Well, looks like I was wrong then. You can make your character work after all.
Anyway. Dantrag, you're suggesting that the PCs will be mercenaries hired to help make sure the construction goes smoothly? (perhaps in a mixed group that includes house members and temple members, depending on the characters people will make.) If so, I'm fine with it.
For starters though, maybe an assignment like escorting a supply-caravan through the ashlands towards the ghostfence might be a good idea to get a feeling for it. Sixt I'd rather deal with normal wildlife and maybe a territorial ashlander tribe, till we've gotten used to each other's characters. Protecting construction-workers from Ash-slaves and all is better left to the professionals, at least at first.
Of course, you also said that it is before the colonization. This means that unless folks can give a very good reason for theirs, characters will be limited to Dunmer and the Beast races. I don't have a problem with that myself.