Lore:House Redoran

House Redoran prizes the virtues of duty, gravity, and piety. Duty is to one's own honor, and to one's family and clan. Gravity is the essential seriousness of life. Life is hard, and events must be judged, endured, and reflected upon with due care and earnestness. Piety is respect for the gods, and the virtues they represent. A light, careless life is not worth living. — Great Houses of Morrowind

House Redoran (also called Clan Redoran, the Red Party of Redoran or "Red Hats") is one of the five remaining Great Houses of the Dunmer. Led by the House Archmaster, it governs the Redoran District of northwestern Morrowind from the city of Blacklight, close to the border with Skyrim. In the District of Vvardenfell, the House's council seat was located in Balmora as of 2E 582 and Ald'ruhn as of 3E 427. In the latter, all councilors lived in the hollowed shell of a colossal prehistoric Emperor Crab, in the district known as Ald'ruhn-under-Skar. Other Redoran-dominated towns on the mainland included Cormaris View and Silgrad Tower, as well as Khuul, Maar Gan and Ald Velothi in Vvardenfell.

In the mid-Second Era, House Redoran also controlled the settlements of Balmora, Suran, and Gnisis. The Redoran also maintained a garrison in Molag Mar and, in 2E 582, maintained a strong military presence in the nascent Vivec City. In later years, prior to its destruction in 4E 5, House Redoran would instead hold an eponymous canton in Vivec City. House Redoran holdings on the mainland included Tal'Deic Fortress, the village of Serkamora, and the Darkshade Caverns kwama mines. Despite House Dres rule, House Redoran Sentinels patrolled the streets of Old Ebonheart during the Daggerfall Covenant's invasion of Stonefalls.

The main focus of House Redoran is maintaining the traditions of the settled Dunmer and, more specifically, the way of the warrior. As a result, House Redoran has long served as Morrowind's de-facto military. Members of House Redoran often believe themselves to be naturally superior to the other Great Houses. Due to the House's emphasis on tradition and piety, the Tribunal Temple was a natural ally, with the majority of Vivec's Buoyant Armigers hailing from the House. House Redoran maintained strained relationships with the Ashlander tribes of Vvardenfell, the Morag Tong, House Hlaalu, and House Telvanni. They held respect for House Indoril, and were willing to fight alongside House Dres. During the Third Empire's reign over Morrowind, the Redoran also held mutual respect for the Fighters Guild and Imperial Legion. They did not hold other Imperial institutions (such as the Mages Guild, the Thieves Guild, and the Imperial Cult) in such high esteem. Like the other Great Houses, House Redoran loathed the cultists of the Sixth House and the vampires of Vvardenfell, and disapproved of the Camonna Tong's illegal activities.

Saint Nerevar the Captain is the patron saint of House Redoran.

History

First Era

From the original formation of House Redoran, our housekin have held the virtues of duty, gravity, and piety most dear. A frivolous, soft life is not worth living. We focus on maintaining the traditions of the civilized Dunmer and holding fast to the way of the warrior. Our military strength, for example, outclasses the other Great Houses by a wide margin. Our prowess puts us at least one step ahead of them all and in most cases many more.
—Understanding House Redoran

The Redoran Crest

House Redoran was founded in ancient times on the 3rd of Last Seed, a date still celebrated by members of the Great House. The House has existed since the time of the Chimer and the First Council. By the 107th year of the Golden Peace, they were already considered the most militarily powerful of the Great Houses.

Prior to the War of the First Council, thirty of the most influential and revered Chimer Clans worked together to build the fabled Library of Andule, a grand repository containing the genealogical records related to the earliest Velothi settlers and other assorted knowledge about the earliest history of the Great Houses. Five of the thirty Revered Families hailed from House Redoran; the Heran, Redas, Sarano, Seran, and Venim Clans. The locations of the tombs were presumed lost in the aftermath of the War of the First Council, along with the Library of Andule and the records contained within. The five tombs were rediscovered in 2E 582, alongside the other twenty-five families and the Library of Andule itself.

According to both Athyn Sarethi and Agrippa Fundilius, warriors of House Redoran fought and died at the Battle of Red Mountain under the leadership of Hortator Indoril Nerevar during the War of the First Council. During the decades in the aftermath of the war, at least one Redoran - General Redoran-Vorilk - had a role in discussing the nascent Tribunal Temple's plans to reorganize the House lands of Morrowind. In the centuries that followed, the Redoran watched the northwestern border of Morrowind along the Velothi Mountains from their ancestral seat in Blacklight, defending against the Nordic raiders from Skyrim who had pillaged the land since time immemorial. The constant warring with the Nords likely contributed to the warrior-House's hardened militaristic leanings and position as the 'hereditary defenders of Morrowind.' The House adopted the color red as a designation. The House Symbol is the Black Scarab, and it is considered sacred by members of the Great House. House Redoran did not become heavily involved in the practice of slavery. Indeed, in 3E 427 it was said that slavery was uncommon in Redoran lands, and no Redoran-owned slaves were observed on Vvardenfell in the Second or Third eras.

