Faction name: House Hlaalu
History: House Hlaalu has fallen on hard times since the end of the Third Era. With its removal as a Great House following the withdrawal of Imperial presence in Morrowind, and the division of its lands in Vvardenfell, House Hlaalu has resorted to utilizing much more underhanded and unconventional tactics to remain afloat during these harsh times. Secrecy, blackmail, smuggling, and thievery, which used to characterize primarily their inner workings, have come to define Hlaalu’s greater dealings, whereas they used to deal primarily in trade.
House Hlaalu absorbed what remained of the Camonna Tong, integrating the remainder of their operations for the purpose of survival. Though, House Hlaalu does continue to trade and hold contracts independently, the matter of the fact is: Hlaalu is no longer a prominent player within the grand scheme of Morrowind. However, in 4E 201, House Hlaalu anointed a new Grandmaster, Sedura Ilyn Ondrano. Ilyn has begun to make plays within the land of the Dunmer and beyond, looking to make connections in Northern Cyrodiil, Eastern Skyrim, and potentially as far south as Elsweyr.
House Hlaalu, in short, has adapted to its circumstances. Hlaalu is currently a lone wolf, and a vicious one at that. If forced to, they will rip out their enemies throats without a second thought, and with fresh blood at the helm, they are more dangerous than ever.
Leadership: House Hlaalu is run in a similar fashion to other Houses, comprising of a House Council and Grandmaster. The Council operates as a legislative body, deciding on House policy and actions on the grander scale, with the Grandmaster acting primarily in an executor role. The Grandmaster has the power of veto, and also holds a vote on the Council, essentially being a councilor himself. The Grandmaster’s word is final, unless he himself retracts his concerns.
The current Grandmaster of House Hlaalu is Sedura Ilyn Ondrano, a relatively young Dunmer who has spent the vast majority of his life in House Hlaalu. The Council of House Hlaalu, consists of the following:
- Serjo Farwyn Arnen – Master of the Order of the Guard
- Sero Arvas Verim – Master of the Order of Shadows
- Sera Nidryne Seran – Mistress of Order the Tong
- Sera Rani Varen – Mistress of the Order of Trade
- Sera Volene Romayn – Mistress of the Order of Internal Affairs
Overall, Hlaalu wishes to reclaim its rightful spot as a Great House of Morrowind, however, Hlaalu also wishes to have a high degree of control over certain aspects of the criminal underworld, such as the skooma trade. Hlaalu also wishes to seize control over the city of Gnisis, and instate their own rule over the city, as well as Narsis, their old capital.
Allegiance: Morrowind
Military: Though Hlaalu is not of the same stature that it once had, House Hlaalu still maintains a House Guard, albeit on a much smaller scale as opposed to what they once had. The Hlaalu House Guard is a well-trained and well-equipped force, primarily acting as a force of overt muscle and power exertion within Hlaalu territory, such as it is. They form the core of Hlaalu’s current forces, though they are tarnished by having been reduced in size over the past two hundred years, they still act as a force to be reckoned with in Hlaalu’s new home of Gnisis. The Hlaalu House Guard is primarily divided between the
Swordsmen, the
Sharpshooters, the
Spearmen and
Elite Guard.
However, House Hlaalu is also heavily involved with the criminal underworld, and therefore has a much more covert presence within this sector. Hlaalu primarily utilizes intricate spy networks, as well as covert operatives and infiltrators to commit acts of subterfuge, assassination, and smuggling among other criminal and malicious acts. This branch of House Hlaalu, known as the Order of Shadows, enforces House Hlaalu’s will within the realm of the criminal element. The Order of Shadows consists of members from the Morag Tong who left the organization after its period of disbandment, the remnants of the Camonna Tong, as well as other roguish elements.
Ever the cosmopolitan, House Hlaalu is possibly the only House in all of Morrowind to allow foreigners to join their ranks. The Order of Shadows is currently the most diversified element of the Hlaalu military arm, having peppered in Imperials, Orcs, Nords, as well as Bosmer and Altmer. The Hlaalu House Guard, however, is much more homogenized, consisting primarily of Dunmer.
Culture/Society: House Hlaalu is primarily a place of secrecy and deceit, as well as backroom deals, dark alley accosting, and business. First and foremost, House Hlaalu is formed of businessmen, they will do practically anything to get a Septim, be it crime or selling out their best friends. House Hlaalu prides itself on secrecy and the ability to make a Septim. Overall, though, House Hlaalu draws its culture from Greater Morrowind, with its own flavor added in. Members of House Hlaalu are seekers of coin, masters of secrecy, and the masterful workers of a convoluted web of intricate deals and criminal assets.
House Hlaalu venerates the so-called “New” Temple, respecting the belief that the Tribunal was merely a group of false gods who deceived the people of Morrowind, although they venerate them as saints of the “New” Temple and follow the old Dunmer tradition of following the “True” Tribunal of Boethiah, Azura, and Mephala, with a particular veneration for Mephala.
