Editing Scrollhammer: Warriors of Elsweyr (section)

==History==

[[Image:Elswyr_2.jpg|thumb|600px|right]]

Along the southern heart of Tamriel lays a land eroded, but stubbornly standing before the passage of time.  Known as Elsweyr, the desert-ridden kingdom once bore the capital off all Tamriel, and stretched across a huge swath of the continent, even before the rise of the eldest of mer.  This period of strength and unification has long since passed- now the sandy peaks and hills only bear eroded husks of cities destroyed by locals and disease.  In many ways Elsweyr is a land of conflict, of confusion and uncertainty.  The land itself changes from gentle, lush forests to moisture-sucking desert as one moves along it's length.  More importantly, it is home to the beastmen Khajiit, who are primarily to blame for the regions undiluted chaos.  Power-struggles among the locals are innumerate and bloodthirsty, racial conflicts threatening to thin out the Khajiiti people each passing of the moons.  Only by the careful guiding hand of the Mane, the holy king, does the region survive.

Before the widespread Khajiit kingdoms, before the harmonious cooperation and control of all Tamriel, the Clan Mothers speak of the deities that gave the Khajiit life.  Before the dawn of time, there existed only two gods, two litter mates- Ahnuur and Fadomai.  These two beings gave birth to the first cat, Alkosh, who was given the guardianship of time.  Pleased at their creation, Ahnuur and Fadomai brought forth more life into the world.  Thus Khenarthi was created, to watch over the winds.  Magrus, guardian of the son was too born, as well as Mara, and S'rendarr.  Time once more slipped by and the liter-mates bathed in the happiness that was family.  Still not satisfied they gave birth to a further litter- this time bearing Hircine of hunger, Merrunz of destruction, Mafala of the Clan mothers, Sangiin of blood and life, Sheogorath of insanity, and countless others.  Growing tired of all these new beings, Anhurr decided to stop having children; further offspring would only dilute their own happiness and blood.  The young beings convinced Fadomai that they need more brothers and sisters, so a final third liter was given birth, to the land and sea, the dusk and dawn, and the Moons and their motions.  Anhuur caught wind of this, and angered, struck out at his liter-mate.  Fearing for her children and life, Fadomai fled with these beings to the Great Darkness and hid, finally giving birth to Lorkhaj and Namiira.  Growing old with age Fadomai realized that her time was soon over.  She bid the Moons to be set into motion and guide her children, and protect them from their father's wrath.  To her favored daughter Azurah, she granted her a grandchild who would become the Khajiit, blessed with many boons and gifts.  Fadomai then passed away, and left these new creatures to live and prosper before Azurah.

So it passed that some Khajiit were led to the forests by the goddess, those fitted to climbing and moving about the foliage.  Others were placed within the graze-lands to lead simple lives, others into the desert, where their strength and harsh mindset would most befit the wastes.  Slowly as time advanced these new Khajiit prospered greatly, creating villages and farms, towns, and even later magnificent cities.  In the early first Era the kingdom consisted of more than sixteen kingdoms, each holding countless cities and territory, spread out across most of Tamriel.  All seemed well for the beastmen, united and prosperous as they were, until the sickness came.  Angered at their homelessness, and loss of land, the slugfolk of Thras let loose a vile contagion onto all of man and mer.  The sickness rolled across all of Tamriel, destroying civilizations and kingdoms as it went.  Populations were decimated and cultures forever changed.  For reasons unknown it struck the cat-people the hardest- nearly destroying their entire race over a period of few years.  Where before the Khajiit had lived easy specialized lives, the survivors were forced into roles they never had chosen, polarizing their culture and changing the kingdom into only two separate states.  Living in two very different regions, and bearing radically different mind-sets, Pellitine and Anequina were set for dire straights.

