Morrowind talk:Galyn Arvel

Galyn Arvel is not a Hlaalu

The info offered here is confuse and misleading.

She is not a member of House Hlaalu family and her family is different from Hlaalu Arvels, sharing common origins most probably, but that's all, a Hlaalu past for those shared origins is not guaranteed neither.

The first part is a fact, she is simply not marked as member of House Hlaalu.

In the case of her family origins and links with the other Arvels we have 2 lines of dialogue + the presence of additional non-Hlaalu Arvels in the game, some even linked with another Great House and the secondary info on the other Arvel in Ald Velothi as their names regional use. The dialogue lines are:

Well, there are two Arvel families. The head of the family, Rovone Arvel lives in Arvel Manor in the Ascadian Isles. Another branch of the family lives in Ald Velothi.

By Hlaalu members and

The Arvels have lived here for years. Despite their Hlaalu connections, they are decent and generous.

By a Redoran member Theldyn Virith

In the first there is explicitely stated that there are two different families even if related ("another branch"). In the second a redoran claims Ald Velothi arvels have "Hlaalu connections", which we should understand as simple "common origins" with Hlaalu Arvels as the only two Arvels physically present in Ald Velothi lack Hlaalu membership.

We have info about three members of the "Arvel" family in Ald Velothi: Galyn Arvel, a missing Ienas Arvel owning the only house in the redoran town with that Arvel label and third npc inside that house named Serila Arval (which seems to be just a typo, as that npc ID name is Serila Arvel, with e). We don't know if that Ienas Arvel is the father of Galyn and Serila, but we have some interesting info in his name as Ienas is a redoran/redoran lands exclusive name only present in two npcs in Ald'ruhn and Indarys Manor, so suggesting some sort of special attachment to redoran lands of this family, distancing from their old Hlaalu origins.

People with the Arvel surname aren't limited to Hlaalu Arvel noble family and Ald Velothi commoner branch, but there are other Arvels on the island without Hlaalu links: One bandit in Sheogorad, a Tribunal Temple pilgrim in Ald Daedroth and the most interesting, a member of great House Telvanni.

Considering all those sources I think the links between Arvel from Ald Velothi and Hlaalu ones (and the other 3 Arvels in the island) is pretty plausible, but the nature of that common origins as "Hlaalu past" is way more dubious, considering the social mobility inside Hlaalu nobility (by lore stated values, but also by the fact there are imperials and nord "nobles") and the fact Arvels on Ald Velothi seem adapted to Redoran lands and other Arvel even joined Telvannis.

--Tamrié (talk) 06:40, 29 November 2022 (UTC)