Hi

I'm working on a mod for Morrowind and am writing some backstories for my NPC's - I've been doing some research at The Imperial Library but am in need of some clarity

A key character is a Redguard - she is 32 years old at the beginning of Morrowind gameplay so I beleive that is 3E 427 which means she was born in 3E 395

My first question is: Prior to 3E 414 was Vvardenfell mainly inhabitated by Dunmer - apart from Solstheim and possibly Sheogorad - Were other races banned or did they only apply to areas outside the rule of Great Houses - now I always imagined that outside the main settlements non-Dunmer were not allowed to buy or farm land until 3E 414 - so people like Sjorvar Horse-Mouth wouldn't of been allowed to live in the country area but could of resided in a town or city - is this correct?

The reason I ask this would determine whether my character is a recent arrival to Vvardenfell or was born there.

Her parents have both returned to Hammerfell but I'm a little lost as to what would be a good city for them there as I'm unfamiliar with the civil strife in the nation - I picture her grandfather fighting against the Nords in the War of the Bend'r-mahk but it seems that war took place in 397 which would be two years before my NPC's birth - so therefore it was her parents who fought in that war - so here comes the next question

Q2 - What Hammerfell cities fought in the war of the Bend'r-mahk?

I understand these were Crown cities which did not want to be assimilated by the empire - therefore it makes sense that my NPC's parents would of left Hammerfell for MW which still resisted full integration with the Empire - something that may of resonated with them.

I'm picking that the NPC's parents were born around 3E 367 which would place the birth of the grandparents circa 3E 335 - as mentioned I've looked through the Imperial Library and read the redguard history and the timeline of tamriel - but I can't really oick what was happening between the forebears and the crown cities during this period 3E 335 - 397 - were there successive Nord skirmishes, did the cities fight amongst themselves, were any guilds particulary active in Hammerfell at this time? - any info on the era would be much appreciated.

regards Illy

i think i may be able to help out on Q2 a bit. the PGE3 lists Elinhir and Dragonstar as having been in the war, which makes sense since they are right on the border. the later was conquered quite thoroughly, and half of the city still belongs to skyrim. i dont think there is any info on that time period. i'd say that there'd be nord skirmishes, but i think something like city warfare would have gone down in history.

as for Q1... im really not sure. i'd think that there were very few foreigners on Vv before that time, if any. its said that there were hardly any dunmer settlements there either, so i'd expect to find maybe two dozen nondunmer on the whole island. i'd say that your character and his parents arived there in 414 with the rest of the colonists, it would make the most sense regardless.

The family could have moved close-by to a sympathetic Breton Kingdom first and later made the move to Vvardenfell. Given that there was a very famous Dunmer Queen Barenziah who married a Breton King and set up Court there, that could provide some anecdotal basis for the later move to Morrowind.

I would not want my people to associate with Bareziah's son Helseth, but if your grandparents had papers of introduction and commendable military service your grandfather might have found a place in her daughter Morgiah's household as a guard captain and then that might explain the later move - as I don't think they would have been too comfortable moving to Firsthold when she married the Altmer King. It might be that Morgiah took a liking to your parents - having known them as children, so perhaps Morgiah could have helped them find a place in Morrowind by way of appreciation for good service? More research for you if you're keen on the idea - in all wise happy modding.

Thanks Lady Nerevar - after posting I went back to the Imperial Library and relooked at the maps - Elinhir is the city I ended up picking as the family home though having a city or town that was conquered by the Nords would be good too however I can't seem to find anything that names what cities the Nords captured. On your second point it seems that Vvardenfell was rapidly colonized in 414 and assimilated in to the guilds, business community and factions. Only 19 years later and the Nevarine turns up - so most of the non-Dunmer people you speak to in the game are settlers not first or second generation inhabitants. Is that correct? That would change an enormous amount of backstories - it helps me better understand how the Dunmer in general would be dismayed at all the foreigners flooding into their land - many likely to be refugees from wars back on the mainland.




Wow thanks 1999 - that was helpful I'll go read up on Barenziah again - I'm not sure I understand the war against Skyrim very well - were the Bretons allied with the Redguards against the Nords - if so was it only the Crowns and the Bretons who were allied? Were any other races involved?

we know that Dragonstar is occupied by the Nords. Elinhir and Jehena (highrock) are listed as sites of "feeble resistance" to the nordic conquest, so i would assume that the territories around them are conquered but the cities themselves are not. With the exception of Dragonstar it does not seem that the Nords are doing a good job holding on to their territories. Elinhir is my favorite Hammerfell city

it doesn't make complete sense gameplay wise to have Vvardenfell settled so quickly, but thats the only definitive info i was able to find. It could be that Legions and Imperial representatives were there since before the official opening, but i think the majority of the foreigners really are immigrants. I'm getting my information from the http://www.imperial-library.info/mwbooks/short_morrowind.shtml.

the war of Bend'r-Mahk took place during the Imperial Simulacrum, when there were all kinds of border skirmishes all over the empire. the Nords decided to take back some of their old stomping grounds and expand their borders. I'd say that only the western Breton kingdoms (Jehena, Farrun, maybe Evermore) and the western Hammerfell cities (Dragonstar and Elinhir) ever mobilized forces, since both provinces are composed of largely autonomous city-states. I don't think any other races or parties were involved.

for what little its worth i prefer characters with common origins as oposed to those who are heavily connected :shrug:

Thanks Lady Nerevar - I knew Caldera and Pelagiad were new settlements but I didn't realize how new - from the Short history it says



But that is actually misleading seeing as only 19 years have passed since allowing foreigners into the land - so those towns are likely only 10 years old.

As for the background info it is more for my purposes of understanding where the characters have come from so i can flesh out their personalities a bit more - instead of just go kill me 10 mudcrabs

Except of course for Vivec city and I'd imagine Ald-ruhn. Seeing as how somebody was probably taking care of the Emperor crab before then so that it wouldn't decompose to a state of unrevivability. Some of the Telvanni Towers also seem older than twenty years. Especially Sadrith Mora.

It's startling to note that a lot of Vvardenfell as we know it was built in the past 20 years, but think of it this way, it only takes a couple of weeks to build a pit-stop town for whichever Great House you belong to. In that time, the buildings had to be constructed, the supplies had to trek (in some cases) out to the middle of nowhere, and people from presumably Morrowind proper had to be recruited for a settlement drive.