Dovahkiin by design?

[ThomasBlaine]

This isn't about the actual lore on the topic of the Dovahkiin (though I'm pretty sketchy on that, so anything relevant is appreciated), but what would you say makes your character, in particular, worthy of becoming a Dragonborn prior to actually saving the world? As in, backstory-wise?

 

It's pretty simple for an Imperial character to claim that one of the Septims, perhaps even Martin himself, sired a bastard somewhere down the line. A Nord could say the same, citing one ancestor or another as the offspring of an original Dovahkiin.

But what about the Dumner? Or an Orc? How could you possibly be the reincarnation of a human-centric Nordic dragon-slaying order?

 

I wanna hear how you justify your character's claim on the soul of a dragon, regardless of race or history. Not least because it doesn't, in most cases, make a lick of sense, and I'm looking for an interesting backstory myself.

Edited September 10, 2012 by ThomasBlaine

[Deleted3507349User]

If you've ever read any of the Landover novels, you'd know my character's backstory...they PAID for the privelege *grin*

[Cthuloot]

One of the Greybeards mentions that your dragon blood is a gift from the gods when you say you will follow the way of the voice. It's kind of a cop out yeah, but at least they gave you an answer.

[ThomasBlaine]

But how do YOU imagine YOUR character in particular earned it? Or did the ´gods´ just flip a coin and you came up?

[AnkhAscendant]

For me, my character is a modern version of Red Eagle. ^^ If I'm recalling correctly the book says that Red Eagle sold his soul (in a very general manner of speaking) to the Hagravens for the power to defend his people in the Reach, and my Arnandre is sort of echoing that. Of course, it's Daedra and Dragons, but hey, it's on a bigger scale. The Dovahkiin-ness is from mystical Reachman blood. :P

 

The game does not play to my plot so well, since I can't actually be the saviour of the Forsworn or the Falmer, but I am imagining it letting me anyway.

[Cthuloot]

I think there's a sort of ... flaw? in your thinking here. Which comes from how Skyrim lets you 'pick' your character. If you choose a Nord you were ALWAYS a Nord as far as the story is concerned, despite being a shapeless blob until you talk to Hadvar as the mechanics are. I hope that makes sense. You are choosing your character if you're looking at the mechanics, but you never had a choose at your race if you look at it from the story aspect.

 

Additionally, you were the Dragonborn at birth. The gods knew you would be in the right places at the right times and set things up for them to play out as they did. Really the way to look at this is not "Why was I chosen?" but instead realize that Bethesda made you play as the chosen. Everything was planned out by the gods (And even the Deadric princes). They could have made the Dragonborn the first guy to get his head chopped off or the guy that ran away and was shot down, even one of the various people that were killed in the Helgen attack, but they know your character would survive. They could have made it Hadvar even, but they didn't. That raises the question, well then why not Hadvar? And there's a simple answer...

 

Would you have played a game that forced you to tag along with some NPC the entire time to get the story and action? And then ultimately at the end, realize that no matter how many dragons you killed by yourself, it did no good because Alduin would just bring them back.

[AnkhAscendant]

"The gods chose me to be the dragonborn because they knew I'd be in the right place at the right time at this one moment twenty-x or thirty-x years down the road" does not sit well with my inner Dovahkiin ^^; Ignore the game, I prefer to have a little backstory myself. Granted, I mostly made it up as I went along my first playthrough.

 

That actually may be why I didn't care as much about Oblivion. I really was playing it as a "right place at he right time" character. A lot less involving.

[ThomasBlaine]

Of course your character history is retroactive when created, that´s not the issue. "The gods planned out my life, no point in second-guessing" is just a boring explanation, bordering on an excuse.

What I´m asking is, can you come up with an interesting and unique reason why your Argonian or whatever, as a character, was chosen for the role?

[Cthuloot]

Because when Alduin attacked Helgen the Dovahkiin did not know who he was. He did not don't know what he wanted. If he was looking for ransom, he could have told him he did not have money. But what he did have is a very particular set of skills; skills he has acquired over a very long career. Skills that make him a nightmare for creatures like Alduin. If he gave his sweetroll back now, that'll be the end of it. He will not look for Alduin, he will not pursue him. But if he doesn't, he will look for him, he will find him, and he will kill Alduin. Edited September 10, 2012 by Promiser

[ThomasBlaine]

Because when Alduin attacked Helgen the Dovahkiin did not know who he was. He did not don't know what he wanted. If he was looking for ransom, he could have told him he did not have money. But what he did have is a very particular set of skills; skills he has acquired over a very long career. Skills that make him a nightmare for creatures like Alduin. If he gave his sweetroll back now, that'll be the end of it. He will not look for Alduin, he will not pursue him. But if he doesn't, he will look for him, he will find him, and he will kill Alduin.

 

What?