The ancient remains of Skar, slain by Dranoth Hleran. Hleran's bloodline would go on to become part of House Redoran, and the shell would become the city of Ald'ruhn

As House Redoran evolved, the standard members were expected to follow suit. Eventually, a set of rules were created and recited to all members of the Great House. The rules stated that a Redoran cannot steal from their kin, strike their kin unprovoked, or break their word. Honoring one's superiors, doing one's duty to the House, and respecting the teachings of the Tribunal was expected of members. Finally, a Redoran must always defend their House, their people, and their honor. If a Redoran failed in any of these things, they were cast out with an opportunity for redemption. If cast out again, the Redoran would lose any hope of regaining their honor or membership within the Great House.

Redoran in the Ashlands

Dranoth Hleran, whose bloodline would one day be of House Redoran, is credited as the one who struck the killing blow on Skar, the ancient Emperor Crab around which Ald'ruhn was built.

In the First Era, an all-Breton gang of thieves from High Rock infamous for their crimes in Morrowind came to be known as the Blacklight Raiders, after the Redoran capital city. Starting out as just a small band of adventurers, the Raiders eventually traveled all over Morrowind, looting and pillaging as they went. Attributed with stealing some of the Dunmer's most sacred relics, the Blacklight Raiders were buried in the city of Evermore. Their graves were discovered in 2E 582 by a Dunmeri woman named Llotha Nelvani, who hailed from a village outside of Blacklight. Nelvani succeeded in unlocking the Raiders' final puzzle, opening a lockbox said to contain their greatest treasure. To her dismay, it contained only a "silly old blade".

The crypts beneath Tal'Deic Fortress in the eastern Siltreen region of the Deshaan plains were originally excavated to serve as burial vaults for the noble Redoran family. They were abandoned after Grandmaster Llerlu inspected them and found the space "small, constricted, and insufficiently imposing for the honored dead of House Redoran."

In 1E 2920, at the close of the First Era and the Four-Score War, the dubiously-real Dunmeri woman Turala was said to have been exiled from Morrowind by her Redoran family after she was impregnated by Brindisi Dorom, the Duke of Mournhold. Allegedly, she would go on to summon Mehrunes Dagon in a bid to kill Dorom and sack Mournhold.

Second Era

A Redoran's duty is first to the Tribunal Temple, second to the Great House Redoran, and third to one's family and clan. A Redoran noble must know the virtue of gravity. It is not the Redoran way to laugh at serious matters, for it shows disrespect. It is not the Redoran way to spread rumors, for they fester and breed dissention [sic].
—The True Noble's Code

At some point prior to 2E 582, House Redoran staked claim to the western half of Vvardenfell, including the Bitter Coast, Ascadian Isles, West Gash, and a portion of the inner Ashlands. The Redoran employed the House Hlaalu Construction Syndic to create the modern incarnations of Balmora and Suran for what was deemed a suspiciously low cost. Against the Redoran's wishes, the Hlaalu built the settlements in their own style, rather than the more organic Redoran style. Some Redoran worried that the Hlaalu intended to conquer the settlements through underhanded mercantile means. These concerns, in time, would prove valid. By the Third Era, both settlements flew the golden banner of House Hlaalu. Sometime prior to 2E 582, House Redoran also established the mining village of Gnisis in the northwest of Vvardenfell, and secured a presence in the settlement of Molag Mar. In Vivec City, the House secured a strong military presence after answering Vivec's call for warriors to protect the pilgrims who journeyed to the city. By 2E 582, House Redoran controlled Vivec City in tandem with the Tribunal Temple, and an entire garrison of the Redoran military under the command of General Vayne Redoran resided within the developing city. Other Redoran holdings erected around this time included a garrison northeast of Balmora, and Arenim Manor in the northern Bitter Coast.

A Second Era Redoran

After the coronation of High King Svartr of Western Skyrim in 2E 431, a delegation from Lord Vivec presented the instrument 'Jarlsbane' to the High King. After being declared "grossly untunable and overly complicated" by the court musicians, it sat in Solitude's Blue Palace as a curiosity for many years. It was rediscovered over a century later by Master Bard Endroni Selvilo of House Redoran shortly before 2E 582. Nevertheless, the instrument remained in the city, relocated to the Bards College.

