Hey everyone

Happy New Year!

Now that that's out of the way, let's get to the topic at hand:

So Miraak is the First Dragonborn, but who exactly made him Dragonborn? I've seen it tossed around that the Imperial Akatosh is the one behind the creation of the Dragonborn (both kinds, as the game mentions), being a merger of Auri-El and Shezarr and thus wanting to preserve Mundus, but from what I understand, Miraak predates that face of the Time Dragon by at least a few centuries.

So what face of Aka was responsible for Miraak being Dragonborn, and is that same face responsible for making all the other Dragonborns, or did Imperial Akatosh usurp that role when he was created?

I'm not sure how exactly he became dragonborn, perhaps it was an odd power bestowed upon him accidentally by the dragons he served, as he was a dragon priest.

That could be it. Maybe he used magic to force the dragons to teach him the Way of the Voice?

My thought was Shor before, as he makes avatars that are dragonborn. My thought was he would have made them to fight against Aldiun, to fulfill his purpose, but I thought it was him because back then Akatosh wouldn't have been a thing.

But I didn't know about Aka/Aka-Tusk/Bormahu back then, which is the Original time god, and of course was around back then. So there's your answer.

Aka and Lorkhan are two sides of the same coin, Time and Space, and it is likely that they are working together to preserve this Kalpa. So it's not so strange that Shor's avatars are dragonborn with that in mind.

edit: Or at least one is. I'm not fully convinced that Hjalti was originally dragonborn. And by that extension, I'm not convinced he was originally an avatar either. Not until he did what he did to Wulfharth.

I'm not sure that he could force them to teach him, as you don't become dragonborn from learning the Thu'um, you're born with it.

His father, Alduin bestowed the gift onto him.

Miraak the guide he was. A guide to us all. First of the holy Priesthood, benevolent as all of us. Alduin loved his son so. With his holy blood was Miraak born into this world from parents whom are worthless and unworthy to even acknowledge. By Alduin's will did Miraak rule. By his side the chosen stood. Head of the Priesthood, he reigned over Atmora of old. Reigned over Skyrim of new. But it was not enough for him. Alduin saw not, the pride he instilled in his favored son. Miraak grew ambitious, and like the Dov, the will to dominate. And by blood, he had every right.

But loyal to Alduin - the father - we were, the nine of us. Miraak the traitor we forsake. Ahzidal, Dukaan, and Zahkriisos joined with him. Vahlok, our champion whom praise to Alduin he did give. Would put all of them to shame.

Ablution in the waters of the Redriver and anointment in pigweed-oil isn't the only way to receive the gift, Al-Esh was a priestess by trade and thus faithful; Miraak was trangressive, and used cruel and queer secrets fausted from the teuthic vaults of Herm.

In a desperate move, the Greedy Man had hidden away a dragon's soul and bestowed it upon an unsuspecting wife.

Seems as though the Greedy Man also had a spare around.