If I remember correctly, Esbern actually gives a decent reason for killing Paarthurnax. I can understand why he wants to kill Paarthurnax as well. Given his position, I may come to the same conclusion. I mean, come on, his name includes the words "overlord" and "cruelty" in it! Furthermore, Esbern recognizes Paarthurnax's role in helping humanity...but also believes that he must atone for his sins. Kind of like how if a man murders a small family, but then proceeds to save the lives of twenty other families. He still murdered a small family. In a way, keeping him alive is a more pragmatic approach.

...but what if that family is the Kardashians?

I'm not going to kill Paarthanax. He's overcome his nature and even though he continues to struggle he trusted me and helped me save Skyrim. Maybe he's a sociopath that has me fooled, but I'll grant him his 2nd chance. Also, in D&D (the original 1970's version, anyway) not all dragons are evil and none of them are 'dumb animals'.

Edited for punctuation.

It reminds me of the story of one "Karla Fay Tucker". She was sentenced to be the first woman to executed in Texas for a long while, a few years back. There was a lot of controversy about it, since she became a born again Christian, and helped people on death row. But her past crimes were extremely gory and vicious. Killing people with a pickaxe, no less. She didn't just outright murder either. She relished in it. She said herself that she actually experienced multiple orgisms while slamming a pickaxe repeatedly into one woman's chest. Like Paarthurnax, she never really defended herself. I give her credit for that. She was resigned to her fate, but would be grateful if pardoned as well.

Needless to say, she was executed. Other parts of the world are even more expedient. They would have executed her right away. But man, so many people raised hell about it. Mostly people who disapprove of execution in general and believe in ideas like redemption. They expect everyone else to believe in redemption too. Maybe they're right. Maybe if they try hard enough they'll change the world. Or maybe they just live in a fantasy world, with values that are irrelevant to the outside world. For most people, it doesn't matter if someone redeems themselves. The victims' family should probably get the only say-so on forgiveness, but they wanted her dead too. I bet if we got like a flashback scene of Paarthurnax in his heyday, at least some people might change their tune. Not all, but I'm sure some would. Essentially Paarth, whoever he is now, gets to live for thousands of years in quiet bliss, while his victims amounted to nothing. Probably humble humans who lived pointless, short lives in slavery, and then got burned to death for nothing.

Drunkard in an inn in the middle of nowhere? Who? I don't recall such a person.

That was ancient times when Blades were dragon slayers depending on the truth that there haven't been dragons for a long time. Their existence as dragon slayers is more from this game, in previous games we have seen them as Emperor's spies and bodyguards. There wasn't dragons in previous games so dragon slaying history of Blades wasn't openly told. There may be some in-game book about it - not sure if there is - but at least I haven't read it. So in Skyrim I found out that they have been dragon slayers in their past.

There's an old grumpy man who stays in the Nightgate inn. He carries all the time a Blades sword.

Btw, I'm not dissing 50 years old people... I'm not that far from reaching that goal either But Daphne is the prime example of a 'hag': a lady who hasn't aged well and I'm not talking about her appearance

And who does such a thing? Being 50 years old is a good age. Bilbo Baggins was 50 years old when he left Bag End with Dwarves. Dovahkiin was 50 years old when he slayed Alduin. Heroes under 40 are only young lads who get killed before they manage to do anything heroic. Best thing in TES is that you never need to play with implausible young heroes. Young hero = Dead hero.

How is the dovahkiin 50 years old? I mean, I guess they could be, but I'm not sure the game states anything either way. If anything, there's always more hints at his youth. "Strapping young man", Kodlak addresses you as "boy", and the mage in winterhold saying how he's happy that a youth like you cares about magic, etc..

Talos was said to be a youth as well. By the time he was emperor, he was an old man, who couldn't even use the Thu'um. Some say his throat was cut and that he ruled with a "whisper".

Alexander the Great conquered the then known world before he was even 30. Gengis Khan was somewhat the same. Joan of Arc was 17 and helped aid France from a hundred years of rule under England. To be fair though, she died young.

Saying Dovahkiin is 50 years old was provocative comment to everyone who plays with younger characters. That depends only the truth that it's true in my game that Beogar the Alduinslayer was 56 years old when he faced Alduin in Sovngarde.

And about the Alexander the Great he was conqueror and some may call him hero. But anyway he died young. As I said young hero = dead hero.

Don't get me wrong, I think you can roleplay anything. In terms of marketing (mostly irrelevant) and some hints from NPCs though, the PC is probably young.

Yes some comments are little weird. Example when I joined in Companions Kodlak Whitemane said something I thought was connected to my younger age. