Netruk44/uesp-wiki-content huggingface dataset:
Lore:The Doors of the Spirit

he Ancestors are among us. They are never farther away than the Waiting Door.

The Ancestors are not departed. The dead are not under the earth. Their spirits are in the restless wind, in the fire's voice, in the foot-smoothed step. Pay heed to these things, and you will know your absent kin.

Pay reverence through gift and prayer. Acquaint the Ancestors with your affairs, with your comings and goings, with your blessings and trials. 

From the Waiting Door comes your protection. Heed the spirits, who are the guardians of your hearth, teachers of wisdom, counselors of fortune, seers of fate.

Each bone is a door through the wall of the world. Each bone is the road, with Wisdom and Power the travelers. Each bone is the ghost fence that guards us from evil.

Honor the Ancestors upon your hearths, within your halls, in the community of your temples, in the solitude of your tombs.

Guard your Ancestors from beasts, from thieves, from profane priest and sorcerers. Let no creature steal your spirits, for the plundered hearth is diminished, and the plundered tomb is shamed.

Live in One World with your spirits. Honor the spirits within and without you. Do not grieve for the dead. Take shelter in their arms, and pay heed to their words.
Lore:Fellowship of the Temple

I have been asked to write this guidebook for outsiders who are unfamiliar with the  , and interested in joining.

All those who are earnest, and who are willing to submit to the wisdom of Blessed Almsivi, Triune Grace, the saints, and the  s, are welcome to the Fellowship of the Tribunal Temple. The Temple is the religion of Morrowind and   people, and has been for generation upon generation. With guidance and counsel of Almalexia,  , and  , the Anticipations, and all the hosts of saints of ancestors, the Temple guards and protects the lands and peoples of Morrowind.

Those who follow the Tribunal must have the   to lead others and the   to resist the world's temptations. When violence is needful, we fight with  , armored  . We study   and   to heal the people, and   to learn more of the divine. We must also study   to speak with the spirits of our ancestors and protect against those who traffic with the Four Corners.

Those interested in joining the Tribunal Temple should speak to priests at the temples in  ,  ,  , and  , or with priests at the   in the Temple Compound in  .

Articles of Faith
The Temple believes that Almalexia, Vivec, and Sotha Sil were mortal guardians of Morrowind who walked the earth, defeated the Dunmer's greatest enemies, the  s and the Dwarves, and achieved divine substance through superhuman discipline and virtue and supernatural wisdom and insight. Like loving ancestors, they guard and counsel their followers. Like stern parents, they punish sin and error. Like generous relatives, they share their bounty among the greatest and least, according to their needs.

Duties of the Faithful
Your fourfold duties are to: Faith, Family, Masters, and all that is good. Perform holy quests and bring luster to the Temple. Never transgress against your brothers or sisters, and never dishonor your house or your ancestors. Serve and protect the poor and weak, and honor your elders and clan.

For those who would be wise, these sacred books will be of interest.
; : Learn from the teachings of Vivec, and from the Archcanon's sermons on the Seven Graces.
; : Members of the Temple who wish to be virtuous will model their lives on the lives of the saints.
; : The path to wisdom and self-knowledge is through pilgrimage. Those who would rise in the ranks of the faithful may retrace the steps of the Lords and Saints, and gain blessings and learn virtue by suffering and overcoming hardships.
; : Learn what bounties and blessing might be gained by prayer at the shrines found in temples, and in places of pilgrimage, and in the tombs of our ancestors.
Lore:Frontier, Conquest

istorians often portray the human settlement of Tamriel as a straightforward process of military expansion of the  s of Skyrim.  In fact, human settlers occupied nearly every corner of Tamriel before Skyrim was even founded.  These so-called "Nedic peoples" include the proto-Cyrodilians, the ancestors of the  s, the aboriginals of Hammerfell, and perhaps a now-vanished  uman population of Morrowind. Strictly speaking, the Nords are simply another of these Nedic peoples, the only one that failed to find a method of peaceful accommodation with the Elves who already occupied Tamriel.

  was certainly not the first human settler in Tamriel.  In fact,   "fleeing civil war in  s the   states, Ysgramor was following a long tradition of migration from Atmora; Tamriel had served as a "safety valve" for Atmora for centuries before Ysgramor's arrival.  Malcontents, dissidents, rebels, landless younger sons, all made the difficult crossing from Atmora to the "New World" of Tamriel.  New archeological excavations date the earliest human settlements in Hammerfell,  , and Cyrodiil at M 00-1000, centuries earlier than Ysgramor, even assuming that the twelve Nord "kings" prior to   were actual historical figures.

