The Elder Scrolls series is home to some of the richest lore, extensive world-building, and groundbreaking events in fiction. Most are intricate, even more can be mind-numbingly confusing, and yet all are very important to The Elder Scrolls’ universe. There is one, however, that fits all three categories. A phenomena that occurs in the rarest of circumstances, and whose aftermath leaves avenues of various paradoxes, circumstances, and a complete change of fate and destiny. That event is called a Dragon Break.
A Dragon Break is one of the most complex, confusing, yet most significant events in The Elder Scrolls lore. It is a unique occurrence that has been referenced throughout the ages of Nirn’s history, and one that has been the subject of much debate among the various scholars and philosophers in Tamriel. Some believe it to be real, others to be a made-up fantasy in a world ironically made of fantasies. But for the latter, they are mistaken. A Dragon Break is indeed real, along with all the information and circumstances pertaining to it.
A Dragon Break is the Shattering of Time and Space
Breaking Time Itself
To even begin to unravel the complexities of a Dragon Break, it’s important first to understand where the term comes from. The term Dragon Break is attributed to Akatosh, one of if not the most prominent gods in The Elder Scrolls. As Akatosh is widely regarded as the dragon god of time, to break time is to break the dragon, hence the term ‘Dragon Break’. As far as breaking time goes, it is something that sounds completely incomprehensible, not to mention impossible. But in the realm of Mundus, the latter at least is not so much the case.
- A Dragon Break is attributed to Akatosh, the Dragon God of Time
- It is a phenomenon in which time is shattered during a unique time, place, and event
- A Dragon Break is comprised of multiple unique scenarios and conclusions, all of which happen at the same time in correlation with each other
At its core and most basic function, a Dragon Break is the literal shattering of the flow of time. It breaks the usually linear timeline of a particular time or place and forces it into a shattered state. In this state, time and space are distorted, fragmented into multiple segments that lead into various changes and fates, all of which happen all at once, at the same time. This is only the beginning of the rabbit hole, as a Dragon Break is the catalyst for what the real world describes as a paradox.
With this unique phenomenon, all the events that take place within it, even though they are at different points in time, happen at the same time and in the same place. Different outcomes, timelines, and events can all happen simultaneously, creating multiple realities that overlap with each other. And the kicker? Once this event is over and time is eventually ‘mended'(if one can call it that), all events that happened within it are considered to be true and occurrent.
The Cause of a Dragon Break Involves a Unique and Unnatural Series of Events
Breaking the Normal Flow
As for what causes a Dragon Break, that is a matter of great debate. The unique circumstances that instigate it are, for the most part, unknown. However, there is one main factor that is common and held in correlation for all Dragon Break to occur: that the events or actions in a specific place and time are those which disrupt the natural order of the world, whether that involves meddling in divine affairs or attempting to change reality itself.
- The events that cause a Dragon Break to occur tend to involve events that disrupt the natural order of the world and reality itself
- The Numidium, a construct made from divine artifacts, is tied heavily into the circumstances that involve a Dragon Break
A common trigger of the Dragon Breaks also involves the Numidium, a unique and powerful construct that was made with divine power. Wherever a Dragon Break has occurred, the Numidium has mostly – if not always – been a central theme of the phenomenon’s occurrence. This is evidenced through multiple points in Tamrielic history where a Dragon Break has occurred, such as the Red Moment, the Tiber Wars, and the Warp in the West.
There Have Been Multiple Dragon Breaks Throughout Tamriel's History
Time With No Limit
Despite their rarity and the complex prerequisites for them to occur, Dragon Breaks are a well-known phenomenon in The Elder Scrolls universe. In fact, there have been quite a few instances – recorded or rumored – of Dragon Breaks occurring throughout the series’ timeline. Each one, in some form or other, has had both a deep and profound effect upon Nirn and its people.
The first, and perhaps most widely known, instance of a Dragon Break would be during the events of The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall. In this title, after the assassination of the king of Daggerfall and the activation of the Numidium, a Dragon Break occurred, one that split the realm of Daggerfall into multiple timelines, all coalescing with each other and – as per the unique effects of a Dragon Break – happening at the exact same time and the exact same moment.
These various timelines resulted in multiple unique endings, all of which changed the fate of Daggerfall, its people, and potentially all of Nirn itself. The conclusions of these timelines vary with different results, from epic battles being waged across the country to a necromancer becoming a literal god. This entire circumstance and unique happening(s) would become known as the Warp in the West or the Miracle of Peace.
- There have been multiple Dragon Breaks recorded in Tamriel’s history
- The Warp in the West divided the fate of Daggerfall into eight unique timelines
- The Red Moment is a period of Morrowind’s history whose events are shrouded in mystery to this day
- The Middle Dawn was Nirn’s biggest, longest, and most devastating Dragon Break
Another recorded instance of a Dragon Break dates back to the First Era, dubbed the Red Moment. During this time, it involved Sotha Sil, Vivec, and Almalexia – these three would later be known as the Tribunal Gods of Morrowind – Nerevar, Dagoth, and most importantly, the Numidium and the Heart of Lorkhan. During the Red Moment, a multitude of events occurred, all of which are still discussed in the present day.
These accounts involve whether or not Dagoth was killed, the disappearance of the Dwemer, whether or not Nerevar was killed by Dagoth’s hands or the Tribunal’s, and much more. The exact truth of what happened during the Red Moment is still unknown, and many scholars in Tamriel still debate whether all that happened during this event constitutes a Dragon Break. But considering all that is known about the phenomenon, it’s likely that it was indeed so.
And then, there’s the Middle Dawn. The Middle Dawn was one of the other Dragon Breaks that occurred in the First Era, and it was the longest. Lasting over one thousand years, the Middle Dawn was a unique occurrence that began when a peculiar – not to mention fanatical – sect of the Alessian Order at the time labored to remove certain aspects of the Dragon God Akatosh.
This action, extreme and arrogant as it was, resulted in the breaking of the Staff of Towers and culminated into Tamriel’s not only longest Dragon Break, but also its most devastating. A mass multitude of timelines came from the Middle Dawn, all of which were as wild as they were chaotic.
The Dragon Break was so massive that not even the Elder Scrolls, artifacts whose sole capability is to look back through all time, could find any instance of the Break occurring – much less interpret it. To sum up, a Dragon Break is the literal breaking of time. One that invites a plethora of complex, unique, and downright convoluted avenues. And all of which lead to the same time, the same place, and yet for each one an entirely different conclusion.
