Lore:Bestiary A

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Abomination

An Abomination

Abominations are mechanomagical lifeforms that were created by the former Clockwork Apostle, Mecinar, and are a perversion of Sotha Sil's goal of creating the perfect lifeform. Early variants consisted of individuals modified against their will that were melded with steel and sorcery similar to Fabricants, but are a step further and are merged with beasts. The creations led Sotha Sil to exile Mecinar out of the Clockwork City.

Found in:

• Legends

Addax

An Addax

Addaxes are herbivorous white antelopes native to Southern Elsweyr. They possess tall, distinctive curved horns.

Found in:

• ESO

Air Atronach

Air Atronach

Air Atronachs are a type of Elemental Daedra that possess the combined power of a flame, frost and storm atronach. As a result, Air Atronachs are capable of absorbing the element of atronachs slain nearby to them to temporarily increase their strength. They are able to use a variety of elemental attacks. The Serpent used them in his army in Craglorn, and caused the creation of the powerful "Air Monarch". They are known to be in service to Mehrunes Dagon. The Maormer have been known to summon unique variations of the atronach.

It is not know what realm they originate from, though there is said to be an elemental realm where fire, ice, and lightning continually clash.

Found in:

• Daggerfall, ESO, Skyrim - The Adventure Game

Aggression of Root

An Aggression of Root

Aggressions of Root are uncommon nature spirits. According to the Druids, they speak with the voice of plants and protect nature where it feels threatened. They are known for attracting a wide range of dangerous wildlife to any area they inhabit, creating a hazardous environment for nearby residents and travelers. They can command other nature spirits in battle such as Forest Wraiths and Spriggans, as well as vegetation such as Stranglers and creatures such as Fauns. They are capable of speech and have a discordant tone.

One such aggression of root, known as Oakenclaw, took residence in Lake Olo in the West Weald in 2E 582, during the Mirrormoor Incursions. An adventurer was hired by the local Legion of the West Weald to deal with the danger it posed and to warn the locals of the threat. The situation was serious enough that the West Weald Legion issued a warning bulletin stating that Lake Olo and the nearby vicinity are off-limits to unauthorized personnel. Another aggression of root took residence in Haldain Lumber Camp during that period.

A powerful nature spirit from the Earthen Root Enclave, known as the Spirit of Root, was known to take the form of an aggression of root when it was corrupted by the Firesong Circle. When it appeared in this form, it was referred to as the Corruption of Root.

Found in:

• ESO

Akulakhan

Akulakhan

Akulakhan, also called the Second Numidium, is the name of the machine god built by Dagoth Ur under Red Mountain. Using the divine influence of the Heart of Lorkhan to power Akulakhan, he planned to use it to drive all outlanders out of Morrowind, cast down the Tribunal, spread Corprus, and eventually take over all Tamriel. Dagoth Ur also planned to establish a theocracy based on the worship of Akulakhan with his Ash Vampire brothers serving as the god priests of Akulakhan. But, in 3E 427, the Nerevarine arrived in Vvardenfell, recovered Kagrenac's Tools—the Dwemer artifacts Wraithguard, Sunder, and Keening—and led an assault against Dagoth Ur's stronghold. Using the power of the tools, the Nerevarine was able to destroy the tonal enchantments on the Heart, killing Dagoth Ur and destroying Akulakhan.

Found in:

• Morrowind

Albatross

Albatross are a type of seabird. They were the namesake of the Order of the Albatross, as well as various inns and taverns in the late Third Era. Rough-sewn albatross dolls are sometimes given to the youngest knight aspirants in order to help them plan for their adventures. Killing an albatross was considered taboo by many superstitious sailors of the Second Era.

Found in:

• Lore

Alinor Ringtail

An Alinor Ringtail

Alinor Ringtails (or simply ringtails) are small, harmless mammals that can be found all over Artaeum and Summerset Isle. They have cheek pouches which can be used to store and transport small objects, such as food. They do not appear to be related to the similarly named Rustbite Ringtails.

Found in:

• ESO

Alit

An alit

Alits (or Dusky Alits) are tailless, bipedal omnivorous reptiles that are native to Morrowind and Black Marsh. They also inhabit parts of Elsweyr, such as the island of Khenarthi's Roost, and a species of brown Desert Alits live in Northern Elsweyr. Alits can also be found in Valenwood, though they are not native to the region. Animal enthusiasts from Valenwood used to import the creatures. A good deal of them escaped captivity, and now alits roam the southwestern forests. They are related to guar, kagouti, and wormmouths.

Found in:

• Morrowind, ESO, Legends

Alligator

Alligators are large carnivorous reptiles comparable to crocodiles. Some Argonians are compared to them, though alligator skin is known to be tougher than that of Argonians.

