The three pieces of background information Trest and I have made to compliment our story. These can serve as references, or just interesting tidbits of information. We also write them in-character in such a way that they could fit into the Elder Scrolls universe.
Unfortunately for one of them, FFn doesn't have image insertion, so if you want to see the pictures added to the second one, you'll have to go to the original posts on SB, or use your imagination.
The Races of Tamriel: The Big Ten
Many Races dot Tamriel's landscape when speaking in broad terms. These can be categorized into Mer, the elven races, Man, the human races, and Beast Folk (sometimes called betmeri by the elves) which normally include any race that cannot be categorized as either Man or Mer. Of them all, ten are the most populous on the continent.
Man
-Nords - the tall and fair-haired folk of the cold, northern parts of Tamriel. Their homeland is Skyrim, sometimes referred to as the Fatherland. Nords are a proud warrior people, who enjoy battle and have integrated it within many aspects of their culture, making them seem a militant people. The harsh conditions of their home has made the Nords a hardy bunch against the cold and even frost magics.
-Cyrodiilics (Imperials) - The people of cosmopolitan Cyrodiil, Imperials can be further categorized into two peoples by their cultures, Colovians and Nibenese. The Nibenese tend to have "garish costumes, bizarre tapestries, tattoos, brandings, and elaborate ceremony," whereas their Colovian cousins "possess much of the frontier spirit of their ancestors. They are uncomplicated, self-sufficient, hearty, and extremely loyal to one another." The two stand united despite this, however. Their people have been the best diplomats and shrewdest traders, enabling themselves to hold their place as the center of the Empire for so long.
-Redguards - Formerly known as the Yokudans, these are the dark-skinned and wiry-haired people of Hammerfell, from who came some of history's greatest warriors. They are also known for having a tough constitution and resistance to poisons and being quick-footed.
-Bretons - Descended from the 'Manmer' as the crossbreeds of Elf and Human were called, the Bretons of High Rock are noted for having a resistance to magic and higher magical ability than other races of Man. While united culturally, High Rock is often divided politically. Whereas with other Men warriors often lead, for Bretons the elite are often those adept in the ways of the Clever Craft.
Mer
-Altmer (High Elves) - The tall, golden-skinned people of the Summerset Isles. Of all the races of Tamriel, they are the most magically talented and, likely, the longest lived. Despite this, they may be the most vulnerable to magic as well. Most see the High Elves as 'snobbish' and have a bit of resentment towards them, despite the race having been a major influence on the continent as a whole both good and bad.
-Bosmer (Wood Elves) - The people of Valenwood. Shorter than their golden kin and the most skilled of any at archery, there are some who believe that the Wood Elves invented the bow. Religiously, the Bosmer are carnivores, and in times of necessity, cannibals, under the "Green Pact" in which they swear to do no harm to the vegetation of Valenwood. Nimble, agile, and quick-witted, they make good hunters, scouts, thieves, or even traders.
-Dunmer (Dark Elves) - Descended from the Chimer, they are the ashen-skinned, fire-eyed people of Morrowind. Their warriors have a balance of skill in the sword, bow, and destruction magic. Typically distrustful and distrusting, Dark Elves are noted for their clannish -and often ruthless- social behavior, but hold loyalty and family as some of their greatest values.
-Orsimer (Orcs) - Perhaps the least elfish of of Mer, at some times in history they were feared and seen as Beast Folk despite their elven blood. Nowadays the Orcs of Orsinium are an accepted part of Tamriel society, noted for the unshakable courage of their warriors and the skill of their craftsmen.
Beast Folk
-Khajiit - The agile cat-like people of Elsweyr. Khajiit differ greatly from the other races of Tamriel not only because of their appearance, but also through their digestive system and metabolism. They are greatly connected to the moons and the Lunar Lattice to the point it affects even their form. The Khajiit have no less than seventeen variations or 'moon forms' dependent on the moons' cycle at the time of their birth, but even these are thought of as broad categories by some scholars. They are often the targets of discrimination by other races, and their usage of moon sugar and its derivatives have not softened them in the eyes of others, despite its medicinal uses.
