The many different factions of Skyrim and their huge amounts of lore have undoubtedly helped the game become so popular, as well as the franchise as a whole. Being a defining series within the RPG fantasy genre, an intricate and deep level of world building is imperative in creating the correct tone and atmosphere.
Skyrim is home to a wide array of factions, but few are quite as ancient and directly important to the game itself as the Dragon Priests. Being tied quite significantly to the primary plot of the game in their servitude to dragons, the Dragon Priests have an intense level of sheer reputation and historical roots.
The Creation Of the Dragon Priests
The magically imbued Dragon Priests of Skyrim were once mortal men, deeply enamored with the many dragons that once ruled over the province of Skyrim. Fascinated by the sheer power and unmatched strength of the dragon population that roamed the land, the Dragon Priests dedicated their lives to serve their dragon rulers, being consequently bestowed with intensely powerful magical abilities.
This reign occurred thousands of years before the tumultuous events of Skyrim's story, with the many Dragon Priests ruling over Skyrim due to the powers they had obtained from their dragon masters, all with the primary goal of enforcing the worship of dragon-kind. In total eight unique high-ranking Dragon Priests ruled over Skyrim, each wielding their own brand of arcane magic.
The Eight Dragon Priests Of Skyrim
The eight Dragon Priests were unrivaled in their power, with each one eventually being buried in elaborate and dangerous tombs, scattered around Skyrim. Hevnoraak was one of the most important priests, using dragon-given mind control magic to create legions of soldiers that fought at his bidding. Krosis was another of these eight priests, unusually buried at the peak of the mountainous dragon lair of Shearpoint.
Morokei was a priest that rivaled Hevnoraak in power due to coming into possession of the legendary and immensely powerful Staff of Magnus. Upon his death, Morokei was buried in the sinister Labyrinthian in Bromjunaar. Another priest, Nahkriin, was in servitude of the mighty Alduin, a legendary dragon that serves as the primary antagonist of Skyrim. Otar the Mad has one of the most interesting stories of the Dragon Priests, originally being a stoic Nord leader whose mind was corrupted by dark magic. Becoming a powerful priest, Otar was entombed alive by two of his former Nordic comrades.
Rahgot is another priest who was said to be entombed while still alive, after ordering his plethora of followers to commit suicide during a siege against his sinister stronghold. Both Vokun and Volsung are the last of the eight priests, with each of them being buried in separate Nordic tombs thousands of years ago.
The Masks Of the Dragon Priests
The Dragon Priests were notorious for their use of extremely powerful face coverings, known as the Dragon Priest Masks. These masks were synonymous with the priests, and grant the wearer unfound magical powers.
Within Skyrim, the player is able to hunt down and kill the eight undead Dragon Priests, taking each of their masks as extremely useful trophies. Each mask has its own unique magical properties, and they are some of the most high-value and sought after pieces of armor throughout all of Skyrim. Once all eight masks are obtained, a ninth mask known as Konahrik becomes available to the Dragonborn in Bromjunaar Sanctuary.
The Dragon Priests of Solstheim
As well as the eight priests within mainland Skyrim, there were several high-ranking ones who lived on the reclusive island of Solstheim. A priest named Miraak was initially the most powerful of these priests, before turning against his dragon leaders at the coercion of a Daedric Prince. His defiance was short-lived however, and Miraak was imprisoned by another priest named Vahlok the Jailer.
Ahzidal is another mysterious priest who resides on the island, originally being a mortal who was extremely proficient in many different fields of arcane magic. Turning to the Dragon Priests in his maddening pursuit of higher power, Ahzidal was entombed alive in Kolbjorn Barrow. Dukaan and Zahkriisos were the final two priests residing on the island, with all of these Solstheim-residing priests of course bearing their own Dragon Priest Masks. The Dragon Priests are undoubtedly one of the most lore-imbued and fascinating factions within Skyrim, and their longstanding relevance after so long is a clear testament to the prestige and importance that they once commanded.
The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
