Dragon Priests are fearsome enemies inThe Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim. They wield powerful magical abilities, far beyond what normal humans or elves can attain. Thus, they’re difficult to defeat and prove a challenge even to the Dragonborn.
Found across different dungeons inSkyrim, these foes drop valuable items when defeated. All named Dragon Priests drop a unique mask with a specific set of status effects. Some even have staffs with strong magical effects. This power stems from the pact that was formed between them and the dragons millennia ago.
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Serving Their Dragon Masters
In the Merethic Era, dragonsruled over a large part of Tamriel. These creatures were worshipped like gods, and they happily accepted this role. To dragons, power and truth meant the same thing. Thus, their strength over humans, elves, and other smaller animals was proof of their inherent superiority.
However, the dragons did not care much for their affairs, so they appointed a chosen few to rule over people for them. These chosen became the Dragon Priests — people who swore absolute obedience to their dragon masters. In return, the dragons imbued a small amount of their power into them. The Dragon Priests then rose in stature and were revered just as much as the dragons.
With their newfound influence,the Dragon Priests began creating lawsand codes that the people were to abide by. They also required tribute, either for themselves or their dragon masters. It’s even believed that the highest-ranking Dragon Priests would meet at what is now known as the Labyrinthian to discuss civil and political matters. Through such careful practices, the Dragon Priests ensured that there was peace between the dragons and their worshippers.
This, however, did not last forever, as an unknown disturbance forced the hand of the Dragon Priests. Following this incident, they ruled more severely, treating their worshippers like slaves. Unsurprisingly, the people did not take too kindly to this change. Many rebelled against their rulers. The Dragon Priests retaliated, but when things grew out of hand, the dragons stepped in. Their solution was swift and brutal, marking thebeginning of the bloody Dragon War.
The people overthrew their dragon rulers as well asthe Dragon Priests that once served them. However, some managed to escape the carnage and settled far away from known settlements. The Dragon Priests that had once ruled over most of Tamriel then devolved into a fragmented dragon cult. They were the ones who built the dragon mounds, burying the remains of their masters in hopes that they may rise again and reward them. After, they entombed themselves as well.
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Strange Burial Practices
The surviving Dragon Priests most likely remained in hiding after the end of the Dragon War. Though upon death, they demanded that their followers be buried with them in their final resting place. Ascholar from the College of Winterholdlater discovers that this joint burial was for a specific purpose.
In the book “Amongst the Draugr,” author Bernadette Bantien writes of what she experienced while staying in a tomb belonging to a Dragon Priest. When she first arrived at the chamber,the draugr rose from their slumberand immediately attacked her. However, after seven months, they seemed to “accept” her and stopped being hostile. With the undead no longer bothering her, Bernadette could study their movements.
Every day in the tomb, a group of draugr would awaken and make their way to the Dragon Priest’s sarcophagus. Once there, the undead would get on their knees and bow before it for several hours. After some time, they would get up again, clean the sarcophagus, then return to their coffins. Upon closer inspection, Bernadette realized that the draugr were transferring some of their energy to the Dragon Priest. Though it’s unknown where the undead draw their power, the transferal is undeniable. It explains why Dragon Priests are still so powerful even years after the Dragon War.
The Dragon Priests in The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim
InThe Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim, the player has plenty of opportunities to come across one of the named Dragon Priests. Though one of the most prominent locations related to the dragon cult is Bromjunaar Sanctuary,otherwise known as the Dragon Priest Shrine. This structure can be found within the Labyrinthian and was reportedly where high-ranking Dragon Priests held meetings during the Merethic Area.
Inside, the Dragonborn willfind a Wooden Maskand a note left by a human skeleton. Reading it will reveal that the skeleton was once a Breton scholar who hired two mercenaries to bring him to the Labyrinthian. Once there, the Breton put the Wooden Mask on and disappeared, surprising the mercenaries. The scholar then returned and disappeared multiple times before the mercenaries grew tired of his antics, killed him, then left.
Sure enough, if the player puts the Wooden Mask on, they’ll be teleported to a time when the Dragon Priest Shrine was still whole. It will have eight busts — one for each of the named Dragon Priests in the base game. Acquiring all the masks and placing them on the shrine will reward the player witha ninth Dragon Priest Maskcalled Konahrik, the most powerful one in the game. It’s unknown who Konahrik was, but they might have been the highest-ranking Dragon Priest, given that their mask is golden and its shape differs from the rest.
Finding all eight Dragon Priest Masks is no easy feat. While some questlines naturally lead the player to named Dragon Priests, finding the others required hunting down certain side quests and even radiant quests. For instance,Hevnoraak is only encounteredwhen entering a dungeon named Valthume. This triggers the “Evil in Waiting” side quest. Another example is Rahgot, who might only be encountered if players manage to trigger the “Siege on the Dragon Cult” quest. If anything, this serves as further proof of just how fragmented the dragon cult became after their dragon masters were overthrown.
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrimis available for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
