Shadowscales

The Shadow birthsign (pictured) denotes the emergence of a Shadowscale.

For the faction in Online, see Shadowscales (Online).

"Argonians born under the sign of the Shadow are special. Some are taken at birth and trained as assassins. We follow the god Sithis, and through his consort-wife we received sanctioned kills."

―No-Fingers

Shadowscales are Argonians born under the sign of The Shadow in Black Marsh. They are trained from childhood in the art of stealth and combat. Shadowscales serve their province as assassins. They have historically been used by the King of Argonia as a means to end conflicts and wars without major bloodshed, and to gather information on potential foes. Not all Argonians born under the Shadow become Shadowscales though, and it is possible for Shadowscales to leave the order. A shadowscale may sanction people to death for heresy , but to kill another Shadowscale without sanction is considered a grave heresy.

Disappearance

It has been implied by Veezara in the Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary near Falkreath, that the Shadowscales no longer exist. This has been hinted by his saying "I am the last of my kind, my order is extinct." This could be because of the events that occur in An Elder Scrolls Novel: The Infernal City, the usurpation of power by the An-Xileel, or more likely a side-effect of the decline of the Dark Brotherhood.

In Cicero's Journal, Volume I he talks about how the listener, Alisanne Dupre, and another Dark Brotherhood member named Rasha were deciding on whether to re-open a Shadowscale training facility in Black Marsh known as Archon, but they then abandoned the idea because they lacked the resources to do so.

Known Shadowscales

Oblivion

• Ocheeva
• Scar-Tail (formerly)
• Teinaava

Skyrim

• Veezara

Online

• Akeenus
• Batar-Meej
• Haj-Tulm
• Neer
• No-Fingers (former)
• Nuwisha
• Okalg
• Pale-Heart
• Radithax
• Silent-Moss
• Slim-Jah (former)
• Ushmeek
• Sulahkeesh (retired)

Quests

• The Renegade Shadowscale – Teinaava asks that the Hero of Kvatch eliminate a renegade Shadowscale.
• Scars Never Fade – The Vestige helps a former Shadowscale kill another former Shadowscale to avoid putting their tribe at risk of being killed by the Aldmeri Dominion.

Trivia

• In The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, even if the Hero is an Argonian born under the sign of The Shadow, Teinaava will state that the Hero is not a Shadowscale. This implies that the Argonian Hero was not born in the Black Marshes.
• In The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Argonians may comment that the Dragonborn reminds them of "The Shadowscales of old," presumably if one acts in a stealthy manner or has a high skill level in the thief-related skill trees.

Appearances

• The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
• The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
• The Elder Scrolls Online
  • The Elder Scrolls Online: Shadows of the Hist
  • The Elder Scrolls Online: Dark Brotherhood
  • The Elder Scrolls Online: Murkmire