The Rise of the Zero Empire

The oft-distorted origin of the Zero Temple - and the Empire spanning five Eras - is a matter of mnemic-recollection at the mercy of Mother Memory. The original Temple Zero, emerging some time in Tamriel's Third Era, is believed to have been connected to the so-called "Emperor Zero" Cuhlecain; the exact nature of their connection is not known, and largely speculative. The original Temple Zero survived into the Fifth Era, enacting their various machinations for currently unknowable agendas, and is believed to have perished in the fires of Landfall.

Its second incarnation, sometimes called the "Zed Temple" or "Zero Temple" arose upon the Remains of Nirn during the Miracle of Union. An entirely Imperial faction comprised of the Remembered "First Men" (at least in the beginning), the Zero Temple set itself as the guardians of Memory and bound Her using the totemic emanations of Meric Towers. In this way they hoped to prevent the Remembrance of the Altmer (and the Thalmor); their theology was certain such a Remembrance would lead to another Landfall War and the loss of Nirn Renewed.

The unbinding of Memory and the Temple's conflict with the Prophet of Azura is a matter of public record, heralding the Remembrance of the Nords (Redguards, Bretons and Altmer emerged from mnemic-erasure in time) and the so-called "Neo-Marukhati Inquisition" by the Empire. Temple Zero was believed to have been wiped out in the ensuing pogroms, only to reemerge in the Seventh Era.

Thus in the turmoil of Tamriel's Seventh Era did the Zero Emperor come to power, initiating a new "Empire Across the Stars" and a lineage that lasts to this day...