So, the Telvanni try to cheat death or gain more power by making their lives longer with Necromancy, right? I thought the Dunmer hated Necromancy? Or is this okay because you don't harm the ancestors? And while i'm at it, what exactly are the rituals and stuff the Telvanni use to make their live longer?

Thanks in advance.

You'll notice that, while doing quests for the Telvanni, that they're more focused on internal power struggles and personal agendas than they are, say, on profit and expansion (Hlaalu) or honour (Redoran). They even choose to forego using the Morag Tong to settle disputes, which is the traditional means of doing so. As far as they're concerned, the Telvanni still left alive at the end of the conflict must be right, or he would not have succeeded... kind of like social Darwinism, actually.

The Telvanni are probably the least traditional of the Great Houses. Even the Hlaalu must retain some semblance of tradition in order to keep people happy, but the Telvanni do not seem to concern themselves with any kind of morality or conduct at all, believing that it inhibits progress. "Telvanni think that wisdom confers power, and power confers right."

The Telvanni do not place much value in the traditionalist Dunmer moral system, and so that taboo against Necromancy doesn't concern them.

As for the rituals, that's never specified in-game.

It's not okay, but the Telvanni are a little unorthodox when it comes to ethical practice in their research.

According to the Dunmer, animation or control of a deceased's flesh or spirit is righteous when practiced according to established cult ritual, but illegal and abominable when practiced by secular sorcerers. However, in Telvanni districts, necromancy is privately practiced by wizards in defiance of Temple censure.

Also:

http://www.imperial-library.info/mwbooks/ancestor.shtml

The Telvanni are adept masters of necromancy. They do not, however, practice necromancy upon the remains of Dark Elves. Sane Telvanni regard such practices with loathing and righteous anger. They do practice necromancy upon the remains of animals and upon the remains of Humans, Orcs, and Argonians -- who are technically no more than animals in Morrowind.

However, we should not assume that because it's necromancy it would naturally be forbidden. Necromancy is magic pertaining to death. Necromancy is forbidden because it's a violation of respect for one's ancestors. Using necromancy to combat death may or may not involve defiling a corpse. Therefore, that particular type of "death magic" may not necessarily be forbidden.



We don't know.

I think with the Telvanni anything could go at any possible time"knowledge confers power,power confers right"they live by these standards so a Telvanni wizard would throw out tradition or anything else if he felt he had the right.Even though there may be some throw back,they would probaly still atempt it.As far as living long lives,could be any number of things,bonds with deadra princes,artifacts,etc..just about anything they could do or whatever would work.

Plus, lets say your a meek Temple-goer, and the chapter steward tells you to go to a giant mushroom, and tell the powerful Mage-Lord that necromancy is wrong....

As Albides said, we do not know what specific type of necromancy is used to prolong the lives of the Telvanni Counselors. However, we do know that it is, in fact, necromancy, as shown when the Nerevarine was "politely listening" to Telvanni Counselor Therana ramble:

[Mistress Therana continues to pvssyr amiably, with no sign of stopping. She looks like she could go on forever.]

[Yes, indeed. Sustained as she is by the necromantic arts, it may be that she can, in fact, go on forever. pvssyring amiably. Without stopping. Ever.]

___The Word Merchant of Julianos

But the Temple does fight Telvanni necromancy. The Bouyant Armiger Ulyne Henim was working to kill the Telvanni Necromancers in Vas.

By using Restoration. It's not "necromancy" until you've died.

it can also be assumed, like most ultra ancient wizards from ages ago, that they have a rather "special" if not sometimes cooperative relationship with the Deadra... so deals may have been cut here and there, who knows.

Telvanni magic no doubt has its roots in Velothian culture, so it's no small wonder they have an affinity for consorting with daedra.

As far as why the Telvanni are allowed to pratcice necromancy, the other dunmer do not like it, but they're not about to march into Sadrith Mora and ask them to stop. That would be suicide.

At one time, necromancy had a place in dunmer culture (Velothian, anyway), but with the advent of the ghostfence, even the types of necromancy practiced by the dunmeri peoples was outlawed by the temple since all the spirits are necessary for the fence. Soooooo.... can necromancy truly be eradicated from Vvardenfell if the ghostfence itself is necromantic in nature? Well, probably now that the ghostfence is down, but before MW?