Some time after the outbreak of the Knahaten Flu in 2E 560, House Redoran sent a military expedition to the Ruins of Mazzatun in the Black Marsh region of Shadowfen, intending to wipe out the Xit-Xaht tribe, whom they suspected to be responsible for the disease. In Vvardenfell, the House regularly sent exploratory forces out to tame the Ashlands from their stronghold in Balmora, where they came into increasingly violent conflicts with the local Ashlanders as more and more of Vvardenfell was settled. The lands around Ald'ruhn were particularly coveted by the House. Despite this, official Redoran policy maintained violence against Ashlanders to be a last resort, and preferred peaceful transaction of territory over taking land with force.

During the mid-Second Era, House Redoran's leader was High Councilor Meriath. After the defeat of Ada'Soom Dir-Kamal's Akaviri forces at Vivec's Antlers in 2E 572, House Redoran was among the four Great Houses that joined the newly-formed Ebonheart Pact. Following the eruption of the War of the Three Banners in 2E 580, House Redoran's warriors would be among those that fought for control of Cyrodiil and the White-Gold Tower, with the House's powerful military playing an active role in the conflict. Rumors persisted that Redoran nobles were upset the Pact was formed in the first place, due to having to share command with Nordic and Argonian allies. During this time, House Redoran also maintained a "Narcotics Oath-Bureau" purportedly charged with the regulation of illegal substances, such as Skooma. House Hlaalu, whom was officially considered an ally of House Redoran in 2E 582, complained of Redoran bailiffs and constables treating Hlaalu House Guests poorly. The Hlaalu urged House Redoran to defer to them on matters of commerce and diplomacy, as the Hlaalu themselves deferred to House Redoran on matters of defense. Redoran-Hlaalu relations were further shaken by Hlaalu practices that undermined Redoran trade routes and business ventures, and their apparent desire to seize Balmora and Suran for themselves.

In 2E 582, the Redoran-ruled village of Serkamora in Deshaan was infiltrated by the Maulborn Cult, who posed as healers aiding with the rampant Llodos Plague. In truth, the Maulborn had created the plague in a bid to undermine the Tribunal's rule and turn their citizens against them. It is unknown whether Dethisam Berendas, Serkamora's local Redoran representative, survived the events. In Tal'Deic Fortress, General Gavryn Redoran was killed by the Maulborn Cult and replaced with a Daedric simulacrum. With the aid of the Vestige, the Redoran Captain Valec Doronil exposed the General's death and impersonation, and defeated the Maulborn in the crypts beneath the fortress.

Meriath, High Councilor of Great House Redoran circa 2E 582

A simplified variant of the Redoran banner popular in the Second Era.

Simultaneously, House Redoran faced issues with its holdings in the western half of Vvardenfell. With much of House Redoran's soldiers committed to the Ebonheart Pact abroad, the House's resources became dangerously limited when it came to dealing with daedric cultists, ashlanders, and other threats to Redoran prosperity. At the recommendation of Councilor Dolvara, Balmora's Captain Brivan Malrom enlisted the aid of the Khajiiti mercenaries known as Ferhara's Warclaws - ex-Aldmeri Dominion soldiers initially hired by House Hlaalu - to supplement the depleted Redoran military in contested territory. This was done despite protests from the House Council, who believed that Redoran soldiers were more than capable of protecting House interests. Tensions ran high with the nomadic ashlanders of Vvardenfell when Redoran land claims clashed with ashlander holdings. In Balmora, Captain Ulran Releth, son of Councilor Eris Releth, was exiled from House Redoran after an incident orchestrated by his father went awry. Ulran was later killed during a raid on an ashlander encampment by Ferhara's Warclaws on orders from Captain Brivan Malrom. Soon afterwards, Redoran Councilor Dolvara was executed by the Morag Tong. In retaliation for her brother's exile and death, Veya Releth, Councilor Releth's daughter, attempted to assassinate the Redoran Council during a meeting. The wayward Councilor's daughter was stopped by the Morag Tong, but not before claiming the lives of her father and Captain Brivan. In Suran, the local head of security, Marshal Hlaren, was exposed by a vigilante known as the Scarlet Judge for corruption and slave peddling, and promptly executed. The Marshal had been using her station to order the arrests of visitors on minor offenses and then selling them as slaves. In Gnisis, requests for aid from House Redoran went unanswered while the local kwama mine faced troubles with a Dwemer device and a slain kwama queen, with the troubles eventually resolved locally. In Ald'ruhn, Dranoth Hleran's descendant Drelyth rediscovered his family's history with Skar and recovered his ancestor's spear, Calderas - the very weapon used to kill Skar millennia before. Hleran's affiliation with House Redoran marked the first known time the Great House's influence extended to Ald'ruhn.

