I think the Greybeards are a bit confused

[Solomon Hawk]

Arngier admits his astonishment at your ability to learn the dragon language so easily and that you master it without effort (something only a dragonborn is capable of doing) .... as compared to the predecessors who were "dragonblood" as blessed by Akatosh through St. Alessia's bloodline and the Amulet of Kings. He elaborates a little more by relating to you that it takes years to master even a simple word of a shout. (I imagine he's referring to the Dragonblood decendants).
He knows of the legends, but he also reveals this is the first time he has ever witnessed a dragonborn do what you are naturally capable of doing.
He seems surprised and confused by your ability which is actually not a gift of the Alessian Bloodline, but actually a direct gift from Akatosh himself.

So, that's my take on it. I don't think Arngier is as knowlegeable about the dragonborn as many of us think. At least he realizes your appearance in this age is at the same time as the re-emergence of the dragons is not just a coincidence and your destiny is tied into it.

[Stormsong]

I'm not understanding your point. Arngeir isn't immortal, old he may be, but not everlasting. He hasn't always been around. So even though he knows of the powers of legend; has spent a large amount of his time alive studying and meditating upon said powers and legends you may be his first personal experience with it. Being there, seeing it so close, knowing you (the dragonborn) had no knowledge walking in and in an hour you walk back out with functional mastery over what took him years would be an aweing experience, regardless of how many books he's read on your ability.

[Solomon Hawk]

What I'm pointing out is his reference of the Alessian bloodline and seems to be connecting you with it when actually, we're not tied into the bloodline at all. Specifically where he mentions "it's in your blood". (when it really isn't because we know that bloodline died with the last of the "legitimate" Septims).
I think this is where a lot of confusion originated in much older discussions.

[MysticMalevolence]

I don't recall him referencing Alessia?
I do however, remember that he said "It takes years to master a shout. At least, that's how it is for most of us.." (not direct quote), which to me implied he was referring to normal non-dragonborn people, like the greybeards... I did not at all get the impression he was talking about the Alessian bloodline in any of my playthroughs.

[Siddha]

I dont hear any confusion in Arngeir. He is simply astonished to witness the innate power of a true Dragonborn for the first time. They dont drop by every other day. He tells you that the last Dragonborn that came to High Hrothgar was Talos - which was long before his time. He has never met a Dragonborn.
Both the dragon blood and the condition of Dovahkiin or Dragonborn are gifts (or curses) of Akatosh.

[Siddha]

Arngeir knows that the Alessian bloodline ended long ago. There have always been individual Dragonborns not related to the Alessian bloodline.

[DrNewcenstein]

Reman Cyrodiil could not directly trace his bloodline to Alessia, but his scribes made it seem so.
Tiber Septim started the Septim dynasty, and he was not related to Reman Cyrodiil or Alessia.

There's a lot of misinformation and contradiction in the lore concerning Alessia's reign and her bloodline, as clearly stated by the lore itself.

The fact is that Akatosh breathes life into select beings at select times and gives them the gift of the Dragonblood.

[Solomon Hawk]

I believe there is a significant difference between the blood of a dragon and the "soul" of a dragon. I think this is where a lot of confusion originates.
What I believe is that each had a significantly different role to fulfill in history.
It's during that transcourse of history where the distinguishing line between them have been blurred or obscured. (Partly for the sake of maintining a dynastic bloodline rule which ultimately ended with the Septims). Maybe this was Akatosh way of punishing the misuse of its purpose.

[DrNewcenstein]

The only time dragon blood came into it was the alleged contents of the Amulet of Kings. Alessia didn't receive a blood transfusion from Akatosh, nor was her blood converted to dragon blood.

Beings who have little understanding of Science often confuse the various life forces with each other, so they believe that blood holds the power of life, and that it is also tied to the soul, when in fact they are two separate things. This is where cannibals get it wrong, and even hunters who think drinking the blood of a downed animal somehow grants them a deeper understanding of, or creates some kind of bond with, the animals they hunt or with nature in general.

So, in one sentence you have the "dragon blood" and in the next sentence you are said to possess the soul of a dragon.

It's all very Catholicism-inspired, apparently.

