Beneath the shadow of the Spurned Peak in Western Coldharbour I discover the incongruous sight of an Alyleid Well surrounded by daedra. Seemingly still intact and radiating mystic dynamism, how long it has been since this artefact of Tamriel was abducted by Coldharbour is impossible to tell; perhaps a millennia, or perhaps but a day.

One wonders whether deadra can even benefit as mortals do by drawing upon its magicka. Perhaps these daedra are here to study just that, but then why bring a hulking great Daedroth with them. It would seem more likely that they are charged with guarding the Well, so as to prevent any of our invading forces from benefiting from its powers. The real mystery however is can an Alyeid Well still harvest magical energy from the Aetherius whilst in Oblivion, or will it become but another of Coldharbour’s corrupt reflections of Nirn? That is bread for the scholars, for I have enough on my plate with the hulking great Daedroth.

S.K