Board Thread:Lore Discussion/@comment-11296535-20130914180002/@comment-17114085-20150314162423

Incorrect, not everyone can learn to shout. A person needs to have natural affinity for it. Balgruuf mentions that, like Ulfric, he too went to High Hrothgar when he was young but unlike Ulfric he didn't show any skill in the Thu'um. He could not use it no matter how hard he tried because he was not gifted. Ulfric was accepted to train with Greybeards and would've become one had he not left to fight in the Great War.

We can assume that the gift is more common in Nords and other Human races, as it is closely tied to them and their mythology. While we only know of the Greybeards being able to teach it currently, Tiber Septim did found a college to teach people to learn and to study the Thu'um. It seems to have since been disbanded since we heard nothing of it in Skyrim. I believe that I used to be located in Markarth or something, though I could be wrong.

Though this is getting a bit off topic, this thread should be about Numinex.