Hi guys, I just completed the Main Quest. I spent a third of my time on just character creation, so the events at Helgen was on my mind a lot. Thanks for this thread, reading your ideas really helped finally shape my own answer, which I'll share here.

TL;DR version - Alduin attacked Helgen because he sensed some mortals with the Voice there, but had a hard time telling people apart.

My personal take comes from looking at things from Alduin's perspective. IMHO, actually putting ourselves in his shoes (or claws) is the best way to understand his actions. Keep in mind he's a dragon, so he probably sees things very differently.

Dragons and some people seem to sense the Thu'um, the Voice, in others (even if they don't Shout). Dragons comment on it a lot, "I feel your Thu'um is strong, Alduin's Thu'um lacks rightness," etc. They probably think mortals who have their own Thu'um to be curious novelties.

So when Alduin or a dragon senses the Thu'um coming from a humanoid, it's kind of like a person hearing a parrot speak. It's like, "Oh, for a second there I thought you were one of us, but you're just one of those birds that we can train to talk."

Our Dragonborn characters are not unique in having the Thu'um. The Greybeards in their mountains can Shout, as can elite Draugr or Dragonpriests in crypts. However, those parties never leave their respective homes. They're like parrots caged in pet stores.

So our Dragonborn character is riding in our cart with Ulfric Stormcloak, who also has the Voice (probably from training? I dunno). That coincidence's just weird to a dragon. It's like a person walking and hearing 2 parrots chatting in the middle of the street, totally outside the pet stores they should be in.

Alduin's been active, flying around, "activating" other dragons. Suddenly, he feels 2 Thu'ums gibbering, so he follows our cart to Helgen out of curiousity. He doesn't attack right away, he kind of just checks it out, like "is that a fellow dragon I hear?" THEN he starts blowing stuff up because...


So Alduin's attack wasn't to free the Dragonborn or Ulfric. IMHO, I think he was trying to kill them. But with so many people about, Alduin couldn't tell which they were. It's like asking a person with no interest in birds to pick out the parrots and parakeets in a rainforest.

Of course, it completely backfired. Had Alduin stayed back a few more seconds, the Dragonborn would have been beheaded and posed no threat. But the human notion of a execution was foreign to him as a dragon, Alduin had no idea what was going on, so he just attacked as was his nature.

So why did he fly away after that? He probably couldn't sense the Thu'um anymore, as our Dragonborn and Ulfric were running away into cave tunnels and woods, lots of chaos everywhere. He was probably hoping they were the ones he killed, but went off to warn the others just in case.

Just my personal take, but at the moment this is the version that makes the most sense to me, based on how other characters described events before Helgin and the general attitude dragons seem to have on us mere Joor.

This.

I heard somewhere that when the Dragonborn comes, so would Alduin. Dragons are exclusive to Skyrim(so far in TES), and when the Dragonborn comes into Skyrim, that's the arrival of the Dragonborn(though I think it personally is not new to start a TES game as a prisoner), and Alduin has to arrive at the same time, as the prophecy says. There's a catch though: Where did Alduin come from or how did he come?

And hence that's why Alduin was at Helgen.

For those on the PC there's a little something you may try with the console to see Alduin's behavior in action a bit more fleshed out and that is to toggle god mode while you're heading to your execution. Once you're out of the tower just mill around and listen to Alduin and see how he acts....it is very telling.

Personally I believe that Alduin was well aware of the prophecy of the Last Dragonborn as it had been around before he was banished (that doesn't mean Alduin's wall had to be already built, just that the prophecy was around). When he returned to Skyrim in the future one would have to imagine that for him it was just a blink of an eye in the passage of time from his perspective. The last thing he'd been doing was fighting up on the Throat of the World and suddenly he was there, but all the dragons were gone and his enemies, where was everyone? he was still enraged and Helgen was a very close target as well as there were men and mer there for him to eat Once he got to Helgen however he may have noticed something special about one of the appetizers...

P.S. OT: I have never heard Mulnimur say "no Dovahkin" and I've killed him many, many times...runs off to experience this!

P.P.S Have killed Mulnimur a dozen times this morning sometimes with magic, sometimes with bow, other times with sword and even letting killing blow go to a guard, but he's never once said "No Dovahkiin".... weird.

I see where you guys are coming from with the prophecy angle, that Alduin appeared at Helgen precisely because the Dragonborn arrived there. It feels like QED, like Alduin and the Dragonborn are tied together by destiny. However, I also noticed indications the dragons and presumably Alduin were already active BEFORE the Dragonborn arrived at Helgen. Here's why I think this.

As soon as you arrive at Dragonsreach right after Alduin's attack, Farengar the mage sends you to get the Dragonstone. However, he only knew about it from Delphine the Blade earlier. Delphine probably only shared the information if she confirmed dragons were really re-emerging. The dragons were re-emerging due to Alduin resurrecting them, which was why Delphine wanted the Dragonstone to know where they were buried. This sequence suggests some time has passed since dragons started reappearing.

I also took the prophecy with a grain of salt. I think it began with the Nord heroes who fought Alduin millennia ago knowing they screwed it up, so he'll eventually resurface. So they left notes about how to finish Alduin off for good, using the right Shout and absorbing dragon souls, both of which Dragonborn can learn to do. After millennia of retelling, it became embellished into a prophecy.


