Beastfolk (or Betmer) is used to refer to any sentient beast-like humanoid that inhabits Tamriel, such as the Argonians, Imga and Khajiit. A few races have died out or disappeared, such as the Lilmothiit and the Bird Men.
Argonians
Argonianos (em sua língua nativa de Jel eles são chamados de Saxhleel, ou Povo da Raiz) são os nativos reptilianos de Pântano Negro, um vasto pantanal no sudeste de Tamriel. As outras raças preferem chamá-los de “lagartos” ou “Povo Lagarto”, especialmente quando querem ser desdenhosos. Eles são conhecidos como os principais especialistas em guerrilha por todo Coração Estrelado, uma reputação dada por defenderem suas fronteiras de inimigos durante incontáveis séculos. Argonianos tem uma expectativa de vida similar a dos humanos. De acordo com o estudioso da Primeira Era Brendan, o Persistente: “os Argonianos, ao longo da história Tamriélica, talvez tenham sido os mais incompreendidos, difamados e injuriados de todas as raças sencientes. Porém, aqueles que tiveram um tempo para experimentar a cultura Argoniana obtiveram uma maior apreciação por esse nobre e lindo povo”. Entretanto, deve notar-se que ele desapareceu na sua expedição final nos pântanos profundos da terra natal deles.
For more information, see the main lore article.
Bird Men
The Bird Men were a race of beastfolk who inhabited City Isle in Cyrodiil in the Middle Merethic Era. The name they gave themselves, if any, is lost to history. The only known record of their existence comes from the epic poem Father of the Niben, which describes the adventures of the legendary Aldmer explorer Topal the Pilot, who charted the coasts of Tamriel and discovered the Niben River and Topal Bay. In the poem, while Topal and his crew strove to return home to Firsthold, they traveled up the Niben River to Lake Rumare, where they encountered "brilliant flightful creatures of glorious colors" with "taloned feet". Topal's crew taught the Bird Men their language, and in return the Bird Men made Topal their lord and granted him the "eight islands" that would later make up City Isle. After Topal's departure, the Bird Men are never mentioned again in recorded history, and are believed to have met their extinction at the hands of the Khajiit long before the Ayleids migrated to Cyrodiil.
Dreugh
Dreughs are an ancient species of aquatic, octopus-like beastfolk, commonly hunted for their hide and the wax from their shells. They are sometimes known as water dreughs. For one year of their life, dreughs undergo karvinasim and emerge onto land as aggressive crustaceans to breed. During this period they are known as land dreughs or Billies. Unlike their aquatic counterparts, the land dreughs show no signs of their usual intelligence and kill indiscriminately, using powerful shock attacks and even going so far as to cocoon living victims in mud to feed their young.
Dreughs are found mostly in northern, western and eastern Tamriel, but can usually be found anywhere coastal. They are known to inhabit the Inner Sea and the Abecean Sea, migrating into the waterways of the Iliac Bay. Land dreughs can be found as far inland as Cyrodiil and Craglorn. Although altercations can happen when swimming in these waters, the dreughs are mild-mannered, and usually scavenge for food. After their year on land, dreughs undergo meff, where they digest their unneeded skin and organs and vomit the congealed remains as small fibrous balls called "grom". Dreughs are known to be immune to paralysis, poison and disease and resistant to magic, but have a low tolerance to frost. They can regenerate health in darkness and in water, but cannot enter holy places. Their infamous shock attacks are unique to land dreughs, and those in the water must rely on melee attacks. As well as using dreugh wax in alchemy, their hide is used by the Dunmer to make traditional armor and weapons.
The origins of the dreughs are clouded in myth. In the Iliac Bay region, they are rumored to be the remnants of a prehistoric civilization from long before the First Era. Some scholars argue that the land dreugh is actually a distant relative of the true dreugh from further back on the evolutionary timeline, perhaps even related to Spider Daedra. The ancient Chimer once had dealings with the dreughs; Tribunal Temple teachings speak of the treacherous "Altmer of the sea" and their castles of glass and coral. Their protracted conflict with Dunmer hunters is blamed for their devolved intelligence and the destruction of their civilization.
