Well, true, but I can't help but think of how many of Hermaeus Mora's boons you can receive from the Black Books throughout the dlc, and my mind is drawn to the example of Kodlak and his ties to Hircine. He was able to be freed, and his tie seems more powerful than the ties that HM has to the PC, but still. That seems to be how HM lures a mortal into his service: lots lof little tidbits that keep you coming back for more. When do you become his servant? At what point are you so inextricably bound to HM that his claim over your soul is absolute?

As for his being an incarnation of Lorkhan, how do you figure? I understand that he's dragonborn, but that's a special gift given by Akatosh (or potentially inherited in special cases like the line of Tiber Septim). I do agree, though, that his will is enough to resist HM's influence, but I suppose my question is how much and how long can he resist? I simply find it suspicious how easily Hermaeus Mora allows you to leave his realm so freely. Ostensibly, it's to let you be his representative or champion on Nirn, but he basically hands you the keys to Apocrypha at the end, and with each Black Book you find and read. Why would he allow such a powerful mortal such freedom unless he knew that mortal's soul was his? A daedra does have eternity to wait...

Not unrelated, but a little off topic.

Why does everyone get upset when someone, be them HM or just a follower, lands the final blow? It's not like they're stealing xp or getting the best loot or anything, Skyrim is single player. You know you were there helping kill whatever it was, does not landing that last blow wound peoples pride or something?

I'd give it to Jygalag for raw power with Molag Bal as second. However, Hermaeous Mora is arguably more dangerous than either considering he knows almost everything. Knowledge is power after all. He most likely knows of a strategy for taking down every other Prince save Sheogorath.

Sheogorath is the only Prince that I see havering a shot at him because he is completely unpredictable. How can you determine the fate of somebody that literally can take fate and turn it into a song bird.
Sheogorath is also possibly as strong or stronger than Jygalag, considering he is basically a corrupt form of him that gained its own personality. He managed to defeat him during the Greymarch as well. (It was in their shared realm so you can't use the argument that being in SI gave him an advantage) The only reason he seemed mortal after Shivering Isles is to keep the gameplay balanced. (Even then, you get a spell that essentially prevents you from dying)

So I think:
Sheogorath>Hermaeous Mora>Jygalag>Molag Bal>Merunes Dagon>Boethia>others>Peyite.

It cheapens the experience and the purpose of the journey. This was supposed to be the first versus the last Dragonborn; not a tag team side show.

I would say that the COC probably seems mortal at first because the mantling probably takes a few decades to fully transform them, he seems to be of reasonable power by the time you meet him in Skyrim. I would say that despite Jygalag (and by extension sheogorath) have raw power, Hermaeus mora is above the rest in the sense he seems to have completely bipassed the idea of a corporal form, I get the others just choose to have them but it makes be think that maybe he is just too powerful to be contained in a mortal form, even just as an aspect.

No, it's a nice humbling plot device and a minor twist. You, for all intents and purposes, still defeated Miraak.

Well, yeah, Miraak is still defeated. That's not the [censored] point.

Yes it is. You still are the reason why Mora was in position to steal it, it still was a first versus last battle.. Mora just got one shot in when Miraak was basically at the point of death.. a shot which he kind of had the right to (you were inside his realm nd Miraak was a devout worshiper and you are his champion). It's not like you can't take credit for killing him anymore.. I like how Mora killed him, because Mora is the enemy in this DLC, not Miraak.

To each their own, of course. I'm confident everything will be resolved in a final DLC so I'm not too wrapped up in the result of Dragonborn I guess. Lots of questions still abound though.

That's what concerns me a bit. DLCs in the Elder Scrolls games usually are standalone (Tribunal is not connected to Bloodmoon, Nights of the Nine is not connected to Shivering Isles, and Dawnguard isn't connected to Dragonborn), so it seems probable that if there is another 'big' stroy driven DLC for Skyrim, that it would be unconnected to Dragonborn. Hope it is in a way connected, though.

The easiest way is to become a god, probably through mantling.. doesn't have to be related to Mora.

If the easiest way is apotheosis, what is the hardest way?

The easiest way is to become a god, probably through mantling.. doesn't have to be related to Mora.

I'll be honest (and I know not everyone will agree here ), but I'd love for something like this to happen.

Dreaming Mora out of existence, or something..

That's what concerns me a bit. DLCs in the Elder Scrolls games usually are standalone (Tribunal is not connected to Bloodmoon, Nights of the Nine is not connected to Shivering Isles, and Dawnguard isn't connected to Dragonborn), so it seems probable that if there is another 'big' stroy driven DLC for Skyrim, that it would be unconnected to Dragonborn. Hope it is in a way connected, though.

the Skaal say that Lorkhan turns into Alduin..

WTF, Alduin is LORKHAN!?

Akatosh and Alduin are supposed to be one and the same, and Akatosh and Lorkahn are, from another point of view, also one and the same.
Akatosh, the Dragon of Time, and Lorkhan, the Serpent of Space.

Spacetime.

They did? When? What else did they say?

Me too.. although I'm not sure how game mechanics could work when one is a god that is not a Daedra.

Maybe, but since when did the Skaal talk about Alduin and Lorkhan?