Miraak's claim about being the first Dragonborn has never sat quite right with me. In trying to corroborate his claim, I was unable to find anything that backed it up, and discovered what could perhaps be a whole new lens to view Miraak through. If you think I'm off-base or wrong here, please let me know. I'm totally open to criticism, and I'd be glad to be proven wrong, hence the "(Probably)" in the title. Thank you, -Dareloth

@OleDirtyMacSanchez

2 ай бұрын

Another interesting little tidbit is there is Canonical albeit sparse evidence supporting that Akivir and Atmora was once part of a Great Continent in the Great North of Nirn, Mundus, or whatever else it's called. Due to Volcanic Activity, Wars of the Gods, the Ancient Elves, or something else, parts of the Continent split off. Like you said not much is known about the Ancient History, and Bethesda hasn't really touched upon it.

@jansonshrock2859

2 ай бұрын

my devil's-advocate answer I have for you is that perhaps Mirrak predates the gift of dragonblood being bestowed in mortals, and as a result the knowledge about being dragonborn was part of the "thrown away knowledge" of the universe, and guess who so happens to be the god of the unused, leftover, or thrown away knowledge about reality? Hermaeus Mora. I believe that Mirrak served the dragons well, received some power and was maybe even taught some shouts by dragons, but Hermaeus mora shows mirrak the secret to learning dragon shouts as fast as a dragonborn can (whether or not he actually gave Mirrak dragon blood is beyond me, but I bet Hermaeus mora knew how it is that those with the dragon blood can learn shouts so easily and he showed Mirrak that) and on top of that teaches him the bend will words. Ultimately I believe Mirrak is *effectively* the first dragonborn since he has all the powers of a dragonborn, but he does NOT have true dragon blood in his veins and he is not destiny-bound to destroy alduin. I don't think Mirrak is telling the truth when he tells the last dragonborn that Mirrak could have killed Alduin if he wanted to, as I don't think Mirrak knew dragonrend or even knew about it (unless all mirrak had to do was kill alduin normally but in sovengarde and the player uses dragonrend there just to bring him to the ground) and also he 100% would have tried to kill aldiun during his first rule of solthseim cause aldiun would have been one of the only threats to him to exist at the time.

@OleDirtyMacSanchez

2 ай бұрын

@@jansonshrock2859 Interesting Hypothesis. Got any more? I ask because you seem to have good Critical Thinking skills and coming up with more benefits all of the Skyrim Community.

@jansonshrock2859

2 ай бұрын

@@OleDirtyMacSanchez For mirrak specifically, my other hypothesis is that maybe there was a dragon break that went unrecorded when mortals first received the gift of the dragon blood (something to do with the blood of creatures outside of time being put into creatures bound by time causes time to break) so technically theres multiple first dragonborns

@OleDirtyMacSanchez

2 ай бұрын

@@jansonshrock2859 Technically the Gods and even the Deadric Gods are Dragon Breaks themselves. They're very existence is a Dragon Break. Pretty sure they could make Dragon Breaks at will, but it probably takes alot of power to do.

Ever since Miraak casually says he could have easily beaten Alduin but chose a different path I knew he was a liar.

@st.anselmsfire3547

2 ай бұрын

"I could've beaten Alduin... if I wanted to."

@theemerdareloth

2 ай бұрын

Same energy as "I have a girlfriends, she just goes to a different school, you wouldn't know her."

@Miss_Camel

2 ай бұрын

Ever since I had to spend hours googling to learn to crouch and hide and use conjurations to let himself get tired out and die because he’d glitch if I even hit him ONCE, I doubted his claims. 🤣

@lethal5383

2 ай бұрын

Miraak wasn't lying about that. He never said he could have (easily) slain Alduin, just that he could have slain him, he straight up says that Alduin could have been troublesome to him. Given we know Miraak is a Dragonborn one of the only being capable of slaying Alduin and more than likely knew about dragonrend and was in process of recieveing knowledge from Hermaeus Mora he wouldn't be lying because he was def capable or at least qualified to beat Alduin during that time.

@Trelitty11

2 ай бұрын

@@lethal5383problem is Herma mora didn’t have knowledge of dragonrend since it was created by the 3 nord heroes only after they had asked miraak for help and he said no .

What I always personally thought was that Miraaks claim of being the first dragonborn was misleading but not particularly a lie in a sense. We have to recall what a dragonborn is by nature, they aren't just divinely blessed mortals, they are dragon slayers. The only mortals who can truely and completely slay a dragon due to their ability to absorb dragon souls and steal their powers. It's possible what Miraak meant by "first dragonborn" was that he was the first dragon slayer. This would also explain his falling out with the dragon cult. As a member of a cult who worships and serves the dragonkind, the act of dragon slaying alone would be seen as blasphemy, then to go even further and absorb the dragons soul and steal its knowledge and power which rendered the slain dragon unressurrectable even to Alduin. That would be the seen as the ultimate heresy by the cult. It would also explain why Hakon and the others sought Miraaks help defeating Alduin. They wanted the aid of the first true dragonslayer who just might have the raw power and natural disposition to oppose and defeat Alduin.

@ASavageEye

2 ай бұрын

There is nothing in lore that states that a Dragonborn MUST be a dragon slayer. It is stated , quite clearly, that a Dragonborn is any mortal ' born with the blood of a Dragon'. Tiber Septim was a Dragonborn but he never killed a single Dragon. Even the stupid guards of Whiterun knew that.

@RickTheWiseST

7 күн бұрын

exactly what i was thinking- there could have been many dragonborns before miraak, but he was the first to be recognised as one by his dragon slaying. (unlike like the royal family of the empire who were dragonborn but never killed a dragon)

@richardprice1378

3 күн бұрын

I believe talos would be considered the true first dragonborn. Imperial emperor's were dragonborns technically as the dragon blood ran through the septim dynasty up until the 4th era

I actually kind of like how The Elder Scrolls has characters who are straight-up lying. Yes, it's an easy way for them to justify retcons, but it's cool how it also adds some realism to the mythos.

@Sanguivore

12 күн бұрын

Agreed! The “unreliability” of some of the characters really makes The Elder Scrolls come alive for me.

@BasileosHerodou

12 күн бұрын

Just like how early medieval kings would claim Augustus or Caesar as their direct ancestor

@siyzerix

Күн бұрын

You're telling me, Ma'iq lies? Pppfffttt.... what's next, nazeem also lies?

