We dont know how many there are. On top of that all the propheties written on the Elder Scrolls from now on came from the same scroll. wich means the prophecy of Arena Daggerfall Morrowind Oblivion and Skyrim are from a single scroll

Love it!

Not to mention he refers to the Dragonborn as though he is not even listening, he says "But there is one they fear, in their tongue he is Dovahkiin, Dragonborn!" It seems to me that if he were talking to the player, he would not have worded it that way, from the way he says it, it sounds like he is refering to a third party unrelated to the Dragonborn. I'd definitely say it's directed either to the Greybeards or some other NPC in a position to maybe be able to do something, though what Esbern is saying they should have done I can't say, after all, it's just a trailer, it's not supposed to tell us everything there is to know about the game's story, just enough to get us interested.



While we can presume that all events that have taken place in the Elder Scrolls series have been recorded in the Elder Scrolls, that doesn't mean all events fortold in the Elder Scrolls have already been the story of a game, if you do the final Thieves Guild quest in Oblivion, there are many more scrolls than just five, and the one you need to steal, as far as we know, doesn't even foretell the events of any game. Admitably, we can't read it, but what we know about it is that it apparently allowed the Gray Fox to know how to lift the curse.

I would've thought the Greybeards already knew of the Dovahkiin - Todd did mention at some point in the game, when they become aware of your existence, they speak Thu'um from the mountain, "Dovahkiin", and summon you to them. I guess this monologue would take place chronologically before the events of the game, then. A shame really, it would be so epic to hear Esbern speaking this in the actual game.

One of them anyway.

The Elder Scrolls are Aedric Prophecies of unknown origin and quantity, the Elder Scrolls (whence the series takes its name) are, simultaneously, archives of both historic and future events.

Any person gifted with prescient powers is able to interpret the contents of the Elder Scrolls with practice. The information revealed about the future is never absolute. Once an event foretold within the scrolls is carried out in the world it becomes fixed within them.

Such insight into the inner fabric of reality comes at a price, however, as each new foretelling and interpretation strikes the reader with blindness for a greater period of time, while simultaneously granting them a broader view of the scroll's contents. Ultimately, the reader, having engaged in frequent acts of prophecy, is left bereft of their vision, forever after removed of their right to read the scrolls. By time-honored tradition only those of The Cult of the Ancestor Moth may read from the scrolls, the younger members caring for the elder as they gradually lose their sight for eternity.

The prophecies of the Elder Scrolls and the Heroes are interdependent, one cannot exist without the other.

http://www.uesp.net/wiki/General:Elder_Scrolls

The introductory video.

I'm actualy more curious at this quote:

"They're defeat was merely delay"

This insinuates that the Dragons were fought against before. Now, why is there no mention of such and event in the lore?

This is a good question too. As far as I know, there's nothing in the lore about dragons being a past or future enemy. In fact, they are glorified all the time.

Well the Dragonbone armor from Morrowind had to come from some kind of dragon didn't it?!

Also, it's been a while but I don't remember ever reading about dragons in the past either, other than Akatosh.

Akavir mate.

Basically it means the Empire/The Blades should've been more prepared for the events that occured after the pact with Alessia was broken.

Daggerfall
http://www.uesp.net/wiki/File:DaggerfallDragonling.gif

I... In... INTRO SEQUENCE TO THE GAAAAME! (Like the one with the Emperor talking bout the Oblivion gates and Azura talking to you when yo upress new game)

Yeah, and them dragons were kicked out by Cliff racers.

In other words: The Elder Scrolls Contain The Past and The Future, and some can actually make it fortold. Soo that's what Esbern is reffering to!

Maybe stopped martin from dieing, him being the only dragonborn left.......... until you show up

Don't forget that this train wreck started with the breaking of the Staff of Chaos in Arena; that was the first event in the sequence. Which means that the prophesy that heralded all of this started -before then-. Possibly by Tharn himself, looking for some way to claim the Imperial Throne. Or it could have been learned far earlier, and was tossed off because 'there are no more dragons'. Look at the wall image; 3 human shaped beings apparently banished the dragons...or Alduin, which weakened the race to the point where parasites like cliff racers could outbreed and eat them to extinction. I suspect that one of the staffs used in that event =was= the Staff of Chaos. Oblivion is a multi layered reality; possibly even a thought influenced one. Just locking a god of destruction behind a solid door seems a bit unlikely, doesn't it? But what about sending it on a trip through Oblivion, where the chaotic patterns of mortal existance woven into the Staff creates an infinitely complex maze of realities? Sure, put the strongest locks on the door, but better if the door never be found. Break the Staff, and the magic worked by it would start to unravel. If Tharn didn't know the prophecy, or just knew parts of it, then the Staff is only a tool for his ends, not the first line of defense.

Most likely stopping the theft of the staff is the only thing that could have stopped this......and look at the games we wouldn't have played.... But it might have taken something much earlier; or Esbern is talking about failed duty; remember the Blades -became- the Emperors guards; originally they were on order that protected and guided any Dragonborn they found. I could easily see them being so caught up in protecting the Septim Dynasty that they ignored or disregarded the signs that this was imminent. Just 7 months till we can find out.......

That's a possibility, but also consider what else he says: "In their tongue he is Dovahkiin, Dragonborn." Wouldn't the Greybeards of all people already know what "Dovahkiin" and "Dragonborn" are?

We Should have Stopped The Mythic Dawn or Daedra's for opening a Gate that can cause the Return of Alduin ??????????

Alduin and his Jills are the reason the Marukhati Selectives danced upon the tower and changed Alduin into the Akatosh we knew. Defeating him there only delayed the inevitable world-eating.

We shouldn't have called the lesser dragons "Jills". Then all of this could have been prevented.

I'm guessing stopped the assassination of the king of Skyrim, and therefore broken the prophecy of the return of Alduin?