I always assumed Mirrak's confidence in defeating Alduin was overstated. He was actually too scared to fight Alduin as Mirrak wasn't even capable enough to defeat Vahlok the dragon priest.
It's likely Miraak would have easily won the fight and only lost because he somehow got deus ex machina-d. I mean when you look at what Vahlok was up against there's no way he won by brute strength alone even with potentially the Konahrik power up. Miraak the First Dragonborn at that point was essentially the first chosen champion of the Time and God and the Prince of fate, was imbued with the secret knowledge of the dov and of Apocrypha, at least gained the power of five Black Books when even one is over powered enough, had absorb the souls of dozens of dragons, one of his acolytes was the most talented mage of his era and the three tongues were confident they could have taken down the World Eater if they had Miraak during the their battle.
@@ravindunandirathna1600 The Last Dragonborn defeated Mirrak one on one after the First Dragonborn had millenniums to grow in power. Meanwhile, the Last Dragonborn had to learn Dragonrend and team up with three ancient Nordic heroes to defeat Alduin. I doubt a victory is guaranteed between Alduin and Mirrak.
@@badluck5647 elder scrolls protagonist are literal deus ex machina machines themselves since they have the Prisoner stuff going on which gives them plot armour and the ability to defy all odds so I see everyone of them as outliers when it comes to heroes in TES. Give them just the slightest amount prep time and they'll find a way to 1v1 and defeat daedric princes. Vahlok on the other hand was just a human dragon priest while still powerful had no innate divinity, no eldritch secrets and no cavalcade of dragon souls to feast up upon.
@@badluck5647 Last DB is also a potential Shezzarine, meaning they could be a literal godly avatar Last DB also falls under the "Prisoner" archetype mentioned by Sotha Sil in the Clockwork City expansion since he's a player character, those who can mold fate to their whim
@@dairydregone7146 I always interpreted that there was a lot of assistance from the remaining dragons to help Vahlok defeat Miraak. But I guess we’ll never really know.
@@Goat-t3d u might be right but I still think they fought each other 1 on 1 due to the fighting rules of the "Nord Way" of dueling which is 1v1. But then again during those times, the Nords would use the thu'um in these duels so again how did Miraak lose to another dragon priest who didn't use thu'um against him? I think Miraak didn't use the thu'um at all just to make it "fair" during their fight. Who knows
@@dairydregone7146 I imagine Vahlok was a lot more powerful before becoming a draugr, and it can be assumed that Miraak has become more powerful during his thousands of years of study in Apocrypha. Also, the continent splitting sounds more like myth than historical fact.
@@dairydregone7146 Miraak regenerated his wounds by absorbing the souls of dragons (using the shout with 4 words), it is possible that in the heat of the duel Vahlok lured him away from the dragons, as they devastated the temple, so that he could not regenerate (although of course I assume Miraak knows some healing spells anyway).
Due to his ego and his indifference to fellow mortals it could happen but it would be unstable due to possible slavery and tyranny and he would be turned on by a lot of tamriel
Dagon would probably try and topple miraak to enact change, and miraaks dragonblood causes a need for power if not resisted and as mora shows he wouldn't resist challenging the daedra and a vast majority supporting the daedra as well those with the divines..... an all out brawl basically, demigod dragonborn with daedric power versus a holy army, and or unholy
@@James--Parker First Empire of Men wasn't from Ysgramor but from later kings, specifically High King Harald, but Harald wasn't Dragonborn as far as we know.
I think a good way of measuring miraak is that it takes over 25 dragonsouls to earn his respect with a unique dialogue. All the other dialogues less than 25 convey a tone of him talking down to the player, but over 25 he sounds impressed.
FINALLY my "Conjure Drewmora Lord" spell cast succeeded! Now watch as Drewmora uses alliteration to destroy Miraak the Champion of the Daedric Prince of Knowledge.... Drewmora: "Your daedra so fat 3 dimensions wasn't big enough for him!" 🔥🔥🔥
I think its interesting that turning one's back on their destiny seems to be a running theme in Skyrims storytelling. Alduin turned his back on his destiny and subjugated mankind, leading to his downfall. Miraak turned his back on his duty to defeat Alduin and sealed his own fate. Even Serana, she was supposed to bring about the blotting out of the sun and (if you go that route in the story of dawngaurd I suppose) turned her back on that purpose her father tried to set for her and ultimately brought about HIS downfall. Lots of people trying to fight destiny here... just interesting. Great video as always!!
Miraak tried betrayed many and was betrayed in turn; he looked for a way to be free but he always found himself serving beings stronger than him. He tried to become the strongest of all trying to bypass a deity like Alduin (and cheat Hermaeus Mora) but death has shown that not even he can cheat fate and what remains of him is just a naked skeleton like any other person.
Mirrak, the First Servant, was caught by Hermaeus Mora in the Second Era for plotting against his patron. The former dragon priest wasn't discarded because he still had a use for the Daedric Prince. (Source: ESO Necrom) Once Mirrak was found to be replaceable, Hermaeus Mora threw him aside so the Last Dragonborn could take his place as the prince's champion. (Source: TESV: Dragonborn)
@@TheElderScrollsFan88 Vahlok defeated Miraak in the Merethic era, but Hermaeus Mora saved the First Dragonborn at the last moment by snatching him off to Apocrypha. In the second era, Miraak was caught manipulating Mora's followers into sabotaging Mora's Black Books in Miraak's plot to escape from Apocrypha
*Cipher Agrushna:* _"By tampering with Quires Wind, the First Servant has set himself against the Great Eye. If Hermaeus Mora still has a purpose for the First Servant, he'll spare him. If not, he'll destroy him."_
I don't understand because the last dragonborn doesn't replace him really, you don't have to pledge yourself to him, so idk why Mora would replace one angry servant for another
Probably in a sense that he is "the first born of aka" perhaps he is the first shard to Split from the aka oversoul ? Or maybe he claims that title because he's the first dragon
tfw you learned the dragon alphabet out of autism and thus know there's a typo in the thumbnail ('aa' is not written as two 'a's, it's an entirely different letter) (yes i know it'd mess up the symmetry of the name but it's the principle of the thing lmao)
Nah, his first mistake was stealing my hard earned dragon souls and claiming he's stronger when he's a ghost that can't put on his big boy boots, come out, and kill the dragons himself
interesting possibility! I always thought Miraak didnt kill Alduin when he had the chance because he was a boogieman retconned into existence so we could have a final boss
You're telling me Godd Howard would sully TES lore with convenient rewrites? Next you're gonna tell me that Cyrodill is a rainforest and that Alinor looks like an alien city
Drew your theory of Akatosh/Shor is probably one of my favorites, it feels appropriate that the trickster god would have more than one trick up his sleeve
Interesting idea, and I quite like how Vahlok the Jailor could perhaps could have been Khonarik the Warlord who defeated Miraak and upon his victory relinquished ownership of the mask, like a temporary mantle to be held in great times of need such as that time, then remaining there to guard from Miraak returning. It would have been cool if Bethesda built on that idea and made Vahlok not just another dragon priest but a ally during Dragonborn to defeat Miraak and maybe even help the Skaal from dying off or something
Awesome and interesting video! I do find it strange that Miraak thought he could just...walk away from serving Hermaeus Mora, while living in Mora's realm, while using the powers Mora granted him, heck while even having an entourage of Seekers, who serve Mora. Silly goose.
