Elsweyr Politics
The Political Structure of Elsweyr
Elsweyr is a land divided not only by desert and jungle, but by philosophy and blood. It is a province where law bends to moonlight, where rulers govern through reverence to celestial rhythm rather than written decree. The Khajiit do not separate politics from faith — to lead is to interpret the will of Jone and Jode, the twin moons whose dance dictates both their form and their fate.
Elsweyr’s governance is thus a reflection of its people: mercurial, poetic, and pragmatic.
The Two Nations: Anequina and Pelletine
For most of history, Elsweyr was not one kingdom but two: Anequina, the arid northern plateau of nomads and warriors, and Pelletine, the fertile southern jungles of traders and aristocrats. Each developed distinct cultures and governments shaped by their environments and the lunar calendar.
Anequina
A harsh land of shifting sands, dry plains, and ancient caravan routes.
Society organized around tribes led by clan-chiefs known as Ri’s, whose authority stems from charisma, combat prowess, and spiritual devotion.
Justice is tribal and immediate — disputes settled by duel, negotiation, or the counsel of a Moon Bishop.
Anequinan Khajiit value independence, honor, and faithfulness to the lunar phases that shape their births and tempers.
Pelletine
A lush southern expanse of river valleys and trade ports along the Topal Bay.
Governed historically by merchant-nobility, with titles such as Lord, Prince, and Rajat granted to dynasties controlling trade routes, plantations, and shipping.
The Pelletine court culture prizes diplomacy, decadence, and artistry, mirroring the manners of the Altmer with whom they long traded.
Law is codified, taxes regulated, and cities — like Senchal and Torval — operate under magistrates appointed by the noble families.
The ancient tension between these regions defines Khajiiti politics. Anequina prizes faith and tradition; Pelletine prizes commerce and adaptation. Their unification, while celebrated in myth, was born of desperation.
The Kingdom of Elsweyr
In the year 2E 309, facing economic collapse and border pressure from the Empire and Valenwood, the two nations unified under the mediation of the Mane, creating the modern Kingdom of Elsweyr. This act, called the Compact of Two Moons, fused tribal faith and noble administration into one fragile crown.
The new realm established a bicameral system:
The Mane, serving as spiritual and ceremonial monarch.
The Council of Clans, composed of Anequinan tribal chiefs and Pelletine nobles.
This balance was delicate — the Mane interpreted divine will, while the Council governed the mundane. Laws passed by the Council required the Mane’s blessing to take effect, making the celestial and temporal inseparable.
When functioning, this system harmonized desert and jungle; when strained, it fractured instantly.
The Mane
The Mane is the living soul of the Khajiit — not merely a ruler, but a divine office. Chosen at birth through astrological prophecy, the Mane serves as interpreter of the Moons and mediator between all Khajiit. Each Mane is believed to embody the collective spiritual essence of the race, binding every furstock, tribe, and bloodline into one cosmic unity.
Unlike monarchs elsewhere, the Mane does not reign by conquest or succession. Their authority derives from the Lunar Lattice, a mystical alignment of Jone and Jode observed by the Moon Priests. When one Mane dies, the moons reveal the next through celestial signs and prophetic dreams.
Tradition dictates that only one Mane may live at a time. To bear the weight of all Khajiiti souls, the Mane’s body is ritually bound with the shaved manes of thousands of devotees — a living symbol of unity, both physical and spiritual.
In practice, the Mane functions as high priest, diplomat, and ultimate arbiter. His decrees shape both religion and policy, though enforcement falls to the Council of Clans and local rulers.
The Council of Clans
The Council of Clans serves as Elsweyr’s administrative body, uniting the most influential Ri’s, nobles, and merchant-lords under the Mane’s supervision. It operates out of Torval, the spiritual capital, and manages taxation, trade, defense, and foreign diplomacy.
The Council’s structure mirrors the province’s dual heritage:
Anequinan Seats: Tribal Ri’s, war-leaders, and desert priests. Their authority is personal, tied to loyalty and charisma.
Pelletine Seats: Noble houses, merchant guildmasters, and urban governors. Their power is institutional, supported by wealth and bureaucracy.
The Council elects a Speaker for the Clans to conduct sessions and present petitions to the Mane. Decisions are made through storytelling and parable rather than direct debate, as Khajiit view argument as disharmony. A motion passes when the assembled “agree on the song,” meaning a consensus narrative has been achieved.
In times of crisis, the Mane may dissolve the Council and rule through Moon Decree — an act justified as obedience to divine alignment.
