Introduction
Dunmer are the Dark Elves of the TES universe. They live in the Dunmer province of Morrowind, (formerly Resdayn, before the Imperial conquest), which is a part of Tamriel, on the planet Mundus (also known as Nirn). They came to live in Resdayn only after splitting off from the Altmer to become the Chimer, and were led there by the prophet Veloth. Once golden skinned like their Altmer cousins, they changed in appearance after the battle at Red Mountain, supposedly as a curse given to them by the Daedric goddess Azura. The word 'Dunmer' is Aldmeris for 'Dark Elf'. 'Dark' is variously understood to mean 'gloomy', 'dark-skinned', and 'ill-favored by fate', all of which the Dunmer character seems to embrace, whether intentionally or not.
Appearance:
Dunmer are dark-skinned. They usually have an ashy azure complexion, which can either be more grey, or more blue. Their eyes come in varying shades of red, and can either be wholly red (which is to say, their whites are red) or just red irises with mildly bloodshot whites. Their hair color can either be red, black, brown, or white. They have the largest ears of all the elven races.
The Dunmer are a race of average height. Dunmer tend to be thin and gaunt, or wiry and athletic. Because of their austere culture, a Dunmer who is chubby would be extremely rare.
Culture
The Dunmer in general are very pious and serious. They frown upon frivolousness and eccentric behavior makes them nervous. They are xenophobic and look down upon most races, especially the beastfolk, whom they have enslaved for generations. They consider their Altmer (High Elf) cousins to be decadent and sinful, probably because of the Altmer affinity for extravagance and finery. In concordance with this view, they tend to dress modestly, and live in plain, mostly undecorated homes. An exception would be the Hlaalu, a House of Dunmer merchant princes, who thoroughly enjoy wealth and the indulgences that come with it.
As a long-lived race that worships its ancestors, the Dunmer hold long, undying grudges and prejudices against other races, probably for some misdeeds done long ago in the past. Patience and sensitivity are required in order to gain the trust of a Dunmer.
While the Dunmer faith embraces chastity, the Dunmer are noted for their promiscuity, particularly among their young females.
Religion
The religion among the Dunmer is divisive. The Ashlanders practice the original Dunmer religion of worshipping their ancestors and the Daedra. The settled Dunmer worship the Tribunal, the three living god kings of Morrowind. When the Tribunal fell apart with the realization of the Nerevarine, the Dunmer resorted back to their old worship, though they kept the ideas of "Good Daedra" and "Bad Daedra" suggested by the Tribunal.
The virtues of the Dunmer are valor, daring, generosity, self-respect and respect for others, mercy, justice, pride of race and tribe, rule of law, benevolence, love of peace, and reverence, with each virtue having a patron saint, as dictated by the Temple (Tribunal) faith.
Many Hlaalu are members of both the Temple and the Imperial cult (the Imperial cult worships the Aedra collectively known as 'The Nine Divines'). Imperial culture worships 'fortune', which is considered a sin by the Temple.
The Great Houses
The Great Houses are important in Dunmer culture. The Great Houses, along with the Temple and the Empire, work as the government in Morrowind. The Great Houses hate each other, and war constantly.
Though there are plenty of individual cases, most Dunmer are defined by the House to which they belong. In addition, different cities and villages tend to be ruled by different Houses, which is reflected in the attitudes of the citizens and the architecture style.
For instance, the Hlaalu are known to be religiously tolerant and friendly to the Empire, as well as greedy and ruthless. Their House color is yellow, as seen on the tapestry bearing the scales. Hlaalu architecture consists of buildings made of natural material from the enivornment (it looks like bone). They are square with flat roofs. Their towns tend to be more commercialized than other Dunmer settlements.
The Redorans are less outlander friendly, but more respectful. They are the most pious of the three Great Houses, and one of the duties of the Redoran is to respect the teachings and faith of the Temple. They keep alive the honor of the traditional Dunmer warrior. Their House color is red, as seen on the tapestry with the beetle. Redoran architecture is made up of small, rounded houses with roofs that slope to the ground. This style is useful, because it makes it easy to clean up after an ash storm has occurred. A notable Redoran building is Ald' Ruhn Under Skar, a giant shell of the extinct Emperor Crab, containing all the manors of the Redoran councilors and even some shops on the inside.
The Telvanni are isolationists, hostile to all the Houses and Factions and the Empire, though their relationship with the Redorans seems to be better than with others. They disdain Temple worship. Their House color is brown, as seen on the tapestry depicting the tree. They have the most unique architecture on Vvardenfell- using magic, they grow mushrooms into any shape they desire, creating awe-inspiring towers.
House Dres:
"House Dres is one of two houses without holdings or interest in Vvardenfell. Dres District is in the south of Morrowind, bordering the swamps and marshes of Black Marsh. House Dres is an agrarian agricultural society, and its large saltrice plantations rely completely on slave labor for their economic viability. Always firm Temple supporters, House Dres is hostile to Imperial law and culture, and in particular opposed to any attempts to limit the institution of slavery." – Great Houses of Morrowind
"House Dres represents the past of pre-Tribunal Great House culture, a persistent tradition of Daedra- and ancestor-worshiping civilized Dunmer clans." – Vivec
House Indoril:
"... the Indoril are orthodox and conservative supporters of the Temple and Temple authority. House Indoril is openly hostile to Imperial culture and religion, and preserves many traditional Dunmer customs and practices in defiance of Imperial law." – Great Houses of Morrowind
"To my sister-brother's city I give the holy protection of House Indoril, whose powers and thrones know no equal under heaven, wherefrom came the Hortator." - Vivec
