Lore:Prophecy of the Dragonborn

The   is an ancient prophecy said to originate in an  , although it is sometimes also attributed to the  i. It speaks of numerous times of strife and the eventual return of  , culminating in the appearance of a   to deliver the world from doom.   There have been many attempts in history to decipher the prophecy, but it was only in the early   that all of its omens were fulfilled. 

The Prophecy
 

Alduin's Wall
The Prophecy of the Dragonborn was recorded on Alduin's Wall - a large Akaviri mural found within  . As foretold in the prophecy, the five key historical events that would preface Alduin's return are depicted. 

Thie first half of Alduin's Wall depicts the historic events of the   and the banishment of Alduin by the ancient   heroes. The other half foretells the omens. These include:

The Staff of Chaos
thumb|right|The shattered Staff of Chaos
:"When misrule takes its place at the eight corners of the world..."

This omen refers to the   - a powerful relic that could open gateways to other worlds and obliterate all living beings. In the late  , the Imperial battlemage   used the staff to imprison the Emperor   within the realm of  , after which he broke it into eight pieces and scattered them across  . 
 
Numidium and the Warp in the West
thumb|right|Numidium
:"When the Brass Tower walks and Time is reshaped..."

The depiction of the   relates to the second omen in the prophecy. The enormous brass golem was reassembled and activated during the late  . Time reshaped when each of the seven powers in the   took ownership of the golem—simultaneously—and each of them achieved their goals to some degree.  A paradox later known as the  .   
 
The Red Year
thumb|right|Red Mountain erupting
:"When the thrice-blessed fail and the Red Tower trembles..."

The third omen of the prophecy foretells of the fate that would befall the   at the hands of the   in the late  .  The fulfilment of the   resulted in  ,   and   losing their immortality. This in turn caused   to resume its long-delayed fall, obliterating the city of   and causing   to erupt. 
 

The Oblivion Crisis
thumb|right|The Obilvion Crisis
:"When the Dragonborn Ruler loses his throne, and the White Tower falls..."

The fourth omen foretold by the prophecy is the assassination of Emperor  , resulting in the  .  The fall of the White Tower refers to the capture and sacking of the   during The   between the   and the  . 
 
Skyrim Civil War
thumb|right|Sundered Snow Tower
:"When the Snow Tower lies sundered, kingless, bleeding..."

The final omen that heralds Alduin's return refers to the bloody civil war that erupted in   after the death of the High King   in the early  .  The tallest mountain in Skyrim, the  , is depicted on Alduin's Wall as cleft in half.
 
Last Dragonborn
thumb|right|The Last Dragonborn
:"...the World-Eater wakes, and the Wheel turns upon the Last Dragonborn."

The prophecy ends with the awakening of Alduin and the appearance of the  , both events that came to pass in  . Alduin emerged from the   at the summit of the Throat of the World and sought to resurrect his kin, while the Last Dragonborn was discovered when repelling a Dragon attack in  . 
 
Gallery
 

References