@ABurntMuffin

16 сағат бұрын

@@siyzerix FECK OFF PEASENT NAZEEM WOULD NEVER SEE YOU HANGING AROUND THE CLOUD DISTRICT

The story and narrative ending for the Dragonborn DLC does allude to the fact that the player character never canonically leaves Mora's realm after defeating Miraak. So, like so many legendary heroes before them, they'll simply up and disappear from history suddenly from the perspective of the common folk of Tamriel. This of course, also fits Bethesda's typical modus operandi in removing the previous game's player character from the playing field to make room for the next game's narrative. The previous instance of this being "The Hero Of Kvatch" and later the Oblivion Crisis from Elder Scrolls 4. Who would put on the mantle of Sheogorath, and thus slowly over time assimilated that mantle to literally become Sheogorath. Only maintaining small cryptic snippets of their former consciousness from before they did so. Great video, though. Do carry on with this path.

@matthewpaddon3895

2 ай бұрын

And of course the Nerevarine, who, after the events of Morrowind, seemingly travels to Akavir and is never again heard or seen.

@deadsoul7409

2 ай бұрын

Honestly they shouldn't have made us a dragonborn cuz they're simply too powerful and significant to just disappeare with no trace also miraak said he can escape mora's realm if he absorbed our souls so why can't we do the same? Plus don't you remember that when we visit to apocrypha it's our soul/mind that goes there wich means our body is still in nirn

@Trelitty11

2 ай бұрын

It’s not hinted at at all that you don’t leave apopchrypha ….. re read that dialogue

@shauntempley9757

2 ай бұрын

@@Trelitty11 Yes. The quest begins when you leave for the Horn. That is where I suspect Miraak's quest occurs. This is different for the Shivering Isles, since all the other events have to take place in Oblivion, up to Tiber Septum fighting Dagon. I doubt he would tolerate any Daedric Prince attacking during that time. I think it ends canonically before the Horn is retrieved.

@Naruku2121

8 күн бұрын

@@shauntempley9757 So basically you could argue that canonically because the quest starts in the beginning phases of the main quest, that our PC gets wrapped up in the events of Solstheim, returns back to Skyrim to still defeat Aludin? While if they really wanted to make it a final end for the last DB the quest for DB gets unlocked after defeating Alduin?

"*Projectile vomits or something, I don't know why he makes this noise, but it's hilarious,*" Best part of the video.

@theemerdareloth

2 ай бұрын

It's my favorite part of the DLC hahaha

@Khoros-Mythos

2 ай бұрын

*BLARRRRGGGHHHH*

@Elektrakosh

23 күн бұрын

I think with excitement of having another Dragonborn as a servant, he stubs one of his tentacles on his desk leg or something.

I always stood on the idea, that he means "The First Dragonborn" to stand against Alduin, and us being the last, according to the prophecy. As he so boldly claims "I could have slain him myself, but chose otherwise." I think he might mean it chronologically as in: Dragonborn characters, who have opposed Dragon Lordship, or rebelled. But then again, same as for your own theory, no real evidence supporting either versions.

@ossiejcurtis

8 күн бұрын

This is definitely it. But there could be more ancient nord dragonborns in atmora or men in akavir

Dragon priests not being able to shout in game is such an oversight 🤦

@theemerdareloth

2 ай бұрын

It's ridiculous, honestly

@ElucidYT

2 ай бұрын

Dragon Priests aren't dragonborn so learning shouts would be really difficult and take years and years to learn. Their masks have never been stated to give them the ability to shout, but it's known that they draw most of their power from their masks to rule over their subjects. So personally, I think just because they have the makes doesn't mean they should be able to shout Then again, countless Draugr shout so you may be on to something 😅

@sephikong8323

2 ай бұрын

​@@ElucidYTThing is, Thu'Um was a VERY big deal in ancient nordic culture, it was essential for war and was central in religious matter as well, so the fact that in game the religious leaders of the era cannot use it, even though they got to that level of power after literally decades of mastery is really weird. The only explanation that makes some bit of sense is that their masks prevent them from using their voice freely and thus cannot use Thu'Um because the Dragons didn't want to have such powerful humans around that could actually challenge them so they took away their Shout in a way in exchange for some other powers through the masks which made them more subservient

@HeldIntegral

19 күн бұрын

Except that miraak has a mask and he can shout but Vahlok the Jailer is a maskless dragon priest, and he won't shout. Despite being known to have the ability. I think it's clear from Morokei that they can shout as far as lore is concerned, but due to game limitations, they are not able

@alexandertiberius1098

13 күн бұрын

​@@ElucidYTThere are draugr that can shout, likely because they were dragon cultists who dedicated their lives to the dragons.

I always thought Miraak was just trying to say something cool and took some poetic liberties.

I will never get tired of Elder Scrolls lore.

Immediately subbed once I saw the historian quoting their epistemic schema, brilliant communication and reasoning skills and I hope you keep this up.

I love that these are more like an in-depth research paper than a basic lore explanation that I would get elsewhere

@theemerdareloth

22 күн бұрын

Thank you! I use footnotes and basically write them like I used to my history papers, haha.

To be fair, "the last dragonborn" sounds better than "the latest dragonborn".

