In the stone carving, the figure that we assume is the Dovahkiin is probably larger than the others simply because he is an important figure in the carving, and not because he will be of super-human size. Also, I don't think it's a mustache. At first I thought it was, but then somebody posted a picture after coloring in portions of it and it looked exactly like a mouth wide open with a visualized depiction of the "thu'um" or "Way of the Voice" coming out of his mouth.

I don't particularly have strong feelings any way on whether The Hero should be the Dovahkiin or not. If the story is good, stays within the pre-existing lore boundaries, and maybe even deepens the lore, I'll be happy.

i have no idea... after seeing the shivering isles' story, i really dont know what to expect. :shrug:

also, this is bothering me...

i dont think i've ever heard those words used together before... its either "nerevarine", or "nerevar incarnate".

the way you said it... defines a person being a reincarnation of the reincarnation of nerevar, im pretty sure. :confused:

Look, there's a big assumption here that, by being Dovahkiin, you HAVE to do certain things. Well, in every RPG there's a certain amount of stuff needed to get through the story. Regardless, consider the way the trailer is written: the dragons come, and the only one who CAN stop him is Dovahkiin...that doesn't mean he will stop them, and it also doesn't mean he'll get rid of them in any certain way.

The stone carving doesn't make my point any less invalid. In fact, it helps it. Notice how Dovahkiin is designed. Rather than being in the very center of the sculpture, he is off to the side fighting off a dragon. And rather than being detailed in any way, he is imagined by the typical Nordic view of the hero: he has a sword, he has a beard, etc. This is how they see him, but is it how he really is? This ambiguity is what really validates the theory that we play as Dovahkiin, because of what we see in that sculpture. For example, I'm actually playing as a dark elf, I can say, "Well, looks like the sculpture was wrong"

In the end, the Nord's image of Dovahkiin, if our whole "you play as Dovahkiin" theory is correct, makes the idea of playing as the hero even more satisfying. The idea of "breaking the stereotype" while still "fulfilling the prophecy" suggests that, like Jesus in a lot of ways, the heroes of this world can look like anyone and originate from anywhere. Besides, there's a big difference between the actual prophecy and the sculpture. Whoever told the Nords this "tale of Dovahkiin" probably described the Dragon Born very vaguely...probably saying that he was really powerful or something. The Nords, naturally, said, "Well if he's a great warrior he must have this great armor and sword...and he's GOT to be a Nord."

Now, even if everything I said above isn't convincing you, consider this: Why not?

Due to playing Oblivion excessively, we find that by being the hero we HAVE to save the world and fulfill an extremely strict prophecy. And that's a normal assumption, because it's common in both games and movies. Not here though. Learning from Oblivion, and getting some valuable new tech and members, I think Bethesda is finding ways of making the player the forefront of the story while still making him flexible. A "prophecy" game without the constrains it usually brings.

Of course, this is really a bunch of opinions. Still, I hope that I'm right only because of one wish I've had for this game all along: I want something brand new in terms of both design and story.

Actually come to think of it, the trailer refers to Dovakiin as a "He". And since we get to choose whether to play as a male or female, that kinda rules out us being the Dragonborn. Unless of course the game forces a gender change halfway through the storyline

Well, if you want to pull off the sentence nicely in an arresting teaser, you have to keep everything flow. When considering the sentence "In their tongue---is called Dovahkiin", it would be a bit awkward to say, "In their tongue, this person being referred to is called Dovahkiin". This, of course, is just me trying to fit my theory in.

Interesting note: Dovahkiin doesn't sound either masculine or feminine...similar to Dragon Age 2's Hawke, it's open enough to fit for both genders.

By the way, is Dovahkiin in Nordic or Dragonish??? because at least acording to Daggerfall Dragons speak a language.

Its not Nordic. Its whatever tongue the "dragons" speak.

I suppose it could be possible, but the way the trailer is set up, it seems to heavily imply that the undefined group whose return is predicted by the Elder Scrolls will be our enemies, and the person they fear, the Dragonborn, Dovahkiin, or the Dovahkiin, or whatever, is supposed to save Skyrim from them. I would be rather surprised if it turned out that "they" were on the player's side and Dovahkiin was the antagonist, but I guess Bethesda could be trying to mess with our heads in this regard.



The Nerevarine was also referred to as "he" in the prophecies, even though the Nerevarine could be either male or female. In English, if you don't know the six of the person in question, it is not incorrect to use "he". Only now, people often incorrectly use the plural pronoun "they", probably because they're worried about coming off as sixist, but that's beside the point. We're not here to talk about the use of the English language, I just typed all that to show that the choice of pronouns does not necessarily indicate the identity of Dovahkiin. If we assume that the people speaking in the trailer don't actually know who Dovahkiin is and are just going by the prophecy, it could really be anyone, really, neither the choice of pronouns nor the image in the carving really prove anything. After all, I doubt the Nords would imagine their prophesized hero as a female Khajiit.



And how exactly would you do that? When you establish that there's some kind of mythic figure in your story who the undefined group who are returning fear, there's only so many ways you can fit that person into the story. When you go out of your way to talk about him in the trailer, you kind of need to have him as a central figure to the story, which probably leaves only the options of being the protagonist, being someone with a similar role to Martin, i.e. the "hero" of the story, but not the player character, or be the antagonist.

