Argonian Argonians or Saxhleel are an oviparous race of reptilian people native to the large and marshy province known as Black Marsh , a region of Tamriel . They can be found in smaller numbers throughout the continent , and have been featured in every one of the main games thus far . Argonians are one of the few races completely unrelated to men and mer , being descended directly from the Hist . Enigmatic and intelligent , the Argonians are experts of guerrilla tactics , and their natural abilities suit their swampy homeland . They have developed immunities to diseases that have plagued many would - be explorers in the region , and they are capable of easily exploring underwater locations due to their ability to breathe water . Argonians also have some resistance to poison . Argonians make proficient thieves , due to their superb lockpicking and sneak ing skill s . They are also very capable warriors and archer s due to their constant use of guerrilla warfare against Warring Tribes or Dunmer slavers . Black Marsh . Black Marsh , ( also known as " Argonia " ) , is one of the nine Provinces of Tamriel and the homeland of the Argonians . The Argonians are perfectly adapted to these swampland rainforests . The province is filled with " great inland waterways and impenetrable swamps . " The dense forests , swampy inland rivers , and mangrove thickets make it nearly impossible to reach the interior of Black Marsh , unless one is an Argonian . Explorers who are not Argonian usually end up dead , killed by the native fauna of Black Marsh , disease , or the Argonians . Because of this , only the native Argonians can successfully travel the province . The Dunmer of neighboring Morrowind have made a practice of raiding the region for slaves , and this is particularly practiced by members of House Telvanni . Physiology . Argonians start out in life as eggs ; when a clutch of Argonian eggs is laid , they are placed near Hist trees in areas known as hatching pools . When the eggs hatch , they form a connection to the Hist . If , for whatever reason , this connection to the Hist is not present or is severed , the unborn within the eggs die . This was used to terrible effect during the Three Banners War , when an Altmer alchemist named Ruuvitar nearly succeeded in wiping out an entire generation of unborn Argonians using a relic called the Mnemic Egg . However , he was thwarted by the Vestige , though not before most of the Shadowfen eggs were destroyed . In extreme circumstances however , the Argonians , or rather " The Hist " can adapt to climates that are too cold for eggs , which allow a female Argonian to bear a child . This same rule applies to small nomadic tribes of Argonians . After being born , Argonian hatchlings drink the sap of the Hist and continue doing this through their infancy . According to them , the sap of the hist tree , when drank , gives a hatchling its soul . When that Argonian dies , his soul travels back to its Hist tree and is stored until another hatchling drinks that Hist . Thus , the Hist is giving it a soul , and so the cycle repeats . It is unknown if a hatchling would really have a soul of its own without receiving one from the Hist . Because of the birthing rituals in Black Marsh and the hatchlings ' dependency on the Hist , it is considered rare for a hatchling to be born out of the province and away from the connection of the trees : but it is possible . One Argonian , named Ja - Reet , was born into slavery in the province of Morrowind , and was deprived of the Hist as a hatchling , but eventually returned to Black Marsh with a Dunmer woman that he had married . Although able to function in other societies , he was described as " disadvantaged , " or maladjusted , in Argonian society and unable to understand Argonian social cues and body language ; this of course was blamed on his lack of connection to the Hist . How Argonians go through maturity is rather debated and poorly understood ; sometimes it is stated that when an Argonian grows through infancy the Hist sap that it licks from the tree determines its gender and appearance . Ja - Reet ' s case somewhat renders this moot : as he was born away from the trees and matured without the sap , becoming an adult male without the influence of the Hist . While there have been some theories on " life - cycles , " stating that Argonians might change genders throughout their lives , this may really be a reference to their reincarnation cycle with the hatchlings and the Hist trees giving them their souls ( deceased male soul entering a female hatchling in the new generation , thus creating a new " life - cycle " and a change in gender for the reincarnated soul as they are reborn , etc . ) . Argonians have gills on their necks and are covered in scales . This gives Argonians the ability to breathe underwater , which has proven to be an advantage in combat with other races , especially in the swamps of Black