So what was Mora's motivation for keeping Miraak out of the Dragon War? What did he have to gain by creating a timeline that would result in the Last Dragonborn? Just to see that he could?
mora said it himself dragonborn: you know nothing of what I want (close to what he said?) Mora: you want to bend this world to your knees mora wanted a dragonborn who has the power to dominated the entire planet to their knees and the only two dragonborn's who could do it was the last dragonborn and miraak. miraak was fated to die by the dragonborn's hands and it happen so what do you think mora wants the last dragonborn to do
It wouldn't just be a timeline with the Last Dragonborn. If Mirrak became the leader of Skyrim, then the timeline may not have the Battle of Red Mountain, the Alessian Slave Rebellion, and the creation of Talos. Who knows what fate Mora was preserving.
My theory - Mora is all about knowledge. But to get that knowledge he has to wheel 'n deal and create plans that can take centuries to come about. But if he had a way to skip all of that and get the knowledge dirctly and whenever he wants. To have the literal power of a soul gem, white or black. And that is what a dragonborn really is - a living soul gem but limited to dragons. . .and if Mora were to unlock that power without any restrictions.
If we believe Mora was created from the left over ideas of creation then he must have some form of connection to Nirn, or this specific Kalpa, maybe he doesn't want it to end because it's his mirror image, it gives him purpose and meaning
While Miraak has about as much depth as a character from TES V, I can appreciate the angle they went for to make him a straight forward villain. The idea that the first dragonborn preceded Akatosh's and Kynareth's blessings could have been gracelessly painted as a crap your pants plot twist, but the reason Miraak was forgotten was because he simply didn't do much for the nords. The order of dragon priests held a tyrannical dominion over the land, became very unpopular, were eventually ousted, and their past deeds left under-documented. Here, one of their order usurps the direct life force of a dragon, and what does he do with it? Try to make a new kingdom, and _fail?_ Opt out of a war practically made for him? Get spanked into Apocrypha as Hermaeus' plaything, only as a bargaining chip for a far stronger (and younger) apprentice? Nothing about Miraak changes the story because, for all his power and pompousness, he was a worthless traitor among traitors hooked on the line of the power he once worshiped. The actual twist implied by this information is that it was more or less Hermaeus Mora, ancient enemy of Atmora, who allowed the return of the world eater and the second dragon war, and that's a moral conundrum to be entangled within, not a problem to be corrected. Miraak was a loose end, despite all his capabilities and ambitions his own actions directly carve the stepping stone for what our dragonborn was raised to be.
Though it isn't related to Miraak, one thing has struck me for a while. Alduin refers to himself as the "Firstborn of Akatosh" on the Throat of the World, despite the fact that according to the timeline, that name should be completely unknown to him. This combined with the fact that Akatosh answered Alessia's prayers makes me think that Akatosh has existed in his current form long before the Alessian Rebellion.
Or he just learned that they call his dad Akatosh in Skyrim so he used that name so you would know what the f he means by whatever other word he would normally use. It's not unlikely that Bethesda writers overlooked stuff. But if you want a logical explanation, there you have it.
1. Auriel defeats Shor and shatters his soul into Alduin and dragons (to regulate the race of men). 2. Alduin is corrupted by man and does not end the Kalpa. 3. Miraak is the first mortal dragonnborn with duty to reset Alduin 4. Mora acquires Miraak as champion and changes the fate of the world. 5. Alduin is sent forward into the future. Allowing for the age of man. 6. Eventually Alessia (dragonborn) wears the the amulet of kings (artifact of Shor) to make a covenant with Shor to protect the realm from Daedra. Akatosh is made from this covenant. 7. Martin breaks the amulet open and mantels the combined dragonborn souls that were stored within, sacrificing himself to defeat Dagon and keep the dragonfires lit. This continues the covenant of Akatosh. 8. Alduin returns and is reset by Last Dragonborn. 9. LD then fights (or saves) Miraak for all the marbles. 10. Many possiblities!! LD may become new emporer and/or Mora's champion. Alduin's death could mean he comes back to eat the world or maybe the LD canonically consumes all the dragon souls. Then LD could be considered the full reincarnation of Auriel. Just my personal head cannon, so excited for ES6!!!
I've only really started learning much about Elder Scrolls lore in the last few months, despite having a couple of the games for many years. Drew, I first admired a couple of the Fudge Muppet videos you narrated, in particular the ones for Azura's Star quest and the Golden Saints/Dark Seducers. Then when I'd found you started making your own content, I was excited to see what you'd come up with, and I'm blown away with how high quality your videos are turning out. You go into great detail but make it clear and easy enough for viewers to follow, the visuals really fit the specific lore you're covering at each point in the video, and the overall presentation just comes across as very carefully planned, executed, and refined. It's incredibly well done. You've got a new subscriber today and I'm looking forward to many more outstanding videos. Cheers!
Incredible video as always Drew. My pet theory has always been that Herma Mora is trying to groom an Amaranth to help him escape the dream. A Dragonborn is perfect for this role because of their association with Akatosh and their superpowered egos. Miraak didn't work out--maybe TLD will.
@@squidmanfedsfeds5301 i believe there is so many erotic books in the elder scrolls universe, that hermaeus mora uses them as the foundation and building blocks of apocrypha.
I absolutely love listening my to your videos. I feel like I have a huge revelation every time, even if it’s something I’ve heard before. Fantastic work again.
