Dragons



Dragons are a large and powerful race from Akavir that were once very widespread throughout Tamriel. Although seeming rather beast-like, they are very intelligent and capable of language, both their own and others. Most dragons have been rendered almost extinct, however, the black dragons have recently resurfaced in Skyrim. There are two known races of dragon: red and black.

Red Dragons
On Akavir, the Red Dragons were enslaved by the Tsaesci; one red dragon is known to have been in service to the Imperial Empire. This red dragon mercenary was named Nafaalilargus, who was one of Tiber Septim's loyal vassals.



Black Dragons
On Akavir, the Tsaesci attempted to "consume" the black dragons, and drove the dragons to the Tiger Empire of what was then called Po Tun. This led to a war between the tiger and snake peoples that left all the dragons dead. These dragons seem to be the breed resurfacing in Skyrim for unknown reasons.

Fire Dragons
Fire dragons appear in Skyrim. Fire dragons mainly use fire based attacks. Also the dragons have unscripted nature.

Frost Dragons
Frost dragons appear in Skyrim. Frost dragons are larger, have a more skeletal appearance, are stronger than fire dragons, and their powers are based on frost attacks. A Frost Dragon's frost attack slows its target's movement.

Last Dragon
The last dragon is the last of its kind. There were others but most were hunted down to exinction due to the fear of how powerful they are. The last dragon is rare to encounter in Skyrim. It is confirmed to be unbeatable even with a god player. The dragon it confirmed to be as big a town. Anything it steps on automatically dies. The step does googolplex damage. The Bethesda employee quoted "This is one dragon you don't want to encounter." The dragon can unleash a Tempest Breath spell which is all spells combined into one powerful force.

In Tamriel
Dragons play a large role in the legends and culture of Nirn beyond the continent of Akavir - for example, the symbol of the Septim Empire, as of the Third Era, is the Red Diamond, which is a red dragon shaped inside of a diamond. Additionally, the divine being Akatosh is associated with dragons, and his avatar takes on the form of a dragon. The Daedric prince Peryite's known form also appears as a dragon. In Morrowind, the dragons were driven out by the cliff racers. Young dragons of an unknown type were known to come in conflict with the hero of Daggerfall around Iliac Bay. A type of creature called the Wamasus once inhabited Black Marsh; the north men considered these to be dragons with lightning for blood.

In The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Dragons play a significant part in the Skyrim. Todd Howard has confirmed in this video that they will be randomly appearing, but there is also the potential for the player to have the option of fighting multiple dragons at once. There is also a potentially infinite number of dragons that can be fought. Although dragons primarily speak the Dragon Language (in fact, they are speaking it when they breath fire), it has been all-but-confirmed on multiple occasions that at least one dragon is capable of speaking the "Common Language." They are unscripted and will attack NPCs. In E3, Todd Howard was asked, "Are all dragons out to hunt you down?", Todd replied that, "most are but, there are a few that aren't." What he means by that is something we will not know until release, but it can be assumed that not every dragon will be hostile, and some will be able to communicate with the Player.

How powerful a dragon is, is not measured by their element but their color. For example, a white and bronze dragon is notably more potent than a green and brown dragon.

These dragons actions are not scripted, and will even attack towns.

It’s confirmed that dragons don’t start appearing until you launch into the main quest, and they gradually increase in frequency as you progress in the main story.

Dragons of Skyrim
Todd Howard stated that there will be different types of Dragons. Here are the types seen in game:


 * Frost Dragons: Stronger than regular Black Dragons, and can use a frost breath attack that drains your stamina and can slow you down. They have a grey-white scaly body.
 * Black Dragons: One of the most common dragons in Skyrim. Although they are not as strong as their Frost Dragon counterparts, they are still a force to be reckoned with.

Dragon Souls
Dragon souls are items used to learn one of the words of power in Dragon Shouts. Dragon souls are only obtained from killing a dragon. Because there are 24 shouts with three words each, the player has to kill 72 dragons in order to be able to perform every shout in their entirety.

Appearances

 * The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall 
 * An Elder Scrolls Legend: Battlespire 
 * The Elder Scrolls Adventures: Redguard
 * The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind 
 * The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (Akatosh's Avatar, brief)
 * The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim