In our most recent episode we examined politics in Morrowind and, in so doing, we talked a little bit about the Tribunal Temple and the Almsivi. What I didn’t have time for, during the episode, I would like to address now: the lives of the Tribunes themselves.

First, we will talk about Almalexia, who is also Ayem. She was wife to Indoril Nerevar and, later, consort to Vivec. The Chimer viewed her as a benevolent mother-figure, protecting and healing her people from her home in Mournhold. Her city, Mournhold, is alternatively known by her name: Almalexia city. She was very close with House Indoril, being wife to Nerevar, and used the Ordinators as her peace-keepers and punishers when Chimer strayed from the Tribune Way. As can be seen in this screenshot from the game Morrowind, Almalexia retains the Chimer appearance, and sometimes can be seen wearing a terrifying armored war headdress. Almalexia is said to be the Anticipation of Boethiah, the Daedric Prince of Plots and Murder. As time wore on the three Tribunes would slide further and further into insanity. As it turns out, being separated from the Tools that had given them divinity was taking it’s toll. (Spoiler alert for the game Morrowind!) In a fit of madness, Almalexia murdered Sotha Sil in his Clockwork City, before the Neveravine has a chance to put her down.

Sotha Sil was the sorcerer of the Tribunal. Sometimes called Seht, it’s believed that he came from rather humble beginnings, rising through study to become a great wielder of magic. He spent some time, near the end of the First Era, on the island of Artaeum with the Psijic Order teaching some of the newer recruits. Sotha Sil was believed to have been the Anticipation of Azura, and spent most of his time in his Clockwork City. He also still has the Chimer coloration, although (as seen here) there is not much resemblance to much of anything anymore. After the town of Gilverdale, in Valenwood, was destroyed by Molag Bal, Sotha Sil traveled into Oblivion and made a pact with eight of the more prominent Daedric Princes. The exact details of the pact are unknown, but the Princes agreed to not threaten mortals directly (they could still, however, manifest themselves through a medium: a witch, a sorcerer, or the Psijics). This did not prevent Mehrunes Dagon from destroyed Mournhold, the city of Almalexia, when he was summoned by a witch who wanted revenge for her murdered child. Sotha Sil, with some help from Almalexia herself, managed to banish Dagon back to the Deadlands.

The last of the Tribunes is Vivec, also known as Vehk, the Warrior Poet. Vivec is known to embody the dichotomous spirit of the Dunmer people, which is manifested in his half-Chimer half-Dunmer appearance. He is one of the only people in Tamriel to have achieved or “known” CHIM, a kind of Enlightenment. As a result, he has the spiritual power to re-write his past in a way that leaves us with more questions than answers, and the truth is often buried beneath multiple layers of metaphor. Vivec is known as the Anticipation of the Daedric Prince Mephala. Unlike his friends, he dealt with the slow and steady loss of divinity with quiet resolution. However, somewhere near the end of the Third Era, he disappeared. Without him there, within his Temple in Vivec City, the moon Baar Dau (the Ministry of Truth) came crashing into the city. Whether or not this collision caused the eruption of the Red Mountain or if they were just unfortunate concurrent disasters is unknown, but it was the beginning of the end for Morrowind.