The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim introduced fans of the video game franchise to an exciting new gameplay element: dragons. In Skyrim, players must constantly do battle with a number of dragons, ultimately facing off against the mightiest dragon of all, the World-Eater Alduin.
However, dragons have been a feature in Elder Scrolls world long before Skyrim was released, and they play a crucial role in the franchise's lore, making an appearance in games such as Redguard and The Elder Scrolls Online. But what are dragons, exactly? They are far more than just enormous lizards. Here are some things fans should know about these legendary beasts in The Elder Scrolls universe.
7 They Cannot Be Killed
As revealed in Skyrim, dragons are immortal. Their bodies can be destroyed, but their souls remain tethered to them, so Alduin was able to bring them back during the Fourth Era. The dragon burial mounds that can be found throughout Skyrim were built by the ancient Dragon Cult, who knew that one day their masters would return.
However, if a dragon is killed by another dragon—or a mortal Dragonborn—that dragon's soul is absorbed by its killer, and thus it is destroyed forever. Such dragons have no hope of returning from the dead.
6 They Have An Insatiable Lust For Power
Dragons have an inborn desire to dominate, are incredibly prideful, and are unable to resist a challenge. In ancient times they once ruled the world and were determined to subjugate any non-dragon civilization. They had little desire to actually rule but wanted all to bow to them and delegated authority to their most loyal followers, for no purpose but to satisfy their innate need to conquer.
This lust for power is also possessed by any Dragonborn. It drove Miraak's desire to dominate Solstheim and bend the will of dragons, inspired Tiber Septim's ambitions to conquer all Tamriel, and possibly led the Last Dragonborn down some dark paths in their quest for power.
5 Dragons Were Originally Peaceful & Benevolent
Dragons were not always the malevolent force that they are depicted as in Skyrim. As rulers of all Mundus, they spoke only in times of true need, and their priests ruled fairly and kept peace between dragons and mortals.
However, their leader Alduin grew prideful of his unique position and became a tyrant, so his Nord subjects rebelled against the dragons in what was known as the Dragon War. During the war, some dragons aided humanity—notably Paarthurnax, who taught humans how to use the Thu'um.
4 They Are As Old As Time - Literally
Dragons are said to be the children of the God of Time, Akatosh, crafted in his image at the beginning of creation. Their souls are shards of time itself, and they are little affected by its flow. Thus, dragons do not reproduce; they have lived since the beginning of time, and although their bodies can be destroyed, their souls live on either tethered to their corpses or absorbed by another dragon.
Alduin, the greatest of dragons, is named 'the World Eater' because his purpose is to devour the world so that a new one might begin. As such, Alduin is responsible for overseeing the cycles of time—a duty he abandoned in favor of conquest. After he is defeated in Skyrim, Arngeir suggests that he may one day return to fulfill his true purpose and bring about a beginning to the next world.
3 Dragons Were Worshiped By The Ancient Nords
When dragons dominated Mundus, they exercised their authority over the Atmorans and Nords through dragon priests, who established a powerful cult dedicated to their worship. Dragons were worshiped chiefly by the ancient Nords alongside a number of other animal gods.
The Atmoran Dragon Cult was relatively benevolent, but in Tamriel, they grew tyrannical and, alongside the dragons, treated the populace as slaves. After their defeat in the Dragon War, remnants of the old cult still survived, and traces of it can still be seen in Skyrim's ancient Nordic ruins.
2 They Once Lived All Over Tamriel
Dragons are often associated with Skyrim due to their prominence in that game, but they were once widespread across Tamriel, dwelling in mountain lairs or in sanctuaries. In the Third Era, a dragon lived in a sanctuary protected by the Akatosh Chantry, who revered it as a symbol of their deity, but it was killed by a dragonslayer.
Dragons also played a significant role in the history of Elsweyr, with a powerful group of dragons attempting to dominate it for their own ends. Their leader, Kaalgrontiid, came into conflict with the Vestige during the Second Era with the aid of a dragon called Nahfahlaar. Nahfahlaar later served as a loyal vassal of Tiber Septim and inspired the symbol of the Empire, but he was eventually slain by Cyrus the Redguard on Stros M'Kai in The Elder Scrolls Adventures: Redguard.
1 They Survived Until the Fourth Era
After their defeat in the Dragon War, the dragon population gradually declined as one by one they were slain. When the Akaviri arrived in Tamriel during the First Era they subsequently set about exterminating the dragons, and by the Fourth Era it was commonly believed they had gone extinct.
However, some dragons managed to survive until the Fourth Era. Aside from Skyrim's Paarthurnax, the in-game book Twin Secrets reveals that sometime after the eruption of Red Mountain, a dragon dwelt within the volcano and was slain by the book's author. It is quite possible that many other dragons survive throughout Tamriel, hiding away in isolated locations.