| 1 | This page lists all the Beast Races, or Beastfolk, or Betmer, found on Nirn. For an index of all races, see [[Characters/TheElderScrollsRaces here]]. |
| 2 | |
| 3 | '''Note:''' ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'' lore is generally not clear-cut. Reasons for this range from [[UnreliableNarrator biased]] in-universe sources intentionally only giving you only one side of a story, to sources lacking critical information or working from [[BlatantLies false information]], to the implication that AllMythsAreTrue, despite the contradictions, or that at least all myths are MetaphoricallyTrue. [[WordOfGod Out-of-game developer supplemental texts]] (frequently referred to as "Obscure Texts" by the lore community) are more trustworthy, but are frequently left [[LooseCanon unofficial]] and sometimes later contradicted. Because of this, it is entirely possible for two contradictory statements in the below examples to ''both'' be true. (And due to frequent events in-universe that [[TimeCrash alter the timeline]], both may ''literally'' be true in-universe.) |
| 4 | |
| 5 | ---- |
| 6 | |
| 7 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 8 | |
| 9 | !!The Beast Races (collectively known as Betmer) of Nirn that are neither Men or Mer. |
| 10 | |
| 11 | [[folder:In General]] |
| 12 | * BeastMan: Each includes bestial features of varying magnitudes -- heads, body cover and often legs -- overlayed on top of humanoid frames. |
| 13 | * BlueAndOrangeMorality: Like the races of Mer, each Beast Race has traits, beliefs, and practices which come across as very alien to a human observer. Specific examples for each race can be found in their entries below. |
| 14 | * DemiHuman: While primarily humanoid in size and shape, each Beast Race has numerous features outside the range of normal humans. |
| 15 | * EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: Both playable beast races appeared far more human in ''Arena'', the Khajiit looking like somewhat feral Wood Elves while the Argonians were essentially scaly, fanged men. Argonians became more reptilian in ''Daggerfall'', but the Khajiit remained furless until ''Redguard'' and ''Morrowind''. The lore justifies these discrepancies somewhat by establishing a staggering amount of dimorphism and subspecies for both races, with some beast folk almost looking human and others as merely sapient lizards and cats. ''Online'', in particular, gets to have a lot of fun going '''in''' on the many variations of the Khajiit that resulted from this explanation, and as a result, you'd better be ready to have conversations with ten-foot-tall tiger-men, half-ton ''actual tigers'', and [[AndZoidberg housecats]]. |
| 16 | * FantasticRacism: While the races of Men and Mer frequently display this toward one another, the Beast Races get hit with it from both sides. It ranges from being downplayed (such as Argonians and Khajiit being barred from some cities due to distrust) to being played dangerously straight (enslavement by the other races at various points in history and, in the case of the Sload, sometimes being ''killed on sight''). Overall though, humans are historically known to be generally more accepting and friendly towards Beastmen, whereas elves, especially the Altmer and the Dunmer, tend to view them as even lesser than humans. |
| 17 | * RockBeatsLaser: Averted when the Aldmer came to settle Tamriel. Tamriel was said to have already been inhabited by the Beast Races, but they were aboriginal and primitive, making them "easily displaced" by the more magically and technologically advanced Aldmer. |
| 18 | * SapientFurTrade: Many of the beast races are hunted by men and mer alike for useful materials. |
| 19 | [[/folder]] |
| 20 | |
| 21 | [[folder:Argonians]] |
| 22 | [[quoteright:200:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lore_race_argonian.png]] |
| 23 | ->''"The Hist were many, and they were one. Their roots buried deep beneath the black soul and soft white stone of Black Marsh,'' ''connecting them all, and thus connecting all Saxhleel, all Argonians. The Hist gave his people life, form, purpose."'' |
| 24 | -->-- '''''The Infernal City''''' |
| 25 | |
| 26 | The Argonians are the reptilian natives of the Black Marsh (which they call Argonia) in southeastern Tamriel. While primarily reptilian in appearance, which includes possessing scales, elongated faces and jaws, claws, tails, and being cold-blooded, they also possess some traits of amphibians (small gills that allow them to breathe underwater similar to tadpoles) and birds (with some, particularly females, naturally growing feathers). The Argonians are slow to trust and hard to know, but incredibly loyal to those they call friends, as well as cunning and resourceful fighters. Argonians are highly resistant to disease and are famed throughout Tamriel as masters of guerilla style warfare, especially when exploiting the swampy terrain of their homeland. In fact, Black Marsh has never been wholly occupied by an invading force. (Even Tiber Septim merely captured several border cities, where non-Argonians can live somewhat comfortably, and declared Black Marsh "conquered".) They are also unfortunately (perhaps along with the Orcs) the most vilified and misunderstood of all the races, and for much of their history the Argonians were slaves to the Dunmer. |
| 27 | |
| 28 | The Argonians refer to themselves as the "Saxhleel" in their own tongue (known as "Jel"). "Saxhleel" translates to "the people of the root" in Jel, a name which reflects the bond they feel with the sentient and ancient Hist trees which are also native to Black Marsh. Argonians believe that their souls were given to them by the Hist, and they drink the sap of the Hist to communicate with them and to grow. The Hist have a strange and often ambiguous agenda of its own, and by pulling on the mystical bounds formed between them through their drinking of its sap, the Hist both subtly influences, or even outright directs the Argonians to do its bidding. The Hist has also been known to alter the Argonians both physically and mentally in times of crisis; making them stronger and more ruthless when invaders would impress upon their homeland. Most Argonians are able to feel the presence of the Hist in their minds at all times, but the further they travel from Black Marsh the weaker the connection gets. Additionally, the Hist are said to "acknowledge" Sithis as the true creator of the universe, and thus offer Argonians born under the sign of the Shadow (known as "Shadowscales") at birth to the Dark Brotherhood (which serves Sithis) to be trained in the arts of stealth and assassination. |
| 29 | |
| 30 | Though sharing a basic morphological pattern and mostly known for being reptilian in appearance, several subspecies of Argonians that deviate from this pattern are described in different accounts, most prominently the snake-like Naga, the toad-like Paatru, and the winged Sarpa. These subspecies are, however, rarely seen by outsiders due to being natives to the inner and most impenetrable parts of their swampy homeland, and they rarely ever venture outside their stomping grounds and for the most part seem to be, if not uninterested in contact with non-Argonian outsiders, then outright hostile to their presence in their territories. |
| 31 | ---- |
| 32 | * AcquiredPoisonImmunity: Living in the Black Marsh with so many poisonous and toxic lifeforms has made the Argonians almost totally immune to natural and magical poisons. |
| 33 | * BadassArmy: As of the 4th Era, the Argonians have proven to be one of the strongest fighting forces on ''all of Nirn''. Usually depicted as being at the very least marginally CloudCuckoolander in their tendencies, they have proven to be an [[CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass exceptionally "hidden badass" fighting force]]. Following the Oblivion Crisis, their race TookALevelInBadass when the Hist, whose sap the Argonians drink to grow, began to change the Argonians, making them stronger and more aggressive to prepare for the coming chaos and wars following the Crisis. Offscreen events recorded in the in-game books make it clear they're masters of Viet Cong style guerilla warfare, and their invasion of Morrowind (and, therefore, its rich ebony deposits) is speculated to have made them one of the only nations still capable of standing against the Aldmeri Dominion. They were also the only force in all of Tamriel that not only held off the Dremora in the Oblivion Crisis, but actually forced the Dremora to close their gates because ''the Argonians were invading Oblivion''. |
| 34 | * BigDamnHeroes: During the invasion of Tamriel by the Akaviri race of "Snow Demons" known as the Kamal, the Nords and Dunmer managed to fend them off, but were under threat of Kamal reinforcements. That ended when the Argonians joined the fight, helped to break the Kamal lines, and then slaughtered them all in a decisive final battle. |
| 35 | * BizarreAlienReproduction: |
| 36 | ** The Argonians are easily the most "alien" out of the playable races and are an oviparous (egg-laying) sapient species, with the females possessing NonMammalMammaries. According to some sources (and confirmed by Argonians in ''Elder Scrolls Online: Murkmire''), the Argonians are also sequential hermaphrodites, meaning they can [[GenderBender switch genders]]. The time spent as either male or female is called a "life-phase". |
| 37 | ** Other sources state that they actually start life as perfectly ordinary lizards, and only mutate into their larger, sapient form when they consume Hist sap. |
| 38 | * BlueAndOrangeMorality: |
| 39 | ** Comes with the territory of being tree-worshipping lizards. However, unlike some of the other beast or Mer races (especially the Sloads and Dwemer), the Argonians are relatively similar to the other species in terms of morality, with some noticeably odd quirks: [[LanguageEqualsThought their language lacks in past and future tense verbs]], as the Argonians live "in the now" much more than other races, which often leads to some bizarre morals. As a whole, though, they're relatively similar to humans in terms of morals, if with the caveat of completely disregarding the past and future for being [[EasilyForgiven Easily Forgiving]] to the umpth degree. |
| 40 | ** Some sources suggest they have no cultural taboo against [[ImAHumanitarian eating other races]], but they don't do so out of malice and their morality factors into ''who'' they're willing to eat. |
| 41 | * ColdBloodedWhatever: They're LizardFolk whose physiology is chiefly and visibly reptilian, however they also have elements of amphibians (said to be "sequential hermaphrodites", meaning they can switch genders, confirmed by Argonians in ''Online'') and fish (gills which allow them to breathe underwater, and shows up in-game as a Water Breathing racial ability). |