-Argonians (Saxhleel) - The reptilian natives of Black Marsh or Argonia and by far the most different of the main races of Tamriel from all the rest even Khajiit, who are still mammlian. They are symbiotically connected to the sentient Hist trees which are believed to guide their souls in reincarnation. They are noted as being the greatest experts in guerrilla warfare, after countless millennia of defending their land against invaders of all kinds. Being so different from all the other races has made them the least understood, as even their faces cannot express emotions in the same way as others, and their speech is noted as feeling cold. *According to the First Era Scholar Brendan the Persistent, "The Argonian people have, throughout Tamrielic history, been perhaps the most misunderstood, vilified, and reviled of all the sentient races. Yet, those who have taken the time to experience Argonian culture have gained a greater appreciation for this noble and beautiful people." *
Jesse "Bubba" Kay, the Heavy Scribe
A Simple Explanation and Observation of Khajiit and Their Forms
Khajiits are one of the most interesting races I've ever had the pleasure of studying. Men are simple, and, to me at least, Mer are not much different from Men outside of longer lifespans. I would have loved to study the Saxhleel of Argonia more closely, but I would not want to die from flesh eating flies just to get to know the marsh folk better. Thus, I studied the Khajiit more closely.
Many a person have been confused by the Khajiits forms, which are dependent on the cycles of the moons. When born under a particular lunar phase, a Khajiit's form is laid before them. There are seventeen of these forms, though one is unique and only conferred once every generation during the double new moon phase in which Khajiit say there is a third, secret moon. While I've never witnessed such, therefore doubt it to be something all races experience, it could simply be because I was born after the last double new moon, and the next isn't due for some time.
[Picture-Khajiit forms]
Most Men I have spoken with on the subject seem to be under the impression that Khajiit only come in the two-legged variety, some of them thinking Ohmes were simply Wood Elves assimilated into their culture, and that Ohmes-raht were half-breeds. What did they think of the four-legged ones? Beasts of burden and pets! While I felt offended on their behalf, most Khajiit seem to accept this as normal. In fact, a few seemed to use it to their advantage.
Quadrupedal Khajiit, which include the smallest Alfiqs and the enormous battlecat Senche-raht (twice the size of what I pictured here at the least) are unable to speak in the common tongues of Tamriel, but still communicate with their kin in a decidedly feline manner. There are, however, magical enchantments that can imbue jewelry with translation abilities, and so making one to translate the more cat-like language of Khajiit into more common tongues was not so hard (once my assistant found the right enchantment). I daresay our invention is beginning to take off as well. It's become very popular with the families I have spoken with.
Dagi and Dagi-raht were hard to find, but interesting to see. They hold a more ape-like shape, which in hindsight seems rather obvious due to their affinity for living in the canopies of the jungles of Elswyr. I cannot truly think of them as bipedal or quadrupedal , but, seeing as they walk upon their knuckles, mostly classify them as the latter. As rumor has said, they are more skilled in the ways of magic than their kin, and with their propensity for tree climbing I could easily envision them defending the jungles by laying down destructive magics from far above.
I only managed to meet one Tojay in my travels, and only because he was outside of the Tenmar forest at the time. Almost all Tojay and Tojay-raht are given over to the Moon Temples to be trained as Moon Bishops from a young age. Moon Bishops are considered one of the most important positions in the Khajiiti culture, just below Clan Mothers and the Mane. Moon Bishops have an important role in the production of moon sugar, said to have the ability to 'collect starlight' needed to make it. The Tojay are small and short, easily mistaken for a child if one doesn't know what to look for in a young Khajiit. From his words, Tojay-raht are perhaps just a head shorter than Ohmes. I wasn't permitted entry in any of the Moon Temples, and my talk with the Bishop was short, but it was very insightful into Khajiiti religion.
Another thing of interest I have found though, is that while all Khajiit can be classified as one form or another, some struck me as seeming a bit 'in-between'. Some Senche would have straighter backs. Some Cathay-raht would not seem so large. I even met a pair of twins, one Ohmes and one Ohmes-raht, born right as the moons changed phases as Secunda went from full to waxing. The Ohmes girl had more cat-like ears than elven and lacked a tail, yet her sister had definitely feline ears and a tail, but seemed to lack body fur (which I checked for purely scientific purposes no matter what my assistant insists). While curious about these 'almost outliers', the twins proved to me that there is no such thing as an unclassified Khajiit form.
