I'm working on a tiny quest mod that contains some throw-backs to Morrowind, and while I was designing the NPC I needed, I got to thinking about whether or not certain cultural whims were appropriate or not (I like to stay as canon as possible).

It seems to me that a lot (if not all) of the rich Dunmer culture appears to have been lost. In Morrowind, you were given this very alien world filled with these (mostly xenophobic) people that were staddling tribalism (the old, struggling Ashlander tribes) and traditional feudalism (seen in the various major Houses). They seemed to be very resistant to Imperial assimilation, to the point that they demanded certain allowances in their agreement/charter for entry into the Empire -- for example, slavery is still legal (to my knowledge) in the province of Morrowind, they have peculiar religious practices (as far as I know, they lead the way for Daedra worship), legalized/regulated assassination, and other such things. They even have some unique slang terms.

When Oblivion came out, the game had some references to these cultural things but most of the NPCs had an Imperialized attitude of, "Well, those people were savages. I'm a proper civilized citizen." Okay, I guess I can see that, but it surprised me that there weren't any real noteable merchants or other travellers who were strong in the old ways.

Between that time and Skyrim, there was the Red Year, and a mass exodus from Vvardenfell. To my knowledge, most of the Houses appear to have collpased (have any survived at all?). So, in Skyrim, all of the NPCs just appear to be regular Cyrodillic citizens who just happen to be prejudiced against by the Nords. They've got none of the fire or intrigue you saw from Dunmer in the Morrowind game.

So, do you think the Dunmer culture has been lost for good? Are they now just Imperials in grey? Or is it a fault of the design of Skyrim's NPCs? (( This is not meant to be a shot, but I do feel that the developers have REALLY downplayed the racial tensions in the game for the sake of broad playability and trying not to offend anyone. As I mentioned in another thread, Ulfric is just as happen with his altmer minion as he is with his Nordic one.))

I doubt the culture is lost but it certainly would have changed a lot, the lore forums could probably answer the question better but from what little i know and remember from the post oblivion lore at least some of the houses are still around as of the time period of the novels not sure which ones though, the Ashland clans where likely destroyed sadly due to their rather precarious proximity to red mountain sadly the religious practices are touched on a bit though. i'd say the lack of reference in skyrim is just the npcs as none of the other races aside from nord (which makes sence in a way it being their province) get a lot of reference reguarding their cultures either. As i mentioned earlier though try the lore forum i think they had a discussion about this a few weeks ago

I'd say their Culture is dead, the Dunmer were already in Decline during Morrowind-Oblivion, they could have gone anywhere with that aspect also, either a Cultural Rebirth/Modernization with the Argonians no longer being slaves and the end to the old Houses. BUT MOT said Hai and Red Mountain waved back effectively punching the Dunmer in the face, and unlike red year were they had their Tribunal saviors with Nerevar off to who knows the hell where and the Gods but a distant memoir? yeah They're dead.

Oh and The Argonian killing Spree? the Houses made the culture the Daedra made it stand, the Houses have fallen the Daedra walk away laughing and the only Daedra that gave a damn has been silenced.

yeah they as a Culture, are dead.

It's sad. Dunmer culture was probably the most original (and awesome) aspect of TES lore.

I wholeheartedly agree with this.

I would love to see a Skyrim expansion that includes a lot of new theme that tries to bring it all back. The Dunmer have this incredible backstory but now they're not very fun to play. Even the ancestral powers stuff is pretty much gone. I'd rather have a race that was unique to play than have two races that are otherwise identical except for appearance -- but that's just me.

It's been two hundred and one years since the Oblivion Crisis. The Daedra invaded Tamriel, and then Morrowind was almost completely destroyed before being invaded by the Argonians. Why are you so surprised that the Dunmer Culture has changed?

Is the Vvardenfal culture the dominate one among all the Dunmer?

Vvardenfall was only one part of the province and had unique circumstances that bore the ashlander tribes. So perhaps its not gone and we're just seeing the more mainstream Dunmer?

And you escape the horror of the Red Mountain explosion after effects and the damn fetcher invasion, and then make your way to Skyrim thinking I may give this a go as a refugee. Then they arrest you for crossing the Border and the Imperial Army try to behead you. Not a good morning that one. No wonder we can not hold much of the culture together.

If they didn't get their land taken from them by their own slaves they may have had some rich culture left. but ya know. The Argonian's kicked their asses.

Sorry bub. Morrowind belongs to the Argonian's now a'int no way they can get it back or even have it be remotely the same. even the Daedra couldn't invade Black Marsh.

There are still Dunmer lIving in Morrowind though we don't know where exactly and what it's like. The novels (about 150 years before Skyrim) tell us of a large number of Dunmer that have settled in the South of Solstheim and whereas it looks like the traditional houses don't really exist anymore (or are just shadows compared to their former selves).

To me it's still an open question if the Dunmer have generally turned back to Daedra and ancestor worshipping. I guess Nerevar and the Tribunal are considered to be the most powerful ancestors?

Anyway, just because most of that xenophobic bunch of slave traders has learned a lesson of modesty in Skyrim does not mean it has suddenly lost all means of thousands of years of history and culture.

Morrowind mainland wasn't interested in the eruption. we know the south has been invaded by Argonian forces, the west part, close to the skyrim border, should be the only portion left. it would be real interesting if it's possible to visit that small portion of Morrowind in an expansion

With the death of the Tribunal, Dunmer Culture as we knew it in Morrowind effectively died out. It actually wasn't that surprising at all, though no less tragic.

To be fair though, all the mer have strange "Culture", if Bethesda can do Valenwood justice, I have a feeling that might trump Morrowind for being unique. Green Pact and all that jazz, to say nothing of their capital city built into a moving tree a mile high.

The culture of the Dunmer has no doubt changed due to their loss of slavery and the fall of the Tribunal but I wouldn't say that it is destroyed. They still have their Great Houses in some form and customs and rituals still remain. Dunmer live for hundreds if not thousands of years and will not soon forget where they come from or their traditions.

dunmer was and still are my favourite race i hope they return to there former glory. granted things wont be the same as the time around morrowind. i wonder if they will ever have a homeland again?

Dunmer are my fav race as well. They have always been looked down on and even more so now that they are basiclly refugees in Skyrim. They are survivors though and will return to glory, no matter where they arre.

I doubt it's dead or gone. Yes, there are a lot of Imperial-dunmers, but there's still people out there who hold unto their traditions and there's still people alive. Everyone in Morrowind weren't killed and I believe some of the houses can rebuild. Telvanni especially...

Good ol' Fyr is probabling finishing his clone army by now to retake the Dunmer land from the Argonian scums!

He's dead, Jim.

No way.

Anyway I wonder why noone imported the Dunmer armors yet.

Because directly porting assets from other games (that includes previous Bethesda games as well) is not allowed.

And I doubt bone armor would keep anybody warm

Not enough netch left probably

Those armors were imported from Morrowind to Oblivion.

And just having them would be cool. Like a piece of Morrowind in Skyrim.

I never played Morrowind, but I do like reading the lore... it would have been cool if Skyrim had a Dunmer centric settlement that was full of Dunmer and there traditions/buildings. Same with other races. Migration is part of any culture and any time there is migration your bound to find places that are devoted to ones culture, so it would have been nice to see it in Skyrim instead of just Nord culture.

Its likely most have.

Keep in mind we haven't been to solstheim since Morrowind and that a large number of the refugees went there instead. Their culture could still be well preserved on that island.