Anyone familiar withThe Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrimknows it’s packed with lore to explore. From the ancient Dragon War to the fate of the Daedric Princes, there is a lot of historical ground for the Dragonborn to discover. This is especially true amid the “Dragon Crisis,” the newest conflict between mortals and dragons. The entire game is centered around world-eater dragon Alduin’s plan for destruction using his resurrected dragon army. This dire turn of events pits the Dragonborn against every single dragon in Skyrim and forces them to become familiar withdragon hunter factions like the Blades.
Given the depth of the conflict between mortals and dragons, players might be itching for more lore about the dragons that they might encounter while exploring the world. This information is essential reading for every player, regardless of experience and skill level. The aptly namedAtlas of Dragonsis a book that can be found in Sky Haven Temple. Sky Haven Temple is an ancient structure located in The Reach and once served as an outpost for the Dragonguard, an old dragon hunting group that morphed into the Blades. This indicates thatDragonguard wrote theAtlas of Dragonsto keep track of their work.
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Learn The Fate Of The Ancient Dragons From The Merethic Era
One unique aspect ofThe Atlas of Dragonsis that it not only offers a window into the ancient history of Skyrim but provides a historical account of the work that the original dragon hunters did. The book is a list of known dragons that were slain by the Dragonguard before their founding, meaning that some of the dragons mentioned were slain during the Dragon War. The Dragon War could be called the first conflict between mortals and dragons in Tamriel. In theMerethic period, Nords rebelled against their dragon priest enslaversand learned Thu’um to slay the dragons oppressing them.
The dragonsViinturuth and Vuljotnaak are listed as being slain during the Dragon War. What is remarkable about this account is that this info came from dragon cult documents. The remains of dragon cult members like Rahgot and Miraak can be found and battled throughout Skyrim, but very little knowledge is given about what records they kept. TheAtlas Of Dragonshelps establish the list of dragons they worshiped as living gods. The book also lists the location of the dragon remains, allowing players to travel to the sites of ancient Skyrim history.
The Dragons Who Lived Through History And Reappear In Skyrim
The most seasonedSkyrimplayers know how fear-inducing it can be to have an ancient dragon swoop out of the sky for a surprise attack.Alduin’s resurrected armyhas the power to appear at any time and send everyone into a frenzy until they’re defeated. Some dragon-weary players might be curious to learn about the ancient dragons who lived through all six eras of Skyrim history. Given that dragons were slain on a massive scale in the past, these dragons have to be incredibly powerful and dangerous. While the list still needs to be completed, it gives players a good idea of whom to look out for.
A few notable names on the list are Mirmulnir and Paarthurnax. Both dragons were around during the Dragon War and are encountered duringSkyrim’smain story campaign. Coincidentally, Mirmulnir is the first dragon slain by players and is the impetus for the Dragonborn discovering their power.Paarthurnax was Alduin’s lieutenantduring the Dragon War and taught Thu’um to mortals, allowing them to slay a large swath of the dragons in Skyrim. TheAtlas of Dragonsalso notes that although Paarthurnax is under the protection of the Greybeards, presumed Dragonguard Master Araidh is bidding their time to take revenge on the dragon for his ancient crimes against mortals.
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim - Anniversary Editionis out now for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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