The Moon Priests and Lunar Clergy
At the heart of Elsweyr’s governance lies the Lunar Clergy, the priesthood that maintains communion with the moons. The Moon Priests and Moon Bishops interpret celestial omens, guiding both faith and policy. Their monasteries double as observatories and archives of prophecy.
They serve four critical roles:
Astrological Guidance: Advising rulers when to wage war, marry, or plant crops based on the moons’ phases.
Rite of Ascension: Selecting and anointing the Mane upon celestial alignment.
Mediation: Resolving disputes between tribes and cities through lunar omen.
Doctrine Enforcement: Ensuring the laws of Jone and Jode remain supreme over Imperial or foreign law.
Through their influence, even trade and taxation follow lunar cycles. The priests are less a clergy than a celestial bureaucracy, their authority rivaling the Council itself.
The City-States and Regional Lords
Below the Mane and Council, Elsweyr is divided into numerous city-states and tribal territories, each governed according to local custom.
Senchal: The southern port city and primary trade hub. Governed by a Merchant-Prince under Thalmor supervision, it functions as both gateway and powder keg — wealthy but morally decayed.
Torval: The spiritual capital, home of the Mane and the Grand Temple of the Two Moons. Its Treethanes and priests form the religious bureaucracy.
Rimmen: A cosmopolitan city on the northern border, heavily influenced by Imperial architecture and customs. Its rulers, the Rim-Men, serve as intermediaries between Cyrodiil and Elsweyr.
Orcrest, Dune, Riverhold, and Tenmar: Each governed by local Ri’s or councils, reflecting the ancient tribal system.
Khenarthi’s Roost: A small but symbolically important island protectorate, serving as both trading post and shrine to the wind goddess Khenarthi.
These cities act semi-independently, paying tribute to the Mane but enforcing their own taxes, militias, and trade regulations. Roads between them are maintained by Caravan Unions, independent guilds operating under royal charter.
The Thalmor and the Dominion
With the rise of the Aldmeri Dominion in the Fourth Era, Elsweyr’s autonomy was reshaped under Thalmor guidance. The Dominion capitalized on Khajiiti devotion to the moons by claiming that Altmeri magic had restored Jone and Jode after their mysterious disappearance. This divine deception won the hearts of the faithful and secured Elsweyr’s allegiance.
The Mane’s successor became a client-king under Thalmor oversight. Dominion advisors now occupy key posts in Senchal, Torval, and Rimmen, overseeing trade and law enforcement. The Justiciars enforce conformity to Dominion doctrine, often clashing with the Moon Priests.
While officially “partners in divine purpose,” in truth Elsweyr exists as a protectorate — its spiritual institutions exploited to legitimize Thalmor influence, its resources (especially moon sugar) feeding the Dominion’s economy.
Still, the Khajiit’s reverence for celestial order prevents rebellion. Many believe the Dominion’s rule itself fulfills a phase of the moons — temporary, cyclical, destined to pass.
Law and Justice
Khajiiti law blends tribal ethics, spiritual doctrine, and mercantile pragmatism. There is no uniform legal code; each city and tribe maintains its own laws interpreted through lunar philosophy.
Justice follows the principle of balance, not punishment. Crimes disrupt harmony between moons and mortals and must be corrected, not avenged. A thief may repay by restoring twice what was taken, or by fasting through a moon cycle. A murderer’s soul may be offered to the Two-Moon Temple, where priests decide whether redemption or oblivion awaits.
The harshest crime is Moon Heresy — denying the will of Jone and Jode or practicing necromancy, which is believed to sever one’s lunar alignment. Such offenders are exiled into the desert to wander until their shadow vanishes under the twin lights.
Trade disputes, far more common, are resolved by Moon Arbitrators, neutral clerks trained in rhetoric and celestial law who travel between caravans and cities to mediate conflicts.
The Lunar Lattice and Governance
Underlying all of Elsweyr’s politics is belief in the Lunar Lattice, the metaphysical web connecting all Khajiit to the phases of Jone and Jode. The moons not only shape birth — determining furstock and temperament — but govern fate. The province’s social hierarchy mirrors these celestial patterns:
Cathay and Cathay-raht (Full Moon-born): Warriors, guards, and caravan protectors.
Suthay and Suthay-raht (Half Moon-born): Traders, diplomats, and laborers.
Ohmes (New Moon-born): Scholars and priests, often serving as intermediaries with other races.
Senche and Senche-raht (Double Moon-born): Beasts of burden and revered symbols of endurance.
Each furstock plays its ordained role in the cosmic design. The Mane, embodying all phases, exists to preserve this harmony. Political authority is therefore less about dominance than alignment.