User:IceFireWarden/In Consideration of Foreign Powers
To Agent-Commander Alessan Inferias, Artificer of Secrets on the Elder Council.
Dated the 28th of Evening Star, 4E 201.
Sent from Solitude of Provincial Skyrim; to be sent to the Imperial City of Cyrodiil.
Sealed Upon Orders of the Inner Eye, the Emperor’s Silent Hand.
Reserved by Enchantment for those of the Emperor’s Highest Grace, on Pain of Immediate Curse.
Dear Commander,
It has been awhile since you last required correspondence with me, old friend. I was beginning to think that you either got yourself killed, or that you chose to resign from your position after freeing yourself from underneath the mountainous pile of bureaucratic rubbish from your fellow councilors. While I’m sure at the very least that the High-Chancellor is keeping you good company, I doubt that the others are being as cordial as our dear Jaxar; ever since you and the Emperor recalled me from the Padomaic Rim a few months ago I have heard nothing but malicious rumors from our “friends” in the Imperial Court.
I am often reminded of the advice you imparted to me: “Trust no one, not even yourself. For even eyes need eyes to watch them.” It was wise of you and Titus II to assign me to the outpost at Dragon Bridge, where I can not only keep a close eye on Commander Darius Maro under the guise of a subordinate, but also peruse the strategic and economic intelligence his men acquire throughout this hoary territory.
But on to the more pertinent matters you wished to discuss with me. It is without any form of doubt and humor that I must report that the Empire is losing influence within the Fatherland. While the Stormcloak Rebellion―led by the sympathetic yet belligerent Jarl Ulfric―was already threatening provincial security, the recent return of dragons to Tamriel has made this situation even more dire. The arrival of the colossal black drake that destroyed Helgen and caused the collapse of Pale Pass is spreading fear and discontent throughout the Nordic populace.
With the Legion focusing on protecting the numerous fiefdoms granted legitimacy within the Heartlands shortly after the Great War (while the Council may disagree, Cyrodiil would have never recovered from its wounds if Titus II had not passed the Land Act of CE 176 that awarded esteemed veterans with titles of nobility, heavy pensions, and towns in need of leadership), manning our borders with the Independents to the south and west, and entertaining the guests that the Dominion sends to breathe down our necks, it is incredibly difficult to send more than a cohort to a territory that was until recently firmly within our authority.
I feel nothing but pity for General Axion Tullius assigned to oversee this “Civil War.” With the passage through the Jeralls snowed in, funneling troops through Bruma is no longer an option, and it is just too costly and time-consuming to send them via ship or portal (I am getting a headache just thinking of the required paperwork from the College of Whispers). Hopefully General Tullius will be able to man his campaign against these threats with local recruits, but I am doubtful; dragons, despite being the symbol of the Empire, are also symbols of fear. The Nords are already restless and I have heard slanderous Stormcloak rumors that the return of the drakes was an orchestration of the Empire to subjugate them. Ha! I wish Tiber Septim had left some dragons in White-Gold’s dungeon for us. Maybe then the pompous bananas and their creepy prophecies would have been less of an issue.
In truth, these complex issues of the current era (a startling return of dragons to the world, the reemergence of the Aldmeri Dominion, a splintering Skyrim, suspicious activity between High Rock and Hammerfell, and the other provinces either free of or largely ignoring Imperial governance as our own homeland lays alone and isolated) harken back to the Interregnum, and its tales of the Three Banners War. Similar incidents both allegedly and factually occurred during that time period, including more outlandish events of which I’ve learned from the treasure trove of ancient documents and memospores retrieved from the hidden libraries of the Blades and their predecessors.
It seems history repeats, old friend. I admit this with a heavy heart and worried soul. Perhaps it is within the confines of said history that we will find an answer to the survival of the Empire that Saint Alessia fought to create through blood and chains. But our answer shall not lie in the assistance of the Aedra, whose divine will is almost nonexistent compared to previous eras; nor (surely) will it lie in devotion to the Daedra, whose actions have led to the fall of numerous petty kingdoms and even the Empire itself in the past. As Titus I once said: “The gods are the gods, eternal and wise, but it is we who spill blood within the Arena. We must live with or without their protection.”
So instead, I propose to you once again that we follow the example of the alliances of the Interregnum and find strong allies of our own. Since it seems we cannot fully trust our continental brethren, we must instead turn our gaze outward from Tamriel and into the great beyond that is the rest of the known world. This great appreciation and need for understanding the myriad cultures of Nirn isn’t something foreign to the Mede Dynasty; even before Emperor Attrebus was coronated on his thirtieth naming day, he and his beloved Annaïg did their best to heal the Empire’s relationship with the other provinces after the panic induced by the Umbriel Event and the five-years of daedric plague known as Soulrot it unleashed in eastern Tamriel.
Attrebus may have lost his father to the plague a year before his forty-year-tenure as emperor, but he did not let that deter him and his empress from making diplomatic missions to the other provinces, the Imperial territories, and other sovereign states. If it wasn’t for this amicable behavior―which passed down through the generations―it is of this inquisitor’s opinion that the Empire would have fallen long ago.
Which is why when you and Titus II entrusted me with traveling to these exotic locales outside of our influence, I couldn’t help but be filled with pride. The Great War and the White-Gold Concordat were severe blows to Cyrodiil, both as a place and a culture, but Titus II did all he could with the terrible hand he was dealt and did not falter in his duty. His mother, grandfather, and great-grandfather would be proud to know that their lineage produced a humble man with more diplomatic expertise than any of the Dragonborn Emperors. I just hope that my findings are of use to you, commander, and to the Throne.
