Great Houses of Morrowind Content . In modern times Morrowind is ruled by five Great Houses : House Hlaalu , House Redoran , House Telvanni , House Indoril , and House Dres . Only three of these Houses have interests in Vvardenfell . The three Great Houses on Vvardenfell identify themselves by their traditional colors : red for Redoran , yellow for Hlaalu , and brown for Telvanni . Thus , members of House Hlaalu may be referred to collectively as Yellows . The Great Houses traditions derive from ancient Dunmer clan and tribes , but now function as political parties . Dunmer Great House membership is largely a matter of birth and marriage , but Imperial colonists may also become retainers of a Great House , or may be adopted into a Great House . Initially an outlander may gain status in a house as an oath - bonded hireling , pledging exclusive loyalty to a single house and forsaking ambitions with all other houses . Later , after faithful service and advancement in lower ranks , an outlander may seek adoption into a Great House . Adoption and advancement to higher ranks in a Great House requires that a Great House councilor stand as sponsor for the candidate ' s character and loyalty . Finding a councilor to sponsor an outlander often involves performing a great service for the prospective sponsor . House Redoran is one of the three Dunmer Great Houses with holdings on Vvardenfell . The Redoran prize 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 . 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 . 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 . Ald ' ruhn , the Redoran district seat , is exceptional , with its distinctive feature being the colossal prehistoric bug shell that has been adapted as the house ' s council house . As a result of its close relationship with the Imperial administration , House Hlaalu has emerged as politically and economically dominant among the Great Houses of Vvardenfell and Morrowind . Hlaalu welcomes Imperial culture and law , Imperial Legion s and bureaucracy , and Imperial freedom of trade and religion . Hlaalu still honors the old Dunmer ways — the ancestors , the Temple , and the noble houses — but has readily adapted to the rapid pace of change and progress in the Imperial provinces . Unlike the other Great Houses , which are largely hostile to non - Dunmer , House Hlaalu aspires to live in peace and harmony with the other races , and to share in the growth and prosperity of the Empire . Hlaalu public buildings — tradehouses and craft guilds , manors and council halls — are designed as simple multi - storied buildings roughly rectangular in plan , featuring arched entranceways and modest decorated exteriors . More modest one - story private dwellings follow the same plan , except with less decoration . Hlaalu plantation estates resemble Temple compounds , with walled precincts enclosing outbuildings for craftsmen and servants , dominated by a grand manor residence in place of a Temple shrine . The wizard - lords of House Telvanni have traditionally isolated themselves , pursuing wisdom and mastery in solitude . But certain ambitious wizards - lords , their retainers , and clients have entered whole - heartedly into the competition to control and exploit Vvardenfell ' s land and resources , building towers and bases all along the eastern coast . According to Telvanni principles , the powerful define the standards of virtue , and the Telvanni are unwilling to allow the ambitious Hlaalu to dominate Vvardenfell ' s untapped resources by default . Telvanni architecture is dominated by the wizards ' tower , a fantastic organic form grown and sculpted from stems , caps , and root - like holdfasts of the giant native mushrooms . Telvanni villages are comprised of smaller mushroom pods hollowed out for craftsmen and commoners . Open - air markets often include the giant cages displaying the wares of the slave masters . House Indoril and House Dres are the two Great Houses without holdings or interest in Vvardenfell . Indoril District occupies the heartland of Morrowind , comprising the lands south of the Inner Sea and the eastern coast . The city of Almalexia is located in Indoril District , and the Indoril are orthodox and conservative supporters of the Temple and Temple authority . House Indoril is openly hostile to Imperial culture and religion , and preserves many traditional Dunmer customs and practices in defiance of Imperial law . Dres District is in the south of Morrowind , bordering the swamps and marshes of Black Marsh . House Dres is an agrarian agricultural society , and its large saltrice plantations rely completely on slave labor for their economic viability . Always firm Temple supporters , House Dres is hostile to Imperial law and culture , and in particular opposed to any attempts to limit the institution of slavery .