We, the Great House of Nobles and Wizards, care little for the matters of outlanders. The Telvanni nobility is, to its core, born and bred in Morrowind, where all our interests lie. As such, we have laboured mightily to avoid all outlander entanglements in the hopes of like being reciprocated. It is disappointing then, that some lesser peoples of Tamriel have made it their goal to disturb our peace. I refer, of course, to the chief architect of all woes that have befallen Morrowind as of recent: the Imperial. I have lived for hundreds of years, yet have never seen a creature as putrid and meddlesome. Recently, these bastard offspring of Atmora have frustrated me to the point of penning this manifesto – I will put to rest, once and for all, the naive Imperial fantasy that we, the Great House Telvanni, will ever allow restraints on our freedom of action.
This futile Imperial ambition surely stems from their loathsome ignorance of the higher calling that all Telvanni nobility is bound to. We, as a house, have taken upon ourselves an obligation to pursue knowledge for the sake of knowledge itself, even if the cost is high. I myself have spent years on my experiments, confined to my laboratory, and spent much of my health and fortune in pursuit of this hallowed goal. If a few lesser beings have to give their lives in by our experiments, so be it – we absolutely need expendable material to continue our work. Besides, what higher fate can these pitiful creatures strive to, than to serve a part in revealing the great mysteries of the universe? Knowing this, a great many among them go to their deaths gladly! An intelligent observer will quickly surmise that there is nothing selfish in our conduct.
Of course, the Imperial does not see it this way. In their vain perceptions of slavery, they cry torrents over the supposed hardships of barely-conscious beasts such as the Khajiit and the Argonians. That these outlanders put so much stock on such trivial sufferings reveals their utmost ignorance of the incomparably more meaningful toil and sacrifice that Telvanni masters themselves have had to undertake in their sacred pursuit of knowledge over the centuries. Perhaps it is not surprising that the Imperial would sympathize so deeply with the Argonian – the former is, after all, only a small step above the latter in the hierarchy of intelligence. Ultimately, such bawling should not be given any thought, as is the long-established practice of the noble house of Telvanni – Imperial concerns are as ephemeral and inconsequential as their brief lives or their rickety empires. Through the centuries, Telvanni wizards have seen countless empires of men, each prouder than the last, but the main constant between them has always been how quickly they disappear.
None of this would matter then, had not the recent slanderous Imperial accusations of necromancy struck a chord with some of the more ignorant of our Dunmer brethren. The worst afflicted is House Hlaalu, having entered into a perverse alliance with the Imperial. There is no clearer example of how the futile pursuit of coin can addle minds. I fear that the Hlaalu have sealed themselves to a terrible end, once Imperial influence inevitably crumbles. To my grief, House Redoran is not far behind – in their fetishization of Imperial “might”, they are almost pathetically accommodating of outlander attitudes, attacking us for our supposed “necromancy”. I can only implore them to remember the lesson of history: the strength of men will wane as surely as it waxes, whereas Telvanni designs stand the test of time. Meanwhile, House Indoril, as of yet unpolluted by Imperial influence, seems nevertheless intent on replicating their worst aspects – their ordinators long to impose their restraints on us, to corrupt our holy pursuit of knowledge with their superstitious fables. The Telvanni have for centuries made a mockery of Indoril pretenses of lording over all of Morrowind; as Indoril strength falters, the absurdity of their ambitions is laid bare for all to see. Only House Dres have afforded us proper respect by steering well clear of our affairs. But whether this is due to any special enlightenment on their part or due to the Dres’ total ignorance of all that lies outside their primitive huts amidst the salt fields, is as of yet unclear.
In the end, House Telvanni will pay no heed to the recriminations of ignoramuses and lesser peoples. We will continue our search for the mysteries of the universe and on this sacred pursuit, we will brook no distractions or compromises. The legacy of House Telvanni is one that concerns knowledge above all, to the exclusion of all other aims. Such is the true introspection of Telvanni nobility.