Flags bearing the symbol of House Redoran commemorating the many victories the House claims credit for achieving were in circulation during the sixth century of the Second Era. Elynea Omayn, daughter of a Redoran Councilor, was noted as an exemplary member of Vivec's Buoyant Armigers during the mid-Second Era by Archcanon Tarvus. Despite having had the opportunity to be a high-ranking officer in the Redoran military or a Redoran representative to another Ebonheart Pact nation, Omayn chose the life of an Armiger and became one of the god's favorite servants. It was said that the noble ideals and sense of adventure carried by the Buoyant Armigers matched closely with Redoran virtues, drawing many from Redoran to Vivec's service.

In 2E 864, the Imperial Geographical Society reported House Redoran as being "the best warriors among the Dark Elves", noting that the House guarded the western flank of Morrowind.

In the late Second Era, Tiber Septim's legions turned their eyes towards Morrowind. Following House Indoril's lead, House Redoran swore to resist the western invaders to the death, and provided its mercenary companies to the Dunmeri defense amassing in settlements such as Silgrad Tower and Cormaris View. However, House Redoran soon found itself manning the western borders of Morrowind alone, with House Indoril and House Dres preferring to retreat inwards to wage a guerrilla war, House Telvanni remaining neutral, and House Hlaalu advocating accommodation. When Vivec signed the Armistice, House Redoran breathed a sigh of relief, now permitted an honorable way to avoid waging war against the Third Empire's vast legions alone.

Third Era

A Redoran is a warrior whose duty is first to the Tribunal, second to House Redoran, and third to family and clan. — Mottos of the Dunmeri Great Houses

Archmaster Bolvyn Venim, circa 3E 427

Areas of Vvardenfell controlled by House Redoran in 3E 427(red areas).

During the Third Era, House Redoran's traditionalist stances would see the House decline in strength. Further damaging Redoran influence and prestige was the disbandment of the majority of the Redoran military after the Armistice. House Redoran suffered territorial and economic losses at the hands of House Hlaalu and Telvanni during the Third Empire's reign, particularly in Vvardenfell where--under pressure from the Temple--they initially resisted mirroring the territorial expansion of their rivals.

After losing Balmora to Hlaalu rule, House Redoran claimed the former ashlander gathering site of Ald'ruhn as the site of their new district seat, and built a grand city around the shell of Skar at the foot of Red Mountain. At some point before 3E 427, House Redoran erected the settlement of Maar Gan in the ashlands, and the villages of Khuul and Ald Velothi in the northwest coast of the West Gash. Following the erection of the Great Ghostfence after 2E 882, the bones of many deceased Redoran were incorporated into the barrier to sustain it and hold back the Blight. Such donors had dedicated their spirits to the Temple and Clan as their surrogate families.

At some point in the Third Era, a Redoran noble named Andas Sarethi was believed by many to be the "Hope of the Redoran" after his mother chanted an omen upon his birth. Andas was a prodigy and frequently put down his unambitious cousin, Athyn Sarethi. When he was set to take up his uncle's seat in the Redoran Council, he was challenged by a battle-ready and educated Athyn, who defeated Andas with ease. Afterwards, the omen was re-interpreted to refer to Athyn, and he became the true "Hope of the Redoran" instead.

As of the late Third Era, Bolvyn Venim ruled as Archmaster of the Great House. Bolvyn was somewhat unscrupulous for a Redoran. Few among the rest of the hierarchy actually liked him, but the Redoran respect for strong leadership (which few Redoran leaders had displayed in recent years at the time) and prowess in arms ensured that he nevertheless retained his position. He was influential in securing Redoran's share of the frontier lands when Vvardenfell was opened for settlement in 3E 414, and moved the council to Ald'ruhn as a result.

In 3E 426, the Redoran council protested the continuing burdensome tariffs on the native beverages sujamma, greef, and shein. After a costly and bloody tax revolt in Balmora, the council warned that such disturbances might spread to Ald'ruhn if the heavy burden of Imperial taxes was not alleviated. Smuggling and organized crime also became increasingly aggressive and violent in the Redoran House Districts. The councilors blamed local corruption, weakened enforcement, and aggressive competition between the Thieves Guild and the Camonna Tong.

