Elder Scrolls and Akatosh/Alduin

Post » Wed Aug 24, 2011 6:37 am

so i just have a few questions as i am trying to understand some of the Lore of TES better. I looked up all theese things on the UESP

The elder scrolls themselves, are they absolute? they tell prophecies (sp?) of the future, will those prophecies always come true? or can they be averted to be diffrent? For example I'm assuming the ES foretold of the oblivion invasion, but if the Champion of Cyrodill had been mauled ravegly and killed by those first two rats to burst out the wall would the invasion still have happened? This might be confusing, and im possibly confusing myself. Also the people who read the ES loose their sight, in exchange to read the scrolls but do they eventually loose the ability to read the scrolls? also if the scrolls can be read dosn't that mean the events such as the oblivion crisis could have been averted by stopping Mankar Cameron before he meddled with the Mysterium Xarxes? the same for the events that will happen in Skyrim, whatever triggers the return of dragons?

Also is the events of what happened in morrowind (defeating dagoth ur and Lorkhan) Make the oblivion crisis happen? or did the oblivion crisis happen purley because the emporer died causing the dragon fires to go out and is the return of dragons somehow related to the oblivion crisis?

I have seen many posts as well and the UESP also says that Alduin is the nordic version of Akatosh, If this is true Why is Alduin the world eater? Seeing as Akatosh is Aedra (supposedly the 'good' gods although i could be wrong) why is he meant to be the end of the world in nordic culture? And If Alduin is Akatosh is it something like the Sheogorath/Jyggalag situation we see in The shivering isles?

Sorry if none of this made sense i tried to be as clear as possible thank for any replies
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Dawn Porter
 
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Post » Wed Aug 24, 2011 1:29 am

When it comes to the future, the Scrolls are anything but absolute. I hesitate to even say that they prophesize anything. They give confusing glimpses of a number of possible futures to a very limited group of people. Instead of saying that Mankar will kill the emperor, open the gates, and be defeated by [PlayerName], they are more likely to show Daedra killing people in Tamriel or the death of the Emperor, without revealing the when/why/who/how.

The events of Morrowind were among the causes of the Oblivion Crisis. See the http://imperial-library.info/content/nu-mantia-intercept-letter-3 for details.

In short: Akatosh is the only positive, time preserving version of the god, likely due to his compact with Alessia and a fair bit of bleed over from Shezzar. Alduin is a cyclical time dragon, and destroys the world as well as creates it. Alduin and Akatosh (and Auriel, etc.) are different culture's versions of the Dragon God of Time. As such, they are all different views of the same being. However, the beliefs of mortals can shape the world of the divine, and as such the different aspects are separate and can even war against each other.
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Aaron Clark
 
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Post » Wed Aug 24, 2011 6:14 am

When used to try to foretell the future, an elder scroll's interpretations are vague at best, and only show possibilities. Once the event is passed, the scroll takes on a permanent form showing an accurate historical record.

The freeing of Lorkhan's Heart at the end of TESIII and subsequent deactivation of Red Tower (Red Mountain) didn't directly cause the Oblivion invasion, but certainly weakened the barriers and made a future invasion require less further destabilisation of the barriers between Nirn and Oblivion.

Also, every culture has its own version of Akatosh, and Alduin's world eating isn't necessarily bad, it perpetuates the cycle of rebirth that presumably prevents the universe from stagnating and going all kinds of wrong. The dragon god as a world-destroyer is actually the more common version, only Akatosh was not all about destroying the world, thanks in part to the covenant made with Alessia and her heirs that made him promise to protect Nirn for as long as the line is on the throne (something like that). Now that the covenant is broken, the dragon god of time is free to revert to whatever the current popular consensus of him is (Auriel or Alduin, world eaters both)

Jyggalag/Sheogorath is in some ways closer to the relationship between Akatosh and Lorkhan, rather than Akatosh/Alduin.
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Matthew Barrows
 
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Post » Tue Aug 23, 2011 5:08 pm

When it comes to the future, the Scrolls are anything but absolute. I hesitate to even say that they prophesize anything. They give confusing glimpses of a number of possible futures to a very limited group of people. Instead of saying that Mankar will kill the emperor, open the gates, and be defeated by [PlayerName], they are more likely to show Daedra killing people in Tamriel or the death of the Emperor, without revealing the when/why/who/how.

The events of Morrowind were among the causes of the Oblivion Crisis. See the http://imperial-library.info/content/nu-mantia-intercept-letter-3 for details.

In short: Akatosh is the only positive, time preserving version of the god, likely due to his compact with Alessia and a fair bit of bleed over from Shezzar. Alduin is a cyclical time dragon, and destroys the world as well as creates it. Alduin and Akatosh (and Auriel, etc.) are different culture's versions of the Dragon God of Time. As such, they are all different views of the same being. However, the beliefs of mortals can shape the world of the divine, and as such the different aspects are separate and can even war against each other.


so the scrolls are not absolute then but become absolute when said even has passed that makes sense.

What was the compact between Akatosh, St Alessia and what do you mean by a bit of bleed over from Shezzar?

So Akatosh, Alduin and Auriel (who i just looked up on UESP) are all one being? but the diffrent cutures and there beliefs see that one being or entity as being diffrent? does that mean only one of The dragon god of times 'Personalities' again for want of a better word be 'alive'? What i mean is if Alduin is currently roaming around as of Skyrim does Akatosh cease to exist? (obviously mortals that follow the nine divenes will still 'follow/support' Akatosh) Im sorry if i sound incredbly stupid i never realised it would be as complex as this. also does that make it a cycle type thing? Alduin comes to existance eats/destroys the world then akatosh comes to existance and he then rebuilds it? again i know i sound stupid sorry.
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John Moore
 
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Post » Tue Aug 23, 2011 2:24 pm

You need to read, then digest:
http://www.imperial-library.info/content/morrowind-monomyth, a compilation of most culture's views of how Mundus was created, with some other background information. Take note on how they're similar, not different.
http://www.imperial-library.info/content/morrowind-annotated-anuad, a nice look at the creation of mortals, and their general allegiances to the gods.
http://www.imperial-library.info/content/morrowind-varieties-faith-empire, a look at who worships what, and general information about the gods.
http://www.imperial-library.info/content/oblivion-shezarr-and-divines, a book explaining Shezarr, and how the religion of the nine came to be.

And for funsies, http://www.imperial-library.info/content/seven-fights-aldudagga.


Also, the Elder Scrolls are a meta joke. Here's the deal with them, they foretell an event (the game), in which a hero (the main character) does something (what goes on during the game). However, the hero is always different, along with what the hero did, depending on the reader of the scroll (the player).
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kitten maciver
 
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Post » Tue Aug 23, 2011 5:16 pm


Also, the Elder Scrolls are a meta joke. Here's the deal with them, they foretell an event (the game), in which a hero (the main character) does something (what goes on during the game). However, the hero is always different, along with what the hero did, depending on the reader of the scroll (the player).


Yes, but do TES games make you go blind?
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Cat Haines
 
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Post » Tue Aug 23, 2011 5:30 pm

Only if you stare at the screen for too long and too close, which the Moth Priests tend to do.
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Nick Tyler
 
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