| 42 | * ConLang: Their native "Jel" language. Unlike the other languages of Men and Mer, it does not descend from Ehlnofex, but rather comes from the Hist. It is unique in that it has no past tense or future tense verbs, only present tense. |
| 43 | * CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass: Usually depicted as being at the very least marginally CloudCuckoolander in their tendencies. Seemingly named after unique traits they display while still hatchlings, so you get Argonians walking around called things like Hides-His-Eyes, Scouts-Many-Marshes, and Nine-Toes. Offscreen events recorded in the in-game books make it clear they're masters of Viet Cong style guerilla warfare, and their invasion of Morrowind (and, therefore, its rich ebony deposits) is speculated to have made them one of the only nations still capable of standing against the Aldmeri Dominion. They were also the only force in all of Tamriel that not only held off the Dremora in the Oblivion Crisis, but actually forced the Dremora to close their gates because ''[[MuggingTheMonster the Argonians were invading Oblivion!]]'' |
| 44 | * CultureChopSuey: They combine elements of Meso-American cultures (in the {{Mayincatec}} fashion) along with native cultures of Southeast Asia. Their ancient cultures built [[PyramidPower grandiose pyramid structures]] called "xanmeers" while Argonian art makes use of bright colors, feathers, and hides of all kinds. A succession of conquerors has long prevented the Argonians from growing past the "tribal" stage of society, while the Argonians are also masters of Viet Cong style guerilla warfare. |
| 45 | * DeathWorld: Most of the Black Marsh is full of dangerous flora/fauna, extremely difficult to navigate, and flat out ''toxic'' to non-Argonians. |
| 46 | * TheDogBitesBack: |
| 47 | ** For thousands of years, the Argonians were slaves to the Dunmer. Following the events of the Oblivion Crisis and the infamous "Red Year" (both of which severely weakened the Dunmer), the Argonians took the opportunity to invade Morrowind, the Dunmer homeland. They captured most of the still-habitable portions, along with Morrowind's rich ebony deposits. House Redoran did eventually push them back (well, ''mostly''; the latest lore has the Argonians still hanging on to a small portion of Southern Morrowind), but not before the Argonians had sacked countless cities and killed huge numbers of Dunmer, while driving many more north and west. |
| 48 | ** The trope is played around with a bit in that the invasion was at least partially spurred on by the Thalmor who saw a ripe opportunity to [[KickThemWhileTheyAreDown kick their Dunmer opponents while they were down]], and used {{agent provocateur}}s planted among the Argonians to agitate for the invasion. |
| 49 | * EasilyForgiven: A cultural tic, at least toward fellow Argonians. Culturally, Argonians live in the "now", preferring not to dwell in the past or look ahead to the future. Additionally, hating each other is the same as hating themselves because they "are all people of the root". |
| 50 | * EmotionlessReptile: Argonians are often seen as emotionless by the other races of Tamriel but actually subvert this. Others often assume they have no emotions due to their lack of facial muscles needed to display human-like expressions, but anyone who pays attention to their voices can quickly deduce that this is false. Even Argonians who barely understand the languages of Men and [[OurElvesAreDifferent Mer]] can have strong emotion in their voices. |
| 51 | * EnemyMine: Despite their long-time animosity, the Argonians formed one under the Ebonhart Pact with the Dunmer and the Nords, first to drive out the Akaviri Kamal invaders, and then to focus on wiping away the rashness of Imperial rule as well as ending mortal scheming with higher powers from beyond Nirn during the Interregnum. |
| 52 | * EvolutionaryRetCon: The appearance of the Argonians has changed drastically over the course of the series, though, interestingly, this change has been given an in-universe justification. ''Arena'' displayed them as gray-skinned humanoids. Two games later, ''Morrowind'' turned them into bird-legged, iguana-looking people. ''Oblivion'' returned them to more traditionally bipedal lizard people. Finally, ''Skyrim'' has them looking like ''velociraptor''-looking people (they use the same model as other races, apart from the reptilian head and tail). Essentially, with each game, the Argonians have gotten a more aggressive "predatory" look. This evolution is ostensibly justified in-universe by the fact the Argonians worship the Hist, a race of sentient trees in their homeland of Argonia (or "Black Marsh"). Hatchling Argonians drink the sap from the Hist that changes them physically. After the events of the Oblivion Crisis, it is believed that the Hist have been strengthening the Argonians, turning them into more formidable warriors over time. |
| 53 | * ExploitedImmunity: The Argonians have a racial ability which allows them to breathe underwater. They also have a reputation for being skilled at guerrilla warfare, constructing underwater camps (which are naturally hard for non-Argonians to assault) and one of their favorite tactics is to ambush their victims, grab them, drag them underwater, and keep them there until they drown. |
| 54 | * FaceHeelTurn: As a race during the 4th Era, if one considers the Empire as the "face" side of things and the Aldmeri Dominion as the "heel". (Which, while the Empire has its flaws, is still very much the [[BlackAndGrayMorality "gray" to the "black"]] of the [[ANaziByAnyOtherName outright fascist]] Dominion.) After Red Mountain's eruption, the Aldmeri Dominion influenced the Argonians to attack Morrowind and get revenge over millennia of slavery and to free the remaining illegal slaves there, as well as to capture Morrowind's valuable [[FantasyMetals Ebony deposits]]. The Dominion profited in further weakening the Empire by tearing away two more provinces (Argonia seceding and then attacking and occupying parts of Morrowind, causing the Dunmer to lose faith in the Empire). |
| 55 | * FantasticDrug: If an Argonian licks the sap of Hist trees, the Hist can communicate with them through visions. If a non-Argonian tries this, or if the sap is somehow tainted, it can result in extreme hallucinations and intense bloodlust. |
| 56 | * FantasticNamingConvention: The Argonians are seemingly named (in Jel, the language of the Argonians) after unique traits they display while still hatchlings and, if they have frequent dealings with non-Argonians, get those names translated into Tamriellic. "Haj-Ei" becomes "Hides-His-Eyes", for example. In other cases, their name in Tamriellic is based on their profession. For example, "Quill-Weave" is a writer, "Makes-One-Soup" is a chef, and "Lights-Sparks" is a mage. |
| 57 | * FantasticSlur: In ''Skyrim'' a few characters derogatorily refer to Argonians as "boots", presumably referring to the practice of using reptile leather (snake, crocodile, etc) to make footwear. |
| 58 | * FrogMen: One of the Argonian subspecies, which is very rarely, if ever, seen outside Black Marsh, are the "Paatru", which is described as "toad-like" in appearence. |
| 59 | * GenderBender: According to some sources (which have been confirmed by Argonians in Murkmire), Argonians are said to be sequential hermaphrodites, meaning they can switch genders. The time spent as either male or female is called a "life-phase". |
| 60 | * HairSubstituteFeature: They have just about everything ''but'' hair treated like hair. Horns, spikes (both flexible and rigid), scales, fins, feathers (particularly females), etc. |
| 61 | * HealingFactor: Their Histskin ability allows them to improve their restoration spells, and they have a much stronger natural resistance to diseases than most other races. |
| 62 | * HiveMind: Downplayed, but extant. Argonians are said to be able to "feel" the Hist inside of them at all times, connecting them with the Hist and to each other. It is said that the farther an Argonian travels from Black Marsh, the weaker this connection gets. Sensing the upcoming Oblivion Crisis, the Hist were able to use this ability to recall most of the Argonians in Tamriel to Black Marsh in preparation for the trials to come. |
| 63 | * HotSkittyOnWailordAction: Averted in terms of producing offspring, as the only confirmed Tamriellic playable race to not be able to interbreed with the race of Men and Mer.[[note]]The Khajiit may be an exception like the Argonians, as there are no known Man/Mer and Khajiit pairings in the lore to date.[[/note]] Being an egg-laying species and not (being known to have) descended from the same common ancestors makes this aversion rather understandable. However, that doesn't preclude ''sex'' from happening. ''The Lusty Argonian Maid'' and its sequels treat the subject from an IKEAErotica standpoint. |
| 64 | * IdealIllnessImmunity: Downplayed in that it's not truly "ideal", but the Argonians are naturally highly resistant to most forms of disease. This actually may have hurt their reputation during the deadly Knahaten Flu outbreak in the 2nd Era, which crippled much of Tamriel. As the Argonians were immune to the disease, they were blamed as the creators (or at least as carriers) of the disease, souring their relations with many of the other races of Tamriel. |
| 65 | * ImAHumanitarian: Some sources suggest they have no taboo against eating other races, though individual morality factors into ''who'' they're willing to eat. |
| 66 | * InSeriesNickname: |
| 67 | ** The Argonians get several of these from the other races, most of them derogatory, such as Lizard Men and just plain "Lizards". The word "filthy" often precedes them. |
| 68 | ** The Argonians themselves often refer to the other races as "landstriders" (more politely) or "prey" (in a more negative sense). |
| 69 | * LanguageEqualsThought: Their language, Jel, has no past or future tense verbs. As such, Argonians tend to live "in the now", [[EasilyForgiven easily forgetting and forgiving]] past offenses while paying little mind to the future. (The possibly {{Omniscient}} Hist seem to do that for them, as seen with them foretelling and preparing the Argonians for the Oblivion Crisis and turmoils of the 4th Era.) |
| 70 | * LastOfHisKind: As of the 4th Era, there is only one known Shadowscale remaining, serving in the Skyrim branch of the Dark Brotherhood. The practice of sending Shadowscales apparently died out sometime after the Oblivion Crisis. |
| 71 | * LizardFolk: |
