(HW spoilers) Dragon eyes.

[LineageRazor]

They do. the dragon blood from the eyes has so permeated the Ishgard populace, anyone Ishgard borne who ingests dragon blood will literally turn into a dragon.

I think I'd consider that more of a side-effect than a special power. But yes, you're right, I hadn't considered the turn-into-a-dragon thing. I'm guessing that if that's the only takeaway from eating eyes, though, I doubt Thordan and his knights would have been too keen!

It did make them more powerful which is why they were able to fight Nidhogg straight up out in the open.

I touched on this in my post - while they WERE able to take on Nidhogg, it was thirteen versus one, and they suffered enormous casualties. While Nidhogg was among the toughest of dragons, I think it can be assumed that Thordan's knights were the crème of the crop among Ishgardian Elezen, even before they ate the eyes. I suspect that even unenhanced, the king and his knights would have been a match for Nidhogg.

Even if I were to agree that Nidhogg was simply overwhelming enough that the power of the eyes turned what would have been a slaughter into a pyrrhic victory, enough power to defeat (not even kill!) one dragon while suffering staggering losses does NOT seem like it would be something worth shattering centuries of harmonious coexistence with the dragons. Thordan was clearly expecting something a whole lot more substantial when he slew Ratatoskr. He expected to be able to get away with his crime, that none would be a match for him and his knights - and the power he obtained, if any, was far short of that.

It's certainly possible that Thordan was simply mistaken. Perhaps consuming the eyes of a dragon transfers only a fraction of that dragon's power (in the MSQ, best results from using eyes seems to be wielding them whole and uneaten). Perhaps the whole idea was nonsense to begin with; Thordan, delusional with envy, latched onto an unsubstantiated rumor, and got nothing out of the bargain except a curse for the few of his men to survive (the blood-drinking transformation). It's undeniable that whatever he was hoping for, he expected it to be enough to weather the dragons' retaliation, and it clearly was not.

[Astrid_Stormborn]

Perhaps the whole idea was nonsense to begin with; Thordan, delusional with envy, latched onto an unsubstantiated rumor, and got nothing out of the bargain except a curse for the few of his men to survive (the blood-drinking transformation). It's undeniable that whatever he was hoping for, he expected it to be enough to weather the dragons' retaliation, and it clearly was not.

Sadly, he was well informed-

Of the first brood, she was the perhaps the most curious, and worked passionately to establish a lasting peace with man. Alas, she did not fathom the depth of mortals' avarice, and rashly revealed to King Thordan the secret of the wyrms' power. Emboldened, the regent would ultimately betray Ratatoskr's trust and slay the wyrm for her eyes and the strength they might provide.

[YianKutku]

Perhaps consuming the eyes of a dragon transfers only a fraction of that dragon's power (in the MSQ, best results from using eyes seems to be wielding them whole and uneaten).

To be fair, the power of Ratatoskr's eyes may have been split thirteen ways, rather than one (in Estinien's case in the Aery) or possibly eight (for the WoL in Final Steps). Still, for all the much-vaunted potency of dragon eyes, this does seem weak.

As a note, the lorebook states that in 6A 550 (ie not long after King Thordan's betrayal), Ishgard used the power of twenty-four dragon eyes to erect Daniffen's Collar, which theoretically protects against Nidhogg and his brood. As we've seen in the game, this is not always effective, but the wards stood for a thousand years, which implies some substantial power from these dragon eyes, which I assume to be comparatively lesser than the First Brood.

It's possible Daniffen's Collar was reinforced through the years by replenishing it with more dragon eyes, which makes me wonder if every nameless dragon slain by the WoL in their journey through Dravania has their eyes looted by Ishgardians following close behind.