• See also: Caiman

Found in:

• Lore

Ammonite

Ammonites (also known as Eltheric Ammonites) are extinct aquatic mollusks once native to the Eltheric Ocean and known only for the beautiful shells they left behind. Although the true origin of these shells is unknown, the consensus among naturalists is that ammonites predate even the oldest of Merethic Era ruins.

Ammonites are most commonly harvested for use by mages and druids due to the fact that they contain stores of raw magicka. The capacity varies depending on the shell, with some only holding trace amounts of magicka and others holding nearly as much as a lesser-grade soul gem. However, ammonites cannot be recharged and suffer from arcane decay, losing potency within a month of being harvested. Nevertheless, they are an important source of magicka for magic users on High Isle, and they are an important trade good for the Systres archipelago. Untapped ammonites can sometimes be identified by the faint, shimmering glow they emit. Depleted shells become dull and do not glow or shine.

• See also: Nautilus

Found in:

• ESO

Ancestor Ghost

An ancestor ghost

Ancestor Ghosts are the spirits of deceased Dunmer, Ancestor Ghosts commonly defend the tombs of clan and kin, but may also be summoned and controlled by sorcerers. Ancestor Ghosts are aggressive, but not very dangerous to the prepared adventurer. These ghosts can curse those who attack them, and are immune to disease, poison, frost damage and mundane weapons.

Powerful Ancestor Ghosts are referred to as Ancestor Guardians.

The ancient Nords were known to summon their own form of Ancestor Ghosts, bound spirits that resemble undead draugr.

Found in:

• Morrowind, Shadowkey, Oblivion, Skyrim^(CC), ESO, Legends

Ancestor Lizard

An Ancestor Lizard

Ancestor Lizards (or Useful Lizards) are tree-dwelling swamp lizards native to the Black Marsh. Scholars believe that Argonians were uplifted from these lizards. The Argonian allegory known as the Parable of Becoming states that the Hist found the humanoid forms of Men and Mer useful, and molded the form of the swamp's lizards after them to create Argonians. This theory appears to be an accurate account; in 4E 48, the Argonian Mere-Glim received a vision while on Umbriel of life as a lizard, before the root and the taste of Hist Sap came and transformed both his body and mind.

Found in:

• Lord of Souls, ESO

Ancestor Moth

An ancestor moth

The Ancestor Moth is a rare indigenous gypsy-moth of Cyrodiil, and Ancestor Glades across Tamriel. They are sacred to the Imperials of Cyrodiil, specifically, the Cyro-Nords of the Nibenay. An order of monks, known as the Cult of the Ancestor Moth, revere and honor the moths, believing they house fjyrons, the loving spirits of their ancestors, which keep them alive and grant wisdom and knowledge to those they come upon. According to the Cult of the Ancestor Moth, mortal souls are the Aedric essence at the core of every mortal's existence. They can be likened to the wings of a butterfly, scaled and full of vessels which become filled with the experiences of mortal existence. It is said that upon death a process of dissipation whereby some of these accumulated contents disperse. These essences, the Fjyrons or "will to peace", are believed to retain a connection to both the grand fabric of creation and to all aspects of the soul in all their destinations. Thus because, all aspects of a soul remain connected, tapping into the Fjyrons allows one who knows how to receive the erudition of the ancestors. Knowledge and guidance from beyond mortality, from the existence beyond the present and the past and the known world, where time is irrelevant, thus allowing one to glimpse the cosmic tapestry and its threads. The Ancestor Moths of the Order are said to imbibe the Fjyrons, becoming animated by the Fjyrons of the ancestor spirits, shepherding that wisdom and passing it through the generations. Thus their trilling forms a sort of primal augur which allows the Order to read and interpret the contents of the Elder Scrolls which contain knowledge said to exceed even the gods. They believe the song of the Ancestor moth enables their augurs to glean truths from the Elder Scrolls.

Found in:

• Oblivion, Skyrim^(DG), ESO

Ancient Deathpriest

An Ancient Deathpriest

Ancient Deathpriests are shadowy Nordic liches that can be summoned via powerful conjuration magic. These undead possess a purple shadowy aura and red glowing eyes. Upon one's defeat, they "split" into three tortured shades.

Found in:

• Skyrim^(CC)

Angel

Angels are mythical entities associated with divine beings. They are considered beautiful creatures, and are described as elegant and benevolent. The face of Umaril the Unfeathered's helmet was said to have been that of an angel. Meridia is sometimes refered to as the Rainbow Angel, or called a "fallen angel". Vivec was once described as "the bright and terrible angel of Veloth".

Angel is often used as a term of endearment. They are the namesake of Angelfish.

