Vivec

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

Legendary Origins

Vivec was the assistant 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 netchman'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 simalcrum 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. (These became the first Vampires.) 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 (Who became Vivec City), The Pocket Cabal, The Ruddy Man (Whose destruction created the West Gash), City-Face, Lie Rock, and GULGA MOR JIL HYAET AE HOOM.

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.

Real Origins

Unlike the story set in the 36 Sermons, Vivec's true origins are much less spiritual and amazing. Born the son of a Netchiman, 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 advisor's 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 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. It is said that, if the people of Morrowind stopped venerating him, the Ministry of Truth, a moonlet floating just a few hundred feet over Vivec City, would crash into the city, killing everyone. This, along with his religious power, and the power of the Tribunal Temple, creates a force mostly unopposed by the Empire.

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. If the Ghostfence, which the Tribunal maintain, ever fell, it might become necessary for the province of Vvardenfell to be completely abandoned to the demons that reside inside Red Mountain.