Marsh . Argonians are trained in guerilla warfare and drown their enemies by dragging them to the water and holding them under . Soldiers walking alongside rivers , travelling on ships in the ocean or barges along the rivers have been attacked by Argonians that ambushed them from the water where they lay in wait . They then either kill them or they are forced to flee back into the water and vanish into the depths . Either way it is an effective strategy as they cannot be followed into the deeper oceans and rivers . During their war with the Reman Empire , some Argonians built headquarters and camps on the bottom of lakes and rivers to guarantee safety . Even if they could be reached , the Argonian gills , fins , propelling tails , sharp teeth , claws , and underwater sight mean that fighting one in the water would be nothing short of suicide . Argonians have very sharp reptilian teeth lining their mouths , which , if they are unarmed , can be used as an effective weapon . If an Argonian becomes a vampire , it appears to age tenfold and its eyes turn light red and nearly blank , though their pupils are still clearly visible . Argonians are the only playable race aside from the Khajiit to have tails . When swimming , they use their tails to propel themselves as they glide through the water . An Argonian ' s tail is also used for balance which gives them an extra advantage in certain situations . This is one of the many reasons Argonians are effective as thieves and assassins . Female Argonians are also portrayed to have breasts , according to some sources , this is possibly an additional , or the only , way for an Argonian young to get Hist sap . Argonians have a wide variety of cranial features such as fins , feathers , ridges , spines , spikes , or horns . The Naga were a breed of Argonian who resembled puff adders with legs and arms and whose height ranged from seven to eight feet tall . They had black scales , black eyes , and large mouths full of fangs . They generally lived in the inner swamps of Black Marsh and had very little contact with the Imperial s and other races that were not native to Black Marsh . When an Argonian dies , their soul travels into the Hist trees , thus they pass on their memories to each new generation . However , it was shown that the memories can be lost in the " river ' s current , " the passage of time , but if the knowledge is vital it will be recovered by the Hist . This is shown when the Hissmir Hist shows the inhabitants how to use Hist Amber to power the city ' s defenses against a Dominion attack . However , it is unknown what happens if an Argonian dies not in proximity to a Hist , if they still travel to the closest Hist , or if they simply cease to be , their memories lost forever . History . Dawn Era . Some Argonians say that the Hist created the Argonians to see for them the world where they cannot walk . Merethic Era . Little is known of the ancient history of the Argonians during this Era , following the events of the Dawn Era . Largely removed from Tamriel ' s history during the Merethic Era , Argonian society was supposedly at its height during this time period ; having an advanced civilization that built the great Xanmeer pyramids of Black Marsh . Mysteriously , sometime near the First Era , the Xanmeer society was wiped out from unknown causes . Possible blame for this may rest with the Ayleids ' incursion into the region , or the catastrophic events of the Aldmeris war , but no one really knows . First Era . Little is known about what occurred in Argonia or Argonians in general during much of the First Era , as the few Argonians that left the province were very rare and they themselves did not talk about their history , preferring to integrate themselves into the larger Tamrielic cultures . The region and , by extension Argonians themselves , stayed independent of the Tamrielic Empire until the twenty - ninth century of the First Era . It is known that there was a very successful enterprise of bandits and thieves that had long been exploiting the swampland of southeastern Tamriel , which was lead by most infamous of the brigadiers , " Red " Bramman . The coastline along the east of Topal Bay had become notorious for acts of piracy because of these Bandits and thieves , and in 1E 1033 , the Empress Hestra demanded the head of Bramman . After many an unsuccessful battle in the Bay , the Imperial Navy discovered the pirate - king ' s means of escaping capture : a narrow , winding river which emptied into the Bay near Soulrest , its mouth was screened by dense thickets of mangroves . The Imperial Fleet followed the course deeper into the heart of Black Marsh than any non - Argonian had ever been before . They eventually caught Bramman in his bandit kingdom not far from what is now called Blackrose , and took his head for the Empress . The Argonians were defeated by the Reman Empire in 1E 2811 at the Battle of Argonia . Following