Players ofThe Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrimknow the dragons to be a powerful race of beings who once ruled over men. However, not all dragons sought to dominate humankind. Others openly sided with the human race, the most notable dragon being Paarthurnax. Though he wasn’t the only dragon that served as a mortal ally.
Nafaalilargus is another example of a dragon who collaborated with humans, but for reasons more self-serving than Paarthurnax. He appears in multipleElder Scrollstitles, and has since gained infamy among both the dragons and humans.
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The Dragon Nahfahlaar and His Mortal Alliances
Nafaalilargus is anamed red dragon inThe Elder Scrollswho is also referred to as Nahfahlaar, which means “Fury For Water” in the Dragon Tongue. Nahfahlaar was likely his birth name as Nafaalilargus has no direct translation in Dragon Language. Little is known of his life before he forged alliances with humankind, but it’s clear that he made enemies of his dragon brethren. Laatvulon, in particular, was his most ancient rival, and to best him, Nafaalilargus struck a deal with the ancient organization, the Dragonguard.
The Dragonguard was a group committed to slaying the dragons (and whose members would later form the Blades). In the First Era, they embarked on what they called “the Crusade,” during which they hunted down the dragons inThe Elder Scrollscontinent of Akavirbefore moving on to Tamriel. To gain the organization’s trust, Nafaalilargus bestowed upon them his horn, which was then acquired by the Khajiiti warrior, Ja’darri. Later, it would be known as the Horn of Ja’darri, one of the most powerful Dragonhorns in existence.
Thus, Ja’darri became Nafaalilargus’ mortal protector. At one point, Ja’darri had asked Nafaalilargus to empower the Mask of Alkosh, apowerfulElder Scrollsartifactthat they could use to defeat Laatvulon, but Nafaalilargus refused. Still, with her and the Dragonguard’s assistance, Laatvulon was sealed away. However, this came at the cost of Ja’darri’s life, souring relations between Nafaalilargus and the Dragonguard. Their alliance officially ended in Year 369 of the Second Era, after which Nafaalilargus disappeared for over two centuries.
He is mentioned briefly inThe Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim. In the book, “Atlas of Dragons, 2E 373” written by the Blades, he falls under the list of dragons known to still be alive. According to the book, Nafaalilargus’ last known mortal protector was King Casimir II of Wayrest. However, this was cut short when his alliance with the Dragonguard came to an end. That said, this information is no doubt dated as the manuscript was written long before Nafaalilargus’ reemergence later in the Second Era.
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Nafaalilargus in the Elder Scrolls Online
Nafaalilargus returned much later in the events ofThe Elder Scrolls Online: Dragonguard, which took place in Year 582 of the Second Era. In it, the Vestige must ally with Nafaalilargus in order to defeat the freed Laatvulon. After escaping from captivity, Laatvulon became the leader of the New Moon Cult and sought to help his master, the dragon Kaalgrontiid, ascend to become a new moon. Through this transformation, Kaalgrontiid believed that he would gain power equaling that of Akatosh, aDivine inThe Elder Scrolls.
However, with the Vestige’s help, Nafaalilargus rebuilt the Dragonguard and even reacquired the Mask of Alkosh. The newly reformed organization then attacked theNew Moon Cult ofThe Elder Scrolls, eventually forcing a confrontation with Laatvulon. The two dragons battled it out, but Laatvulon wins over Nafaalilargus at first. Finally, Nafaalilargus agreed to empower the Mask of Alkosh — something he’d refused to do before. With its power, the Dragonguard managed to destroy Laatvulon once and for all.
Nafaalilargus then continued to assist the Dragonguard by wiping out what remained of the New Moon Cult. This included battling other dragons involved in the cult, such as Joorahmaar and Kaalgrontiid, himself. The unlikely band even prevented a cataclysmic event from befalling the entirety of Tamriel — an unfortunate consequence of Kaalgrontiid’s mishandling ofpowerful magic artifacts inThe Elder Scrolls. When the cult was finally wiped out, Nafaalilargus disappeared again, intending to wait until his intervention was necessary once more.
Nafaalilargus in The Elder Scrolls Adventures: Redguard
In Year 864 of the Second Era, Nafaalilargus reemerged from hiding. This can be seen in the events ofThe Elder Scrolls Adventures: Redguard. Having forged an alliance with the Emperor Tiber Septim, he was sent to accompany Lord and Commander Amiel Richton to Stros M’kai. Their job was to get the Crowns — an immigrant faction that hadsettled in Hammerfell ofThe Elder Scrolls— to surrender the land to the Emperor’s Dominion. With Nafaalilargus’ help, this was an easy task.
The mighty dragon took on the Redguard resistance troops. During the conflict, an Imperial assassin even managed to kill the Crown’s prince, A’Tor. A’Tor’s spirit was then sealed in a soul gem and eventually ended up in the Palace of Stros M’kai, guarded by none other than Nafaalilargus.InThe Elder Scrolls Adventures: Redguard, the player must acquire this soul gem to progress the main quest. This forces a confrontation with Nafaalilargus.
Upon arriving in A’Tor’s palace chamber, Nafaalilargus greets the player politely. But when he’s called “Richton’s pet,” the dragon reacts with disdain, claiming that he’s “Tiber Septim’s proud soldier, loyal vassal, a jewel of the crown.” Not long after, however, he claims that his loyalty to theImperial Empire ofThe Elder Scrollsis well paid for, and that he’s a mercenary for hire. After the pleasantries, the player must defeat Nafaalilargus and claim A’Tor’s soul gem to progress in the story.
Though Nafaalilargus was slain in the Second Era, he is a dragon with an immortal soul, so he isn’t truly dead. After all, only another dragon or a Dragonborn can truly destroy their immortal soul. Thus, Nafaalilargus could have been resurrected byAlduin in the events ofSkyrim. However, this hasn’t been confirmed. Still, the developers could bring him back in a laterElder Scrollstitle, given the status of his dragon soul.
The Elder Scrolls Onlineis available for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
