The Nirnoot Missive Content . The Nirnoot Missive Revised Edition By Sinderion The following is a transcript of the speech given by Master Alchemist Sinderion at the Alchemical Symposium on Rain ' s Hand of 4E 02 . It is a revised version of an earlier missive Sinderion gave to the same group several years before . We ' ve done the best we could to preserve the original tone of his speech , but some light embellishments have been made for editorial reasons and for clarity . Sharmirin Raythorne , Imperial Scribe I would like to address the Symposium today with some startling revelations regarding the nirnroot . Although this curiously tenacious flora grows almost anywhere a significant body of water is present , it ' s extremely rare , and soon to become extinct . After years of extensive research , and the tireless efforts of my field assistant , I came into the possession of a large sampling of nirnroot . According to the theories presented by the noted Imperial Herbalist Chivius Regelliam , the nirnroot once flourished until a cataclysmic event severely reduced their numbers . Although many scholars reject the proposal that the Sun ' s Death event of 1E 668 catastrophically affected plant life , Chivius felt that the nirnroot ' s normal growth cycle was interrupted by the lack of sun for a full year . Whereas other plant species tend to " find a way , " the nirnroot ' s mysterious magical nature made it especially susceptible to this climate shift . While this may or may not be the case , it ' s certainly true that the recorded sightings of nirnroot are declining as the years pass Chivius ' s notes oddly describe the nirnroot as emitting a " brilliant , yellowish glow . " Contrary to this , the nirnroot of today has a soft , haunting blue - white glow . Subsequent studies by other scholars have failed to adequately explain this shift in hue . I propose that the nirnroot sensed its own impending extinction and therefore altered its metabolism in order to survive . One of the most glaring pieces of evidence of my theory is the presence of nirnroot in subterranean environments . . . places completely devoid of sunlight . Strangely , Chivius ' s notes fail to mention even a single instance of a subterrestrial nirnroot . How could this be ? How could a surface - dwelling plant suddenly begin appearing in new locations radically different from its normal habitat ? The answer , my fellow alchemists , is ironically concealed within Chivius ' s own notes . Although he spends a great deal of time experimenting with the nirnroot in his laboratory , he overlooked an important part of a plant ' s growth cycle . . . its soil . Chivius was correct in assuming the volcanic eruption of Red Mountain contributed to the demise of the nirnroot , but I believe the ash from that mighty explosion did more than simply cloud the skies . When mixed with the fertile soil of Cyrodiil , this fine powder is the true cause of the nirnroot ' s astounding metamorphosis . Although little volcanic ash from that dark time remains , I have performed tests on samples sent to me from Vvardenfell . Careful scrutiny of the samples revealed that they were rife with " ash salt , " a highly magical substance . Dunmer native to the Vvardenfell region were known to have used ash salt as an ingredient to cure the " Blight , " an awful disease which decimated their realm hundreds of years ago . This unique property of the ash salt coupled with the nirnroot ' s inherent magic caused the radical change . . . in essence ; the root " healed itself . " In summation , it ' s clear that the nirnroot was dying and used a byproduct of its destructor to preserve itself . I feel the nirnroot has accomplished in a relatively short amount of time what it would take other species thousands of years to complete . Whether you subscribe to my theory or not , one thing is certain ; the nirnroot is on a path to destruction . It contains untapped potential to create potions the likes of which have never been seen in our day . I propose to you today that we divert a small portion of our funds to an expedition to collect some of these roots to study . I have outlined this proposal for your perusal after this section of the Symposium . Please , seriously consider this proposal before it becomes too late , and the nirnroot becomes nothing but a memory . Thank you for your time .