A Place for My Ideas

Morrowind: Why Do I Despise the Vivec

As a guilty pleasure, I took few RPGs very seriously due to their interesting, and immersive story. In other words, I only played them for their stories and plots; as a replacement for a book or to be more precise, a novel.

As a beloved and a bit of old game, Morrowind is one of my biggest joy in gaming beside Disco Elysium, Ulitma 7 BG, and Witcher 1. I didn't read its plot on Wiki(a) before playing the game, and I played it thoroughly genuine and make decisions on my own.
With this in mind, I play as myself. While playing the RPGs that I heard nice things and am eagerly looking forward to, I play as myself; which means a do-gooder with socialist agenda.
This caused me to when I replay these vert few favourite games, I always end up playing with the very same choices. I always feel envious of people who played different roles (good/evil/neutral) in my favourite games. Very pleasant for them… I care and like these very few RPGs too much to not play myself as myself…

Major Choices in Morrowind

In my first play, I travelled to Balmora as expected but ended up in a bookshop there. I had the opportunity to go through them and read all the books for no fee. And I read and read, instead of delivering the package to Caius the head spy. When I finished the bookshop books, I had a semi-understanding of the lore and the situation.
I was an outlander coming to the Morrowind and wanted to learn, appreciate, and help this land. I was very eager to be immersed with the environment and learn about its culture and system of government, and more importantly, common people. As I often heard, Morrowind has a deep and immersive culture and lore. And my passion for reading lore, and overthinking them, helped to enjoy these aspects of the Morrowind substantially.
As a result, I selected the Redoran Great House and the Tribunal Temple as my first two major choices. I spent most of the money I had to travel to my beloved destination: Ald-ruhn: the heart of Vvardenfell, headquarter of Redoran, and close to Ghostgate.
Nonetheless, I recognized the importance of magic and Mage Guild in the environment of the game and tried not to fall behind its possibilities and powers. I read frequently, in many books, that the sorcery is much more powerful than the sword in this land. Later, whenever I heard people were saying the Magic in Morrowind is overpowered (same as archery in Skyrim), I thing they failed to read all these interesting in-game books. Based on the in-game books, the only more powerful tool than sorcery was politics/treachery.
I was aware that my three choices (House Redoran, Tribuna, and Mage Guild) were not perfect; they had many weaknesses:

House Redoran is a conservatism and blindly devoted to the Tribunal Temple (church).
Tribunal Temple was a religious/political movement/government theocratic organization with lack of separation of state and the religion.

But House Redoran believed in honour (do-gooder), hard-work, and discipline, and the temple seemed to be a major factor in moral, opinion of the common people. I liked the House Redoran because of my character and the Tribunal Temple faction as a key to understanding the common people of Morrowind; people who work, live, and never make the political decisions in their lives.
Working with House Redoran was difficult because the rewards were rarely much needed money: just a simple thanks and few reputation points with the house (after doing so many tasks and completing them all for an NPC, she gave me 200 coins which was shocking and amusing). And Temple quests suddenly turned to be very difficult.

First Doubt

I was only roughly familiar with the storyline: who are the nice/bad guys, and you are reincarnate of a previous chief of the whole Morrowind who united everyone and was a good guy. I also know who were the Tribunal gods and the Neverver were (good guys). And Neverer was the head of all Morrowind and the three live-gods and Daoght Ur were his subordinates.

The very first tip that I received from the Caiurus in Balmora, was the inconsistency between these wonderful/mighty stories about the three gods and current situation: he mentioned these three live-gods, contrary to their published stories/lore/hymns/songs/prays, have used politics, strategy, governmental tools, and doctrine to dominate and govern; not any supernatural powers. Interesting…

Then I passed by a book: Morrowind:2920, The Last Year of the First Era. The book started with Almalexia (one of the three live-gods) waking up in the morning:

... saw the face and form of her lover Vivec in his study to the north. She did not want to speak right away: he looked so handsome in his dark red robes, writing his poetry...

OK, Almalexi was the wife of Neverer originally and now is the consort of the Vivec. When this affection started? Could it be started before the death of Neverer?

And then there is an issue of the massacre of the houses and their heads in Morrowind in the time of the tribunal gods. First, the tribunal gods got rid of Dagoth Ur in the Red Mountain, and then eliminated the Dagoth House. This sounds very genocidal. A head of important and, just a moment ago, alley is killed and then the rest of the house killed and removed. Simple. But maybe the rest of house were still loyal to their dead leader… but why to remove them completely and leave them with no visible footprints afterwards? It does not sound very just and merciful, given all the stories you read about the three gods, especially the Vivec. Could it be they wanted to get rid of them due to shame or wrongdoing? Something happened, and they want to cover up?

And then, this genocidal tendency happened later again; for the House Indoril. The House that Neverer belonged to and was the most intense and devoted supporter of the temple. As the head of Council, they decided not to surrender to the empire. And after Vivec signed the treaty, the head of council and House Indoril was murdered and then nearly the rest of the house were killed in a bloodbath. Why the three gods let this happen to their most loyal servants and believers? The House Indoril does not even have any presence in Vvardenfell expect few ancestral tombs and few priests in temples scatter in the land. How big was the massacre by the House Hlaalu? We were talking about House mass murders, and nobody cares or talk? That was a good place for the tribunal gods to show any sign of the many virtues mentioned in their numerous stories and fables. Their silence towards massacre of House Indoril made them guilty. They were the gods/king/queen they should/could stop House Hllalu massacre, but they didn't.