Found in:

• Lore

Ant

Ants on a tree stump

Ants are insects that can be found in the undergrowth of many provinces.

Spear-ants are a species that lives in Murkmire. Wood ants, which also live in Black Marsh, feast on wood. Bog ants are a third species, also from Black Marsh.

Found in:

• Skyrim, ESO

Antelope

An Antelope buck

Antelopes are a similar species to deer and a common prey animal. Gazelle are the most common species of Antelope. They live in the grasslands of Elsweyr and Valenwood, and can also be found in Blackwood, and on the Gold Coast. They are hunted for their meat. Other species include springboks and addaxes.

Found in:

• The Infernal City, ESO

Ape

An Imga

Apes are large simians known for being acrobatic and fierce. The Imga are considered intelligent apes and are often referred to as Great Apes or Apemen. Due to their alleged shared ancestry, the races of Men are often compared to apes derogatorily, though Mer are also sometimes insulted this way by Beastfolk or Daedra. Trolls are also considered ape-like. These various comparisons would imply apes are seen as simple or crude. Additionally, apes are said to pop boils for fun and have incestuous relations with their own mothers. Teaching an ape to pray was considered an impossible task.

White apes are said to be exceptionally rare, making them sought after for menageries. Tailless apes were declared unclean for consumption by Ordinator edict in the city of Vivec. Mummified baby apes with painted-on elven features were sometimes used as dolls for children to dress-up. Due to being closely related, apes are sometimes referred to as monkeys.

• See also: Baboon, Troll, and Udyrfrykte

Found in:

• ESO

Argonian Behemoth

A behemoth

Argonian Behemoths, also known as Xal-Krona, are powerful hulking Argonians, specially created by the Hist. They possess immense physical strength and can spew corrosive sludge.

Found in:

• ESO

Ascended Sleeper

An ascended sleeper

The Ascended Sleepers are distorted, half-mer, half-beast ash creatures transformed through the connection forged by Dagoth Ur to the power of the Heart of Lorkhan into powerful magical beings. Ascended Sleepers are highly intelligent, aggressive, and dangerous. The Ascended Sleeper is the form assumed during one of the final stages of the progression of Corprus. They can afflict their opponents with a variety of deadly Blight diseases as well as damaging frost and fire attacks.

Found in:

• Morrowind, Legends

Ash Ghoul

An ash ghoul

The Ash Ghoul is a distorted, half-mer, half-beast ash creature transformed through the connection forged by Dagoth Ur to the power of the Heart of Lorkhan into a powerful magical being. Ash Ghouls are highly intelligent, aggressive, and dangerous. The Ash Ghoul is one of the forms taken by a being during the progression of Corprus. They can cast a variety of minor spells, including spell reflection.

Ash Ghoul heart tissue harvested from their remains was used as an ingredient in alchemy.

• See Also: Ghoul

Found in:

• Morrowind, Legends

Ash Guardian

An ash guardian

Ash Guardians are golems resembling Storm Atronachs, created by the Telvanni of Solstheim during their study of the Ash Spawn. They can be summoned from the ash, but will attack indiscriminately unless controlled with a Heart Stone.

Found in:

• Skyrim^(DB)

Ash Hopper

An ash hopper

Ash Hoppers are moderately large insects comparable to grasshoppers found on Vvardenfell, southern Solstheim, and the Systres Archipelago. Ash Hoppers thrive in volcanic environments. Somehow, they even found their way into the Deadlands, and are able to survive there comfortably. They have since become quite common in the realm. The Amber Ash Hopper is native to the upper Ashlands and the slopes of Red Mountain and can be taken in as low maintenance pets. The Deep-Moss Ash Hopper is native to the fungal-forested uplands and the coastal marshes of southern Vvardenfell. They are the mascot bugs of the Buoyant Armigers due to their admiration of their green carapaces.

The Ash Hoppers of Solstheim differ in size, their head shape is somewhat similar to that of a Scrib. Unlike their docile cousins on Vvardenfell, Solstheim's hoppers are hostile to travelers and they can carry droops. Their meat and jelly is used in cooking and alchemy, and their chitin can be used in creating traditional Dunmer armor types. Their shells can also be made into lava-resistant overshoes.

Found in:

• Skyrim^(DB), ESO

Ash Slave

An ash slave

The Ash Slave is a humanoid ash creature transformed through the connection forged by Dagoth Ur to the power of the Heart of Lorkhan. These creatures are aggressive and dangerous. An Ash Slave is a being in one stage of Corprus' progression. They can cast a variety of minor spells including spell reflection. They often had bizzare obsessions with stacking furniture.

