First question - Dragonborn is less optional, lorewise, because Skyrim's main quest must be started before we can begin the expansion - and, as already explained, it extends the story of Skyrim's main quest. This tie-in to the base game "legitimizes" the events of the expansion.

By contrast, the story told in Oblivion was not connected in any way to the story told in Shivering Isles. They were also separated by gameplay. Some players may go to the Shivering Isles, some may not. Because there is no gameplay connection between the base game and the expansion it is harder to make a definitive lore connection between the base game and the expansion.

Second question - The Dragonborn being Sheogorath is not cononical because the information is purely hearsay. It may even be a lie. We have one source and that source is someone who is possibly insane and definitely a trickster. Sheogorath is notorious for messing with people's minds. It's quite possible that he is deliberately misleading us when he refers to the Champoin of Cyrodiil.

just keep, in mind, look at a few of the confirmed http://en.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Shezarrine, many suspected Dragonborn are on that list



and Alduin "the world eater" was not technically destroyed (notice how we don't absorb his soul), all we really did was say "no, bad Alduin! trying to rule the world with a dragon army is bad! go back to your room, you can come out when the Kalpa ends!".. if he had actually been there to end the Kalpa, he wouldn't have needed to revive dragons, he would just have had to chow down

the Dragonborn DLC is a direction extension to the Mainquest, as such it is seen as part of it (just likes Morrowinds Tribunal).. Shivering Isles though is completely separate from it, and has no ties to the Champion of Cyrodiil's journey whatsoever


EDIT: damn it Pseron, you seem to ninja me more than any other person on these forums

the Eternal Champion had a fairly happy ending.

Yeah I get what you're saying when you put it like that. I guess I just mean in terms of his destiny being fulfilled. The Dragonborn did what was required of him, and so returns to where he came from.


I guess I'm not as knowledgeable as I thought.

Wow. That Shezzarine article is quite a read.

It seems anything that potentially involves Lorkhan becomes difficult to quantify.

Good find.

Given the apparent IQ of the Dragonborn, he probably did something monumentally stupid leading to an embarrassing accidental death.

To be fair, TLB can show their intelligence a couple times, at least. And this isn't indicative to the PCs personality, otherwise none of the other protagonists cept Cyrus speak in complete sentences.


No one is as pathetic as Miraak, though.

He does what he's always done since the Arena affair. Until the next time he relaxes on the golden beaches of Pyandonea, sipping refreshing spiced cocktails while watching fine young gazelles prancing in the foamy surf.

The cynical in me thinks that the next ES will be sometime in the future (i.e. 10 20 years) and that the Dragonborn became the new pivot figure behind a reborn empire. One who is recognized as leader and true heir to the Septim line by all the people who still think a united empire is the only way to stand against the expanding Thalmor. This solution is viable regardless of the outcome of Skyrim civil war since the empire now is basically reduced to Skyrim and Cirodill with one stronger than the other depending on the choices taken in TESV.

1) Skyrim gained independence: Ulfric assassinated by Thalmors > Cirodill in chaos anyway > Imperials and Nords alike seek the guidance of the dragonborn > empire resourgence

2) Imperials defeated separatists: current emperor dies (actually, there's a chance he will die anyway in Skyrim) > imperials desperately seek a standing figure who can pacify Skyrim while being seen pro imperial > who's better than the Dragonborn?

What happens to him, however, it's a different question. Traditionally, TES chosen ones usually fade into obscurity or are conveniently seen embarking on a new adventure in distant lands (i.e. Nereveraine). If TES VI is set 10-20 after Skyrim, a simple plot device is to have the Dragonborn busy elsewhere fighting the Thalmors, or maybe he's too busy in the imperial city so the Scrolls foresee the appearance of a new outstanding person who is called by fate to save the day.

I've got no clue about the Dragonborn, but I know exactly what happened to the Nerevarine....

...stepped out of the Telvanni magistrate's office after clearing up a trivial problem with a reappearing ghost, started reading the overhead "caution, watch your step" sign overhead, and promptly walked straight off the edge of the platform instead of turning left or right to the stairs. An ignominious end to an otherwise promising career: killed by reading a warning sign.

That's a good one.

My Nerevarine made it to the docks of Sadrith Mora and caught the next ship heading to Lyithdonea, a newly discovered archipelago. Been there ever since. A fascinating land where he is contemplating investing in a Netch transport station and settling down.

Heroes fading away has always been an easy way for Bethesda to write out a generic fate for a character so that the player's personal canon can be subjected into their own playthrough. The fate of the Champion of Cyrodiil and the Nerevarine are whatever you want them to be. In my personal ES Hero-lore, the Nord Dragonborn becomes the new King of Skyrim, for example.

An arrow in the knee and takes up guard duty.


He's not Shezarrine until he goes missing, and I wouldn't count out that small possibility they keep him.

After securing political ties for the Dominion in Skyrim why subverting the Thalmor, he went home to Alinor and went on to support the resistance to take down the Thalmor and reinstate the Altmer and Bosmer monarchies.

Maybe we will hear about him going to Akavir or to Cyrodiil for some purpose.