Conflicts often arose with the other Great Houses at this time as well. By 3E 427 House Redoran struggled to compete with House Hlaalu's dominance of the ebony trade in Vvardenfell, with the most obvious conflict centered on the town of Caldera, which was founded by the Imperial Caldera Mining Company with the support of House Hlaalu. House Redoran actively worked to find evidence of corruption in Caldera in an effort to shut the mines down and to prevent the Hlaalu from building Rethan Manor on the Odai Plateau. There was also bickering with House Telvanni concerning the seizing of large tracts of land, the founding of certain new settlements in the Ashlands such as Tel Uvirith, and the occupation of old Velothi Towers, such as Shishi. Nartise Arobar, daughter of Redoran councilor Miner Arobar, was kidnapped and used as a political hostage by the Telvanni wizard, Neloth. Delyna Mandas, daughter of Redoran noble Arethan Mandas, was held captive in Tel Fyr. This caused Arethan Mandas to go mad, and begin demanding tribute from passing travelers much as any common bandit. Both Houses Hlaalu and Telvanni took issue with House Redoran's attempt to create the settlement of Indarys Manor upon the Bal Isra ridge.

The Fall of Ald'ruhn during the Oblivion Crisis

The Redoran canton of Vivec City

House Redoran was further shamed by rumors that claimed that Archmaster Bolvyn Venim was having an extramarital affair with Fathasa Llethri, wife of fellow council member Garisa Llethri. Infighting further weakened House Redoran, with Councilman Athyn Sarethi narrowly surviving an assassination attempt by the Morag Tong. In a ploy by the Archmaster, his son Varvur Sarethi was framed for murder and arrested, to be used as a political hostage.

During the fulfillment of the Nerevarine prophecies in 3E 427, Archmaster Bolvyn Venim was killed in an honorable duel with the Nerevarine after the latter gained the support of the other five Redoran Councilors. It is unknown whether the duel occurred over the matter of the title of Hortator or Archmaster. Regardless of whether or not the Nerevarine succeeded Venim as Archmaster, or whether the vanquished Venim was instead succeeded by another of the Great House, the Redoran subsequently offered the Nerevarine the title of Redoran Hortator. As a whole, House Redoran suffered from attacks at the hands of blighted creatures and Corprus monsters, with the majority of its holdings closer to the Ghostfence and Red Mountain than that of the other Houses. Some Redoran settlements, such as Maar Gan, relied on volunteer warriors to drive back the Sixth House. The most notable casualty of these attacks was Councilman Remas Morvayn, who perished after his home was invaded by Corprus monsters. As a result, he left his position on the council to his wife, Brara Morvayn. The attacks ended along with the Blight when the Nerevarine slew Dagoth Ur and destroyed the Heart of Lorkhan inside of Red Mountain.

By 3E 432, House Redoran was said to be waning due to its inability to change with the times. After the coronation of King Hlaalu Helseth in 3E 427, news spread throughout Tamriel that the new King had abolished slavery. Houses Redoran and Indoril fought a brief civil war against Houses Hlaalu and Dres on the matter. At the same time, it was said that Nords, aided by Orc mercenaries, had besieged the Redoran of Morrowind. It is unknown to what extent these rumors were true or accurate, or what the outcome of these skirmishes were.

According to the Redoran Second Councilor Adril Arano, the Empire pulled the legions out of Morrowind to deal with the gates opening in their homeland of Cyrodiil during the Oblivion Crisis of 3E 433, with a similar such claim being made regarding the legion garrison on Skyrim's isle of Solstheim due to a lack of Oblivion Gates on the island. This is in contrast to the claims made by Imperial authorities during the crisis, stating Cyrodiil could not count on reinforcements due to the legions being fully committed to the provinces, supposedly due to the Elder Council focusing too much of their attention to the other provinces and leaving Cyrodiil to fend for itself. The citizenry of Cyrodiil also noted the lack of Legion activity, and none of the counties of Cyrodiil got organized legion aid when Oblivion Gates opened outside their walls in the closing days of the crisis.

With Morrowind itself having no standing army at the time of the crisis, the province was left virtually defenseless save for a few pockets of resistance. During the course of the crisis, the armies of daedra destroyed the Redoran city of Ald'ruhn. The destruction of their ancestral city, combined with the absence of a standing army in Morrowind, prompted the Redoran to take up their historic status as "the hereditary defenders of the Morrowind", and take charge in the defense. The Redoran were slowly able to raise an army, and used it to spare Morrowind from the full wrath of Mehrunes Dagon's forces.

Fourth Era

Duty, gravity, and piety: these are our watchwords. We are the wartime defenders of the House Dunmer of Morrowind. — Crafting Motif 52: Redoran Style

A Fourth Era Redoran

The Redoran town of Raven Rock on Solstheim, circa 4E 201.

After the Oblivion Crisis, the House started to rebuild. A group of House Redoran settlers led by Councilor Brara Morvayn immediately struck out for the island of Solstheim. After successful negotiations with the East Empire Company, which was rumored to have included a financial settlement, Morvayn's group was allowed to settle in the town of Raven Rock. According to Lyrin Telleno, the new Dunmer inhabitants quickly formed bonds with the other Raven Rock residents thanks to their hard work and reliability.

