Kothringi

Drillk, the last living Kothri man in Online.

The Kothringi were a race of tribal men that once inhabited Black Marsh. The demonym is seen as both Kothri and Kothringi. They are noted for being fierce; and having "metallic skin" and "reflective faces."^{[citation needed]}

History

Before the Cyrodilic human slave uprising against the Ayleids in 1E 242, the Kothringi were among the many tribes of men that the Ayleids used as slaves.

The Kothringi were eventually wiped out by the Knahaten Flu that started in 2E 560. By 13th of Sun's Dawn, 2E 561, the Flu had already started affecting even the most remote of Kothri settlements, such as Stillrise Village in Shadowfen. In that case, the Flu had apparently been brought into the settlement from Mud Tree Village, by two trader apprentices named Abaaleb and Sana. Still in 2E 561, Shaman Chirah of Stillrise (under Chieftain Suhlak's orders) prayed to Z'en for a cure for the deadly disease, but had no answer. That led him to appeal to Clavicus Vile, wishing for his village to not die from the disease. The Daedric Prince then turned all of the villagers into undead.

Culture

Kothringi architecture.

The Kothringi generally preferred to go naked, although a few wore clothes when outside their native land. Their garb, as seen in The Elder Scrolls Online, appears to be simple leather with animal bones stitched in. They lived in round stone huts with chimneys, topped with domed thatched roofs. The triskelion is seen etched into rocks around their villages. 

They appear to have had a shamanic society and worshiped a pantheon of their own, but had no known unique gods. Z'en (a god of Toil) was apparently the main god, with Dibe-Mara-Kin (the "mothers of the Around-us") as blessing-givers. In Stillrise Village, Clavicus Vile was worshiped as a last resort against the deadly Flu.

Notable Kothringi

Chieftain Suhlak, a Kothri woman.

The most well known member of the Kothringi Tribe is Zuuk. He is mentioned in the book series 2920, The Last Year of the First Era. Zuuk was a servant/guard of the Imperial mistress of Reman Cyrodiil. As seen in The Elder Scrolls Online, by the second era, a Kothringi village Zuuk located on top of an Ayleid ruin was named after him.

The last living member of the Kothringi was Drillk, who was apparently royalty. In The Elder Scrolls Online, the Vestige has the choice to either let him live on as the last member of his people, or end his life for the sake of absorbing a keystone to further the cause of the Ebonheart Pact in Shadowfen.

There is also an immortal village of Kothringi in Shadowfen called Stillrise Village that appears in Online. They have been turned into skeletons in exchange for immortality by Clavicus Vile.

"Decades ago, the Knahaten flu swept through the land. The children were first. By Z'en, I can still see the bodies....But Z'en couldn't save us. So at Chieftain Suhlak's behest, I prayed to Clavicus Vile. He bestowed this mockery of salvation upon us."

―Shaman Chirah

The Vestige learns that the village is divided between those who would like to end the curse and gain final rest, and those who would like to keep living despite the curse's disadvantages. They turn to the Vestige to decide their fate.

Names of the undead Kothringi denizens of Stillrise Village include:

• Chieftain Suhlak
• War Chief Helushk
• Shaman Chirah
• Baela
• Hamu
• Dabinukal
• Dassi
• Maeonius
• Acolyte Morag
• Eral
• Dussir
• Kedis
• Erunassur
• Ababael
• Lunutli
• Ulster

Gallery

The triskelion is seen throughout Kothringi villages

An undead from Stillrise Village

War Chief Helushk

Trivia

• The ruins of their civilization are shown to Decumus Scotti in The Argonian Account, Book IV
• It is known that at least some of the Kothringi were sailors. In Varieties of Faith in the Empire, it says the Bosmeri god Z'en is the "god of payment in kind. Studies indicate origins in both Argonian and Akaviri mythologies, perhaps introduced into Valenwood by Kothringi sailors."

Appearances

• The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind (mentioned only)
• The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (mentioned only)
• The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (mentioned only)
• The Elder Scrolls Online

References

Notice: The following are unlicensed references. They are not copyrighted by a ZeniMax Media company, but can still be considered part of The Elder Scrolls lore and are included for completeness.