According to conflicting legends, the dreughs once ruled the world in the previous kalpa, and Molag Bal had served as their chief. When the dead carapace of Bal's old image was dropped into the new world, a Chimer child from Gnisis wore it to scare his village, but instead became the Ruddy Man. Vivec did battle with the Ruddy Man, and their fighting created the West Gash region of Vvardenfell. Vivec was victorious, and gave the carapace to the Queen of Dreughs to guard; instead, the dreughs gave it to a wayward shaman of the House of Troubles, and the Ruddy Man appeared again ten years later at Tear. After defeating him a second time, Vivec gave the carapace to the devout and loyal mystics of the Number Room, who made it into "a philosopher's armor". According to the teachings of Mankar Camoran, the tyrannical dreugh-kings ruled over Mundus and enslaved the oceans of Lyg before their world was destroyed by Mehrunes Dagon.
The Dreugh Shrimp is thought to have been named after the species.
Giant
Giants are a race of enormous humanoids with colossal strength. They are found in the wilderness of Skyrim, High Rock, Hammerfell, Cyrodiil and Valenwood.
They have thick grey skin, long, powerful limbs, large hands and feet, and thick greyish-brown hair decorated with braids and beads. Additionally, most Giants have decorative scars carved into their chests. They clothe themselves in fur pelts adorned with the bones of animals and people, although many prefer a simple loincloth.
Although they tower above most races, their height can vary. Some stand between 11 and 12 feet tall, whereas others can be several times the height of the average person. Female giants are much less common than males, and the only known sightings have been in the Wrothgar region during the Second Era.
Goblin-ken
Povo Goblin (ou goblin-kin) é um termo inespecífico usado para se referir a diferentes povos bestiais, incluindo goblins, ogros e gremlins. Não obstante, elfos, incluindo Orcs, são considerados parte do Povo Goblin segundo o senso comum, atestando que eles são de alguma forma ligados aos goblins.O Povo Goblin foi escravizado pelos Altmer da Ilha do Semprestio. Durante a Dinastia Camoran, centenas de goblin-kin foram libertados pelos regentes da Ilha de Semprestio e lhe foi dada permissão para se estabelecer no norte da Floresta de Valen. As Tribos Orc escolheram se estabelecer no alto das Montanhas Wrothgarianas, próximas a Velha H'roldan, que era integrante a Pedra Alta naquela época, devido a sua dependência de uma rara manada de bestas vilosas com múltiplas patas, que podem viver apenas em locais de alta altitude com vegetação alpina e sub-alpina. Os goblin-kin fundaram Orsinium (literalmente traduzida como Cidade-Orc) nesse local. Após o primeiro saque da Cidadela pela Ordem de Diagna e a consequente reconstrução dela por Gortwog gro-Nagorm, Orsinium aparentemente permanceu habitada apenas por Orcs, sem nenhum indício de seus primos do Povo Goblin.
For more information, see the main lore article.
Imga
The Imga, or Great Apes, are native beastfolk of Valenwood. They see the Altmeri as their superiors and as a portrait of an ideal, civilized society. Imga go to desperate measures to emulate the Altmeri: they wear capes, practice with the dueling sword, and attempt to speak with perfect enunciation and courtly manners despite their gravelly, baritone voices. These intelligent apes are said to have flourished in Valenwood long before the Aldmer ever arrived there. They cohabit in the forests with the Bosmer tribes, and also inhabit many of the abandoned human trading posts which had been established during the Second Empire.
Each individual bears some kind of title, be it Baron, Duke, Earl, or the like, which they use when addressing the members of the Thalmor (but despite what the titles suggest, there are no land-owning Imga). More extreme Imga shave their bodies and powder their skin white to seem more like the Altmeri. The Imga feel that Men are beneath them as lesser beastfolk and pretend to find their smell exceedingly offensive: when Men are around, Imga hold perfumed corners of their capes to their noses. Their reproductive biology is not well understood.
