Great House Mottos (Annotated)

Summary

 * Location:
 * Author: Vilyn Girith (Personal notes by Sotha Sil

Content
To my son, whose inability to remember even these simple facts embarrasses our family at every opportunity. This is to inform you of the words the great houses of Vvardenfell live and breathe by, and the saints they hold as their patrons, representative of their goals and motives. If you ever again confuse the Hlaalu and Dres merchant nobles with whom we trade, I will disown you three and ten times, and once again to make the deed final and eternal.

(the fact that a primer of this sort is required at all indicates lapses in Temple indoctrination curricula—must delegate a canon to investigate and propose reforms)

House Redoran: "A Redoran is a warrior whose duty is first to the Tribunal, second to House Redoran, and third to family and clan."

- Saint Nerevar the Captain is the patron saint of House Redoran.

(re-check Temple texts about death of Nerevar—can't be too careful on that)

House Indoril: "Justice knows no sleep: Indoril shall order, the Temple shall judge."

- Saint Olms the Just is the patron saint of House Indoril.

House Hlaalu: "To trade fairly and freely is to honor the Three."

- Saint Veloth the Pilgrim is the patron saint of House Hlaalu.

House Dres: "To spread culture and truth to the benighted: this is our commitment and burden."

- Saint Llothis the Pious is the patron saint of House Dres.

(must point this out to Vivec; it will tickle his sense of irony)

House Telvanni: "The forceful expression of will gives true honor to the Ancestors."

- Saint Vorys the Immolant is the patron saint of House Telvanni.

You will likely not note the lack of an ascribed motto to the sixth house, the shadow house, house Dagoth. This is because that house is extinct, destroyed at the Battle of Red Mountain, after which the remaining Houses built the Temple to the Tribunal. If you ever mention this house in polite company, I will disown you.

You will note that twice, now, I have threatened to disown you. This is because my hands are not so black as Mephala's or Lord Vivec's. My heart is too weak to simply remove you from my family.

Keep this text on you at all times, and let it shame you for every reference you make to it in your dealings with our nobility. Spare our lineage the greater shame of your own foolishness. May I never have cause to call you s'wit in public again.

(the best of luck to Vilyn on that one)