| 72 | ** They are a species of humanoid reptilians with scales, elongated snouts, claws, and tails. They are known to reproduce via laying eggs and are said to be cold-blooded (but can survive in colder climates as adults thanks to "concentrated magicka" within the Hist sap that they drink). They also have some traits in common with some amphibians, including the ability to breathe in and out of water, and they are said to go through "life phases" in which their physical forms can change drastically, including, per some sources, changing sexes. |
| 73 | ** In ''Arena'', there is an enemy type called Lizard Men, hostile reptilian troglodytes described as "once thought to be distant cousins of the argonians [...] whose use of language stretches only far enough to communicate the location of their prey to the rest of their hunting party, which then move to attack and feed". Interestingly, it resembles the modern Argonian design much more than Arena's version. |
| 74 | * MasterPoisoner: The Kota-Vimleel tribe are esteemed alchemists known for creating the most deadly poisons in all of Tamriel. |
| 75 | * MeaningfulName: Most Argonians have names that are only understandable in their language, but some choose to translate their names, which usually tell the habits and preferred jobs of the particular Argonian (for example, ''Skyrim'' has an Argonian named "Deep-In-His-Cups", who is a heavy drinker). |
| 76 | * MysticalPlague: They are blamed for the 2nd Era plague of the Knahaten Flu, which devastated Tamriel over the course of about 40 years. It is attributed to an Argonian shaman who created the plague by manipulating the spores of the Hist in retaliation for the awful treatment of his people by the other races. Other sources claim that it was a natural disease, but the general distrust of the Argonians throughout Tamriel combined with the fact that Argonians were immune to the disease made the "Argonians caused it" story more popular. |
| 77 | * {{Necromancy}}: The Veeskhleel tribe is hated by the others for being the only Argonian tribe to commune with the dead and steal corpses (Along with [[YourSoulIsMine souls]]) for use in necromancy, on top of stealing eggs from other tribes since their harsh environment means can't make eggs on their own. |
| 78 | * NonLinearCharacter: In a sense, but is both downplayed and a more mundane twist on the trope. Argonians as individuals has no real concept of time, be it beyond or before the present, as they generally view all of life from birth to death as a single moment. To them, time is an illusion established to create a linear version of events and is therefore considered a limited way of perceiving reality. This is even reflected in their native language, Jel, which completely lacks any tenses. |
| 79 | * NonMammalMammaries: Female Argonians are reptilian but are inconsistently depicted with breasts throughout the series. |
| 80 | * TheOmniscientCouncilOfVagueness: The An-Xileel, a political party with close ties to the Hist, rule Argonia during the 4th Era and appear to be this. It is speculated that their close ties to the {{omniscient}} Hist give them foresight into upcoming events and allow them to act with this advance knowledge. They rose to power during the Oblivion Crisis, during which it is said the actions of the An-Xileel are the sole reason Black Marsh remained unconquered by the forces of Mehrunes Dagon. They are strong anti-Imperialists and successfully pushed for Argonia's secession in the early years of the 4th Era. |
| 81 | * OurGodsAreDifferent: While some more-Imperialized Argonians recognize the Aedra and some of the Daedra, their race primarily worships the Hist - a race of [[WiseTree sentient]], [[TimeAbyss ancient]][[note]] "ancient" as in "they have existed on the planet before linear time was conceived of"[[/note]], and possibly {{Omniscient}} spore-reproducing trees. They can communicate with each other via deep, interconnected root systems and can communicate with the Argonians via visions transmitted in their sap, which the Argonians drink to learn and grow. |
| 82 | * TheQuisling: The Archein tribe. During the 3rd Era, they made fortunes by selling other Argonians into slavery. They also served as the advisors of the Imperial governors in Black Marsh, while being allowed to more directly rule over the more rural areas. When the 3rd Empire fell, they quickly went bankrupt and were hunted by other Argonians as traitors. |
| 83 | * ReptilesAreAbhorrent: Despite being no worse than the other playable races in general, the Argonians are long-standing victims of FantasticRacism with this being a major reason for it. |
| 84 | * TheSavageSouth: Black Marsh (aka Argonia) itself. It is one of Tamriel's southernmost mainland provinces (along with Elsweyr) and is full of diseases, poisonous life forms, sentient trees, man-eating plants, and vicious wildlife. Even Tiber Septim didn't bother conquering Black Marsh completely, just capturing a few border towns (where non-Argonians could actually live) and calling it a win. |
| 85 | * ScrewYouElves: After being victimized by the Dunmer for thousands of years with other outside forces (including the Septim Empire) doing very little to stop it, the Argonians fought back ''hard'' following the [[ChekhovsVolcano Red Year]]. They invaded what was left of habitable Morrowind, drove the Dunmer out, hunted House Telvanni to the brink of extinction, and claimed large swathes of land (and its valuable Ebony deposits) for themselves. Though House Redoran eventually stepped up and rallied an army of Dunmer which did manage to stop the Argonians' advance, they were only partially successful in driving them back, and by the time of ''Skyrim'' a part of southernmost Morrowind are still being occupied by the Argonians. |
| 86 | * ServantRace: To the Hist, who may have created the Argonians specifically to be this. The Argonians hold a deep reverence for the Hist, as it is said the Hist gave them their souls. Argonians will serve and defend the Hist with their very lives if needed. |
| 87 | * SlaveRace: For thousands of years to the Dunmer, who would raid Black Marsh from neighboring Morrowind to capture Argonians as slaves. Even under the otherwise progressive Septim Empire (which outlawed slavery everywhere else), Morrowind was allowed to continue this practice as one of their special privileges (for trading the Numidium to Tiber Septim). With Morrowind greatly weakened by the Red Year, the Argonians invaded in revenge. |
| 88 | * TheStoic: Subverted. Other races ''believe'' Argonians to be this, assuming them to have no emotions or feelings. This is largely attributed to their lack of facial muscles needed to display human-like facial expressions. Anyone who pays attention to their voices can quickly deduce this is simply not true. Even those who barely understand the languages of Men and Mer can have strong emotion in their voices. |
| 89 | * SuperNotDrowningSkills: Argonians can breathe water just as easily as air. They are known to use this as a guerrilla tactic, lying in ambush in bodies of water for days on end, and then dragging any foes unfortunate enough to cross their path underwater and drowning them. |
| 90 | * SwampsAreEvil: Black Marsh to all non-Argonians, being full of dangerous lifeforms and diseases. Obviously averted by the Argonians themselves. |
| 91 | * TokenAquaticRace: The only playable race in the series to possess SuperNotDrowningSkills as a result of naturally having the "Waterbreathing" trait. |
| 92 | * TookALevelInBadass: The entire race following the Oblivion Crisis. The Hist, whose sap the Argonians drink to grow, began to change the Argonians, making them stronger and more aggressive to prepare for the coming chaos and wars following the crisis. It also serves to justify their changing appearance throughout the series. Further, it has been implied that the new An-Xileel regime in charge of Argonia at the time of ''Skyrim'' is one of the only two remaining factions that are capable of fending off a Dominion invasion (the other faction being Hammerfell). |
| 93 | * TykeBomb: Shadowscales, who are Argonians [[SignificantBirthDate born under the Shadow birth sign]] and trained from childhood in the arts of stealth and assassination by the [[MurderInc Dark Brotherhood]]. Some Argonian tribes take their duty of producing Shadowscales to such a degree that they have created potions which allow females to synchronize their egg-laying cycle with the Shadow constellation. By the 4th Era, only one Shadowscale remains. (In ''Skyrim'', Cicero, caretaker of the Night Mother, mentions in his journal that the Shadowscale training facility in the Argonian city of Archon had been shut down, helping to explain the lack of new Shadowscales.) |
| 94 | * UnusualEuphemism: "Landstrider" to non-Argonian races. |
| 95 | * UpliftedAnimal: It is theorized Argonians were once normal lizards in Black Marsh before the Hist uplifted the so-called "useful lizards" to sapience and gave them more humanoid forms akin to Men and Mer using their sap. The Helstrom Ancestor Lizard introduced in ''Online'' is believed by some scholars to be the species the Hist used. The Hist are believed to have done a similar process to gave Argonians their Lizard-Steeds, as mammalian mounts are ill-suited for the swamp. |
| 96 | * VerbalTic: The Argonians tend to refer to other races as "prey", going so far as to greet them by saying things like "the prey approaches". |
| 97 | * WhenTreesAttack: The Hist can incite the Argonians to attack on their behalf, making them this trope indirectly. |
| 98 | * WiseTree: Argonians worship the Hist, a race of sentient, ancient, and possibly omniscient trees native to the Black Marsh. The Argonians believe that the Hist gave them their souls, and they drink Hist sap to grow and to communicate with the Hist via visions transmitted in the sap. |
| 99 | * ZanyScheme: Argonians have a cultural knack for coming up with these. It is likely linked to their BlueAndOrangeMorality (what is "zany" to a human may not be to a tree-worshiping lizard) and their [[LanguageEqualsThought unusual thought processes]]. |
| 100 | [[/folder]] |
| 101 | |
| 102 | [[folder:Bird Men]] |
| 103 | ->''"Topal the Pilot was enchanted with the islands\ |
| 104 | And the feathered men who lived there.\ |
| 105 | There the Niben stayed for a moon, and the bird\ |
| 106 | Men learned how to speak their own words,\ |
| 107 | And with taloned feet, to write."'' |
| 108 | -->-- '''''Father of the Niben''''' |
| 109 | |
| 110 | The Bird Men were a beast race who originally inhabited what would become the Imperial City Isle in central Cyrodiil. What they called themselves has been lost to history. It is said that they were rendered extinct by the Khajiit even before the Ayleids came to settle Cyrodiil. |
| 111 | ---- |
| 112 | * ArchEnemy: They were rendered extinct by "cat demons", believed by modern scholars to be the ancient Khajiit. |
| 113 | * BirdPeople: It is said that they had feathers of glorious colors, talons for feet, and were capable of flight. |
