I don't claim to be an expert on the lore of the Elder Scrolls series. (If anything, I know very little.) However, there is one quest in Skyrim that really bothers me. Don't get me wrong, I love me my Skyrim, but it isn't perfect. Nothing is. It has its blemishes...but one quest in particular angers me above others that I could note.
As you probably guessed by now, I deeply hate the side-quest entitled "Paarturnax". The plot of it is thus: The Blades know that the leader of the Greybeards is the dragon Paarthurnax, who used to be the right hand man of Alduin the World-Eater. The Blades claim that their duty to slay the dragons is more important than their duty to help the Dragonborn. Therefore, they refuse to help you unless you commit an act that satisfies their call of duty: Kill Pathrunax.
Now, I could go on a long rant about what I think is wrong with this quest. Thank you, I think I will. The Blades have no valid reason to want you to kill Paathurnax. Here's my first problem with this quest. The Blades never helped you in the first place. Yes, Esbern can give you the Dragonslaying buff. Yes, they bring you to Alduin's wall and tell you about Dragonrend. But, aside from that, they only ask you to do things for them. Delphine drags you out to a graveyard to only further prove something the player already knew. The dragons are coming back. We get it.
Then we're asked to go undercover in a Thalmor embassy that leads to irrelevant information. Yes, we learn about Esbern and the Thalmor's opinion on the civil war. Problem is as follows.
So you go and rescue the old man. He and Delphine drag you out to Sky Haven temple and show you Alduin's wall. Whoopie. An interrupted quest and two or three dangerous errands for Delphine to look at a wall. It's a pretty wall, definately. I think it's a very lovely wall. Somehow Esbern translates the existence of Dragonrend from Alduin's Wall. Okay, I can buy that. This guy is an expert right? So, one can only assume that he'll teach you Dragonrend now, right? Actually, no. As far as I've experienced in Skyrim, you have to talk to Paarthurnax to learn about the Elder Scroll in order to learn Dragonrend.
What are the Blades doing while you trek across Skyrim looking for a titular Elder Scroll and learning this ancient Shout? They sit in Sky Haven Temple and read books. They'll give you a little buff, some armor at most and send you on your way. Very helpful! Keep in mind, these guys, as far as I know, did the Emperor's bidding up until the Dragonborn royal family had ended. I'd assume that the Dragonborn would be equally entitled to these perks from the Blades, even if there are only two of them. So, really, all the Blades do is give you things to do. So, they're refusing to give you "further" help should actually be "any help at all". "Guess what, guys? While you were busy "helping me" me to kill the good dragon, I killed Alduin. Any more "help" you want to give me?"
My second problem with the quest is that they're asking you to kill Paarthurnax, the GOOD dragon. It would make more sense if they wanted me to kill Odahving. After all, Odahving is out for his own interests. He only joined you because you trapped him and could whoop his sorry dragon hide from Markarth to Windhelm. Paarthurnax is reformed, wise, and generally helpful. After his coup against Alduin, he dedicated his life to the Way of the Voice. IIRC, he doesn't even eat because it would tempt him to turn evil again. That's dedication that even the Blades should respect.
Paarthurnax may have committed atrocities and unspeakable acts before, but so has the Dark Brotherhood. I don't think Delphine realizes the justice system in her own Empire. If you commit a crime in the Elder Scrolls, at least in the Empire's system, you have a choice to pay a fine, go to jail or resist arrest. I'm no math major, but Paarthurnax's fine can't be all that ridiculous. I commit "Atrocities" all the time on my Dark Brotherhood character. Granted, the Pentilius Oculatus [SP?] has tried to kill me often enough, but the guards don't care, so long as I pay 1,040 septims to cover the funeral.
And yes, they have a jail for dragons. It's called Dragonsreach. It's in Whiterun. It was a prison for a dragon a long time ago. It works even today. I know that because they did it to Odahving. Also, I think the Throat of the World is prison enough. Paarthurnax is prety much starving himself up there.
