Lore:Chimer

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"Boethiah showed them the lies of the et'Ada, the Aedra, and told them Trinimac was the biggest liar of all, saying all this with Trinimac's voice! Boethiah told the mass before him the Tri-Angled Truth. He showed them, with Mephala, the rules of Psijic Endeavor. He taught them how to build Houses, and what items they needed to bury in the Corners. He demonstrated the right way to wear their skin. He performed the way to walk to achieve an Exodus. Then Boethiah relieved himself of Trinimac right there on the ground before them to prove all the things he said were the truth. It was easy then for his new people to become the Changed Ones." - The Changed Ones

The Chimer (changed folk or Changed Ones) were a sect of Aldmeri dissidents who abandoned the ways of Summerset Isle and embarked on a great exodus to Morrowind. 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, though the Chimer were physically indistinguishable from their former compatriots. Henceforward, the exiles were known as the Velothi. The term can be used in a general sense for the Dunmer as well, though it carries a specific meaning referring to ex-Ashlanders who have abandoned their nomadic ways.

Morrowind at the time of exodus was known as Dwemereth, after the enigmatic dwarves who already lived there. The exiles settled there and flourished, developing what is now known as Velothi High Culture, based on their worship of the three Good Daedra and respect for the House of Troubles. The ruins of Velothi Towers that now dot Morrowind are attributed to this period. Sometime around the rise of the First Empire of the Nords in Skyrim, the Velothi civilization broke down into a relatively primitive collection of clans and tribal warfare. The so-called Dunmer Strongholds of Morrowind were most likely built at this time, for defense against Nordic raiders and other Chimer. Such disunity allowed Skyrim to conquer Morrowind. The Nords ruled Morrowind, now called Resdayn, for many years, until infighting of their own (the War of Succession) allowed the Chimer and Dwemer to form an alliance and oust the occupiers. This was the era of the First Council, when the modern Great House system was in its infancy but already developing, with Indoril Nerevar and his three advisers (the Tribunal) at the fore. As every student of eastern history knows, the union did not last long.

At the climax of the War of the First Council, the Chimer received their name as they were transformed into the ashen-skinned Dunmer. Most Dunmer attribute this to the curse of Azura. The curse of Azura was a curse in which it is believed Azura thought (and was probably correct) that the Tribunal had killed Indoril Nerevar during a ritual to summon Azura to ask the Daedra what they should do next. Azura appeared anyway (Nerevar now dead) and was furious with Almalexia, Sotha Sil, and Vivec for having killed the war-hero. She cursed them by turning their eyes "as red as the volcano lava" and their skin "as black as their hearts". Now that all the Chimer had been changed into Dunmer, Azura told them they were cursed (as well as another sort of threat) and the Tribunal laughed at the Daedric Prince. They took the Heart of Lorkhan and ascended to god-hood.

While the Tribunal can no doubt appear in whatever form they wish, Sotha Sil and Almalexia most often appeared as unchanged Chimer, while Vivec sported a visage that was half gold, half gray.