| 114 | * HandyFeet: According to ''Father of the Niben'', the Bird Men could write with their feet. |
| 115 | * MightyWhitey: According to legends [[WrittenByTheWinners (most of which were written by Elves)]], Aldmer explorer Topal the Pilot was this to them. He and his men taught them to speak their own words and how to write, so they declared him their lord and offered him their islands. |
| 116 | * PollyWantsAMicrophone: When first approached by Aldmeri explorers, the Bird Men spoke back in Aldmeri, surprising the Aldmer. However, they quickly realized that the Bird Men were only repeating their own words back to them. Despite this, the Aldmeri were able to teach them to actually speak their own words and to write. |
| 117 | [[/folder]] |
| 118 | |
| 119 | [[folder:Dreugh]] |
| 120 | [[quoteright:311:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/detail_of_land_dreugh_concept_art.png]] |
| 121 | |
| 122 | ->''"Then Ayem threw the netchiman's wife into the ocean water where dreughs took her into castles of glass and coral. They gifted the netchiman's wife with gills and milk fingers, changing her sex so that she might give birth to the image as an egg."\ |
| 123 | "When the dreughs ruled the world, the Daedroth Prince Molag Bal had been their chief. He took a different shape then, spiny and armored and made for the sea. Vivec, in giving birth to the many spawn of his marriage, had dropped an old image of Molag Bal into the world: a dead carapace of memory."'' |
| 124 | -->-- '''''The 36 Lessons of Vivec''''' |
| 125 | |
| 126 | The Dreugh are a semi-intelligent race of aquatic beast folk, somewhat resembling humanoid octopi with hard, leathery hides and pincers on their primary set of "arms". They are native to the coastal areas of much of northern Tamriel, particularly the Iliac Bay and the oceans around Morrowind, but can be found in waterways much further inland as well. For one year of their lives, Dreugh undergo a process known as "karvinasim", in which they emerge onto land to breed. During this period they are known as "Land Dreughs" or "Billies". Unlike their aquatic counterparts, the Land Dreughs show no signs of their usual intelligence and kill indiscriminately. These Land Dreugh can be found as far inland as Cyrodiil. |
| 127 | |
| 128 | In the distant past, the Dreugh formed underwater civilizations of "glass and coral", and were known to inhabit Tamriel before the arrival of the Aldmer. These Dreugh were highly intelligent, able to speak, and capable of using magic. According to some sources, the Dreugh come from a previous "kalpa", or cycle of time, in which they ruled the world in service to Molag Bal, Daedric Prince of Domination and Rape. However, that world (known as "Lyg") was destroyed and the remnants were one of the 12 worlds assembled to create Nirn during the Dawn Era as described in many creation myths. Conflicts with hunters (particularly the Dunmer) over thousands of years are believed to have contributed to the destruction of Dreugh civilization as well as their devolved intelligence. Dreugh are prized by these hunters for their leathery hides and waxes. |
| 129 | ---- |
| 130 | * AllWebbedUp: Land Dreughs are known to cocoon their victims, leaving their victims helpless as food for their young. |
| 131 | * AntiMagic: Dreugh are immune to magical paralysis and poison, while also being resistant to many other forms of Destruction magic, with the sole exception of Frost. |
| 132 | * BigCreepyCrawlies: Land Dreughs, who move around like giant crabs. One set of arms moves to their backs during the transformation and is tipped with blades. |
| 133 | * EvolutionPowerUp: Dreugh are a temporary case when they undergo "karvinasim" and become Land Dreugh for about a year of their lives to breed. Land Dreugh tend to be hardier, hit harder, and gain a natural "shock" attack in addition to gaining the ability to live on land. However, as a sort of MultiFormBalance, they lose whatever intelligence they still have in their aquatic forms, becoming little better than vicious beasts on land. |
| 134 | * FishPeople: They resemble octopi with leathery hides and pincers on their primary two "arms". |
| 135 | * FormerlySapientSpecies: They once ruled the world in a previous kalpa, or cycle of time. However, that was one of the 12 worlds which were destroyed and the remnants pieced together to [[CreationMyth create Nirn]]. The Dreugh of early Nirn were still intelligent, but that diminished over time as their civilization fell and their intelligence devolved. Now, like the Falmer, their de-evolution from an intelligent, sapient race with their own civilization has included their souls becoming white, like those of animals. |
| 136 | * FuturePrimitive: It is said that the Dreugh ruled the world in a previous kalpa, or cycle of time. However, that was one of the 12 worlds which were destroyed and the remnants pieced together to create Nirn. The Dreugh of early Nirn were still intelligent, but that diminished over time as their civilization fell and their intelligence devolved. |
| 137 | * OrganDrops: Dreugh are prized by hunters for their leathery hides (which can be forged into quality weapons and armors) and for the wax they produce (which is a valuable alchemical ingredient). |
| 138 | * OurGodsAreDifferent: Dreugh have an association with the Daedric Prince Molag Bal, whom they served in a previous kalpa. This version of Molag Bal took a form that was "spiny and armored and made for the sea". |
| 139 | * SapientFurTrade: While their intelligence is said to have devolved over time, they are still considered a sapient species. That doesn't stop hunters (primarily the Dunmer) from killing them for their hides and wax. |
| 140 | * ShockAndAwe: Land Dreughs have a powerful, natural melee shock attack. |
| 141 | * TimeOfMyths: According to sources including the Dunmeri [[PhysicalGod Tribunal deity]] Vivec and Mankar Camoran, the Dreugh come from a much earlier era in the history of creation. Vivec describes it as a previous "kalpa", or cycle of time, while Camoran states that it was early Nirn during the Dawn Era, before linear time existed. In either case, it was a place that would not have followed the usual conventions of time, history, or even logic. |
| 142 | * TheUnpronouncable: The few Dreugh names mentioned in the series (not including names given to specific Dreugh by other races) tend to be this mixed with a PunctuationShaker. Examples include Zizzikkiz'Tk and Kra'gh, as well as their place names like Mor-Galg and Djaf. |
| 143 | [[/folder]] |
| 144 | |
| 145 | [[folder:Fauns]] |
| 146 | |
| 147 | Deerlike beastfolk native to the Systre Archipelago, where they take on a similar ecological niche to Goblins in mainland Tamriel. |
| 148 | ---- |
| 149 | * TheBeastmaster: They can command Indriks in battle. |
| 150 | * ColdBloodedTorture: In one instance a group of Fauns captured a water carrier, tied him up, stuffed garlic cloves in his mouth, slathered him in honey, and finally agitated a hornet's nest so that they'd sting him to the brink of death. This was all done for no discernable reason. |
| 151 | * HornedHumanoid: They're humanoid deer that have antlers atop their heads. |
| 152 | * IntriguedByHumanity: The flavor text for the Faunfrolic Great Elk mount in ''Online'' states that they were created when a group of Fauns got inspired to create their own mounts from observing the mounted knights of Castle Navire in High Isle, only to give them up upon realizing they were just as fast on their own two feet. |
| 153 | * ShroudedInMyth: Not much is known about Fauns because like Goblins they have a tendency to kill researchers who try to get close. |
| 154 | * TheUnintelligible: The tongue of the Fauns consists of grunts and chirps like real-life deer. |
| 155 | |
| 156 | [[/folder]] |
| 157 | |
| 158 | [[folder:Hadolids]] |
| 159 | !! Hadolids |
| 160 | |
| 161 | Crabfolk native to the Abecean Sea and ancient enemies of the Sload, whose outposts are commonly found in the Systre Archipelago. While physically similar to Dreugh, they have no relation. |
| 162 | ---- |
| 163 | * ArchEnemy: They are ancient enemies of the Sload, and are said to have whole campaigns against each other deep underwater. |
| 164 | * EnemyMine: While normally hostile to all other races, their first contact with Tamriel had them assist in helping the All Flag Navy against the Sload. |
| 165 | * MagicKnight: Hadolids are as good with magic as they are with weaponry. |
| 166 | * SapientFurTrade: While a sapient (If hostile) species, the inhabitants of the Systres are known to eat them and their brine glands can be used as an alchemical ingredient. This is discussed in ''Online'' by the Orc author Bolga gra-Bur in "Bolga's Guide to Galen Beasts": |
| 167 | -->'''Bolga:''' Is it wrong to eat crabfolk that talk? Bolga will leave that to scholars. Need more butter. |
| 168 | * ShroudedInMyth: Very little is known about the Hadolids due to their hostility against other races and deep underwater habitat. |
| 169 | * SuperNotDrowningSkills: Not only are they naturally good swimmers that can breathe underwater, they're capable of diving even deeper than Argonians. |
| 170 | [[/folder]] |
| 171 | |
| 172 | [[folder:Imga]] |
| 173 | !! Imga |
| 174 | ->"''The Great Apes, or Imga, are native beastfolk of Valenwood. They see the High Elves as their lords and masters, and as a portrait of an ideal, civilized society."'' |
| 175 | -->-- '''''Pocket Guide to the Empire and its Environs, First Edition''''' |
| 176 | |
| 177 | The Great Apes of Valenwood, who once flourished before the Aldmer came to Tamriel. Now, they are known for their reverence for the Altmer, who they attempt to imitate in every way they can. They vanished from Valenwood during the 2nd Era event known as the "Planemeld", and it is unknown where they went or when they returned. |
| 178 | |
| 179 | The most famous Imga was Marukh, a prophet who rose to prominence in the 1st Era under the First Cyrodiilic Empire when he founded the rabidly anti-elven Alessian Order. (Details on the Order can be found on the [[Characters/TheElderScrollsFactions The Elder Scrolls Factions]] page. |
| 180 | ---- |
| 181 | * BeastMan: They're intelligent "ape men" who are are naturally dexterous and are renowned for their agility. They are covered with hair, which some shave off in a (reportedly pathetic) attempt (along with powdering their skin) to imitate the Altmer. |
| 182 | * BlueBlood: Every Imga bears some kind of noble title (Baron, Duke, Earl, etc.) which they use when addressing the Altmer. Subverted, however, as there are no land-owning Imga. |
| 183 | * FantasticRacism: |
| 184 | ** Imga consider humans to be beneath them, copying their Altmeri idols, and pretend to [[HumansAreSmelly find their smell offensive]]. |