For centuries and centuries the Khajiit people became embittered and unhappy, forced to work for the very survival of their race.  The northern desert-men were forced to live among now-empty deserts, striking out a living beneath sun and upon sand.  Those to the south focused upon farming and trading with the kingdoms of man and mer, living easier and complacent lives.  Time and time again the northern barbarians would congregate and plunge the region into war, opposing the soft and decadent states of the south.  Two hundred years after the Great Sickness, the respective leaders of the territories came to a conclusion- the lands would have to unite or forever be doomed to death and conflict.  Keirgo of Anequina and Eshita of Pellitine thus agreed to marry and attempt to congregate the two kingdoms- and for a time it succeeded.  Mere years after the unification a great class struggle occurred, each clan and house fighting for dominance of the new land of Elsweyr.  Vicious and heated conflicts became common-place, the nearby provinces nearly jumping in to try to stop the bloodshed.  It is within this self-hatred a Khajiit appeared, bearing the name of Rid-T'har-ri'Datta.  Moving through the land as a holy-man, the strange khajiit spoke of a way to grant all the clans and different cities power.  This Mane thus created the pact of the bi-lunar shadow, granting power unto the north and south in a rotational power base.  It was decreed that the southern city-dwellers, and nobles, would share power with the nomadic tribes and their chieftains, each in turn, based upon the phases of Masser and Secunda.    Since this fateful day the holy Mane has been reborn upon the alignment of Masser and Secunda, to continue to lead the Khajiiiti people in all his wisdom, collected over his previous lives.

During the Fourth Era the moons of Masser and Secunda vanished, plunging the terrified Khajiiti people into chaos.  Without the moons they were not able to see to it that the bi-lunar shadow be monitored, let alone enforced.  Despite the Mane's best wishes Elsweyr teetered on the brink of new power struggles, new infighting and war.  Two slow, agonizing years later the Moons rolled back into view, and the Thalmor announced they had used magic to restore them.  Bolstered by this magnificent act, and growing support for the elves, the Khajiiti people over-threw the Imperial-backed government and did away with the Mane's leadership.  For the first time in millennia the independent kingdoms of Anequina and Pelletine were reformed, and subsequently placed under the stern guidance of the Thalmor.


===The Land of Elsweyr===

[[Image:Elswyr_1.jpg|thumb|600px|left]]

'''Pellitine:'''

The southern expanses of the Khajiiti Kingdoms are tropical rainforests and deep lush foliage and called Pa'alatiin to antiquity. Here glades and groves supporting sugarcane plantations have fostered a diverse and fertile sedentary agrarian society. The principle industries revolve around the cultivation of sugarcane and saltrice plantations. Despite this agriculture the south is also highly industrialized and urbanized with a strong tapestry of mercantilism. In fact, the Khajiit are said to have been amongst the very first widespread traders and had a well established system before the Atmorans had came to the shores of Tamriel in the late Merithic era. Perhaps as much because of the Tenmar forests in the far south this leads to a very different nature of the Pellitine's which is antithetical to the desert roaming nature of the Northern Khajiit. These people are said to be eminently civilized, niceties and pleasantries are paramount and they look to their northern neighbors in Anequina as barbarians. However, they are widely decried as decadent and depraved in the North, and there is some truth to this in that Skooma and Moon sugar have taken their toll socially in places such as Rimmen.


'''Anequina:'''

The term Khajiit is said to have come from two principle words, Khaj meaning desert, and iit which is the suffix meaning 'one who does'. There is an old saying for them that there is nothing to do in the desert but walk, which allows them their name Khajiit, 'desert striders'. The Khajiit that live in these straits are typically nomadic though a number of cities exist, generally along the Cyrodiil and Valenwood borders. The northern cities tend not to be quite as inhabited as the sedentary south but this has made them centers of trade and travel not habitation. Despite this close proximity there has been no more of the Khajiit of Anequina to take advantage of chaos and expand their holdings into Cyrodiil at any time.  The people are warlike and barbarous yet their mentality and legacy have ensured that they have never been externally conquered but dealt with by treaty. This has fostered a distinct independent and warrior like culture. Yet the expansionist ideals are minimal, allowing mostly for defense of their realm against slow encroaching aggressors like the Bosmer. They are derided in the south for being uncouth barbarians and the title isn't seen to be far wrong given the higher disposition of the more aggressive breeds as well as frequent raiding of neighboring areas. This may very well be a drive to survive given the nature of the harsh desert sands.


