So can someone be born under more than one birthsign? Or none at all?

Also does being born under a certain birthsign give you a destiny? Like do people born under the warrior naturally want to become warriors or does the birthsign have no affect on what the person wants to become?

I figure birthsigns are like in traditional astrology: borders between an orderly progression of signs, with the added element of The Serpent wandering the sky. You're born under either one or the other, though I suppose one could say the signs are actually a spectrum, with the sharp divisions being a gameplay limitation. However, there's no reason to say so that I can see.

I wouldn't say being born under a particular birthsign forces one into a particular profession, though it would clearly make someone tend toward a particular occupation, in the same way any inherent talent would do. However, some of the birthsigns are not clear.

If you're born under The Steed, are you meant to be a horse? It is one of The Warrior's charges, but the talent it confers could be used for a variety of reasons.

The Atronach could come in handy for just about any profession. A Mage born under The Atronach has a massive well of power to draw from, but has to keep close to a means of restoring his power. A warrior born under The Atronach has a unique advantage when fighting mages.

So I would say they provide gifts which may be more useful in one class over another, but it isn't "fate."

"Every child on Nirn is given a birthright by the heavens. Known as star signs, they are fortunes and dooms created by the magical interplay that makes up each of the aetherial constellations."http://www.imperial-library.info/pge3/birthsign.shtml

And no, you can't be born under multiple. For your other questions you might want to check out http://www.imperial-library.info/mwbooks/firmament.shtml.

A birthsign is a Birthsign.

I'm a Capri-Pisces Rising.

It seems strange how few NPC's have birthsign perks though. I mean, Bethesda put some work into just about every NPC; adding birthsign perks never seemed like much trouble in comparison.

birthsigns are associated with the months. so you're born under the ward of the constellation of the month.

though i thought to receive the powers of a birthsign, is a rare event that foretells the coming of a hero. that is what is alluded to in morrowind anyways.

I'd consider that more as a gameplay thing, though.

For instance, in Morrowind, even if you give NPCs a birthsign, they will not cast spells/powers that cost 0 magicka. This even includes racial abilities that they normally have.

In Morrowind you're told that you born "under a certain sign" and this is significant. If everyone is born under a certain sign it would be a silly thing to put in a prophesy.


I think being born under a specific sign is probably an uncommon occurrence, and I think they are also used for a system like the Western Zodiac.

I'm not sure how uncommon it is to be born under a sign opposed to during a sign.

Edit: Bah, beaten, by a mod at that. I didn't think you guys were allowed to make legitimate posts over here...

Yea, Socucius Ergalla asks you when you arrive that "The letter that preceded you mentioned you were born under a certain sign. And what would that be?"

From this statement and the Nerevarine prophecy one should conclude that being born under a sign was more of an anomaly, if everybody was born under a birthsign then there'd be no reason for a letter to state that you'd been born under one, it'd sorta be a no-brainer.

However, given the quote from the 3rd PGE, and the Firmament's statement that "When the sun rises near one of the constellations, it is that constellation's season. Each constellation has a Season of approximately one month. The Serpent has no season, for it moves about in the heavens, usually threatening one of the other constellations,"(12 constellations, 12 months, with the serpent leftover) it seems that the inconsistency is in the letter.

isnt part of the Nerevarine prophesy that he was "born on a certain day to uncertain parents"? this means that "born under a certain sign" refers to the specific sign (month) during which the nerevarine was supposed to be born. everyone is born under a sign, but the N is born under a certain (significant, prophesied) sign.

If it wasn't for the 3rd PGE I'd be inclined to follow this line of though, I think its likely that they changed it between Morrowind & Oblivion.

I don't think it can have been a specific/prophesied sign, if it were then the census letter should have said which one it was nor should you have been able to choose. Sure, you can choose your race, but you were afterall born to 'uncertain parents', so that one can slide. Kinda hard for it to have been prophesied a certain sign and then let you choose which sign that was, talk about a self-fulfilling prophecy... that's like Oedipus intentionally going out to kill his father and bang his mom and then saying that it was just the prophecy being fulfilled...

Its left vague so we can choose our race and birthsign without the game's influence.

they could just have been making sure that you really are the prisoner that is being described. more likely however it is so that you have an open RP background.

It would be a very poor prophesy if the person was supposed to be born under a specific sign but it didn't mention which one. It's like me predicting that the next President of the United States will be born in a specific month - while correct it tells us nothing.

We could blame this on a limitation of the game, but was the game really limited like this? There are plenty of places that your character's name is integrated in to text so I see no reason why they couldn't have done with with the player's chosen birthsign. So if the player chose to be born under the Atronach the game could mention in a few places that the "born under a certain sign" specifically refers to those born under the Atronach.


:hehe:


While you may be born in a constellations season that doesn't necessarily mean you were born under that sign. It could just be that the definitions were changed, but I think it's more likely that being born under a sign refers to something more specific. Perhaps it means that you were born while the sign was at its apex or during some other astrological event. It could also be that the zodiac system of Tamriel is more complex than just which month you were born in and when all of your signs match up it's special.

its done in dialog using PC%Name, i dont think that function works in books. eh, i suppose the idea of the PC being the only one born under a sign :shrug:

PGE3:

@Lady Nerevar: Yes, it works in books too, check your Census papers...

I like this approach, and it makes very good sense given Morrowind, the only problem is reconciling the 3rd PGE.

hehe, didnt know that.

i'd say that the powers of the constellations apply to everyone who was born under them (i explain what i mean by this http://www.gamesas.com/bgsforums/index.php?s=&showtopic=1024487&view=findpost&p=14826580), but there are also those born while the sign is doing something special (eg. apex), like the nerevarine. the former is like saying that all people born under aries are natural leaders, but the later actually caries some symbolic/mythical importance.

No. Please stop this.

:cookie:

I wonder if the people of Akavir are assigned their sign by the year they are born in, as clich? as that might seem.

I don't get it?

:turtle:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_astrology.

That being said, I seriously hope not.

They'd have to watch 1/12 of the population all the time at stores if they were born under the Shadow. It would be weird. Poor bastards born under the Serpent really got the shaft

as ive previously said, the powers arent literal. a person born under the Shadow is more likely to be good at hiding - it doesnt mean he is inclined to be a thief or can turn 100% invisible. thats just gameplay. likewise, people under the serpent are probably better at disarming magics, but are also tired more easily and likely to get minor scraqes.