Greetings,

So, before I dive in, a few caveats. First, this post will contain spoilers for the main quests of several TES games. Second, please feel free to treat me as a lore-dunce, and tell me the flaws of my arguments. Third, however-- if you do so, please offer substance in your critique. It doesn't do anyone any good to say, "Alduin is not Akatosh", unless you offer some sort of argument to help explain why or why not. Thanks!

Premise 1: The "Metastory", the story about/behind the story, in Daggerfall, Morrowind, and Oblivion is about the Towers and their respective stones being destroyed (or destroyed-ish, whatever that's worth).
a. Daggerfall was about Numidium and control over its Stone, the Mantella. I'm not sure exactly how to deal with this in the context of the dragon break, but I think it's fair to say that Numidium was destroyed, and the Mantella may have been destroyed-ish. Nu-Mantia Intercept certainly implies that Numidium was dis-created.
b. Morrowind was about the Red Mountain/Red Tower and control over its Stone, the Heart of Lorkhan. The Heart of Lorkhan was destroyed, and the Red Mountain/Red Tower was destroyed-ish.
c. Oblivion was about the White Gold Tower and its stone, Chim-el Adabal, the Amulet of Kings. The Amulet of Kings was destroyed. I would argue that, from a metaphysical perspective, White-Gold Tower was destroyed, because it's stated in-game that the barriers between Oblivion and Tamriel has been destroyed, which sounds like the metaphysical destruction of the tower, to me.

Conclusion: If the Metastory is consistent, Skyrim's main plot is-- in some way-- about Snow-Throat and the destruction of its Stone.

Here's the problem: it looks like Snow Throat wasn't destroyed, and we didn't hear anything about its stone. What's going on? Let's first tackle the second-- what is the Stone of Snow Throat?

Premise 2: Snow-Throat has a Stone.
a. Every tower has a Stone. This is confirmed in Nu-Mantia Intercept, Letter 4.
b. Snow-Throat is a Tower, in the metaphysical sense. This, too, is confirmed in Nu-Mantia Intercept, Letter 4.

Conclusion: Even if we can't know what the Stone is, we know that Snow-Throat has a Stone.

Premise 3: The key part of Snow-Thoat's Metaphysical Form is that it's only half-there.
a. Per Nu-Mantia Intercept Letter 8, "Every dawnmaker Tower takes a myth-form."
b. Snow-Throat's myth-form is "a mountain whose apex is only half here".

Conclusion: We shouldn't expect the Stone of Snow-Throat to be fully present; there's something metaphysically half-there about it.

Premise 4: Alduin is an Enantiomorph of Akatosh
(This is going to be extremely contentious. I'll try to keep it straightforward. Wish me luck.)
a. The best way I know to describe an enantiomorph is a mirror image. If you see your reflection in the mirror, that reflection is obviously not you, and yet (assuming the mirror is clear) it certainly is you. Imagine if your reflection could be sentient, as well. Is your reflection you? Yes, and no.
b. Alduin being the "firstborn" of Akatosh can simply mean he's the first reflection/enantiomorph. Thus, this is coherent.
c. The book, "http://www.imperial-library.info/content/skyrim-alduin-real", seems to be a tongue-in-cheek critique of those who simply say, "Akatosh and Alduin are different, thus not the same!" It's more complicated than that. Sorry. They're not two separate dragons, and yet they are.
d. Akatosh-as-we-usually-know-him could, per http://www.imperial-library.info/content/forum-archives-michael-kirkbride, "time-scheme against his mirror-brother of the Nords, Alduin, to keep the present kalpa-- perhaps his favorite-- from being eaten." Sorry if this bothers you. Feel free to toss it out if it does. Welcome to the plot of Skyrim.

Conclusion: Alduin is an Enantiomorph of Akatosh.

Premise 5: Alduin is (gasp!) the Stone of Snow-Throat!
a. The metaphysical key to Snow-Throat is that it's only half there (Premise 3). An enantiomorph, a mirror-reflection, is only half there (Premise 4). Sounds like Alduin is the perfect choice!
b. We destroy Alduin, and he's about the only thing destroyed in the MQ. This should be a pretty significant signifier, right here, if I'm right that the Metastory is consistent.
c. Snow-Throat has a stone (Premise 2). Historically, we've always encountered the stones, and major plot elements hinged on them. Aside from Alduin, I'm not sure what else would qualify.
d. White-Gold Tower and the Amulet of Kings metaphysically helped serve as a barrier between Nirn and Oblivion. Alduin metaphysically helped serve as a barrier between Nirn and Sovngarde. Now that Alduin's out, Sovngarde is more readily accessible. You might think that's good; I'm unsure. It's certainly debatable.

Conclusion: Bad news, friends. We destroyed another Stone. Three cheers for the Wheel falling apart.

Thoughts? Comments? Suggestions? Approval? Ridicule? Fishy-sticks? I appreciate your feedback!

Certainly interesting, don't have the time to respond completely right now, just one thing. The Heart of Lorkhan wasn't destroyed it was just removed from Red Mountain. Theoratically I think, one could eventually restore the heart to Red Mountain and restore the tower. For the rest I guess it makes sense, you've always been the instrument or at least somewhat relevant to the destruction of a tower.

But the problem I have with this, is that Akatosh being a tower or an aspect of Akatosh being a tower would mean that he build the first tower, became a tower restored most of what a specific tower does and was the stone in yet another tower, oh and he's also a planet. How important can one single God be?