===Khajiit Sub-Species===
[[Image:tes_moons.jpg|thumb|400px|right]]

The Khajiit are bound to the mystical force called the Lunar Lattice, or ja'Kha'jay.  Depending on the phases of Masser and Secunda, at their birth, a Khajiit will be marked and fated to grow into a particular subrace.  At birth all Khajiit bear an uncanny resemblance to kittens.  Over a mere few weeks they begin to grow and change rapidly, at the end of this time clearly showing their subrace.


'''Ohmes:''' ''(New Messer, Full Secunda)''

Ohmes are short and wispy, greatly resembling the Bosmer of Valenwood.  Because of the easy association, and the Khajiit dislike for Bosmer, the Ohmes frequently tattoo their faces to resemble a feline-aspect.  They are the most common form seen outside of the province of Elsweyr, taking advantage of other races' preference to their appearance to serve in positions of ambassadorship and trade.


'''Ohmes-raht:''' ''(New Messer, Waxing Secunda)''

Ohmes-raht are potentially the most man-like in physiology and temperament, their only physical difference that of a short wispy layer of fur.  Because they so greatly resemble man they are often mistaken for such at a distance.


'''Suthay:''' ''(New Messer, New Secunda)''

Suthay are similar to Suthay-rahts in all respects, save that they are slightly smaller.


'''Suthay-raht:''' ''(New Messer, Waning Secunda)''

The most common breed encountered in Cyrodiil, Morrowind and Skyrim, the Suthay-raht is man-like in size and strength, and for this reason make suitable warriors. The coloring of their fur varies wildly, in various different shades, some with or without spots and stripes.  Suthay-raht are often referred to as "Ja'Khajiit" (meaning "kitten") by those of other races; this appellation often strikes the Khajiit as odd, said title being one of their names for Mehrunes Dagon.  Like nearly all forms of Khajiit they walk upon the balls of their feet.


'''Cathay:''' ''(Waxing Masser, Full Secunda)''

Greatly resemble the Suthay-raht.  They are somewhat larger in stature and strength, and much more heavy set, comparable to a large Orc or Nord.


'''Cathay-raht:''' ''(Waxing Masser, Waxing Secunda)''

Standing in at more than eight feet tall, Cathay-rahts are the most beastly and huge bipedal form of Khajiit.  Their fangs and claws are much more prominent than their brethren, their body much more solid and heavily muscled.  All Khajiit greatly value this subrace as bodyguards and heavy attack infantry, their sheer bulk and strength nearly unmatched by any man or mer.  Other races have dubbed these Khajiiti 'Jaguar Men' for their signature morphology and frequent spotted fur.


'''Tojay:''' ''(Waxing Masser, New Secunda)''

Live in the southern marshes and jungle regions of Elsweyr, as well as the Tenmar forest.  Further study is required.


'''Tojay-raht:''' ''(Waxing Masser, Waning Secunda))''

Probably a larger version of the Tojay.  Further study is required.


'''Alfiq:''' ''(Waning Masser, Full Secunda))''

Greatly resemble housecats in size and shape.  Although rather diminutive they are just as intelligent as the other forms of Khajiit, if not more-so.  They are unable to converse with their brethren but can frequently make their will known, in usual house-cat fashion.  Alfiq are able to manipulate magicka and cast spells.


'''Alfiq-raht:''' ''(Waning Masser, Waxing Secunda))''

Much larger than their Alfiq brethren, this subspecies weighs in at nearly sixty pounds.  They are more lean and shorter haired than the Alfiq, giving them a skeletal appearance, and have something of a more man-like face.  Alfiq-rahts are part magical in nature, which leads to them all being powerful spellcasters.  Their magical might is only matched by their laziness.


'''Dagi:''' ''(Waning Masser, New Secunda)''

A less-common form of Khajiit, Dagi live in the trees of the Tenmar Forrest. Due to their smaller size and light weight, they are able to dwell in the higher branches which even the Bosmer cannot reach. The Dagi have a natural affinity for magic, and are known spellcasters, a characteristic often taken advantage of in Khajiiti battle-tactics.


