Dragonknight - Nord or Imperial based on lore?

Eleven13 · February 2020

Hey guys,

I like to pick race/class combos that are as lore fitting as possible, because it adds to my immersion and I end up enjoying the characters more.

A few have been easy decisions, like altmer sorcerer, breton templar, and khajiit/dunmer nightblade.

But DKs have me torn. I’ve narrowed it down to either Nord or imperial, but my TES lore knowledge isn’t deep enough to help to finalize the choice.

On one hand, Nord seems to fit well due to their racial symbol being a dragon, Skyrim being dragon centric in general, and it being a warrior style class. Though I’m not sure how much the fire magic and akaviri portions fit.

For imperial, they intermixed with the akaviri, and the symbol for the empire is also a dragon along with imperials making up most of the blades, being the former dragonguard. Though with imperials I’m not sure if culturally they have the same sort of ties to dragons as Nords seem to.

So from a lore standpoint, which race do you guys feel fits dragonknight best? And for the one you don’t think fits, what would be a better fitting class for them?

Thanks!

gepe87 · February 2020

Akaviri races. Unfortunatly unavailable

Highlor3 · February 2020

gepe87 wrote: »

Akaviri races. Unfortunatly unavailable

Thank the Divines is unavailable! Zones would be filled with Tsaesci that would look like another Akaviri invasion.

Nevasca · February 2020

gepe87 wrote: »

Akaviri races. Unfortunatly unavailable

Not really, Dragonknights are based on Akaviri magic, as in mer and men tried to copy/mirror them.

As for the OP, technically every race would be lore friendly. Nothing stops any race from learning any kind of spell. Dunmers fit thematically, but any race any class is lore friendly.

Eleven13 · February 2020

Littlebluelizard wrote: »

gepe87 wrote: »

Akaviri races. Unfortunatly unavailable

Not really, Dragonknights are based on Akaviri magic, as in mer and men tried to copy/mirror them.

As for the OP, technically every race would be lore friendly. Nothing stops any race from learning any kind of spell. Dunmers fit thematically, but any race any class is lore friendly.

Thanks, I know you could find a reason for any race/class combo, but I wasn’t sure if there’s a specific race that would be more likely to be a DK given their culture or history.

And I know Dunmer are proficient with fire magic, but do they have any history with dragons?

dazee · February 2020

Shalidor was a Nord. Racial sterotypes are fun but breaking them is fun as well. A Breton can be as powerful a mage as an altmer, less likely sure, Altmer have far more time to practice, but ruling it out is silly.

PrayingSeraph · February 2020

Nord, Imperial and Dunmer are all equally valid for what you are looking for OP

VaIerius · February 2020

Imperials are by far the most lore-friendly race to be Dragonknights. The Akaviri heavily influenced Imperial culture and interbred with the Imperials, with the result of many Imperials now having some Akaviri blood. Dragonknights are found amongst the ranks of the Imperial Legion, as this book details. The Imperials also certainly have connections to dragons, just think about most Dragonborn being Imperials, the Dragonfires, the Dragon imagery in Imperial banners, the employment of the dragon Nahfahlaar by Tiber Septim, Cyrodiil literally being referred to as 'Dragon-Empire' and Imperials being referred to as 'Dragon-Born'. Nords are a close second to be Dragonknights, since Akaviri influence was likely strongest around Pale Pass (where the Akaviri surrendered after they were defeated by Reman Cyrodiil). There is also a book that details a Nord Dragonknight.

ghastley · February 2020

A lot depends on whether you see a Dragonknight as being a knight that fights against dragons, or with them. Against would take you in the Blades/Akaviri direction, and with perhaps to Nords. The Blades were a mixture of races in the single-player games, so that may not help much.

Aigym_Hlervu · February 2020

Direct answer in the lore:
"One of these was a former Dragonguard whose name is now lost, and is known only to this chronicler as the Grandmaster. He took it upon himself to ensure that the martial and mystical arts of the old Akaviri would survive into the new and turbulent Second Era. However, he would teach his skills only on condition that those he taught would go on to teach others. This was the origin of those whom we now call "the Dragon Knights."

- Legacy of the Dragonguard by Kiasa-Veda, the Chronicler of Blades.

There are neither race restrictions nor preferences and thus your question, giving two equally possible options to choose, is a bit incorrect.

===========
Some optional thoughts:
I gave my definition of a character classe earlier, here I repeat it again to those who are interested: a character's class is a predefined complex of skills and knowledge, a result of a particular course of study which grants a character the ability to perform certain functions within the social division of in-game labour in any system so that a character may specialize (specialization). In other words, game class is a type of education a character acquires. For example, characters with a Sorcerer education can become healers, a tanks, enchanters, soldiers, scholars, etc. It's only the matter of certain skills they use, their views, beliefs and.. some economic demands - the benefits of some educational programs may be changed from patch to a patch, so some skills are better in some spheres of activity, the others are worse.

So I think this is why the in-Game description of the Dragonknight class tells us about skills and knowledge only: These skillful masters-at-arms use the ancient Akaviri martial arts tradition of battle-spirit, and wield fearsome magic that pounds, shatters and physically alters the world around them.

Unlike the real life situation, the in-game education is free (affordable to everyone), people can choose their attributes (certain exams IRL are used to define those attributes before a candidate makes into the system of higher educational institutions) and different races have different advantages and disadvantages regarding those attributes. For example, agility is the primary attribute for a waiter, but intellect is the one for a lawyer. A waiter with a formidable intellect won't make his work any better just the same way as a formidable strength won't make better work results for a lawyer. This is why I fancy your concept of lore-wise race-class combos is a bit incorrect. Shalidor was a Nord, Almalexia's guards (Her Hands) are Dunmer, Altmer proved themselves to be the most effective warriors by the 4E 201.. So those Altmer sorcerer, Breton templar.. Even an Argonian Sorcerer can join the Ordinator Order of the Almalexia's Hands - this too would be absolutely lore-friendly. Read my Guide to Join the Ordinators Faction in ESO to know how to do that. So.. this all is not that simple.

Ajaxandriel · February 2020

Imperial is the most legit as the nearest legacy of the (Tsaesci) Akaviri

Nords doesn't match that much I guess, no more no less than other races... Indeed there was a more recent Akaviri invasion, but it was the Kamal, that I don't know for practicing the dragon magic especially...

Anyway, any race is suitable. For example, all the city guards of any race seem to have a basic learning in dragonknight skills.

(You could also fanfic' your own background. Redguard legacy from the Hiradirge (earth-breakers) of the ancient Empire of Yokuda, Bosmer who is a Mehrunes Dagon cultist, ...)

Faulgor · March 2020

I'll say the second most fitting after Imperial is actually Khajiit. Surprising, I know.

But it was the Khajiit who gave the remaining Akaviri (Tsaesci) refuge after they were expelled by Attrebus after the fall of the Potentate. As we know from the Elsweyr chapter, they also housed remnants of the Dragonguard. It's likely that some of the Akaviri taught the ways of the Dragon Knights to their new hosts, as they once did to the Imperials.