Ashlanders

Ashlanders, or Velothi, are mostly nomadic tribes of Dunmer, found in the most inhospitable lands in Morrowind, generally the wastes of Vvardenfell.Notes from Huleeya 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.Zainsubani's Notes
==By game==
*Ashlanders (Morrowind)
*Ashlanders (Online)
**Ashlander (Skill)
==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.Before the Ages of Man - Aicantar of ShimereneThe Fall of Trinimac - The Faithless One There a belief that the Ashlanders built stone settlements and then abandoned them at a later juncture,Ancient Tales of the Dwemer, Part III - Marobar Sul 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.A Short History of Morrowind - Jeanette Sitte 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.War of the First Council
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.Nerevar at Red Mountain - Tribunal Temple
During the Interregnum, the Ashkhan Chodala, who had fought the Akaviri, - dialogue with Conoon Chodala siphoned off some of Vivec's power into a staff, aiming to use its power to become the prophecied Nerevarine and unite the Ashlanders.Chodala's Writings - Chodala However, the Vestige revealed that, through his lack of faith in good counsel, Chodala was not the Nerevarine.Events of 
==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:
*The Ahemmusa Camp in Azura's CoastGuide to Vvardenfell
*The Erabenimsun Camp in Molag Amur
*The Urshilaku Camp in West Gash
*The Zainab Camp in the Grazelands
*The Mabrigash of DeshaanLegend of the Ghost Snake - Bonorion the Wanderer
*The Kagesh of Stonefalls
*The Ulath of Stonefalls
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.Events of 
Each tribe is led by an Ashkhan, who is typically the tribe's strongest warrior.Ashlander Wise Women - Jiuba Rothalen The Ashkhan will have either one or several gulakhans functioning as deputies and dealing with outsiders on behalf of the Ashkhan. - dialogue with Sul-Matuul The position of gulakhan can be hereditary, - dialogue with Han-Ammu and in the event of the death of an Ashkhan his successor is typically chosen from among the gulakhans. - dialogue with Manirai
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. - dialogue with Nibani Maesa They also retain a good deal of the tribes' oral traditions, with much Ashlander poetry coming from them or collected by them.The Five Far StarsWords of the Wind
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. - dialogue with Savants
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. - dialogue with Kaushad 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.Ashlander Tribes and Customs - Ulran Releth 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.Progress of Truth 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.Nerevarine Cult Notes - Sharn gra-Muzgob 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. - dialogue with Hassour Zainsubani
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.The Reclamations - Thara of Rihad
==Trvia==
*The Ashlanders have some similarities with real-life Indigenous peoples of the Americas and nomads of the Eurasian Steppe.
**Wise Women, matriarchal spiritual leaders of the Ashlander clans, parallel real-life Wise Women of Indigenous clans.
**Ashlander yurts mirror real-life yurts, traditionally used as dwellings by a plethora of distinct nomadic groups in the steppes and mountains of Inner Asia.
==Gallery==
Cunning Ally alternate card art.png|Savage Ashlander, according to the alternate Cunning Ally card art file.
==References==
de:Aschländer (Personen)
es:Cenicios
it:Nativi delle Terre di Cenere
nl:Aslander
ru:Эшлендер
Category:Lore: Factions
Category:Ashlanders
Category:Culture of Morrowind