Dragon Rising

Background
"A dragon was sighted at a watchtower near Whiterun. Jarl Balgruuf sends you and Irileth with reinforcements to kill the dragon. When you approach the dragon's corpse, you absorb the dragon's power, and you will have the shout. When you return to Whiterun, the Jarl thank you for your service and you will become the Thane of Whiterun, which allows you to get away with crimes.

Detailed Walkthrough
During the quest, it is revealed that one of the guards, Tor, was picked up by a Dragon, and killed, setting the appropriate somberness for the ensuing battle.

Promotion
While approaching or already in the city of Whiterun you will hear "Dovahkiin" being shouted. After telling the Jarl about the events at the Watchtower, he tells you that the shout was the Greybeards calling you and that you have to go there at once. The Jarl also makes you Thane of Whiterun, gives you the Axe of Whiterun, and assigns Lydia as your housecarl.

Behind the Scenes

 * Tor is only mentioned during this quest.
 * If you looted the dragon, Whiterun guard armor can be found. It is most likely Tor's armor.

Bugs
PLAYER.PLACEATME 000A2C8E
 * Sometimes Lydia, the housecarl, does not appear and can not be found. To fix this bug, open the console and type:
 * After you kill the dragon and if you want to fast travel back to Dragonsreach, the symbol for it does not appear on your map. (May not be a bug, and instead required to prevent accidental skipping past the event of hearing the Greybeards calling for the Dovahkiin)
 * Sometimes if you kill the dragon nobody will speak to you and you don't have to shout