Telvanni - our setting
Great House Telvanni is a Dunmer noble house, one of five. When it comes to our setting that has a few side effects that you should be aware of.
You don't deal with a Great House because you have nothing better to do.
Seriously - a Great House is like a mafia clan. You don't hang around with them because they are so nice. There's constant infighting between the five parties, and by associating yourself with one of them, your characters will find themselves inside a subtle web that they will find hard to understand...
Why would any sane character expose themselves to that?
Of course there are valid reasons. There are always. But you need this reason to be around. You want something, or you want to get rid of something, or someone, or you had nowhere to go. But you do need a story.
Dunmer politics is like Game of Thrones, just more subtle.
If any of the Great Houses would act openly against another, both of them would be extinguished by the other three while they were vulnerable. That means, there will be no Redoran armies invading Heimlyn Keep. There will be no Indoril crusades, no Dres embargos and no Morag Tong infestations. (Besides, how would we play an army on our doorstep? Offscreen? We had that once, it was dull.)
Of course all those things are constant threats in the background. After all, House War Three is not an impossible scenario - just a very, very unlikely one, because nobody really _wants_ that. And Great House Telvanni Central Morrowind sure as Oblivion doesn't want to be remembered as the culprit.
Do I have to do politics?
No, you don't - but in that case your character won't rise above the rank of a Spellwright. That's not a bad thing. Many people aren't made for politics, especially not for those of Dunmeri origin. But be aware that politics pull strings that make your character dance...
You're being paranoid. Surely it's not that bad?
Ask Ralyn Telvanni how he liked being poisoned by his own mother. Or ask Baladas Telvanni what happened to him... if you can find him... /preen
