THE PROPHECY OF ALDUIN'S WALL

When MISRULE takes its place at the eight corners of the world
When the Brass Tower walks and Time is RESHAPED
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
The World-Eater WAKES, and the Wheel turns upon the LAST DRAGONBORN

The story begins…

During the Merethic Era, a war between the dragons and man-kind ensued. Dragons believed themselves superior to man and mer, and sought to enslave them. The people of Tamriel were easily outmatched by the dragons, and the goddess Kynareth took pity upon them, granting some worthy few of the ability to Shout as the dragons did.

The ones that plead their allegiance to the dragons were granted some degree of power over everyone else, responsible for setting laws to keep the peace between the Dragons and mankind. These dragon priests became so thirsty with their power, they began ruling the other humans with an iron fist, enslaving many of them in the process.

Those granted with the power of the Voice by Kynareth did not yet know how to utilize their Thu’ums, and so Kynareth called upon another dragon by the name of Paarthurnax. Paarthurnax was Alduin’s first lieutenant, but would now betray his old master to assist mankind. He taught them the language of the dovah, and with this knowledge, mankind created a Shout called DRAGONREND. It forced the idea of mortality upon the dragons, stunning them and preventing them from shouting or flying.

Three Nordic heroes, Gormlaith, Felldir and Hakon, took the fight to Alduin atop the Throat of the World. Felldir had an Elder Scroll, and though Hakon and Gormlaith had agreed they wouldn’t use the Dragon Scroll in the fight, Felldir took it with him, anyway. However, Gormlaith was now dead, and Hakon was severely injured. Felldir pulled out his Scroll, banishing Alduin.

However, he didn’t rid the world of Alduin. Instead, Alduin’s banishment created a Time Wound. Alduin was far from defeated. The Elder Scroll’s prophecy foretold that Alduin would return during a time when the sons of Skyrim would spill their own blood, meaning a civil war would be in progress.

Alduin attacked a small town named Helgen where Ulfric Stormcloak and his soldiers were to be beheaded. Ulfric Stormcloak was believed to have murdered High King Torygg, provoked by the Imperial’s agreement to the White-Gold Concordat presented by the ALDMERI DOMINION. It prohibited the worship of the man-god Talos, formerly known as Emperor Tiber Septim. The Aldmeri Dominion did not find a mere man worthy of their pantheon (The Eight Divines).

Ulfric saw Torygg as weak, and swears he challenged Torygg to a fair fight to the death. By killing Torygg, he insisted he was making a statement about the strength of the Empire. Not everyone agreed, however, and were certain Ulfric killed Torygg in cold blood. This caused the civil war raging in Skyrim. The Imperial Legion saw Ulfric as a tyrant that needed to be put down, Ulfric and his army of men saw the Empire as weak and afraid of the Elves, and not worthy of ruling Skyrim.

And so the Civil War began…

Alduin returned with an intention to fulfill his prophecy he failed to complete in the first Dragon War. One of his first places he attacked was a small village near Falkreath Hold named Helgen.

Helgen was an Imperial fort and the end of many lives, though also the beginning of others.

They say sometimes one is born into greatness, and sometimes greatness is thrust upon you. In Ysmir's case, it was a bit of both. He was born a commoner, with a commoner's name ( Andrel ), and grew up as such in a small village called Bruma, which is located just south of the Jerall Mountains, in Cyrodiil.

Precursor: The Great War

The Great War began on the 30th Day of Frostfall, 4E 171 – just a couple years after Andrel was born, and the current Emperor (Titus Mede II) rose to power. The Aldmeri Dominion dumped over a hundred decapitated heads on the floor before the Emperor; The heads belonged to every Blades agent the Dominion could find in Valenwood and the Summerset Isles.

The reason? The Aldmeri wanted power over the Empire. The cart was initially covered and presented as a "gift", and Titus was presented with an ultimatum that detailed a long list of demands from the Dominion. One of the terms the Emperor refused was to outlaw worship of Talos - the Ninth Divine. Talos was an apotheosized god, borne from the death of Emperor Tiber Septim, one of the greatest and most powerful rulers the Empire of Tamriel had ever seen on the Ruby Throne.

