Fire, Ash and Ruin
Not a man alive today can forget the day that hell walked Tamriel, when the Daedric Prince Mehrunes Dagon walked upon the ground.
The era of ash and ruin.
It is said that the mighty dragon-god Akatosh descended to do battle with Dagon, to end the destruction, it was also whispered that Martin Septim himself shattered the divine Amulet of Kings to summon him.
But Dagon's wrath was terrible, and his fury overcame the God of Time. The Amulet was gone, Akatosh was banished and Martin was lost.
Oblivion marched upon the land, besieging the populace; citizens were slaughtered in their homes, killed whilst running in fright and terror, murdered before the eyes of their own children.
Of the thousands that inhabited Tamriel, only a few hundred remained, driven to the forts and ruins of the land. All the while Mehrunes' fire scorched the earth, his blades cut down the living, and his breath fouled the water.
Gates to Dagon's realm warped the land, buildings of unspeakable natures were erected on holy places, and damned minions were pulled from the darkest pits to serve his whims.
But, darkness, while cruel and cold, is but a temporary thing, and can yield to the dawn as quickly and easily as it can cover it.
And dawn is swiftly coming.