@RealBradMiller

9 күн бұрын

The Latest Dragonborn 2: Imp Stool Boogaloo

Elder Scrolls lore is one of my favorite interests, one which I have sunk an unbelievable amount of time into studying as a hobby over the last 13 or so years since I've fallen in love with the games. I love it when someone makes a video about the Elder Scrolls lore and not only clearly has researched the material, but also has a theory which is clearly substantiated with said material. While there is nothing directly corroborating that Miraak is the first Dragonborn chronologically over him just taking that as a title, he is the earliest example we have in lore of someone being Dragonborn. Not in recorded history yet, mind you. The first Dragonborn in recorded history, as recognized by most in universe historians, is Alessia. The events of Skyrim are what teach to us players that there was a Dragonborn in history who predates Alessia, he was simply not well known and hardly written about in accepted history. It is perfectly reasonable, and quite likely, that there could be a Dragonborn that predates Miraak as well, we simply have yet to discover them if they even exist at all. Regarding the dialogue that you quoted as the main lynchpin of your theory, I do not think it is conclusive unfortunately. While he refers to Miraak as "First Servant", he is the only one to ever do so directly as every example we have in the lore of him being referred to as First Servant is only in letters related to Sabinius. See "First Servant's Letter Page 1 and 2". Cipher Agrushna also refers to Miraak by that title, but she is only echoing what the player character said, and the player character just read it from the aforementioned letters. When you inquire to her about who the First Servant is, she gives vague reference that he is "merely a legend", but we have no seen these legends and cannot corroborate if she's just being an unreliable narrator. Just as you said, if only one or two sources make a claim to something, that isn't enough to take the claim as factual. Miraak being referred to as First Servant in these instances, while that could be due to a myriad of factors (one of those factors being your really well researched theory) it also does not directly contest the claim that he isn't The First Dragonborn as well as The First Dragonborn Servant of Hermaeus Mora, as both claims can be equally true. My personal opinion on why this is feasible is because Dragons by nature (and by extension Dragonborns) are always in pursuit of power and have been known to, on several occasions, give themselves to Gods in pursuit of this power. See Durnehviir in the Soul Cairn. So it would be reasonable that if a Dragonborn did exist before Miraak, they would have given their service to Hermaeus Mora as Mora was a well known and powerful God. Especially to the Skaal/Proto-Nordic pantheon of those who worshipped Dragons in the cults, who see Mora as one of their most feared and powerful Adversary Gods. I don't think that any of this point directly supports the claim that he is the First Dragonborn nor does it support the claim he wasn't and was simply just using it as a title, as the answer could simply be that Dragonborns who predate Hermaeus Mora simply didn't know of him, were too scared of him, or were too smart to be enslaved, etcetera, but it in my opinion the point is enough of a refutation to at least cast doubt on the idea that the letters are completely authoritative. I am sorry for the word salad. English is not my Native language and I apologize if any of this was hard to read. I love this video and how well researched it is and how much it made me think about this topic more indepth than I have in the past. I personally am of the opinion, after hearing your points and thinking on my own points, that Miraak is either The First Dragon, The First Servant, both, or neither. Keep up the great work man, and I can't wait for the next video 👍😊

@theemerdareloth

3 ай бұрын

Thanks for the great comment! Glad you enjoyed the video, and I'm always happy to hear other opinions that may differ from mine. I really like the extra details you added about the First Sevant stuff.

@symmetryking8884

3 ай бұрын

@@theemerdareloth Thank you for the response! I admit I had to do a bit of ad hoc research on my own as your points were really solid. I hope you have a great day. Can't wait to see more of these types of lore videos where you give your theories and also I'm super excited for the next attribute tier list. Those have quickly become my go to watch whenever I'm at work or school haha

Absolutely make more of this type of video! They inspire me more than most others to play the core games, TESL, etc. It adds depth to everything, and in doing so makes playing much more enjoyable. Thanks for taking the time to do this!

Yeah, so, just one thing. I watched the whole video, and while I agree that Miraak being the first Dragonborn ever just because he said so is improbable, there was a little inconsistency that caught my eye - in considering that when Miraak says "first" he is referring to "serving Hermaeus Mora", how would he know that the other Dragonborn in front of him is going to be the "last" to serve Herma-Mora? Like, he planned to break free from Hermaeus, and he planned to kill the LDB, seeing as he sent cultists to do so. Why would he consider that the LDB would become the last servant of the Daedric Prince? As I write this, maybe, just maybe, I think that Miraak was actually a genius and sent the cultists knowing they'd get murdered, just to attract the last Dragonborn to Solstheim where he could then swap places with them, making this whole debacle make sense in the end. But then this is Bethesda. Do I think they had the foresight to come up with this? No. What I do think they thought was more like: "whoah first confronts last cool cool sell sell."

There's a theory somewhere out there (I don't remember who I heard it from) that Hermaeus Mora did something to Miraak or gave him knowledge that allowed him to become dragonborn. Perhaps it was knowledge plucked from the future and used in the current timeline for Miraak to steal the title of "First Dragonborn". Similar to how people theorize that Mankar Camoran used Mehrunes Razor to make himself Dragonborn in Paradise in order to wear the Amulet of Kings.

@KolonelCeanders

4 күн бұрын

An interesting theory, my only issue with this is why would hermaeus mora care about some random guy that found him

I just get a big dirty feeling from the line about the first and last being something that someone (in my mind, Emil, because he's everyone's favorite whipping boy) just pitched that line because it sounded cool and made it sound like the fight you're about to have has even more "meaning" and they just didn't care about any further implications.

Seeing someone engage in TES lore from a historian standpoint is such a delight. I'm tired of people in the TES fandom just taking statements at face-value even if that makes the lore inconsistent with what we actually see in the games. Just look at how quickly people accept Pelinal is a time traveling cyborg and ignore the fact that there are almost no primary sources on his life, as the Song is just a supposed translation made by the Empire itself. No one talks about how the "praise Reman" thing is likely propaganda to legitimize a human Cyrodillic empire.

@theemerdareloth

6 күн бұрын

@@odd-eyes6363 I should do an analysis of the Songs of Penial soon.

i really enjoyed this it makes others think more about the implications on how everything works, you keep at it i cant wait to listen to more theories and assumptions you come up next

Loved this! Thank you! Subbed and cannot wait for more lore bro!

damn impressive video. using a New Testament scholar explanation for historical documents, statements, and applying a method for understanding accuracy was a brilliant touch. you're take on the meanings of "first" and "last" is also cleaver. please keep it up!

I have a hope and prediction. If you keep going as you are, when Elder Scrolls 6 releases in 17 years or so, your channel is going to explode. I just hope you don’t forget about Legends in all that newfound fame. Love the Vid!

You're talented. I subscribed, and looking forward to watching your entire catalogue. Thank you!

One reason I think that Miraak could actually be the first dragonborn chronologically speaking or at least see himself that way is the reason for the last dragonborn's existence. According to another theory I heard at one point and buy into fully, Alduin was created to be the world-eater but never had any intention of fulfilling that role, preferring instead to rule over mortals with his dragon cult. The last dragonborn is blessed by Akatosh not to stop Alduin from eating the world but from regaining his power and rebuilding the dragon cult, every reference I can recall to alduin returning to devour the world is extrapolation by characters in game based on his title, with the actual prophecy merely denoting that he will return. If this is the case it would make sense that Miraak could have been blessed by Akatosh in order to kill the wayward Alduin but as he said himself he 'chose a different path'.