Also, I always figured the fine part of the justice system was sort of like redemption. If that's the case, Paarthurnax has gone above and beyond the call. He helps the Dragonborn not only find artifacts that help him on his journey and help him with his Thu'um, but he also (atleast in my game), helped me fight Alduin when I was done with the Scroll and taught me a lot about my enemy, dragons. Also, he leads the Greybeards, who teach the Dragonborns to use the Voice. Whereas the Blades would just say "Dragons bad. Go. Hunt."
My final point is thus: Since when was it the Blades' responsibility to kill dragons? As far as I've understood, the Blades are errand boys and body guards. They aren't hunters. They're like the Secret Service or the FBI. Committing dragon-genocide is not in their job description. They've always served the Dragonborn Emperors. Since the Emperors are no longer Dragonborn and the Dragonborn is the last of said Dragonborn lines, I think their duty to guard and serve him should be much more important than their duty to kill the enemy that the Dragonborn is famous for killing. IIRC, the dragons only die permanently if killed by a Dragonborn. The Blades are not the Dragonborn. Yes, they should charge into battle with him, but they aren't his betters or his handlers. It's like if the Secret Service was telling the President that they'd only save his life and handle his security matters if he got rid of everyone in his Cabinet. It doesn't work like that. Therefore, this whole "Duty to slay the dragons being greater than their duty to serve the Dragonborn" is, quite bluntly, bullshit.
After putting up with their idiocy, I should have every right to give Esbern and Delphine a watery, Slaughter-fish swarmed ticket to Sovngarde. (Or wherever Imperials go when they die, as opposed to Nords.) However, Bethesda gave the Blades plot armor because they're oh-so-integral to the story after I fulfill my destiny to defeat Alduin. I should be able to get a quest from the Greybeards to kill them..seriously.
TL;DR- I hate this quest because it's full of bullshit and contradicts the lore as the game has portrayed it. (At least as far as I understand it.) If I'm wrong on some points, I would love to be corrected. But..this is what I think of it.
Do you agree/disagree?
As you probably guessed by now, I deeply hate the side-quest entitled "Paarturnax". The plot of it is thus: The Blades know that the leader of the Greybeards is the dragon Paarthurnax, who used to be the right hand man of Alduin the World-Eater. The Blades claim that their duty to slay the dragons is more important than their duty to help the Dragonborn. Therefore, they refuse to help you unless you commit an act that satisfies their call of duty: Kill Pathrunax.
Now, I could go on a long rant about what I think is wrong with this quest. Thank you, I think I will. The Blades have no valid reason to want you to kill Paathurnax. Here's my first problem with this quest. The Blades never helped you in the first place. Yes, Esbern can give you the Dragonslaying buff. Yes, they bring you to Alduin's wall and tell you about Dragonrend. But, aside from that, they only ask you to do things for them. Delphine drags you out to a graveyard to only further prove something the player already knew. The dragons are coming back. We get it.
Then we're asked to go undercover in a Thalmor embassy that leads to irrelevant information. Yes, we learn about Esbern and the Thalmor's opinion on the civil war. Problem is as follows.
So you go and rescue the old man. He and Delphine drag you out to Sky Haven temple and show you Alduin's wall. Whoopie. An interrupted quest and two or three dangerous errands for Delphine to look at a wall. It's a pretty wall, definately. I think it's a very lovely wall. Somehow Esbern translates the existence of Dragonrend from Alduin's Wall. Okay, I can buy that. This guy is an expert right? So, one can only assume that he'll teach you Dragonrend now, right? Actually, no. As far as I've experienced in Skyrim, you have to talk to Paarthurnax to learn about the Elder Scroll in order to learn Dragonrend.