| 185 | ** Though [[{{Irony}} ironically]], the most famous Imga was Marukh, the founder of the Alessian Order - a human-''supremacist'' theocratic order that took over the First Empire via coup and carried out the genocide of all the remaining elves in Cyrodiil. |
| 186 | * NeverRecycleABuilding: Averted, as Imga have taken over many of the abandoned human trading posts which had been established in Valenwood during the Second Empire. |
| 187 | * PimpedOutCape: Wear fancy capes in an attempt to ape the Altmer. One corner of the capes is perfumed, which they hold over their noses when humans are around. |
| 188 | * SwordFight: They practice with dueling swords in order to impress the Altmer. |
| 189 | * TheUnseen: Imga haven't actually appeared in any of the games. (Though one of the better lore-friendly {{Game Mod}}s for ''Skyrim'', ''Moonpath to Elsweyr'', takes you to Elsweyr and has the Imga working as Thalmor {{Giant Mook}}s. |
| 190 | [[/folder]] |
| 191 | |
| 192 | [[folder:Khajiit]] |
| 193 | [[quoteright:204:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lore_race_khajiit.png]] |
| 194 | [[caption-width-right:204:A Suthay-raht Khajiit, born when Masser was new and Secunda waning.]] |
| 195 | ->''"And Fadomai said, "When Nirni is filled with her children, take one of them and change them. Make the fastest, cleverest, most beautiful people, and call them Khajiit."'' |
| 196 | -->-- '''''Words of Clan Mother Ahnissi to Her Favored Daughter''''' |
| 197 | |
| 198 | The Khajiit are the feline natives of Elsweyr, Tamriel's south-central desert region. There are seventeen different subspecies of Khajiit, referred to as "furstocks", and what furstock a Khajiit cub will grow into is decided by the alignment of Tamriel's moons at the time of its birth. Most of these furstocks are humanoid with feline features, such as fur, long ears, tails, fangs, and claws, but they can vary wildly. For example, the Alfiq, the smallest furstock, are almost indistinguishable from housecats but possess great intelligence and are rumored to be formidable spellcasters, while the Senche-raht, the largest furstock, are as tall as two men and are ridden as steeds in battle by their kin. The Ohmes, meanwhile, are [[LittleBitBeastly so humanoid in their appearence]] that they are frequently -- somewhat to their chagrin -- mistaken for Elves. The varieties most commonly seen in the games (Ohmes-raht, Suthay-raht, and Cathay) are renowned for their agility, making for excellent thieves and acrobats, but their attraction to piracy and skooma often see them becoming sailors. Khajiit are fond of cakes, puddings and candies of all kinds, stemming from their love of the highly addictive Moon Sugar. Khajiit are also deadly in unarmed combat due to their excellent reflexes and retractable claws. Their foreign appearance and unusual system of morality in regards to personal property makes them common targets for racism. |
| 199 | |
| 200 | Depending on the game, the playable (and thus the most encountered) breed of Khajiit are the Ohmes in ''Arena'', the Ohmes-raht in ''Daggerfall'', the Suthay-raht in ''Morrowind'', and the Cathay in both ''Oblivion'' and ''Skyrim''. |
| 201 | ---- |
| 202 | * AcquiredPoisonImmunity: Khajiit as a whole are far less susceptible to the effects of moon sugar thanks to the fact that nearly all of their food uses it in some form or another, hardening their bodies to it. Still, overeating the sweetest of Khajiit foods can overwhelm even their resistance. |
| 203 | * AmbiguousSituation: While Masser and Secunda's two year abscence (aka: the "Void Nights") has been stated to have caused understandable unrest and panic among the Khajiit, nothing has been said as to whether or not the Khajiit reproductive cycle was affected, and if so, in what way. This has been subject to some WildMassGuessing, and caused a few EpilepticTrees to take root. |
| 204 | * ArchEnemy: They have a long and violent history with the Bosmer, with whom they share a border. Despite this, the Khajiit have twice joined the Aldmeri Dominion, which also includes the Bosmer. |
| 205 | * ArrogantKungFuGuy: |
| 206 | ** Khajiit typically come across as incredibly self-confident in their abilities. This extends even beyond martial arts to anything they take interest in, including acrobatics, thievery, and wizardry. |
| 207 | ** It also extends to their religious views. The Men and the Mer of Tamriel might fight and squabble vehemently, both with each other and amongst themselves, when it comes to the metaphysical mysteries of Nirn, but at the end of the day they can for the most part agree on at least a few things. The Khajiit firmly believe that both sides have it wrong, and their understanding of Nirn through their worship of the Moons provide them with the only true answer to life, the universe, and everything. |
| 208 | * BeastOfBattle: The Senche and Senche-raht can be as tall as two men and weigh as much as ''four tons''. They are built like apes and move as quadrupeds, and will allow their kinsmen to [[HorseOfADifferentColor use them as steeds]] in times of war. This has led to Imperial soldiers who have faced them in battle giving them the nickname "battle cats". |
| 209 | * BlueAndOrangeMorality: Downplayed, as unlike some of the other beast or Mer races (especially the Sload and Dwemer), the Khajiit are mostly similar to human's concept of morality... ''mostly''. [[LanguageEqualsThought Their language has no word for "rules"]] and they take a rather loose view of what constitutes personal property, frequently getting them in trouble in the lands of other races where what they do is considered "theft". Culturally, they value cunning and trickery far more than traditional human virtues, even though they still place emphasis on other more benign values like compassion and kindness. Overall, the Khajiit are fairly comparable to human morals, if having a total lack of understanding of what private property is. |
| 210 | * CharacterCatchphrase: "May your road lead you to warm sands" is a common saying. Others including including the words "warm", "sand", and "sugar" are also common. |
| 211 | * CatFolk: To varying degrees depending on the specific furstock in question. Some, like the Alfiq (who are similar to housecats) and the Senche (who are are built like apes) are quadrupeds, while most other furstocks are bipedal. Some, like the Ohmes and Ohmes-raht, are so human-like that they are often mistaken for Bosmer, although Ohmes-raht have tails. The Suthay and Suthay-raht are the most common furstocks, and likely the most balanced in terms of cat-like and human-like features; the Cathay are likewise balanced, but have humanlike plantigrade legs instead of the Suthay's digitigrade, feline limbs. Other furstocks, while as humanoid as the Suthay and Suthay-raht, resemble different types of feline -- the Dagi and Dagi-raht resemble lynxes, while the Pahmar and Pahmar-raht resemble tigers and the Cathay-raht resemble jaguars. |
| 212 | * CatNinja: Khajiit are naturally inclined toward stealth, and can often be found as assassins, spies, and thieves in other provinces. |
| 213 | * CombatPragmatist: The Khajiit [[LanguageEqualsThought don't even have a word for "rules"]]; the closest concept is "foolish thoughts". Unsurprisingly, this extends to their methods in battle. They have no qualms with deception, trickery, and even outright fleeing battle if things don't go their way. They are more than willing to abandon their allies (after all, a smart ally would do the same!) or flee a fight if it means that they can turn around and come back later to stab their enemies in the back, raid their vulnerable supplies, or cut their throats while they sleep. As long as you ''win'', anything goes. |
| 214 | * ConLang: They have one known as "Ta'agra", which obviously makes heavy use of the PunctuationShaker. It famously has no word for "rules", with the closest word, Thjizzrini, meaning "foolish concepts". "Khajiit" itself loosely translates to "desert walker" in Ta'agra. |
| 215 | * CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass: Khajiit have a reputation for being rather simple (not helped by their cultural propensity toward drug addiction, their bestial appearance, and being third-person people) and often morally ambiguous (their language has no word for "rules" and they have a very loose view of what constitutes personal property). Despite this, most sources indicate that Khajiit are no less intelligent than any other race, with an especially great knack for cleverness, and should not be underestimated. They are capable warriors with a number of fantastic martial art styles and have no qualms with using underhanded tactics to win. In a border dispute with the Bosmer known as the "Five Year War", the Khajiit defeated the Bosmer and extended their territory with the use of tactics including the "vertical ambush". When the Khajiit broke the war-ending truce and continued their attacks, the Bosmer were forced to use the DangerousForbiddenTechnique known as "the Wild Hunt", in which they irreversibly turn into terrible monsters in order to finally stop the Khajiit. Even the Aldmeri Dominion in the 4th Era got the Khajiit to join as vassals rather than via conquest, looking to avoid open conflict with the Khajiit. Further, throughout the series, Khajiit can be found as high ranking members of the Mages and Thieves Guilds. |
| 216 | * CultureChopSuey: Their caravans, nomadic lifestyle, and propensity for stealth recall medieval views of the UsefulNotes/{{Roma|ni}}. Like the Redguards, they also take a lot of cues from various "desert" cultures, including north African and Middle-Eastern cultures. Their cultural ties to the drug Moon Sugar are also reminiscent of the Chinese Opium culture. Their architecture appears to have Southeast Asian influences. |
| 217 | * CultureClash: Khajiits sees themselves as being merely a minor part of a whole, and therefore Khajiit culture has a somewhat ''loose'' view of what constitutes personal property. Naturally, this leads to conflicts outside of Elsweyr where this behavior constitutes "theft". |
| 218 | * CurbStompBattle: Much of the 3rd Era "Five Years War" with the Bosmer was this for the Khajiit. It started as a border dispute but quickly escalated into a full scale war. While the Bosmer won an initial battle (when the Khajiit got poor counsel from their Nord advisors), the Khajiit absolutely manhandled the the Bosmer after that, claiming some of their territory and even raiding deep into Valenwood. It took the Bosmer [[GodzillaThreshold invoking the Wild Hunt]] to finally stop the Khajiit attacks. |
| 219 | * DeadpanSnarker: Khajiit have a propensity toward being these, usually with a sarcastic and pithy slant. |