The Nedic peoples were a minority in a land of Elves, and had no choice but to live peacefully with the Elder Race.  In High Rock, Hammerfell, Cyrodiil, and possibly Morrowind, they did just that, and the Nedic peoples flourished and expanded over the last centuries of the Merethic Era.  Only in Skyrim did this accommodation break down, an event recorded in the Song of Return.  Perhaps  being close to reinforcements from Atmora, the proto-Nords did not feel it necessary to submit to the authority of the  . Indeed, the early Nord chronicles note that under King Harald, the first historical Nord ruler ( - ), "the Atmoran mercenaries returned to their homeland" following the consolidation of Skyrim as a centralized kingdom.  Whatever the case, the pattern was se n Skyrim, expansion would proceed militarily  with human settlement following the frontier of conquest, and the line between Human territory and Elven territory was relatively clear.

But beyond this "zone of conflic he other Nedic peoples continued to merge with their Elven neighbors.  When the Nord armies of the   finally entered High Rock and Cyrodiil, they found Bretons and proto-Cyrodiils already living there among the Elves.  Indeed, the Nords found it difficult to distinguish between Elf and Breton, the two races had already intermingled to such a degree.  The arrival of the Nord armies upset the balance of power between the Nedic peoples and the Elves.  Although the Nords' expansion into High Rock and Cyrodiil was relatively brief (less than two centuries), the result was decisive; from then on, power in those regions shifted from the Elves to the  umans.
Lore:Galur Rithari's Papers

utnumbered and isolated, I yielded to my foe. The creature dressed like a gentleman, and I hoped for honorable treatment. Instead, I found myself a feast for a blood-drinking monster.

 Shamed by my corruption, and despairing of my own welfare, I passively acquiesced in my gradual integration into the affairs of  . I made no human my prey, only beasts, and kept myself apart from the other clankin; nonetheless, I abandoned hope and lived like a beast.

 Drawn by intimations of my former life, I visited my former post at  , hoping perhaps to atone in some for my crimes by preying upon its monsters, or perishing under their attacks. It is there that, by chance, I made petition to the Lord of Troubles,  , at an altar deep in the caverns beneath the pilgrim's shrine. I was surprised, and thrilled, and terrified, when Molag Bal, or some aspect or agent of that Daedra Lord, offered me a chance to cure myself of  , in return for a favor. However, with no hope for my soul or spirit unless I might be cured, I undertook his quest. 

 

 I placed the gem within the basin before the altar, and instantly experienced a blinding of pain and terror that I cannot express in words, except that it seemed afterward that I had been asleep and dreaming that I was being sliced by thousands of tiny knives from my bowels inside out. I awoke before the altar, and gazed in the reflection of my own sword blade at my own face - no longer a blood-seeking beast of teeth and empty eyes.
Lore:Grasping Fortune

I am a councilor of   and chose to write this short guide for those who seek to understand us or join us. House Hlaalu is the most open and modern of the  . We are the only Great House who has embraced the irresistible tides of   law and custom. And thus we have profited by the Empire's new policies, rising from obscurity as the Greatest of the Houses.

In the great wind of progress, tradition cannot stand.

The   may surpass us on the field of battle, but when the dust clears, they will find themselves indebted to us. The   may know many arcane secrets, but they fight among themselves more than against each other, and they cannot adapt to the ways of the Empire. Ancient and powerful though a Telvanni wizard may be, no individual can withstand the march of history. The   are loved by the people for their gifts and donations, but when the money runs dry, will the people remember? The   know how to make money, but they have not learned how not to make enemies.

Grasp fortune by the forelocks. When you see your chances, seize them.

When you see a chance to turn a profit, take it. But do not follow money blindly. There is value in reputation, more than many young Hlaalu realize. This value must be carefully balanced against the more tangible coins in any deal. Theft and murder are bad for business. You can steal from someone, but will he trade with you after that? You can't bargain with a dead man.

There are many ways to do business.

In House Hlaalu you must be   and  . You must be able to keep up with business and with the times. You must be able to  . You must be able to  . You must learn to   by securing it with hidden chests, locks, and even traps. And when confrontation is unavoidable, it is best to fight quickly in comfortable,   with  , or to fight from a distance with a  's weapons.

Then, reader, would you seize this opportunity to join House Hlaalu? Would you have yourself be counted among the victors in the race for success? Then submit yourself for examination at the   Council Manor. If you have the skills, you will be welcome. And if you have the will, you may serve House Hlaalu, and advance in the ranks, for above all things, House Hlaalu prizes initiative and ambition.
Lore:Guylaine's Architecture

'' his is Guylaine Marilie's outdated but entertainingly writte  reference on late Dwemer architecture. Excerpt is from the chapter describing the Second Empire style of approaches and defenses, and mentioning the common formal convention of the "Four Tests  The book also mentions that the   have adopted this Four Tests convention as an aesthetic element in their defenses and approaches to their towers. ''

"The Test of Pattern requires the observer to examine and analyze for patterns before he acts, with the understanding that many patterns are subtle or hidden.

