Across the lands of Tamriel in The Elder Scrolls franchise, many different races populate its various provinces. Each playable race has its culture, homeland, and deep lore. The ash-skinned Dunmer have always been a favorite among these races for their intriguing culture and fierce stats. While most fans know the Dunmer from their role in Morrowind, they are one of the more deep factions from the series in terms of their lore and philosophy. Here is a breakdown of the complex history of the Dunmer from the long-running Elder Scrolls series.
The Basics of The Dunmer
While elves are considered a stock fantasy race, The Elder Scrolls gives a unique take. The Dunmer of Tamriel are among the many Elven peoples of the continent, and their ash-grey skin and red eyes distinguish them. Statistically, they excel at destruction magic, stealth, and one-handed combat while resisting fire. Generally, the Dunmer are best suited for players who want to go as assassins or battlemages during playthroughs. The Dunmer settled in Morrowind, a province northeast of Tamriel. Given its vast deserts of ash, forests of giant mushrooms, and other bizarre creatures, it is easily the most alien province.
Furthermore, their architecture is equally obtuse, mixing Ancient Near Eastern and South Asian styles while using bones and chitin as armor. In older fantasy settings, such as earlier versions of Forgotten Realms, Dark Elves/Drow would be an “evil” race. However, the Dunmer of the Elder Scrolls, while their governments and religions have the same sordid history as other factions, are shown to be just as capable of good as the other races. Many “anti-hero” characters are among the Dunmer, such as the Thieves Guild’s Karliah and Winterhold’s Savos Aren.
Their Culture
As with all races in Skyrim, the Dunmer have their perspective on the Daedric Prince that rules over Tamriel. The three Princes that rule the Dunmer in their religion are the deceiver Mephala, the warrior Boethiah, and Azura, one of the token “good” Daedra. Given their volcanic homeland, fire is naturally revered by their culture.
In the material plane, their rulers during the Third Era were the Tribunal of Vivec, Almalexia, and Sotha Sil. These three are all major players during Morrowind and Online. In addition to their theocracy, the Dunmer are ruled over by a collection of Great Houses, including Indoril, Telvani, Redoran, Hlaalu, and others.
Their Rich Lore
Like all of the Elven peoples of Tamriel, they descended from the Altmer, who arrived from the southern continent of Aldmeris. Soon after, the prophet Veloth led them to the northeastern land of Morrowind, where they would become the Chimer and worship the Daedra. They would share the province with the Dwemer, a subterranean race of Elves with technological prowess. However, war erupted between the two races due to the latter’s attempted use of the Heart of Lorkhan, an object of cosmic power. When the Dwemer suddenly vanished due to their use of the heart, the Tribunal attempted to use their tools for their gain.
In response, their leader, Indoril Nerevar, tried to stop them, only to be killed. For this transgression, Azura appeared and cursed their entire race with their ashen complexion. By the end of Morrowind, all three of the Tribunal ended up dead or vanished. Not long after, the meteor Baar Dau fell upon the city of Vivec, and the Red Mountain at the heart of Vvardenfell erupted. In the ensuing fallout, the Argonians to the south rebelled against them. As such, the Dunmer were once again scattered to the wind.
Their Roles Across Elder Scrolls
Their largest role would easily be the third game, Morrowind. There, players journeyed to the island of Vvardenfell to investigate a plague dubbed “the Blight” ravaging the land. The game’s main story has the player foil the usurper Dagoth Ur’s return and plans to use the Heart of Lorkhan again. During the following DLC Tribunal, the player is swept into a conflict between Almalexia and the king of Morrowind, Hlaalu Helseth.
Centuries earlier, during The Elder Scrolls Online, players would return to the province again to explore the Dunmer’s lands. One of the first DLC, Morrowind, had players return to the kingdom to help stop a meteor from plummeting onto the island. The other DLC, Necrom and The Clockwork City, had players exploring the Telvanni Peninsula and Sotha Sil’s lair, respectively. Two centuries later, the Dragonborn arrives on the island of Solstheim under the rule of House Redoran. There, they join forces with the Telvani sorcerer Neloth to help stop the returning Dragonborn Miraak and his master, the Daedric Prince Hermaeus Mora.
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