Unfortunately, in 4E 5 the Red Year brought further destruction to Morrowind. The eruption of Red Mountain wiped the settlements in Vvardenfell off the map. A Redoran councilor living in Mournhold coordinated the relief effort, issuing a directive to send soldiers, supplies and able-bodied mer to the settlements which were hit the hardest about a month after the initial disaster, such as Balmora. Shortly after the eruption of Red Mountain, Morrowind came under siege from the Argonians of Black Marsh. While the Argonians were able to quickly advance through the south and east of mainland Morrowind, the army of House Redoran prevented them from sweeping through the whole province.

The political affairs surrounding the Oblivion Crisis and the Red Year culminated in a power vacuum. Animosity between Hlaalu and Redoran increased, as House Redoran seized the opportunity and became the leading power in what remained of Morrowind, taking the position that Hlaalu had held for centuries due to their close ties with the Empire, and House Indoril for millennia before them due to their ties to the Tribunal. House Hlaalu was even removed from the Grand Council altogether, replaced by House Sadras. The Hlaalu believed that the Redoran were directly involved in the reorganization of the council, and have held a grudge against them ever since. Subsequently, Redoran relocated the capital of Morrowind to Blacklight, as Mournhold had been sacked by the Argonians. With Blacklight as the capital of Morrowind and their army the dominant force in the land, House Redoran's rise was complete.

In the aftermath of the Red Year, Solstheim saw the destruction of the only Imperial fort on the island. Councilor Brara Morvayn, with the permission of the East Empire trading company, brought in some of House Redoran's elite "Redoran Guard" to fill the void left behind by the deceased Imperial legionnaires. The Redoran Guard have maintained control of Raven Rock ever since. After a few years, the relentless ash storms from the ever-erupting Red Mountain transformed Solstheim's southern reaches into pure ash wastes reminiscent of those present on Vvardenfell itself. The storms would leave behind deep dunes of ash that made life exceedingly difficult in Raven Rock. In order to protect the town from these drifts, Brara Morvayn proposed that the East Empire Company construct a large wall of her own design to protect the east end of town. The company quickly agreed and provided the necessary funds. After almost a year, the construction was complete and the huge edifice was named "The Bulwark." The wall proved to be extremely effective.

Councilor Lleril Morvayn of Raven Rock

In 4E 16, the High King of Skyrim gave the island of Solstheim to Morrowind as a refuge, and it passed into the control of House Redoran fully (though the Telvanni established their own settlement, Tel Mithryn, on the southeast coast). This changing of the guard prompted the majority of the remaining Imperial population to depart the settlement. Though a House Sathil settled in Solstheim around or before 4E 48, their relationship with the Redoran rulers of the island is unknown and no trace of the House remained by 4E 201. Raven Rock continued to prosper under the rule of Brara Morvayn until her passing in 4E 65. Her son Lleril promptly took on his mother's mantle as Councilor and ruler of Solstheim.

Lleril would find his rule challenged on two occasions. In 4E 95, an assassination attempt was carried out against the Councilor by agents of House Hlaalu led by Vilur Ulen, but was stopped by House Redoran guards. Decades later, a band of Argonian raiders would land on Solstheim in 4E 150 with the intention of wreaking havoc. Fortunately, the raiders were swiftly defeated by the Redoran guard stationed in Raven Rock under the command of Councilor Morvayn.

An all-Dunmer gang of bandits from Morrowind would surface in a ruined fort outside of the Cyrodiilic settlement of Rivercrest in the year 4E 180. The gang's leader had come into possession of a Redoran Watchman's helm. On behalf of ex-member Brals Nelvani, a fugitive member of the Blades slew the bandits and recovered the helm. That same year, a Dunmeri woman named Dalsa Veleth fought as an arena gladiator near Rivercrest, claiming to be of House Redoran.

House Redoran continued to benefit from the mining of Ebony in Raven Rock until 4E 181, when the mine at Raven Rock was closed. The House's neglect of Solstheim increased, as without the mine, the island not only held little economic or strategic importance compared with the other seventy-three outlying settlements of Morrowind, but was a significant source of casualties for the Redoran Guard (they lost twenty-six guards in a two-year span).

In 4E 201, the Last Dragonborn traveled to Solstheim and assisted Councilor Morvayn in uncovering and foiling a second Hlaalu plot on his life, this time by the Morag Tong and Vilur Ulen's son Vendil. The Last Dragonborn similarly saved the citizens of Raven Rock from attacks carried out by Ash Spawn under the control of the undead General Falx Carius, and lifted the nocturnal control of Miraak by cleansing the Earth Stone in town. That same year, new ebony deposits were discovered and the mine reopened. The resumed flow of ebony from Raven Rock prompted House Redoran to take a renewed interest in Raven Rock and Solstheim.

