Dragons (in the dragon language, Dov or Dovah, drah-gkon or dov-rha in Ancient Nordic, or Aka in Ehlnofex) are a rarely-seen race of large reptiles in the Elder Scrolls series. It is unknown where the dragons came from. Some believe they came from the continent of Akavir (lit. Dragon Land), whilst others claim they originally came from Atmora in the north. What is known for sure is that the dragons are the immortal children of Akatosh, the dragon god of time, and as such, are specially attuned to the flow of time.
Dragons are well-known for their affinity with magic, particularly in the form of the Thu'um, commonly referred to as Dragon Shouts. These shouts can grant a number of abilities, from the traditional fire or frost breath, to more esoteric abilities like turning oneself etherial, slowing down time or even ripping the soul from an enemy. The thu'um, coupled with their innate urge to dominate and control, make dragons are particularly threat to anyone, including other dragons. In the mind of a dragon, there is no difference between a fight and a discussion, and inter-dragon combat is in essence an incredibly deadly debate.
It is rumourded that Tosh Raka, leader of the Ka Po'Tun, the tiger people of Akavir, successfully managed to turn himself into a dragon. There also exist creatures in the Iliac Bay known as "dragonlings," though they aren't actually related to the dragons, and the daedric titans, creations of the Daedric Prince Molag Bal designed to imitate the dragons, after Bal's fruitless interrogation of the dragon Boziikkodstrun. Additionally, according to Michael Kirkbride, there exists female dragons known as "jills," who exist to mend Dragon Breaks: moments in time where multiple potential outcomes coalesced into a single point. However, due to Kirkbride no longer working with Bethesda, the developers of the Elder Scrolls, it is unknown if there's any truth to this claim.
History[]
Dawn Era[]
Dragons are said to be eternal, immortal, unchanging and unyielding. According to the writings of Archmage Shalidor, dragons have existed in the world of Nirn since the Dawn Era, before the advent of sequential time, and were just as wild as any other beast. It was Alduin, Firstborn of Akatosh, who created their civilisation. Despite this, however, some dragons are still described as being older than others, with Alduin and Paarthurnax being considered the oldest of their kind.
Merethic Era[]
During the Merethic Era, the population of Skyrim, Solstheim and Atmora, among other locations, were kept under the thrall of a widespread dragon-worshipping cult, who claimed to "keep the peace between dragons and men." The centre of this cult was the city of Bromjunaar, known since the Second Era as Labyrinthian. According to Nordic legends, the dragon cult would terrorise and subjugate the mortal races under the command of Alduin, until a rebellion occurred. This was due to Alduin deciding to conquer the world, rather than destroy it as was his purpose, and would come to be known as the Dragon War.
During the Dragon War, mortals found ways to kill the previously-unkillable dragons. Some, especially priests of the Nine Divines, believed this to be Akatosh's intervention against his wayward son, and that some dragons had sided against their own kind. The dragon Paarthurnax took pity on the Nords (supposedly at the request of Kyne), and instructed them in the ways of the thu'um, giving birth to the first Tongues, mortal masters of the Voice; the dragon tongue. These first Tongues would use their newfound power to turn the tide of the war, eventually succeeding in "shouting Alduin out of the world." This was believed to have destroyed Alduin, but instead sent him forward in time. The remaining dragons were hunted almost to extinction.
In the land of Elsweyr, another dragon, by the name of Kaalgrontiid, led a horde of dragons to dominate the land, seeking to consume the lunar power of the twin moons, Masser and Secunda. To stop them, the Khajiit hero Khunzar-ri recruited four companions, Nurarion the Perfect, Flinthild Demon-Hunter, Anequina Sharp-Tongue and Sir Cadwell. When fighting them proved to be futile, Cadwell suggested that it might be best to trick the dragons, convincing them that the heroes were willing to help with their plans. First, the group would give the dragons exactly what they desired, Jode's Core, tricking them into storing their energy within the ancient artifact with the claim that it would enhance their own. Then, when the dragons were forced to retreat into the wilderness, Khunzar-ri lured them into the Halls of Colossus, where they were sealed away. In the aftermath, Khunzar-ri wrote on the legendary Wrathstone in the ancient Ta'agra dialect, detailing the location of the Demon Weapon. Due to the age of the Wrathstone, the dragons would become obscured as "demons" in legends, eventually becoming the fabled "Demon Weapon."
