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Where do dead dragons go?

  • October 14, 2014 4:29 PM EDT

    One of my random thoughts that I actually acted upon. When you absorb a dragon's soul and spend it, what happens to it? I mean they probably don't go to the soulcairn, and (correct me if I'm wrong) they definitely don't go to Sovnguard. So what do you guys think happens to them?

    • 641 posts
    October 14, 2014 4:36 PM EDT

    Pretty sure dragons can't die 

  • October 14, 2014 4:38 PM EDT

    I was under the impression that when you tear out and metaphorically devour a defeated dragon's soul, that they are dead.

    • 585 posts
    October 14, 2014 5:09 PM EDT
    If the Dragons soul is absorbed by the Dragonborn they just die, but if they get killed but the soul isn't absorbed they go into another body. Don't quote me on this though, it's just a rough guess.
    • 1595 posts
    October 14, 2014 5:11 PM EDT

    I think the issue here arises from  gameplay mechanic in which you have to "spend" a soul in order to learn a new shout. I'm not sure if this is true representation of what actually happens, though.

  • October 14, 2014 5:13 PM EDT

    That is exactly what I mean, if we are to believe gameplay is how the actual process goes, what happens to the dragon soul?

    • 1595 posts
    October 14, 2014 5:26 PM EDT

    I believe they stay within the Dragonborn, eventually returning to aetheius after the Dovahkiin dies. There are texts which say that people couldn't look upon Ysmir without seeing a dragon. I propose that the more souls a DB consumes, the more dragon-like he becomes. Paarthurnax says something about the will to dominate. I think this urge gets stronger the more dragon-like you become.

  • October 14, 2014 5:30 PM EDT

    So it's kinda like melding souls with the dragons' till the dragonborn eventually become a dragon in a mortal's skin. Then when they die they souls all split apart and go to atherius?

    • 1595 posts
    October 14, 2014 6:08 PM EDT

    It's all open to interpretation but yeah, that's how'd I'd put it, minus the split apart bit.

    It depends on how you view the dragons. Are they individual spirits? Or are they all just pieces of Akatosh? Alduin claims to be "first born of Akatosh" but we can't take that too literally - or maybe we can.

  • October 14, 2014 6:17 PM EDT

    That really does make sense, it also explains a lot about Miraak doesn't it?

    • 1595 posts
    October 14, 2014 6:44 PM EDT

    I'd like to hear your thoughts on that Nemo.

  • Tom
    • 624 posts
    October 14, 2014 7:02 PM EDT

    Since there is only speculation, I'll speculate.

    Their souls merge with the Dragonborn's, and stay merged even if the Dragonborn dies (and doesn't get absorbed by a dragon(born).) There's a sort of meta theme of souls ascending beyond the confines of the Wheel, and one attempt at doing so, pioneered by the Dwemer, is to merge enough souls back together as to kickback into a previous, or higher, plane of existance.

    I think M'aiq, while breaking the fourth wall, is telling the truth. "Dragons were never gone. They were just invisible, and very very quiet." They didn't leave Mundus (they're et'Ada, they can't), but as just their souls and bones, they couldn't shout or be seen.

    • 11 posts
    October 14, 2014 8:00 PM EDT

    I'm inclined to think that when a Dragonborn 'consumes' a dragon's soul, the soul is converted into power. For the Last Dragonborn, they gain the knowledge and power to shout. Miraak was able to dragon souls to heal himself. 

  • October 14, 2014 8:17 PM EDT

    Well, I believe that the reason Miraak went evil is due to living in such close proximity to dragons. When he became envious of his dragon masters he turned to hermaus mora, who gave him the soul of a dragon. As he continued killing dragons and absorbing more of them he became more power hungry. Exhibit A being modern Miraak. Though half of that may just be my insane ramblings.