As for the Mane, I was unable to meet him, as I was and am but a lowly scribe, though I hope in the future I may yet meet him on some auspicious occasion. Luckily, I was able to acquire a sketch of the Khajiit's leader-in-spirit.
[Picture-The Mane]
As one can see, he is covered in the shaved fur locks of many of his closest subjects, tied to his own, long mane in a ceremonial fashion. It was once that he received a piece from all of his people, but the Khajiit population has long since grown, and he would simply be unable to move with that much fur tacked on. Hopefully, the tradition changes again. If I were to make a suggestion, I would say that a single lock from high-standing individuals like dukes, mayors, and the like should suffice, giving ample representation, and the Mane some room to move.
Then again, I am but a man. An outside observer of a rather spectacular and interesting people.
Jesse "Bubba" Kay, The Heavy Scribe
Notes on the Currency System of the Third Empire: Septims and their Denominations
Date: 4E190
Across my travels across Tamriel, through the different nations and provinces, I have noticed many things to differentiate them. Different cultures, pantheons, environments, and inhabitants, to name a few. One thing I have noticed remain constant is the need for money in a complex economic system.
Each of the major economic and political powers utilize a form of currency and coinage to facilitate trade, both inside and outside their borders. In Hammerfell, the yokuda, named after the ancestral homeland of the Redguards. In Morrowind, the nerevar, named after the greatest hero of the Dunmer. In the lands held by the Third Aldmeri Dominion, including Alinor, formerly known as the Summerset Isles, Valenwood, and Elsweyr, the ayrenn, named after the founder and Queen of the First Aldmeri Dominion. The province of Black Marsh, with most of the inhabitants surviving off subsistence farming merely bartering extras, does not possess any form of native advanced currency, and as such, economically, are insignificant, outside of their armies, as shown by the Argonian Invasion of Morrowind in the aftermath of the Red Year. However, several Argonian products are exported, including Argonian Ale.
But, the oldest currently used currency on the continent, used predominately in the provinces of High Rock, Cyrodiil, and Skyrim, is the septim, colloquially known as drakes, named after the founder of the Third Empire, Tiber Septim himself. Yet, the currency itself has a rich history, stretching back to the arrival of the ancient Atmorans during the First Era and the founding of the Nordic Empire. Such was its ancient influence that the Alessian Empire adopted it after overthrowing the tyrannical Ayleids. As such, the septim is commonly accepted in most provinces of the continent, despite the best efforts of the Thalmor to stamp out its use, both within and without its holdings.
The septim, since its adoption, has maintained a similar structure. The base unit, the titular septim, is a solid gold coin. However, due to the impracticality of carrying around thousands of septims all on one person, different denominations have been seen. With the exception of the Ebon, each denomination is worth ten of the next denomination down. They are as follows:
Cent: Small coins made of pure copper, the cent is the least valuable septim. One hundred cents make up one septim. It is emblazoned with the symbol of a crown on its face.
Diem: Slightly larger coins made of iron, the diem is the second least valuable denomination of septim. Ten cents make up one diem, while ten diems make up one septim. A visage of the Imperial City seen from above makes up its face.
Septim: Solid gold, medium-sized coins, the septim is the base unit for the Empire. As such all values of worth during trade are measured in septims. The face of Tiber Septim himself is seen on all septims.
Malk: Slightly larger than a septim, and square in shape, a malk is made of pure moonstone. Ten septims make up a single malk. Most everyday trade is conducted with malks. The image of the province of Cyrodiil, the central hold of the Empire, lies on its face.
Denar: Even larger than a malk and with a distinctive diamond shape, the denar is worth one hundred septims, or ten malks. It is gold, with a silver center. Most large trades are conducted with denars, due to convenience. The denar is emblazoned with the Amulet of Kings on its face.
Ebon: The most valuable, and subsequently the rarest, denomination of septim, the oval-shaped ebon is a large coin made of solid ebony. Hardly ever used in trade, with the exceptions of shipping, acquisition of inventory, and the purchase of property, many use ebon purely to store their wealth in banks. The whole of Tamriel, once the holdings of the Empire, lies emblazoned on its face. Although the Empire no longer controls the whole of Tamriel, it is kept with the hope that some day it will be again.
Trestus Whovinicci, Historian at the Imperial Academy