User blog comment:Timeoin/Jorunn the Skald King/@comment-1992639-20121206132955/@comment-1992639-20121215174740

If with dormant you mean they all were slain and burried until being revived by Alduin, then no. They also did not disappear in the same way as Alduin did. Only Alduin was displaced by the Elder Scroll and resulting Dragon Break to the fourth era, not other dragons.

The majority of dragons were killed and burried in their mounds by the dragon cultists, but a small number survived. There's plenty of mention of these dragons after the Dragon War. Some chose to serve Tiber Septim, being promised protection in return, such as Nafaalilargus who died while fighting Cyrus while guarding the soulgem of Prince A'Tor, in service of Tiber Septim.

But other dragons went their own way and avoided being killed, such as Ahbiilok, who repeatedly evaded the Dragonguard and was thought to have laired in Morrowind.

"Ahbiilok - Sightings dating back to the early years of the Dragonguard throughout the northern Jerralls. Multiple attempts to kill him have failed. He is believed to be lairing somewhere in Morrowind."

- Atlas of Dragons - 2E 373 by Brother Mathnan

Brarilu Theran claimed to have sighted a dragon in the ruins of Vvardendell, which he describes in his book Twin Secrets. Assuming the account to be true, the dragon was spared after sharing the secret of double enchanting with Theran. It refused to speak its own name, so it is unknown if this dragon is also Ahbiilok, or yet another dragon.

"Dragons are said to be gone from the world. Yet I found one. Sheltered in the smoking ruins of Vvardendell, I came upon it. My magic proved to be sufficient to defeat the beast. If that gives you cause to wonder, I will not deny that I was once a pyromancer of great skill.

Exhausted and near the end of my spells, I parlayed with the wyrm, offering it life if it would share it's secrets. Haughty to the end, it agreed to one secret for one life. I asked for it's name, but it told me it would rather die than surrender that. Instead it offered me something else. And that is how I learned how to defy the Law of Firsts."

- Twin Secrets - by Brarilu Theran

Another notable dragon is Mirmulnir, who survived the Dragon War and was thought to have laired in the Reach, where it was last sighted in the third century of the second era. He was not revived by Alduin, but rather waited for Alduin to return.

"Mirmulnir - Last sighted in the Reach in 2E 212."

- Atlas of Dragons - 2E 373 by Brother Mathnan

Another dragon that enjoyed protection by man was Nahfahlaar. He resided in Wayrest until the Dragonguard intervened in the fourth century of the second era.

"Nahfahlaar - Repeated alliances with mortal protectors which have prevented his elimination. His last known protector was the King Casimir II of Wayrest, which the Dragonguard successfully ended in 2E 369. He escaped and current location is unknown."

- Atlas of Dragons - 2E 373 by Brother Mathnan

And about Paarthurnax it has been known that he resided at the Throat of the World for a long time. A certain master Araidh refused to engage in a direct confrontation with the Greybeards, further reinforcing that the Greybeards would not allow for Paarthurnax to just be slain.

"Paarthurnax - The legendary lieutenant of Alduin in the Dragon War. He is now known to lair on the Throat of the World under the protection of the Greybeards of High Hrothgar. Master Araidh continues the established policy of avoiding direct confrontation with the Greybeards while waiting for an opportunity to exact justice upon him."

- Atlas of Dragons - 2E 373 by Brother Mathnan

So there are certainly a lot of events well after the Dragon War which involved dragons in one way or another. They definitely did not remain dormant or absent from the world. A number of them survived. Notice that Atlas of Dragons was written in 2E 373, well after when Alduin's Wall which held the prophecy was carved, in 1E 2812. Yet the book mentions the status of the surviving dragons as it was during the time the book was compiled in 2E 373.

I also never made claim that any Nord kings was seeking the dragon. I said that the Akaviri may have, for whatever reason. The dragonguard came from Akavir. The Akaviri were said to have hunted the dragons which plagued Akavir since ancient times. The remaining dragonguard who came to serve Reman may have been the last of the dragonguard, but there is no reason why others from Akavir would not choose to pick up that responsibility later on. The Tsaesci were already obsessed with 'eating' the dragons, in whatever context the word eating may have been meant to be used. Ada'Soom Dir-Kamal, I'm not sure if he is of the Kamal people of Akavir, or if the -Kamal suffix of his name is unrelated may have had many reasons.

If the writer of Atlas of Dragons knew of Paarthurnax being at the Throat of the World during 2E 373, then by 2E 572 that knowledge may have reached other places also, so why not Akavir.

Either way, the blog is for discussion and speculation also, not only for citing written lore. It often continues on the lore that is written with thoughts about a topic.

You mention that all dragons were dormant, I don't find that to be true. Please quote where it says that all dragons were not present until returning in the fourth era. I found that nowhere.