House Redoran & Tribunal Temple Quests

The House Redoran is in the heart of Morrowind, and it HQ is very close to the Red Mountain.

As I read, the only house out of three major houses who actually helped the Tribunal Temple with its power and wealth was Redoran House and was suffering greatly because of it…

It was common to hear that House Redoran is losing its power and influence to ever-expanding and power hungry Telvanni; the Westernized, businessmen, and politically adept House Hlaalu.

It was chilling to see that out of all factions in Vvardenfell, it was only House Redoran who gave a hand in defence against the ever-expanding Dagoth Ur power. Many members of Buoyant Armiger were House Redoran best warriors and selfless members.

House Redoran quests were interesting because as it get closer to its headquarter, it got more and more political. The quests in Ald Velothi tend to be about saving a kidnapped passenger but in the Ald-ruhn, you had to manoeuvre your way between the different counsellors and find a patron. Realistically, these senior and old honour-bound counsellors were not very honourable in private. It was easy to compare them to the common members who were dying in places such as Ghostfence or Molag Mar. And the counsellors' spoiled kids, princes, were in trouble.
For instance, the son of one of the better counsellors of this house, unknowingly won a (planned) cursed artefact in gambling in a shoddy bar. This cursed artefact caused him to murder his best friend and create a big rift between counsellors, and nearly caused him a family massacre.
Therefore, the Redoran House, though still be the most honourable House, wasn't all sunshine and good-will. It was brutal and real as other Houses.

By the very first time that I opened the gates in the Ghostgate, I realized the intensity of the situation: reaching the nearby shrine of Pride from the safety of the gate was a very eye-opening experience for me.
This area is where the destiny of Morrowind will be decided. I wish I could explain it better… I've never got worried before and after this short walk for the game world I was immersed in.
Where were the other Houses? It was easy to forget even Ghostgate exists when you travelled to cities such as Balmora, Pelagiad, Tel Aruhn, or Tel Vos.

The Tribunal Temple quests were interesting, especially the Molag Maar quests which let me use the yellow book of riddles. Many temple quests were pleasant, and honourable. I was helping the common people of Morrowind (instead of this or that noble) and even cult-worshippers who didn't believe in Tribunal Temple. In one of the quests, I just cured a daedra worshipper who was sick as the one of Tempe quest, which was very nice and even ironic. In many occasions, the temple preferred or insisted on using non-violent approaches, such as helping a delusional person in Suran, or learn and use magic spells independently and on my own instead of buying potions.

By then, I know that the main quests of the game is about defeating the House Dagoth Ur, but as many other Elder Scrolls games, I wasn't very keen or hurried about the Main plot. After delivering the package to the master spy in Balmora, I rarely visited him and never asked for my orders. I was learning and reading, and exploring the island. As many already mentioned, the Morrowind has the least urgent main story approach in all the Elder Scrolls games. You can easily forget it. I thought the temple and House Redoran are fighting against the Dagoth Ur which allows me to spent time on other ventures. Good…

But little by little, I got to know about the seriousness of the situation more and more. For example, as I mentioned, by travelling inside the Ghostfence or by visiting caves belonging to Dagoth Ur followers in Temple quests. It was obvious that the temple and its major hand (House Redoran) are handling the symptoms and not the cause. After the early visit to the Shrine of Pride inside the Ghostfence, two major events happened in my gameplay: the visit to the Kogoruhn, and then Finding the Secret Library in Vivec city. I found the most urgent and demanding main plot in any Elder Scroll game.

Kogoruhn

This temple quest, related to Kogoruhn, started easy and can be done fast. You supposed to just bring back an item from a dead warrior of temple in Kogoruhn outside yard in the corner. It was simple. But then, I decided to walk in the stronghold itself.
The stronghold had several floors, similar to several others, and though was difficult but not impossible. Later, I found basement tunnels and again, nothing especial. While I was wandering and cleaning these basement tunnels, I found a door and I entered a cave. The stronghold was just a shell for this dangerous, long cave. Long story short, after many tough fights, I opened another door and here I was inside the Ghostfence.
There is a direct way from inside Ghostfence, Red Mountain area, to outside by simply going to the Kogoruhn. The illusion shattered. I cannot tell you how it was belittling, and nihilistic was this discovery. As a Temple & Redoran member, I just realized it was just a very well fake created sense of safety and fight against the inevitable demise. The war was lost from one side, and the calculation and timing of the other side was just the delaying factor for the gradual defeat.
As I said, it was hard to explain the sense of shock and hopelessness.

