Saving the Empire: A Step by Step Guide
To his most benevolent majesty Emperor Titus Mede, eternal may be his reign
As requested, here is the final analyses of the current state of the Empire, and the potential challenges that I believe must be prepared for. For security reason I have opted not to send this over memospore - it is my humble recommendation that the courier who delivered this document to you be disposed of for the same reason.
For the sake of completeness, the political environment leading to the rise of Talos must be mentioned. For the purposes of this document, it is satisfactory to have only a broad understanding of the post-Potenate period. Until thirty years ago, this was the last time in history that Tamriel was a multipolar environment, and understanding how the differences in politics between such and environment and the multipolar Septim era will be vital to the success of the Empire.
However, another unfortunately overlooked sequence of events played out prior to the birth of Tiber Septim, which is especially relevant in this new era. The Planemeld, an event which featured a convergence of three threats the Empire must prepare for if it is to survive the unknown threats of tomorrow.
These include:
A potential extra-mundune incursion into Imperial territory. While popular sentiment has led to a backlash against magicians following the recent war against Dagon, the true culprit behind the invasion is none other than every Septim Emperor following Tiber who allowed the battlespires to decay and rot and the moth swarms to die. In the decades preceding the initial invasion, the forces Mehrune's Dagon seized control of the last Imperial battlespire (conspiracy theories which hold that there were other battlespires which were kept secret are, of course, baseless. Battlespires are, as the Imperial treasury knowns, expensive to maintain and involve too many people for them to kept as anything more than an open secret) - they were only turned back due to the actions of a now unknown student training there (the problem of the unknown hero is addressed on bullet three). The practical utility of the battlespire is that despite the costs, the are a vital complement to the Imperial legions when staging operations in Oblivion. Dagon's invasion of the battlespire damaged enough to lead to its decommission - had the battlespire remained intact (or more been in service) it could have been used for staging an offensive against the Deadlands. The decline of the Battlespire program represents the single biggest failure the Septim line - particularly considering that the possibility of invasion from Oblivion was not an unprecedented affair at the time of Talos's death. While the new Martinean Covenant would appear at first glance to prevent future incursions into Mundus, it is no guarantee - Molag Bal, at least, is likely to attempt another such invasion in the future.
The end of the Alessian Covenant. Since the end of elven rule over Cyrod the rulers of the Cyrod have been given the official endorsement of History itself - a state of affairs that is no longer true. The brief reign of the last Septim ended with the dissolution of that contract and a new Martinean Covenant made all of Nirn. This is an unfortunate and unacceptable blow to Cyrod's continued dominance. As a result of the new state of affairs the former patron of the Empire must now be considered neutral in Mundrial affairs at best - at worst, the Time Spirit must be considered a potential enemy. Should an unfriendly faction emerge victorious in Summerset the possibility of the Altmer forming direct bond with Auriel must be considered. In addition, analysis of the Prophecy of the Dragonborn shows a clear correlation between each line and the appearance of a Hero during the reign of the late Emperor Uriel VII. A lapse in the monarchy of Skyrim could cause another unfriendly manifestation of the Time Spirit to emerge. It is my recommendation that research into actions of the Alessian order be done so that a way of returning the pre-eminent aspect of the Time-Spirit to our control may be found.
The prophecy of the Last Dragonborn also draws attention to the commonality of Heros during the late Third Era. Though often referred to by those interested in such matters as "Four in as many decades", there are in fact more in the same amount of time. There is the unknown Hero who reassembled the staff of chaos, whose path is often followed by religious pilgrims today. There is also an unknown hero active during the Warp in the West - identified as a Blades Agent during research. The Nerevarine, responsible for the fall of the Tribunal Temple. The last of these four is the Hero of Kvatch, who often accompanied the late Emperor Martin Septim, and may have been responsible for a potential shift in the balance of power in Oblivion (sources vary, the Daedra Jyggalag has made no known moves following his appearance in the Madhouse). Following interrogation on the subject, the primary source on the subject gave an indication of several other Heros in the period, including one active around the area of Dragonstar, Dawnstar, and an exceptional prison break in Stormhold which may be indicative a Hero. Together, with the Hero involved in the battlespire debacle and the four mentioned above gives a total of eight Heroes in a roughly forty year period. While there have been none since the fall of the Septims, as mentioned above there is reason to believe that another may appear within our lifetime, depending on the political situation in Skyrim. Should the Dragonborn prophecy come to pass, a method of removal and control must be put into place to minimize potential damaged to Imperial interests a Hero may cause.
With the secession of Summerset, Valenwood, Elsweyr, and Black Marsh; and the loss of control over the remnants of Morrowind following the Red Year, the Empire has been reduced to just the core human provinces. This state of affairs must not be allowed to continue - the Empire must regain control of Tamriel. Skyrim should be a primary theater for His Majesty's efforts - the Dragonborn prophecy must not be allowed to take place. It is my official recommendation that a renewal of proselytic efforts be made across the Empire, in order to diminish provincial identity and replace it with an overriding Imperial identity.
Attached I have included a a cost analysis of the recommendations above, as well as analysis of their feasibility in the current climate. Nonetheless, it is my view that these actions are necessary to the long term survival of the Empire, and worth the any cost. The mistakes of the latter Septim's must not be allowed to repeat.
--Secundus Mares