Greetings, I was wondering how land and territory is handled in Morrowind.
Particularly the vast stretches of uninhabitable territory.

If going by the house quests there is indeed the concept of individual land ownership, based on the existence of deeds. And if this is a general occurrence and not just something that was designed and invented as a quest filler, where would one go about finding resources to establish who owns what cells.


I hope I am clear enough as I am toying with a concept for a mod.

I'd say your middle paragraph holds water, depending where you plan to build. If it's in established great house territory, you need to have it okayed from the great house. If it's not inhabited, you'll need to get it okayed from the duke or what have you that's incharge of land deeds (and if a place is sponsored by a house or not). Now, disputes do happen, because another house could be trying to encroach another house's territory. Such things usually handled through assassination, or just killing the people building the place and the owner.

Whenever you are going to build something apparently you have to go get a permit from the duke in ebonheart

But who would handle the territory for the houses, as I have a hard time seeing how for instance the Telvanni could have it owned collectivity, alternatively it is distributed to the masters or council members of the houses where it would be logical for them to own their own territory.

Assassination is one thing but how would the land deed and right pass over to the culprit, unless of course there is theft of the land deed involved, in which case where would it be stored?



Yes, but is this true for all territory or just the neutral ground? and is the duke the guy to turn to for all building permits or just that on his ground? and lastly does he hold all deeds or are there powerful free agents not bound by houses that could possibly hold large chunks of land?

I dunno, only what I understood from when I played the game. So far, I've only done Redoran.

I get the feeling that it is technically all on (permanent, non-negociable) loan from the Temple.

Maybe from the Temple, or if it is any Great House territory, or owned by someone else...

Is it based on some lore or just a rationalisation if so based on what?:) It is important for me to get this if not accurate at least plausible.





Unless there is lore that states or hints at something else I will probably be going by this.

I'd honestly have to say owning land is based on what the Duke allows. If the land is already owned by someone, you have to talk to that group who owns it. So, if you wanted to move into Tel Mora, you better have got the permits from whomever is in charge of land permits for Tel Mora (either the mouth or that guy in the inn for the permits to walk around town). If it isn't an officially claimed area, talk to the Duke.

Vvardenfell is a giant sacred rock which houses the deepest and darkest secret of the Tribunal Temple. So, it's hard to believe that it doesn't belong to the Temple. Ashlanders never left the area, it's only been two decades since people have started to come back and build. I think the Temple is loaning out the land to simply balance the Imperial presence on the island, who are only there to svck out the ebony from Red Mountain.

Maybe some people just take what they want and claim it as theirs, as long as nobody finds out...

Apparently (according to Redoran), the Telvanni and Hlaalu did this. However...Redoran found out and sent you to kill the future owners

That's the point of a war of assassins, just look at Shishi or Odirniran, or the murders at Tel Uvirith/Rethan Manor/Bal Isra.

I guess it makes things more exciting for some people by giving them things to do...

I wonder. it does not explain the dukes role though, as he is clearly not a vassal of the temple. and if it is so sacred to the temple, or rather, if the temple holds that ownership, they surely do not seem to interested in what is built on the ground, and for that sake the duke did not care much what happened to the ground... makes me wonder. The territorial conflicts alone should probably indicate that there is no clear ownership, or the owner is so weak that its right can be questioned freely.. hmm. Personally I would bet ownership is determined by the number of soldiers on said factions side.

The Duke is head of Hlaalu on Vvardenfell and answerable to King Helseth, King of the Hlaalu, but their position in Morrowind times is dependent on the buffs that comes from the Imperial presence. Take the Imperials out of Vvardenfall, and I'd bet the Hlaalu would go with them, or at least lose a lot of land in the process.

The Duke isn't just a lend-lease machine, he's a symbol of the King's Power. He's there as a political playa, to make everyone know that the Temple isn't the only power in the land. Look how close Ebonheart is to Vivec, and how close King Helseth shoved his palace into Almalexia's garden.

Vvardenfell is holy ground, and was originally a Temple preserve with no settlement (except for select Great House outposts) allowed. It was opened for colonization quite recently, probably related to the arrival of the East Empire Company.