Secret Library in Vivec City

While I wondered in one of the temple offices in Vivec city and in one of the offices in Hall of Justice which is mostly focused on governing and as the police for the whole city. Here, I got my one of the very first tasks in the Vivec city, solving a serial-murder quest. While I was in the office of my two acquaintances who, now, were very polite and helpful to me and looking in their desks or books, I found a door on the ground; well-hidden with a difficult lock. I got curious and opened it, it was a secret library. I was, again, shocked.
Why is there a secret library? I already visited the public and official library in adjutant Hall of Wisdom many times. But now, why here in Hall of Justice? And more importantly, what does it have to be hidden? Why didn't any of those officers mention anything about it even after I helped them?
Then I started to read the books (or notes) that you cannot find anywhere else… The Dagoth Ur's Plans confirmed everything I guessed before and let me know about the tyranny, and hypocrisy, moral bankruptcy, persecution of this bloody theocracy. They go after their priests to eliminate doubts and keep the losing facade.
And then The Battle of Red Mountain and allowed me to know who I am working for. These three gods, who supposed to receive their powers due to their own personal virtue (kindness, generosity, humbleness, …), were simply stole handful of tools that were designed by a much more intelligent and secular elves race, Dwemer. The very same artefacts who they fought against because Dwemer were making these tools in the first place. Hypocrites, all of them.

Midway Game Reflection

They broke a peace treaty because they believed creating a new God by Dwemer is sacrilegious and deserve rapid crush as soon as possible but the moment, they put their hands on those tools, did the very same thing and lied to their own people.
I got sick; not only Tribunal are power-hungry with no honour (break their oath), but also, they are lying to the Dunmer, using the same tools made by Dwemer in secret. Who doesn't want to be the God/King/Queen?
The killing of Neverer isn't important part. Nerverer, however, died was not essential in the next thousands of years of lie, theocracy, and the suppression. Enjoy your palaces, books of verse and tales of admiration, oh the mighty Gods.
There isn't any drawback when you're the God/King of a devoted nation expect that the treachery/deceive and using secular tools had one major weakness: their enemy, Dagoth Ur, who was the older, and closer and more loyal counsellor of Neverer, has also been received power of the tools likewise. Tribunal cannot eliminate Dagoth Ur because their source of power as the Tribunal. They were useless against Dagoth Ur gradual victory and getting weaker by losing their connection to the source of power.
Moreover, Tribunal lost to the Empire and Morrowind becoming part of the Empire, demonstrated substantial different between them and Neverer who united all dunmer against the external threat and succeeded by uniting the dunmer.

And then there was the sense of awareness for the empire, wisdom, and foresight. The Empire was not blind, aloof, and apathetic towards the situation in Morrowind. The Empire was not just a mere observer of the situation or just greedy and focused on trades and mines. By sending possible candidate(s) to Morrowind, Empire, wisely, initiated the prophecy, while very aware they cannot be involved in a direct way in the prophecy. Empire, wisely, didn't trust the Temple Doctrine to deny the prophecy of Neverer while the official propaganda fiercely suppressed it. The empire, via Blades, were also saviour of Morrowind. Definitely more than the three gods could or want to be.

Jump to the End

After defeating the suprising polite and insightful Daoght Ur, saving the Morrowind, and even removing the one natural weather element, you have a chance to come back to the Vivec.
He informs you that the things, now, are back again to the situation before the three gods' treachery:
The morrowind temples are now, the temples of worship of three good deaderas (like the way it was originally thousands of years ago) and from now, the live Tribunal Gods are the live Tribunal Saints. He bids you goodbye and wish you good luck in the future endeavours.
It felt sick when I was leaving the Vivec's splendid Palace (which even has waterfalls!). I felt mournful that he sent me away with my tail between my legs. What was that??!! Now, it is the Saint Vivec instead of God Vivec?! How dare they? Like the other one who used the tools, Dagoth Ur, the tribunal should die or at least be exiled.
But what can you do? Maybe this is the way things should be due to the (Hot Fuzz) Greater Good. And the ordinators keep up their constant chanting of “Praise Vivec!” non-stop.

And then I played the Mournhold DLC, the frustration became substantial and my anger towards these three liars and deceivers got exponentially larger.
This so called holy mother of morrowind, Almalexia, the moment when started to lose her power stopped the pretence of charity, kindness, and all other claimed list of virtues and started to be another angry, vicious, calculating power-hungry murderer in power. She, first, murdered the other god (Sotha Sil) and planned to the kill other god Vivec, while trying to create a disaster, conspiracy, and again murder in her opulent palace/temple/city. And at the end of the DLC, you have to kill her in self-defence.
Oh, the great saints of Morrwind.
The most shameful and troublesome part is if you mention these true events, Almalexia and Sotha Sil are dead now and the latter is killed by the former, nobody believes you, even as the known Neverer reincarnation, and far worse; common people lose their disposition/respect towards you (which by now, you spent tens of hours to earn it bit by bit).

After returning to Vvardenfell, the first thing I did was to go back to visit the Vivec in his mighty Palace and finish up the last of the tribunal and wish to leave the palace, Vivec city, and the whole Morrowind once for all.

=================
P.S. Later I learnt that Neverer has left the Morrowind to the uncharted and little known Akavir indefinitely.


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#Morrowind #Vivec #Criticism