Uh. No. Just.... no....

I have a question - if I help the dragon, will the main quest line break?

Ya mean helping Paarthunax? Not at all. Killing Paarthunax is an optional quest.

to be honest, both good and evil can be seen as a result of sparing P. no good comes from killing him, but you also prevent the chance that he will slip up and cause more damage by doing so.

it svcks when you really think about it. but yyou have to remember it is justice and justice is blind. so while it may svck to do and you'll feel bad about it and feel that he didnt deserve it, you just got to remember that justice was served.

its true, if the greybeards had their way you would have sat up on that mountain talking to the sky while alduin devoured the world. you have to remember they didnt even want you to go after and try to stop alduin in the first place.

I have zero use for the Blades. They can sit on their swords and rotate.... the more blood the better.

They don't help ya because they don't want ya to find their leader is a dragon and worry the said PC want to kill him for experience. They also remained neutral in all affair because taking side would mean their position would be at risk and seen as "bad" guys in either side. Side the Empire and lost the Nord trust. Side the Rebel and contradict the greybeards of the past where they advice Tiber to set the Empire in the south of Skyrim.

It doesn't help the Blades don't even KNOW who they really are anymore.

QFT. All too true.... actually the Blades began the "not knowing" process in Oblivion. Unfortunately, there wasn't a hero around to get them back on the path....

The Greybeards flat out said that perhaps you shouldn't kill Alduin and that he should end the world. That had nothing to do with protecting their 'dear leader'.

There's always a segment of a given population which has a "death wish" or "death now is better than later" attitude. I don't give that sort of attitude any credence in real life; why would I do so in a game?

Well expect when one PICK the choice of siding the Blade in that conversation, they would NEVER want to help ya and outright say that you are a tool to the Blade. Then they say the world might as well end since the PC (the last dragonborn of all people) doesn't has the wisdom or the right mindset at all to hold such power and worry if the PC does so in blindly follow the order of the Blade, then the greybeard leader goes bye bye, just like the quest the Blade gave ya right now.

However, if ya say that YOU are using the Blade and saying they are helping ya, the Greybread gladly let you meet with their leader.

Hmm. I didn't think to "feel" that take on the convo. Short-sightedness on my part, Qawsed Asap!

And that makes them look good? If you tell them the truth - that the blades are helping you defeat Alduin - they throw a tantrum like spoiled brats.

Reread my edited comment. If one choose the first choice, the "the Blades are helping me", then the Greybread would warn ya about the Blade and then one can learn the shout from the Greybeard to meet the dragon.

That's not exactly how the conversation goes. They asked where I learned about Dragonrend. I said that the blades helped me find it. That made them angry, so my character took the diplomatic approach - saying that the blades want to help me defeat Alduin and that the Greybeards want to stop Alduin as well. Their goals were aligned. However, that resulted in the Greybears saying maybe Alduin shouldn't be stopped, and they would have prevented me from seeing Paarthurnax if that other member didn't step in. All of that was before you were asked to kill Paarthurnax. For all of the talk about how stupid the blades are, the greybeards are pretty damn stupid as well.

I suggest ya reload that save and see the conversation. There were 3 choices:

1. Blades are Helping me. I'm not their Puppet.
- The greybeard would teach ya the shout and let ya meet with their leader.

2. Blade just want to defeat Aldiun, don't you?
-The greybeard will tell ya that Aldiun might as well end the world since the hero is being use as a tool by the Blade. He lack wisdom as to how badly things goes if he just keep following the Blade orders. To the end the Greybeard was right, the Blade want Paarthurnax dead.

3. At least the Blade aren't keeping secret from me.
-Greybeard would not trust ya if you don't trust the Greybeard.

I would not really consider the stands of Greybeard to be stupid when it is consider that teaching one of the most dangerous person in the world the most powerful tool of destroying a freaken god's son.

