Why not make the path to becoming Dragonborn similar to the path to becoming the Dragonborn?

If the player isn't the Dragonborn and rather the right hand man of the dragon born, then might I suggest being made lord of Skyrim upon completion with a big castle or manor or something? XD

For utterly saving the entire world in Oblivion all I got was a set of bulky armor and a title, hooray...

"My word, you're the Champion of Cyrodil!... What are you doing in this dingy inn?"

"Well my friend there wasn't really a cash prize for saving the world I'm afraid."

Maybe the PC will actually be descended from Aleesesia and anyone easily could, she and her pet bull had a few kids and that was in the 1rst era)

I've been doing a bit of digging and have been reading this thread with fervor. Nothing new in a while, so I'm not sure if this got put in at some point I missed however, I find it extremely intriguing.

Goldbrand, the sword. Check out the description: The sword Goldbrand is almost a complete mystery. Thieves tell tales about its golden make and how it was actually forged by ancient dragons of the North. Their tales claim that it was given to a great knight who was sworn to protect the dragons. The Sword lends its wielder the ability to do fire damage on an enemy. Goldbrand has not been sighted in recent history and is said to be awaiting a worthy hero.—Yagrum Bagarn

Forged by the ancient dragons of the North? Awaiting a worthy hero? Very intriguing...

Here is my theory; Atmora, which seems to be the native homeland of most of the humans in Tamriel, seems to have been basically abandoned due to civil strike. There seems to be a very frequent migration from Atmora during the first era leading to the creation of the Nedes and the Nords as people. Perhaps the 'northern dragons' somehow were related to this exodus from Atmora?

The image shown on the stone wall could just be an artist's imagining of what the Dragonborn might look like. I'm sure the ashlanders had depictions of the Neverarine everywhere, even though they didn't know what he/she would look like.

I think that it will be kind of like Morrowind...the Nords will still worship you as a champ because you have done "whatever" for their god/goddess/champ

Ever since I herd the rumors about skyrim iv been thinking about how cool i'd be if they took some elements of scottish history in skyrim. I mean "sons of skyrim" anyone think of brave heart and the "sons of scotland"? In Braveheart William Wallace didn't start out being told he was going to be a hero and that he had to save his home, no they pissed him off and one thing led to another and he was put in the place of being the last best hope. I think that would make a great story if you didnt find out you were some destined hero till towards the end of the story when your fate has already been decided. What do you all think?

On the other hand, they "let" you escape from jail and you helped save Cyrodil. Your freedom is your reward.

The hook from Oblivion (You are the Hero's messanger boy) as opposed to the hook from Morrowind (you ARE the hero), can be reused in Skyrim effectively. Just make it so you are discconnected from the main hero. I think it'd be cool. While the main dude is off rallying support for some big battle against The Big Bad, you're working behind the scenes influencing events that the hero will never know about. And you never actually meet him until the climix, when he is thrown aside by The Big Bad and it's now up to you to kill him, rescue the hero, and save the day.

Of course, the hero also takes all the credit, the bastard.

That would be nice, I could imagine the hero being a weak spoiled brat who can't bare to fight for himself but is needed because of who he is, the people rally beneath him, you end up doing all of the work for him and getting none of the credit. I doubt they'd impliment something like this though.

That's something the character is more or less rewarded with though, it's there because that's the plot.

I'm talking cold hard game rewards, a cool house, mansion, something a bit more than a simple set of armor.

Didn't the Nords leave Atmora to fight the Falmer/Snow Elves?

All humans, except for the Redguards who came from Yokuda, came from Atmora. The elves came to Tamriel and settled it first and they were civilized far before the humans. By the time the nords and there leader Ysgrammor were fighting the Falmer, there were already humans all over the lands, who had already travelled in centuries before to Tamriel from Atmora. There don't seem to be any exact reason for leaving Atmora until Ysgrammor's time where civil strife is said to engulf the land. After that point the land seems to get colder and colder it is suggested that it was uninhabited by the early 1st age, however Tiber Septim is also said to have been possibly born in Atmora, so we can't really trust any of these sources completely.
Anyways, to get back to the Falmer, it seems they attacked mainly because the Nords were a final surge of humans they just couldn't handle, scattered and divided tribes are one thing, a powerful capital to add to all these tribes is another thing entirely. There are also suggestions that Mehrunes Dagon goaded the Falmer into attacking the Nord Capital in Skyrim, but the end result seems to be that they disappeared entirely. Strangely enough they disappeared seemingly even more so than Dwemer, who were basically erased from world due to a dragon break...could be connected to the overall story, who knows.