So I agree that Alduin showed up at Helgen because of the Dragonborn, but not because the Dragonborn's presence was so mystically powerful he tore apart time & space to find Alduin, just that Alduin sensed something there and was curious. The prophecy was more of a very long-term plan than a mystical prediction.


That's interesting, I'm on the PC, but I noticed from Alduin's dialogue that he just boasts a lot and complains about Paarthurnax. I'll try this and see if there's anything new.

You people seem to be ignoring my points

There are, also, a few other things to note:

1. When he was sent through space and time, where did Alduin arrive? Did he got sent to the very same place and position, only at different time, or at an entirely different place altogether?


2. High Hrothgar was not present when Alduin was sent through time and space. It is true that Paarthurnax taught Nords how to use Thu'um, but there was no mention of an elite Hogwarts where Paarthurnax becomes the Dumbledore. This means the very first thing that would pique Alduin's interest is High Hrothgar


3. Did Alduin know that a Dragonborn was there? From your point of view, you can see how Alduin basically perched above you, and you can't do anything at all. Yet the first thing Alduin did was not to attack you or Ulfric, he called a meteor storm and left


4. Did Paarthurnax knew that Alduin has returned? This question may very well answer a few other questions. It is unacceptable that Paarturnax cannot sense the presence of Alduin, especially because he was quite near from High Hrothgar at that point. There is also a matter of point number 1. If Paarthurnax really didn't knew, then it basically means it is impossible for a dragon to sense another's soul without any direct/indirect interaction (you calling Odahviing counts as an indirect communication. You directed the shout towards him, and make your presence known). This may very well destroy the theory that Alduin came to helgen for Dragonborn

Interesting, read my topic on "Time is simultaneous via Alduin" I explain this through the use of the Elder Scroll on the top of the Throat of the World and how Alduin came and why he came and why he went to Helgen to destroy it.

That is where you are wrong...People say that "he shouted king torygg apart" so he knows unrelenting force...

Merely his blade that killed him...

You won't actually hear him say it as he says it in dragon speak. If you have subtitles on and are close enough to him when he's about to die you'll see the 'Dovahkin, No!' subtitle sometimes it's fast though, especially if guards are still in melee with him and talking/doing their grunting attacks and whatnot.

I also think it's perfectly plausible that he showed up at Helgen because of Ulfric, Thu'ums may not be 'special' but not every Tom, dike and Harry in Skyrim can do it. So learning about a human who can use the shout would be enough evidence for Alduin to assume he's the Dragonborn.

Do you have "General Subtitles" on? EVERYTIME I kill that dude no matter which char. I play he says and I quote: "Dovahkiin. No!"

So what? That doesn't make him Dragon Born. Anyone can learn the Thu'um with enough effort.

Alduin cannot be at Helgen to protect the Dragonborn. Try standing in front of Alduin when he lands. You will die. He will kill the player just as quickly as he kills any NPC.

He's at Helgen because he forgot to take that left turn at Albuquerque.

And I'm sure if he realized you were the Dragonborn, he'd have waited until after your new haircut to attack.

I've never had subtitles on. I'll turn them on and watch for it. Thanks for letting me know that's how to observe it!

Cheers!

Bram

Alduin most likely just came to find the dragonborn as people have already said. He obviously knew about you and wanted his wishes to be fulfilled.

Raes.... where are you seeing that the "Last Dragonborn" is a fact? The only one who talks about the Dragonborn AFAIK is Arngier - and all HE says is that your toon is Dragonborn, and the "only one he knows of" - but he does say there may be others.

I actually find it hard to believe that this game is the last one where Beth will produce a dragonborn.... there's an awful lot of "hanging fire" stuff....

Esbern recites the prophecy which tells of "..and the wheel of time turns on the Last Dragonborn."

@hippnotic thx for the info on subtitles, I'm doing a playthrough with them on as there are some parts where I can't hear over the music and others where the voices too low or quiet. It's like playing a different game with them on!

Ah.... well, Esbern's about as solid in the head as a wet noodle. I still don't believe the whole "last dragonborn" thing.

I think it's more of a title than an actual "You are the last one AND THERE SHALL BE NO OTHERS!" You are the "Last Dragonborn" probably because the prophecy wouldn't sound as epic or foreshadowy if it was along the lines of "The wheel of time turns on the Dragonborn that just happens to be around at the time of Alduin's return."

Also, I think it's probably because it sounds better that the "Last Dragonborn," is fighting the "Firstborn of Akatosh." It gives a nice dichotomy and yin-yang effect to the whole struggle between the player and Alduin.

Then again, I think that the "Last Dragonborn" is actually Alduin reincarnated.

Um.... yeah. I've had that feeling all along.

That is a very metaphysically intriguing thought. The only argument I would see against it is that Alduin wasn't reincarnated because he didn't die, but merely was displaced in time, but then that begs the question, "what is death/rebirth"? Think I'll go put a cold cloth on the forehead, this is heatin' up my braincase!

I think "reincarnated" isn't the right word. "Re-embodied" perhaps....

Here's the post I made about this some time ago to try and justify how you would end up with Alduin's soul.

I somehow missed your post.... and that's very intriguing. Very.... though I still don't think it's the "last dragonborn"....