I honestly think the Elder scrolls content you’ve released on this channel is some of the best you’ve ever done. Possibly the best Elder Scrolls lore videos on TH-cam.
One thing that kinda pokes a hole in the whole Akatosh is the Alessian-twisted version of Lorkhan idea is that Alduin declares himself “First-Born of Akatosh” Unless that is due to a dragon break as well, merging the identities.
We still don’t know what Hermaeus Mora’s motivations could have been to divert Miraak from his destiny and delay the destruction of Alduin. Or if it was solely Miraak’s decision not to join the Dragon War, what his motivations were, as the defeat of the dragons surely would have given him a vast amount of power. I think cowardice is the most likely explanation, and it makes Miraak a more interesting character. He’s probably bitter and envious of the Last Dragonborn when he brags to him how “I totally could have slain Alduin if I felt like it 😒”
You forgot Alkosh. Seems a pretty safe bet that Nedes having lived in such proximity to the wandering Khajiit probably inspired much of the Nedic inspiration of Akatosh
Omg I love that you chose to release your last two videos on topics that are hermaeus mora related, coinciding with the new ESO archanist class release. Not that I wouldn't love anything hermaeus mora at any time tbh, but playing as this new class so much since release has really upped my interest lol so yeah, thanks as always for another awesome video! Edit: holy hell. I for some reason never considered the complexity in the story of miraak or what it meant in regards to why he returns when he does other than the typical, "he's returned because he's finally able to and the only reason is to conquer and take over tamriel as he'd intended before he was forced to flee into another realm to bide his time, till everything that had opposed him prior were all gone." Lol this really gives so much more lore depth and genuine explanation that's so much better than just a cosmic coincidence on an ungodly level that would have you face off against him. Lol
29:22 - on the subject of Tiber Septim's status as a Dragonborn: *Let me preface this by saying that I am a huge proponent of the Arcturian Heresy's validity.* However, I recently played through the main questline of Skyrim and the Greybeard's ritual to recognize the player as Dragonborn does lend a measure of legitimacy to Tiber Septim's claim (although Arngeir does still leave some wiggle room for the theory). In the ritual, the Greybeards say the following in Dovahzul: _"Lingrah krosis saraan Strundu'ul, voth nid balaan klov praan nau."_ _"Naal Thu'umu, mu ofan nii nu, *Dovahkiin*, naal suleyk do Kaan, naal suleyk do Shor, ahrk naal suleyk do Atmorasewuth."_ _"Meyz nu Ysmir, Dovahsebrom. Dahmaan daar rok."_ Arngeir then elaborates on the ritual: _"We spoke the traditional words of greeting to a Dragonborn who has accepted our guidance. The same words were used to greet the young Talos, when he came to High Hrothgar, before he became the Emperor Tiber Septim."_ If asked, he provides a loose translation in the common Tamrielic tongue: _"Long has the Stormcrown languished, with no worthy brow to sit upon."_ _"By our breath we bestow it now to you in the name of Kyne, in the name of Shor, and in the name of Atmora of Old."_ _"You are Ysmir now, the Dragon of the North, hearken to it."_ This translation only mentions the Stormcrown, leaving out any direct ties to the Dragonborn blood and preserving the integrity of the Arcturian Heresy. However, the Dovahzul chant does contain the word *"Dovahkiin"*; here is a direct translation rather than paraphrased. _"Long sorrowfully waited the Stormcrown, with no worthy head to rest on."_ _"By our Voice now we give it to you, *Dragonborn*, by power of Kyne, by power of Shor, by power of Atmora-of-old."_ _"Become now Ysmir, Dragon of the North. Remember these words."_ The nature of Arngeir's exclusion of the word "Dragonborn" in the paraphrased version largely dictates the truth of what was said to Tiber Septim centuries ago; Arngeir says they are the same words used to greet Talos, so there are two routes here. If the Greybeards would simply insert the name or title of the person in question at the point where they say "Dovahkiin" to The Last Dragonborn (as that is the player's most prominent title as it pertains to their perception of him throughout the story and the only name the monks refer to the player by), when speaking to the soon-to-be Emperor they may have said _"by our Voice now we give it to you, *Talos (or even Hjalti)*, by power of Kyne, by power of Shor, by power of Atmora-of-old."_ However, if he literally means the _exact_ words spoken to you were spoken to Talos, then they did name him Dovahkiin/Dragonborn at his greeting; he does say they are the traditional words of greeting to a Dragonborn that has accepted their guidance, after all. Perhaps Arngeir is simply unaware of the truth of the matter considering it was performed many generations before him, and we can't discount the fact that he is a member of a zealous order whose fundamental teachings hinge on the legitimacy of Dragonborn claims so he inherently frames his own teachings around this ideology. Either way, food for thought and I wouldn't have thought of this had I not just played that quest before watching this video!
But if Akatosh was a somewhat false persona of Lorkhan created by saint allesia... Then why the hell does Alduin so proudly claim that he's the firstborn of akatosh? Its a nice theory sure, but Alduin and him being sent forward in time predates saint allesia or the cyrodiilic pantheon, he lived and ruled over the ancient nords and I dont think that he just got the idea after he came back in the 4th era... So there must be some truth behind Akatosh, even if he's shattered himself like lorkhan...
Love your videos. Love them when you were with the other guys. Your were my fav. Love them still Thanks for the lore, thanks for the atmosphere, thanks for your work!
YEEESSSSSS I’ve been binge watching all these for the past 2 days I can practically rehearse the whole falmer fall of the snow prince bit. Loving this series bro keep up the work I can’t get enough of these and it’s funny because I wanted to comment if you could do a Dragonborn centered vid. So dope
Perhaps Miraak absorbed the dead dragons souls to learn his Dragon Aspect shout. The skeltons strewn at the foot of his temple make for a good case in support of this, i think.
