sundown and sunrise, death and birth of shadow. You are bound to this place.

AE ALTADOON DUNMERI for my sister's madness I eat you..

AE ALTADOON DUNMERI for my brother's wasting I eat you..

I climb you, moon and moon, and Dance on your Tower. AE CHIM CE ALTADOON for my own revenge I eat you. AE CHIM CE ALTADOON for my own revenge I eat you."

After his spell is complete, Azura explodes, her body ruined but soul captured in the body of one of the trial's spectators.

Vivec then reveals with glee how he has waited for revenge against Azura for an age; this references both the "punishment" of black skin and red eyes that turned the Chimer into the Dunmer, and undoubtedly the reincarnation of Nerevar specifically to kill The Tribunal.

Vivec then proudly proclaims his hidden message from Sermon 29 (see 36 Lessons of Vivec) before he vanishes: "He was not born a god. His destiny did not lead him to this crime. He chose this path of his own free will. He stole the godhood and murdered the Hortator." This statement then, perhaps, proves that the Tribunal really killed Nerevar at the Battle of Red Mountain.

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