The Khajiit

Culture

The Khajiit of Elsweyr are a people defined by the moons. Masser and Secunda, waxing and waning in endless cycles, shape Khajiit not only in spirit but in body. Each furstock — from the Senche-tigers to the Alfiq, from the common Suthay-raht to the towering Cathay-raht — is determined by the lunar lattice at birth. This diversity creates a society where every form has its role: Senche as mounts and laborers, Alfiq as mystics and scholars, and bipedal Khajiit as merchants, warriors, and diplomats. To be Khajiit is to be bound to the dance of the moons, each individual a reflection of cosmic rhythm.

Religion flows naturally from this. Khajiit revere Jone and Jode, the twin moons, alongside Azurah, who shaped their forms. The Riddle’Thar Epiphany, a theology formalized in the First Era, provides a code of conduct blending lunar order with daily law. Priests interpret the moons’ cycles, advising rulers, clans, and caravans alike. Festivals are held under full moons, nights alive with music, dance, and sweet smoke of moon sugar incense. To the Khajiit, faith is not abstract but embodied — they look skyward and see the gods reflected directly in the heavens.

Daily life is vibrant and communal. Khajiit live in extended families, often spanning multiple furstocks under one roof. Markets are bustling centers where spices, textiles, and moon sugar are traded in noisy, colorful exchanges. Music fills every gathering, with drums, flutes, and singing blending into improvisational rhythms. Storytelling is prized, often weaving humor and wisdom into fables featuring tricksters and spirits. Hospitality is sacred: a traveler can expect food, shelter, and laughter in any Khajiiti home or caravan.

The Khajiit are famous — or infamous — for moon sugar. To them, it is sacred, crystallized moonlight gifted by Jone and Jode. Consumed in food, drink, and ritual, it enhances spiritual connection. But when refined into skooma, it becomes a dangerous narcotic. This duality fuels their reputation abroad: smugglers and addicts shape outsiders’ perceptions, while within Elsweyr, moon sugar remains holy. To Khajiit, skooma is corruption of divinity, but moon sugar itself is life and faith.

Khajiiti society has long been divided between Anequina in the north, where deserts breed hardy nomads and warriors, and Pellitine in the south, where fertile plains foster merchants and nobility. Rivalries between the two defined politics for centuries, only occasionally reconciled by the spiritual authority of the Mane, the singular leader marked by the moons to embody all Khajiit. Though Imperial and Thalmor influence reshaped Elsweyr, the Mane remains a cultural symbol of unity, invoked whenever divisions threaten collapse.

History

The Khajiit trace their beginnings to Azurah, who gave them their forms, binding their destiny to the moons. In the Merethic Era, tribes warred among themselves and against neighboring Bosmer, forging identity through conflict and survival. In the First Era, Eplear Camoran of Valenwood briefly claimed suzerainty, but the Khajiit resisted, preferring autonomy. The rise of the Mane unified tribes spiritually if not politically, establishing cycles of leadership tied to lunar prophecy.

By the Second Era, Elsweyr fractured into Anequina and Pellitine, often at war. These rival kingdoms eventually joined the Aldmeri Dominion in 2E 582, allying with Altmer and Bosmer in a bid for control of the Ruby Throne. Though the alliance dissolved, it set the pattern of Khajiit aligning with foreign powers when expedient. Internal strife persisted, and when the Interregnum ended, Imperial authority eventually subsumed both kingdoms.

Under the Third Empire, Elsweyr became a province, its autonomy balanced by Imperial governance. The Khajiit served as scouts, traders, and mercenaries, spreading their reputation abroad. Yet instability persisted: noble rivalries, skooma trade, and border wars with Valenwood and Cyrodiil kept the province volatile. Despite this, Khajiiti caravans flourished, bringing spices, textiles, and moon sugar to every corner of Tamriel.

The Fourth Era transformed Elsweyr. In 4E 98, the moons vanished for two years in an event known as the Void Nights. Khajiit despaired, believing their very race would end without the lunar lattice. When the moons returned, the Thalmor claimed credit, declaring themselves saviors. Grateful — and desperate — Khajiit leaders aligned Elsweyr with the Aldmeri Dominion, binding Anequina and Pellitine under Thalmor oversight. By 4E 201, Elsweyr was a Dominion province, its culture both preserved and exploited, its warriors marching under foreign banners while still dreaming under their moons.

