A letter to Mercurio of the Imperial Archaeological Academy, From the Late Third Era.

Dear Mercurio,

In your last letter, you inquired about the progress of my archaeological survey of early Velothi culture on Vvardenfell. You are not alone in your curiosity. Frequently, during my visits to the libraries of Cyrodiil and the Summerset Isles, my colleagues have had cause to ask me why I have published so little of my research. Typically, I remind them of the difficulties of archeological excavations in Vvardenfell's harsh landscape: a dig diverted because of a fresh lava flow, blighted creatures invading one's encampment, interference from Ashlander tribesmen or, worse yet, agents of the expansionist Great Houses. And, while it is true that my excavations have not uncovered what I was seeking, these are mere prevarications. But you deserve a more complete explanation of my work here. For one, you might actually appreciate the nuances of these data. Secondly, I could use the opportunity to arrange my thoughts on the matter in longhand. I have had years to ponder the ancient pre-history of this island, gazing back through millennia as the shovels and pickaxes cut through the layers of the Chimer Tels. It is time I attempted to form a theory of Morrowind's pre-history.

You know well that the ancestors of my people, the ancient Aldmer, settled more than just the Summerset Isles. Not long after the disappearance of old Aldmeris (if there ever was such a place) High Rock, Cyrodiil, Skyrim and Resdayn were all explored and colonized. I think we sometimes forget that Aldmeri culture persisted for centuries in regions of Tamriel now thoroughly alien to contemporary Altmer. Forgive the digression. You remember that classic, if now outdated, primer from your student days, Before the Ages of Man by Aicantar of Shimerene? Long before the Velothi Exodus, ancient Aldmeri explorers established wizard towers (assume, for a moment, that the conventional view is correct and these are magocractic settlements) along what is now the Telvanni coast of Vvardenfell. I have come to believe that those early Elven settlements spread fairly widely across Morrowind.

The evidence is sparse. Outside the Tower settlements, structures were less permanent and I was left with ambiguously-dated postholes. Yet, I've found a few key markers of Aldmeri culture; votive amulets and household alters to Auriel (others might have mistaken the sun motif for an Azuran symbol) and shining crystal fragments animated by the dawn-era magics. At this point you must certainly be nearly tearing your hair out, wondering aloud why I have not publicized my findings more widely. These discoveries are fascinating in and of themselves, but they are only a preamble to a more troubling story. This is shaping up to be a rather lengthy letter, I'm afraid.

Before this project had even begun, I had emotionally prepared myself for a long and difficult search. After all, The failure of earlier surveys to uncover any trace of the migration in western Morrowind was the reason my expedition was sent to Vvardenfell, in hopes that signs of Veloth's followers might be found there. The first Velothi migrants would have been a small enough band to leave little trace on most of the island. The legends about them do not record where the earliest permanent settlements were, nor exactly how they sustained themselves nor the character of their first contacts with the Mer aboriginal to Resdayn. Judging the western coast too marshy to have presented an enticing home to the weary settlers (not to mention an environment unlikely to have preserved structures and artifacts) we began along and southern coast. After each dig we would relocate to a promising site further east. After a few years we were making our way up the Telvanni coast (Gods, I can't believe I found enough room in the budget to pay all those bribes! Every petty sorcerer-landlord must have gotten a cut) and carrying out excavations near the major cities. Many periods of Vvardenfell's history were well represented, particularly the Temple culture of the latter First Era and the distinct High Velothi society of the Late-Merethic, but there was no clear sign of the Velothi exiles. We had expected some kind of clear, sudden break with the past; a definitive periodization in the layers. It was nothing like that at all.

Artifacts related to Daedric cults emerge only gradually in the archeological record, beginning with very primitive, almost clandestine, votive figurines. The quantity and sophistication of Daedric devotional artifacts seems to increase proportionally through several centuries, accompanying the growth of more elaborate tomb structures. This process appears to reach a climax in High Velothi culture, with the construction of elaborate, multi-chamber tomb-chapels. Initially, I hypothesized that the Velothi culture must have had a more gradual dissemination throughout Morrowind. I directed a broader series of digs, looking for some pattern in the emergence of the Daedra-ancestor cult, hoping to trace in back to a single, geographical source. A fine idea, but fruitless.

The development seemed to have occurred simultaneously over a vast area with no discernible epicenter. The arrival of Velothi culture wasn't associated with any pattern of serious societal disruption or changes in wider material culture. The dawn of Velothi society wasn't marked by a destruction layer, broken swords, heaped corpses and violently expelled magicka residue. It was like excavating a vast temple only to find that at the deepest layer, it had no foundation. I must have spent weeks in the tents, going over the catalogues, examining the artifacts, shouting at the workers and apprentices, trying to see where we had gone wrong. We hadn't. The surveys had been preformed to my professional standards, the digs had been meticulous, the cataloguing accurate. The only obstacles left to a proper analysis were my preconceptions about this history. Well, all of our preconceptions, in fact.

It is now my opinion that the Velothi culture and religion were an entirely indigenous development, emerging out of the society founded by the earliest pre-Velothi Mer settlers. For reasons still obscure to me, the Aldmer of pre-historic Morrowind gradually turned away from Aedric worship to a veneration of Daedra and their ancestors. I presume they were led by mystics much like the contemporary wise women of the Ashlander tribes. Perhaps they acquired a uniquely elevated status in their society from consulting the spirits of the dead, or by revealing Azura's prophesy. Perhaps agents of Mephala and Boethia taught their chiefs and wizards more efficient means of settling political disputes, encouraging a new trend in rulership. The stories of the prophet Veloth's exile from Alinor are likely a much later creation of High Velothi culture, who's kings and priests required a defining myth of their origins. Or, perhaps, the tale was originally a metaphor born from one of their mystic's trances. Or a complex web of lies, carefully constructed by the Webspinner. Whatever the origin of the Velothi Exile, I am convinced that the traditional account is entirely mythical. If there ever was a historical Veloth, he certainly did not found the religious traditions of the Chimer, but would have meet in Resdayn a society ready to accept him and his followers with open arms.

Now you can see why I haven't shared my findings. Besides the fact that my theory requires some refinement, I won't be publishing any of this until I am safely back home in Sunhold. What would the workers and diggers think if they knew what I was writing to you know? Stendarr preserve me! In truth, I have already begun shipping the artifacts back to Cyrodiil, to your offices. Hopefully, we will be able to discuss this matter in person in a matter of weeks.

Your Friend and Colleague, Minducil of the Imperial Archeological Academy