Found in:

• Morrowind, Legends

Ash Spawn

Ash spawn

Ash Spawn are undead ash creatures that roam the Ashlands of southern Solstheim. They began to appear on the island after the massive eruptions of Red Mountain early in 4E 5 and onward covered the southern part of the island in ash. Their spawning from the ash is caused by heart stones, which contain some trace of the Heart of Lorkhan's power and give life to the bones of Solstheim's dead found buried in the wastes, infused with the ash of Red Mountain. They are immune to poison and highly resistant to fire, but have no particular weaknesses.

Found in:

• Skyrim^(DB), Legends

Ash Vampire

An ash vampire

Ash Vampires, also known as Heartwights, are very powerful ash creatures created by the connection forged by Dagoth Ur to the power of Heart of Lorkhan. Considered to be distinct from actual "vampires" themselves. The terms "Ash Vampire", and "Blood Vampire" are used to distinguish between the two kinds of vampires. In addition, these creatures are not actually undead, and it isn't possible to catch vampirism from them. Despite this, many on Vvardenfell considered them as a powerful form of undead.

Found in:

• Morrowind, Legends

Ash Zombie

An Ash Zombie

Ash Zombies are humanoids transformed through the connection forged by Dagoth Ur to the power of the Heart of Lorkhan. Like the other ash creatures, Ash Zombies were once Dunmer who have been transformed by Dagoth Ur (or through his power in the Fourth Era). As part of this process, the victim's upper face is hollowed out. Erden Relvel's zombies had their lips stitched into smiles. They are hostile and attack indiscriminately, although they can be calmed using spells. When spoken to, however, they can only repeat a few agonized phrases.

Found in:

• Morrowind, Skyrim^(CC), Legends

Assassin Beetle

An assassin beetle

Assassin Beetles, once known to the Yokudans as Samara Scarabs, are large, hostile scarab beetles found throughout Tamriel. They usually appear in warm climates, such as the Alik'r Desert. Their shells are dark or red in color, and they have the ability to cloak themselves in shadow to strike their prey from behind.

Assassin Beetles were originally native to Yokuda, likely the island of Samara. These ancestral Samara Scarabs only grew to the size of a loaf of bread, and were a popular family pet known for playing with children. After Yokuda's destruction in the First Era, Samara Scarabs were brought to Tamriel with the Redguards. However, once on Tamriel they began to continue growing to monstrous sizes as they matured, forcing the early Redguards to drive the beetles from their homes and into the wild, where they flourished and became baneful. To the Redguards, this transformation represented a lesson from the gods; they believe the Samara Scarabs were smitten by the Hunger of Sep, to teach even the youngest child a valuable lesson about the dangers of their new home on Tamriel.

Assassin Beetles can be found across Hammerfell and the islands of the Abecean. Some have even migrated through Valenwood and into the Colovian Lowlands of Cyrodiil.

• See also: Shalk, Shroom Beetle, and Thunderbug

Found in:

• ESO, Legends

Auroran

An Auroran

Aurorans are an idealized humanoid race of Daedra in the service of Meridia. Their armor usually appears golden in tone, but since they come from the Colored Rooms, Aurorans can be of any hue. These beings have magical control over color and hue, and are capable of manipulating certain spectra of light into working on their behalf. Warm colors are the easiest for them to manipulate. They are formidable foes that wield shock-based magic, and are resistant to both magic and lightning. They wield powerful axes infused with lightning, and may combine in phalanx formations to channel light and deter trespassers. The Dremora of Coldharbour view them as "idiot tools" exhibiting pretensions beyond their worth. They are believed to lack a comprehensible hierarchy.

When an Auroran knight manifests on Tamriel, they can summon Daedric warhorses from the Colored Rooms. These horses are composed of pure light, and like the Aurorans, they exist in various hues. These mounts occasionally persist in the mortal plane if their knight is banished. Aurorans choose their allegiances very carefully, and usually only elect to fight beneath other servants of Meridia. In the presence of Dark Orbs, Aurorans are blessed by Meridia with uncanny vigor, being healed, resurrected, and even prevented from being banished back to Oblivion as long as they remain in close proximity of the orbs. Orbs that emit light in certain hues can control Aurorans of the respective color. Mortals who revere Meridia often honor her by adopting an armor style inspired by that of the Aurorans, crafted with the use of Auroran dust.

Found in:

• Oblivion^(KotN), ESO, Legends

Ayleid Guardian

Two Ayleid Guardians

Ayleid Guardians (or Stone Watchers) are animated statues that wield Ayleid armor and weapons. They can be found guarding Ayleid ruins, and can defend them by sword or riddle.

Found in:

• Oblivion, ESO, Legends

References

Note: The following references are considered to be unofficial sources. They are included to round off this article and may not be authoritative or conclusive.