This is just something that has got stuck in the back of my mind recently, so humour me...

Remembering my lore to the best I can, it says that only a Dragonborn can light the dragonfires and become Emperor/Empress, the Septim bloodline descends from Tiber Septim, a Dragonborn even he was of Nordic decent, but upon service of the Colovian king he become very, 'Cyrodiilic.' And the Septim line has been of prime Imperial stock.

I know that lighting the dragonfires is no longer a precaution, and the Amulet of Kings was destroyed. But does it still not stand as a symbol of the Empires devotion to Akatosh, and the union of blood between Akatosh and Alessia. Playing the game as an Imperial, if the covenant between Akatosh and Alessia still stand and as you are a Dragonborn and thus carry Dragon Blood in your veins does this not make you a technicality to become the ruler of the Cyrodiilic Empire?

From what I understand, the Blades are also sort of Dragonborn, so in Skyrim you are somehow related to the Blades.

You could probably light the dragonfires but not become Emperor. That's a legal issue where you have to be an heir of the Septim line. Also, pretty sure Tiber Septim didn't 'become Cyrodiilic' because he ruled there. I'm pretty sure his people evolved into Imperials over time, from living in the different environment with different lifestyles.

Interesting, I actually just played through Oblivion again and was wondering that myself.
Only problem is that Cyrodiil isn't part of Skyrim from what I can tell.
Maybe an expansion pack or part of the game's story will address that.
We'll just have to wait and see.

Tiber Septim was the Cyrodiilic name he adopted.



It was Alessia's people that became what we know now as Imperials.

I don't think race should matter.

If I were to become Emperor, my character is a Khajiit and I'd transform the Empire into a grand multiracial Republic! I doubt the player character will have that much of a role though.

Not only Dragonborns or Septims can rule the Empire. The last known emperor on the throne was Titus Mede, and he claimed the throne through conquest between 4E1-4E18.
His son, Attrebus Mede is to be the new emperor, but his fate is unknown after he went to Umbriel to stop it from destroying more of Tamriel in 4E40s.

So, either the Mede are still ruling, or we have a new emperor.


Also, you do not have to be of the Septim line to be a dragonborn.

While it would definitely be possible. I really don't want it to happen.
Especially because it would be very hard for future games, Bethesda won't be able to release any details on the Emperor/Empress because of your roleplaying. And that would lead to weird results.

You can't have an emperor that just wanders around Skyrim looting dungeons and killing random people.

Titus Mede in some respects, was a usurper. Each other Dynasty and ruler had some form of "Divine right to rule." Titus forced his crown by war, to quote;

"So long as the Blood of the Dragon runs strong in her rulers, the glory of the Empire shall extend in unbroken years."

This states that the Empire's rulers should have Dragon blood in their veins. Now I'm not saying that this is true, as I'm going on speculation. Though saying that, as I mentioned. With the Dragonfires and the Amulet of Kings being no longer crucial, maybe that is no longer as important, but if it still stood, someone that does posses dragonblood, would that not count as their divine right to rule?

Keep in mind that there were MANY Dragonborns back in the day, and the Septim line was the most well known (Think of it as a noble class of the Dragonborns) So like in Oblivion, the Blades were not protecting Martin becuase he was Dragonborn, but he was the last Septim. Now you as the Dovakiin in Skyrim is the last hope of the people not becuase you could be the emporer and ladedadeda blah blah but you are one of the last ones to be able to withstand the Dragons. Hope I was clear enough for you

The victors write the history. Real world dictators called themselves divine kings and those baloney legends are still followed religiously in some countries (people in Japan actually thought the Emperor was descended from the gods during WWII, and many European monarchs/dictators claimed divine blessing with churches marching in line to consolidate power with the royalty). Either way, Attrebus has potential to be a far more worthy Emperor than his father.

Dude... Titus Mede managed to become Emperor through conquest. Do you know any other Emperors that did so? I do: Tiber Septim.