| 220 | * EvolutionaryRetcon: In ''Arena'' and ''Daggerfall'', they look like a race of hardy and fair-skinned men/elves that hardly (if at all) resemble their supposed feline ancestors. In ''Morrowind'', ''Oblivion'', and ''Skyrim'', they're Beast Folk that resemble humanoid tigers. The retcon here isn't that they turned into different forms (like the Argonians), but rather lore has been added that explain it as being part of their biology. By the waxing and waning of the two moons Masser and Secunda, the children born to a Khajiit can range in appearance from a small house cat to a fair-skinned man/elf to a cat-man to a feline big enough to be ridden as a beast of battle. |
| 221 | * ExoticEquipment: The penises of male Khajiit are said to be covered in tiny barbs, just like real-life cats'. The ''Real Barenziah'' book series in ''Daggerfall'' includes a scene where Barenziah, the titular LostOrphanedRoyalty, has sex with a Khajiit so that he'll induct her into the Thieves' Guild. She quickly discovers that there is truth to the "barbed penis" rumors. (The book series exists in later games, but this scene is censored.) Likewise, an exotic dancer in ''Morrowind'' will make a comment if the PlayerCharacter is a male Khajiit, complaining "not another Khajiit, I'm still smarting from the last one." [[note]]If it's any consolation at all, Barenziah is mentioned as enjoying the pain/pleasure quite a bit at the, uh, moment. Of course whether or not ''anything'' in said book is accurate is ambiguous as its unauthorized. [[/note]] |
| 222 | * FaceHeelTurn: As a race during the 4th Era, if one considers the Empire as the "face" side of things and the [[AntiHumanAlliance Aldmeri Dominion]] as the "heel". (Which, while the Empire has its flaws, is still very much the [[BlackAndGrayMorality "gray" to the "black"]] of the [[ANaziByAnyOtherName outright fascist]] Dominion.) Through some clever manipulation, the Dominion convinced Elsweyr to abandon the Empire and join their side of the conflict as a client state. |
| 223 | * FantasticDrug: Moon Sugar, which is a key ingredient to Skooma, is a prized delicacy among the Khajiit. It is also considered sacred, as the Khajiit believe it to be "crystallized moonlight". |
| 224 | * FantasticFightingStyle: They are said to have many forms with colorful names like Goutfang, Whispering Claw, Two-Moons-Dance, and Rawlith Khaj (translated as "Raining Sand"). Most take advantage of the Khajiit's natural agility and claws. |
| 225 | * FantasticNamingConvention: They have single names with prefixes and a PunctuationShaker, for example Ra'Virr, Dro'Zel. Sometimes no prefixes. (Ex. Vasha, Wadarkhu) |
| 226 | * FantasticRaceWeaponAffinity: A weaponless variant. They'll fight with weapons, but also produce some of the finest {{Bare Fisted Monk}}s in Tamriel, as their claws give them an edge over the other races when fighting bare-handed. |
| 227 | * FighterMageThief: A given Khajiit can be born into any of these roles depending on the moon phase at their time of birth. The larger furstocks like the Pahmar or Senche tend to be physical fighters owing to their massive physiques, whereas the medium-sized ones such as Cathay or Dagi are usually thieves or assassins, and the diminutive Alfiq are very magically-gifted compared to their larger brethren. |
| 228 | * GuileHero: Their folk heroes tend to be this, due to their racial inclination towards [[CombatPragmatist combat pragmatism]] and use of sharp wits over brute strength. In the games, Khajiit characters who are allied with the player (e.g. Razum-dar) will typically overcome their adversaries using trickery and exploits, rather than direct confrontation. |
| 229 | * HaveIMentionedIAmADwarfToday: Their mythology can't go for three sentences without reminding you that it's the mythology of a race of catfolk. |
| 230 | * HotSkittyOnWailordAction: Each of their 17 different subspecies is implied to be able to breed with one another. To review, they can supposedly range in size from house cats, through a number of variations of humanoid CatFolk, to outright tigers large enough to be ridden as steeds in battle. Additionally, the offspring any pairing produces has nothing to do with the parent subspecies, but rather, the phases of the moons under which they are born. |
| 231 | * IAmLegion: When it comes down to it, "Khajiit" is not really a racial description nor an adjective, but rather a collective noun. Each indivual Khajiit regard themselves first and foremost as but a small part of the larger collective called "Khajiit", and as an individual lastly. This is also at the root of why they regard the idea of personhood and personal properity as very fluid terms, tend to speak in ThirdPersonPerson, and always call themselves "this one" when refering to themselves as a specific invidual. |
| 232 | * ImpossibleTheft: Rajhin, a legendary Khajiiti hero who became the Khajiit God of Thievery. Among his accomplishments are [[DidYouJustScamCthulhu stealing the Ring of Khajiit]] from Nocturnal, [[OurGodsAreDifferent the Daedric Prince of Darkness]], stealing the shadow from a merchant, and stealing the tattoo clean off the neck of the Empress Kintyra as she slept. He was said to have abilities like being able to hide in his own shadow as well as move invisibly, silently, and as fast as the wind. |
| 233 | * ImprobableHairstyle: Khajiit will cut off their manes in deference to the Mane, who will have them weaved into his own mane. As the Khajiit population grew over time, this became impractical, so in modern times, only the Mane's own tribe and his royal guard will cut their manes in this fashion. Still, the Mane is so weighted down by the hair that movement is difficult without aid and he will often travel the countryside by means of a palanquin. |
| 234 | * IndyPloy: A common trait of Khajiiti heroes, to the point that they even [[OddJobGods have a god for this concept]], Baan Dar. He is commonly attributed with "the genius which lends itself to the creation of last-minute plans to foil the machinations of the Khajiit's foes." |
| 235 | * InnateNightVision: Khajiit have an innate Night Eye effect which allows them to see better in the dark. |
| 236 | * LanguageEqualsThought: Ta'agra, the language of the Khajiit, has no word for "rules". The closest equivalent translates to "foolish concepts". |
| 237 | * LittleBitBeastly: The Ohmes and Ohmes-Raht subspecies have light fur and, in the latter's case, a tail, but are otherwise completely humanoid, so much so that they're often mistaken for Bosmer. In order to avoid this misconception, many Ohmes [[FacialMarkings tattoo their faces]] to resemble their more feline cousins. The Ohmes and Ohmes-Raht are the most common form seen outside of the province of Elsweyr, taking advantage of other races' preference for their appearance to serve in positions of ambassadorship and trade. |
| 238 | * {{Matriarchy}}: While the (historically male) Mane is the unofficial "head of state" of the Khajiit people, it is the Clan Mothers who hold the real power in Khajiiti society. They control the harvest and refinement of Moon Sugar, and thus it is they who are seen as the most influential. |
| 239 | * {{Motifs}}: Moons. Specifically, the two moons Masser and Secunda which will, depending on their phases, affect what subspecies a Khajiit will be when they are born, and are an integral part of the Khajiit religion. While Khajiit culture is merely scratched at in the main series games compared to some of the other playable races, ''Online'' shows that a lot of Khajiit style armor is adorned with symbols of the moons in different phases[[note]]With many of them being that of a crescent moon[[/note]], as well as the Khajiit style weapons,[[labelnote:Example]] Battle axes: Ones of iron and steel invoke the image of a half moon, the individual blades of Orichalc and dwarven ones each invoke the image of a crescent moon, and Ebon to Voidsteel ones invoke the image of a full moon, with the two bladed parts of the weapon resembling half moons on their own.[[/labelnote]] to the point where an armory filled with high-end Khajiit style gear would border on SigilSpam. In addition to the above, their biggest export is '''moon'''sugar, which has religious and cultural significance to the Khajiit, who believe it to be "crystallized moonlight", the Temples of '''Two-Moons''' Dance are places for philosophical study and martial training, etc. |
| 240 | * NaturalWeapon: Khajiit have natural [[AbsurdlySharpClaws razor-sharp]] and retractable claws. They have numerous fantastical martial arts styles which revolve around their use of these as a primary form of defense. |
| 241 | * ObfuscatingStupidity: They are known to play up the perceptions other races have for them as simple and unintelligent in order to take advantage of them. Cleverness is, after all, a virtue in their culture. |
| 242 | * OurGodsAreDifferent: Khajiiti religion teaches that the Khajiit people are "bound up" in what is known as the "Lunar Lattice", the relation between Moon Sugar (which they believe is crystallized moonlight), Lorkhan's Body (the moons themselves), Lorkhan's Heart, and the White-Gold Tower. Many of the deities, both Aedra and Daedra, are recognized by the Khajiit, but they often have different names and associations in the Khajiiti religion. For example, they call Mehrunes Dagon "Merrunz", and to the Khajiit, he is eternally a kitten, for "what is more destructive than a young cat?" |
| 243 | * PantheraAwesome: |
| 244 | ** While not related to the Khajiit, the large Senche cats native to Elsweyr and Valenwood can often be found as Khajiit pets and guard animals. They come in several forms, including Senche-Tigers, Senche-Panthers, and Senche-Lions. While other races see them as little better than wild animals, Khajiit are said to "sense an intelligence" in them that the other races do not. |
| 245 | ** The Pahmar-raht resemble tigers and are the tallest Khajiit furstock, easily towering over most other races. |
| 246 | * ProudMerchantRace: The Khajiit are known as skilled traders and for their cross-continental traveling caravans. |
| 247 | * RandomSpeciesOffspring: Or random subspecies offspring, in this case. The nature of the offspring of a Khajiiti pairing has nothing to do with the furstocks of its parents, but is instead determined by the phases of the moon under which they are born. |
| 248 | * {{Reincarnation}}: According to Khajiit tradition, the Mane, the unofficial "head of state" for all Khajiit, is one entity reborn in different bodies with the passage of time. |
| 249 | * SapientFurTrade: There exists a black market trade in Khajiit furs. One in-game book, ''Confessions of a Khajit Fur Trader'', was written by a Khajiit who trades in the furs of his own kind. |
