At the climix of the http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:War_of_the_First_Council, the Chimer received their name as they were transformed into the ashen-skinned Dunmer. Most Dunmer attribute this to the curse of http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Azura. The curse of Azura was a curse in which it is believed Azura thought (and was probably correct) that the Tribunal had killed Indoril Nerevar during a ritual to summon Azura to ask the Daedra what they should do next. Azura appeared anyway (Nerevar now dead) and was furious with Almalexia, Sotha Sil, and Vivec for having killed the war-hero. She cursed them by turning their eyes "as red as the volcano lava" and their skin "as black as their hearts". Now that all the Chimer had been changed into Dunmer, Azura told them they were cursed (as well as another sort of threat) and the Tribunal laughed at the Daedric Prince. They took the Heart of Lorkhan and ascended to god-hood.