The Argonians

Culture

The Argonians, or Saxhleel in their own tongue, are the native people of Black Marsh. Their culture is inseparable from the Hist, the sentient trees whose roots spread throughout the province. The Hist are gods, ancestors, and guides, shaping Argonian identity through sap and visions. Communion with the Hist defines who an Argonian is: their instincts, their tribe, and sometimes even their physical form. To outsiders, Argonian culture seems alien, but to the Saxhleel, it is simply truth — life lived in harmony with the swamp and its roots.

Argonian society is tribal and decentralized. Each tribe governs its own territory, adapting to swamps, rivers, or jungles. Authority rests with elders, shamans, or warriors chosen by wisdom or the Hist’s will, not by inheritance. This flexibility makes Argonians difficult to conquer or rule: there is no single kingdom to subjugate, only countless tribes bound by sap and memory.

Daily life revolves around survival and balance. Food comes from fishing, hunting, and foraging; clothing is crafted from reeds, hides, and shells. Families are communal, with hatcheries serving as centers of life. Argonians rarely emphasize possessions; wealth lies in community, survival skills, and connection to the Hist. Storytelling is oral, with songs and chants passed through generations. Rituals mark sap-drinking, coming of age, and ancestor remembrance, blending daily practice with spirituality.

Argonians are wary of outsiders. Centuries of slavery under the Dunmer scarred their identity, teaching vigilance and suspicion. Yet they can form deep bonds of loyalty when trust is earned. Strength, endurance, and honesty are valued; arrogance and exploitation are despised. They laugh easily, endure hardship silently, and see survival itself as honor.

Unique among their traditions are the Shadowscales, hatchlings born under the Shadow constellation. Given to the Dark Brotherhood, they were trained as assassins, seen as sacred agents of balance. Though diminished in the Fourth Era, Shadowscales symbolize how Argonians sacralize even death as part of life’s cycle.

History

The Argonians are as old as the Hist. Legends claim they were shaped directly by the trees, molded to survive the swamps of Black Marsh. Unlike other races, their history is not written in chronicles but remembered through dreams and visions shared with the Hist. Outsiders often dismiss them as primitive, yet their survival against plague, Daedra, and invaders testifies to deep resilience.

In the First Era, Argonians clashed with Dunmer and Nords, suffering raids and slavery. The Dunmer’s Dres House plantations relied heavily on Argonian captives, creating centuries of bitterness. Yet Black Marsh itself resisted conquest. Its jungles, diseases, and predators broke every foreign army. Even when incorporated into the Reman Empire in 1E 2811, Imperial control never penetrated deeply beyond coastal forts.

The Second Era brought the Knahaten Flu (2E 560), a plague that swept Tamriel but left Argonians immune. Hist protection allowed them to endure while others perished, reinforcing their sense of chosenness. Later, Argonians joined the Ebonheart Pact with Nords and Dunmer in 2E 572, a fragile alliance forged by necessity against Akaviri invasion. Though Argonians fought beside their former masters, they never forgot slavery’s scars. The Pact collapsed with the Interregnum, leaving Black Marsh fractured but unconquered.

In the Third Era, Black Marsh became an Imperial province under the Septims. The Empire built roads and forts but never subdued the interior. Argonians served as legion scouts and auxiliaries, proving their value abroad, even as resentment simmered at home. The Oblivion Crisis revealed their ferocity: united by the Hist, Argonian armies invaded Oblivion itself, overwhelming Daedric legions and forcing gates shut. This victory stunned Tamriel, showing Argonians as a people not to be underestimated.

In the Fourth Era, Argonians rose against their oppressors. After Red Mountain erupted in 4E 5, they invaded Morrowind, exacting vengeance on the Dunmer. Meanwhile, the An-Xileel, a nationalist faction, expelled Imperial influence and asserted Hist supremacy. Black Marsh withdrew from the Empire, standing apart as a sovereign, united province for the first time. By 4E 201, Argonians were prouder and more independent than ever, their culture scarred but strengthened by centuries of survival and reversal.

