Perhaps your character is a distant relative of house Hlaalu. Married to a Hlaalu Noble, but because of the explosion of red mountain, he somehow died. So you're not a blood relative, however being married to a Hlaalu has given you some merchant skills and liberal thoughts. As for the armour. In Morrowind they wore bonemold and Chitin armour. Perhaps by the dragonborn expansion and get the armour from there. Otherwise search the nexus for some armours or go for the tips mentioned above.