Three granite protrusions breach the serene waters. The onlookers watch on, horrified by the events unfolding before their eyes. A frightened Cyrod woman falls to the ground unconscious as the head surfaces. A Nord moves his children aside to shield them from this devastating creature. http://images.uesp.net/thumb/2/29/BS-Mock_Turtle.png/180px-BS-Mock_Turtle.png

A studious Breton among the crowd admires the beauty of such a monster and asks, "What is it?".

So, ignoring the obvious fact it's an easter egg, where did the mock turtle come from? How old is it? Why in Shor's name is it in a pocket realm that borders Nocturnal's? Accepting any theories.

(The Mock Turtle introduces himself as a member of the rare species of Great Turtle from which is made the famous Mock Turtle Soup, the Soup of Kings. "Sit down and don't say a word until I've finished. Once," said the Mock Turtle with a deep sigh, "I was a real Turtle." The Mock Turtle relates a tragic and lengthy tale about going to school in the sea, and about his studies in the obscure disciplines of the Quadriva Arithmetia - Ambition, Distraction, Uglification, and Derision -- and the courses of instruction in Mystery, ancient and modern, with Seaography, Drawling, Stretching, Fainting in Coils, Laughing and Grief. At last, when it becomes clear that his story has no point, you become restless. "Oh dear," said the Mock Turtle. "I'm afraid I've bored you. You've been so kind to listen to the maunderings of an ancient reptile... Please say my name backwards where it will do the most good, accept as a token of my gratitude a product of my researches in the field of Speculative Ontology.")

EDIT: Ninja'd

" The main ingredient in mock turtle soup! Make Way, and I'll slow-cook it in a half a bottle of MAH DEIR AH!" a burly, beardy Nord cuisinier in whale-skin whites and toque thuums as he charges headlong through the crowd, dual-wielding a soup pot and a cleaver.

The Mock Turtle suffers from a slow reproductive stage thus their numbers are few. One of the many tricks they have up their shell to save them from turning into someone's lunch is to muddle with the foes mind with half truths and truthful lies.

It's the true form of M'aiq of course.

.

The Mock Turtle sees the burly Nord cuisinier lunge at him, cooking utensils in hand. The Mock Turtle does not fear the man for the Mock Turtle finds an opportunity to share with his hunter a story and history of the mock turtle soup. The horns which grow upon the turtle's head make a fine broth that can be enjoyed on a frozen winter evening. It's eyes can be used to season the main dish of turtle soup. Oh, the many dishes that can be divided from the great Mock Turtle. It was in fact, Ysgramor and his 500 companions who had the first Mock Turtle soup. This soup lasted them through a majority of their trans-Sea of Ghosts expedition to Tamriel.