| 250 | * TheSavageSouth: Elsweyr is a massive desert with some tropical jungles at the borders, and home to the Khajiit who have a not-undeserved reputation for stealing everything that isn't well-guarded. They are considered one of Tamriel's prime examples of a CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass race, as even the fascistic Aldmeri Dominion preferred to get Elsweyr to join diplomatically as a vassal rather than via conquest. |
| 251 | * ScrewYouElves: |
| 252 | ** In the Five Years War with the Bosmer. After getting rid of their Nord advisors, the Khajiit brutalized the Bosmer, capturing territory and raiding deep into Valenwood. The Bosmer had to [[GodzillaThreshold invoke the Wild Hunt]] in order to finally bring the war to an end. |
| 253 | ** Otherwise averted, as the Khajiit have twice joined the Aldmeri Dominion with the Altmer and Bosmer to instead deliver "screw yous" to humanity. |
| 254 | * SlaveRace: The Khajiit were one of the primary races targeted for enslavement by the Dunmer. |
| 255 | * SpeakOfTheDevil: Khajiit recognize "dark spirits" known as "dro-m'Athra", who are represented by the inverse phases of the moons. However, the Khajiit refuse to speak of them. |
| 256 | * StickyFingers: A cultural trait of the Khajiit. Oddly justified given their language's lack of a word for "rules" and their culture's rather ''loose'' view of what constitutes "personal property" - the book ''The Buying Game'' states that even Khajiit shopkeepers are suspicious towards other Khajiit entering their stores. This is frequently used against them by the {{Fantastic Racis|m}}ts of the other races to ban Khajiit from their cities and even to justify slavery. Naturally, Khajiit who have lived among the other races have shown the ability to get past this compulsion. |
| 257 | * SweetTooth: Somewhat amusingly, the entire race has a known sweet tooth, particularly toward the drug Moon Sugar (which is sacred in their culture). Rather ironic, given that RealLife felines can't taste sugar at all. |
| 258 | --> ''"The food of Elsweyr is invariably sweet; candies, cakes, puddings, and sugarmeats are the staples of the khajiit diet, and travelers to Elsweyr are cautioned against partaking of any of the native food."'' |
| 259 | * ThenLetMeBeEvil: The sad irony of the Khajiit is that since they are stereotyped as thieves, drug addicts, and generally lowly scum, they rarely find meaningful employment and have to resort to criminal activities to survive. |
| 260 | * ThereCanBeOnlyOne: The Mane, the unofficial "head of state" for all Khajiit. The Mane is not a standard furstock of Khajiit, but tradition holds that only one Mane may be alive at any one time, since the Mane is one entity reborn in different bodies with the passage of time. The veracity of this is unknown, but there has been no recorded instance of multiple Manes contending for power. |
| 261 | * ThirdPersonPerson: Most of the Khajiit speak this way when speaking in Tamrielic. Not only do they replace "I" or "me" in conversation with their own name, they'll say more generic terms like "this one" or simply "Khajiit". (Ex. "Khajiit has no wares to sell.") This works both ways too, as they'll replace "you" with the name, race, or class of the person they are speaking to. (Ex. "What does the Imperial want?") Less politely, they may also replace "you" with "it". One can readily determine whether a Khajiit in question is a relative foreigner to non-Khajiit lands or has lived in them for a long time by studying their speech patterns. The ones who refer to themselves in the third person frequently are less familiar with non-Khajiiti cultures, while those who use first person are more acclimatized. |
| 262 | * UnderestimatingBadassery: Due to their small quadrupedal body shapes, the Alfiq Khajiit are typically mistaken for regular housecats outside of Elsweyr. Those not aware of this furstock usually treat them as unintelligent cats, whom they will try to coo or cuddle with. Despite this, where the Alfiq lack in physical strength and robustness of their cousins, they make up for it with frightening magical mastery, as well as serving as excellent spies and thieves ''[[BeneathNotice because]]'' of their unassuming appearances. Additionally, being Khajiit, the Alfiq still possess sharp claws and fangs, which they can wield with great effect against opponents and the unwary alike, with one Alfiq [=NPC=] in ''Online'' boasting about maiming an Imperial who tried to pet her while she was sleeping. |
| 263 | * TheUnseen: |
| 264 | ** Most Khajiit furstocks have yet to make an appearance in the main series. Only the Ohmes (''Arena''), Ohmes-raht (''Daggerfall''), Suthay/Suthay-raht (''Morrowind''), and Cathay (''Oblivion'', ''Skyrim'', ''Online'') have actually appeared. |
| 265 | ** The ''Legends'' digital card battle shows the Cathay-raht ("Jaguar Men"), Dagi-raht (a smaller sub-breed with an affinity for climbing trees and using magic), and Pahmar-raht ("Tiger Men" and the largest bipedal furstock). |
| 266 | ** ''Online'' has introduced the Alfiq, Pahmar, Pahmar-raht, Senche-raht, Dagi, |
| 267 | * WeirdMoon: Nirn's twin moons, Masser and Secunda, are highly revered in Khajiiti religion and culture. They even dictate what form a Khajiit cub will grow into based on their phases when it was born. |
| 268 | [[/folder]] |
| 269 | |
| 270 | [[folder:Lilmothiit]] |
| 271 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lilmothiit.jpg]] |
| 272 | [[caption-width-right:350:Unused Lilmothiit Concept Art from ''Online'']] |
| 273 | An extinct race of "Fox Folk" who once inhabited Black Marsh. Though nomadic and tribal in nature, they were said to have founded the settlements of Blackrose and Lilmoth. It is believed that they were wiped out through a combination of the Knahaten Flu and conflicts with the Argonians. |
| 274 | ---- |
| 275 | * ArchEnemy: It is rumored that they came into conflict with the Argonians, who drove them out of Black Marsh. Details of the events are unfortunately scant. |
| 276 | * CultureChopSuey: Based on ''Online'' concept art, their dress and weaponry were inspired by various East Asian cultures including a traditional Chinese barber's hat, {{Samurai}}-style armor, and [[KatanasAreJustBetter katanas]]. |
| 277 | * FoxFolk: They were said to be a "vulpine race". |
| 278 | * MysticalPlague: It is said that the 2nd Era Knahaten Flu wiped them out. |
| 279 | * NobleSavage: From what little is known about them, they were a primitive, tribal, and nomadic society. If they were more "noble" or more "savage" remains unknown, however. |
| 280 | * TheUnseen: They are mentioned in the series, but have not actually appeared. [[JustifiedTrope Justified]], as they are heavily implied to have been driven into extinction by the Argonians and/or by a deadly disease known as the Knahaten Flu during the Second Era. There were plans to have them appear in ''Online'', including concept art, but these were scrapped. |
| 281 | [[/folder]] |
| 282 | |
| 283 | [[folder:Minotaurs]] |
| 284 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/eso_minotaur_shaman.png]] |
| 285 | |
| 286 | ->''Oh minotaur, oh minotaur,\ |
| 287 | A beast of rage and ignoble glaring.\ |
| 288 | Oh minotaur, oh minotaur,\ |
| 289 | None can deny your noble bearing.\ |
| 290 | Around Imperial ruins you gather,\ |
| 291 | Eternal guardians with hooves and horn.\ |
| 292 | What memories lead you to path there,\ |
| 293 | Is it Belharza or the Empire that you mourn?\ |
| 294 | Oh minotaur, oh minotaur,\ |
| 295 | Are you monster, Mer, or Man?\ |
| 296 | Oh minotaur, oh minotaur,\ |
| 297 | Tell us how you fit into the Divine's plan!'' |
| 298 | -->-- '''''The Minotaur Song''''' |
| 299 | |
| 300 | Minotaurs, also known as "bull-men" or "man-bulls", are a large humanoid species with the body of a man and the head of a bull. Though said to possess intelligence, Minotaurs are best known for their massive size and immense strength. Minotaurs are most commonly found in the northwestern and north-central regions of Cyrodiil. The civility of Minotaurs varies greatly depending on the individual. Some prefer to be naked and fight bare-handed or with their horns while others craft rudimentary weapons and armor. Some, particularly their shamans, are capable of using magic. Female Minotaurs are known to exist, but are rarely seen by outsiders. |
| 301 | |
| 302 | The most common theory regarding the origin of Minotaurs traces them back to the union of St. Alessia and Morihaus, the divine "man bull". Belharza, Alessia's son and second Emperor of the Alessia Empire, is widely believed to have been the "first Minotaur" and a product of the union between Alessia and Morihaus. In the years during and following the reign of Alessia, Minotaurs began to appear in greater numbers. These Minotaurs were believed to be loyal and devoted supporters of the Alessian Empire. Lending credence to this theory is the fact that modern Minotaurs are commonly found around sites and ruins dating back to the Alessian Empire, which they are believed to be drawn to on an instinctual level. According to some modern scholars, Minotaurs became a target of the Alessian Order, a rabidly human-supremacist theological order who took over the First Empire sometime after Belharza's reign. The Order slaughtered Minotaurs and drove them to wilderness areas on the fringes of the Empire's borders. |
| 303 | ---- |
| 304 | * AlwaysChaoticEvil: According to the beliefs of most Tamriellic citizens anyway. While they are very territorial and aggressive in attacking intruders, it is subverted in that Minotaurs mostly prefer to be left alone and that they once acted as strong supporters of the First Empire. |
| 305 | * BarbarianTribe: They live in groups frequently numbering in the twenties with a primitive clan-like social structure. The strongest male dominates the clan and has breeding rights with all females of reproductive age. Younger males may attempt to challenge him for the position via a DuelToTheDeath. |
| 306 | * BrutishCharacterBrutishWeapon: Axes, along with massive warhammers, are favored weapons of the Minotaurs. They are strong enough to wield the two-handed variants of these weapons [[OneHandedZweihander with one-hand]], sometimes DualWielding them. |
| 307 | * FantasticRacism: Despite the status of Belharza (believed to have been the first Minotaur) as Emperor and their loyalty/devotion to the Alessian Empire, Minotaurs became demonized when the Alessian Order took over. They were re-classified as "monsters" and driven from civilized areas, with whatever culture they had being destroyed. |
| 308 | * GiantMook: Minotaurs are much taller and larger than most of the other races of Tamriel, and are frequently in conflict with travelers in Cyrodiil's more rural areas. |