By First Servant, i think it's supposed mean that Miraak was the first mortal Servant of Hermaeus Mora rather than the First Dragonborn Servant. It's said that Miraak is considered a myth even in Apocrypha and nobody there knows about it Dragonborn status so with that context it doesn’t make sense to them to think he's supposed to be the first dragonborn servant but does make sense if he's considered to be the first mortal servant since they know he's mortal from the Merathic Era (the Orc Cypher who gives you the quest says this). Another thing i consider about Miraak's claim about being the First Dragonborn is valid is because he was in Apocrypha itself for thousands of years learning which has knowledge from the past and the future. And the fact that other mortals of servants of Hermaeus Mora being shown to be incredibly knowledgeable on most subjects. For example a Servant of Mora without having prior knowledge of a person or an object can be be instantly knowledgeable about it's entire history by just looking at it for the first time. Others have shown the ability to see the threads of fate itself and even manipulate it in a smaller scale. Seekers are also shown to incredibly knowledgeable about universe and it's workings. They are the ones who write black books and have the ability to remember everything they read to a point where mortal servants of Hermaeus Mora looks at them at awe. And Miraak has the ability to command. With all those in mind i highly doubt Miraak's claim of being the First is wrong because if he really wasn't he and most others on Apocrypha would have already known that due to their background.

@theemerdareloth

2 ай бұрын

Well, my main points here are really: 1.) We don't know what he meant by First (i.e. First to do what) 2.) Just because there are no Dragonborns we know of prior, doesn't mean that Miraak is the first in the timeline In my eyes, there are too many unknowns (Akavir, unrecorded history, etc...) to conclude that Miraak is historically the first. I like your ideas here though, but I don't think they solve the problem of Miraak's meaning/intent. I also don't see what him having the Bend Will shout has to do with the prior stuff, but I may be misreading what you mean.

@ravindunandirathna1600

2 ай бұрын

@@theemerdareloth 1) First Servant seem pretty straight forward. He's first mortal servant of Hermaeus Mora. If you ask a cypher about First Servant they'll not tell you that he's the first dragonborn servant because they don't know about his dragonborn status. By First Dragonborn. He's the first mortal to have the blood and soul of a dragon. It's isn't about the actions he did or would do. 2) Sure we might not know whether he's the first or not because of the limited knowledge we have but my point is someone like Miraak definitely would given his background. If there were other dragonborns before him he would have definitely learned much about that during his time in Apocrypha and so would know that he was not the first dragonborn that existed on nirn. So I think his claim of being the first is pretty solid in that context.

@Sanguivore

12 күн бұрын

I’m curious: if Miraak *was* the First Dragonborn, why? Why did Akatosh bless him of all people as his first?

@theemerdareloth

12 күн бұрын

@@Sanguivore That's a good question.

@ravindunandirathna1600

12 күн бұрын

@@Sanguivore Skyrim's Official Guide Book and Miraak's own dialogue hint that he was destined to slay Alduin. >So you have slain Alduin... Well done. I could have slain him myself, back when I walked the earth, but I chose a different path. Note in the second sentence where he says he chose a different path. As in originally he had his path/destiny laid out to him and while it was within fate, he was he was not bound by it and chose to walk his own.

0:49 I thought the undead dragon priests in general weren't liches, just very powerful draugrs and the named ones are only more powerful thanks to the dragons bestowing them masks, which they were named after. Also, isn't the quest with Hevnoraak is about we trying to prevent him to becoming a lich? It would be weird if they were all liches except Hevnoraak who is some reason isn't one at the time the Dragonborn is exploring Valthume while all the others are.

Nice examination/video! Very different, but very good!

@theemerdareloth

3 ай бұрын

Thank you!

Fantastic video! Love the scholarly approach to the Elder Scrolls, and I love your channel name! EDIT: And the way you highlight text is perfect. It helps me glean information quickly and efficiently.

ELITE content! Your lore videos are incredible!

@theemerdareloth

10 күн бұрын

@@harrisonjschultz Thank you!

I dont know who you are but this was great. Very nice calm voice over, critical thinking, open about bias. This video was wonderful stranger.

@theemerdareloth

10 күн бұрын

@@SomeOne-ex7hk Well I don't know who you are but this was a very nice comment! Thank you!

Just watched the Mannimarco video, and now this. Love you videos!!

Bro you are extremely underrated. You definetaly deserve more subs🔥🔥 greetings from germany

@theemerdareloth

2 ай бұрын

Danke!

@RUNERAVEN1

2 ай бұрын

@@theemerdareloth Krass bro du bist deutsch🔥🔥💪

@theemerdareloth

2 ай бұрын

​@ForestMan637 Not German, just know a small number of words 🫡

I think the most likely thing is that Miraak was the first one to realize the power of dragon-born. the player doesn't even know until we kill a dragon, i think Mirrak was the first to have the powers of a dragons born, if not the first too be given the blood; the first Dragon-Born but not the first Dovakin. He may have discovered this ability after his betrayal, upon killing his own first dragon.

Great video

Call it one of Akatosh's Dragon Breaks and call it a day. Explains everything.

@TheSpicyLeg

24 күн бұрын

I know you’re being sarcastic (I assume, I suppose) but this is part of a hobby horse of mine. The two narrative devices I loathe, the unreliable narrator and time manipulation. I can agree there are situations where both can be used to great effect, but more often than not, they are used to escape corners the developers wrote themselves into. My old writing mentor would describe writing a story like building a ship. First, there’s the superstructure. The wood beams that create the shape of the ship and to which everything is supported. This is the basic laws of the setting, the world-building, the rules by which the characters must act. It can be anything other than self-contradictory. To this is added the story’s background and character backstories, the decks. Last, all the rest of the elements specific to the tale you’re spinning, which make up the hull. Where the ship goes and what happens to it is the story. Too often, writers want to change the ship’s superstructure as it is sailing. This breaks the narrative flow and removes the reader from the setting. Simply adding Dragon Breaks to explain self-inflicted contradictions is an example of this. It makes the ship - the story - seem arbitrary and inconsequential.

@GaMeRfReAkLIVE

12 күн бұрын

​@@TheSpicyLegi actually really like an unrealiable narrator when done correctly. I love the way that the elder scrolls handles it at least, reading the books and notes from the view point of the character who doesnt have all of the information is excellent world building IMO. It is a fine line though, when its used as a crutch for poor planning or writing its very obvious

@TheSpicyLeg

12 күн бұрын

@@GaMeRfReAkLIVE What is the limiting principle? Perhaps the writer of the note is lying about the existence of, say, Pelinal Whitestrake. He did so to cover up the fact that Alessia was just a random girl who led a failed revolution against the Cyrodilic peoples, and made up a group of Highland elves as boogeymen to frighten peasants and slaves into joining her army. Am I wrong? Well, no. Any evidence you provide I will dismiss as unreliable narrator, and we can really have no lore discussion whatsoever, as we can’t even agree on basic facts. The lore notes you refer to are presumed true until evidence is provided to believe the note is not true. That’s not unreliable narrator. I agree that having lore presented from a point of view - even a biased one - is very interesting and a good writing tool.

great video, good theory, and easy to listen to.