Lore wise TDB and miraak battle would've destroyed parts of apocrypha, heck i like to think that mora intervened because if the fight had gone on a second more the whole realm would break into the sea of oblivion
Miraak has to be one of my favorite characters in Skyrim, love his lore love his look and oh god his voice his VOICE mannnn I just love the whole story of Miraak, great work Drew hope you have a great day
I just subed and boy I boy I had no idea Miraak was so full of himself that he didn't even bother to realize that he would be replaced by and killed by his own hubris made flesh we did what he was made for and we succeeded
I am so surprised you aren't up there with Fudgemuppet in terms of numbers. You output some of the better longform elder scrolls content, and absolutely shouldn't go unseen! Keep it going man
One interesting question about Miraak is how he gained his dragonborn powers? He could have not been blessed by Akatosh like Alessia, as Akatosh did not yet exist, and it does not seem to be in Alduin's or Auri-El's nature or interest to grant such powers to mortals. Shor/Lorkhan also sounds strange, as he had no association with dragons at this time. Perhaps the secret knowledge of Hermaeus Mora extends beyond the veil of time, and allowed Miraak to make himself dragonborn before such thing had even been conceived?
Akatosh exists outside of time , when he was "created" he was made in and out of time. Just like when talos manteled lorkhan every shezzrin of shezzar became a shezzrin of talos as well So when akatosh was created it was if he was always there , existing in a semi comical way throughout time. Akatosh did bless miraak to defeat Alduin but yiu know what happened next
honestly you are amazing the developers should hire you and make you their loremaster imagine the gameplay and inside game lore if you were writing the stories in game
I'm telling ya Drewboi, Economics of Tamriel and maybe even ARCHAELOGY of Tamriel is ripe for info. Maybe even a little medicine of Tamriel? There's also a void to fill for the David Attenborough of Tamriel. Mayhap even the Steve Irwin? CRIKEY we wrestling Daedroths over here!
His biggest mistake was not using his shout that instakills dragons and absorbs their souls on the last dragonborn. Seriously, a dragonborn is effectively just a dragon in a different body, it would have worked
Hmm...a movement of a lans mass in the north likr solthsheim could change the direction of warm ocean currents that in turn cause the climate further north to become colder, meaning that the Atmora would become more freezing over time.
I would love to see a video exploring Lorkhan's reason for favoring men over elves, if he would want all Elves gone if given the chance, and/or if Dark Elves are excluded because i havent seen much interaction between the two.
My pet theory is that Movarth was a pawn of the Cyrodiil Vampyrum Order to weaken rival vampire clans across Tamriel. Even his time in Morthal was to advance this agenda.
I have a theory about how dragon born received the power of the shout. In the case of our hero. We know we didn't know about shouting. It was gifted by Alduwyn when our head was literally on the chopping block. If you notice he looks at you and shout but flame. He chooses a champion for the mortal world to have an honorable battle he believes he will win. That shout was to bless you with the blood of the dragon.
You know I always assumed those dragon skeletons on the slopes of Miraak's temple were slain by Miraak when the dragon priests came for him. Was a bit of a head-flip to realise they were more likely ones he'd enslaved to protect him.
Once you defeat mirrak if you attempt to throw mirraks body of the cliff his body will fall through a portal and vanish which makes me wonder if mirrak is truly dead
The last Dragonborn absorbed his soul directly after his death. Like every Dragonborn Miraak had a dragon soul, that could be absorbed by a dovakin like every dragon soul. And this is exactly what happened. So he is most definitely dead
And so the first Dragonborn, meets the last Dragonborn, at the summit of apocrypha.
Reminds me of the Lone some road DLC for Fallout New Vegas, Where two Couriers meet under a nuclear missile silo in a dead city
Underrated line
I always assumed Mirrak's confidence in defeating Alduin was overstated. He was actually too scared to fight Alduin as Mirrak wasn't even capable enough to defeat Vahlok the dragon priest.
It's possible Mora also knew that Alduin's soul would be reclaimed upon his death and that the greatest reward for defeating Alduin wasn't there.
It's likely Miraak would have easily won the fight and only lost because he somehow got deus ex machina-d.
I mean when you look at what Vahlok was up against there's no way he won by brute strength alone even with potentially the Konahrik power up.
Miraak the First Dragonborn at that point was essentially the first chosen champion of the Time and God and the Prince of fate, was imbued with the secret knowledge of the dov and of Apocrypha, at least gained the power of five Black Books when even one is over powered enough, had absorb the souls of dozens of dragons, one of his acolytes was the most talented mage of his era and the three tongues were confident they could have taken down the World Eater if they had Miraak during the their battle.
@@ravindunandirathna1600 The Last Dragonborn defeated Mirrak one on one after the First Dragonborn had millenniums to grow in power. Meanwhile, the Last Dragonborn had to learn Dragonrend and team up with three ancient Nordic heroes to defeat Alduin.
I doubt a victory is guaranteed between Alduin and Mirrak.
@@badluck5647 elder scrolls protagonist are literal deus ex machina machines themselves since they have the Prisoner stuff going on which gives them plot armour and the ability to defy all odds so I see everyone of them as outliers when it comes to heroes in TES. Give them just the slightest amount prep time and they'll find a way to 1v1 and defeat daedric princes.
Vahlok on the other hand was just a human dragon priest while still powerful had no innate divinity, no eldritch secrets and no cavalcade of dragon souls to feast up upon.
@@badluck5647 Last DB is also a potential Shezzarine, meaning they could be a literal godly avatar
Last DB also falls under the "Prisoner" archetype mentioned by Sotha Sil in the Clockwork City expansion since he's a player character, those who can mold fate to their whim
Miraak: I am the Master Debater.
Herma: Stop using my books like that!
7:46 Alduin: *Pauses video* "Yup, that's me. You probably wonder how i ended up being spiked with so many arrows. Well, it's a very loooong story...."
His biggest mistake was trying to keep a secret from the lord of secrets in it's own home.
So his arrogance was his downfall. That, I can agree with.
Miraak in the game: bruh, ur not that threatening
Miraak in lore: strong as hell! He split a continent and killed many dragons.
Still don't know how Miraak got defeated by a dragon priest
@@dairydregone7146 I always interpreted that there was a lot of assistance from the remaining dragons to help Vahlok defeat Miraak.
But I guess we’ll never really know.
@@Goat-t3d u might be right but I still think they fought each other 1 on 1 due to the fighting rules of the "Nord Way" of dueling which is 1v1. But then again during those times, the Nords would use the thu'um in these duels so again how did Miraak lose to another dragon priest who didn't use thu'um against him? I think Miraak didn't use the thu'um at all just to make it "fair" during their fight. Who knows
@@dairydregone7146 I imagine Vahlok was a lot more powerful before becoming a draugr, and it can be assumed that Miraak has become more powerful during his thousands of years of study in Apocrypha.
Also, the continent splitting sounds more like myth than historical fact.
