So I know that the dragon on the Elder Scrolls cover is Akatosh. I know he is the so called "father" of the lesser gods. But whats his deal? Where did he come from? What did he do? I'd love to get some insight into this guy.
With Skyrim coming out I'd really like to know, since the game is supposed to be all about dragons and such. I know there is info out there, but I also know that some people read the books and might have some better explanations for everything. Thanks!
The Unofficial Elder Scrolls Wiki is a great place to read about the lore of Tamriel.
Akatosh (Auri-El to the Aldmer and Alduin to the Nords) is the chief deity of the Nine Divines (the prescribed religious cults of Cyrodiil and its provinces), and one of two deities found in every Tamrielic religion (the other is Lorkhan), save only the Dunmeri Tribunal of self-made gods. His avatar is a dragon, and he is often called the Dragon God of Time.
OrigamiRobot's answer is correct up through Oblivion.
With the advent of Skyrim, however, new lore surrounding Akatosh / Alduin has emerged, from the in-game book of "The Alduin / Akatosh Dichotomy" (I may have the title slightly off). The book suggests that Alduin and Akatosh are two wholly separate entities - both dragon gods, but two distinct beings, with differing goals, etc., and it is only the self-righteous historical elitism of the Imperial scholars that even confused the two as the same being in the first place.