Other Information

Physiology:
Khajiit physiology varies dramatically by furstock. Some, like the Alfiq, resemble housecats but speak and think as any elf; others, like the Senche, resemble great jungle cats and serve as mounts or laborers. The most common, Suthay-raht and Cathay-raht, are bipedal, resembling lithe humans with feline features. All Khajiit possess heightened agility, keen senses, and natural stealth. Their lifespans are similar to humans, though some furstocks live longer. Their appearance, both alien and alluring, fuels fascination and prejudice across Tamriel.

Architecture and Settlements:
Khajiiti cities blend desert and jungle aesthetics. Anequinan towns feature adobe and sandstone structures, while Pellitine cities favor palaces, gardens, and flowing canals. Homes are decorated with bright fabrics, mosaics, and carved wood, reflecting abundance and artistry. Temples to Jone and Jode feature open courtyards where moonlight shines upon altars. Villages and caravans emphasize portability: tents of bright cloth, collapsible stalls, and mobile shrines ensure resilience in harsh climates.

Warfare:
Khajiit fight with speed, agility, and coordination. Their warriors specialize in ambush, mounted combat, and unarmed ferocity, often using claws as weapons. Furstock diversity allows natural specialization: Senche as cavalry, Cathay as shock troops, Suthay as scouts. Honor is tied not to conquest but to loyalty: a warrior earns renown by defending kin, caravan, or Mane. Abroad, Khajiit mercenaries are prized, their agility and cunning making them formidable in both melee and stealth.

Magic and Attitudes:
Khajiit embrace magic tied to the moons. Lunar priests interpret celestial signs, while mages channel powers of alteration, illusion, and conjuration. Moon sugar enhances mystical rituals, heightening connection to Jone and Jode. Necromancy is taboo, seen as corruption of the lunar cycle. While not as academically arcane as Altmer, Khajiit magic is deeply spiritual, blending cosmology with practice.

Naming Conventions:
Khajiiti names are melodic, often with prefixes denoting gender or role: J’zargo, M’aiq, Ra’zirr, S’randarr. Suffixes indicate family, region, or function. Nicknames and titles abound, especially in trade. Names often blend humor with pride, reflecting Khajiit fondness for wordplay.

Relations with Other Races:
Khajiit are misunderstood across Tamriel. Their association with skooma and caravans breeds distrust, while their alien appearance draws prejudice. Yet they are admired for loyalty, agility, and mercantile skill. They have ancient rivalries with Bosmer and Nibenese Imperials, but long ties with Argonians through trade. Altmer dominate them politically under the Dominion, but Khajiit maintain distinct cultural pride, never fully submitting to foreign definitions.

Art and Expression:
Khajiit art favors color, pattern, and rhythm. Tapestries, jewelry, and carved idols depict moons and divine figures. Music is lively, emphasizing drums, strings, and dance. Storytelling blends humor, trickery, and moral lessons, often through animal fables. Khajiit culture prizes joy alongside devotion, reflecting resilience through celebration.

Afterlife and Philosophy:
Khajiit believe the soul returns to the moons, joining Jone and Jode in eternal cycles. Azurah guides them, ensuring their spirits find peace. Philosophy emphasizes balance: life is a dance of shadow and moonlight, loss and renewal. To live well is to honor family, moons, and Mane, accepting change as natural. Their outlook is pragmatic but hopeful, rooted in cycles rather than permanence.

Legacy of the Khajiit

The Khajiit embody cycles of change. Shaped by the moons, divided into furstocks, fractured between kingdoms, yet always united by Azurah’s blessing, they adapt endlessly. They endure prejudice and domination by laughing, trading, fighting, and surviving. By 4E 201, they marched under Dominion banners, but their identity remained lunar: children of Masser and Secunda, forever bound to the dance of the heavens. Their legacy is proof that culture can be fluid yet unbreakable, changing form without ever losing soul.