@@dairydregone7146 Miraak regenerated his wounds by absorbing the souls of dragons (using the shout with 4 words), it is possible that in the heat of the duel Vahlok lured him away from the dragons, as they devastated the temple, so that he could not regenerate (although of course I assume Miraak knows some healing spells anyway).
So if Miraak had killed Alduin in the first place, he might have been the founder of the first Empire, instead of Saint Alessia?
Due to his ego and his indifference to fellow mortals it could happen but it would be unstable due to possible slavery and tyranny and he would be turned on by a lot of tamriel
@@frostfridge383possibly having a second lyg? Maybe it's for the best he failed then
Dagon would probably try and topple miraak to enact change, and miraaks dragonblood causes a need for power if not resisted and as mora shows he wouldn't resist challenging the daedra and a vast majority supporting the daedra as well those with the divines..... an all out brawl basically, demigod dragonborn with daedric power versus a holy army, and or unholy
I believe Alessia's empire was the 2nd empire. The 1st was Ysgramor's.
@@James--Parker First Empire of Men wasn't from Ysgramor but from later kings, specifically High King Harald, but Harald wasn't Dragonborn as far as we know.
I think a good way of measuring miraak is that it takes over 25 dragonsouls to earn his respect with a unique dialogue. All the other dialogues less than 25 convey a tone of him talking down to the player, but over 25 he sounds impressed.
As always your content on the Elder Scroll is beautifully scripted and spoken. I truly appreciate Drewmoras diligence
On gah
Drewmora is like Elder Scrolls lore poetry
He never fails, does he?
FINALLY my "Conjure Drewmora Lord" spell cast succeeded!
Now watch as Drewmora uses alliteration to destroy Miraak the Champion of the Daedric Prince of Knowledge....
Drewmora: "Your daedra so fat 3 dimensions wasn't big enough for him!" 🔥🔥🔥
I think its interesting that turning one's back on their destiny seems to be a running theme in Skyrims storytelling. Alduin turned his back on his destiny and subjugated mankind, leading to his downfall. Miraak turned his back on his duty to defeat Alduin and sealed his own fate. Even Serana, she was supposed to bring about the blotting out of the sun and (if you go that route in the story of dawngaurd I suppose) turned her back on that purpose her father tried to set for her and ultimately brought about HIS downfall. Lots of people trying to fight destiny here... just interesting. Great video as always!!
Miraak tried betrayed many and was betrayed in turn; he looked for a way to be free but he always found himself serving beings stronger than him. He tried to become the strongest of all trying to bypass a deity like Alduin (and cheat Hermaeus Mora) but death has shown that not even he can cheat fate and what remains of him is just a naked skeleton like any other person.
Mirrak, the First Servant, was caught by Hermaeus Mora in the Second Era for plotting against his patron. The former dragon priest wasn't discarded because he still had a use for the Daedric Prince.
(Source: ESO Necrom)
Once Mirrak was found to be replaceable, Hermaeus Mora threw him aside so the Last Dragonborn could take his place as the prince's champion.
(Source: TESV: Dragonborn)
Second Era? Something doesn't add up. Miraak was caught by Mora in the late Merethic era.
@@TheElderScrollsFan88 caught for plotting maybe be a key here
@@TheElderScrollsFan88 Vahlok defeated Miraak in the Merethic era, but Hermaeus Mora saved the First Dragonborn at the last moment by snatching him off to Apocrypha.
In the second era, Miraak was caught manipulating Mora's followers into sabotaging Mora's Black Books in Miraak's plot to escape from Apocrypha
*Cipher Agrushna:* _"By tampering with Quires Wind, the First Servant has set himself against the Great Eye. If Hermaeus Mora still has a purpose for the First Servant, he'll spare him. If not, he'll destroy him."_
I don't understand because the last dragonborn doesn't replace him really, you don't have to pledge yourself to him, so idk why Mora would replace one angry servant for another
Alduin calling himself "the first born of Akatosh" now just raises more questions
Probably in a sense that he is "the first born of aka" perhaps he is the first shard to Split from the aka oversoul ? Or maybe he claims that title because he's the first dragon
Catching this early is a good feeling
On god
Ain't that the truth, a big smile just lit up my face the moment Drew's narration started
tfw you learned the dragon alphabet out of autism and thus know there's a typo in the thumbnail
('aa' is not written as two 'a's, it's an entirely different letter)
(yes i know it'd mess up the symmetry of the name but it's the principle of the thing lmao)
Nah, his first mistake was stealing my hard earned dragon souls and claiming he's stronger when he's a ghost that can't put on his big boy boots, come out, and kill the dragons himself
Can never hear enough Elder Scrolls lore, keep it up Drew
interesting possibility! I always thought Miraak didnt kill Alduin when he had the chance because he was a boogieman retconned into existence so we could have a final boss
You're telling me Godd Howard would sully TES lore with convenient rewrites? Next you're gonna tell me that Cyrodill is a rainforest and that Alinor looks like an alien city
@@Spike2276I swear alinor better be interesting and not generic fantasy elf buildings
I want my crystal and glass towers dammit
@@squidmanfedsfeds5301 imba Alinor being the most technologically advanced place in all of Nirn just to spite you
@@WoobertAIO I mean that’d make sense right? With elves being supposedly the most advanced, I’m cool with that if they just make interesting/unique
@@squidmanfedsfeds5301 true, true
Drew your theory of Akatosh/Shor is probably one of my favorites, it feels appropriate that the trickster god would have more than one trick up his sleeve
Interesting idea, and I quite like how Vahlok the Jailor could perhaps could have been Khonarik the Warlord who defeated Miraak and upon his victory relinquished ownership of the mask, like a temporary mantle to be held in great times of need such as that time, then remaining there to guard from Miraak returning. It would have been cool if Bethesda built on that idea and made Vahlok not just another dragon priest but a ally during Dragonborn to defeat Miraak and maybe even help the Skaal from dying off or something
Vahlok the Jailer is said to have been a fair and honorable ruler so that could have been possible.
Awesome and interesting video! I do find it strange that Miraak thought he could just...walk away from serving Hermaeus Mora, while living in Mora's realm, while using the powers Mora granted him, heck while even having an entourage of Seekers, who serve Mora. Silly goose.
So what was Mora's motivation for keeping Miraak out of the Dragon War? What did he have to gain by creating a timeline that would result in the Last Dragonborn? Just to see that he could?