In Falinesti, colonies of Imga apes gather Kollopi, an arboreal rodent, from the ends of the slenderest branches of the graht-oaks. The "ape men" are naturally dexterous, and are renowned for their agility. They climb beneath the Kollopi rodents then jump up to "pick" them from their perches. These Kollopi are then used to make a simple peasant dish of the same name.
For more information, see the main lore article.
All Imga disappeared from Valenwood circa 2E 582 to wait out the end of the Planemeld and the Alliance War. According to the Altmer author Cirantille, they went to 'visit Falinesti', which had similarly vanished from Tamriel many years previous. It is unknown when exactly the city or the Imga returned.
The imgakin is a type of golden-colored monkey, although any actual relationship the breed may have with the Imga is not readily apparent.
Khajiit
Khajiit são o povo felino humanoide que vêm de Elsweyr, conhecidos por grande inteligência e agilidade. Esses traços os tornam exímios ladrões e acrobatas, mas também podem ser temíveis guerreiros. Entretanto, são raramente vistos como magos. Khajiit em sua maioria ficam em solo, mas pirataria e comércio de skooma atraem alguns para trabalhos de marinheiros.
A anatomia Khajiit diferencia-se muito daquela de homens e elfos, não apenas por causa de seu pelo, cauda, e o andar na ponta dos pés, mas por seu sistema digestivo e metabolismo também. Khajiit, Argonianos, e Imga são as chamadas "raças besta" de Tamriel devido a suas grandes diferenças. Khajiit têm uma expectativa de vida similar àquela de humanos. Não existem casos bem documentados de cruzamento racial entre Khajiit e outras raças, mas há rumores de tal coisa. A aparência alienígena e comportamento dos Khajiit tornam-os alvos comuns de racismo.
For more information, see the main lore article.
Lamia
Lamias are a species of amphibious beastfolk. They have a serpentine appearance, with the torso of a woman and the tail of a snake. Despite being exclusively female, lamias lay eggs, which they are incredibly protective of. Found all over Tamriel, they can live in water or on land, although they rarely venture far from the water. Lamias are larger than the mortal races, but can seemingly interbreed with them. Despite being reviled as monsters, lamias are an intelligent species; they can speak Tamrielic, can cast powerful magic, and adorn themselves with jewelry. In combat, they rely on debilitating shrieks and powerful claws that drain an opponent's stamina. They seemingly have their own religion, venerating entities known as the Egg Mother and the Great Egg. Lamias have had little impact on history due to their primitive nature and hostile attitude towards the people of Tamriel. Notably, the lamias of Tempest Island took part in the Lamia Invasion of 2E 435, and a group of lamias are thought to have fought against Molag Bal in 2E 582 during the Tamrielic invasion of Coldharbour. Medusas are physically similar to lamias, but otherwise unrelated.
Lilmothiit
The Lilmothiit (meaning "one who is from Lilmoth" in Ta'agra), also called the Fox-Folk, were a vulpine (fox-like) beast race who once inhabited Black Marsh. They were said by some to be related to the Khajiit of Elsweyr. The Lilmothiit were a nomadic tribal group, and left few enduring signs of their existence. They founded the settlement of Blackrose, the ruins of which were later turned into a prison by the Akaviri Potentate Versidue-Shaie in the Second Era.
Similar to the Kothringi, the Lilmothiit became extinct following the devastation of the Knahaten Flu in the mid-Second Era.
For more information, see the main lore article.
Minotaur
Minotaurs (from Men of Tor or Men of Taur), also called man-bulls or bull-men, are a species of beastfolk with the body of a man and the head of a bull. They are said to possess only rudimentary intelligence and are commonly perceived as savage monsters by the civilized people of Tamriel. Although excessively male as a species, female minotaurs do exist. Minotaurs are social creatures, and often appear in groups numbering twenty or more. The largest male dominates this clan structure and has breeding rights with all females of reproductive age. Younger males will often challenge this dominant male in a fight to the death. The most powerful individuals are referred to as "minotaur lords". Minotaurs are notoriously strong and difficult to fight, as they can easily swing heavy weapons with one hand and their horns have the ability to tear through the toughest armor. For this reason, they are often displayed as prestigious hunting prizes. They are also hunted for their horns, which are very valuable for use in alchemy. Although found throughout Tamriel, minotaurs are mostly confined to the province of Cyrodiil.