What are the Blades doing while you trek across Skyrim looking for a titular Elder Scroll and learning this ancient Shout? They sit in Sky Haven Temple and read books. They'll give you a little buff, some armor at most and send you on your way. Very helpful! Keep in mind, these guys, as far as I know, did the Emperor's bidding up until the Dragonborn royal family had ended. I'd assume that the Dragonborn would be equally entitled to these perks from the Blades, even if there are only two of them. So, really, all the Blades do is give you things to do. So, they're refusing to give you "further" help should actually be "any help at all". "Guess what, guys? While you were busy "helping me" me to kill the good dragon, I killed Alduin. Any more "help" you want to give me?"
My second problem with the quest is that they're asking you to kill Paarthurnax, the GOOD dragon. It would make more sense if they wanted me to kill Odahving. After all, Odahving is out for his own interests. He only joined you because you trapped him and could whoop his sorry dragon hide from Markarth to Windhelm. Paarthurnax is reformed, wise, and generally helpful. After his coup against Alduin, he dedicated his life to the Way of the Voice. IIRC, he doesn't even eat because it would tempt him to turn evil again. That's dedication that even the Blades should respect.
Paarthurnax may have committed atrocities and unspeakable acts before, but so has the Dark Brotherhood. I don't think Delphine realizes the justice system in her own Empire. If you commit a crime in the Elder Scrolls, at least in the Empire's system, you have a choice to pay a fine, go to jail or resist arrest. I'm no math major, but Paarthurnax's fine can't be all that ridiculous. I commit "Atrocities" all the time on my Dark Brotherhood character. Granted, the Pentilius Oculatus [SP?] has tried to kill me often enough, but the guards don't care, so long as I pay 1,040 septims to cover the funeral.
And yes, they have a jail for dragons. It's called Dragonsreach. It's in Whiterun. It was a prison for a dragon a long time ago. It works even today. I know that because they did it to Odahving. Also, I think the Throat of the World is prison enough. Paarthurnax is prety much starving himself up there.
Also, I always figured the fine part of the justice system was sort of like redemption. If that's the case, Paarthurnax has gone above and beyond the call. He helps the Dragonborn not only find artifacts that help him on his journey and help him with his Thu'um, but he also (atleast in my game), helped me fight Alduin when I was done with the Scroll and taught me a lot about my enemy, dragons. Also, he leads the Greybeards, who teach the Dragonborns to use the Voice. Whereas the Blades would just say "Dragons bad. Go. Hunt."
My final point is thus: Since when was it the Blades' responsibility to kill dragons? As far as I've understood, the Blades are errand boys and body guards. They aren't hunters. They're like the Secret Service or the FBI. Committing dragon-genocide is not in their job description. They've always served the Dragonborn Emperors. Since the Emperors are no longer Dragonborn and the Dragonborn is the last of said Dragonborn lines, I think their duty to guard and serve him should be much more important than their duty to kill the enemy that the Dragonborn is famous for killing. IIRC, the dragons only die permanently if killed by a Dragonborn. The Blades are not the Dragonborn. Yes, they should charge into battle with him, but they aren't his betters or his handlers. It's like if the Secret Service was telling the President that they'd only save his life and handle his security matters if he got rid of everyone in his Cabinet. It doesn't work like that. Therefore, this whole "Duty to slay the dragons being greater than their duty to serve the Dragonborn" is, quite bluntly, bullshit.
After putting up with their idiocy, I should have every right to give Esbern and Delphine a watery, Slaughter-fish swarmed ticket to Sovngarde. (Or wherever Imperials go when they die, as opposed to Nords.) However, Bethesda gave the Blades plot armor because they're oh-so-integral to the story after I fulfill my destiny to defeat Alduin. I should be able to get a quest from the Greybeards to kill them..seriously.
TL;DR- I hate this quest because it's full of bullshit and contradicts the lore as the game has portrayed it. (At least as far as I understand it.) If I'm wrong on some points, I would love to be corrected. But..this is what I think of it.
Do you agree/disagree?
