Annoying the People of Tel Branora
3E 426
This is a report of a brief series of interviews on a couple controversies in Morrowind. We interviewed the following citizens of Tel Branora:
Endring, Hireling of the Great House Telvanni
Mistress Therana, Telvanni Councilor to Tel Branora
Seryne Relas, alteration mage and Master Trainer
Mertisi Andavel, nightblade service and Retainer of the Great House Telvanni
Q: What are your thoughts on the scroll debate? Should there be laws limiting the production and trade of spell scrolls?
A:
Endring:
You might have noticed I’m not Dunmer. Therefore my opinions might be atypical for this area. Because let’s be honest, good old Dunmeri xenophobia is at the heart of this scroll controversy. I’m not judging, mind you. I’ve joined the Great House, after all, and they have their reasons. You know that the Telvanni are infamous recluses. You can’t even get into the city proper without flying, and if you’re an outsider, who’s going to sell you potions or offer training? Only a couple people. And at prices from Dagon himself. Even if you do get up the tower somehow, don’t think anybody will open a door for you. But if you can get a scroll with a hefty levitation spell, maybe an Ekash’s Lock-Splitter to let yourself in, none of that should be a problem. That’s the gist. They think outlanders will use the scrolls to steal their precious Telvanni values, and I think they should lighten up a bit.
Therana:
Do you think I’m afraid of a piece of paper? I’ll show you how I feel about papers.
At this point, Therana used telekinesis to remove the Gateway Papers from my pocket and incinerated them.
I’ve lived too long to die from a paper cut. Let them have their scrolls; it’s hardly enough kindling for the fire ahead.
Seryne Relas:
It is a shame. So much hostility, and the truth is, scrolls really aren’t a problem. If you’ve experimented with spellmaking you know that a roll of parchment is nothing compared to a spell forged in your mind and memory. I understand banning the heavy Destruction scrolls, lock-splitters, and invisibility, but at least allow people to protect themselves with an intervention or slowfall.
Mertisi Andavel:
‘The powerful define the standards of virtue.’ I wish it was that simple. There are people who make a living off of printing scrolls, not a huge number, but enough to cause some unrest. And who says they’ll stop if we outlaw it? But the reality is that we are Great House Telvanni, and we have traditions to uphold. There is no chance that we will let the n’wahs steal our ranks with a slip of paper. Sooner or later we will have to wake up and end this debate once and for all.
Q: Do you have a stance on how the dead should be treated? What are your thoughts on necromancy?
A:
Endring:
Just a heads-up: people might think you're an idiot for asking that question. It’s not your fault though. When outsiders think of Morrowind they think of tombs, shrines, dust, mumbling about your ancestors, that sort of thing—and they’re right. We’re the exception. We don’t care for such customs. If you ask me, a person is living. A person can talk, be useful, make use of other people. If you take all that away then the body left is just meat. Necromancy isn’t well received, even in Tel Branora, but at least you can say the word here without people covering their ears like you’re reciting ALMSIVI porno. I don’t endorse necromancy. Still, I don’t see the fuss about using magic to make a corpse move when the person himself is long gone.
Therana:
Leave it and wait for the cat to lick up the mess. Why would you keep the dead as pets when there are cats everywhere?
Seryne Relas:
Necromancy, you say? It depends who is asking me. To most I would call myself ‘indifferent.’ But you are an outlander and I hear nothing but curiosity in your tone, so I wouldn’t rob you of the truth. Necromancy is interesting—fascinating, really. On a theoretical level that is. It involves more than one school of magic, not to mention a strong mind. But necromancy’s reputation precedes it, as you well know—the controversy surrounding it, especially in Morrowind, overpowers the art. Oh, don’t give me that look. I do not practice necromancy. Because I’m not a fool, and also because I have nothing to gain from it. Had I the intention, you would be speaking to a necromancer right now. But I’ve learned over the years that standard Alteration is more useful and more gratifying. If you want I could teach it to you sometime.
Mertisi Andavel:
You’re bold, outlander. Boldness can help you or it can get you killed, depends on the time and place, so take care. That said, necromancy is absolutely immoral—but we Telvanni have no morals. We don’t worry about defiling corpses because our foes are already cremated by destruction magic, or at least in too many pieces to bother picking up. I would avoid necromancy because it’s messing with something we should let be. Tel Branora is a crazy place, but we’re still Dunmer at the core. We can’t deny that bones are the doors to the spirit. And it’s stupid to manipulate the doors to the spirit, unless you have an ambition the size of Oblivion and you really know what you’re doing. Of course you’ll find a number of Telvanni with the ambition and the skill, but they’re usually preoccupied with more useful things … Like curing corprus disease, for instance.