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Elder Scrolls

Alkosh, also known as the Dragon King of Cats,[1] and the First Cat[2][note 1] is the chief deity of the Anaquinine Khajiit religion, which was loosely based on the Nine Divines and Altmer religions,[source?] and is a variation of the Aldmeri god Auri-El and the Imperial god Akatosh. Alkosh is one of the "Wandering Spirits" of the Khajiiti Pantheon.[3]

According to the book Words of Clan Mother Ahnissi, Alkosh was among the first litter of Ahnurr and Fadomai. He was made the god of time, "for what is fast and slow as a cat?"[4] The book The Wandering Spirits contradicts these claims, suggesting that the god that came from the first litter of Ahnuur and Fadomai was Akha, who later disappeared, with Alkosh appearing in his stead.[3]

He is depicted in ancient Khajiit legends as a fearsome dragon, but in the Third and Fourth Eras the Khajiit adapted the legends into claiming that he was actually just a big cat. Alkosh is the most powerful of the Khajiit gods and was a god formed before the Ri'Datta Dynasty. After the creation of the god Riddle'Thar, Alkosh lost many of his worshippers in the majority of Elsweyr, but he remained immensely popular in Elsweyr's wasteland regions.[source?]

According to legend, the Great Cat God of Time called the greatest Khajiit warriors to the Battle of Red Mountain to fight the Dunmer. However, Lorkhaj chose to give his "roar" to the Ra'Wulfharth to spite them, jealous of their devotion to Alkosh. Instead of slaying them however, Wulfharth used this gift to move the moons Masser and Secunda, transforming the Khajiit warriors into senche. While fierce and powerful they had lost all ability to reason except for the hero Dro'Zira. The others—Rhojiit—presumably became the Sabre cats which now inhabit Skyrim. Together, Dro'Zira and Wulfharth would ascend the slopes of Red Mountain and confront the Dwemer King Dumac.[5]

Alkosh is later mentioned in the book, Where Were You When the Dragon Broke?, as having been broken by the humans, and R'leyt-harhr remarks how difficult an achievement that would have been.[6]

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Notes[]

  1. Both Alkosh and Akha are referred to as the "First Cat."

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