Jagar Tharn Falls and the Emperor Returns

The Imperial City

Rain pours down upon the warrior as he enters the gates of the Imperial City. The streets are derelict, yet he senses the weight of many eyes upon him as walks the polished stones of Green Emperor Way. The gleaming spire of the Imperial Palace rises above him. Unbuttoning his cloak, he tosses it aside, lifting his face to the sky and feeling the cool rain upon his face.

Ten years had passed since his escape from the dungeons beneath his feet. Ten years of hard travel and fatigue. Ten years of battle and pain amidst the darkest and foulest places in the world. Ten years of a seemingly endless quest which now resolves here, almost exactly where it started. He’s tempted to laugh at the absurdity but saves his breath. He is tired, deeply tired, yet one final test remains. He draws a gleaming blade from the scabbard at his back and begins to climb the steps to the palace, an all too familiar figure awaiting him at the top. A mad gleam in his red eyes, the apparition of Jagar Tharn taunts him with a manic glee, but Talin pays him no mind. The Chrysamere in hand, he enters the Imperial Palace.

The Imperial Palace

The final dungeon of Arena begins with a similar aesthetic to the other palaces in the game but is not nearly as welcoming. You begin with fighting palace guards and other human enemies, but many stronger enemies await below. This is a straightforward dungeon crawl. Along the way, we’ll encounter interesting locations like the throne room and Jagar’s study. The game throws everything it has at us, and the final floor leading to Jagar Tharn features no less than a dozen liches. We’ll find Jagar Tharn awaiting us at the bottom at the center of a pool of lava, guarding the Jewel of Fire needed to end the game. Let’s not keep him waiting any longer.

The Sword of Heroes cleaves through armor and flesh like a knife through butter. Man and beast alike fall to the righteous fury of its wielder. Deeper and deeper he goes beneath the palace in pursuit of the usurper Jagar Tharn. At last, miles beneath the earth, he finds him. The Imperial Battlemage, clad in black robes, positions himself in front of a cell which emits an eerie green light. There are no words between them, there is nothing more to say. The battle is joined.

For hours they fight. Sword meets stave, spell meets spell, champion meets usurper. Every muscle in Talin’s body burns as he fights on, he has never faced an enemy like this one, and all his effort seems to account for little against this indefatigable foe. Yet he fights on, everything has led to this moment, and nothing will stop him. He attacks his nemesis with newfound vigor, and at last, begins to gain ground. Again and again he lashes out with the Sword of Heroes, again and again he brings the full weight of his magic power against the usurper, who ever so slowly begins to crumble. With a final furious scream, Talin plunges the Chrysamere through the chest of Jagar Tharn. A wave of force erupts from the mad mage and he is thrown backwards, miraculously holding on to the sword as he does so. Leaping to his feet, he sees Tharn on his knees, a shield of shimmering aquamarine energy protecting him as he surely recovers from his wound. This is his chance. He runs to the cell that was guarded by the mage, cleaving through the metal with the enchanted sword. Within the cell lies an altar, on which sits a great jewel, burning with green fire. Wielding the Staff of Chaos, Talin grabs the jewel…

Tharn is a mighty foe, but the godlike abilities of our level 20 hero bring him down without too much difficulty. The real aim here is to enter the locked cell that he guards which contains the Jewel of Fire. The cell can be accessed by unlocking the door with the nearby mithril key or via Passwall. After defeating the big bad, I get the door open and grab the gem.

With that, we witness the end of Arena. Robbed of the Jewel of Fire, the source of his power, Tharn burns away and melts into nothingness. The power of the jewel combines with that of the Staff of Chaos, opening the way to Tharn’s prison dimension. Emperor Uriel Septim VII returns, thanking Talin for his feat and granting him the title of Eternal Champion, a position of honor at his side.

After a bit of dialogue, a final screen encourages you to play further before kicking you back into the game world at the gates of the Imperial City.

Looking out across the shimmering waters of Lake Rumare, Talin is at a loss. The quest that had consumed him for so long was over, Jagar Tharn lies dead and the true Emperor restored. Why then did he feel so hollow, like this peace was only a temporary abatement? Even with all he had learned, all he had accomplished, he could not guess at what the days ahead would hold. He had been given a place of honor at the side of the Emperor. He would be the hand of the empire that would dispense justice and maintain peace throughout Tamriel. But not today. Today he would rest, somewhere quiet away from the city. Atop his trusty steed Godric, the Eternal Champion rides out into a blazing new dawn.