Damn, I remember Esbern referencing the towers including Snow-throat. I can't remember exactly what he said, but I want to say it somehow tied into the civil war. (If I'm recalling it correctly)

How important can Lorkhan be? The Lorkhan/Akatosh parallel is extremely relevant, here. I didn't make it explicit in my post, but the blanks are there, waiting to be filled in.

Hrothgaar was inactive, as is written in the Dragonborn book. It's among the last pages, in that book. It's inactivity was evidenced by long silence. Something happened to break her silence, "DOVAHKIIN!"

The Throat of the World's crux is the Heart of the World. So much is said in KINMUNE. The dwarves reached in, took her heart, and bound it.

Dwemer.
Also, all this talk about towers and dragons and wheels 'n stuff is hurting my brain. D: But it's well thought out.

dwarves

get it rite

I may be mistaken, but it was the return of Alduin, right? That would make sense with my theory-- you bring the Stone back to the Mountain, and [NUMINIT] gets real.



Here's a link to KINMUNE:

http://www.imperial-library.info/content/kinmune

Where are you drawing out the idea that the "Heart of the World" is the crux?

I don't remember, honestly. I came to the conclusion, the Heart of the World was the heart stone of the Throat of the World, because they are "of the World." I don't remember what KINMUNE was for. By was for, I know what she is and does. Something clicked, but now I can't figure what it was. Sorry.

Could you be mixing Red Mountain and Snow Throat?

http://www.imperial-library.info/content/morrowind-monomyth-altmeri-heart-world


Referencing, of course, the Red Tower/Mountain.

Could be that Red Mountain stole Snow Throat's stone, were it not for the whole "red tower comes first" thing.

Could be that Red Mountain stole Snow Throat's stone, were it not for the whole "red tower comes first" thing.

Here's another idea on Snow-Throat's Stone.

While most of the Towers we know of have a physical object as its Stone, there is some precedent for the Stone being something nonphysical; Admantine Tower is powered by the point in time of creation, for instance.

With that in mind, combined with who lives on the mountain, and the fact it's called the Throat of the World, I'm going to posit that the Stone of Snow-Throat is the Voice. If that's the case, then you could say the Tower will function as long as someone knows how to use the Voice.

This world is the throat of the world's "body" the Heart was given. Red is where the star fell, the same can command other structures. Why not? And do we know Red came "first?" Didn't the Heart arrive from another body? Red is deactivated. It makes sense to me that KINMUNE would become the Heart's next point of interface, where eternal sky and Mundas meet.

Maybe that's why it's called Snow-Throat (The Voice comes out of the throat).

Maybe it's also something connected with Kynareth?
Just like Akatosh had his vessel (Adamantine Tower) and the stone you mentioned (time of creation) - maybe Throat of the World Kynareth's vessel, didn't she help the Nords learn the Voice? Firstly because it 'touches' the sky, and of course because it contains the sanctuary of the Greybeards that use the Voice.

Thinking again about it... how can the time of creation be the stone if the Adamantine Tower is deactivated now? You cannot destroy creation :S

The Voice rises from the Heart, through the Throat, into the infinite sky. The point at which man and immortal meet: KINMUNE.

I was thinking maybe the Stone was Paarthunax.

But that's just my crazy coffee-deprived early-morning brain talking.

I always thought that the stone of snow-throat was the Nords themselves. And when they are engaged in civil war, the tower is inactive, as the stone is sundered. If that is the truth of it, we are actually repairing the stone by supporting either Stormcloaks or the Empire in Skyrim.

this, i think it was said before that the nords were the stone of snow-throat, granted i don't remember where

You guys are thinking too hard. Throat of the World; Heart of the World.

My only main gripe with the OP is that, as far as I know, Walk-Brass should still be functioning. Sure, there were many endings in which Numidium was never reactivated, but there were just as many in which Mannimarco never ascended, and that seems to have occured. Also, I can't recall the actual source, but I think that I read MinotaurWarrior or some person somewhere said elsewhere there was something that confirmed Numidium's siege of Alinor lasted into the 5th Era; but I couldn't say who now.

Other than that, I would agree that something happened with the Stone of Snow-Throat in Skyim; perhaps it has something to do with the worship of Talos? Who knows; but one thing I doubt is Alduin being the Stone. After the destruction of the Heart of Lorkhan, the [nummit] hit the fan pretty fast; while Snow-Throat seems to be just fine post-mainquest.

I'm pretty sure MK said that, but I can't find the quote on TIL. I know it's somewhere on that website.

http://www.imperial-library.info/content/forum-archives-michael-kirkbride

Regarding the OP:

"...When the thrice-blessed fail and the Red Tower trembles

When the Dragonborn Ruler loses his throne, and the White Tower falls

When the Snow Tower lies sundered, kingless, bleeding..." - Book of the Dragonborn

Based on this quote, our best bet is that, similar to the Khajiit/Lunar Lattice connection (http://www.imperial-library.info/content/morrowind-words-clan-mother-ahnissi-her-favored-daughter), the Nords are the Stone of Snow-Throat in some fashion.

MK didn't say the Nords are the stone of Hrothgaar anywhere among his quotes.

Why are you betting? I don't get it. Was the answer too "simple?"

Hence why the Thalmar are so motivated to wipe man out of possibility?