One of the things I love the most about elder scrolls is stuff like this. The community is, in a sense, part of the universe taking evidence from the games and forming theories and ideas based on it and then discussing them together. The players are also the scholars and researchers that can occasionally be found in books in game.

Did not expect a Bart Ehrman shout out here. 🤣 Great reference, I've always loved the Elder Scrolls lore. I'll have to check out your channel. 😀

The lore in ESO is all over the map, in both quality, purpose, and logic. So I find a singular note like this to be unconvincing. To the point that I prefer the mystery, over the new lore, in this case. But I appreciate the video. Good stuff.

Yeah, you totally convinced me. What a revolution in my understanding of this characterr. And I love the channel, thanks for putting in that time and effort

@theemerdareloth

18 күн бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it!

My take on Miraak being the first _is_ a secret third option. See, if we take that the Last Dragonborn succeeding in sending Alduin back to Akatosh is how this happens, it is unlikely that the Last Dragonborn will be the literal last in history as you said, but that's still the title that one specific Dragon Born has. The Last Dragonborn is called that because of how hopeless a task it seemed to be putting down Alduin; if the LDB didn't succeed, that would be the last to be _known._ No other Dragonborn would survive Alduin's reign, not with how troublesome those who are Dragon Born tend to be. It's the same for Miraak over all. He probably wasn't the literal first ever mortal to be born with a dragon soul. He was just the first guy who figured out his gift well enough to cause a ruckus. He was probably the reason the dragons even have a word for this specific case, at least. Just the first of any note, not the first literally.

As always, loved the video and definitely appreciate a fresh take on some (fairly) stale lore. I somewhat agree with you in my own headcanon of the "First Dragonborn" statement being a lie, but for different reasons. "Dovahkiin" is generally defined as a mortal with the blood and/or soul of a dragon, which becomes interesting if one leans into the idea about Ysgrammor, the Five Hundred Companions, etc from Atmora were actually Dragons - it's been awhile since I read about this theory and I can't remember if it's based on Kirkbride out-of-lore texts or whether it's heavily implied in an ingame text. Regardless what that leads me to consider is the fact that the early Nord settlers were all either dragons, dragons who gained humanoid forms, or somewhere in between. These dragon-nord people would then fit theoretically fit the definition of a Dovahkiin - a mortal with the blood/soul of a dragon. It's not a huge stretch to assume that those such as Miraak and Vahlok would also carry this early Dragonborn blood of the Atmorran settlers and thus Miraak is most certainly not the First Dragonborn, not even the first Dovahkiin Dragon Priest. Anyway, this is all my own personal theory but it's certainly an interesting discussion about who actually was the first Dragonborn, especially considering the pre-Skyrim lore of Alessia being the first to have the Dragon Blood. Either way, loved the video and please keep the lore content coming :)

I’ve always been curious why people say the character on Skyrim is the last dragon born. It’s never said that there will be no more dragon born after you and would be weird that it just randomly stops with you.

Miraak always seemed full of himself, so anything he says should be seen as suspicious.

I am so glad I watched this, it always struck me as weird that miraak would be the first dragonborn like as a kid I was confused about it cuz I thought the first dragonborn (chronologically) would be the first dragonborn ruler person that akatosh blessed or something I honestly don't really remember. Either way really cool vid :3

Alex O'Connor referenced in a Skyrim video. This is like ten years of my KZread viewing making a perfect circle

@theemerdareloth

9 күн бұрын

@jeremyofficer5038 Hell yeah, hope you enjoyed it.

Good research! I liked it. That last bit of text is really funny. “If Bethesda intended him to be the actual first then they did a bad job at establishing it” hahaha. The lore suffers due to bad writing. Good job Bethesda

I've always thought realms of Oblivion, especially Hermaeus Mora's are pockets aside from time (given that Akatosh's influence would not be present within, as well as all the texts Hermaeus has from both the past and the future timelines of Nirn). If we're assuming that Miraak became Dragonborn within Apocrytha, with guidance of Hermaeus Mora, there would not be any sensical chronoligical support for him being the First. We've had Elder Scrolls antagonists and many other characters be outright wrong about certain pieces of information (Mankar Camoran has called Coldharbour the realm of Meridia, likely attributed to his insanity). Miraak is likely not insane, but there is definitely a lot of unfounded pride in himself that seemingly comes from nowhere. Aside from being Dragonborn, Miraak historically has done nothing but lose and is practically imprisoned in Apocrytha. It may sound silly, but I genuinely think calling himself the first (maintaining his pride) may be what's keeping him from going insane from Mora's influence + all the Ls he's taken.

@theemerdareloth

2 ай бұрын

Miraak is the King of Ls

I think its awesome that you found the note in the necrom chapter considering its very recent release! Will you play the golden road expansion? I'm interested in your opinion of Ithelia whenever new info comes out.

@theemerdareloth

3 ай бұрын

Golden Road has intrigued me, I'm interested to see where it leads. Ithelia has the potential to be interesting or really bland, so well just have to see.

Mirak was alive during the dragon war which is when Kyne granted humans the ability to shout. So it makes sense that the first Dragonborn would pop up around the same time.

More historical studies on TES please 💚

@theemerdareloth

2 ай бұрын

I am currently researching and writing the script for the new video. Glad you liked it!

9:42 I've played too much Skyrim, and so i misread "Herma-Mora, an unmistakable analogue" for "Herma-Mora, an unskippable dialogue."

@theemerdareloth

6 күн бұрын

Lol, unskippable dialogue is one of his defining features.

Given that the tongues were able to flatten Alduin with a custom dragon killing shout, and that Mora may not have been "forced" to take Miraak off Solsteim (he could have easily always been planning to do so and simply took the first chance he got) I think its pretty likely Miraak just lost that fight to someone whose voice wasn't "stronger" than his, they simply knew what shouts to use to counter Miraaks

About LDB serving Mora. I wonder how the Daedric Princes are going to share, because LDB can potentially be a champion for all of them, or at least all of the ones used in Skyrim. And if LDB is a werewolf or a vampire, imo, Hircine or Molag Bal have a far more substantial claim to their soul than the old Herma-Mora.

Very well done! Enjoyable listen. I’d love to hear your thoughts on The Sage (Aka Gyron Vardengroet) There’s a few books he’s in/Mentioned etc. one of my favorite characters aside in lore.