Mora wanted Skaal knowledge for sure, but it must go deeper than that
mora said it himself
dragonborn: you know nothing of what I want (close to what he said?)
Mora: you want to bend this world to your knees
mora wanted a dragonborn who has the power to dominated the entire planet to their knees and the only two dragonborn's who could do it was the last dragonborn and miraak.
miraak was fated to die by the dragonborn's hands and it happen so what do you think mora wants the last dragonborn to do
It wouldn't just be a timeline with the Last Dragonborn. If Mirrak became the leader of Skyrim, then the timeline may not have the Battle of Red Mountain, the Alessian Slave Rebellion, and the creation of Talos. Who knows what fate Mora was preserving.
My theory - Mora is all about knowledge. But to get that knowledge he has to wheel 'n deal and create plans that can take centuries to come about. But if he had a way to skip all of that and get the knowledge dirctly and whenever he wants. To have the literal power of a soul gem, white or black.
And that is what a dragonborn really is - a living soul gem but limited to dragons. . .and if Mora were to unlock that power without any restrictions.
If we believe Mora was created from the left over ideas of creation then he must have some form of connection to Nirn, or this specific Kalpa, maybe he doesn't want it to end because it's his mirror image, it gives him purpose and meaning
While Miraak has about as much depth as a character from TES V, I can appreciate the angle they went for to make him a straight forward villain. The idea that the first dragonborn preceded Akatosh's and Kynareth's blessings could have been gracelessly painted as a crap your pants plot twist, but the reason Miraak was forgotten was because he simply didn't do much for the nords. The order of dragon priests held a tyrannical dominion over the land, became very unpopular, were eventually ousted, and their past deeds left under-documented. Here, one of their order usurps the direct life force of a dragon, and what does he do with it? Try to make a new kingdom, and _fail?_ Opt out of a war practically made for him? Get spanked into Apocrypha as Hermaeus' plaything, only as a bargaining chip for a far stronger (and younger) apprentice? Nothing about Miraak changes the story because, for all his power and pompousness, he was a worthless traitor among traitors hooked on the line of the power he once worshiped. The actual twist implied by this information is that it was more or less Hermaeus Mora, ancient enemy of Atmora, who allowed the return of the world eater and the second dragon war, and that's a moral conundrum to be entangled within, not a problem to be corrected. Miraak was a loose end, despite all his capabilities and ambitions his own actions directly carve the stepping stone for what our dragonborn was raised to be.
Though it isn't related to Miraak, one thing has struck me for a while. Alduin refers to himself as the "Firstborn of Akatosh" on the Throat of the World, despite the fact that according to the timeline, that name should be completely unknown to him. This combined with the fact that Akatosh answered Alessia's prayers makes me think that Akatosh has existed in his current form long before the Alessian Rebellion.
or that bethesda keeps forgetting their own lore and are just fudging and retconning things to barely fit together.
Pretty sure that the other dragons are his children as well, aldwin just came first
Or he just learned that they call his dad Akatosh in Skyrim so he used that name so you would know what the f he means by whatever other word he would normally use. It's not unlikely that Bethesda writers overlooked stuff. But if you want a logical explanation, there you have it.
1. Auriel defeats Shor and shatters his soul into Alduin and dragons (to regulate the race of men).
2. Alduin is corrupted by man and does not end the Kalpa.
3. Miraak is the first mortal dragonnborn with duty to reset Alduin
4. Mora acquires Miraak as champion and changes the fate of the world.
5. Alduin is sent forward into the future. Allowing for the age of man.
6. Eventually Alessia (dragonborn) wears the the amulet of kings (artifact of Shor) to make a covenant with Shor to protect the realm from Daedra. Akatosh is made from this covenant.
7. Martin breaks the amulet open and mantels the combined dragonborn souls that were stored within, sacrificing himself to defeat Dagon and keep the dragonfires lit. This continues the covenant of Akatosh.
8. Alduin returns and is reset by Last Dragonborn.
9. LD then fights (or saves) Miraak for all the marbles.
10. Many possiblities!! LD may become new emporer and/or Mora's champion. Alduin's death could mean he comes back to eat the world or maybe the LD canonically consumes all the dragon souls. Then LD could be considered the full reincarnation of Auriel. Just my personal head cannon, so excited for ES6!!!
I've only really started learning much about Elder Scrolls lore in the last few months, despite having a couple of the games for many years. Drew, I first admired a couple of the Fudge Muppet videos you narrated, in particular the ones for Azura's Star quest and the Golden Saints/Dark Seducers. Then when I'd found you started making your own content, I was excited to see what you'd come up with, and I'm blown away with how high quality your videos are turning out. You go into great detail but make it clear and easy enough for viewers to follow, the visuals really fit the specific lore you're covering at each point in the video, and the overall presentation just comes across as very carefully planned, executed, and refined. It's incredibly well done. You've got a new subscriber today and I'm looking forward to many more outstanding videos. Cheers!
Thanks for the kind words, mate!
I always mean to read more books in-game, but always end up storing and forgetting about them. Glad you’re here to fill in the gaps!
Incredible video as always Drew. My pet theory has always been that Herma Mora is trying to groom an Amaranth to help him escape the dream. A Dragonborn is perfect for this role because of their association with Akatosh and their superpowered egos. Miraak didn't work out--maybe TLD will.
Si it's just glenmoril then? Lol
Miraak is a "master debator" --Drewmora
Well he had all that 4000 years in apocrypha, who knows what he was doing in that time
@@squidmanfedsfeds5301 i believe there is so many erotic books in the elder scrolls universe, that hermaeus mora uses them as the foundation and building blocks of apocrypha.
A Master-bator
@@Conceptual69athe lusty argonian maid
Glad I’m not the only one that caught that 😂
“Tiber Septim, aka Talos” I’ve never heard someone pronounce “aka” that way before
14:33 We shall take a second to giggle at Master Debator. You good? Okay, carry on.
I think our lord Hermaeus Mora tricked Miraak just to get the Skaal knowledge.
I absolutely love listening my to your videos. I feel like I have a huge revelation every time, even if it’s something I’ve heard before. Fantastic work again.
Alduin's soul can't be absorbed
I honestly think the Elder scrolls content you’ve released on this channel is some of the best you’ve ever done. Possibly the best Elder Scrolls lore videos on TH-cam.
Easily the most underrated elder scrolls content creator out there.
