Khajiit Khajiit are one of the ten default playable races in . They are one of the beast races which inhabit the continent of Tamriel , primarily their home province of Elsweyr . They are known for their natural agility , stealth , and their production of Moon Sugar , which can be refined into skooma . They travel around selling their wares but are not usually trusted , due to the racial prejudice of many of the races in Tamriel , resulting possibly from the belief that most Khajiit are thieves . They usually talk about themselves in third person , such as with J ' zargo and Akkhuz - ri . Religion . The Khajiit religion , while quite different from that of men and mer , is still clearly derived from the old Aldmer i pantheon . The Khajiit creation myth includes references to powerful ancestor cats with strikingly familiar names . Their legends start with the original litter mates , Ahnurr and Fadomai ( Anu and Padomay ) . These two gave birth to all of the great spiritual children , including Alkosh the first cat ( Akatosh ) , Khenarthi ( Kynareth ) , Magrus ( Magnus ) , Mara , and S ' rendarr ( Stendarr ) . A second litter of children soon followed , including Merrunz ( Mehrunes Dagon ) , Mafala ( Mephala ) , and Sangiin ( Sanguine ) , among others . Ahnurr did not want further children , but Fadomai was persuaded by her elder children to birth one more litter , this final group containing Azurah ( Azura ) , Nirni ( Nirn ) , and the moons . At this , Ahnurr became angry at Fadomai , who fled to the void , and birthed one last child , Lorkhaj ( Lorkhan ) . Fadomai knew she was dying , her life having been drained by her birth , but she gave to Nirni a gift , that she would birth children of her own . Nirni went to Lorkhaj , asking him to form a dwelling place for her children . This he did , but he tricked his siblings , forming the mortal plane and trapping many of them there with him . Most of Fadomai ' s first litter were trapped , while her second litter saw the danger and fled . Into this dwelling , Nirni birthed many children , the various human and mer races of Tamriel . However , one of Fadomai ' s children , Azurah , had also been given a gift by their mother . She was given permission to take one of Nirni ' s children , and reshape them to her own liking , so long as she made them the fastest , cleverest , and most beautiful of all creatures . Azurah chose a group of forest dwellers among Nirni ' s children , and from them , she formed the Khajiit . Nirni was furious at this , and asked her sibling Y ' ffer to punish the Khajiit . He did this by turning their grasslands into a dry desert , and their forests into poisonous marshes . The Khajiit , however , were protected by Azurah , who taught them the secret of the moons ( the Lunar Lattice in Khajiiti terms ) , and how to change their shapes to survive . Those forest dwellers who stayed true to their mother , Nirni , were turned into the Bosmer , and given the lush forests of Valenwood as their home . There is some speculation as to how accurate this creation myth truly is . What is known is that Khajiit were present on Tamriel when the Ayleid first explored the region , presumably long before there was any established Bosmer kingdom . What is not known is how long those Khajiit were in the area , nor how many other meri expeditions landed on Tamriel prior to the Aldmeri immigration ( evidence suggests at least one other mass immigration of elves to Tamriel , resulting in the Dwemer of Morrowind ) . Some Imperial scholars believe the Khajiit evolved naturally from non - sentient cats , much like they believe the Argonians evolved from non - sentient lizards . Topal described the Khajiit as two and four legged cats with only primitive behaviors , and no clear signs of intelligence . However , Ayleid legend tells of bartering ownership of the forests of Cyrodiil from the Khajiit in exchange for the secrets of literacy , and Pelinal Whitestrake , early in the First Era , claims to have fought and killed thousands of clearly organized , sentient Khajiit warriors , believing them to be Aldmeri . The moon is very important to the Khajiit , for the moon decides what body type they take on . Culture . The Khajiit , along with the Argonians , inhabited Tamriel long before the elves arrived ( which could mean the two beast races are possibly Native to Tamriel , unlike humans or mer , which migrated to Tamriel . However , some sources say life originated in Tamriel ) . Topal the Pilot , founder of the Ayleid empire , described an intelligent , if primitive , race of cat - people inhabiting the forests around Lake Rumare when he arrived there with his expedition . Eventually , the elves and humans drove the beast races into the southern extremes of Tamriel , into the forests and marshes that humans considered uninhabitable . There are conflicting records about the relationship between the different tribes before and after the union and foundation of Elsweyr in 2E 309 by two powerful , formerly warring factions . Older studies claim that there was constant warfare between the tribes before that date , and a rebellion against the union only ended when an alternate rule , depending on the states of the moons , between the different tribes was agreed . The " " disagrees with this view and instead places the time of harmony through alternate rule before the union of 2E 309 , claiming it stabilized