The nix-ox was a great insect native to Vvardenfell, and was initially tamed by the Erabenimsun Tribe of Ashlanders, who trained these beasts to serve as their war-mounts since the days of their legendary Ashkhan, Ashu-Ammu, who first rode one into battle.
The nix-ox was adopted by House Dres in the Second Era, to help tend to the plantation fields as replacements for their freed Argonian slaves. Unfortunately, that development helped drive the species toward extinction in the wild, due to the unsustainable way the House farmers treated their stocks.[1] The Ash-Blights of the late Third Era landed the death-blow to the species, despite efforts by Vvardenfell Ashlanders to save their traditional steeds.
The account of Bakozog gro-Shakh[1] contains prejudice as well as truth; the nix-oxen were indeed culled where there was absolutely no need, and a surviving tract advocating for protection by famous farmer-naturalist Kylia Thando[2] reveals that farmers wore nix-oxen pedipalps down to nubs rather than pay to fit them with protective palp-caps. What is bold lies is the nature of the work the drenlyns do: the trained nix-oxen are not zombies, and their calmness is the result of cutting off pain and stress nerves. A trained nix-ox will still roam about and might even rebel against their driver, if the drenlyn performs their job correctly, as documented by the naturalist Naphestra Conventius.[3]
— Essayist Idreth Dralvu
The flesh of nix-oxen, when raw, had a nutty, garlicky taste with notes of roasted red pepper, and gained a flavor similar to a mix of chicken and scrambled chicken eggs, once cooked. Dunmer today make imitation nix-ox meat, by kneading together the ground meat of ash-hopper legs with chicken egg yolks and garlic paste. The mock nix-ox meat is a staple of Cheydinhal cuisine, and also highly popular in dunmer-dominated towns of Skyrim's Rift Hold. A variant made with felsaad tern eggs is also a delicacy of the Shinarekul Tribe of Solstheim.
Nix-Tovo
Nix-Rima