As far as whether the player should be Dovahkiin or not, I don't know, really. I rather liked being the hero in Oblivion, more than being the hero's sidekick in Oblivion. If I have to do all the important work, and I know I will, since it would be pretty boring if the player just stood aside and watched while NPCs did everything that matters in the story, I should get the recognition for it too. In Oblivion, the Champion of Cyrodiil was the one saving Martin, and the one risking his life to sneak into the Mythic Dawn shrine to fail to retrieve the Amulet of Kings, and th one who tracked down all the items Martin needed to open a portal to Paradise, and the one who went there, killed Mankar Camoran, and got the Amulet back, without the player character, Martin would never have left Kvatch alive, and the only thing Martin really did was die to provide a convenient deus ex machina, yet in the end the one everyone is calling the hero is Martin, and what do I get for my troubles? A lame suit of armor that's already weaker than anything I can find on a common bandit by that time. In Morrowind, at least, I got the recognition I deserved for saving Morrowind. But we don't know who Dovahkiin is or what he is supposed to do yet, is Dovahkiin a title that could be anyone, or the name of an already defined character? If it's the latter, I would definately NOT want to be this character, being able to create any character I wish has always been an important part of the Elder Scrolls. I would hate it if Bethesda suddenly decided to force us to play a character of a specific race, six and class now.



I assume you put "dragons" in quoation marks because we have absolutely no indication that "them" refers to dragons? I hope so, because we really don't, in fact, it seems quite impossible that it could refer to dragons, considering that the existence of dragons has never been disputed nor do I recall anything about them ever being defeated, unless you refer to the cliffracers forcing dragons out of Morrowind by eating all their food or something. Oh, wait! It all makes sense now! When Saint Jiub drove the cliffracers from Morrowind, they moved to Skyrim, and now the dragons are coming back to get revenge on the cliffracers!

No, to be honest, that doesn't make any sense at all.

But yes, I'd assume that Dovahkiin is the language of whatever the enemies are, since it certainly doesn't sound very Nordic.

I personally don't want to be the heroes sidekick; I rather enjoyed being the Prophesied One in Morrowind, but as long as I'm not second-fiddle that's all I care about.

I agree. Some people more heroic than others but no big universe saver. Kind've like Daggerfall now that I think about it

I did. However, I would by no means say its impossible that they could be actual dragons. The teaser does seem to imply that they are real dragons. I think everything remains to be seen. After the February issue of GI comes out we will know alot more.

As for the PC being the Dragonborn I was opposed to that at first, but the more I think about it the more I feel the PC could be the Dragonborn.

Devs have already said there will be dragons in the game. What form they take nobody knows but them.

Well it's quite possible that you may not be in contact with the Dovahkiin during all of the main quest. You could be doing your own work and you cross paths with the Dovahkiin halfway through the main quest, or you could meet up at various times. Honestly, the PC doesn't have to be directly associated with the "hero" of the plot to still have an active role in the events.

To expand on that, look at Morrowind. Yes, you were the hero in Morrowind, but you didn't just stick in one place. You're never one person's errand boy for long. Caius leaves 1/3 of the way through the main quest, you meet Vivec once, Mehra Milo flits in and out of the story, and you travel all around the world appealing to different characters. You're out there doing stuff, not just taking quests from the same person over and over and over again.

Now imagine that story, except you're not the main hero. Maybe you're Vivec, and you meet the hero once to give him info, or Mehra Milo, and you meet the hero a couple times in different circumstances to help each other out. It's perfectly plausible.

The player and the Dovahkiin could be twins...... and we will use our Wonder Twin powers on the dragons?

If I can't be the Dovahkiin, I damn well better be able to kill him.

If I can't kill the Dovahkiin, he damn well better give me some high roller loot.

If I don't get high roller loot from the Dovahkiin, he damn well better have a really cool voice to tell me what quests to do in.

Then again, the Nerevarine was geared towards a male player. The opening theme says "...unaware of the role he was to play." Just because a culture has a prophecy about a certain hero, doesn't mean that it has to follow it down to the exact gender/six.
I'd like the PC to be the DragonBorn because it was fun to be the actual prophecy incarnate in Morrowind, rather than Martin's patsy.

I met you, on a Morrowind road somewhere? I think you needed to get your clothes back?

I think an interesting approach would be that if you do things a certain way, and fufil certain requirements that you would discover you are the Dragon Born, where as if you don't do certain things, someone else could be revealed as the Dragon Born??

Or even, someone else is going around saying they are the Dovahkiin, but it turns out they are a fraud? >=D

It would be awesome if all signs point toward you, but in the end its some badass captain that you did some quests with. It would have to be a badass who pulls his own weight during quests and doesn't ask for your help, but is tasked to help you!

Edit: Could be male or female, as long as the person is a....B A D A S S!!!!

Are you kidding ? What if i was a Khajiit or Argonian that wouldn't fit at all. Dovahkiin should be a Imperial or a Nord. Not some funny Lizard or cat
I vote ''I want the player to assist the Dovahkiin''

NO

Don't care/be an NPC. I usually play as Dunmer, and only another instance of mantling/mythological becoming would justify the kind of Dunmer I would rp as being known as "Dragon Born", and since Morrowind and the Nerevarine has already done that, I'd rather have another story telling device explored.

While we won't know one way or another until more information is released about the plot, I don't think there's any evidence, or even implication that the player isn't the Dovahkiin - especially considering Morrowind's plot, where the character the PC is a "rebirth" of is none other than Nerevar, a very male, very Dunmer war hero; if we were given as little information about Morrowind as we now have about Skyrim, it would be even easier to make an argument for the PC not being the Nerevarine based on that alone.

But I agree that "something different" seems as likely (and as appealing) as anything. Perhaps the Dovahkiin is a character in a failed or false prophecy, and the real danger to the antagonist(s) is a hero without a destiny. Or perhaps "Dovahkiin" is a dubious honour bestowed upon someone as a result of their actions, rather than something which shapes them; a title granted after the fact.

dammit

I would like the player to be him. That was a big problem for me in oblivion. I don't want to help somebody fight mehrunes dagon, I want to fight him. At least in morrowind you where someone important.

This.