Laws are a social construct. Law is not.

If you're talking about "Law" in the Capital L sense, then you're referring to the same thing as me, when I mentioned people's values/morals/philosophy/etc.. No one has a complete handle on the absolute expression of it, but people do make an effort on their own, outside the "social constructs". In which case, I would say many aren't simply just delivering "vengeance" as you said, but actually making an attempt at sound judgement, as best they can.

Either way, it's up to us. There's no council of law mechanic in the game. The developers intend everyone to make whatever choice they want. It's right for us to judge because they gave us the choice...and they are the gods and demigods of TES, and they've endowed the player with the power to make the call. There's no morality meter. Whatever choice you make can be rationalized as right, depending on the player and roleplaying. If it was Mass Effect or D&D, certain choices would make you "evil", but thank the gods such a thing doesn't exist in this game.

Im sorry, but murder is murder, even if it is sanctioned by the state.

These are facts:

The Blades want to commit genocide on dragons.
Dragons have, historically, given the Blades good reason to hate them. (my opinion is that doesn's justify genocide)
Paarthunax was living a non-violent life but admits that it takes extreme meditation.
Paarthunax admits that all dragons are not to be trusted (but not him)
Ohdaving claims Paarthunax wants to lead the dragons and force them to live in a new way. (peaceful way, implying Ohdaving has no desire to be peaceful)
Paarthunax that new way is non-violent.
Ohdaving has no problem with the slaying of Paarthunax.
Paarthunax offers very little defense.

Looking over the facts, as I see them. The conclusion I came to is that dragons are evil in the same way vampires are evil. It is in their fundamental nature to rule as it is in the vampire fundamental nature to feed. A vampire can avoid feeding for only so long before it goes on a killing spree (thats how it works in Being Human anyway, and that makes sense to me) therefore a Dragon can avoid dominating its world for only so long before it goes on a maniacal dictator spree.

Here is the kicker: Paarthunax knows this. He wants to change, he wants other dragons to change but deep down inside he knows it ain't going to happen. He commits suicide by Dovahkiin.

Paarthunax exhibits depression symptoms. Living alone. Not working. Moping around in a pattern of behavior. Not caring if he lives or dies.

I believe that Paarthunax (the oldest living dragon in history as Alduin doesn't live as long as Paarthunax because he time travels to the future) is ready to die. Hopes someone will kill him. Doesn't have the courage to commit suicide but is sort of waiting for the day when a great warrior will slay him. Enter Dovahkiin.

The Greybeards have mistaken Paarthunax' depression for meditation. Paarthunax has justified his depression by calling it mediation.

Is it right for the Dovahkiin to kill Paarthunax? I don't think so.
I also don't think it is wrong for the Dovahkiin to kill Paarthunax.
I think it equates to killing the vampire in that one town. The girl vampire that is preparing the town for the boy vampire to use as a personal feeding stock. I think Paarthunax is the girl vampire. Some future Dragon Dictator is the boy vampire. Paarthunax cannot lead the dragons to peaceful existence, he has neither the strength not the inclination to lead. Ohdaving basically says so right in front of Paarthunax.

It boils down to us or them and this is how the Blades got to genocide so they aren't just delusional, just extremist.

Still, I believe it is wrong to kill a Skyrim being unless there is strong evidence that the Skyrim being is bad. Paarthunax has the potential to be bad, but is clearly a toothless shell of what he once must have been. Better to leave him on his mountain to die.

As for the Blades. Genocide is an extreme answer and my Dovahkiin doesn't want any part of it. So best to leave them in their cave to do their thing on their own.

You didn't absorb his soul. I suspect you did it all as a way of putting the end of the world on forbearance. Interest is still due, but the world survives... for now.

I think that they got the Blades exactly correct. The Blades have all but disappeared with only two members remaining. One is an aging academic more interested in the theory of dragon slaying than actually doing it and the other (the leader) is a fanatic. The current Blades only exist because the fanatic kept them alive. It is reasonable to expect that historicaly the Blades were much more three dimensional. We only get the fanatical genocidal leader version of the Blades.

I don't think she kept anyone alive but herself. I don't think explains how she's grandmaster, but I've assumed she's only got the position because it's fallen to her after the Thalmor hunted them down. Esbern isn't leader because he was never exactly a Blade to begin with. He was their archivist. And he's a mage conjurer, rather than a soldier. Not sure about the fanatic part either. She's just hung up on finding a purpose, after losing everything and all her friends.. The purpose I guess is to restore the Akaviri dragonguard.

Yeah, she got it by default. I guess that is the point I was trying to make. The Blades as a society would have died out if she didn't keep the fight alive. She was the only person left (Esbern didn't count as we both agree) and so she assumed the leadership mantle.

Therefore this version of Blades is schewed from what they used to be as they are HER Blades.. not THE Blades.

I consider her a fanatic because she views her sole purpose in life to kill off all dragons. To me that is extreme to the point of fanaticism.

