Game Skyrim Forum

Why is it that argonians are able to become werewolves? Human, Elf, and Khajiit werewolves all make sense as they are all mammals like wolves. Argonians are reptiles which are very different from mammals in biology. How come argonian werewolves are virtually the same as mammal werewolves? Magic? Plot hole?

I actually had a little idea on that, how about instead of "werewolfs" there are "werebeasts", a infection pretty much causes a strong mutation into a feral instinct driven creature, each race would look different due to the mutation.

I think I read somewhere that argonians are actually more like fish-men than reptile-men. Can't remember where though.

I can see the irrationality in the werewolf argonian though, I mean I see a werewolf as a half man (or manlike) half wolf, so a different form would or should have come about, given that a argonian werewolf would be half [whatever] half wolf.

It seems to me that a disease or curse that causes a human or human-like lifeform to transform into an anthropomorphic wolf and then transform back on any regular basis is already pretty absurd, after all, there are many differences in body structure from a werewolf and a human, indeed, such a transformation would require that the physical structure of the skeleton transform for one thing, and then change back, if it can do that, it seems to me that transforming lizardmen into wolf men is really not that much further down the road. Besides, you're talking about a setting populated by talking bipedal cats that can be born in many different forms depending on the cycle of the two moons of the setting... two moons which are the torn pieces of the body of a god, I should add. And where people can use magic that lets them walk on water, instantly heal wounds, or shoot fireballs, I'd say that as long as the setting remains consistent with itself, we really shouldn't question the logic of something just for being a little unrealistic.

And really, isn't lycanthropy a creation of Hircine? Considering that, I'd say it could do whatever he wants it to be able to do, if that includes making Argonians transform into the same werewolves as humans or elves, then I see no reason why it couldn't do that.



Do they look like fish to you? I don't see any fins on them anywhere, so no, I'd say they're closer to reptiles than fish, besides, I've heard people in the games call them lizards before, I can't recall anyone calling them fish.

No they don't look like fish, although fins they do have, http://images.uesp.net//2/25/Argonian_official.jpg are fins if I've ever seen one.

I think I got the fish thing from here:


- http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Argonian


In any case, not exactly fish-men anyway, I guess amphibian would be more apropriate.

"Makes sense?" I think we left that behind around the point someone underwent a dramatic physical transformation into a completely different species with unrelated bone and muscle structures and probably more mass than the person started out with. Lycanthropy isn't so much a regular "disease" as a daedric prince (individuals well known for doing whatever they want) saying "here, put this werewolf suit on for a while". He can change the color of the moon, I'm pretty sure turning a reptile into a mammal is comparably less impressive.

Okay, I guess I forgot those, still, I can't see those being used for swimming...

As far as the information, I wonder where the bit about gills comes from? Because I certainly don't see them in any of the games, is it mentioned somewhere?

Now the swiming animation is reflected in Morrowind, though I always thought Bethesda was going for something more along the lines of a crocodile or some lizard capable of swimming than any sort of fish or amphibian. And when it comes to breathing in water, I actually always felt that didn't make much sense precisely because they seem more reptilian than fish-like, granted, they're often described as being equally at home on land and in water, but that could just mean that they can move just as well in water as on land, after all, whales are perfectly at home in water (Though they can't survive on land.) but they still need to surface to breathe. I could see Argonians being able to hold their breath much longer than other races, maybe, but actually being able to breathe under water just always struck me as odd. But hey, that's the ability Bethesda decided to give them, I guess water breathing was just easier to handle using the game mechanics than actually letting their breath meter last longer.

Of course, either way it isn't really relevant to the subject of werewolves, since whether they're closer to reptiles or amphibians, they're still pretty different from wolves, I just don't think that needs to matter much when dealing with beings already removed from real life logic.

NO! Bad Daydark! UESP is not a good source for lore at all, only game play.

Any who, lycanthropy is nothing more than a daedric disease, like vampirism. In short, it's a curse from beings who sit bored all day because they have so much power, but nothing to do. It's not supposed to make sense

Another fish-like characteristic that Argonians possess; they're able to survive and even remain active in cold temperatures despite being cold-blooded.

they are immune to disease I think,

so they should not be able to become werewolf/vampire .

and ya if they can maybe they will turn into some sort of spiky long toothed hedgehog kinda monster could look scary as hell if they designed it well.

No, they're immune to poison, and heavily resistant to disease, vadagar.

Why not?

I've always imagined that Argonians that catch the disease become werecrocadiles. Thee's not too many of them because Argonians are highly resistant to disease. That's just my own thoughts.

Biology? Physics doesn't matter so much; all it is is just a reflection of the metaphysical. The physical is still significant in of itself, but you won't find the underlying explanation for phenomena in the Aurbis in it. I guess it's sort of like what quantum physics is to higher-level physics in the real world, only it's not really physics, and it's a bit wackier. Dreamworlds tend to be that way.


It's chocked full of misinformation (assuming we're talking about lore). If you're looking for gameplay information, go with UESP. For lore, either go to TIL or dig around here.


All the Werewolves (except for whatshisface that has Hircine's Ring) in Mortrag Glacier are Argonians for one reason or another. Though it's entirely possible they are so because Argonian is the default race option for new NPCs (as the list is sorted ascending alphabetically) and it doesn't matter much what race they needed to be, so the developers just didn't change them from the default.

Lycanthropy is a magical condition turning someone into a were-beast. I don't think it matters too much what race you are, rather what matters is the strain of lycanthopy you were infected with.

As for the physics and metaphysics, I still think they're independently significant, but that's another discussion for another thread.

Lots of misinformation, speculation taken completely as fact, misinterpretation, and so on. TIL is a much more legitimate source, as it's a collection of books and lore in-game.

Gameplay though, very great source.

It also helps with basics, when I forget the Yokudan or Breton name for a god, their Lore:appendexis:gods:Overview is really, really helpfull.

Why not have them turn into Veloca-rapters or something.

Because Sanies Lupines turns you into a dog.

According to your logic humans shouldn't be able to become werewolves too. Cats (Khajiits) and wolves (werewolves) are both part of the order Carnivora, but humans are totally different order (Primates) and so they have different biology and they shouldn't be able to become werewolves, right? So as you can see it is not a plot hole, it is hole in your logic. There is simply no reason that being a member of different class should prevent someone to become werewolf.

Where are you getting the specification that werewolf transformation depends on order rather than class? If it is a hole in my logic it is a hole in yours as well.

hmm didn't argonians turn to werewolves in morrowind!!

never played argonian werewolf in bloodmoon.

They do, just like everyone else.

Out of my ass, which is the point - I tried to show how absurd it is.

and what about in daggerfall?