I have a feeling that the PC will be the hero this time. In Oblivion the main phrase was "find him, and close shut the jaws of Oblivion." Now they are playing the hero up a little more by saying that "there is one [the baddies] fear." The Dragonborn fellow. With a build up like that, not being the Dragonborn would really make the PC feel like and NPC. I think the PC will be working with the narrator, as well as the individual(s) who "should have acted" in the same way the Nerevarine worked with various important factions.

Also, why does everyone think the CoC was an errand boy? The CoC couldn't have closed the gates. Martin basically looked things up all day. The CoC went out and got all the plot items, took out key figures, and babysat Martin in all the major battles. Then at the end Martin got a case of martyritis and earned his keep all at once. Unless there is some non-gameplay version of the tale that I am unaware of, Martin was more or less a plot item himself

in morrowind you were the hero nerevarine, at the end you defeat dagoth ur, and the daedric lord of dusk and dawn azura thanked you with a nice simple unique ring of hers, plus a dagoth restore spell cast on you. in oblivion you helped obsessed aedra fans the septims and the blades who called you their [censored] behind your back, at the end that arrogant fool martin septim who transformed into the mortal god of time akotash was getting pwned by the daedric lord of destruction merhunes dagon, until he got a lucky open fire breath shot, merhunes dagon is still alive, he is just stuck in his own realm, and all you got was a thank you from ocato giving you a title champion of cyrodil, plus wait a game week for armor, however you could find better armor in less than half a game day, the mythic dawn still exists and im pretty sure they will find a way to bring merhunes dagon back to tamriel. but something new for skyrim, your the villain, your pc was responsible for the return of the dragons attacking skyrim. at the end you face dovahkiin the dragonborn, after you defeat him, since the empire is no match for you and your dragons, they surrender.your reward is you can order the skyrim empire around. you can tell the imperial legion to destroy every aedra chapel in every city of skyrim then order daedric worshipers around skyrim to build a daedric shrine in every city, last but not least order house merchants to make a palace for you out of a ice glacier

no.

We are Dragon-Born reincarnate? This sounds oddly familiar...

yes.

No because that would make for a terrible game.

I assumed it was Thu'um being used in battle.



I think what the OP suggested was to make it less revealing as in Morrowind. Whatever means to the end shouldn't be applied for the player as a rushed preschool lesson in plot development.

nevermind about the the reward ill keep that to myself, how about you could choose to be the hero with dovhakiin? or be the villain against dovhakiin? depending what side you choose, you get a different reward for the main quest

The Dragonborn is Tiber Septim. He's Skyrim's Nerevar. The player will most likely be Skyrim's Nerevarine.

Or you're their nemesis.

The way it currently LOOKS, you're either going to be using a plot hook from Morrowind or Oblivion.

HOWEVER, there are ways around those plot hooks. For example, Dovakhiin begins as another person, but he dies and you step in his place. Or you become Dovakhiin through your own actions and not through the machinations of a god.

I really doubt that mural is enough to insinuate on the race/gender of the hero. It's a generalised player. It's man/mer. Probably the most common played character. It needed to be represented by something.

Anyhoo, here's my theory:

Alduin, the Nordic envision of Akatosh, who destroys the world, uses dragons (they represent Akatosh) to destroy everything. He keeps them far beneath the ground for when he needs them next. The Oblivion crisis woke some of them, and they're now trying to destroy the world/gather more dragons. The player has to unite the clans of Skyrim (probably requiring you to fulfill some prophecy) to battle against the summoned armies of Akatosh. Battle takes place, and you need to go in, slay the dragons, perhaps with some special method (ala stabbing Lorkhans heart), and everyone lives happily ever after. Obviously, WAY more in detail.

The minions aren't actually under Akatsh's control. They where awoken at the wrong time, and Akatosh is mega weak after his brush in with Dagon, and hasn't the power to stop them.

I know this sounds a lot like Morrowind's plot, but, look at the games. They are very similar. I mean:

• Morrowind - Find Caius Oblivion - Find Jaufree
  
• Morrowind - Do some quests for Caius Oblivion - Save Kvatch
  
• Morrowind - Fulfill prophecies Oblivion - Get Martin's items and get the "army"
  
• Morrowind - Battle with Dagoth Ur Oblivion - fight through the great gate
  
• Morrowind - Stab the Heart Oblivion - take the sigil stone

Just a very basic overview, incase anyone tries to diss my theory.

Oh, and I doubt we'll be the "sidekick" again. It was one of Oblivion's big complaints.