However, that line ended in Oblivion. The deal was fulfilled/broken, and now we have a New Empire, struggling to reclaim the lands of the Alyssian Empires (first through third).

He couldn't be an "Usurper" of a dynasty that was destroyed by completely unrelated reasons. The end of the Third Era was the expiration date for the 1st-3rd Empires' Warranty/Insurance Policy. The throne goes to he who kicks the most ass to get there.

The pact between Alessia and Akatosh has been broken with the Amulet of Kings.

Under the old system, we could become emperor.

I haven't actually read The Infernal City, so I'm having to rely on other sources for Titus and Attrebus. So in that respect, I'm pretty ignorant. And Tiber Septim was prophesised that he would come to rule the Empire. I'm not saying the Mede dynasty is wrong, and I shouldn't had use the word 'Usurper.' The one thing that did strike me with Titus Mede is that his actions were somewhat Caesar-esque.

There's no telling what kind of Emperor Attrebus would be.

Infernal City spoilers:

Now I'm just waiting like a child for the sequel, Lord of Souls...

I thought all men (except redguards) were descendants of (proto-)Nords.
And it is possible that beastfolks, elves or Redguards can become Emperor.

You are correct...Tamriel has been in decline since Martin Septim died.

As long as the rulers are not dragonborn, the empire will decline

This topic would make a perfect expansion for skyrim.....I hope the moderators see the potential of this

Of course it hasn't. The Amulet was just replaced with a big honkin's statue and the resealing of Oblivion.


Nords are descendants of proto-Nords. Tamriel was already full of indigenous tribes long before Ysgramor's Return. Cyrodiil has a lot of Nordic stock in Colovia nowadays, but the Alessian rebellion was a native phenomenon with Nordic support. Bretons are probably half indigenous as well, and there were human populations in most of the other modern-day provinces as well.

It's all very confused, because in one source, Nedic refers to proto-Nords, but the Nedes were actually just one of many ethnic groups in Alessian Cyrodiil and almost certainly indigenous. And now the Nedic peoples is a blanket term for non-Nordic non-Yokudan humans in Tamriel, sort of how in some historical cultures Turk or Lebanese referred to all Muslims, or Frank refers to all Europeans.

Well as others have said, there have been many dragonborns in the past. I don't think that you have to be a dragonborn to be the emperor, just the deal that was made with Akatosh made it so that the Septims could only be the emperor. You have to realize that all the lore with the dragonborns was just changed from only the dragonborn can be king to, dragonborns are those you slay dragons. Before we only thought of the Septim line as dragonborns, but now we know that there were many and we are just the last. So with the pact of Alessia out of the way, anyone can rule.

How could Alessia's pact have reserved the throne for the Septims, thousands of years before Talos was born?!? And if the Covenant is broken, what is keeping the Daedra out? I know the ending of Oblivion svcked super Imga balls, but remember how the world is still here and everything?

It was already known that 'those with the (figurative) blood if the Dragon in their veins,' those who can wear the Amulet of Kings, were not synonymous with the Septims. The concept of Dragonborn has simply been expanded to included some as-yet unexplained Dragonish qaulity and been given a standard name rather than the long-form criteria I just gave.

Okay, I cut myself off before I read it all, or this post would probably be really [NUMINIT] long.

The blades aren't dragonborn, they're the dragonguard. They were tasked with protecting the dragonborn, or at least one line of them (the Septims).

Imperials descended from the Colovians and Nibenese under Alessia's rule, so they began about two eras before Tiber Septim, not after his conquest of Tamriel.

And, on topic, why stop there? The last time a dragonborn achieved something of this magnitude, he ascended and became a god. Who's to say the PC won't eventually become one of the Divines? Really, I wouldn't be surprised if the Nerevarine or the Champion of Cyrodiil were rewarded like that, too, somehow. From UESP:

That isn't to say I expect it. Just that it's a possibility.