"The Test of Disorder requires the observer to proceed systematically when no pattern is perceived. When the observer recognizes that many things must be done, and in no specific order; the procedure is to perceive and order all the things to be done, and, upon doing a thing, to recall how and when that thing has been done. For example, the observer must remember the initial position of a thing, and also the new position of that thing.

"The Test of Evasion requires the observer to examine the obstacle, and compare his resources and abilities; if the obstacle is too difficult, seek for a path around the difficulty.

"The Test of Confrontation requires the observer to examine the obstacle, and compare his resources and abilities; if the obstacle is too difficult, look for a path around the difficulty … but if no path around can be found, confront the obstacle directly."
Lore:Hanin's Wake

...and upon that year of the Reign of Wulfharth and his Son's, the Magnificence that was Mordrin Hanin ended in this world.   of  ,   and   gathered in a great host at the vastness of  . Even   and   were lured from their Forge, and for a time the Fires of   were silent.

And thus on the Ninth Day of Mourning, many slaves and enemies were sacrificed and the Cup of Passage was mixed according to the direction of Hanin's Formulae:
:2 Parts Blood of Traitors
:1 Part  
:1 Part mixed  ,  ,  s and  
:1 Part  
:5 Parts  
Combine Blood, Heart, Moonsugar in Large    . Heat fire fed by Bones of Traitors. Condense vapors into a large Ebony flask. For a hot drink, strain contents through   and mix with Flin in large mug, slowly stirring with a glass rod. For a chilled drink, mix in flask with pure Skyrim Ice and shake vigorously. Strain through   membrane and served in gem encrusted goblet.

The wake was considered a great success as the beverage killed a great many guests and thus Mordrin Hanin was supplied with companions in the next world.
Lore:Honor Among Thieves

Many admirers ask, "Arnie, how can I become a flash and prosperous fellow like you?"

And I tell them, "You want to join  . Make friends. Be a part of something."

"But who can join?" they ask.

We're just like any other trade guild. We've got requirements. And if you want to advance in the ranks, we've got standards.

You want to be   and  . You want to move  . You want to know about   -- locks, traps, and how to get around them. You want to defend yourself. You travel light and fast, and want light arms like  . You don't want to get into a slugging match, so you want the  's weapons -- the bow, crossbow, throwing star, and dart. You want  , so you can  , and moving fast.

Why belong? Simple. Everybody needs friends.

The help of friends includes information. Your friends at the Thieves Guild know where the action is, and where the action is safe, and where it is not. The help of friends includes a place to rest, and a place to buy supplies and services -- training and tools. The help of friends includes fixing things with the guards at a discount rate. That's where the 'honor among thieves' part comes in. Friends stick together, and help each other.

"But what about the competition?" my admirers ask.

The competition is the  . And you don't want to join them, because they don't want you. They have this thing about outlanders. They want them all dead. So, unless your ambition is to be dead, you don't want to join them.

And the Camonna Tong are bad people. The Camonna Tong don't mind killing people. Heck, they LIKE killing people. The Thieves Guild, on the other hand, thinks killing people is bad business. You want to be good people, right? So join the Thieves Guild, and stay far, far away from the Camonna Tong.

So you want to join. But where do you look?

Being a thief is not like being a fighter. You don't just go to the local guild Hall. The Thieves Guild doesn't have Guild Halls. But thieves like to be where their friends are. And where are their friends? At the local cornerclub or tradehouse. In Vvardenfell, look for friends in  ,  ,  , and the   of  .
Lore:The House of Troubles

mong the ancient ancestral spirits who accompanied Saint Veloth and the Chimer into the promised land of Morrowind, the four Daedra Lords, Malacath, Mehrunes Dagon, Molag Bal, and Sheogorath, are known as the Four Corners of the  . These Daedra Lords rebelled against the counsel and admonition of the  , causing great kinstrife and confusion among the clans and  . 
 
Malacath, Mehrunes Dagon, Molag Bal, and Sheogorath are holy in that they serve the role of obstacles during the Testing. Through time they have sometimes become associated with local enemies, like the  s, Akaviri, or Mountain  s. 
 
Malacath is the reanimated dung that was Trinimac  Malacath is a weak but vengeful god. The   say he is Malak, the god-king of the  rcs. He tests the Dunmer for physical weakness. 
 
Molag Bal is, in Morrowind, the  . He tries to upset the bloodlines of  ouses and otherwise ruin  the Dunmer gene pool. A race of monsters, said to live in  , are the result of his seduction of   during the previous era. 
 
