Ashlander " For the ESO skill , see Ashlander ( Skill ) " Ashlanders , or Velothi , are mostly nomadic tribes of Dunmer , found in the most inhospitable lands in Morrowind , generally the wastes of Vvardenfell . Their way of life is very different from that of the House Dunmer , having changed little from the time of the prophet Veloth in the Merethic Era . History . The Ashlanders claim descent from the original followers of Veloth , who left the Summerset Isles to settle Vvardenfell in the Merethic Era , and , in time gave birth to the Great House culture . There a belief that the Ashlanders built stone settlements and then abandoned them at a later juncture , but the truth of this is unclear . The invasion of the Nords in the First Era drove the Ashlanders to consolidate from many tribes into a few more powerful entities , which became the precursors to the Great Houses of Morrowind . Following the formation of the Great Houses , the Dunmer population began to settle , and the numbers of nomadic Ashlanders declined . Those that remained were pushed into the poorest lands on and around Vvardenfell . Nonetheless , relations between the two peoples remained cordial thanks to the work of Indoril Nerevar , who united the Great Houses and Ashlander tribes to drive the Nords from Resdayn . After the Battle of Red Mountain , the newly - formed Tribunal Temple , which deified the mortal Tribunal of Vivec , Almalexia and Sotha Sil , estranged the Ashlanders further , who grew to hate the new religion , which persecuted them . The Ashlanders came to harbor a belief , associated with Alandro Sul , that the Tribunal attained their powers not through godly effort but profane sorcery , and that Nerevar had been murdered but would return as prophesied by Azura . During the Interregnum , the Ashkhan Chodala , who had fought the Akaviri , siphoned off some of Vivec ' s power into a staff , aiming to use its power to become the prophecied Nerevarine and unite the Ashlanders . However , the Vestige revealed that , through his lack of faith in good counsel , Chodala was not the Nerevarine . Culture . Society . Ashlanders are arranged into tribes , which are primarily nomadic but some of which have semi - permanent settlements in the regions across Vvardenfell , in addition to some possibly permanent settlements on mainland Morrowind . These include : Ashlanders primarily graze herds of livestock , as well as hunting , fishing and foraging where they can . Some tribes trade with the Great House Dunmer , primarily materials which their animals produce for things that they cannot make from their herds . Each tribe is led by an Ashkhan , who is typically the tribe ' s strongest warrior . The Ashkhan will have either one or several gulakhans functioning as deputies and dealing with outsiders on behalf of the Ashkhan . The position of gulakhan can be hereditary , and in the event of the death of an Ashkhan his successor is typically chosen from among the gulakhans . The spiritual wellbeing of each tribe is looked after by the Wise Woman , who provides healing and counsel to the tribe . They are also the historians of the tribes , retaining each tribe ' s oral tradition and passing it down through the generations . Generally , when a Wise Woman dies without passing on their history , that tribe ' s knowledge is lost . They also retain a good deal of the tribes ' oral traditions , with much Ashlander poetry coming from them or collected by them . Ashlanders have very strict customs relating to how foreigners , people and things are to be handled . The giving of gifts between both friends and strangers out of respect is common , although giving the wrong gift can be risky , even among friends . Outsiders are typically not welcome in Ashlander ' s yurts , although most Ashlanders consider killing an unarmed stranger shameful , and most will let them leave with only a reprimand . Hospitality is formally granted by a member of the tribe , and is then something that cannot be violated without bringing shame to the tribe . True friendship with the Ashlanders , however , is marked by the declaration of being " Clanfriend . " A Clanfriend is made only after a ritual known as the harrowing , whereby the outsider is judged by the ancestors of the tribe . Religion . In contrast to the Dunmer of the Great Houses , Ashlanders continued to worship the Daedra Azura , Mephala and Boethiah and their ancestors after the apotheosis of the Tribunal . In addition to the worship of the Daedra , each tribe has its own cult which venerates its own ancestors . These cults have a negative view of the Tribunal , who they view as false gods who killed Nerevar . Their religion emphasizes mysticism and personal revelation , and the tribes and Wise Women hold much stock in dreams and visions , another point of difference from the Temple . The Nerevarine Cult . Following the death of Nerevar and the apotheosis of the Tribunal , many Ashlanders believed that he would return and drive outlanders from Morrowind , as prophesied by Azura . The Tribunal Temple has always threatened any believers in the Nerevarine Cult with death or imprisonment , even if the Ashlanders ' continued veneration of the Daedra was tolerated . Due to their stated goal to drive all outlanders from Morrowind , however , the Empire considered them hostile , and did not stop the Ordinators ' violent suppression of the cult . As a result , the Nerevarine Cult was forced underground even among Ashlanders , and its true size was difficult to gauge . By 3E 427 , the persecution had been reduced to a small following , which only held influence among the Urshilaku tribe . Following the events surrounding the emergence of the Nerevarine , the Ashlanders were considered by the Temple hierarchy , particularly the Dissident Priests , as " guardians of the true way . " In the New Temple , Wise Women are commonly sought out by pilgrims for their guidance in the faith .