...No. My point stands. I never once said that you aren't justified in sparing Paarthurnax's life. All I've been arguing is that killing him can be justified. Most of the people in favor of killing him seem more open-minded than the people defending him, as the people defending him refuse to cede any ground at all. Neither the blades nor the greybeards are perfect. They both have problems and both could be doing a better job. I just believe that the blades more hands-on approach is welcome when the world is on the verge of ending. You can't meditate forever.

Well.... if the Blades were less gimped and less living-in-their-past-glories.... maybe. However, I've been a Blades detractor since Oblivion, and I'm not going to change now. Especially since your arguments aren't really very compelling.

Ah, so ya admit defeat by not looking the conversation yourself ingame and see that ya just a tool to the Blade afterall?

Its more of the opposite in term of "open-minded" when it comes to how to deal with Paarthurnax. Here what I see it from ya guys is that. Its a quest and therefore I HAVE to do it. That not "open-minded"; that just following a railroad of singularity and blind order from the "Blades". The "Blades" themselves would not see reason if one would tell them to not kill Paarthurnax at all, but both member keep saying "KILL Paarthurnax! He kill people in the past!" and not knowing that Paarthurnax is the reason why Mundus is going still be here for the next century or so because Paarthurnax help ya defeat his brother.

"Open-minded" require thinking everywhere and see all side, ya just seeing in the Blades side. Way I see it, Paarthurnax might go rogue, or he might pacified the dragons and build a peaceful relationship with the human whether the "Blades" just want the dragon dead because they are dragons.


They're both not perfect, but the Blade is being stupid in their part of not being Blades at all (their main job is to serve the Dragonborn, NOT to order the Dragonborn or be dragonkillers). They didn't really do anything that would help ya with the Main Quest. Hell, I would bet one could find out about the wall simply because the Dragonborn would most likely stumble upon it anyway.

Greybeards-wise, they just don't go to any affair since that would be bad on their side if they do anything themselves (ie betraying anyone) but yet they been the most helpful to ya step by step to the point of meeting their leader.

I don't have a save there, chief. I don't have hundreds of saves. It's not how I play games. I know what my character said and that response didn't warrant them flipping out like they did. If they would even consider for a second that Alduin should destroy the world, then they have far more hubris than any of the blades.

Eh, why wouldn't you have at least a save before any particular "major plot point"? That's only sensible.... Regardless, this is one of those "personal preference" arguments which has no "win" side.

Y'all have happy holidays now, hear?

Because it doesn't matter? That conversation at that time influences nothing. Hell, killing Paarthurnax or sparing him influences nothing. Because Bethesda generally avoids establishing canon - I mean, books on random poets are more detailed than books on the Morrowind and Oblivion heroes - chances are Paarthurnax will never show up or be referenced in anything ever again. Nothing will be solved either way.

Well... I always save so I can do all variations.... to see which "fits" best.... but there again, that's a personal thing. And perhaps nothing will be solved either way in your mind, but in mine, it will.... That's the joy of roleplay.

if you were a purely rational creature, you would kill all dragons. this is because you are preserving humans which are essential to your existence. dragons have the potential to destroy humans and so the most logical decision is to eliminate the threat. the reason this doesn't hold for skeevers is because the amount of skeevers sufficient to overthrow humanity would exceed the planet's ability to sustain them. the most intelligent action regardless of legality or emotion is to eliminate potential threats.

the reason most people don't kill paarthurnax is because of honor. he saved your life and the life of everyone else - you owe him yours; everyone owes him their lives. the blades are asking you to assassinate him illegally. if they wanted paarthurnax dead, they should hold him in a trial on a world court, not send 1 person to kill him. however, the blades are taking responsibility for your actions, should you choose the rational.

also, if you choose to LIE to the blades by using the console, you can proceed with the blades quest and still go to paarthurnax for word meditations. however, the greybeards will believe he is dead, even if he is sitting on the mountain 100 feet away.