@theemerdareloth

2 ай бұрын

I'd love to check it out.

i think the claim is right that he is the first and i can explain why in a bit of a shorter time frame. mainly we know that alduin was suppose to "eat" the world and end the cycle, leading the universe to be born a new. we know that this has happened several times (or at least its implied to have happened). miraak's claim to be the first could simply be that he is the first in THIS cycle and that we the player character are the last of this cycle. being a servant to hermaus mora could give him access to information that we the player character could never access such as how he knew who we are, our estimated kill count of dragons, and if we beat alduin. so he would definitely know if we were the last or just one of many more to come. all im saying is that its easy to buy into the idea that we are simply the last dragonborn for this cycle and that when alduin returns (which we know for a fact he WILL) he will then fulfill his destiny of once again ending the cycle and bringing forth a new one where again dragon blood with be gifted to those who are worthy. its a stretch but its the most simplistic answer that ties in exactly with how bethesda structured the franchise. also it could be that miraak is saying hes the first to realize his ability to steal the souls of dragons and was the first to actually USE that ability to fight them. there could have been many before him they never knew they could slay a dragon and harness the power of their souls and its just that miraak figured it out and rolled with it. and let us not forget that to be a dragonborn you must have the blood of a dragon within you and as the game states OVER AND OVER again that the ability to absorb the soul of a dragon and shout with ease is what identifies you as a dragonborn. so again, miraak could have been near a dragon that died and absorbed its soul and realized that he is indeed that of legend and decided to use that power for evil. its not that hes the first dragonborn but the first to fully utilize the power he had and take the title. if anyone wants to debate this further i am more than happy to discuss it because this is honestly a fun topic and could lead to many new understandings of the lore.

@moviemaker2011z

5 күн бұрын

i just wanted to add that the dragonborn absorbs the souls of the dragons they slay and that those ones cannot be resurrected even by alduin himself and his immense power. because of the age that miraak lived in where people lived day and night serving the dragons its easy to assume nobody ever tried until the war started and miraak just happened to be the one there and discovered he could absorb their souls. its also likely that when alduin couldnt resurrect the ones he absorbed he started to understand that power he had and what he could be capable of. its no doubt that miraak is and will always be evil, he was never a good person at any point in his life. but even he had to have known that if he could get to aludin there was a chance to absorb his soul and harness near ultimate power which would have drove him to wanting to face off against him... i will also add that even if he had thought this it wouldnt have mattered. when we beat alduin we didnt absorb his soul, it went back to akatosh where one day alduin will of course return to do his damn job and there wont be a dragon born to stop him. so even if miraak fought alduin and even if he won, all it would have done was exactly what we did but many years sooner. just figured i would add that because im a doofus and forgot to mention it.

Now I have always argued there are two types of dragonborns: those born with a fragment of Akatosh (and it has to be Akatosh specifically, not Auri-el) in their soul, like a Shezarine but for the time dragon. And those who were decended from Alesia or were recognized by the divines as rightful inheritors of Alesia's covenant.

First video I've seen, and I instantly subscribed. Good stuff, dude. 🤙

He just cites Bart Ehrman just like that. Based.

Interesting angle and theory. Can't say I'm completely onboard, as it just comes across like a very opaque and roundabout way to say it refers to first and last ((servant of Herma Mora)) without saying so directly or even really hinting to it. Especially the Elder Scroll prophecy has no mention of Mora, yet speaks of the dragonborn being the last. It's a reach. Not a bad reach, but a reach nonetheless. Regardless, I really enjoyed the video. Great presentation of the content and your ideas and methods. Would love to see you do more.

@JeFilm94

3 ай бұрын

My personal interpretation is that it is actually as simple as stated. Miraak was the first granted the dragonblood/ soul of a dragon, and the Skyrim main character is the last. Miraak was destined to slay Alduin. I believe that is why he was granted the dragonblood. He turned from that path, and Alduin's slaying was postponed with the use of the Elder Scroll at the Throat of the World. The Last Dragonborn was granted the dragonblood in the time when Alduin was sent to, and by choosing to walk that path he would do what the first dragonborn was destined to do - thereby becoming the last dragonborn. As in the last to be given the task of slaying Alduin, as that was the inital purpose of the dragonborn. I'm keeping this short. I could go on about Alduin as the aspect of end of time, the Aka oversoul, the dragonborn emperors as a separate thing, but also the likelihood of the Empire not returning to what it was, thereby also making it true that there were no more dragonborn rulers, etc.. But that is the essence of it: First, because he got the job. Last, because he finished the job.

I think it helps to understand that there seems to be 2 types of dragonborn, those born with dragon blood (think the emperors) and those with the soul of dragons (us). Now it's impossible for us to be the last to posess the blood of the dragon given in Oblivion it's stated that there are many alive with relation to the Septims and therefore carry their blood, whereas the soul seems directly granted by Akatosh himself.

I think it's quite reasonable to believe that The Last Dragonborn is indeed the last dragonborn, chronologically. If you look at the broader narrative of the Elder Scrolls universe, taking into account the major events of the games, the Prophecy of the Dragonborn, lore about the intentions of the Thalmor, and (if you're so inclined) some Kirkbride texts, it paints a compelling picture that the kalpa we've experienced in the games is coming to a close. There will certainly be more Shezzarine (Lorkhan isn't done with Mundus quite yet), but Auriel's/Akatosh's power wanes.

1. I never expected to see Bart Ehrman in a video game lore video. 2. My college Lit professor asked why we should objectively trust a character's POV. That stuck with me.

Also because the dragon god is the god of time chronologically first and last are both unimportant and potentially up for future in universe revision.

Corner cutting with Bethesda is a strong possibility. There's the simple fact that if you have mods that include dragon shouts like Fus Ro Da for dragon priests due in large part to the way they design dungeons players get stun locked or knocked off walls that instant kill PCs an insane number of times. So removing all but a handful of dragon shouts from dragons and extremely limiting Dragur to just a few shouts like disarm basically was their way of avoiding their own poorly designed dungeon choices or turning up the rage quitting to 100.

The first doesn't matter... Only the last.

For me his quote simply means he is the first GREAT dragonborn. That he is so arrogant that he thinks those that might have come before him are insignificant and unworthy of that title

Sir congratulations to your incredible work. It is a masterpiece about TES Lore

@theemerdareloth

3 ай бұрын

Thank you! This is a topic I've wanted to discuss for a while now so I'm glad you enjoyed it!