Second Era[]
After the retrieval of the Wrathstone around 2E 582, the Imperial battlemage Abnur Tharn unleashed the Dragons from their containment within the Halls of Colossus, who would immediately move to continue their quest for the Moon's Lunar Power. The Dragons allied themselves with the forces of Queen Euraxia Tharn of Rimmen, who were lead to believe that the dragons were willing to be used as tools. The Dragons were quick to cross Euraxia when she was no longer of use to them, and she was left without their aid against the forces of the Elsweyr Defense Force as well as the Vestige. This would lead to the death of Euraxia Tharn and the return of Rimmen to Khajiit control. Without their leader, Euraxia's forces would ally with the dragons in the hopes of avoiding their wrath. The Dragons were eventually defeated when the Vestige stepped into the Plane of Jode and defeated Kaalgrontiid and his kin, preventing the lunar power from being completely absorbed.
Dragon sightings would increase after the return of Kaalgrontiid. The dragons Nahviintaas, Yolnahkriin and Lokkestiiz would take up residence within Sunspire, claiming to be the gods Alkosh, Jone and Jode, converting many of the shrine's devotees to their cause. To correct the mortal mistake, Nahviintaas plotted to rip the time wound left behind from the battle between Alkosh and Pelinal Whitestrake long ago. The Undaunted, after learning of this, fought through hordes of cultists, eventually slaying the false gods. In moutains of the Tenmar Valley, the border between Valenwood and Elsweyr, the dragon Maarselok would make his nest, emitting the Azureblight with the aim of creating an "azure world" where all life would be twisted to his will. The Undaunted, with the aid of the changeling Selene, stopped this corruption before it spread to the Elden Tree.
The dragon Laatvulon, a follower of Kaalgrontiid, sought to continue his master's plan of bringing on the Dark Aeon. To this end, Laatvulon created the New Moon Cult, a Khajiiti variant of the ancient dragon cults of Skyrim. many vulnerable Khajiit would flock to the cult's side. The red dragon Nahfahlaar, Laatvulon's ancient rival, dueled Laatvulon near the city of Senchal in southern Elsweyr, but failed due to Laatvulon's newfound power. Afterwards, taking refuge in Tideholm, Nahfahlaar was encountered by the Dragonguard. Upon seeing that Nahfahlaar meant no harm, the former foes forged a temporary alliance, which would eventually succeed in slaying Laatvulon.
Nahfahlaar would again aid the Dragonguard in destroying the remnants of the New Moon Cult when Kaalgrontiid returned. Kaalgrontiid planned to siphon the energy he collected from Jode's Core and become empowered by a large cluster of Aeonstone. To prevent any disruptions, he utilised the energy of the Aeonstone to create an aegis, a massive and impenetrable ward, around the ancient fortress of Dragonhold. It would take the combined efforts of Nahfahlaar, the Dragonguard and Queen Khamira's forces to slay Kaalgrontiid, but this would cause the Dark Aeon to become unstable, threatening to destroy the entire continent of Tamriel. Abnur Tharn and Nahfahlaar would combine their powers, successfully containing the Aeonstone's effects in the area of Dragonhold, but this would cost Abnur his life. After putting a stop to this, Nahfahlaar would seek out isolation to wait until his intervention would become necessary again.
The Disappearance of the Dragons[]
As their power wained, so too did the dragons become more elusive. The Tsaesci of Akavir wiped out all the dragons on Akavir, before continuing their purge when they invaded Tamriel. The Akaviri Dragonguard and its successor, the Blades, along with many others, hunted dragons and their followers throughout the eras, until the dragons were nearly extinct. Tiber Septim offered the remnants protection in return for their fealty, but despite this, almost all known wild dragons were killed or driven off.
Some sources claim that all dragons disappeared at once, either being devoured by a dragon king or absorbed by Tiber Septim when he ascended to godhood. This led to the myth that the dragons were extinct. However, many dragons still lived in hiding throughout the Third and early Fourth Eras. Nomads in the Alik'r Desert frequently spoke of "Great Wyrms" inhabiting its wastes, although these claims were never confirmed. The Akatosh Chantry holds dragons as their holy symbol and keep tamed dragons in their "sacred grove." There are countless legends of dragons making deals with other races to protect themselves. According to Brarilu Theran, at least one dragon is known to have made it's lair in the smoking ruins of Vvardenfell after the Red Year.
Fourth Era[]
With the return of Alduin in 4E 201, dragons began reappearing en masse in Skyrim and Morrowind. As the only thing that can permanently kill a dragon is another dragon or a Dragonborn, Alduin was able to resurrect many of his fallen brethren, signalling the end of time. However, it was prophecised that a new dragonborn would emerge to defeat Alduin. The Last Dragonborn, as this hero would come to be known, would succeed in slaying Alduin, going so far as to follow the dragon into Sovngarde itself, and would also absorb the souls of countless other dragons. The fate of the remaining dragons is unknown.
Notable Dragons[]
- Alduin
- Boziikodstrum
- Dragonne Papré
- Durnehviir
- Kaalgrontiid
- Nahfahlaar
- Numinex
- Odahviing
- Paarthurnax
- Skakmat
- Thurvokun
- Tosh Raka
- Nahviintaas