Other Information

Physiology:
Argonians are reptilian and amphibious, with scaled hides ranging from green to gray, accented with horns, frills, or feathers. They breathe underwater, swim with ease, and resist disease naturally. They are slender but strong, agile in marsh and jungle alike. Their lifespans are comparable to humans, though some live longer with Hist connection. Gender and physiology can shift depending on life stage and Hist influence, blurring the rigid distinctions other races enforce.

Architecture and Settlements:
Argonian settlements blend with swamps: stilt-houses above water, reed huts, and tree platforms. Villages appear ephemeral to outsiders, but they endure through adaptability, rebuilt as swamps shift. Sacred spaces are groves around Hist trees, marked by carvings and offerings. Unlike stone cities, Argonian settlements are living, organic, and transient, reflecting their worldview.

Warfare:
Argonians do not wage war in Imperial fashion. Every adult is trained to hunt, ambush, and survive, making every tribe a fighting force. Guerrilla tactics, poison, and swamp terrain break invaders long before battle is joined. When united by the Hist, Argonian armies fight with terrifying ferocity, as seen in the Oblivion Crisis and the invasion of Morrowind. Abroad, Argonians serve as scouts, assassins, and agile skirmishers, feared for endurance and cunning.

Magic and Attitudes:
Argonian magic is tied to the Hist. Shamans channel sap-visions, guiding tribes through prophecy and ritual. Healing and alchemy are advanced, reflecting survival needs in a dangerous land. Sorcery beyond this is rare, viewed with suspicion unless sanctioned by the Hist. Argonians see magic as communion rather than manipulation, another sign of cultural divergence from outsiders.

Naming Conventions:
Argonian names are varied: some are Jel (their native tongue), like Teeba-Ei or Deetum-Jas; others are translated into Cyrodilic phrases, such as “Scales-Like-Iron” or “Speaks-in-Tongues.” Many adopt short, practical names when abroad. Names often reflect deeds, traits, or Hist visions, carrying meaning beyond simple identification.

Relations with Other Races:
Argonians are shaped by centuries of slavery and prejudice. They distrust Dunmer above all, though vengeance after the Red Year shifted the balance of fear. Nords and Imperials are tolerated, sometimes respected for strength or discipline. Khajiit are seen as fellow traders and survivors. Altmer and Bosmer are distrusted as exploiters of Elves who once scorned them. Argonians rarely seek alliances, but when forced, they prove loyal and cunning partners.

Art and Expression:
Argonian art is subtle, using reeds, bone, shells, and dyes. Music relies on drums, rattles, and chants, often mimicking swamp rhythms. Dance is common in rituals, expressing unity with the Hist and ancestors. Oral storytelling dominates: songs preserve memory, dreams, and lessons. Art emphasizes impermanence and cycles rather than permanence, reflecting swamp life.

Afterlife and Philosophy:
Argonians believe the Hist guides their souls after death. The faithful join their tribe’s Hist in eternal communion, living forever in root and dream. Exiles or traitors risk separation, a fate worse than death. Philosophy emphasizes survival, balance, and loyalty to tribe and tree. Unlike other races seeking glory, transcendence, or order, Argonians embrace impermanence, seeing life as current, death as return, and the Hist as eternal.

Legacy of the Argonians

The Argonians are Tamriel’s survivors: enslaved, scorned, invaded, yet unbroken. They endured where others faltered, immune to plague, victorious against Daedra, and capable of vengeance against ancient enemies. Their culture is alien to outsiders, rooted in swamps and sap, but within lies deep resilience and wisdom. By 4E 201, they stood proud and sovereign, no longer captives or subjects but children of the Hist, secure in their identity. Their legacy is not empire or monument, but survival itself — proof that even the outcast can shape destiny.