I feel more inclined to believe that the Last isnt Last to serve Mora, but rather the Last at that particular time when Alduin returns

I always assumed he was referring to being the first and last dragon born to surpass alduin

As always, I really like your ES-lore vids! Though I can't quite agree with the first meaning that he's the first servant in service. All you're really doing here is shoving two completely different things together ( servant and dragonborn ) as if it's impossible for him to be the first in two different things. Even more so since neither title actually has anything to do with each other. So it feels like a bit of a reach to me? To be fair, I think that while normally 'just because there isn't proof, doesn't mean it didn't happen' works perfectly, I feel it doesn't really hold up in games as much, even in an extremely detailed world like ES. Because 'there's no proof there were others before him' basically translates to, 'there never was any reasons for the writers to have to come up with one', and whether one shows up later to turn Miraak into a liar, or whether Miraak stays the first one, basically depends on the whim of a lorewriter in future games.

@theemerdareloth

8 күн бұрын

@MoonlitTheft Thanks, I'm glad you've enjoyed them! Like I stated before in the video, I think that in all likelihood, Bethesda, in reality, did want Miraak to be the chronological first. However, I'm not a huge fan of your idea that they didn't need to write more for him when one line of dialogue or text from another perspective would've been enough. Take a series like Dark Souls. Dark Souls has almost all of its stories told through the interpretation of items and NPC dialogue. Yet, even still, I have a better idea of who Gwyn was in that series than who Miraak is supposed to be in Skyrim. Bethesda did a poor job establishing him as The First Dragonborn in my eyes, and, if you take away anything from this video, I would hope it to be that, egardless of if you agree with him being the First Servant or not. Again though, thank you for the comment, always love to see people engaging with the material.

Have you ever questioned “Whether Miraak WAS Dragonborn”? The Dragonborn gets his power to be a dragon-lich from Akatosh. Miraak gets it from Hermae’s four worded shout. Miraak was probably just trying to MANTLE the Dragonborn. He was a opportunist driven to be master of his own fate. At the end of the day, and since I first played the Dragonborn DLC, that’s what I’ve always thought and perceived the story as.

Considering how many draugr can use Thuum, I find it pretty unlikely that Dragon Priests couldn't in the lore, even if they can't in game. I also think it's a leap to say Vahlok beating Miraak means he must have similar or greater skill with shouts. There are plenty of enemies in Skyrim who can kill you without shouts.

The last dragonborn doesn't necessarily have the blood of a dragon (15:05), but he possesses the soul of one. The last dragon-blood that possessed the blood of a dragon was Martin, which he used his blood to become the avatar of Akatosh and drive Mehrunes Dagon out, preventing him from merging his realm with the player's. Good video though

@ravindunandirathna1600

2 ай бұрын

LDB has the blood of Dragon. That's how he opens the seal of sky heaven temple. Further more Arengir, Paarthurnax and even gods like Tsun says the LDB has dragon blood.

@anti-lifeequation1683

2 ай бұрын

​@@ravindunandirathna1600 Some of these people need to know their lore before they start to think about cooking.

@MultiSpeedMetal

24 күн бұрын

When was the last time you replayed Skyrim’s main quest? You’re just blatantly wrong. We can argue about whether some Dragonborn only have the blood while another type has blood and soul (I think that’s bullshit) but at the very least both have the dragon blood.

@truerebel5467

11 күн бұрын

No, there are two types of dragonborn. The ones that are gifted with the blood (either by pact or being an offspring) and the ones that have both blood and soul (True dragonborn which are prophesized, Wulfharth, Tiber Septim, Miraak, TLD). It's even obvious when you kill miraak because after you slay him you take his soul and guess what happens? He disintegrates like every other dragon.

On the whole "last" dragonborn thing, I think it could be in reference to slaying Miraak as well even if Miraak isn't mentioned but it would make him the last dragonborn in a sense, maybe the last of his time, you do also slay a third "dragonborn" or stop their attempt at returning if you take Potema into consideration. But also time is wonky in the elder scrolls to begin with, especially where dragons are concerned.

@colbunkmust

2 ай бұрын

I don't think there's any lore stating Potema is a dragonborn. She's a necromancer, and a descendent of Tiber Septim, but that doesn't mean she's been blessed by Akatosh. She can shout, but so can many other non-DB characters in Skyrim, most notably the Greybeards and Ulfric Stormcloak.

@swamite5553

2 ай бұрын

@@colbunkmust True, maybe it's because it's been so long since I read up on that lore and the war of the red diamond but I could have sworn she temporarily becomes empress or wears the amulet of kings, I'll have to read up on it again, though I will say I imagine being a descendant of Tiber certainly must help with the whole learning process when it comes to shouts and I doubt the Grey Beards would take her in. I guess there are those old shouting schools in lore that never come up though.

> miraak isn't the first just because he said so ok is there any evidence to suggest otherwise ? > uhhh

@theemerdareloth

10 күн бұрын

@@roozbeh6999 The point is there's no evidence supporting it either.

@roozbeh6999

10 күн бұрын

​@@theemerdareloth there's more evidence supporting him being the first , the only thing backing up your theory is that he " may " have lied .

@1001pierre

9 күн бұрын

@@theemerdareloth Herma Mora states him to be the first. Thats pretty much all the evidence you need.

@theemerdareloth

9 күн бұрын

@1001pierre Here's a link to Mora's UESP page. Every line of dialogue that Hermaeus Mora states in Skyrim is listed here. Feel free to search for one time Mora calls Miraak the First Dragonborn. It's okay that you don't like my theory. It's just for fun at the end of the day. And in all likelihood, Miraak IS supposed to be the literal First Dragonborn in the timeline. But Bethesda did not historically corroborate this fact. No one else other than Miraak says anything about him being the First to do anything, and the point is that, in real life, people lie, and that's a real question that must be considered when you do history.

Honestly i always thought it was weird that he calls himself first. I alway thought St. Alessia was the first dragon born. Though most dragon born emperors can't shout if I'm not mistaken

This is a little off topic, but I've had thoughts about the nature of the Elder Scrolls and their prophecies. I think their prophecies basically describe what is supposed to be Elder Scrolls canon, but due to the open nature of the games, the player can choose to ignore the main quest and do their own thing. This is why I think it's said that the "falsehoods" of the Elder Scrolls are also true. Because it's up to the player whether they'll play as a Dragonborn and defeat Alduin or ignore the main quests and become a Dark Brotherhood murderer instead. The Elder Scrolls are kind of a meta device, in my opinion.

Miraak is full of poop. If he told me it was raining I should want to look out of the window to check for myself.

