Board Thread:Lore Discussion/@comment-142.196.163.71-20180815194901

So I began replaying Skyrim a few weeks ago. However, as a mage studing the Dragon War and the power of the Dragon Cult the muddled timeline for the Dragon War has been driving me crazy. There are so many questions about when certain events took place and descripences between descriptions of the war. So, after pouring far too many hours into various online threads and Elder Scrolls lore I have created a history of the war that I think fills in some of the details that are missing. Let me know what you all think of it.

Pre-War Backstory

In the beginning, Alduin was the World Eater and according to the writings of Archmage  Shalido r, the dragons had existed since the advent of time, but were initially as wild as anything else. It was Alduin who created their civilization.This society was worshipped the ancient Men after they awoke on the Throat of the World and were discovered by Alduin while he was leading an exodus from Akavair to Skyrim in order to be closer to the portal to Sovengard at Skuldafn. These first men, worshipped the dragons and built the great city of Bromjunaar amongst other. According to the book, “The Dragon War,” at first the Dragon Priests demanded tribute and set down laws and codes of living that kept peace between dragons and men. Men, while not exactly free, prospered under the rule of the benevolent Dragon Priests and eventually settled the continent of Atmora. However, at some point Alduin abandoned his role as World Eater, tired of destroying the world repeatedly instead opting to conquer all of Mundus.

It was around this time, he gave the dragon priests the secret to lichdom to bolster his forces as he prepared to conquer Mundus. In Skyrim, they began sacrificing followers and growing in power. However, when these practices reached Atmora, the people resisted probably inspired by Paarthanx, who desdained his brother's blasphemous attempt to become a god and rule Mundus. This sparked the Atmora Civil War that drove many to flee to Skyrim including Ysigrimor who founded the city of Saarthal. With Paarthanax's help, the Atmoran rebels won but at the cost of a slowly degrading Atmora. Back in Skyrim the Dragon Priests ruled with an iron fist. Although the people of Skyrim were content and an uneasy peace between the Snow Elves, Dwemer, and Nords continued as Alduin plotted world domination.

Things changed once Ysigrimor and his people discovered the Eye of Magnus. Either through hubris they ignored or perhaps any attempt to inform the dragons and their priests was intercepted but the dragons never tried to seize or protect the orb. Instead, the discovery incensed the Snow Elves, who broke the uneasy peace and massacred all Saarthal during the Night of Tears to seize the orb. Ysigrimor and his sons escaped but they were disillusioned by the dragons’ rule.

Eventually, Ysigrimor rallied the Atmorans to his cause and they returned, avenging and reconquering Saarthal with the help of Azhidal, a former mage of Saarthal that hadn’t been present during the fall but had lost his family to the elves. After extracting revenge, Azhidal joined the cult as a priest, while Ysigrimor continued his war against the elves.

The Dragon War Begins

During his time with the cult Azhidal meets another priest Miraak. Both power hungry men turned their efforts to the plains of Oblivion where they met the Deadric Prince of Knowledge and Fate, Hermaeus Mora. According to Ahzidal’s Descent, “this knowledge brought him power, but also madness, and he was exiled by his fellow dragon priests.” Though more likely, he was exiled alongside Miraak and the other Dragon Acolytes to Solstheim. It was on this island, the Miraak honed his abilities as Dragonborn and Alduin and the dragons began realizing his threat to their rule starting the Dragon War. Hearing of Miraak’s power, a young Hakon One-Eye traveled from the newly built Windhelm to Solstheim to request aid in over throwing the Dragons. However, Miraak had other plans and rejected the young Nord’s plea. Hakon traveled back to the main land determined to copy Miraak’s feat of becoming a dragon.

Miraak's'Rebellion

As rumors of Miraak’s power spread, Alduin realized he couldn’t afford to let the Dragonborn live. So, the Dragon Priest choose Velok to lead an expedition to defeat the former Dragon Priest with the help of an army of dragons. Despite, being nominated to use take on the title and mask Konahrik, Warlord in the Dragon tongue. The urgency of the threat forced Velok to move faster than the other nine could arrive in Bromjunaar to unlock the fabled mask. Konahrik was the dragon priest that allowed the cult to expand their territories across Skyrim but unlike the other priests, immortality was not yet known to him. So, his soul was instead sealed into his mask to preserve his life force. In fact, his death lead to the Dragon Priests learning the dark ritual sacrifices required to live forever.

