Most of MK's work is considered Semi-canon, Bethesda even puts some his stuff into the game.

I like the story but there is info missing. He was a dragon priest and rebelled. He was defeated by another dragon priest they referred to as "the Jailer" and imprisoned on Solstheim. I think after that he used HM to gain greater power to comeback and take over Solstheim and the world. Unfortunately deals with Deadric Princes rarely go as planned and he was looking for a way to escape. He used his cultists and the power of the stones to come back.

Not a bad story, I wish they gave us more of the back story. In books maybe? (maybe they did and I did not find it)

This http://www.uesp.net/wiki/General:Michael_Kirkbride should help.

Disappointed? Not in the slightest. The twist that Miraak was under Hermaeus Mora's influence was probably one of the best twists I've seen in this game since about 3/4 through the Dark Brotherhood questline.

The fact that Miraak was under control shows that no mere mortal, not even a Dragonborn, can resist the temptation and influence of the Daedra. He sought that forbidden knowledge for his own benefit, and he thought of himself as invincible. In the end, he finally realized that he was not and had to pay for it. If anything, this seems to be foreshadowing to the hypothetical fate of the PC, should he become a champion of a Daedra (or more than just one).

It's more of a tragic story, really. Although I do wish they would have gone more into detail as to Miraak's backstory, I do like how Bethesda left it up to interpretation.

I find that his ambiguity is a strength, who knows what his motives were, they could have been noble.

They weren't. He says that Hakon and other ancient Nords wanted his help to fight Alduin and the dragons, but he chose not to out of his own selfish reasoning.

I am pretty sure we can rule out Noble. He corrupted the minds of the people as well as the stones to achieve his will. The lack of info does give it to us to come up with a conclusion.

I agree there is something to be said for the mystery.

Its said that he found something out about the dragons, and he then rebelled.
It could have been how bad they were treating the nords.

The Dragon Priests were mistreating the Nords, not the Dragons.

Both were, and some dragon priests were noble, The warden and Otar were known to be noble and kind.

The Dragons had very little to do with the Dragon Cult, they left the Priests by and large to their own devices. Otar the Mad was most definitely not noble and kind. You don't get a nickname like 'the Mad' for being noble or kind. Nor would honest folk go to great lengths to keep him locked away.

The Dragon Priests mistreated the Nords, the Nords rebelled and after the Priests had failed to put down the rebellion, the Dragons were forced to intervene.

He was originally noble, but went mad after losing a battle.

Most of the priests were good before they suddenly weren't. Perhaps this is tied to Miraak.. don't know.

I'm trying really hard not to type this in all caps, but... SINCE WHEN DO TENTACLES ALWAYS MEAN [censored] HENTAI

Since the first day the Internet was open to the public.

Since the Japanese got their sick, horny little hands on the Internet, that is.

On Topic: If Miraak is brainwashing people in the "present" to have them build monuments to him, then I'm left to assume that he did the same to people back when he first gained his power. I don't think that he was a great guy, because he seems very arrogant and full of himself.

He was probably a decent guy before being seduced by Mora, more like a tragic figure. His name is "allegiance guid", which sounds pretty nice

EDIT: Weird double post.

Yeah, possibly. If my "timeline" that I suggested is accurate, then that would fit.

Yeah, the dragon cult as a whole wasn't bad until they suddenly shifted. We see Vahlok being regarded as a good figure and the Skaal are an off-shoot remnant of the Dragon cultist. Wish we had a timeline for the Merethic Era...

I think that what I am quoting below should provide sufficient illumination, as regards both the "origin" of Miraak and his relationship with Hermaeus Mora, why Hermaeus Mora is the true antagonist of this expansion, and perhaps shed a little light on what may be coming down the pike with a future expansion.

"The Daedra are still strong and "incorruptible." They created the Daedric Realms in Oblivion, with all the inhabitants, the lesser Daedra. The Daedra were pleased of what they had done, but sometimes they looked with envy over the Mortal Realm. They found that the ambitions and the passions of mortals are sometimes entertaining and beyond their expectation. The actions and thoughts of mortals are different than the minions they created. Thus do the Daedra court and seduce certain amusing specimens of the Mortal Races, especially the passionate and powerful. It was also another satisfaction for the Daedra to steal or corrupt anything that the Aedra had created."

What I get from this:

1. Miraak was created by Akatosh.
2. Hermaeaus Mora corrupted/seduced him, by giving him hidden knowledge.
3. This is pleasing to Hermaeaus Mora, for the above stated reasons.
4. Miraak is all grown up and is no longer the cute little pet he once was.
5. Hermaeaus Mora uses the targeting of the last Dragonborn to his advantage:
A. Hermaeaus Mora could have killed Miraak at any time.
B. Hermaeaus Mora acts as the key for the last Dragonborn's defeat of Miraak.
C. This binds the last Dragonborn to Hermaeaus Mora, although it may not be desired by the last Dragonborn.
D. This is accomplished through the granting of abilities and the killing of MIraak - (read - overt threat to new Dragonborn, who could suffer similar fate.)
E. Hermaeaus Mora maintains a prize pet - the creation of Akatosh.
6. This could possibly be a build-up to an all out conflict between Akatosh and Hermaeaus Mora, in which the Dragonborn decides who he sides with.
7. The struggle between Anu and Padomay - Aedra and Daedra - Man and Mer.

Just my thoughts. - Tommy Truck

My apologies. I am pulling this from here: http://www.imperial-library.info/content/guide-daedra

Weeellll if we are a shezzarine it doesn't really matter what Hermaeus Mora wants anyways

Miraak was most likely created by Aka, yes, but the fact that he's a power-hungry borderline psychopath is simply a sign that he is indeed Dragonborn. Just speak to Paarthurnax on the matter, most dragons are like that, including the Dragonborn. The Dragonborn are not fathered by the benevolent compromise that is Alessia's Akatosh.

If only it contained more on Miraak...
He could have been an Insanely interesting Character, but there wasn't much on him.
The book "The Guardian and the Traitor" (I think it's called that anyways) mentions a little bit on Miraak, but not enough to make him sound Epic, as he was Hyped up to be.

In my opinion, Neloth is the most interesting Characer yet.

While I did enjoy the MQ immensely, I would've liked to see more dragonborn lore and content in the dlc. It feels dirty that the very first of all the dragonborn is so closely tied to Hermaeus Mora. His tentacles slithered in and tainted our lineage.