User:Mindtrait0r/AmbiguityOfDragonblood

A Dragonborn (or Dovahkiin), is a mortal blessed with the Blood and soul of a dragon by Akatosh, the Father of Dragons and chief of the Divines. Some sources claim that Dragonborn are fragments of Akatosh's soul and share this status with Alduin and possibly all of Dragonkind. Those with the blessing have an extraordinary aptitude in the use of the thu'um, being able to absorb knowledge of shouts directly from the souls of slain dragons.

Hereditary?

Although The Book of the Dragonborn states that the Dragonborn blessing is not so simply hereditary, it does not directly state that it isn't. There are multiple pieces of evidence that strongly suggest a hereditary model being at least one way of being Dragonborn. Firstly, and most clear-cut, is the consecration of the Dragonborn blood seal at Sky Haven Temple by Reman II. As this seal required the blood of a Dragonborn to open, Reman II must have been Dragonborn in order to open it. Secondly, Potema Septim knew the Thu'um, an ability that Dragonborn are particularly receptive to. Lastly, for this list, Martin Septim was declared Dragonborn by the Blades, the foremost experts on dragonlore in Tamriel.

List of all named Dragonborn

• Miraak
• Alessia
• Belharza
• Ami-El
• Gorieus
• Hestra
• Shor-El
• Herda
• Reman Cyrodiil
• Kastav
• Reman Cyrodiil II
• Brazollus Dor
• Reman Cyrodiil III
• Juilek Cyrodiil
• Ysmir Wulfharth
• Agnorith Septim
• Tiber Septim
• Pelagius Septim
• Kintyra Septim
• Uriel Septim
• Uriel Septim II
• Amiel Septim
• Galana Septim
• Pelagius Septim II
• Antiochus Septim
• Kintyra Septim II
• Uriel Septim III
• Cephorus Septim
• Potema Septim
• Magnus Septim
• Jolethe Septim
• Pelagius Septim III
• Cassynder Septim
• Uriel Septim IV
• Cephorus Septim II
• Andorak Septim
• Mankar Camoran
• Uriel Septim V
• Uriel Septim VI
• Eloisa Septim
• Morihatha Septim
• Pelagius Septim IV
• Uriel Septim VII
• Ariella Septim
• Calaxes Septim
• Geldall Septim
• Enman Septim
• Ebel Septim
• Martin Septim

List of all unnamed Dragonborn or loose ends

• The Last Dragonborn
• Tiber Septim's son
• Cephorus I's children
• 4 unnamed Dragonborn in Sovngarde
• Rulers of Shornhelm
• Ysmir's son

Close Calls

Regent Thonica

I doubt a mere regent would be deigned to wear the Amulet of Kings, thus her status as a Dragonborn cannot be confirmed. Uriel VI was coronated while Thonica served as regent, indicating that he wore the Amulet.

Ysmir Wulfharth

Both Ysmir and his son could be Dragonborn, as is claimed by Balgruuf the Greater in Skyrim. However, he is documented as having an inability to speak Tamrielic due to his Thu'um, something no other Dragonborn are described as facing. Additionally, he was denied an audience from the Greybeards in The Arcturian Heresy. However, it is not stated that he was denied for not being Dragonborn, just that Hjalti Early-Beard was who they were looking for. In any event, the book is an unreliable source, making such mistakes as labelling Alcaire an island-kingdom and stating that Wulfharth was the Underking, despite the Underking's own testimony that he was Zurin Arctus. All-in-all, I think that Ysmir's Dragonblood status can reasonably go either way.

Raven & Ruma Camoran

While Mankar Camoran is undisputably Dragonborn, having worn the Amulet of Kings, it is unknown whether or not he was always Dragonborn. In Commentaries on the Mysterium Xarxes, Book One, Camoran describes a process by which he changed his voice and breathed fire. This sounds eerily similar to the Thu'um, but it cannot be confirmed, as Camoran does not use the power in any game.

Katariah, Uriel IV, Andorak

I included Katariah and Uriel IV for one reason. They bore the title of Empress and Emperor, respectively, during the Septim Dynasty. While it is true that Katariah did always have a Septim near her (Pelagius III, Cassynder) that could have worn the Amulet, that is not the case for Uriel IV. He ruled for 43 years, certainly long enough for a Daedric invasion. Additionally, Jauffre stated in 3E 433 that the Dragonfires had not been dark in at least 200 years. As Uriel IV ruled 3E 246, 197 years before his comment, the Dragonfires, per Jauffre's testimony, were lit during his reign. Jauffre, as Grandmaster of the Blades, was the premier of dragonlore that Tamriel had to offer. Lastly, Jauffre states that Emperors use the Amulet to keep the Dragonfires burning. Presumably, this applies to all Emperors in Tamriel's history (when the Amulet was available, thus discounting the Interregnum rulers and post-Alessia, pre-Reman rulers).

With these things considered, I find it most likely and supported by the lore that Katariah was a Dragonborn, most likely one who was turned to by the Dragonfire Ritual described in Mannimarco's The Chim-el Adabal. Indeed, it is described that Varen Aquilarios was foolish to believe he would become Dragonborn, but Mannimarco likewise mentions that he corrupted the ritual, implying that it would have otherwise worked as intended. With Katariah as Dragonborn, both Uriel IV and Andorak Septim would be as well.

Gorieus, Herda, and Kastav

With incredibly little information about each's lineage, these three, like Ysmir, I can see going either way. However, the fact that they were Emperors/Empresses at all while the Amulet of Kings was available makes me think they wore it, even if it isn't explicitly stated. We know a leader that came after Gorieus, Hestra, was Dragonborn, for her appearance in the Imperial Oversoul. The same is true for Kastav, who was succeeded by Reman II, who consecrated the Dragonborn blood seal of Sky Haven Temple. Herda is tricky, as she is only mentioned once, but her reign could have feasibly taken place before the loss of the Amulet of Kings in the late First Era.

Agnorith Septim

As a final addendum, as the descendants of Agnorith Septim, starting with Kintyra II and ending with Martin Septim himself, wore the Amulet of Kings, they were all Dragonborn. It is highly likely that Agnorith and Tiber, as brothers, had Dragonborn parentage.