Nu-Mantia Intercept, Letter 1

By secret glyph: dreamsleeve transmission Dreamsleeve: urgent, security protocols granted Security protocols: Sphinxmoth ancestor wraithbone wards

To Chancellor Ocato, in mastery! In triumph! In absolute moral good!

Forgive my direct sending, Chancellor, and know that I do this with the respect of every ancestor in my beard, but Grandmaster Jauffre has never responded to previous efforts to warn Empire Actual of the findings of the Sphinxmoth Inquiry Tree. I admit that these warnings may have been too esoteric to merit the attention they deserve.

In short, the Barrier is weakening, and I know why. Moreso, I have uncovered a conspiracy that stretches back to Dawntime and the split of Aldmeris. Empire Actual is threatened by forces of previous realities, and the Ayleids are not destroyed at all.

The moths closest to my ears and lips once served under Belharza the Bull during their corporeal stage. You know thereby the extent of my allegiance. Please give me permission to heard at the Elder Council, even if only by Ducal memo-spore.

Yours under the Red Diamond,

Nu-Hatta

Brother Nu-Hatta,

Yes. I recall your reports. Jauffre passed them up the channels. An interesting theory, but there was nothing there that we could act upon. Shadowy empire-spanning conspiracies? With all due respect to your eminent communicants, neither the Elder Scrolls nor the ancestor moths have ever provided us with much practical information. After the fact, yes, the prophecies always make sense then. Historians and scholars make their careers on such things.

But my business is the government of the Empire in the here and now, with a multitude of problems and dangers that are all too clear. I do not mean to be dismissive; give me something concrete, and you will see us act.

I remain,

Ocato of Firsthold, High Chancellor of the Elder Council, Imperial Battlemage, etc. etc.