So excited to watch this! Your videos make my morrowind runs even more immersive and exciting
Great video Drew! Really enjoyed that one, dragon priest lore blending with Mora is so fascinating
One thing that kinda pokes a hole in the whole Akatosh is the Alessian-twisted version of Lorkhan idea is that Alduin declares himself “First-Born of Akatosh”
Unless that is due to a dragon break as well, merging the identities.
We still don’t know what Hermaeus Mora’s motivations could have been to divert Miraak from his destiny and delay the destruction of Alduin. Or if it was solely Miraak’s decision not to join the Dragon War, what his motivations were, as the defeat of the dragons surely would have given him a vast amount of power. I think cowardice is the most likely explanation, and it makes Miraak a more interesting character. He’s probably bitter and envious of the Last Dragonborn when he brags to him how “I totally could have slain Alduin if I felt like it 😒”
Please don’t stop doing you Drew!!
You’re amazing and your words never fail to intrigue and soothe me :)
Lorkan takes on Akatosh to corrupt Auriel and further bind the dragon to the world.
Drew is the Heimskr the fans deserved
Glad I finally had time to sit down and enjoy this one. Incredible work as always, Drew.
Damn great Drew of Atmora, its the 4th time i watch the full video.
Everything planned just got yeeted... New Drewmora video comes first. Thanks Drew!!
You forgot Alkosh. Seems a pretty safe bet that Nedes having lived in such proximity to the wandering Khajiit probably inspired much of the Nedic inspiration of Akatosh
And Alkosh not only likely predates the Nords, his aspects among the Khajiit are very similar to the Imperial Akatosh
I came back to this video so many times for the intro alone. Love it. ❤
Damn. Absolutely amazing video man
Omg I love that you chose to release your last two videos on topics that are hermaeus mora related, coinciding with the new ESO archanist class release. Not that I wouldn't love anything hermaeus mora at any time tbh, but playing as this new class so much since release has really upped my interest lol so yeah, thanks as always for another awesome video!
Edit: holy hell. I for some reason never considered the complexity in the story of miraak or what it meant in regards to why he returns when he does other than the typical, "he's returned because he's finally able to and the only reason is to conquer and take over tamriel as he'd intended before he was forced to flee into another realm to bide his time, till everything that had opposed him prior were all gone." Lol this really gives so much more lore depth and genuine explanation that's so much better than just a cosmic coincidence on an ungodly level that would have you face off against him. Lol
29:22 - on the subject of Tiber Septim's status as a Dragonborn:
*Let me preface this by saying that I am a huge proponent of the Arcturian Heresy's validity.* However, I recently played through the main questline of Skyrim and the Greybeard's ritual to recognize the player as Dragonborn does lend a measure of legitimacy to Tiber Septim's claim (although Arngeir does still leave some wiggle room for the theory).
In the ritual, the Greybeards say the following in Dovahzul:
_"Lingrah krosis saraan Strundu'ul, voth nid balaan klov praan nau."_
_"Naal Thu'umu, mu ofan nii nu, *Dovahkiin*, naal suleyk do Kaan, naal suleyk do Shor, ahrk naal suleyk do Atmorasewuth."_
_"Meyz nu Ysmir, Dovahsebrom. Dahmaan daar rok."_
Arngeir then elaborates on the ritual:
_"We spoke the traditional words of greeting to a Dragonborn who has accepted our guidance. The same words were used to greet the young Talos, when he came to High Hrothgar, before he became the Emperor Tiber Septim."_
If asked, he provides a loose translation in the common Tamrielic tongue:
_"Long has the Stormcrown languished, with no worthy brow to sit upon."_
_"By our breath we bestow it now to you in the name of Kyne, in the name of Shor, and in the name of Atmora of Old."_
_"You are Ysmir now, the Dragon of the North, hearken to it."_
This translation only mentions the Stormcrown, leaving out any direct ties to the Dragonborn blood and preserving the integrity of the Arcturian Heresy. However, the Dovahzul chant does contain the word *"Dovahkiin"*; here is a direct translation rather than paraphrased.
_"Long sorrowfully waited the Stormcrown, with no worthy head to rest on."_
_"By our Voice now we give it to you, *Dragonborn*, by power of Kyne, by power of Shor, by power of Atmora-of-old."_
_"Become now Ysmir, Dragon of the North. Remember these words."_
The nature of Arngeir's exclusion of the word "Dragonborn" in the paraphrased version largely dictates the truth of what was said to Tiber Septim centuries ago; Arngeir says they are the same words used to greet Talos, so there are two routes here. If the Greybeards would simply insert the name or title of the person in question at the point where they say "Dovahkiin" to The Last Dragonborn (as that is the player's most prominent title as it pertains to their perception of him throughout the story and the only name the monks refer to the player by), when speaking to the soon-to-be Emperor they may have said _"by our Voice now we give it to you, *Talos (or even Hjalti)*, by power of Kyne, by power of Shor, by power of Atmora-of-old."_
However, if he literally means the _exact_ words spoken to you were spoken to Talos, then they did name him Dovahkiin/Dragonborn at his greeting; he does say they are the traditional words of greeting to a Dragonborn that has accepted their guidance, after all. Perhaps Arngeir is simply unaware of the truth of the matter considering it was performed many generations before him, and we can't discount the fact that he is a member of a zealous order whose fundamental teachings hinge on the legitimacy of Dragonborn claims so he inherently frames his own teachings around this ideology.
Either way, food for thought and I wouldn't have thought of this had I not just played that quest before watching this video!
14:36 you just did that, didn’t you, Daedrologist?
"no u" - Miraak, blasting another dragon to pieces
You're such a brilliant storyteller, all your videos are such a pleasure to listen to!
Hey Drew, can you do a video on Mannimarco next?
But if Akatosh was a somewhat false persona of Lorkhan created by saint allesia...
Then why the hell does Alduin so proudly claim that he's the firstborn of akatosh?
Its a nice theory sure, but Alduin and him being sent forward in time predates saint allesia or the cyrodiilic pantheon, he lived and ruled over the ancient nords and I dont think that he just got the idea after he came back in the 4th era...
So there must be some truth behind Akatosh, even if he's shattered himself like lorkhan...
Love your videos.
Love them when you were with the other guys. Your were my fav.
Love them still
Thanks for the lore, thanks for the atmosphere, thanks for your work!