Judging from the direction that Velok would have traveled, he likely would have battled Ahzidal first. Defeated the mad mage and sealing him within Kolbjorn Barrow. Legend says that Velok continued his crusade and defeated Dukaan and Zahkriisos in small order as the dragons assaulted Miraak. Finally, the two clashed in an epic battle. Velok was victorious and Miraak was saved at the last second by Hermaeus Mora. The dragons then sealed Velok in a tomb to watch for Miraak’s return and to keep the fact that ultimately it was a man not a dragon that defeated Miraak. However, Miraak’s rebellion had cost the dragons many lives, ultimately weakening the cult.

Despite Miraak's refusal to help them, his lost was a blow to the rebellion. None of the other Nords had the power of dragons. How could they defeat Alduin? It was at this point that Paarthurnax returned from Atmora inspired by Kyne and Miraak’s success against the cult and taught Hakon One-Eye, Gormlaith Golden-Hilt, and Felldir the Old to use the Thu’um a few years after Miraaks defeat.

Height of the Dragon War

As the companions pursued the Snow Elves, it is thought that the the Voice Masters and their forces assaulted the cult at every opportunity, turning the tide of the war. During this time, some of the companions killed Krosis in his tower at Shearpoint. A feat likely attributed to Yorgrim, slayer Viinturuth or another of the Voice Masters’ army. This allowed Jeet of the River to explore the great central plains, find the Sky Forge and build the city of Whiterun.

Following a battle with Alduin, Paarthanax realized how to create the Dragonrend shout due to nearly facing his own mortality. Realizing that with the cult still weak from Miraak’s rebellion a generation before and the power of this shout a great opportunity had arrived. The Nordic heroes Hakon One-Eye, Gormlaith, and Felldir now armed with Dragonrend, along with companions like Gather, Sorri, Birkir, and amongst others launched an attack upon Alduin at the Throat of World. After a horrific battle, Felldir uses an Elder Scroll to send Alduin into the future. Only Hakon One-Eye and Felldir survive the battle. At this point the Dragon War enters its end phase.

After the Alduin

While the Dragon War was essential won with Alduin’s defeat there were many holdouts and battles lasted decades. By the end of Ylgar’s reign it is likely that the Dragon cult cities of High Gate Ruins, Bromjunaar Volskygge, and Skuldafn were under his control or sacked with the help of rising heroes like Kvenel the Tongue. With the cult removed, the companions continued to spread founding settlements like and waging war on their arch foes the Snow Elves. Since the Dragon’s used to be worshipped, it was uncomfortable for the Nords to record the deeds of the Dragon War as in a way they were raging war on their ancestors and their beliefs. By the reign of Yigar’s son and due to the proximity of what were likely the boundaries of Whiterun (assuming this is the era of Jarl Gjalund of Whiterun) it is likely that the Nordic Hero Valdar was sent to Valthume to defeat the dragon priest Hevnoraak. at the edge of what was then Whiterun hold near Old Hroldan.

As the cult lost power, the Dragon priests “retreated” into the Reach alongside the Snow Elves as they lost the war pursued by the Nords. It is implied that now two major changes happed to the cult. First, they began worshipping the Dragon Burial sites, where they believed the slain dragons would be resurrected. Secondly, as showed by Hevnoraak, they began obsessing with their immortality in response to the increasing likelihood of being overthrown. As the Nords chased down the Snow Elves to the forgotten vale, they lost track of their prey bur took the opportunity to finished off what was originally assumed to be the last stronghold of the cult, Ragnvald in the Reach. The Nordic heroes Saerek and Torsten under orders of the Ysigrimor Dynasty defeated the priest and sealed the tomb ending the war. Ragnvald was assumed to be the last of the cult until King Harald’s reign and the Siege of Forelhost.  