Dunmer

The Dunmer are the ash skinned, typically red eyed elven peoples of Morrowind. In the Empire, "Dark Elf" is the common usage, 'Dark' in this sense referring not only to their skin tone but their demeanour and being considered generally ill favoured by fate, though they and their Aldmer cousins prefer the term Dunmer. Their acute intellect and strong, agile physiques produce some of the greatest warriors and sorcerers known to Tamriel, with their preference in integrating the sword and destruction magic making them particularly dangerous.

Like every race, they have their own unique naming convention.

Primary Stats

+1 Agility
+1 Willpower
+1 Conjuration
+1 Intimidation
+1 Intuition
+1 Fire Damage
+3 Fire Resistance

Subraces

Ashlander

Your character is an Ashlander, one of the many nomadic tribes in Morrowind that reject the Tribunal's teachings and cling to ancient Velothi customs. Considered backwards and primitive by most, especially House Dunmer.

+1 Faith
-1 Intimidation

Chuzei

Your character is a Dunmer of House Indoril, from the Chuzei culture. Chuzei are known for their piety and strict adherence to the Tribunal's teachings.

+1 Faith
-1 Conjuration

Gah-Julani

Your character is a Dunmer of House Redoran, from the Gah-Julani culture. Gah-Julani are known for their martial prowess and warrior code, as well as a xenophobic mistrust of foreigners.

+1 Strength
-1 Willpower

Armun-Ani

Your character is a Dunmer of House Hlaalu, from the Armun-Ani culture. Armun-Ani are known for their mercantile skills and willingness to welcome outsiders.

+1 Personality
-1 Willpower

Mardun-Oadi

Your character is a Dunmer of House Dres, from the Mardun-Oadi culture. Mardun-Oadi are known for their resilience and stubborn persistence in harsh lands. They are often involved in the slave trade.

+1 Endurance
-1 Willpower

Chi-Adduni

Your character is a Dunmer of House Telvanni, from the Chi-Adduni culture. Chi-Adduni are known for their magical prowess, and hoarding of ancient knowledge. They often dwell in magically-grown mushroom towers that require levitation magic to navigate.

+1 Intelligence
-1 Agility

One of the taller species of Mer, Dunmer are not quite as tall as their Aldmeri or Orsimer bretheren. Their most unique attribute is the tone of their skin, which ranges from a deep charcoal grey to a pallid ashen hue, with hair colors ranging from raven, auburn, chestnut and more fiery shades of red. Very rarely, one might see a Dunmer with white hair. While their eyes are often red in hue, Dunmer have been purported to sporting even brilliant shades of purple. Hairstyles range from long, flowing locks to shaved topknots, though many incorporate jewelry into their appearance and some even incorporate elaborate facepaint and tattoos.

Dunmer take great care in their style and appearance. Each subculture has a unique way of forming bone dust and the chitinous structure of Morrowind's natural inhabitants to forming great plates of armor as strong as steel, though out of warfare their style of dress trends toward fashionable robes and sweeping dresses with intricate patterns.

Culture

Dunmer culture is divided between the nomadic Ashlanders and the settled Great Houses. Despite this cultural divide, there are many similarities shared which were shaped by the environment they inhabit. Volcanoes are a common sight in northern Morrowind, with Red Mountain looming in their collective consciousness as tall as it does on the horizon, and the harsh conditions of living in such a landscape have hardened them into a proud and capable people. This has created a mentality that has Dunmer both of House and Ashland that 'outlanders' are generally less capable and worthy. 'Outlanders' include the other races and Dunmer born outside Morrowind. A unique hallmark of Dunmer culture is their mystical form of ancestor worship, which is shared across the cultural divide. They believe the spirits of the dead live on in the mortal realm, that they can know and affect the future, speak with other spirits and perform feats of great magic. As such, all Dunmer born in Morrowind honor their deceased ancestors, giving them gifts while petitioning for aid and protection.

Houses tend to rise and fall, many have faded or otherwise become extinct or sprouted up to challenge others. In this period, the five most important houses were in no particular order Hlaalu, Redoran, Telvanni, Dres, and Indoril, which all date to the War of the First Council. The peaceful status quo enjoyed by Morrowind's inhabitants is considered quite brutal by westerners. Political machinations are constant, rife with assassination, made legal with the establishment of the Morag Tong providing such services. Black market activity has risen along the extensive coastlands of Morrowind's mainland and island due to the rise of more Imperial mercantile traditions and House Hlaalu's relentless integration of Imperial policies into everyday life.

Subcultures

Ashlander: One of the many nomadic tribes in Morrowind that reject the Tribunal's teachings and cling to ancient Velothi customs. Considered backwards and primitive by many, especially House Dunmer.
Chuzei: House Indoril, patron of the Chuzei are known for their piety and strict adherence to the Tribunal's teachings.
Gah-Julani: House Redoran, patron of the Gah-Julani are known for their martial prowess and warrior code, as well as a xenophobic mistrust of foreigners.
Armun-Ani: House Hlaalu, patron of the Armun-Ani are known for their mercantile skills and willingness to welcome outsiders.
Mardun-Oadi: House Dres, patron of the Mardun-Oadi are known for their resilience and stubborn persistence in harsh lands. They are often involved in the slave trade.
Chi Adduni: House Telvanni, patron of the Chi-Adduni are known for their magical prowess, and hoarding of ancient knowledge. They often dwell in magically-grown mushroom towers that require levitation magic to navigate.