Because the Altmer see themselves as superior to the races of Man, they didn't believe a simple Nord like Tiber Septim deserved a place in their pantheon, or that he was even worthy of it, despite having been Dragonborn. Not to mention, his entire line died out with Martin Septim, who literally took on the form of Akatosh to save the world from Mehrunes Dagon at the end of the Oblivion Crisis.

For five years the Great War raged on. The remaining members of the Blades went into hiding, but those that were found were slaughtered by the Thalmor without mercy. Only two members remained - Delphine of Riverwood, and Esbern. Delphine took on the role of an innkeeper at the Sleeping Giant Inn, and Esbern took to hiding in the Ratways below Riften. He kept himself locked up tight and wouldn't let anybody in, only leaving his tiny, dank "fortress" to get food and drink from the Ragged Flagon.

Esbern paid a hefty amount of coin for the Thieves Guild to keep hush-hush about his presence in the Ratways. Esbern was the archivist of the Blades, and had a treasure trove of information he kept while he obsessed over the prophecy of Alduin's Wall. Delphine thought him to be mad and paranoid, the way he endlessly theorized about the end of the world. The dragons had been long-gone for centuries by now – until she heard about what transpired in Helgen.

The Civil War & Dragon Crisis

Andrel left Cyrodiil for Skyrim when he was just a little over thirty years old. His father had served in the Legion as a soldier and was one of those lucky enough to survive. In Vanrik's absence while growing up, Andrel was taken care of by his mother and the village priests and priestesses, worshipping the Eight in public, but silently also worshipping Talos at home. No amulets were worn or kept in his home, nor was a shrine, but the belief and prayers were enough of a contribution.

When he left home, he intended to serve in the Imperial Legion by crossing the border into Skyrim and making his way to Solitude. Andrel managed to reach Darkwater Crossing in Eastmarch before he was caught in an Imperial ambush meant to imprison Ulfric Stormcloak for the murder of High King Torygg. Torygg's widow Lady Elisif the Fair was left to rule over Skyrim in the wake of his death, but Torygg's death sparked an outrage through the province and soon it was a matter of the Empire and its Legion versus Ulfric's army.

When Andrel reached Helgen, he was in line to be executed alongside Ulfric and the other Stormcloak soldiers, even though he was innocent. As he knelt down and rested his head on the chopping block, a giant black dragon bore down on the tower overhead and sent the entirety of Helgen into chaos and panic. With the help of a Legionnaire named Hadvar, Andrel was able to escape Helgen and was given a second chance at life.

Andrel was advised to take news of Helgen's destruction to Jarl Balgruuf in Whiterun. Hadvar's uncle gave him a place to rest properly, some supplies and gold to replenish what he'd lost before he was taken to Helgen, and off to Whiterun he went. Though he was initially apprehended by the Jarl's housecarl, Jarl Balgruuf insisted on speaking with him. With news of the dragons, he was given another task - go into Bleak Falls Barrow and retrieve an ancient Dragonstone that was suspected to be there.

When he returned the next day, his life was changed forever. A dragon attacked the western watchtower outside the city. It was a struggle, but the beast was downed and as it died, its life force siphoned off to Andrel, who seemed to absorb the massive amount of energy into his body.

Having witnessed this miracle, the Nord guards that assisted in the defeat of the dragon gathered 'round and insisted he try to Shout – and he did. Soon after, the very ground below them trembled as a mysterious voice boomed from the Throat of the World.

DOVAHKIIN!

When Andrel tells Jarl Balgruuf of what happened at the watchtower, he's advised to answer the call of the Greybeards. They would have the guidance he would require if he was truly Dragonborn, and so he prepares for the journey up the Seven Thousand Steps to High Hrothgar.

However, the Blades have also learned of the Dragonborn's return and have a long-standing feud with the Greybeards. In one of the Dragonborn's quests from the Greybeards, they are ordered to retrieve the horn of Jergen Windcaller from the Nordic ruin of Ustengrav. When the Dragonborn reaches the end of the crypt, they find the horn has been stolen and taken back to Riverwood, the first place the Dragonborn saw after they escaped from Helgen.

When the Dragonborn reaches Riverwood again, they discover Delphine has been looking for them. Delphine wants to first see if the Dragonborn is who they say they are, so they both travel to Kynesgrove, where Delphine believes Alduin will bring another Dragon back to life.