this defeat , the Argonians retreated to Helstrom , where the Imperials would not follow them . Slave traders exploited the Argonians , and " entire tribes of Argonians were dragged in chains " to the Dunmer land . Warlord dynasties were formed by former Imperial officers , who " earned a reputation for tyranny even in those dark times . " The land that had once been a haven for Tamriel ' s criminals became its greatest prison state . Anyone considered too dangerous to hold in " civilized " dungeons in other provinces was sent to Black Marsh . Second Era . Even less is known about Argonian history in the Second Era . The only known recorded event occurred in 2E 560 , when the Argonians responded against their tyrannical oppressors with the Knahaten Flu . Whether the terrible Khahaten Flu arose from natural causes , or was created by an Argonian shaman in retaliation for his people ' s oppression is still a matter of debate , but its result is clear . The plague began in Stormhold in 2E 560 , and quickly spread to every corner of Black Marsh , killing all those not of reptilian stock . For over forty years , it held the province in its grip , destroying entire cultures , ( notably , the Kothringi ) , and driving outsiders from the land . Even when the land became habitable again , fear of the disease kept most outsiders away . House Dres of Morrowind continued to send slavers into the north , but few others saw any reason to trouble themselves with the land . Even Tiber Septim , it was said , thought twice before conquering Black Marsh for his new Empire . The borders of the province fell easily to his forces , but he wisely decided to avoid strategically unimportant inner swamps , and thus met with little resistance . Third Era . By the Third Era most of Argonia had been assimilated into the empire with the exception of Helstrom . Helstrom is in the center of " Murkwood , " an area of marsh in the center of Argonia where it is almost impossible for non - Argonians to travel , so is the center of non - Imperial Black Marsh . This is also where the Arnesian War uprising , ( which took place during the Imperial Simulacrum ) , saw the Argonians exact revenge for the slavery that they suffered from House Dres . In approximately 3E 200 , during the reign of Katariah , there was a massacre at the village of Armanias due to a lack of sufficient armor . It is believed that the Hist were able to prophesy the coming of the Oblivion crisis and were able to call the " people " back to Black Marsh . Furthermore , they were able to coordinate the defense of Black Marsh and defeated the forces of Mehrunes Dagon . During the Oblivion Crisis , a faction known as the An - Xileel ( an Argonian political faction comprised of several powerful clans , including the Scale - Song ) rallied the Argonians against the Daedra after the Battle of Kvatch . When the Oblivion Gates opened in Black Marsh , the Daedra did not so much flood into Argonia as the Argonians did into Oblivion . The natives fought and defeated the Daedra on their own turf , doing so with such success that the Dremora lieutenants actually closed their Gates themselves to prevent being overrun , an occurrence unheard of in the other provinces . Thus , the An - Xileel held Black Marsh until Martin Septim ended the Oblivion Crisis and closed the Gates forever . Fourth Era . After the Oblivion Crisis , Argonia seceded from the Empire , making Black Marsh into an independent province . In the aftermath of the Red Year ( 4E 6 ) , the Argonians invaded Morrowind , in an event called the Accession War . The war was used by the Argonians both to exact revenge on the Dunmer for their past enslavement of Argonians , and to conquer territories lost in the Arnesian War . The Argonians were repelled ; however they were able to conquer most of southern Morrowind . They appear to be neutral to the ongoing hostilities between the Empire and the Third Aldmeri Dominion . Culture . Very little is known about the Argonian culture as of the Fourth Era . The difficult terrain within the Black Marsh , coupled with the apparent isolationist policies of the Argonians , renders this largely a mystery . It is known that great emphasis is placed upon the Hist , the strange trees that are abundant in the Marsh . Even what little is known about the Hist is the subject of much rumor and speculation . It is believed that the Argonians are somehow co - dependent upon the trees , and that the Hist forms some sort of hive - mind . Marital customs among the Argonians is one of the few widely - known aspects of Argonian life . Unlike the citizens of Skyrim who prefer to marry using an Amulet of Mara , some Argonians adhere to their native marriage traditions . In Black Marsh , it is customary to present a lover with an Argonian Wedding Band , which is crafted by the courting member . Each ring is unique and has personal meaning to the creator and the recipient . The