Sheogorath is the King of Madness. He always tests the Dunmer for mental weakness. In many legends  he is called upon by one Dunmer faction against anothe n half of these stories  he does not betray those who called him, further confusing the issue of his place in the scheme of things an he help us?  s he not an obstacle?  He is often associated with the fear other races have of the Dunmer, especially those who, like the  , might prove as useful allies. 
 
Mehrunes Dagon is the god of destruction. He is associated with natural dangers like fire, earthquakes, and floods. To some  he represents the inhospitable land of Morrowind. He tests the Dunmer will to survive and persevere. 
 
The worship of these four malevolent spirits is against the law and practice of the Temple. However, the Four Corners seldom fail to discover those greedy, reckless, or mad enough to serve them. By ancient Temple law and custom, and also by  mperial law, the lives of witches and warlocks are forfeit  Imperial garrisons join  s and  s of the Temple in tracking down and destroying these foul covens in the wilderness refuges and ancient ruins where they conceal their profane worship .
Morrowind:Dark Brotherhood

thumb|left|Severa Magia, Night Mother of the Dark Brotherhood on Vvardenfell
 
The Dark Brotherhood is a guild of assassins that split away from the  Morag Tong, and have been bitter rivals ever since. They are one of the unjoinable guilds in Morrowind, and are featured in the Morag Tong questline, where you will be tasked with preventing their expansion onto Vvardenfell. They have allied themselves with Dagonites, cultists of Mehrunes Dagon who provide them strongholds through Vvardenfell. The Dark Brotherhood had also stolen from the Morag Tong the Threads of the Webspinner, which can also be found carried by Dagonites.

Their leader on Vvardenfell is Night Mother Severa Magia, who can be found in Ald Sotha. Other members of the guild include Durus Marius, Movis Darys, Hrordis, and Tsrazami. It is also likely that anyone accompanying some of these people in their various hideouts are members as well, but they may also be the Dagonites that are allied with them. A non-member who has business dealings with them is Miun-Gei.

The Brotherhood also features in the Tribunal expansion, where you will encounter them on Vvardenfell and in ruins under Mournhold as part of the expansion's Main Quest. See the  article for more specific information about their role in the expansion. Since the Brotherhood does not technically exist as a faction in the game code without Tribunal, none of the vanilla Morrowind NPCs associated with the Brotherhood are listed as members of it in the CS (no one is at all other than Dandras Vules), and estimating their relative ranks within the organization would be conjecture.
Lore:A Dubious Tale of the Crystal Tower

This story was first told to me when I was a neonate, newly studying in the   of  . I was admiring the famous animal pens of the Tower when I was approached by an older student. The fellow who told me this tale seemed very trustworthy at first, but, as the reader will soon discover, the tale is very dubious indeed. Of course, I have told it since to other neonates of the Tower in the same spirit.

I offer the following for your august consideration, gentle reader.

Many, many years back, a talented but poor bard was passing through Sumurset, looking for work. He could sing,
he could dance, he could act, but no one had any use for his performances. The poor bard was lugubrious, but he still visited the taverns and palaces, day after day, begging for a chance to showcase his talents.

One day, dejected from more bad luck, he was approached by a tall elf in a long robe. A Magister of the Crystal
Tower, in charge of the animal pens. The elf tells the bard of the white ape they made a cell for at the Tower, how it had died en route. There was a royal party from   visiting who had been promised a glimpse at the rare white ape. The Magister had a costume for the bard if he would deign to act out the part of the ape for the visitors. The bard had promised himself to take the first part that came his way, no matter how minor, so he agreed. The elf promised that the charade would last no longer than a fortnight, when the visitors left.

For the first several days of the masquerade, the bard did nothing more than sit in the back of the pen. He was 
afraid to move and show the possible imperfections of the ape costume. In time, he became bored and began walking around. He suddenly noticed that the royal party was watching, fascinated. Happy that the ruse was working, he decided to enliven the act.

Soon he had both a performance and a crowd. Instead of dancing a traditional elven jig, he would swing around the 
cell with every acrobatic trick he knew. Instead of singing a ballad, he would roar a roar he imagined a rare 
white ape might roar. The crowd loved it. The party outside his cell grew larger and larger every day.

One day, he was performing for the crowd -- his finest work to date. He swung himself round and round, roaring 
and bleating. His hand slipped and he went flying through the bar and into the cell next door, where a   was in residence. Hackling its back and growling, the Snow Wolf began to inch toward the bard.

Seeing no other way out, the bard screamed, "Help! Help!"

The Snow Wolf whispered, "Shut up or you'll get us all fired."