Lore:Dragonborn

A   (or  ), is a mortal blessed with the Blood and soul of a dragon by Akatosh, the Father of Dragons and chief of the  .  It is said that Dragonborn are fragments of Akatosh's soul and share this status with Alduin and possibly all of Dragonkind.   Those with the blessing have an extraordinary aptitude in the use of the  , being able to absorb knowledge of shouts directly from the souls of slain dragons.  This ability breeds fear and hatred in dragons, as the removal of their soul severs their immortality and renders them beyond the reach of any  .  The first known Dragonborn was  , a   of the   who used the thu'um in an unsuccessful revolt against his masters.  However, the title itself is most often associated with the "Dragonborn Emperors" of Tamriel, who were in a divine covenant with Akatosh which maintains the barriers between   and Oblivion.  

Dragonborn Emperors
:"So long as the Blood of the Dragon runs strong in her rulers, the glory of the Empire shall extend in unbroken years." — from the liturgy of the Re-Kindling of the Dragonfires 
Any subject of the Empire prior to the   would say they were ruled by the "Dragonborn Emperors", but very few understood what that title meant.  Its usage stretches back to Saint Alessia, who founded the Cyrodilic Empire in a First Era covenant with Akatosh. The Dragon God imbued Alessia's line with blood from his own heart, initiating a sacred compact which kept the Dragonfires lit and Oblivion's influence barred from Mundus, so long as those of the Dragon Blood wore the Amulet of Kings.  Ever since, the legitimate rulers of the Empire have been called Dragonborn: Alessia's successors,   and  , and finally the  . Indeed, the title is particularly associated with   himself, perhaps because he made notable use of the thu'um in his early conquests.   Only these true rulers, approved by Akatosh, could wear the Amulet of Kings and light the Dragonfires.  In addition, they enjoyed the protection and service of the  , descended from the Akaviri Dragonguard, who follow the Dragonborn as "the ultimate dragonslayer."  The line of Dragonborn rulers was abruptly severed through assassination at the end of the  , leading to the   as the Dragonfires went out. Eventually, the last of the Septim bloodline sacrificed himself and the Amulet to permanently restore the liminal barrier.  The   that subsequently seized control of the Empire lacks the Dragonborn trait.

Dragonborn Heroes
:Dragonborn, Dragonborn, by his honor is sworn,
:To keep evil forever at bay!
:''And the fiercest foes rout when they hear triumph's shout,
:Dragonborn, for your blessing we pray! —  
The Dragonborn plays a prominent role in the legends of the  s of Skyrim, who tell tales of heroes who would "kill dragons and steal their power".  It is not known how many Dragonborn have arisen over the course of history. The   of   warned that many of them met their downfall because the ease with which they learned the thu'um made them arrogant. The Greybeards attempt to inculcate the values of the  , and strongly disapprove of the violent use of thu'um in general, but tolerate it among those who have been blessed by the gods.  

With the return of the dragons in   came the emergence of the first Dragonborn hero since Tiber Septim to be summoned by the Greybeards for training. In the fulfillment of an ancient   prophecy, known as the Prophecy of the Dragonborn, this Last Dragonborn learned to master the thu'um and defeated  . 

Notes
St. Alessia was commonly regarded as the first Dragonborn recorded in history until Miraak, the true "First Dragonborn", made himself known in the Fourth Era. 
Some Dragonborns are known to possess the gift of Sight. It was said that the dragon blood possessed by members of the Septim Dynasty allowed them to see more than lesser men.  Emperor Uriel Septim VII was troubled all his life by dreams that showed him visions of the future, including his assassination and the start of the Oblivion Crisis that followed. 
According the Jarl Balgruuf the Greater, the ancient Nordic hero and king Ysmir Wulfharth was a Dragonborn. 
The   was referred to as "Dragon-born" in The Lost Prophecy. However this may have been merely a symbolic way of saying that the Nerevarine was born under the banner of the  .

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See Also
For game-specific information, see the Skyrim article.

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