As a fantasy series, The Elder Scrolls allows gamers to roleplay various standard races, such as Orcs, Elves, and Humans. However, the series has provided several original races, such as the Khajiit. While many know these sentient felines for their stealth skills, they have a surprisingly deep lore. While not as central a faction as others on Tamriel, these felines nonetheless won over many fans. Here is a breakdown of one of The Elder Scrolls’ most famous races, the Khajiit.
The Khajiit Species
Alongside the reptilian Argonians, the Khajiit are the “beast races” of Tamriel that are not related to either the Men (humans) or Mer (Elves). They excel at stealth and related fields, such as lockpicking and pickpocketing. Therefore, players should choose Khajiit if they want a good assassin or thief built during their playthrough. While players can only go as the iconic humanoid Khajiit, they can take on many other forms based on the moon sign they were born under. These differences go beyond mere cosmetics and are practically different speeches.
These range from the massive Senche-raht used as beasts of war to the housecat-like Alfiq. The most commonly seen form across Tamriel is the Cathay. They hail from the southwestern province of Elsweyr, which is divided between the harsh northern deserts of Anequina and the lush forests of Pelletine in the south. The two nations were formerly divided before creating the Elsewyr Confederacy.
Their Culture
While all of Tamriel’s cultures have their take on the Aedra and Daedra, the Khajiit do the same but make all of them cats. They also give different names, such as renaming Akatosh as Alkosh. The “Mane” serves as the spiritual leader of the Khajiit. The moon also holds an important place in Khajiiti culture, given its effect on their forms.
The most sacred substance to their people is “Moon Sugar,” a material native to Elsweyr often used in religious rituals and a major export from the nation. Furthermore, Moon Sugar is often associated with the production of “Skooma,” an illegal narcotic, outside of Elsweyr. Khajiiti caravans can also be found across Tamriel for trade. As stated above, the Khajiit excels at stealth for thief and assassin builds. However, in the universe, this has led to the Khajiit being wrongfully stereotyped as criminals and pickpockets.
Their History
While the humans and Elves arrived on Tamriel from the north and south, the Khajiit and Argonians inhabited the continent before both. Despite this, they have much less fleshed-out lore than the other races, nations, and factions. What historians do know is that the nation was embroiled in perpetual warfare between its tribes and kingdoms before the Second Era. During Online’s Interregnum, they aligned with the Bosmer and Altmer to form the Aldmeris Dominion, one of the three main factions. At the end of the Second Era, they were one of the nations conquered by Tiber Septim during his unification of Tamriel.
However, after the Oblivion Crisis, the Altmer’s Aldmeris Dominion returned, and Elsweyr left the Empire to align themselves with them. One important chapter of their history was the unexplained “Void Night.” A century after Oblivion, Nirn’s two moons suddenly vanished, becoming a massive catastrophe for the Khajiit. When they returned two years later, the Altmer’s Thalmor claimed to be responsible for their return, earning Elsweyr’s loyalty. Given the Thalmor’s reputation, this claim is highly dubious.
Their Elder Scrolls Role
Unlike most other races in the game, the Khajiit were not made playable until 2002’s Morrowind. Furthermore, they have rarely served as main characters during any game’s major plotlines. The most well-known character from the series is M’aiq the Liar, a recurring NPC who provides intriguing (and often humorous) commentary on the lore and in-game events. Across Skyrim, players could find various caravans with which to trade.
Their largest gaming role to date was in the Elder Scrolls Online DLC, named Elsweyr. Here, players could explore the province and finally encounter the various forms of the Khajiit. However, players must also help stop a necromancer’s plot to bring back dragons to attack the continent. The Dragonhold DLC continues this story by having players join the reformed Dragonguard in Pelletine.
Conclusion
In a fantasy meta where the typical Elves and Dwarves have become overdone, the Elder Scrolls introduced a new race that fans loved. With their varied forms and peculiar take on Tamriel’s creation myth, they are easily one of Bethesda’s most unique contributions to the fantasy genre. However, it’s disappointing that they have yet to play any major roles. The Elder Scrolls 6 remains far on the horizon, and its location remains a mystery. However, given the vast, undiscovered territory of Elsweyr’s lore, it could be a great setting.
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