'''Dagi-raht:''' ''(Waning Masser, Waning Secunda)''

Similar in all respects to the Dagi, while somewhat larger, however not overly so as they are able to dwell in higher tree branches, like the Dagi. It can be assumed that, like their smaller cousins, they are naturally skilled in the use of magic.


'''Pahmar:''' ''(Full Masser, New Secunda)''

Greatly resemble tigers in morphology, though they frequently weigh a bit more.  These loyal beasts are unable to speak, like the Alfiq, but like the tiny Khajiit are intelligent.  Among the Khajiit it is thought there is no better companion then that of a Pahmar- not only for their devotion but also their immense strength and speed.


'''Pahmar-raht:''' ''(Full Masser, Waning Secunda)''

Larger than the Pahmar.  Stronger-set and weightier, but rather short-limbed and slow.  Their ursine-like morphology makes them unsuitable as mounts.  They probably prefer it that way.


'''Senche:''' ''(Full Masser, Full Secunda)''

Seven feet tall at the shoulders, and weighing as much as twenty men, the Senche are the willing steeds of the Khajiit race.  Though temper-minded the Senche's minds are slightly dull- they are not nearly as bright as the other subraces.  This is not to say they are dumb- these Khajiit are well smarter than horses or dogs, or nearly any animal.  Senche are very warm and protective toward their bipedal cousins.


'''Senche-raht:''' ''(Full Masser, Waxing Secunda)''

Undoubtedly the most massive breed of Khajiit, Senche-rahts can grow to more than twice an Altmer's height, and weigh more than fifty men.  They are built much more stocky than other Khajiit, with short front limbs, greatly resembling a bear in morphology.  Their minds seem to have regressed as their bodies flourished leaving the beasts rather dim-witted.  They are gentle in disposition, making them ideal beasts of burden.  During wartime they are frequently armored up and used as war platforms.


'''The Mane:''' ''(Moons Aligned)''

A Mane can be born only under a rare alignment of Masser and Secunda when, according to legend, a third moon appears in the sky. In olden times, the Khajiit would shave off their own manes in deference to the Mane, braiding them into locks that he would incorporate into his own, gigantic mane. Over time, as the population grew, this ritual became impractical. Thus, while all Khajiit continue to remove their manes in deferential respect, they do so largely as a symbolic sacrifice, disposing of the shorn locks. The current Mane, however, continues to wear the braids of his own tribe, as well as those of his Warrior Guard, which encompasses hundreds of Khajiit. In fact, so weighted down by the hair of his kinsmen is he that the Mane cannot move without aid, and travels about the countryside by means of a Cathay-raht supported palanquin.
[[Image:khajiit_warriors.jpg|thumb|450px|right]]

===Army===

More than any other race, or Kingdom, or provenance, the Khajiit are raiders and skirmishers of utmost excellence.  They are a terror to match in combat, for the beastmen hold no concept of a fair-fight, nor any shred of resemblance to orthodox fighting tactics.  Nor can one approach them in a wholly usual fashion- with the twenty-some subraces fighting in their own specialized fashions.  Small house-cat like Khajiit glide across the ground silently, hurling fireballs and arcs of lightning, disappearing into oblivion in the blink of an eye.  Great tiger-beasts as large as mammoths roll across the sands, laden with quilted canvas and wooden shields, biting men in half with casual ease.  And beneath all this chaos comes the real threat- the vicious and hard-hitting Cathay and Suthay, striking hard with throwing weapons and spear, darting around the enemy and striking wherever weakness shows.  The Khajiiti people don't believe in wearing heavy armor, not at all- within the uncaring, moisture-sucking land of Elsweyr it is hardly intelligent.  Instead they garb themselves in boiled leathers, thin-lacquered plates, or stride into combat with only their silky garbs covering their chest-fur.  Their armament and weapons are only further bolstered by their physiology- each and every subrace of Khajiit can see in the dark perfectly, blessed by Azurah.  Under the veil of night they are able to strike when other forces are helpless, only seeing the glowing, flashing eyes in the blackness, heard by the cracks of thrown weapons.  Within the cover of darkness, where they were born and raised by the gods themselves, the Khajiit are without equal.

This book contains the rules for fielding the Warriors of Elsweyr in games of [[Scrollhammer]].