The Elder Scrolls franchise is undoubtedly bolstered by the huge range of unique races that populate the fantastical lands of Tamriel and beyond. Of all these involved races, many fans will point to the Khajiit as being one of the most layered and outwardly intriguing.

A cat-like race of humanoids, the Khajiit of The Elder Scrolls are native to the province of Elsweyr, but are typified by their traveling nature which has seen them migrate across all of Tamriel. As a result of this, the Khajiit have played an important role in the overall history of Tamriel, being directly involved in some of the most watershed moments across the continent's history.

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The Elder Scrolls: Khajiit In the First Era

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Not much is known for certain about the exact beginnings of the Khajiit race and its first societies, but the Khajiit widely regarded as one of the first groups to establish itself within Tamriel, potentially long before human settlement of the continent. Like the reptilian Argonian people common in The Elder Scrolls, the Khajiit are believed to have evolved from wild cats that existed on the continent, explaining their earlier presence within Tamriel when compared to human races such as Nords or Bretons.

These early forms of Khajiit have been described as more animalistic and illiterate than their more contemporary counterparts, however this is widely considered as a point of debate. For example, many of the first human settlers within Tamriel gave accounts of their encounters with the Khajiit, who were described as sapient and organized even in the early days of the First Era.

The Elder Scrolls: Khajiit In the Second Era

Skyrim Together Mod Install Guide Khajiit Players Install

The Second Era was of extreme importance from a Khajiit perspective, and had huge implications on the overall history of Tamriel itself. Towards the end of the Second Era, the Khajiit successfully unified their indigenous province of Elsweyr, marking a clear milestone of civilization and social evolvement for the race. The religion of the Khajiit was imperative in the success of this unification, with the highest living figure of religion in Khajiit culture being known as the Mane. Khajiit prophecy dictates that only one Mane can exist at any given point, with the figure then acting as the highest power of religious authority among all of the Khajiit.

Due to this role of extreme importance, the Mane essentially acts as the political leader of Elsweyr, as well as the religious leader. With the establishment of this religious culture coming in the Second Era, the Khajiit were quickly unified, and their civilization developed quickly as a result, with the province officially united and widely regarded across Tamriel as the political and cultural home of the race.

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The Elder Scrolls: Khajiit In the Third Era

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While the Khajiit played a comparatively less important role in terms of Tamriel's overall history in the Third Era, the newfound unity and organization of the race predictably led to conflict with neighboring provinces over cultural and territorial disputes. Perhaps most notably, the Third Era involved a war between the Khajiit and the Bosmer of Valenwood.

Valenwood shares a large border with Elsweyr in the South West of Tamriel, with the native Bosmer being a tribal people of nature-dwelling Wood Elves, who are notoriously agile and small in stature. It is said that a conflict between the Khajiit and Bosmer arose from a hostile Bosmer response to sustained Khajiit bandit raids on Valenwood's supply lines and trade, setting off a feud between the two provinces which would become known as the Five Year War.

The powerful battle hardened Nords of Skyrim advised some combatants, but largely stayed out of the actual fighting between the Bosmer and Khajiit. The might of the Khajiit remained steadfast in the end, with the Khajiit eventually winning the war and gaining a comprehensive amount of territory from Valenwood that subsequently ceded to Elsweyr.

The Elder Scrolls: Khajiit In the Fourth Era

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The Fourth Era within Tamriel is one of the most tumultuous and change-bringing, marking a huge difference to the core operation and makeup of the Septim Empire, which was established towards the end of the Second Era and encapsulated most of the provinces of Tamriel. A catastrophic and bloody conflict broke out between the Empire and the Third Aldmeri Dominion, an Elvish union who waged war to reestablish the dominance of Elves as the dominant species over men in Tamriel.

The Aldmeri claimed responsibility for the return of Nirn's moons, a massively important religious symbol for the Khajiit that swayed public opinion within Elsweyr against the Empire and in favor of the Aldmeri Dominion. This additionally saw the dissolution of the Elsweyr Confederacy, splitting the province into two distinct kingdoms that subsequently fell under the ownership of the Aldmeri.

Following the signing of the White-Gold Concordat and the end of this war, the respect and power that the Empire held within Elsweyr waned significantly, with this sentiment lasting into the end of the Fourth Era. Given the longstanding presence of the Khajiit within Tamriel, it is no wonder that the race has as much firsthand experience and influence into the history of the continent as it does. While the direct influence of the Khajiit may wane when compared to more proactive races such as the Nords, the geopolitical importance of Elsweyr and its inhabitants is undeniable.

The Elder Scrolls 6 is in development.

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