Below I have supplied the reports you and the Emperor asked of me. I have also magically included a plethora of notes, drawings, interviews, and mnemonic recordings utilizing the techniques you taught me; the catch-word is as simple as a vermai’s thoughts old friend: “trust eternity’s songs, literary odes to reading eons.”
First Inquiry: The colonies established by the Imperial Mananauts on Masser and Secunda either refuse to respond or are incapable of responding to magisters of substantial power. Since communication has been attempted annually by two Empires for the last two-hundred and sixty-three years, I advise that we should simply cancel all further attempts to contact them.
Second Inquiry: The Imperial Territories of Roscrea, Cathnoquey, and Esroniet continue to be of great service to the Mede Dynasty. While I am surprised these island-nations did not take advantage of the Stormcrown Interregnum at the start of the current era to secede, their constant trade and supply served as a big help during and after the Great War. Unfortunately, the Treaty of Aggressive Conscription signed in CE 146 prevented the Empire from acquiring new blood for the Legion en masse during the minor skirmishes and battles that eventually led up to the Great War, so I remain doubtful of any genuine and worthwhile support from the territories in regards to the greater conflicts in our future. By Shezzar, I remain incredulous that General Tullius was able to convince the Roscreans of Haafingar Hold to send him a few able-bodies for his Legion, especially after their island was attacked by sea giants in CE 200.
If you are interested in recent news concerning the other Territories, I can inform you that the men and mer of Cathnoquey (collectively referred to as the Quey) continue to be seen across the Padomaic in their merchant-flotillas and are still supporting the disaster relief in Morrowind since the Red Year (even forming a new trade route with Blacklight in CE 11). The Esri, on the other hand, have become much more withdrawn since the assassination of their councilor, Laikaina, by poison in CE 177 within the Elder Council chambers.
Third Inquiry: As it’s been since the reign of Emperor Attrebus, all diplomatic ships sent to Akavir have been repelled due to bizarre weather phenomenon and magical means of communication have resulted in…issues to say the least. The last of these ships, the Shadow of Bend'r-mahk, barely limped back into port earlier this year after departing in CE 188. Shortly thereafter, the Imperial Battlemage prohibited her Shadow Legionnaires from attempting any further contact with the Akaviri. Perhaps we should do the same.
Fourth Inquiry: Artificer Delialon of the Psijic Order, who counseled Titus II’s parents and now him as well, refuses to give a reason as to why Artaeum disappeared from the Mundus a second time. While I suspect hostilities between them and the Thalmor occurred before CE 100, all I can say is that the Psijics will not stand behind the Empire in the events of a second war.
Fifth Inquiry: Likewise, the Maormer of Pyandonea have responded with a surprising amount of neutrality, despite their mutual disgust and hatred with the Altmer. King Orgnum, who grows even younger by the year, has instead signed a peace treaty with Yneslea and the Imperial Territories known as the Truce in the East in CE 177, after their ten-year long engagement known as the Piracy Wars finally fell to a close. This utter lack of consideration for an alliance suggests to me an even darker motive―Orgnum wishes to see the Dominion and the Empire destroy each other in the future, so that his people can rule over the pieces. Whether this is true or not, our informants within their homeland have noticed a startling amount of ship construction…especially for a country supposedly removing itself from piracy.
Sixth Inquiry: The Sload of Thras should be avoided at all costs. Associating with the amoral slugs is a bigger risk than any advantage would warrant.
Seventh Inquiry: I firmly believe that the subcontinent-archipelago of Yneslea (or In’eslae in its native tongue) to the southeast of Tamriel might be our best chance for an alliance with a government on par with our own. It is the homeland of the Echmer, who along with the Hyu-Ket and two other minor races form what is known as the Yneslean Directorate. It has a large influence within the Padomaic Ocean (commanding a great deal of respect from even the Imperial controlled island nations) and a strong relationship with the East Empire Trading Company. The Echmeri focus on technological and magical advancement, due in part to their strange relationship with the Dwarven Clan that migrated to their shores in ancient times before that race’s extinction, has led to the Directorate having a powerful navy and well-equipped military. However, since their secession in CE 8 they have also maintained a strong policy of neutrality that stems from their isolationist tendencies.
The Echmer, if convinced they had a stake in helping the Mede Dynasty, might be willing to discuss the possibility of an actual alliance with the Empire due to the praise they received for helping the Septims in the past. During the Simulacrum, artifacts originally from their territory like the Hammer of Gharen and the Anvil of Mithras helped to dispose of Jagar Tharn the Pretender, and it was rumored that Uriel VII commissioned them to help the Blades rebuild the Numidium due to their familiarity with Dwemer engineering.
The only problem is that I have witnessed the Dominion sending diplomats to Yneslea during my years abroad, which I have found strange. The Altmer and the Echmer, like the Maormer, have had a bitter dislike of one another for years. In any event, I recommend you read the second edition of the Emperor’s Guide to Yneslea written by the Imperial Geographical Society with aid from the Scenarist Guild and the United Explorers of Scholarly Pursuit. While three years old, it’ll help explain why I feel like we need to send additional politicians and agents to Yneslea as soon as possible.
So ends my report, old friend. May the Divines bless you and the Emperor, Agent-Commander. I’m always watching, for the both of you.
Sincerely,
A Blind Man
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