House Redoran remains the dominant power in modern Morrowind. The Redoran Guard continue to serve as Morrowind's protective and peacekeeping force, and are found assigned as far away as Mournhold, though by 4E 201 the local garrison was reassigned to other parts of Morrowind. As "the mightiest" of the Great Houses, it sits at the head of the Grand Council "by virtue of our preeminence in battle, wisdom, and ancestral glory" and keeps the "rabble" of the other Great Houses "organized." The Redoran rule from their capital of Blacklight, now the capital of all Morrowind. It is said that House Redoran has improved Blacklight substantially over the last thousand years, and it now rivals the splendor of Mournhold in its prime. In particular, the Rootspire where the modern Council of Great Houses meets is said to be "something to behold."

Culture

Architecture

The settlement of Maar Gan, an example of typical Redoran architecture

Redoran settlements are designed in the Dunmer village style, built of local materials, with organic curves and undecorated exteriors inspired by the landscape and by the shells of giant native insects the Redoran claim to have killed in the distant past. Redoran villages are typically centered on Temple compounds and their courtyards, with huts and tradehouses gathered around a central plaza, as in the West Gash village of Gnisis, which was, for a time, rented to the Imperial Legions in the Third Era prior to being destroyed during the Red Year.

Equipment

Examples of Redoran arms and armor during the Second Era

In the Second Era, House Redoran warriors donned armor inspired by the claws and chitin of gigantic arthropods. It was crafted from Kagouti (or premium guar) leather, and covered in layers of medium-sized overlapping chitin (or chitin-looking) plates. The armor of the time sported helmets ornamented with tall horns that resembled the mandibles of shalk beetles. By the Third and Fourth Eras, this armor had been replaced by bonemold. In Third Era Vvardenfell, the Gah-Julan style was the preferred of House Redoran. The Redoran bonemold utilized by the Fourth Era Redoran Guard was considered impressive, and was crafted from actual bone that was reinforced with a resin-like material and then shaped to form the armored plating. Though it appeared brittle, the armor was said to be capable of stopping a blow from weapons superior to iron and steel. Redoran boots were made of the toughest available leather, with thick soles for protection against the land's rugged terrain. Gloves were designed to facilitate grasping and grappling, even in the heaviest armor sets. Redoran gauntlets eschewed rigid components over the hands and fingers, with gauntlet-plates typically pointed as an enhanced danger to enemies who got too close.

Redoran weapons likewise emulated the organic chitin of Morrowind's native fauna. Swords and daggers were designed to be broad, straight, and double-edged, with a murderous flaring double prong at the tip. This double prong could inflict savage wounds on an unarmored opponent, and the Redoran blade-fighting style emphasized cutting over thrusting, ensuring the twin prongs were no liability against armor. The crossguards were narrow, given Redoran swordfighters were trained to parry with the blade's forte, a hand's-width above the grip. Blunt weapons such as axes and maces were forged from the most durable metal available, ideally carbon steel, but substitutes such as iron, steel, and even Dwarven metal were not unheard of. Both maces and axes were additionally accented with bronze. These weapons evoked the claws and mandibles of the mammoth Morrowind insects whose fierceness the Redoran strove to embody, axes featuring double-edged blades and maces featuring a heavy head that sprouted sharply edged flanges on all sides, curved like insect claws. The classic Redoran bow is a composite of native funguswood and springy leg-chitin, faced with chitin plates on the limbs as they radiate from the grip. The quiver is of light chitin plates accented with bronze; arrows have broad, barbed heads. Staves wielded by Redoran mages echo the shalk-mandible horns of Second Era Redoran helmets. To keep these twin prongs from getting entangled with enemy armor in close combat, they were designed to easily break away without damage, fitting back onto the staff's shaft when the battle was over. Spears are also counted among House Redoran's favored weapons.