Following the Alessian Slave Rebellion the minotaurs seemingly lived peacefully alongside the Nedes of Cyrodiil, but were always a target of suspicion and fear because of their size and strength. With the rise of the Alessian Order, minotaurs were redefined as monsters no better than ogres or trolls and were driven into the forests, destroying whatever culture they previously possessed. During the early First Era, minotaurs were much more common throughout the wilderness of Tamriel, although they were not entirely wiped out by the Alessians and continue to roam the backwoods and hills of Cyrodiil. They are most commonly found in the Colovian Highlands and the Gold Coast region.
Minotaurs served as the protectors of the unicorn at Harcane Grove, which was killed in 3E 433 for the glory of Hircine.
Naga
The Nagas are a little-known humanoid race that live in Black Marsh, primarily the Murkmire region. Nagas share some similarities in their appearance with the Saxhleel, the most prevalent Argonian race.
They are described as having "huge mouths filled with dripping needle-like fangs". Usually seven to eight feet tall, the Nagas appear to be more snake-like than the Argonians. When the other races were attempting to establish plantations in Argonia, they generally acted as highway robbers; however, following the cessation of these efforts, they have since left the roads and have gone back into the inner swamps.
For more information, see the main lore article.
Orc
Os Orcs, também chamados de Orsimer ou "Povo da Pária" em tempos antigos, são os habitantes das Montanhas Wrothgarianas, Montanhas Cauda do Dragão e Orsinium (literalmente traduzido do Aldmeri como "Cidade dos Orcs"). São notáveis por sua coragem inabalável em guerras, e sua resistência a dificuldades. No passado, os Orcs eram muito temidos e odiados pelas outras raças e nações de Tamriel, e eram normalmente associados aos goblins. No entanto, foram lentamente ganhando sua aceitação no Império, em particular pelos seus serviços diferenciados para as Legiões do Imperador. Armeiros orcs são conhecidos por suas habilidades, e guerreiros orcs em armadura pesada estão entre as melhores tropas do Império, e são muito temíveis quando usando sua "berserker rage". A maior parte dos cidadãos imperiais têm a sociedade orc como cruel e durona. Os Orcs da região da Baía Ilíaca desenvolveram seu próprio idioma, conhecido como Orcish, e já tiveram seu próprio reino, chamado de Orsinium.
For more information, see the main lore article.
Sload
Os Sload (às vezes chamados de vermes ou povo-lesma) são uma raça de bestas semelhantes a lesmas que habitam os Reinos de Corais de Thras, à sudoeste de Tamriel.
Sloads são naturalmente cautelosos e cuidadosos. Em suas tradições míticas, todos os heróis passam anos planejando, considerando e consultando os sábios Sloads antes de tomarem a ação correta e alcançarem seus objetivos. Por outro lado, todos os seus vilões agem rapidamente ou precipitadamente e sempre falham. A linguagem Sload não tem palavra para 'aventura', e o equivalente mais próximo significa, mais precisamente, 'desastre trágico'.
Sloads não experimentam emoções como as raças Tamriélicas, mas muitas vezes são hábeis em atuar e podem simulá-las exageradamente para o benefício sobre os seres mais emotivos.
Eles honrarão as leis, lealdades e amizades apenas enquanto verificarem que é do seu interesse em fazê-los. Eles também não têm escrúpulos contra blasfêmia, roubo, sequestro, assassinato, genocídio ou qualquer outra coisa que possa ajudá-los a alcançar seus objetivos.
Os Sloads aparentemente não são religiosos e geralmente rejeitam a adoração, mas servirão voluntariamente aos Daedra se eles se beneficiarem disso. Alguns, em particular como o famoso necromante N'Gasta da Segunda Era, também segue o King of Worms.
For more information, see the main lore article.
Gallery
-
Lore-Great Ape Sketch.jpg
A sketch of an Imga, drawn by 'YR'.
-
Sload big.jpg
Concept Art of a Sload