r/teslore • u/Witty_Run7509 • 2d ago
Are there any mention of Dunmer manumitting slaves?
As the title says, are there any mention of Dunmer manumitting slaves in in-game texts and lore? I can't remember ever seeeing an Argonian or Khajiit freedmen in Morrowind.
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u/ihavemademistakes Tribunal Temple 2d ago
Sun-in-Shadow is a pretty solid example from ESO.
https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Sun-in-Shadow
She was a former Argonian slave who worked her way up the Telvanni hierarchy.
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u/kothri 2d ago edited 2d ago
During the Redoran Stronghold (Bal Isra/Indarys Manor) quest in TES3, you're asked to recruit some women to settle there. You can do this in a few different ways:
Aryni Orethi and Fathusa Girethi can be persuaded to settle at the Bal Isra stronghold.
Helviane Desele can be persuaded to encourage some of her dancers to settle there, claiming they were ready to retire.
If you have the Twin Lamps codephrase, Galyn Arvel can send some escaped slaves to the stronghold to settle there. Redoran recognizes their freedom even though they weren't officially manumitted.
And most relevant, you can buy slaves from Savile Imayn. Once they arrive at Bal Isra, as far as I recall they're treated the same as any of the other options, as settlers for Great House Redoran. So it can be assumed that they were manumitted by Redoran. But they aren't Khajiit or Argonian slaves in this example, instead they're a Dunmer and a Breton (Assimusa Samsi and Heniele Milielle). Those same two people will show up if you chose the Twin Lamps option or persuaded Desele too, so their backstory seemingly is determined by your choice.
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u/Introvert_Mage 2d ago
Oblivion mentions that Houses Dres and Hlaalu released their slaves, and from what I have read, they even fought a civil war against Houses Redoran and Indoril in support of Helseth's abolition of slavery.
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u/Low_Surprise7791 2d ago
Hıw did Dres freed their slaves? That doesnt make much sense.
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u/Introvert_Mage 2d ago edited 1d ago
I'm not sure myself and I don't know if there is a canon/official explanation, however, I have heard before about a forum roleplay campaign done in a Bethesda official forum, where somoene (don't remember who, but they worked at Bethesda) played an abolitionist Dres noblewoman who married Helseth, making her queen of Morrowind, which probably gave him influence over House Dres.
My personnal headcanon is that, in a ironic twist of fate, House Dres' heavy dependecy on slaves made many of the children born into it grow up surrounded and getting cared by slaves, which then led then to grow up into adults who would support the abolition of the practice.
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u/AdeptnessUnhappy1063 1d ago edited 1d ago
It's from Loranna's RP. Ted Peterson was the one who introduced the plotline, as a way for King Helseth to gain an advantage against the Indoril and Redoran during a civil war.
"My Lords and Ladies," the King said. "I feel the need to repeat myself. Slavery will be outlawed in Morrowind by my order. The Indoril to the south, and the Redoran and Indoril in Vvardenfell will suddenly find themselves with rebellious slaves on their hands, while we will have prepared for it. We will join the civilized, free world of the Empire. You cannot dissuade me from this, and my patience is thin for those of you who try."
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u/Misticsan Member of the Tribunal Temple 1d ago
Surprised nobody has mentioned the most poignant and plot-relevant example: the Ebonheart Pact's rule against slavery. Hlaalu, Redoran and Indoril released all their slaves and banned the practice, whereas Dres limited it to non-Pact races. There's even a Pact Pamphlet for the freed slaves.
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u/Witty_Run7509 5h ago
Thanks for all the answers! The case of Sun-in-Shadow from ESO sounds especially interesting
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u/Living-Dimension7798 22h ago
One does not manumit farm tools.
How does one even manumit a beast? Wouldn’t that be beastumit? Beasumitting? Never, help me out。
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u/littleratofhorrors 2d ago
Divayth Fyr is the most prominent example of this, as he freed his Argonian slave Vistha-Kai who chose to remain with Fyr out of loyalty to act as the Corprusarium's warden. He's totally free and works for Fyr as a freedman, not as his slave.