YEEESSSSSS I’ve been binge watching all these for the past 2 days I can practically rehearse the whole falmer fall of the snow prince bit. Loving this series bro keep up the work I can’t get enough of these and it’s funny because I wanted to comment if you could do a Dragonborn centered vid. So dope
Always excited to watch your stuff!
Perhaps Miraak absorbed the dead dragons souls to learn his Dragon Aspect shout.
The skeltons strewn at the foot of his temple make for a good case in support of this, i think.
another video another fantastic script, I love the writing in these
Hey, new Drewmora Video!
Much love my friend
Vahlok *VS* Miraak- *Lasts for several days*
The Last Dragonborn *VS* Miraak- *That was easy*
Lore wise TDB and miraak battle would've destroyed parts of apocrypha, heck i like to think that mora intervened because if the fight had gone on a second more the whole realm would break into the sea of oblivion
i always like miraak as a character i often times wished i could save him from hermaeus The two dragonborns would make the ultaimte deadly alliance.
Use the miraak follower mod it allows you to bend his will and make him your follower then you fight hermaeus with him
@@oK-sf6sv oh cool
@@oK-sf6sv nvm i found it.
@@SharsAtarn do you play pc or Xbox?
@@SharsAtarn look up miraak follower
Drew this was utterly amazing. Thank you
*When the heart chamber pops up at **21:30* "We all know who that god is" It's Papa Dagoth obviously...oh, Lorkhan...right...
(Runs to the camp to hear more lore) it’s him! Drewmora, such amazing videos as always!
Miraak has to be one of my favorite characters in Skyrim, love his lore love his look and oh god his voice his VOICE mannnn I just love the whole story of Miraak, great work Drew hope you have a great day
When do we get that Reman video?? I keep rewatching everything over and over I have them memorized by now lmao
Miraak tried to do all the side quests and ignored the main quest for too long
This was a great video! I subscribed!
I just subed and boy I boy I had no idea Miraak was so full of himself that he didn't even bother to realize that he would be replaced by and killed by his own hubris made flesh we did what he was made for and we succeeded
Thank you for the awesome content and great videos!!
I am so surprised you aren't up there with Fudgemuppet in terms of numbers.
You output some of the better longform elder scrolls content, and absolutely shouldn't go unseen!
Keep it going man
I think he's someone who's done voice for one of those channels fudge, ESO, or camel maybe
Hey, you, you're finally awake.
*New Drewmora video.*
One interesting question about Miraak is how he gained his dragonborn powers? He could have not been blessed by Akatosh like Alessia, as Akatosh did not yet exist, and it does not seem to be in Alduin's or Auri-El's nature or interest to grant such powers to mortals. Shor/Lorkhan also sounds strange, as he had no association with dragons at this time. Perhaps the secret knowledge of Hermaeus Mora extends beyond the veil of time, and allowed Miraak to make himself dragonborn before such thing had even been conceived?
Akatosh exists outside of time , when he was "created" he was made in and out of time. Just like when talos manteled lorkhan every shezzrin of shezzar became a shezzrin of talos as well
So when akatosh was created it was if he was always there , existing in a semi comical way throughout time. Akatosh did bless miraak to defeat Alduin but yiu know what happened next
Drew you never fail too ignite the fire in my mind for elder Scrolls lore thankyou mate ❤
Thankyou Drew 💙
honestly you are amazing the developers should hire you and make you their loremaster imagine the gameplay and inside game lore if you were writing the stories in game
Love your content drew, keep up the good work and thank you for the entertainment 🙏🏼
Outstanding as always, Drew.
I'm telling ya Drewboi, Economics of Tamriel and maybe even ARCHAELOGY of Tamriel is ripe for info. Maybe even a little medicine of Tamriel? There's also a void to fill for the David Attenborough of Tamriel. Mayhap even the Steve Irwin? CRIKEY we wrestling Daedroths over here!
His biggest mistake was not using his shout that instakills dragons and absorbs their souls on the last dragonborn. Seriously, a dragonborn is effectively just a dragon in a different body, it would have worked
That wouldn't have been an honourable battle
@@JangoBladerdo you really he would care tho?
Wonderful work, as always. Vvvvv academic
"Abyssal Cephaliarch" goes *f-cking* hard, fair play sir.
Another banger thanks Drew
This is fantastic!
Hmm...a movement of a lans mass in the north likr solthsheim could change the direction of warm ocean currents that in turn cause the climate further north to become colder, meaning that the Atmora would become more freezing over time.
I would love to see a video exploring Lorkhan's reason for favoring men over elves, if he would want all Elves gone if given the chance, and/or if Dark Elves are excluded because i havent seen much interaction between the two.
Would you consider doing a video focused on the life story of Movarth Piquine?
My pet theory is that Movarth was a pawn of the Cyrodiil Vampyrum Order to weaken rival vampire clans across Tamriel. Even his time in Morthal was to advance this agenda.
Fudgemuppt made a video about the greatest vampires, they mention movarth story there
14:30 Quite the Master Debater.
The very interesting thesis of Akatosh being a composite of Shor and Auriel - kind of like Sheogorath and Jyggalag
I have a theory about how dragon born received the power of the shout.
In the case of our hero. We know we didn't know about shouting.
It was gifted by Alduwyn when our head was literally on the chopping block. If you notice he looks at you and shout but flame. He chooses a champion for the mortal world to have an honorable battle he believes he will win.
That shout was to bless you with the blood of the dragon.
14:33 "... the master debater"
Drewmora's genius strikes again
Ohhoho I'm already surprised! What is surprise??
Missed you Drew!!!
The greatest Daedrologist that ever lived sails from the old Atmora to deliver us another great tale. Today is a good day.
Wild of Akatosh to give an oath to a queen and call it “The Amulet of Kings”
"I could've destroyed Alduin-"
But you didn't. God, he's so irritating. 😂
You know I always assumed those dragon skeletons on the slopes of Miraak's temple were slain by Miraak when the dragon priests came for him. Was a bit of a head-flip to realise they were more likely ones he'd enslaved to protect him.
Once you defeat mirrak if you attempt to throw mirraks body of the cliff his body will fall through a portal and vanish which makes me wonder if mirrak is truly dead
The last Dragonborn absorbed his soul directly after his death. Like every Dragonborn Miraak had a dragon soul, that could be absorbed by a dovakin like every dragon soul. And this is exactly what happened. So he is most definitely dead