Ok, let me say first, I started the Elder Scrolls with Morrowind, continuing with Oblivion and now Skyrim. Until Skyrim, I played characters of most of the races and had no issues building them however I felt that they 'fit' into the world of the game.

I have played only Nords in Skyrim, I have to admit they are my favorite. After reading some recent threads, I decided to make an elf, and was going to do a dark elf, but it was very late, I was tired, and picked high elf. I did realize quickly what I did, but thought what the heck, why not? I did not plan to really play it, just wanted to see what I could make one look like, and think on it before playing, and then thought what the heck again. Now, I chose to make this person a slightly unscrupulous character, but not evil.

The thing that is bothering me now, (besides trying to keep her alive and stick with the build I planned!) is I can't seem to wrap my mind around this person becoming the Dragonborn. I know some would say don't do it then, but there is only so much of the game I can play without doing it.

How in the name of Talos, even with the fact that this character can't stand her own people, can this high elf truly be the Dragonborn? If I can't figure a way to justify it (because I do role play) then this may be the shortest lived character I've ever had in TES. The only thing I can think of is that there must have been some uhm, hanky panky intermingling going on in her family in the past, but that seems so trite and cliche`.

I am not the most knowledgeable in the lore btw.

Thoughts???

Easy its up to Akatosh. If Akatosh wants the dragonborn to be a high elf it will be a high elf if he wants it to be a khajiit the dragonborn will be a khajiit. Being dragonborn is not always hereditary.

Akatosh is the one who decides if someone is born a dragonborn since they are born with a dragonsoul.

According to "The Book of the Dragonborn" being a Dragonborn is a blessing from Akatosh and it is beyond our understanding how and why it is bestowed.

You are both so correct, and I certainly wasn't seeing the obvious!! Definitely a case of tunnel vision that I never thought of that! THANKS!

(I think I need a vacation now )

Edit: I still find it strange, but I think I can work with this now.

Akatosh has his reasons. You could say that he did it on your character specifically, regardless of race. Or that he did it on a High Elf just to laugh at the Nords. Or he that he made an Altmer dragonborn so that the Nords wouldn't hate the entire Altmer race when the Thalmor were inevitably defeated (if they weren't, the world would end), by having an Altmer be a hero of the Nords to show them that not all of them were bad. You can use any other reasoning you like.