On Morrowind Content . After the conquest of Hammerfell , Imperial legions massed along the northeastern borders of Cyrodiil , and invasion fleets prepared in Skyrim . Initially , though the Imperial legions and navy were widely considered undefeatable , House Indoril and the Temple hierarchy proposed to resist to the death and fight back . Redoran and Dres stood by Indoril , with Telvanni remaining neutral . Hlaalu proposed accommodation . Contrived border incidents in Black Marsh ended inconclusively , but the swampy terrain did not favor legion and navy coordination . Against the legions massed west of Silgrad Tower and Kragenmoor , and the legions west of Blacklight and Cormaris view , Morrowind had pitifully small militias stiffened by small companies of Redoran mercenaries and elite units of house nobles and Temple Ordinators and Buoyant Armigers . Further complicating matters was the refusal of Indoril , Dres , Hlaalu , and Telvanni to garrison the western borders ; Indoril and Dres proposed , rather than defend the western border , instead to withdraw to the interior and fight a guerilla war . With Hlaalu advocating accommodation , and Telvanni remaining neutral , Redoran therefore faced the prospect of standing alone against the Empire . The situation changed radically when Vivec appeared in person in Vivec City to announce his negotiation of a treaty with Emperor Tiber Septim , reorganizing Morrowind as a province of the Empire , but guaranteeing " all rights of faith and self - government . " A shocked Temple hierarchy , which apparently had not been consulted , greeted the announcement with awkward silence . Indoril swore they would resist to the death , with the loyal support of Dres , while Redoran , grateful for a graceful excuse to avoid facing the legions unsupported , joined with Hlaalu in welcoming the agreement . Telvanni , seeing which way the wind blew , joined with Hlaalu and Redoran in supporting the treaty . Nothing is known of the circumstances of the personal meeting between Septim and Vivec , or where it took place , or the preliminaries which must have preceded the treaty . The public reason was to protect the identities of the agents involved . In the West , speculation has centered around the role of Zurin Arctus in brokering the agreement ; in the East , rumors suggest that Vivec offered Numidium to aid in the conquest of the Altmer and Sumerset Isle in return for significant concessions to preserve self - rule , house traditions , and religious practices in Morrowind . The Lord High Councilor of the Grand Council , an Indoril , refused to accept the treaty , and refused to step down . He was assassinated , and replaced by a Hlaalu . House Hlaalu took the opportunity to settle some old scores with House Indoril , and a number of local councils changed hands in bloody coups . More blood was shed in these inter - house struggles than against the Imperial Legion during Morrowind ' s transition from an independent nation to a province of the Empire . The generals of the legions had dreaded an invasion of Morrowind . The Dunmer were widely regarded as the most dreadful and fanatic foes , further inspired by their Temple and clan traditions . The generals had not grasped the political weaknesses of Morrowind , which Emperor Tiber Septim recognized and exploited . At the same time , given the tragic depopulation and destruction experienced by the other provinces conquered by Septim , and the swift and efficient assimilation of Morrowind into the Imperial legal systems and economy , with relatively small impact on lower or upper classes of Morrowind ' s citizens , the Tribunal also deserves some credit for recognizing the hopelessness of Morrowind ' s defense , and the chance of gaining important concessions at the treaty table by being the first to offer peace . By contrast , many Indoril nobles chose to commit suicide rather than submit to the Empire , with the result that the House was significantly weakened during the period of transition , guaranteeing that they would lose much of their influence and power to House Hlaalu , whose influence and power was waxing with its enthusiastic accommodation with the Empire . The Temple hierarchy more skillfully managed their loss of face , remaining aloof from political struggles , and earning the good will of the people by concentrating on their economic , educational , and spiritual welfare .