[Siddha]

Dragonborns have both the soul and the blood of a dragon. I think the confusion is between the literal possession of dragon blood on account of being Dragonborn; and the notion of a bloodline. These are not the same thing imo.

[Solomon Hawk]

Dragons are for all practical purposes immortal save when the dragonborn kills one and consumes (absprbs) its essense. This is uniquely different from the bloodline of those who held the Amulet of Kings and kept the fires lit.
If we are indeed created by Akatosh himself rather than being born as a mortal through normal means, then having the blood and soul of a dragon would make sense in giving us that power to consume and utilize the essense of dragons. However, we're more unique than that since other dragons are not capable of absorbing the essense of other dragons as we are.

Of all the dragonblood that was passed form generation to generation since St. Alessia down to the end of the Septim bloodline, how many were actually dragonborn capable of consuming a defeated dragon's essense? (aside from Miraak who was not of the bloodline, but a dragon priest).

[Siddha]

Although the lore says Dragons are immortal, the lore also says they were hunted almost to extinction by the Akaviri Dragonguard. So are we to presume they were all Dragonborns?

[Solomon Hawk]

Originally posted by Siddha:

Although the lore says Dragons are immortal, the lore also says they were hunted almost to extinction by the Akaviri Dragonguard. So are we to presume they were all Dragonborns?

They were hunted down and killed, but the difference in this era is Alduin who shows up and begins bringing them back to life. In effect, they were not truely "dead" since their essense was never taken from them.
This time around, when we kill one, it stays dead.

[Siddha]

I dont know for sure, but I dont think all the Emperors in the Alessian line or the other Imperial lines were Dragonborns in the full sense of being able to devour a Dragon's soul; so I think your point above makes sense.

[MysticMalevolence]

I think you're taking the word "Dragonblood" too literally, personally.

In Oblivion, Dragonborn referred only to the Dragonborn Emperors. Presumably, given Martin's ability to call Akatosh, they did have some spiritual connection to the time-dragon--presumably through the Amulet of Kings, which can only be worn by an emperor, with the exception of Mankar Camoraan who also wore it. Thus I propose that blood is not important here, the Alessian, Reman, and Septim dynasties derived their Dragonborn heritage from the oversoul of the Amulet of Kings (but were indeed started by individual Dragonborn, which would be a prerequisite for using the Amulet of Kings in the first place,) and that Mankar Camoraan was also Dragonborn.

Originally posted by Solomon Hawk:

However, we're more unique than that since other dragons are not capable of absorbing the essense of other dragons as we are.

Are you sure about that?
It's not something that ever came up in this game.

[Solomon Hawk]

Originally posted by Dylan the Cartographer:

I think you're taking the word "Dragonblood" too literally, personally.

In Oblivion, Dragonborn referred only to the Dragonborn Emperors. Presumably, given Martin's ability to call Akatosh, they did have some spiritual connection to the time-dragon--presumably through the Amulet of Kings, which can only be worn by an emperor, with the exception of Mankar Camoraan who also wore it. Thus I propose that blood is not important here, the Alessian, Reman, and Septim dynasties derived their Dragonborn heritage from the oversoul of the Amulet of Kings (but were indeed started by individual Dragonborn, which would be a prerequisite for using the Amulet of Kings in the first place,) and that Mankar Camoraan was also Dragonborn.

Originally posted by Solomon Hawk:

However, we're more unique than that since other dragons are not capable of absorbing the essense of other dragons as we are.

Are you sure about that?
It's not something that ever came up in this game.

My most sincere apologies.
I'm in error about the absorbtion of slain dragons' life force by other dragons.
Refer to the second comment of Arngeir.

Arngeir: "As Dragonborn, you can absorb a slain dragon’s life force and knowledge directly." [...]

Arngeir: “Dragons have the inborn ability to learn and project their Voice. Dragons also are able to absorb the power of their slain brethren. A few mortals are born with similar abilities -- whether a gift or a curse has been a matter of debate down through the centuries."


After reading that line, it suddenly refreshed my memory of that talk with Arngeir.
Apparently, dragons are able to absorb the power of their slain bretheren and that makes us more their kindred than to mortal races.