Tl:dr “First Dragonborn” could mean: The 1st chronologically An honorific title I.e first as in the most powerful or “first among the Dragonborn” Some other third meaning. This main issue is Dragonborn could have had different meanings throughout history, as we can’t confirm if people like Reman or Alesia could absorb dragon souls. To me it seems like capital D Dragonborn are always significant to history in some way, with TLD being one such main character. People with dragon blood will probably exist after TLD, but likely won’t ever be in the spotlight in the same way again.

The whole Hermeaus Mora stuff makes no sense at all. There is no reason to believe that the titles of "First Servant" and "First Dragonborn" have any connection at all. "First Servant" clearly just means highest servant of Hermaeus Mora, as you have already mentioned that "first" is often used in this way. I see no connection between the two titles. Also, it is true that just by him calling himself the "First Dragonborn", we do not actually know what use of the word "first" Miraak meant, but the quote goes "And so the First Dragonborn meets the Last Dragonborn at the summit of Apocrypha," which, by usage of both "first" and "last" implies to me that he actually means this in a chronological sense. So, is he actually the chronological first Dragonborn? Maybe. He could, of course, be lying, or he could really be the first Dragonborn, or maybe he is the first Dragonborn to his own knowledge. Maybe "First Dragonborn" is just a way to say "First Known Dragonborn", or "First Recorded Dragonborn".

Dude these Elder scrolls lore videos are legit

An interesting theory to be sure, but I think sometimes the simplest explanation fits best. The "last" dragonborn might simply refer to the player character being the most recent dragonborn. He is the last of the current existing dragonborns. We can see the word "last" used like this in our world all the time. One example I found was on the NASA page for Eugene A. Cernan, where it describes him as being "the last human to leave his footprints on the lunar surface.". This doesn't have to mean that no human will ever walk on the moon again. Miraak's title of "first" might serve only to distinguish himself from the player character. Between the two, Miraak was undoubtedly first to be recognized as dragonborn.

@theemerdareloth

18 күн бұрын

I like that thought.

You should do a lore video on Akaviir.

Kicked his ass, and like the Highlander THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE!

Miraak could be a pseudo dragonborn/half dragonborn his lust for power could have led to him doing a ritual getting some dragonborn like abilities/powers could explain how he lost to vahlok the jailor

The Septim dynasty down threw Martin at supposed to be Heirs of Akotosh with Tiber Septim/ Talos being the son whom started that line. Kinda a "Heracles" deal why that dose not mean they were the only Simular descendants we do in some telling have Heraclese crossing paths with some of his not yet full God's half siblings notable the twins Polis & Kaster. So would there not be references in the further lore if Talos had encountered a half Brother named Merack?

Whether or not Miraak was the literal first Dragonborn ever, I think the player character in Skyrim is the last. If for no other reason then because Bethesda wanted Dragon Shouts to be a gimmick specific to Skyrim, rather than a series staple going forward. Even if we get something similar, like Sword Dancing, I don't think Dragon Shouts themselves will return as a core mechanic. If they REALLY wanted to have another Dragonborn, however, they still have a couple of options without contradicting the prophecy. They could do a prequel, a midquel, they could jump to a different Kalpa altogether... IMO, an Elder Scrolls taking place in a previous or future Kalpa could be very interesting. For those who don't know, the Elder Scrolls universe has a cyclical nature of birth, destruction, and rebirth. A Kalpa is one incarnation of the world, which is intended to end at some point with Alduin swallowing it. After that, there's a reset, with a new Kalpa. The Redguards, as well as a race of "Lefthanded Elves," are from the previous Kalpa, somehow avoiding Alduin's destruction. After defeating Alduin, we're told that the player was unable to absorb Alduin's soul because he is destined to return one day and fulfill his duty. Alduin was a villain not because he was supposed to destroy the world, but because he didn't, and he chose to rule over mortals with an iron thumb instead.

Thought alesia was the first draginborn cronologically was given that blessing along with the amulet of kings from akatosh

elder scrolls lore is magnificent and extreamly godlike ! and i dont care if miraak was lying i still like him ! and i appreaciate this awesome video as well it adds much more to the lore analysis

@theemerdareloth

2 ай бұрын

Glad you liked it!

i always theorized tat Akavir was "dragon people" wo worshiped Akatosh . I'm assuming is a reason they searched for the Dovakiin

If theres one thing I learned from reddit in r/teslore is that things are canon if you can find them in the game. Sure we can use IRL procedures but imo this could just stretch things like this video. Do I believe he was the first dragonborn? Yes. why? We have in game sources. Plus the thing is, Dragonborns arent dragonborns because they can shout which is used a lot in here. They are dragonborns because they can absorb dragonsouls. Now are there any other recorded in game resources who absorbed dragonsouls other than miraak? Afaik none.

I assumed First was being used as a title of honor. Like First Lady being a presidents wife and not literally the first lady in existence. Or aomeone being called First Citizen of a place way older than they are. Its a title to show their importance.

I think in 2011 the Last Dragonborn was supposed to be the literal last dragonborn, in 2012 Miraak was probably the literal first dragonborn. But as we've seen with ESO profit will come before lore every time, so it wouldn't be surprising if Bethesda/Zenimax retconned it to sell more pixels in the crown store.

@theemerdareloth

2 ай бұрын

"Sell more pixels on the Crown Store" is a phrase in going to have to adopt soon here.

epic lore dump, maybe dagoth ur next :)

I know of one Dragonborn who could be considered a servant of Hermaeus Mora. Just so that the second dragonborn to serve Mora isn't also the last. That'd be lame. Potema. Potema was a Daedra worshipping necromancer AND a member of the Septim bloodline! She was dragonborn! It should be noted that she has access to the thu'um. None of the Septims bar Tiber could wield the thu'um, as they never killed any dragons, nor sought out the Greybeards for teaching. This means that Potema could've been granted the power to wield the thu'um by none other than Hermaeus Mora in exchange for doing some of his bidding!

Bro brought out Bart Ehrman for an Elder Scrolls video. Savage.

Words are powerfull in the elderscrolls world as we can see with the voice. So perhaps the tital of dragonborn has a greater meaning that we do not know and as such it is not needed anymore

I genuinely doubt that Bethesda thought so much into it as Miraak lying about being the first Dragonborn. I find it much more likely that, as with the majority of Skyrim’s depiction of TES lore, they just forgot/retconned pre-established material for the sakes of a “cool story.” When something like Dragonbreaks, essentially in-universe retcons, are introduced into a medium, you start to see how lazy the writers are at keeping everything straight.