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Lorebook Discussion: Words of Clan Mother Ahnissi

  • March 8, 2019

    So we can definitely see how the idea of "you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours" is something they find easier to grasp than altruism, but what i find interesting especially after watching the Khajiit in Ayrenn's Dominion is that it leads to a surprising loyalty. Like, the alliance may have started out of simple mutual benefit, but the ties of friendship and trust take root in the kittie's hearts after.

    Also, I never said you said they were malicious :)

    Well, the kitties are smart guys, they understand that altruism doesn't really exist. All the folks who talk about alrtuism (various leftists Imperials) usually either pursue their own agenda or are just a bunch of fanatics. However, the kitties are not so smart in the sense that unlike the Altmer, they don't think in the long run. That's the reason for their indifference. They think that something is not their concern if it doesn't seem to affect them, but with such an attitude, they might fail to realize that this same something may become important in the future.

    And it's only natural that in an alliance based on mutual support and benefit for both sides, there will be loyalty. I don't know why it surprises you. It's the relations based on false unity and empty idealism that usually end in betrayal.

    Okay, so you mention death and that brings us into a new topic. I'm not certain it's accurate to say they don't know the peace of Aetherius as they identify their own afterlife in Litter-Mates of Darkness:

    When true cats die, their souls are lifted by Khenarthi and flown to the Sands Behind the Stars, to play and prey until the Next Pounce.

    When bent cats die, their souls are dragged down by Namiira into the Dark Behind the World, to serve the Heart of Lorkhaj until their tails are straight.

    Doesn't sound like the actually know it. More lke it's something they heard from somebody. Khenarthi, huh? It's almost like they got this from Nords. And I really like the lne about bent cats, it shows that deep inside, their elven nature is still alive.

    But it's fair to say they have a healthy survival instinct! That source above actually imforms us about their morality a fair bit, imo. As we saw in Words of Clan Mother Ahnissi the Khajiit have no concept of Aedra and Daedra - the gods and demons are just one big family to them. They recognise some amongst that family as being bad influences, but I don't think they have a tendency to blame these beings as other cultures and races would. By that I mean, they don't seem to blame Sheggorath for skooma-addiction, for example, but rather accept personal responsibility for their actions. In contrast, someone from another race might pray to their gods for protection against evil and for strength of will to overcome, but a Khajiit's spirituality is more internal. I think they strive for inner harmony so thay they don't start dancing the Bent Dance:

    For a true cat to see a dro-m'Athra do the Bent Dance is to feel his tail twitch in time, and feel the pull of the Darks. As each twitch pulls the true cat further from the moons-light, the cat's shadow grows longer and more bent. And if the tide of the Darks grows greater than the tide of the Lights, the true cat is lost, and becomes a bent cat.

    Well, the only ones who actually blame the Daedra and pray to the Aedra for protection are the Imperials. All the rest only say that one is to stay away from the Daedra. The Khajiiti sense of personal responsibility and self-awareness works well with their pragmatism, don't you think? They care about their own well-being and know what is good and what is bad for them.

  • Member
    March 13, 2019

    Justiciar Thorien said:

    Well, the kitties are smart guys, they understand that altruism doesn't really exist. All the folks who talk about alrtuism (various leftists Imperials) usually either pursue their own agenda or are just a bunch of fanatics. However, the kitties are not so smart in the sense that unlike the Altmer, they don't think in the long run. That's the reason for their indifference. They think that something is not their concern if it doesn't seem to affect them, but with such an attitude, they might fail to realize that this same something may become important in the future.

    I'm not convinced that's the case to be honest. I think they are more spontaneous than other cultures, but they do demonstrate a storng sense of cause and effect. There are a couple of journals I like from ESO's Summerset Chapter, Tips for a Khajiit in Summerset Vol I and Vol II which come quite close to defining the different attitudes of the Altmer and Khajiit. Imo we can see both Khajiiti adaptiveness and long-term thinking in those sources.

    Justiciar Thorien said:

    Doesn't sound like the actually know it. More lke it's something they heard from somebody. Khenarthi, huh? It's almost like they got this from Nords. And I really like the lne about bent cats, it shows that deep inside, their elven nature is still alive.

    Lol, what Elven nature? :D Let's not go through it again. I think it's safe to say they know their afterlife as well as any other race does. Whether it's true or not is moot, it's simply what they believe. The cats place a great deal of importance upon their temples, on staying within the light of the two moons lest they get corrupted and become dro-m'athra  themselves. There's a certain duality of light and dark forming a consistent theme in the Khajiiti worldview, and the presence of dro-m'athra sort of lends credence to their beliefs.

    Justiciar Thorien said:

    Well, the only ones who actually blame the Daedra and pray to the Aedra for protection are the Imperials. All the rest only say that one is to stay away from the Daedra. The Khajiiti sense of personal responsibility and self-awareness works well with their pragmatism, don't you think? They care about their own well-being and know what is good and what is bad for them.

    The Altmer pray... they just have a sense they are right about everything and so it goes without saying that for them their ancestors, the Aedra, always protect them. So it's less overt than other cultures, maybe, but definitely there. They went as far as to make Daedra worship illegal on the Isles and have a Divine Prosecution in charge of maintaining their culture's moral purity.

    File:ON-npc-Ertucalion.jpg

    As for the Khajiit, I think that's accurate. Their culture is one of fearing the darkness and of worry the whispers of Namira finding cracks in their character. Once a personal weakness is found, this darkness can threaten to turn them into Bent Cats. They are also aware of their flaws, know they tend towards pride, self-confidence, and over-indulgence so they definitely know what's bad for them. I think this is why the Lunar Clergy play such a significant role in Khajiit society to keep the race on the right path.