Query, Final Part: The Verdict
[The attached document continues.]
> I hope that the last section does not imply Thalmor indifference towards Talos and Man, because that would be far from the truth. The more I learn of the Altmer, the better I see the Third Dominion as no more and no less than the natural culmination of Altmeri history, which has been brutal.
> We, Man, are imperative to the Thalmor endeavor. The Thalmor need to kill us. They need to kill Talos – to them it is the ultimate enemy, ideal to bear their guilt, the furious shame that bubbled beneath the land since before History itself. If anything, the absence of Talos from current relations demonstrates the Thalmor’s formidable patience. They disengage reason from emotion in a way that we do not; the head works through centuries of logical puzzles while the heart screams bloody murder.
> We may be tempted to define our own place in this clear-cut dilemma, to give ourselves an Endeavor where the Altmer represent the essential nemesis. It is crucial that we refrain from this. It would be defeat; it would be taking up the lens through which the Altmer currently view the world. If we agree to the Man/Mer dichotomy, we are theirs to prove wrong through a conflict that will most likely end in our genocide. No matter what, we must not transform this situation into an existential struggle as the Thalmor do. They are wrong about their origins, and their notions of destiny and universal conflict are null. The Altmer are our current enemies, not our eternal enemies. It is not in their genetics. It is in their history, and with our help, History will see this dilemma shattered and peace renewed.
> The abstract principles I suggest are simple enough. We should avoid keeping secrets from our own citizens, as well as the citizens and government officials of our Imperial provinces. We should advocate open discussion between the Imperial provinces so that internal conflicts might be evaded. We should aid provinces currently fighting with the Thalmor, because while this may weaken our centre, the strength in unity will prove more important. Lastly, we must develop plans beyond driving the Dominion from Imperial territory. The Thalmor are persistent and will not give up their endeavor until they are strategically doomed. Here are the more specific aims this may entail:
> 1) Much depends on the Skyrim Civil War in maintaining a united Empire. We must support the resistance to the Stormcloak rebellion with supplies and soldiers; it is likely that an independent Skyrim under Ulfric Stormcloak would dive into armed conflict with the Thalmor and be crushed, weakening our potential for a strong Empire and possibly ushering in another Thalmor invasion. It would also be wise to strengthen our correspondence with the Jarls to help deter the popular notion of Imperial abandonment.
> 2) The war in Hammerfell is more difficult to approach, but cannot be ignored. The Redguards are no longer a part of the Empire and the struggle is against the Thalmor, so outright military aid would certainly result in chaos. Ultimately, however, it would be worth the risk to help the civilians of Hammerfell in any way we can. Repairing infrastructure, providing healing services and securing safe travel routes are a few of the actions we can take. The Redguards broke from the Empire more out of Altmeri coercion than resentment towards us, and there is still the possibility that Hammerfell will rejoin our Empire once the Thalmor are driven out.
> 3) If Hammerfell and Skyrim come back under our Empire, we should contact the governments of Black Marsh, High Rock and Orsinium to work towards a military pact. Only then will we have the power for the coming hardship. If we must bring heat to this cold war in order to end it, so it shall be.
> If I am never heard from again, do not fear, because as long as you are reading this I have completed my task here in Alinor. Talos be with us all.
> Signed,
> _, Imperial Ambassador to Alinor
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You surely know how the Black Horse Courier used this document to deceive the public, how their article presented the Ambassador's notes on the commentary of Altmer public opinion (found in the penultimate section) as if it had been a speech from the Crystal-Stone itself. It is a blatant lie that dishonours the citizens of the Empire.
Transcribing my own copy of the transmission violates both law and Courier policies, but I had already crossed the line in that regard, and the copy I possess may be the only copy that will ever exist outside of the White-Gold archives. It is proof of the Black Horse Courier’s sensationalism, a sorry wound in its Third Era legacy.
I kept the original document safe in hopes that I could use it to do the citizens of the Empire a service when the time would be right. I had figured that it would be a crime to induce such turbulence in the public at a time of stressful tensions.
And now Ambassador has disappeared, and that the causes are not at all mysterious. Common consensus has gone too far and the Emperor has done nothing, perhaps on purpose. I have woken up. Mislead emotions only blaze hotter. As hostility rises between the Empire and the Dominion, public ignorance is the last thing we need, and Ambassador said the same in his report.
Though it will cost me much I feel that now is the time. The truer document on the Thalmor and their goals should be made public. We must not let the Empire lose its integrity in a time where we need our strength and level-headedness more than ever. I will not let my fellow people be misled. I started this and now I need your help ending it.
I hope your Guild considers my request, if you really do have honour as you say.
Sincerely Y~~
[The query ends abruptly here.]