Dunmer Law: A Primer

The law of the Dunmer is not a single monolithic doctrine; rather it is as varied and obscure as the Dunmer people themselves are. Unwary outlander scholars may find themselves hopelessly lost within Morrowind's legal system, and it is my hope that this primer will familiarize visitors with some of the basic principles of law in this province.

In many ways, Morrowind itself is not one nation but five (or six, or seven depending on how one counts), and the competing legal structures of the province reflect the different values and ideals of its Great Houses. Thus, one might expect a court and trial system not unlike that of Wayrest or Colovia in the lands of my kin, the Hlaalu. If you find yourself in legal difficulties in the Velothis Marches however, I pray that your sword arm is strong as disputes among the Redoran are often solved by honorable duels. The scandal of 3E297, when the East Empire Company delegate to Baan Malur was reportedly murdered by a councilor of that city, was to Redoran eyes an acceptable, lawful challenge to a tariff dispute over marshmerrow exports. Their response to the ensuing Imperial outrage was bemusement that the delegate, in his ignorance of legal custom, had not made more effort to seek a compromise on the issue.

The Telvanni, as usual, are another matter altogether. There are historically no laws in their domain, a civic freedom in which they take no small measure of pride. Of course, the power of the local wizard lord is absolute, and his or her word is final in all disputes. Tyranny, you might declare, but many a cruel or overly mighty Telvanni lord has been dragged from his tower and dismembered by his angry subjects.

The accumulated legal wisdom and precedents of over three thousand years of history maintain order in the lands of the Dres. This wisdom is rarely written down, and is instead called upon directly by the summoning of esteemed ancestor spirits to legal proceedings. This is naturally advantageous when mediating cases of inheritance or unlawful murder, and it is occasionally the case that necromancers have been denounced at trial by the souls of the dead they have attempted to bind to the mortal plane. Court meetings take place on holy ground and are ritually cleansed at the end of every hearing.

Indoril law is perhaps the greatest philosophical achievement of the Dunmer race. It entails an all-encompassing code that covers all functions of society and nature. Derived in part from the recursive algorithmic legal doctrine of the Aldmeri Dominion (which was also highly influential on the Dwemer), Indoril law requires study from birth in order to correctly grasp its axioms, as it seeks to provide a framework not only for mortal behavior but also natural processes like the growth of flowers and the master-slave relationship which is inherent to all life. The much-publicized and misunderstood attempt by the Indoril to place the Thrassian Plague itself on trial in the First Era, on charges of existential disruption of the social order, has garnered some derision in the West. These outlander commentators fail to grasp the importance of the legal process in Indoril society, and the necessity that grotesque unpredicted occurrences be codified and incorporated into society's worldview. Needless to say, Indoril savants look on relative vulgarity of Imperial law with disdain, much as an artist might resent a tradesmer's crude branding mark pasted across their life's masterwork.

All Great Houses are obliged to implement the core Imperial legal code, the Juris Imperator Tamrielicus, and all grudgingly do so in their own fashion. Fines and imprisonment for crimes such as murder, theft, and obstructing an officer of the Empire are standardized and will be familiar to any Imperial subject.

Disputes between members of different houses, or legal issues where house jurisdiction is in question, are often referred to the Court of Waters, a religious conclave that holds the final say in matters beyond the remit of the House councils. The power of this court has waxed and waned over time according to the strength of the Great Houses themselves, but in theory, it carries the authority of the god-kings of Morrowind and now also the Empire, which is trying to consolidate the legal framework of the province into this one entity for administrative purposes. It was at this court that the historic accord was reached between Great House Dres and the Tribunal Temple itself, when they affirmed their legal right to practice traditional Dunmer Daedra Worship in a case where the deities Vivec and Boethiah were both called to the stand, and proceedings were temporarily halted when the court building itself was apparently briefly relocated to the moon Secunda by parties unknown. Other unusual cases heard here include a dispute over archaeological remains between Telvanni and Indoril plaintiffs, which caused outrage when the Telvanni delegation summoned a mechanical Dwemer centurion as a witness for their case.

It is difficult to say how the law will develop as Morrowind becomes a more settled member province of the Empire. The Hlaalu have led the way, becoming highly conversant in the Western system to the extent that they are now able to propose innovations within the Imperial Juris. However recent disputes about territorial control effected by the opening of Vvardenfell promise to create new crises and conflicts, and I believe that common understanding is now more essential than ever.