What is your guild’s name? Does that name have a special history of significance?
Vivicah: Since you insist on calling us a guild, yes. Our name has a special history of significance. We are the Great House Telvanni, originated on Vvardenfell and here on the mainland for business that is none of your concern. If you are not familiar with us, you should perhaps stop wasting my time and invest in some general education instead.
When was your guild formed? Tell us the story of how the guild came to be.
Vivicah: Oh, you are still here? Well, then you probably know that all the Great Houses have their origin in the customs of the Chimer. As do we. Since the Dunmer exist, so does the Great House Telvanni, or at least you can't prove anything else. In the dawn of the conflict with Molag Bal, we came over to the mainland, an Imperial spy sailing ahead and claiming our name for purposes yet unknown. Fortunately he was soon thereafter assassinated by Baladas Demnevanni, who yielded the leadership of the mainland branch of the Great House voluntarily to Vivicah Telvanni in this year's summer. He is totally not dead, which is proven by him returning from his research trip and taking the position of the Seneschall - the Archmagister's Mouth.
What alliance has your guild sworn fealty to?
Vivicah: None. We are our own alliance, and swearing loyalty to one would deny us the possibility to do business as we please. As the Ebonheart Pact has formed itself at the bases of our mushroom towers, this is where most of us can be found.
Why did you choose that alliance?
Vivicah: We did not. I thought I had made this clear? Do you listen to me at all? Who let you in here anyway?
Valorin: Me.
Vivicah: Why?
Valorin: Baladas thought it would be a good idea. Nelvan too, for that matter.
Vivicah: I yield to the voices of reason.
How many members does your guild currently have?
Vivicah: Finally, a good question. I'm not quite sure, as our members are not necessarily the social type and often disappear on research trips that take months, or even years. Recently I bumped into a mer who had spent fifty years in an Ayleid ruin, studying the light on magic patterns with the passing of the stars. Lived on skeevers. Yuck. What was the question again? Oh, yes, members.
Valorin: The latest count lists up 167 Telvanni wizards and hirelings. Of those, around three dozen are currently active on the mainland.
Vivicah: Who counted?
Valorin: Me.
Does your guild have a website?
Vivicah: Website? That sounds like something Mephala would do. We recently entered a business relationship with a Hlaalu who's closely connected to the Morag Tong, but of course we do not have a website.
Valorin: They meant our library. Yes, we have one. It's at www.telvanni.eu.
Vivicah: Then why didn't they say so?
What times and days is the guild most active?
Vivicah: There's almost always somebody around, as our members tend to be active at different times of the day or night. However, on Fredas and Loredas there's usually the most activity.
Valorin: The vampires prefer the darker hours.
What countries do your members span?
Vivicah: Vvardenfell, of course. Oh, you mean that. Well, all of them, of course - the Great House Telvanni isn't for Dunmer only, everyone can become a member, given that they meet our completely reasonable requirements. Unlike this Vanus Galerion person, you see.
Valorin: We have members from all corners of the world.
Vivicah: Which is funny, because the world is a globe. But we do have members.
What activities in ESO do your members enjoy doing together most?
Vivicah: Trying to outsmart each other by throwing around the most clever insults. Sometimes we go on research trips into dungeons, though.
Valorin: That's not entirely true. Beneath all the taunting and s'witcalling lies a solid foundation of social interaction.
Vivicah: Anti-social interaction?
Valorin: Social interaction. Helping each other. Mutual respect. Having a good time. Everybody knows how to not cross the line.
Vivicah: Oh, we're doing these pledges together! Delving dungeons and the like... it's so exciting!
Valorin: Yes, dear.
What does your guild focus on in-game? Do your members prefer delving dungeons together, fighting for keeps in Cyrodiil, roleplaying in the taverns, crafting and trading, or a combination?
Vivicah: Research. Everyone is free to pursue their own line of interest. We don't have many who insist on going to that Aetherian Archive and the like, because most of us consider it a waste of time that shouldn't be undertaken too often. Some engage in the war, some try and uncover secrets from dungeons, and a few of our members spend almost all their time in that filthy skeeverhole of a tavern near Geirmund's hall.
What makes your guild unique?
Vivicah: The mere fact that you even ask is insulting.
Valorin: Ahem. Right. Although our members are unique themselves, we shelter many different characters, age groups and professions, we never had serious conflicts or melodramatic disputes among us.
Vivicah: We are the Great House Telvanni.
Valorin: All our members are speaking in whole sentences.
Vivicah: Of course they do! How could they probably not? We are wizards and scholars, not a bunch of rambling madmer!
Valorin: ... who speak in whole sentences.
Is your guild part of a larger alliance of guilds? Why did you join them?
Vivicah: We have some mercenaries available in case we need an escort for research trips.
Valorin: There are two groups we occasionally work with to explore the more time and merpower consuming challenges.
Does your guild ever host special events? If so, tell us about them!
Vivicah: We are having slave auctions every Fredas. You can bid on a slave, and if you win, they will be yours to command for three days. These auctions are organized and held by our Slavemaster, but since slavery is outlawed under the Pact of the Pitiful, he is having a hard time to get enough qualified auction items. We treat them very well, though. They will only be abused if that is part of the contract, and they will be hired out for a limited range of activities. We are taking good care of them, because they are valuable and, under the given conditions, almost impossible to replace.
Valorin: You forgot our weekly guild meetings.
Vivicah: I did not. Each of them is special. And they are not for guests.
Valorin: This is not helpful.
What is your favorite or most memorable moment as a guild so far in ESO?
Vivicah: I think that was when Baladas went for his rechearch trip to Elsweyr and left me in charge of the Great House, and the guild vault... I was the most popular Archmagister ever.
Valorin: Yes, dear. Most memorable. That was when I noticed that we don't have a single n'wah among us.
Vivicah: We're not the Dres!
Does your guild secretly (or not so secretly) follow a specific Daedric Prince? If so, which one?
Vivicah: Do you secretly - or not so secretly - follow the habit of spontaneous combustion?
Valorin: We do not follow Daedra. Daedra follow us.
After a long day of adventuring, where does your guild enjoy gathering to wind down?
Vivicah: If I told you that, the place would be overrun by n'wah in no time. Oh, mentioning a place overrun by N'wah, we always gather at the feasting place of Geirmund's hall. Yes, we totally do.
Valorin: Some of us like to hang around in the Rift for purposes unknown. Most of the time, our meetings are held in our properties on the mainland, around Kragenmoor.
Vivicah: The Dres claim it's theirs, but we all know the truth.
Tell us five fun facts about your guild.
Vivicah: Fun? Oh, well. We have three members who are Nord. They all can read and write.
Valorin: Every Archmagister so far has been on the autism spectrum.
Vivicah: That's not even funny.
Valorin: Fun facts are not supposed to be funny. Oh, the guild was founded by an Imperial.
Vivicah: He fell down some stairs, though.
If people are interested in joining your guild, who should they contact?
Vivicah: They can always contact us at the library, or contact the council members @Valorin, @Sethize, @Vorys-Pontifex, @malakil or the Mouths @argonianlord and @Velothi. Yes, I do like to delegate, so do not contact the Archmagister or the Seneschall unless it's really important. I'm Vivicah Telvanni, and he goes by the name of Baladas Demnevanni.