Cultural Equivalence & Influences

The Dunmer were greatly inspired by a wide variety of cultures and settings both from real life and fiction, including Egypt, Japan, Conan the Barbarian, Dune, Gladiator, Mad Max, Runequest, Star Wars, and The Dark Crystal. Additionally, a large number of Ashlander names and Daedric Shrines in Morrowind are modeled on ancient Assyrian and Babylonian names from the third millennium to the first millennium BCE.

Since the establishment of Resdayn's First Council, the Dunmer, then Chimer, have known nothing but warfare and strife, hardening their opinions of outsiders and giving them an intense xenophobia. The climactic battle at Red Mountain between the Chimer and the Dwemer sealed Morrowind's isolationist policies when the Tribunal rose to power from the aftermath, and they have neither tempered nor broken this inherent mistrust of outsiders in their people. They would often come into conflict with the Khajiit of Elsweyr and the Argonians of Black Marsh while raiding for slaves and loot, fueling the rise of one of the Great Houses into prominence, House Dres.

During the Second Era the Dunmer would be dragged into the Interregnum of the Second Empire, where the four Great Houses Dres, Indoril, Redoran, and Hlaalu made an alliance with the kingdom of Eastern Skyrim and the tribes of Shadowfen and Thornmarsh in Black Marsh. This alliance was hallmarked in that the races involved were ancestral enemies, with shared animosity across all sides. This pact would eventually dissolve when the man known as Talos or Tiber Septim would begin his conquests of Tamriel. Notably, Tiber Septim did not pursue military conquest of Morrowind. Instead he offered peaceful rule. Vivec and Tiber Septim reached an agreement in 2e 896, and the Armistice made Morrowind a province of the Septim Empire.

Underneath the rule of the Septim Dynasty, the Dunmer enjoyed a great deal of autonomy. Largely left alone so long as they met their quotas for trade and Imperial decrees, the only major conflict Morrowind participated in was the War of the Red Diamond in 3e 121-127. This war saw a deal of the provinces involved, Morrowind included, all fighting for greater autonomy and authority. The War would end in the alliance between the Septim Dynasty through the marriage of King Pelagius of Solitude and Katariah of the Ra'athim Clan, the High Kings of Morrowind under Imperial authority.

The Imperial Province of Morrowind occupies the northeastern corner of Tamriel. It is divided by the landmass connected to the rest of Tamriel and a great volcanic island in the center.

Vvardenfell: Dominated by the great volcano Red Mountain, Vvardenfell is an island with an alien landscape. Ashlands, great forests of mushrooms, rolling hills, great plains and even a vast swamp cover its geography. Its capital is the temple city of Vivec, named after one of the Tribunal.
Stonefalls: Situated in the western mainland along the southwestern shore of the Inner Sea. The region's landscape fluctuates from volcanic crags to fertile fields and fungal forests.
Bal Foyen: A tiny, swampy region on the southeastern shore of the Inner Sea. Its contains the settlements of Dhalmora and Fort Zeren.
Deshaan: Situated in south-central Morrowind and bordering Black Marsh, Deshaan consists of lush green plains, great fungal forests and swamps in its southern reaches. Its cities included Narsis, but the capital of the region and Morrowind itself is―Mournhold, and in the center Almalexia, the temple city of the selfsame Living God.
Velothi Mountains: Situated along the border of Skyrim, the Velothi Mountains consist of coastal highlands tipped by the tall peaks of the mountain range. Its capital is Blacklight, the center of House Redoran's power in Morrowind.
Padomaic Crest: A volcanic range found along the eastern coast of Morrowind. The eastern end of this formation creates a secondary peninsula where the city of Necrom sits.
Vounoura and Northeastern Morrowind: This island and northeastern peninsula of Morrowind are dominated by fertile plains and in the east and badlands in the west. The island itself has a mix of flat and rocky rugged terrain and is home to Port Telvannis.

House Dunmer are ruled by the Tribunal Temple, a triumvirate of living gods who ascended to divinity through mysterious circumstances in the First Era and have been guiding their society ever since. Together they are known as ALMSIVI, though individually they are known as:

Vivec the Poet, patron of artists and rogues.
Almalexia the Warden, patron of healers and teachers.
Sotha Sil the Magus, patron of artificers and wizards.

Despite the publicly undisputed rule of the Tribunal, many dissident priests dispute the Temple's dogmatic foundations and the brutal practices of their Ordinators in silencing the truth of their ascension.

In the Ashlands, clans rule without laws or government and live strictly by codes, rituals, and ancient traditions usually dictated by a wise woman or seer implemented by a clan leader. Though political strife is far less prevalent among Ashlanders, skirmishes and battles often are. Their staunch adherence to tradition dating back to before the formation of the Great Houses has hardened them into great warriors and sorcerers, and warfare is a way of life for them. Despite this, and their far more xenophobic nature, Ashlander society is incredibly polite, with gift giving considered a cornerstone of their practices. Ashlanders typically practice ancestor worship more than anything else, though many clans hold their faith in the Good Daedra:

Mephala the Webspinner, Prince of murder, sex, and secrets.
Boethiath the Dark Warrior, Prince of deceit, conspiracy, treason, and the unlawful overthrow of authority.
Azura the Twilight Queen, Prince of dawn and dusk, magic and mystery, fate and prophecy, and vanity and egotism.

All Dunmer remain wary of the House of Troubles, whose four corners are considered enemy gods collectively, something both halves of the culture find common ground on.