Before Andrel agrees to travel with Delphine, he makes the trip back to High Hrothgar to return the Horn of Jurgen Windcaller, and he is recognized formally by the Greybeards as Ysmir, Dragon of the North.

Andrel, no longer a mere commoner, elects to start going by his birthright name - Ysmir.

Ysmir reaches the burial site just in time to see Sahloknir resurrected and is able to kill them before they take flight. Delphine catches up to him as he devours the soul of the fallen dragon, and says he needs to meet her back in Riverwood.

Delphine is almost positive that the Aldmeri Dominion knows something about the dragons returning so she makes arrangements to sneak the Dragonborn into an upcoming party where they can break into the Solar to steal the information. Ysmir barely escapes from the party, but has retrieved information that the Thalmor are stalking through Riften to find Esbern, a former member of the Blades. He finds Esbern in the Ratway's Warrens and is able to help him out safely. Before they leave Riften, they are attacked by a Khajiit assassin named Shavari who has been ordered to kill the Dragonborn by the Thalmor.

When Ysmir returns to Riverwood with Esbern, Esbern tells Ysmir and Delphine that they must go to Alduin's Wall. Through the help of the Blades, the Dragonborn discovers Alduin's Wall at another ruin near Markarth called the Karthspire which leads to the Sky Haven Temple.

At Alduin's Wall, they discover a mysterious shout, which is the only Shout that will help bring Alduin to the ground. Esbern advises Ysmir to go to the Greybeards and find out which shout this is, but Arngeir does not know the Shout. After a minute of persuasion from the Dragonborn, Arngeir agrees to let the Dragonborn meet their master, the dragon Paarthurnax. When the Dragonborn has finally talked with Paarthurnax, they leave with information on the Elder Scroll as well as a Word of Power to the Fire Breath Shout as a gift.

Ysmir is told that to research the Elder Scroll, he must trek to the College of Winterhold and learn of its whereabouts. He is directed to a mentally insane old hermit named Septimus Signus, who keeps an outpost not too far away from the College. Septimus was rumored to have been studying Dwemer artifacts. When Ysmir finds Septimus, Septimus talks in cryptic riddles and then directs the Dragonborn to the Dwemer ruin of Alftand. Alftand's interior leads to an underground territory known as Blackreach and Septimus desires to have his lexicon transcribed. That is where the Dragonborn finds the Elder Scroll. They carry it back to the Time-Wound and learn the Dragonrend shout.

Paarthurnax says the only one that will know where Alduin has gone would be Odahviing, one of his closest brothers. And to get Odahviing close enough, Ysmir will have to call upon him. Ysmir travels back to Whiterun and tells the Jarl they need to use the Great Porch to trap a dragon for interrogation. Jarl Balgruuf is skeptical and at first has no interest in helping, but eventually is persuaded to let the Dragonborn do what they must. They call Odahviing and use the Dragonrend shout to force him to land, and they slowly lure him into the trap, before a giant lever crashes down on Odahviing, causing him to be trapped in place.

Odahviing knows where Alduin is and agrees to help the Dragonborn but they must first be set free. The moment they are released, Odahviing terminates their loyalty to Alduin and serves only the Dragonborn. They travel to Skuldafn together and Odahviing notifies the Dragonborn that he has to leave and wishes them luck in their adventure. The Dragonborn is attacked by several Draugr along the way, and must climb through rubble and solve Nordic puzzles in order to progress to the portal. They find a Dragon Lord, Nahkriin, and kill them before they can close the portal to Sovngarde.

When the Dragonborn jumps in the portal, they are magically sent to Sovngarde without dying. They follow the path to Shor's Bridge and are challenged to a fight before they're allowed to cross and enter the Hall of Valor. They find the three heroes that tried to be rid of Alduin and they all go out to clear Alduin's fog using the Clear Skies Shout. Eventually they overpower Alduin and they fight Alduin until the Dragonborn strikes their final blow. Alduin dies, but has not been completely defeated. Someday, he shall come back to fulfill his prophecy as the World-Eater. The Dragonborn returns to the Throat of the World where they are greeted by mourning dragons. Odahviing agrees to come help the Dragonborn whenever they are in need, and Skyrim is almost at peace again.

Aftermath of Alduin's defeat.