Dunmer Description

The Chimer (literally, the People of the North), also called the Changed Folk, Velothi, or Changed Ones, were the Aldmeri tribes of dissidents who abandoned the ways of Summerset Isle and embarked on a great exodus to Resdayn. They followed the prophet Veloth, who spoke to them on behalf of Boethiah, Prince of Plots, and two other "Good Daedra". The teachings of Veloth and the Daedra spawned a new culture on Tamriel and a new people, sparking the period of the High Velothi culture. They were dynamic, ambitious, long-lived Elven clans devoted to fundamentalist ancestor worship. They appeared like other elves, but their skin was a darker shade of pale gold than the Altmer.
The history of the Chimer begins with the Velothi dissident movement in the Summerset Isle. Some sources seem to differ on when exactly this happened. Some say it took place in the Late Middle Merethic Era, and others trace it back to the Dawn Era. One source says it took place before the shattering of Lorkhan, and another says that it was after Topal the Pilot and others had explored mainland Tamriel.
Trinimac, strongest of the Altmeri ancestor spirits, fought enemies of Altmeri society both without and within. As such, Trinimac and his followers became engaged in trying to halt the Velothi dissident movement. Boethiah, the "Devourer of Trinimac", took exception to the "lies" Trinimac had been spreading about Lorkhan. He tricked Trinimac, ate him, assumed his form, and the dung he excreted became Malacath. The followers of Boethiah and Trinimac rubbed this excrement on themselves to change their skins. It was the followers of Boethiah (i.e. the followers of Veloth) who became the Chimer. Altmeri propaganda portrayed this as a lesson on the dangers of Velothi influence, while Velothi propaganda regarded Trinimac's transformation as punishment for attempting to interfere with their exodus. Malacath himself derided this narrative as being too "literal-minded" (implying the essence of the story, while metaphorical, is somewhat accurate).
So, the Chimer departed. They credited the Good Daedra with teaching them the principles of their new way of life. Worship of Aedra such as Akatosh, disappeared from their legends. They typically associate most of the things they learned with Boethiah, but Mephala is credited with teaching them the ways of evasion and assassination, and Azura with teaching them how to be different from the Altmer. The Good Daedra also warned the Chimer of the "Bad Daedra", such as Molag Bal, who sought to spoil Chimeri "purity". In their new homeland, which they called Resdayn, they quickly came into conflict with the Nedes, Orcs and the Dwemer. With the Dwemer, especially, territorial disputes combined with religious animosity created a great deal of conflict. Historians blame the Chimer for provoking these conflicts. Regardless of who started it, the Chimer were generally on the losing end of these conflicts. Though they wielded great magic and had fine warriors, the Chimer were a small group, and the Dwemer had an incredible technological advantage.
The Late Merethic Era saw the precipitous decline of Velothi culture. Some Chimer settled in villages near declining and abandoned ancient Velothi towers. During this period, Velothi high culture disappeared on the island of Vvardenfell. The earliest Dwemer Freehold colonies date from this period, suggesting they were created to secure Dwemeri lands from Chimeri incursions. Degenerate Velothi devolved into tribal cultures which, in time, evolved into the modern Great Houses of Morrowind, or persisted as the barbarian Ashlanders.
Around 1E 240, the Nords under High King Vrage conquered Resdayn, making it part of the First Empire of the Nords. The Nords' use of the thu'um against the Chimer made them practically unstoppable, although some blame the god Sai for favoring the Nords. They would remain under the Nords' heel until around 1E 416, when they joined forces with the Dwemer to repulse the invaders. The friendship between Chimer leader Nerevar and the Dwemer leader Dumac forged the basis for an alliance between the races under the First Council, leading to almost three hundred years of peace. Eventually, a dispute led to the War of the First Council, which culminated in the Battle of Red Mountain. A few years later, the Curse occurred: the Chimer's skin turned black as ash, and their eyes became red. The Chimer ceased to exist, and the days of the Dunmer began.
The Chimer/Dunmer have been defined by their environment. Red Mountain looms as large in their collective thought as it does on the horizon. Its ash and lava sculpted the attitudes of Vvardenfell residents. One does not have to travel far outside of many cities to find a giant Foyada cutting through the land like a scar. Native-born Dunmer tended to look down on "outlanders", which include both other races and Dunmer born outside of Resdayn, though the intensity of this ethnocentrism varies. For centuries, Chimer/Dunmer society is structured as such: domestic Great Houses governed by Ruling Councils competed against each other for power and territory, while nomadic groups eschewed relative modernity for ancient tribal practices.

Houses tend to rise and fall; many have faded to extinction over the years or sprouted up to challenge others. The five most important houses currently are Hlaalu, Redoran, Telvanni, Dres and Indoril, each which had existed for many years. In the Ashlands, native tribes rule without laws or government and live strictly by codes, rituals, and ancient traditions usually dictated by a wise woman or seer and implemented by a clan leader. They live in the deserts and plains of the Ashlands and Grazelands.
The "peaceful" status quo for Dunmer is considered quite 'savage' by westerners. Political machinations are constant. Assassinations are common; with the legally established Morag Tong providing services. A huge amount of black market activity thrives along Resdayn's extensive coastlines. Slavery is commonplace. Mostly Khajiit or Argonian slaves are trafficked, although many men and mer are also enslaved. Goblins are also seen as a significant slave "resource". Despite these claims that owning slaves is their right, many Dunmer still found the practice abhorrent and immoral, and abolitionist groups continue to crop up within Dunmeri society. Necromancy is also practiced openly by some Dunmer, though never with Dunmer corpses.