actual ceremony of marriage is very long and complex , and involves unique rituals , spoken in the native language of the Argonians . However the part of their culture which is fully known to any outsider of Black Marsh , is the Argonian ' s expertise in guerrilla warfare . Centuries of cruel Dunmer slavery has caused the Argonians to rebel many times . Though Argonia as a whole throughout most of its history could never enter a full war with the Dark Elves . Instead they have mastered the way of ambushes and hit and run tactics to achieve their political aims . Argonian culture in Black Marsh is not fully understood . Some evidence suggests that , like the Khajiit , the Argonian lifestyle is tribal . However , considering references to the Royal Court of Argonia and the existence of the Shadowscales , the presence of some form of organized Argonian government is very likely . In the past , the Argonians had a large and powerful enough civilization to build large , intricate pyramid structures called xanmeer s . Yet because of the enslavement of most of their peoples by the Dunmer , they came to building small villages with mud huts . The xanmeers are left as uninhabited ruins scattered throughout Black Marsh . The Argonians are a very insular people . This is due to the nature of their homeland , but also because Men and Mer typically view them as little more than beasts . Their long history of being captured as slaves has made Argonians very distrustful of strangers , but when an Argonian has made a friend , they will fight to the death to defend that friend . The Argonians have no true allies among the other races of Tamriel . Most relations are neutral , with Argonians not really caring about the affairs of other races or nations . The only clear relations they have are negative , falling on the Dunmer and the Khajiit . The long history of being forced into slavery by the Dunmer , and lives spent in harsh treatment on their plantations in Morrowind have left most Argonians with a deep cultural hatred of the Dark Elves — a hatred which later led them to attack and occupy the weakened Morrowind during the Fourth Era . An uneducated person would expect that the Argonians and the Khajiit would be the closest of allies , given their unique status as Beastfolk and their similar histories of being used as slaves . However , the Argonians despise the cat - men of Elsweyr , just as the Khajiit , in turn , hate the Argonians . The roots of this animosity can be traced to the Khajiit belief that an Argonian shaman was responsible for creating the Knahaten Flu which plagued the species and its infrastructure . Each race sees the other as vastly inferior to themselves , and if it were not for the Imperial ruled Niben Bay separating the two provinces , it is likely that they would have gone to war long ago . Language . The native language of the Argonians is called Jel . Unlike other Tamrielic languages , it is not derived from the Ehlnofex . The Argonians do not have the concept of " time , " so their language does not have a word for it . Because of this , for some Argonians the hardest part of learning the language of the Imperials is that they make their verbs different to indicate when something happened . To the most traditional Argonians , birth and death is the same moment . All of life all of history is one moment , and only by ignoring most of its content can one create the illusion of linear progression . Religion . Not much specific information is known about the Argonian religion . However some knowledge about these unique beliefs are known to non - Argonians . The most important thing to understand about their religion is the close bond between the odd Hist tree and the Argonians . The Hist is a unique type of tree that grows all around Black Marsh and is looked highly upon by the inhabitants . This tree , according to the Argonians , is intelligent and fully conscious . It produces a special sap that gives Argonians visions and enlightenment to their souls . In fact , Argonian hatchlings drink the sap of the Hist at birth and infancy . According to them , the sap of the hist tree , when drank , gives a hatchling its soul . When that Argonian dies , his soul travels back to its Hist tree and is stored until another hatchling drinks that Hist . Thus , the Hist is giving it a soul , and so the cycle repeats . The Hist tree can telepathically talk to the Argonian that has drank the sap . It also should be noted that the Hist , and therefore Argonians , acknowledge the existence of the deity 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 . Those Argonians can become Shadowscale s , who serve Black Marsh as spies and assassins . Some Argonians may break away somewhat from their common beliefs and worship the Divines as evident by Talen - Jei planning a marriage with Keerava under Maramal ( a Priest of Mara ) . Another example would be Shahvee , who worships Zenithar .