the region for thousand years . The balance was only disrupted by the Thrassian Plague , which decimated the Khajiitan population and forced them into two opposed faction , which then were united in the year 2E 309 . Soon after , the Cyrodiilic Empire began making diplomatic overtures with Elsweyr , leading up to Tiber Septim ' s unification of the entire continent . Imperial influence has chiefly been felt in the southern regions of Elsweyr , where relatively large , semi - permanent cities have sprung up along trade routes . These cities are known to move around frequently , but within a small region in the jungles near the river basins . The primary source of income in Elsweyr is their export of moon sugar , which is used to make the highly addictive drug skooma . In fact , a sizable portion of the Khajiiti southern population are " sugar tooths " , slang term for a skooma addict , although they seem to be more able to function under the influence than other races . The fertile grounds near the southern rivers are also well suited for other crops , particularly saltrice , which makes up the bulk of the legal trade . The northern regions , still mostly dry grassland , have not progressed far from their tribal origins , and rarely consider themselves united in any meaningful way . The government of the Khajiit consists primarily of the Clan Mothers of each clan of tribes . These wield power mostly due to their control of moon sugar harvests , but also maintain a hereditary position of power . The nominal head of the Khajiiti religion is a unique form of Khajiit known as The Mane . Khajiit legend claims that it is only possible for one mane to live at a time , and his birth is triggered by the birth of a newborn Khajiit when the two moons have fully aligned in the sky . The Mane is apparently bipedal , and clearly has the power of speech , but does not fall into any of the defined Khajiiti subtypes : he is simply unique . While he is , in theory , a neutral , unbiased religious leader , the Mane is the true power in Elsweyr , and was ultimately responsible for the success of the attempted unification of the province in the last Second Era . Khajiit , like Argonian s , are still considered little more than beast - men by many human and meri cultures . They are not usually trusted by — mostly — the Nord s , but also by people in general , as stated by Ysolda , in Whiterun , Skyrim . They were oppressed and enslaved by rich families and primary industries in Morrowind , until very recently when King Helseth Hlaalu finally outlawed slavery . They also have a strong racial dislike for Argonians ( one which is shared in return ) , which causes tension in the southern Cyrodiilic cities of Leyawiin and Bravil , where Elsweyr and Black Marsh are both fairly close , and which have strong populations of both races . Racial advantages and disadvantages . Many Khajiit disdain weapons in favor of their natural claws . They make excellent thieves due to their natural agility and unmatched acrobatic abilities . Many Khajiit are also warriors , although this is mainly true of the Cathay and Cathay Raht , while the other sub races are either quadrupedal , or very lithe in build , more agile , but not as physically tough . In addition to their native quickness , Khajiit have developed a natural proficiency in stealth , and have the added benefit of native night vision . These skills , combined with the general tendency of humans and mer to look down on Khajiit as " beasts , " leads many Khajiit outside of their home province to become bandits or professional thieves and assassins , such as the hired Khajiit assassins from the Dark Brotherhood . Many Khajiit like to adorn themselves in piercings , and interestingly after are the only race , other than Argonians , that still do . Khajiit are rarely seen at sea , preferring instead to trade via land routes . If necessary they may take a boat for the purpose of the movement of skooma , however most hold little love for the ocean , viewing sailing as a grueling task . Names . Many Khajiit names contain a prefix , but not always ( e . g . Vasha ) . Khajiit names do not necessarily contain an apostrophe , but are most commonly written that way . Common prefixes are shown below : Female prefixes Male Prefixes Genderless prefixes Moons and the Khajiit Breeds . Phases of the Moons . Both a Khajiit ' s appearance and physiology depend on the Lunar Lattice of Masser and Secunda during the time of its birth . These appearances can vary drastically from one breed to another , with some Khajiit resembling the common house cat , other Khajiit resembling huge bipedal jaguars , and others being almost indistinguishable from Men or Mer . The main variants of Khajiit can be separated into four distinct groups , each depending on the phases of Nirn ' s larger moon , Masser . Depending on the phase of Masser , the Khajiit will take on one of four main appearances . Within the four groups are more variants which depend on the phase of Nirn ' s smaller moon , Secunda . The variations due to Secunda are more subtle than the variations due to Masser . Generally , the closer Secunda is to a full phase , the less " beastlike " a Khajiit appears . The closer to a Waning phase , the more ' beastlike ' a Khajiit appears . Khajiit breeds . In all , there are seventeen known breeds of Khajiit , though there are supposedly more than twenty :