The Blades may have always been just that. That is what SHE says they were. But that is her point of view not necessarily THE point of view. Based on their long history and respect given to them in the past by governments I would assume they were a little more complex than "kill dragons"

Yeah, for us who played past games, her reasoning and idea of the Blades is weird. When it comes to one of my characters, he doesn't exactly know better. And from his perspective, all he's been doing for months is killing dragons. So the idea of building an army is appealing to him.

All well written. There are some assumptions on how P really feels or is feeling, but that is really all we can do isn't it. I think you backed up your position with enough facts to make a case of it.

It would have been really interesting if after a few game months you could go back to the mountain top and there were 3 or 4 other dragons sitting around P meditating. That would at least give the impression that P is teaching the 'Way of the Voice' to some of his kin. However, that never happens, and wild dragons are still being found all over the place, so it makes you wonder if you really accomplish anything by leaving him alive.

The way I see it is that both sides are destined for FAIL. Paarthurnax isn't converting any dragons. Not one. He's a unique snowflake. And I think him having to deal with other dragons will lead to frustration - and anger. And eventually a need to show his strength again. And then he'll be back to his old ways.

Delphine is bound to screw things up, if you side with the Blades. Not sure how, but I don't think it can last with her in the lead. She's too paranoid and control-freakish.

If Bethesda wanted me to even do so much as entertain the notion of killing Paarthunax they should have done 2 things:
-Make Paarthunax not the cool dova-bro that he is.
-Make Delphine less annoying of a NPC. You want to follow the Dragonborn? Come back when you're ready to do that and not order the Dragonborn around like your personal servant without even the courtesy of giving the Dragonborn any sort of compulsion to follow your order.
Dear Akatosh, I wanted to introduce her face to my sword the moment the game introduced her to me. When the game finally presented me with the option of not following that brat's orders, I said "Thank the heavens! I can switch tracks on this railroad" and never looked back.

So no, I did not kill Paarthunax as the game just didn't give me any reason to do that.

Raygereio,

I got all philosophical about the Paarth issue... but your post is dead on.

It really does boil down to Paarth is kind of cool... Daphne is kind of annoying.

My guts told me not to...so he lived......i think it was the right decission...

Thats not the point though. Soldiers killing soldiers is self defense not murder, even if you dont approve of war. And a cop killing a suspect pointing a gun at him isnt murder even if it turns out the dead person was holding a fake gun. To accuse someone of a crime you are implying that he knew (or should have known) that what he was doing was wrong/illegal and chose to do it anyway.

here's an example of P-nax dominating all other Dovah:

Dovahkiin: an army of Thalmor has come to destroy the people of skyrim
Paarthurnax: Can't you handle it, the way of the voice is not meant to be used willy-nilly.
D/K: But...
P: Goodbye *flies off to the south with his Dovah disciples*

just so you know, if you control the dragons, you can get them to go to war. Paarth leads them, they sit on a mountain not caring about any war with the Thalmor or anything.

Why kill Paarthunax? Because his crimes of a thousand years past were terrible. If Hitler came alive today, would you want him dead, even if his crimes were done 60 years ago?

Just playing devil's advocate. Paarthunax is my boy, but the Blades do SORTA have a point, depending on how you look at it.

However, Paarth saved the world....twice.

To continue with devils advocate - exactly how were his crimes of a thousand years ago horrible? They were at war were they not? Did he attempt genocide as the blades are doing? If Thomas Jefferson were alive today would you put him on trial for having participated in slavery?

You cannot control any dragons other than Odahviing. The rest are more happy fighting you than serving you and Paarth's disciples are only seen the one time (they're on a path of peace anyways).

I don't know where people keep getting Dovahkiin leading the Dragons against the Thalmor, I doubt dragons would really give a crap about mortals killing each other. You get Odahviing because as a shout and that's it.

Paarth was the member of a ruling class that were overthrown by the underclass. In nearly every case in human history of that happening the ruling class were put to death across the board. It is still done today. Saddam Hussein... Mommmar Ghadaffy.

Its just what happens. There are excellent political reasons and excellent anthropological reasons, but barring an academic discussion the skinny is... Paarth would absolutely be put to death in our world... possibly or exiled or imprisoned if he was just a bad guy, but if he is documented as killing anyone he would get death and seeing as how he was a top dog, I think death.

Now a dragon like Ohdaving who wasn't reknown for his role in the old government could probably get away with living as a hermit occasionally helping a dovahkiin in need of a ride or a distraction. But Paarth was a ringleader. He wouldn't get absolution on Earth he would get the Hussein treatment.

Perfectly said. All that other stuff is just speculation.

Paarth is cool and Delphine is a biatch. Simple as that.

Just the way she talks to you when you don't follow her orders is enough to make me want to FUS her over the flipping mountain top.

see it the same!

as they wanted me to decide to either kill him or not...i was like.. "wtf, why should i kill the one who helps me all the time and stick with some old [censored] acting like she is my boss?"

Because she's right. Paarthurnax can't be trusted.