Ranks

The six councilors of House Redoran, Vvardenfell District, in 3E 426

In 3E 427, House Redoran's internal ranks were almost identical in structure to those of House Hlaalu, with the exception of the leader's title. The naming convention for each rank seemed inspired by kin or family themes. It is unknown if the ranking structure has remained unchanged throughout the Great House's storied existence, but it should be noted that at least one position - the House's leader - has sported different naming. Such can be observed in 2E 582 and 3E 427, with High Councilor Meriath in the former year and Archmaster Bolvyn Venim in the latter. The House's Third Era ranks are as follows:

• Archmaster (High Councilor)
• Councilman
• House Father
• House Brother
• House Cousin
• Kinsman
• Lawman
• Oathman
• Retainer
• Hireling

Known Rulers

• Mainland Chapter
  • Queen Vermith (fl. 3E 389 – 3E 399)
• Vvardenfell Chapter
  • High Councilor Meriath (ca. 2E 582)
  • Archmaster Bolvyn Venim (ca. 3E 427)

Gallery

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  Ald'ruhn, the district seat of House Redoran on Vvardenfell, as seen in Morrowind

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  The Redoran village of Khuul, as seen in Morrowind

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  A male Redoran Guard, as seen in Morrowind

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  A female Redoran Guard, as seen in Morrowind

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  A Redoran banner, as seen in Morrowind

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  A typical Redoran building, as seen in Dragonborn

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  A House Redoran-styled Temple in 4E 201, as seen in Dragonborn

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  A Redoran Guard, as seen in Dragonborn

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  The House Redoran fortress of Tal'Deic in eastern Deshaan as seen in ESO

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  A Kinhouse in Redoran-ruled Balmora circa 2E 582, as seen in ESO

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  An abandoned Redoran outpost on Firemoth, as seen in ESO

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  A Redoran Guard in heavy armor, as seen in ESO

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  A Redoran Guard in medium armor, as seen in ESO

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  A Redoran Sentinel, as seen in ESO

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  An ancestor spirit of House Redoran, as seen in ESO

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  Redoran armor style circa 2E 582

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  House Redoran themed card back as seen in Legends

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  Captain Brivan Malrom of Balmora as seen in Legends

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  Redoran House Cousin and Agent Faral Retheran as seen in Legends

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  Kinsman Theldyn Virith of House Redoran as seen in Legends

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  Councilman Hlaren Ramoran, Lord of Gnisis as seen in Legends

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  Redoran kinsman and drillmaster Neminda as seen in Legends

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  A Redoran Guard, as seen in Legends

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  A warrider of House Redoran, as seen in Legends

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  Redoran Battlespear (Legends)

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  A traditional Redoran Watchman's Helm, as seen in Blades

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  Concept art of two Redoran warriors

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  Bonemold armor and Redoran master helm

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  Buildings concept art

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  Buildings concept art

Notes

The Dwemer symbol for the Steed constellation, noticeably similar to the Redoran crest.

• Several settlements appeared in a pre-release concept map of Morrowind under the control of House Redoran. These Redoran-ruled settlements included Aldrun, Blacklight, Cormaris View, Sadrith Forest, Selethis, Silgrad Tower, Stonewood, and Veranis Hall.
• The House's crest is bears a notable resemblance to the Dwemer symbol for the Steed constellation.
• It has been implied that House Redoran has a significant culinary inclination, boasting two cookbooks, chefs, and numerous ornate utensils, drinkware, and cookware.

See Also

• For game-specific information, see the Morrowind and Elder Scrolls Online articles.

Books

• Crafting Motif 52: Redoran Style by Vindamea Redoran, House Procurement Sister, Vivec City — A guide to crafting armor and weapons in the Redoran style
• The Great Houses and Their Uses by Tel Verano — Appraisals of the Great Houses of Morrowind
• Great Houses of Morrowind — A description of the five great houses of Morrowind
• Guide to Ald'ruhn — An overview of Ald'ruhn's people and notable places
• History of Raven Rock, Vol. I by Lyrin Telleno — The history of Solstheim's mining town
• History of Raven Rock, Vol. II by Lyrin Telleno — The history of Solstheim's mining town
• History of Raven Rock, Vol. III by Lyrin Telleno — The history of Solstheim's mining town
• The Hope of the Redoran by Turiul Nirith — A tale of a child blessed by a prophecy and the interpretation thereof
• Mottos of the Dunmeri Great Houses by Vilyn Girith — A Dunmer rebukes his son for lacking common knowledge
• Our Dunmer Heritage A Summary by Oathman-Applicant Mornsu Baram, in service of House Redoran, 330th year of the Second Era — A speech about Dunmer superiority and cultural links to the ancient Aldmer
• Red Book of 3E 426 — A yearbook of the affairs of the Redoran Council of Vvardenfell District
• Redoran Cooking Secrets by Dinara Othrelas — How to cook "Crab Meat and Scuttle" and "The Hound and Rat"
• Redoran Cooking Secrets — How to cook "Crab Meat Stew" and "Frog Muffin"
• The True Noble's Code by Serjo Athyn Sarethi — Gives the guidelines to the members of the House Redoran
• Understanding House Redoran by Remoran Redoran, Grand Historian for the House — Notes on the values of House Redoran

References

Note: The following references are considered to be unofficial sources. They are included to round off this article and may not be authoritative or conclusive.