Wow, this simply must go to my sig.
And really, how coundn't they be rich? They're egocentric, power-hungry, powerful, 1000+ years old, etc, etc...it's common sense.

From what I recall, Telvanni does have a pretty impressive vault in Vivec.

I wouldn't say so soon that the rank and file Telvanni are completely cumbersome and illiterate dregs, with not enough tuppence between them to buy food... To join the House you had to sport at least "a moderate intelligence and willpower" and profess magickal ability, if anything Telvanni elitism is a barrier to peasantry and general middle age squalor. Yes, they live in mushrooms, or large communal housing, but that doesnt make them illiterate or stupid, and the non-contact with their Mage Lords dosen't make them any less aedpt in what they profess to do.

Indeed, it was always the one most worth robbing. The doors were pretty trippy, though.

Wasn't there a (ultra-buggy) spell in Daggerfall that let you permanately conjur items?

There is a difference between the Telvanni and the people ruled by the Telvanni. The Telvanni are obviously very wealthy, but their people aren't so much. The elitism is a barrier between to the peasentry and middle age squalor, but that is not a good thing if you are on the wrong side of that line in Telvanni territory. Those are the people I'm thinking of. At least Hlaalu and Redoran gave those people a chance.

Just push gameworld and lore apart a little bit more and focus on the different between the servants and allies of House Telvanni and the general population it protects.

I view Sadrith Mora as a city of outlanders, agents, and businessmen who are already living under House bureacracy because only certain people are allowed there.

Vos and the shacks of Tel Branora are my idea of the Telvanni Dunmer, peasants who have nothing to do with the House.

Edit: Saxbass2: It's not that the other Houses 'give their people a chance.' It's that they espouse ideals and represent a culture that their people are a part of. Telvanni is divorced from the population. Sure, Aryon grew Vos a temple, but Aryon's a nice guy.

I meant that in the other houses, it was seemed more possible for someone on the wrong side of the line had the opportunity to become part of the house if they worked hard. Not much of a chance, but still. Redoran was made for the soldier elite, so military heroes could rise. Hlaalu is probably harder, but shrewd "buisnessman" could do it. And this doesn't mean the PCs advancement. The PC is always special.

Yes, but most of those peasants and general nondoers are drawn to Telvanni towers and Mage Lords because of the protection they provide, is the impression I get from them.
Not that the Mage Lord would do anything though, the illusion of safety is what most Telvanni commonfolk seem to be drawn to I guess.

Yeah, but I guess that if there is something they can't fix with magic they hire others who can. And that requires money.

Yes there was. It worked a bit: you had the choice between several qualities (iron, steel, etc.) but whatever you chose you always got the lowest quality, so it was pointless to have a choice to get higher-quality items to begin with.

The Telvanni are the long-term stable investment sort. Hlaalu is more active economically so they have more gain but also more loss and they work with foreign inventors so some of that money gets exported and while one or two might get super wealthy they die of old age and the estate gets broken up between heirs and taxes. Telvanni on the other hand just buy an egg mine run it with slaves guard it with daedra and collect the profit small pay out but no expense. When a Telvanni dies the next in line kills all the other rivals and takes their stuff too.

As for their citizens the Telvanni hire guards to protect their holdings and then ignore them an ambitious citizen would do well with no one looking over his shoulder to tell him what to do but an unmotivated citizen would not. Either way they have to pay their taxes so the mage lord makes out okay. But I got the impression that most people living under the mage lords were at least as happy as in the other houses.

They aren't exactly traders and stuff, but i suppose having an entire village under your mushroom provides a steady income.

I better leave this forum now, i'm last post on 5 topics...