House Hlaalu operates with the brutal efficiency of a business in its criminal operations, and this has come to leak into the structure of its society. The basic Hlaalu member is known as a ‘Hireling’. The Hirelings are considered to be expendable at best, usually handling the grunt work within Morrowind, acting as runners and basic muscle. If a Hireling proves themselves to be somewhat of an asset and a trustworthy individual, usually through an act of violence or committing a crime in the name of Hlaalu, the Hireling is put on retainer, hence the name Retainer. These Retainers are still considered expendable by their commanders, but far less so than a Hireling. Retainers, who prove their worth, take an Oath of Loyalty to House Hlaalu and, thusly, become Oathmen. Oathmen see a greater degree of responsibility within the House, and are finally put into a subsection of Hlaalu, colloquially known as the Orders of Hlaalu. Following that, an informal transition shifts Oathmen to Lawmen, seasoned veterans in the service of Hlaalu.
It is typical for many to not see the life beyond a Lawman, however, those who are proven loyal and cunning members of House Hlaalu are elevate to the rank of Kinsman, a particular Councilor having adopted them into the House of Hlaalu proper. Kinsmen are usually in charge of the basic level of a Hlaalu operation, but more on that later. Following Kinsman is House Cousin, a coveted position that is officially recognized as part of the House proper, if on the periphery of the leadership. Past House Cousin is House Brother, a true member of the House leadership and much more prominent place in the Hlaalu spotlight. House Brothers typically enjoy the ability to call upon the Hlaalu Order of the House Guard if necessary. Just below the Hlaalu House Council sits the House Fathers, the top of the food chain for many. House Fathers hold a great degree of command over the House, only six members ranking above them. Finally, there is the Council and the Grandmaster, the heads of House Hlaalu.
Within the world of crime, and House Hlaalu in-general, Hlaalu Oathmen represent your foot soldier who has proven himself a promising member. The Lawmen are these men, but hardened by service in the name of House Hlaalu. Above them, sit the Kinsmen, who are like middle management. The Kinsmen are in charge of certain sections of House operations within a particular sector. Typically, you have three to four Kinsmen in each city, all reporting to one House Cousin in charge of greater operations within the County or Hold. This House Cousin, in turn reports to one of two House Brothers who are in-charge of the representative half of the Province. These two, report to one House Father who is in charge of operations within the entirety of the Province, and finally he reports to the Council, who finally reports to the Grandmaster.
Sedura Ilyn Ondrano, Grandmaster of Hlaalu
Ilyn Ondrano is young for a Dunmer, being only two hundred and fifty years old. He, along with his family, has spent his entire life in the service of House Hlaalu. As a matter of a fact, he was alive during the Nerevarine’s travels through Vvardenfell, though at the time he was in Narsis, handling trade deals alongside his kinsmen. Ilyn has pledged his loyalty to Hlaalu and continues to serve it to this day, though now he is House Hlaalu’s Grandmaster instead of a mere kinsman. He is ambitious, ruthless, and cunning. Nothing will stop him from seeing Hlaalu returned to the glory which it seeks. Not even the Nerevarine.
Sero Arvas Verim, Master of the Order of Shadows
Arvas Verim. Cold, calculating, and a master killer. Arvas was a member of the Morag Tong prior to the eruption of Red Mountain and has since joined up with House Hlaalu, becoming the leader of its House of Shadows. Farwyn may be the Grandmaster’s hammer, but Arvas is most certainly his scalpel. Delicate matters of secrecy and covert operations call for him, and him alone. In combat, he prefers using two curved blades, imported from Hammerfell.
Serjo Farwyn Arnen, Master of the Order of the Guard
The Master of the House Guard, Farwyn is one of the most skilled warriors in all of House Hlaalu. He is exceedingly loyal, and looks for that particular quality in the recruits that he admits to the House Guard. His propensity for using a steel warhammer in combat has earned him the nickname “The Grandmaster’s Hammer” from his subordinates. He and his troops act as the overt enforcers of Ilyn’s will within the boundaries of Hlaalu’s powerbase.
Sera Nidryne Seran, Mistress of the Order of the Tong
Formerly a member of the Imperial Thieves’ Guild in Cyrodiil, Nidryne Seran is now the mistress of House Hlaalu’s spy network known simply as “The Tong”. Preferring to keep a behind the scenes approach to her business, she primarily operates under the guise of a merchant in Gnisis, peddling her wares as a front for her true occupation: Spymistress of House Hlaalu. She handles the eyes and ears of Hlaalu’s operations in Tamriel, establishing networks as they move along.
Sera Rani Veran, Mistress of the Order of Trade
A shrewd trader, Rani Veran handles the negotiations and semantics of trade deals for House Hlaalu. Her work covers the legitimate aspects of business, as opposed to Arvas’ House of Shadows, but there are certain aspects that see it take a darker turn. She will most certainly sell weapons to both sides of a conflict if she deems it necessary, damn the consequences.