Argonians/Saxhleel

Reptilian race native to the large, marshy province of Black Marsh/Argonia. One of the few races completely unrelated to men and mer (believe themselves as coming from, and ultimately returning to, the Hist)   Personality + Traits:

• Enigmatic and intelligent
• Their long history of being captured as slaves has made them very distrustful of strangers, but when they make a friend, they will fight to the death to defend them
• Experts of guerrilla tactics
• Immune to most diseases of their region
• Resistant to poison
• Can breathe water

Physiology: Start life out as eggs (oviparous)

• When a clutch of eggs is laid, they are placed near Hist trees in hatching pools
• When eggs hatch, they form a connection to the Hist (if this connection is not present or is severed, the unborn within the egg dies)
• In extreme cases, female Argonians can bear children (areas too cold for eggs or nomadic tribes)

Once hatched, they drink the sap of the Hist through their infancy (this gives the hatchling its soul - when an Argonian dies, its soul travels back to the Hist until another hatchling drinks)

• It is considered rare for a hatchling to be born out of the province and away from the connection of the Hist (but it is possible)

The Hist allows Argonians to change many aspects of themselves, including gender. Something deep from within them calls for them to undergo this change. The Tree-Minder of the tribe aids to prepare the ceremony. The Hist and the Argonian combine and, once the ceremony is finished, the newly transformed soul is introduced to the tribe. This is followed by a great celebration.

• Argonians have gills on their necks and are covered in scales.
• They are able to breathe underwater (a battle tactic is to drag enemies into the water and hold them under - they often ambush from and retreat to water during battles)
• They have very sharp reptilian teeth lining their mouths
• They have large, flat-sided tails which they use to propel themselves as they glide through water and to balance (advantage in certain situations)
• Argonians have a wide variety of cranial features (fins, feathers, ridges, spines, spikes, or horns)

Culture: Marriage

• It is customary to present a lover with an Argonain Wedding Band (crafted by the courting member) - each ring is unique and has personal meaning to the creator and recipient.
• The ceremony is very long and complex and involves unique rituals, spoken in Jel

Organization: Argonian organization is mostly considered tribal, but there are rumors of a Royal Court of Argonia and the existence of Shadowscales. In the past, Argonian culture was organized enough to build large, intricate structures called xanmeers. A long history of enslavement of their people by the Dunmer made the Argonians resort to building villages with mud huts and the abandonment of the xanmeers.   Religion: The Hist accounts for most known Argonian "religion". The Hist and Argonians acknowledge the existence of Sithis.

• Some Argonians born under the sign of The Shadow are given to the Dark Brotherhood at birth and trained in the art of stealth and assassination.
• These Argonains become Shadowscales, who sevre Black Marsh as spies and assassins.

Some Argonians may break away from their common beliefs to worship other Tamriellic deities, but this mostly occurs outside of the Black Marsh.