Why didn't the Dark Elves destroy the Ministry of Truth?

[Bulvik]

This is a very nitpicky question, and I apologize for that, but this one thing just keeps bugging me. They were able to dig the ministry into the meteorite so it looks like it would have been in their power to destroy it completely. I assume doing so during Vivec's times would be seen as a show of distrust towards him and would be unimaginable, but after his disappearance, I don't understand how the Dunmer though about sacrificing each other to some device before simply going up there with pickaxes and destroying the threat once and for all.

[Dark Spark]

Short of matter/anti-matter annihilation, how does someone get rid of all the crumbly bits?

[legoless]

Baar Dau is (supposed to be) a small moon. Imagine trying to deconstruct a small moon. It's the difference between digging a few tunnels and mountaintop removal mining.

[Woodhouse]

I've also wondered this. Like, if the nerevarnine was supposed to protect the dunmer after the fall of the tribunal, then I don't get why he, along with the best telavanni mages, and maybe even some help from the 3 good daedra, didn't at least try to destroy it.

[Bulvik]

Short of matter/anti-matter annihilation, how does someone get rid of all the crumbly bits?

Smash to dust, scatter the dust. Even after regaining the meteorite's original velocity, such tiny pieces would never generate enough momentum to do much damage.

Baar Dau is (supposed to be) a small moon. Imagine trying to deconstruct a small moon. It's the difference between digging a few tunnels and mountaintop removal mining.

Huh, that would explain it, it looks much smaller than that. Anyway, though pickaxes would definitely not suffice, what about magic? It would be one of the more unusual feats, but based on what destruction it caused everywhere, I think it would not be that hard to gather Tamriel's finest mages to blow it up

[Minor Edits]

I've also wondered this. Like, if the nerevarnine was supposed to protect the dunmer after the fall of the tribunal, then I don't get why he, along with the best telavanni mages, and maybe even some help from the 3 good daedra, didn't at least try to destroy it.

Maybe he did. But as Legoless said, it was a small moon. Maybe the Nerevarine couldn't find an Achilles' Heel to exploit with an X-Wing and a proton torpedo.

The Nerevarine was supposed to take out Dagoth Ur and the Tribunal. To balance the equation. And he did. And then, unlike any other person in TES history who had achieved unimaginable power, he had enough sense to [&@%!] off and leave the people to make their own future.

Then again, maybe he just didn't think about it. Maybe he was an evil dick, and wanted the Ministry to fall because he wanted to inflict pain. Or maybe he was a wise dick, and saw the ultimate wisdom of Vivec's plan and decided not to interfere with it.

[BetaB17]

Honestly if they had the means to dispose of it in quick haste, they would of done so long before it became a re-emerging issue. The Daedra themselves would of laughed at such a fate, seeing it as a just punishment for past sins.. and to those they favor would likely be shepherd away from danger. Ultimately, the Dunmer were doomed from the start. Any chances of an all mighty figure lending a hand? No? Okay... To sum up Edit's & Legoless's words of certain wisdom to a much.. simpler answer:

>Big rock goes boom, everybody is doomed, and Vivec is a prick<

Off Topic: Correct me if I'm wrong, but generally most celestial objects or to what we perceive of them.. tend to hold divinity or related be it by actions or remnants. If so... then what exactly is Baar Dau? A piece of Lorkhan? A hair ball that Sheogorath coughed up? Or could it be nothing more than an innocent rock?

[Aranel]

Off Topic: Correct me if I'm wrong, but generally most celestial objects or to what we perceive of them.. tend to hold divinity or related be it by actions or remnants. If so... then what exactly is Baar Dau? A piece of Lorkhan? A hair ball that Sheogorath coughed up? Or could it be nothing more than an innocent rock?

If Vivec is to be trusted, it was thrown there by Sheogorath - which would make some sense, considering Vivec outlawed the Daedra worship and Sheogorath is such a unpredictable, though often violent, Daedric Prince. Besides Azura, I can see just about any of them doing it. Plus, if Sheogorath/a Prince did sent it, it would be a bit of a slap in the face for Vivec to take it, stop it, and make it both a symbol of his divinity and something for him to have his followers use. After all, they put dissident priests in there in an attempt to "re-educate" them, so...
But of course, that just depends on if Vivec actually being reliable with that story.

(also, awesome MM reference right there XD)

That said, I imagine they couldn't just dissemble the rock. They can't blast it, since all of those shards would rain down upon Vvardenfall as basically a smaller asteroid impact, and it might just not be... possible for them to blast it all into dust. The time and resources that would cost might simply take too long for them to actually do it.
Besides, according to the novel tie-in books, they did try doing something. They tried to create a device to support the rock, but for some dumb reason of all of the Daedric Princes to make a deal with, they chose Clavicus Vile. The device used souls, and I'm sure you can guess what happened after that.

[legoless]

Off Topic: Correct me if I'm wrong, but generally most celestial objects or to what we perceive of them.. tend to hold divinity or related be it by actions or remnants. If so... then what exactly is Baar Dau? A piece of Lorkhan? A hair ball that Sheogorath coughed up? Or could it be nothing more than an innocent rock?

That's correct, Baar Dau itself is a malevolent entity. It's also called "Lie Rock", which maybe hints at its sphere (no pun intended). It may or may not be related to Sheogorath, since some sources say that it hurled itself at Vivec City of its own free will. Similar to how the Aedra have planets and Mannimarco created the Necromancer's Moon, Baar Dau is seemingly divine, although evidently minor (asteroid vs planet). The space gods of TES are pretty interesting.
Edit: ninja'd

[BetaB17]

Well be who that 'lil' deity may be, at least it made a name itself.. in the form of a crater.. via kamikaze.. that essentially crippled Morrowind for years to come. Good way to be remembered there mate

[Imbalance]

In Nerevarine's defense, there was no indication that the thing would ever fall. I know that when I killed Vivec (as a werewolf, tons of fun, highly recommend it), the first thing I did was run out and check that it was still there. It hadn't budged.

I haven't read the novels, so I'm not keen to the events surrounding the initial observations that the rock was rolling. I sort of imagined some gondalier thinking out loud, "hey, am I getting taller, or...?" then he flashes back to the first time he played Majora's Mask, and starts to panic. As for destroying it, I doubt it would have occurred to them. This is a game series that has had how many entries, and in not one has anyone been able to break a door despite it being made of the same material as the countless barrels and crates that apparently are only able to withstand the player character. Instead, I bet the first guy to offer a solution was shot down because rising force had been made illegal.

I'm guessing the inspiration for the ingenium must have been the Great Ghostfence, though it wasn't powered by living souls. But if holding back evil via a barricade of venerated ancestor spirits didn't exactly work before, I'm not sure it would have had my vote for suspending a demon space rock. I might have suggested planting a forest of giant mushrooms under it to at least soften the blow.

[legoless]

Dead souls were initially used to power the first ingenium, but they soon started using choice living sacrifices with large souls in place of hundreds of ancestors.

[Bulvik]

They tried to create a device to support the rock, but for some dumb reason of all of the Daedric Princes to make a deal with, they chose Clavicus Vile. The device used souls, and I'm sure you can guess what happened after that.

I imagine other Daedra would not be half as eager to help. And in the end, they all make as bad deals as Clavicus Vile, if not worse, Clavicus just makes them considerably more often.