Bethesda really poured their hearts into creating the world of Tamriel, the setting of the Elder Scrolls universe. The RPG series is filled with a variety of interesting characters and a variety of different factions on different ends of the moral spectrum. One of these factions that were first introduced in the fourth game, Oblivion, is the Mythic Dawn.
A daedric cult, the Mythic Dawn served as the game’s main bad guys and make their mark in the player’s mind by assassinating the Emperor, Uriel Septim, right in front of the player in the game’s opening. But just like everything in the series, lore about this group can be discovered by doing some investigating. Here are 10 of the craziest most might have never known about the Mythic Dawn.
10 Their Goal And What They Are About
The Mythic Dawn are all worshippers of the daedric prince of destruction, Mehrunes Daegon, and follow the group’s leader, Mankar Camoran (more on him in a bit) who could be Daegon’s champion. The group believes that Tamriel was stolen from Daegon by the nine divines and want to help him reclaim it, as told in their holy book the Mysterium Xarxes.
The day of his return will be marked with fire and brimstone which will erase the old world and usher in a new one. This is the mythic dawn the group is trying to achieve. Members believe helping him will help them secure immortality in Paradise after they die. These beliefs are what lead to them triggering the Oblivion Crisis.
9 About Their Leader
As previously stated, the leader of the Mythic Dawn is the boisterous and charismatic Mankar Camoran. He started the group and is also the author of the Mythic Dawn Commentaries and its four tomes.
He is also the creator of the Paradise that he ends up ruling over at some point during the game. It is quite clear that he is only in it for himself as the paradise is actually torturous to all but Camoran and his daedric minions.
8 They Were Wiped Out Between Oblivion And Skyrim
By the time of Skyrim, the group had been destroyed between the events of Oblivion and Skyrim during the early years of the fourth era. The reasons for this is that a number of groups were formed to eliminate the remaining members of the group.
One of these groups were another group of Mehrunes Daegon worshippers, the Keepers of The Razor which references Mehrunes’ Razor. They fought the Mythic Dawn in order to retrieve the razor’s pieces.
7 A Mythic Dawn Museum In Skyrim
Speaking of Skyrim, within the city off Dawnstar lies a museum dedicated to the group. It was created by Silus Vesuius who can first be seen outside of a museum being warned about involving himself with this subject.
Vesuius had an ancestor who was a member and is proud of this, despite the deeds the Mythic Dawn spoke of. Inside the museum are the cult’s signature robes, a page of the Mysterium Xarxes and all four tomes of the Mythic Dawn Commentaries. Talking with him will trigger the Pieces Of The Past daedric quest.
6 How Their Initiation Works
Revealed during Oblivion’s main questline, the cult’s initiation is extremely complex. A would-be initiate first has to obtain the four tomes of the Mythic Dawn Commentaries. Easier said than done since the first two are rare, the third is even rarer but could be obtained through special orders while the fourth must be obtained from an actual member, called sponsors, and must be deemed worthy by them.
After doing this they then have to solve a puzzle in order to reveal the location of their hideout.
5 They Have Spies Embedded Throughout Cyrodiil
A creepy thing that can be noticed in the game is that the Mythic Dawn has spies embedded throughout the cities of Cyrodiil. These agents blend in perfectly within society and only strike at just the right moment.
This moment comes after the player completes the quest, Dagon shrine. If the player suddenly gets attacked by people in the signature enchanted armor, chances are they were one of these sleeper agents.
4 Who They Target For Recruitment
Just about anyone can join the Mythic Dawn, but like most cults and shady groups it seems they might target those who are considered societal degenerates. An example of this is a wood elf named Cingor in Leyawiin.
Cingor is a member of the fighter’s guild who cannot be found in the city’s guild hall oddly enough. He can instead be found wandering the city looking for criminals to punish. It is quite clear that he is seen as a societal degenerate He will attack the player after the Dagon Shrine quest and spout about their beliefs while attacking.
3 How To Identify A Member
When a sleeper agent does attack the player, some investigating can be done into their homes and daily routines which could help them identify them as a Mythic Dawn member.
These clues include spouting the beliefs, as with Cingor. Searching their homes after retrieving keys from their bodies will reveal that they have one book of the Mythic Dawn Commentaries. They could also be heard exchanging their eerie “dawn is coming” greeting with other members, as seen with Ulen Athram of the Imperial City and Eugal Belette of Chorrol.
2 Their Leader Is Most Likely A Dragonborn
Back to Mankar Camoran, what makes him even more of a mysterious individual is the fact that he might be a dragonborn, meaning the blood of dragons through his veins. This is shown by the fact that he is seen wearing the amulet of kings.
Only those who are dragonborns, like Uriel Septim and his son Martin, can wear it. Whenever the Hero of Kvatch, the official name of Oblivion’s protagonist, tries to equip the amulet it will just fall right off, meaning they are not a dragonborn. While it has not been fully confirmed yet, all evidence points to Camoran being a dragonborn.
1 They Are Deceptive To Their Own Members
It is no surprise that the Mythic Dawn is extremely secretive given their actions. But this extends to even their own members.
Not only is the paradise they seek is a lie but even actions like assassinating the emperor, as seen with Gwinas, are kept a secret from candidates. Much like the deadra they worship, they keep secrets and show that it is ultimately just not worth joining the Mythic Dawn.