| 309 | * HalfHumanHybrid: Minotaurs have the bodies of men with the heads of bulls. They are said to descend from the DivineDate coupling of St. Alessia (a Nedic woman) with Morihaus (an Aedric demi-god "man bull"). |
| 310 | * HornAttack: They are known to use their horns in combat, which are hard and sharp enough to rend even the toughest armor. |
| 311 | * ImAHumanitarian: |
| 312 | ** A common belief is that Minotaurs are man-eaters, but evidence for this belief is scant. |
| 313 | ** In the other direction, Minotaur meat has been known to be consumed by other races and is a key ingredient in the dish slumgullion stew. |
| 314 | * MonsterProgenitor: Minotaurs are believed to descend from the union between St. Alessia and Morihaus. Pelinal Whitestrake, Alessia's "champion" and Morihaus' divine "uncle", specifically warned Morihaus against this relationship, believing that they would "beget more monsters on this earth". (Which, if this is the true origin of Minotaurs, proved to be the case.) |
| 315 | * TheNoseKnows: Minotaurs are said to have an incredible sense of smell and are able to track their prey by scent alone. |
| 316 | * OneGenderRace: Averted. This is believed to be the case by many in Tamriel, but female Minotaurs do exist. They are just so rarely seen by outsiders that most believe all Minotaurs to be male. |
| 317 | * OurMinotaursAreDifferent: Minotaurs have massive humanoid bodies with the head of a bull. |
| 318 | * SapientFurTrade: They possess enough intelligence to craft rudimentary weapons and armor, and are known to live in social "clan" societies. However, they are still valued by hunters for their horns (which are prestigious hunting prizes and have valuable alchemical properties) as well as Oxblood Fungal Spores (which are used by blacksmiths and are only known to grow on Minotaurs). They are also often captured alive and used as a common opponent in [[GladiatorSubquest gladiatorial arenas]] throughout Tamriel. |
| 319 | [[/folder]] |
| 320 | |
| 321 | [[folder:Sload]] |
| 322 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sload_big.jpg]] |
| 323 | |
| 324 | ->''"Cautious. They have no word in their language for adventure. The closest equivalent means 'tragic disaster'. All their heroic myths are about individuals who sit around and think for years and years, consulting cautiously with wise Sload, until finally they act -- always deliberately, always successfully. All their mythic villains act quickly, and always fail."'' |
| 325 | -->-- '''''Pocket Guide to the Empire and its Environs, First Edition''''' |
| 326 | |
| 327 | The slugmen of Thras, the Coral Kingdom to the west of the Summerset Isles in the Abecean Sea. Sload change drastically in form during maturation, from aquatic grubs to "squishy" adolescents likened to octopi. Adults are vaguely humanoid in shape and capable of living on land. The Sload are naturally skilled in magic, particularly necromancy, mysticism, and teleportation magic. It is said that the Sload do not experience emotions like Tamriel's other denizens, but have some knowledge of them and are capable of simulating them. |
| 328 | |
| 329 | Thras has a heavy isolationist policy, with extremely limited contact and trade with Tamriel throughout history. The Sload once claimed ownership of the Summerset Isles, but were chased off by the Aldmer when they came to Tamriel. The Sload continued to antagonize the Aldmer, and then their Altmer descendants, ever after. The most infamous act of the Sload was to inflict Tamriel with the Thrassian Plague in the 1st Era, which wiped out over half of Tamriel's population. In response, the navies of Tamriel united to sink Thras beneath the sea. However, the Sload survived and, some time later, brought Thras back to the surface. Many denizens of Tamriel still kill Sload on sight wherever they are found. |
| 330 | |
| 331 | An even more reclusive variety of Sload, the Sea Sload, live in the underwater kingdom of Ul'vor Kus located in the Sea of Pearls west of the Abecean. They are known to form cabals that form and break up depending on whether or not their interests align. |
| 332 | ---- |
| 333 | * AbsoluteXenophobe: They have an isolationist policy toward almost every other race, especially those of Tamriel. One exception they made was for a Maormer ambassador, who was allowed to visit Thras, be fed, and even meet a Sload elder. That ambassador described it all as "repulsive". |
| 334 | * TheAgeless: There is no known age limit or size to adult Sload. One story tells of an "Elder Distended One", who seems to serve as some sort of leader to the Sload. It is said to be "impressively corpulent" and regurgitates some unknown substance that other Sload then "eagerly consume". |
| 335 | * ArchEnemy: |
| 336 | ** To the Altmer in particular, who expelled them from the Summerset Isles, and to all Tamriel in general for inflicting them with the Thrassian Plague, to the point that Sload are often killed on sight. |
| 337 | ** They are ancient enemies with the Hadolids, a crustacean beast race native to the Abecean Sea, as Tamriel's first contact with the crabfolk was when they assisted the All Flags Navy in an action against the Sload, but the exact nature of their relationship is unknown due to both being underwater species that are hard to observe. |
| 338 | * BeastMan: They are "slugmen" who grow from aquatic grubs, to aquatic octopi-like adolescents, to (extremely corpulent) vaguely humanoid adults. |
| 339 | * BizarreAlienReproduction: The Sload are a very alien race. Born into broods of aquatic, amorphous grubs whose parents "[[ParentalAbandonment care little]]" for them (and even actively kill them in order to produce the alchemical ingredient "Sload Soap"), those who survive grow into "squishy" adolescents likened to octopi. Further, adult Sload are believed to be hermaphrodites who absorb their sexual organs by the time they are capable of surviving on land. |
| 340 | * BlueAndOrangeMorality: Practically everything about them is utterly alien to a human observer. They do not experience emotions as we understand them. They feel no pity or remorse for their actions which can include the taking of souls and outright ''genocide''. They gleefully raise the dead as servants and ''pets''. While they border on AlwaysChaoticEvil, they simply do not see the acts they commit as being ''evil''. |
| 341 | * TheChessmaster: Sload culture holds those representing this trope in high regard. All Sload heroes spend years planning and consulting with other Sload before acting against their adversaries, whereas their villains are [[LeeroyJenkins rash]] and always fail as a result. |
| 342 | * DyingRace: The Sea Sload are believed to be dying off in the Second Era, as few sightings have been made of them. |
| 343 | * EscapeRope: All adult Sload have knowledge of the Recall spell, which they instinctively use to flee danger when greatly stressed. |
| 344 | * EvilSmellsBad: "Evil" from the point of view of every other Tamriellic race, the Sload are said to emanate a constant "repugnant" stench. |
| 345 | * FatBastard: As they grow, Sload become more and more corpulent, to the point that only being supported by magic or water prevents them from being crushed under their own weight. They're also perceived as evil by all the races of Tamriel. |
| 346 | * FinalSolution: They attempted this toward ''every other race in Tamriel'' using the Thrassian Plague. They successfully wiped out over ''half'' of Tamriel's population, believed to be even more than the Oblivion Crisis or Red Year. It's little wonder then that, despite their own various disagreements with each other, one thing most denizens of Tamriel can agree on is that the Sload are unrepentantly evil. |
| 347 | * GracefulLoser: Sload are known to express cheerful affinity toward anyone that does manage to defeat or outwit them. |
| 348 | * {{Hermaphrodite}}: Sload are believed to be hermaphrodites who absorb their sexual organs by the time they are capable of surviving on land. |
| 349 | * LackOfEmpathy: Sload are described as not feeling the same emotions other races do, but they have some understanding of them and are capable of simulating them for diplomatic purposes when meeting with outsiders. They (in)famously do not feel anything for their victims, even likening the taking of their souls to having "coins in a pouch". |
| 350 | * MageSpecies: Sload are naturally talented in various schools of magic, including necromancy and mysticism (particularly the taking of souls and teleportation spells). |
| 351 | * MysticalPlague: Unleashed the Thrassian Plague on Tamriel in the 1st Era. The Plague wiped out over half of Tamriel's population, and in response, the navies of the Tamriellic nations united to form the [[TheAlliance All Flags Navy]], which attacked Thras and sunk it beneath the sea. |
| 352 | * {{Necromancer}}: The Sload are well known for their knowledge of necromancy. One of the most famous necromancers in Tamriellic history is N'Gasta, a Sload. |
| 353 | * OurGodsAreDifferent: |
| 354 | ** The Sload are generally non-religious, though they have no problem making pacts with Daedric Princes if it suits them. The 1000ft tall Pillar of Thras is found on the central island of the Thras archipelago and is said to be a portal to Oblivion. The Sload are known to make sacrifices here, though to whom or what is unknown. |
| 355 | ** There is evidence that the Sload have a particular connection to Peryite, the Daedric Prince of Tasks and Pestilence. Peryite is associated with the creation of the Thrassian Plague and there is also an ancient shrine dedicated to Peryite in the Summerset Isles which depicts the Aldmer fighting "slug-like creatures". |
| 356 | * OurZombiesAreDifferent: The Sload use their skills in necromancy to re-animate dead bodies to use as slave labor. |
| 357 | * ParentalAbandonment: Adult Sload have no interest in the fate of their (grub-like) offspring. |
| 358 | * PhotographicMemory: Sload have perfect recall of everything they see or hear. |
| 359 | * RaisingTheSteaks: The Sload are said to "slaughter and revive" various forms of sea creature as pets, such as crabs and turtles. |
| 360 | * SlaveRace: Sea Sload use Yaghra, creatures made from uplifting bottom-feeding crustaceans, as slaves. |
| 361 | * TheUnfettered: Sload have no real morals as other races understand them and are utterly ruthless in the pursuit of their goals, with even genocide being on the table if it helps them achieve their ends. |
| 362 | * WallCrawl: Due to their slug-like nature they have the ability to adhere to surfaces, allowing them to climb vertical walls to some extent. |
| 363 | * YourSoulIsMine: Bartering in souls is well known among the Sload. The souls they collected are treated as no different than "coins in a pouch". |
| 364 | [[/folder]] |
| 365 |
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