47 replies to this topic

[thesapien]

I'm going with the idea that someone, somewhere played a part. I'm not sure if Alduin, himself, intended to prevent your death by his own doing or his dad or others even more powerful and/or influential. I would like to rule this out first before retreating to "it was an accident" on Alduin's part. Big oops for the first born of the father of time.

[huntsman2310]

No he wasn't trying to simply kill the Dragonborn. The Headsman could have done that for him.

He was trying to devour his soul. The Dragonborn has the soul of a Aedra, as you could probably guess, this makes his soul really powerful.

Ergo Alduin goes to Helgen to devour Dragonborn's soul, gaining more power in the process.

[faifh]

No he wasn't trying to simply kill the Dragonborn. The Headsman could have done that for him.

He was trying to devour his soul. The Dragonborn has the soul of a Aedra, as you could probably guess, this makes his soul really powerful.

Ergo Alduin goes to Helgen to devour Dragonborn's soul, gaining more power in the process.

No, doesn't make sense, since Alduin ignores you after Helgen (until you get the dragonrend), if that would been true, he'd just waited at the exist of the dungeon before you go down to Riversteed. Or would have attacked you the countless times he flies over you in the wilderness.

[Khorak]

I go with the solution that requires no additional stuff to be made up to accomodate it. Which is that Alduin is a malicious, murderous destroyer and dominator who will land specifically to roast a wounded, already dying man in front of his child, and decided to destroy Helgen because he wanted to. In the process, he inadvertantly saved the Dragonborn and allowed the prophesy of the Elder Scrolls to come true.

Sorry if that isn't pointlessly intricate enough for people. I could create a needless and obfuscating hypothesis that makes Helgen into a nexus of magical energy, capable of restoring the fabled six Dragon Paladins to life, who would defeat Alduin, purify dragons of their evil, base natures and destroy the Thalmor, ushering in a beautiful world of love, peace and ashen fields of Altmer remains. Alduin did this to prevent mortals discovering this mighty power, because he wouldn't want the return of his six DUN DUN DUUUUUUUUUN! BROTHERS AND SISTERS! OMFG!

Massive evil dragon burns down village he comes across. Fabled hero escapes the carnage. They couldn't have made this more simplistic and cliche if they tried. Literally, they couldn't. This stuff even turns up in TVTropes.

Edited by Khorak, 18 January 2012 - 12:56 PM.

[ModelV]

Im gonna go with the time warp spitting alduin out very close to helgen and in his disoriented state went on a killing spree which saved your life.

[mazakala]

So you claim Alduin was either frozen in time or shot forward in time but not banished and did not spend any time in any other realm? Where did I miss this part?

The quest journal says he was "cast forward in time", whether he was frozen in place or conscious during his travel through time is debatable, but he certainly was not in any other "realm" at least not in the usual sense of the word.

[sajuukkhar9000]

it is very possible that Alduin experienced no time loss between his banishment and reappearance.

[thesapien]

No he wasn't trying to simply kill the Dragonborn. The Headsman could have done that for him.

He was trying to devour his soul. The Dragonborn has the soul of a Aedra, as you could probably guess, this makes his soul really powerful.

Ergo Alduin goes to Helgen to devour Dragonborn's soul, gaining more power in the process.

No, doesn't make sense, since Alduin ignores you after Helgen (until you get the dragonrend), if that would been true, he'd just waited at the exist of the dungeon before you go down to Riversteed. Or would have attacked you the countless times he flies over you in the wilderness.

I've actually tried to engage Alduin in combat several times with different characters while catching him resurrecting dragons. He never fights back. These seem to be random, rare encounters, but there is also the scripted one with Delphine. He won't try to kill you yet for some reason. So, yeah, he seems to following a plan or destiny.

[thesapien]

So you claim Alduin was either frozen in time or shot forward in time but not banished and did not spend any time in any other realm? Where did I miss this part?

The quest journal says he was "cast forward in time", whether he was frozen in place or conscious during his travel through time is debatable, but he certainly was not in any other "realm" at least not in the usual sense of the word.

I take the quest journal as summarizing what I've heard or read and not necessarily the truth.

On this particular point, I'm open to what others have said. I just haven't closed the case for myself yet.

[faifh]

No he wasn't trying to simply kill the Dragonborn. The Headsman could have done that for him.

He was trying to devour his soul. The Dragonborn has the soul of a Aedra, as you could probably guess, this makes his soul really powerful.

Ergo Alduin goes to Helgen to devour Dragonborn's soul, gaining more power in the process.

No, doesn't make sense, since Alduin ignores you after Helgen (until you get the dragonrend), if that would been true, he'd just waited at the exist of the dungeon before you go down to Riversteed. Or would have attacked you the countless times he flies over you in the wilderness.

I've actually tried to engage Alduin in combat several times with different characters while catching him resurrecting dragons. He never fights back. These seem to be random, rare encounters, but there is also the scripted one with Delphine. He won't try to kill you yet for some reason. So, yeah, he seems to following a plan or destiny.

Or he simply doesn't consider you worth his attention (until you learn dragonrend). Thats the most useful/simple story I can come up with. He felt something at Helgen, he investigated you, then considered you a puny worm not worth any second attention. When you learn dragonrend later, he feels that again, and decides its better to finish you off nevertheless.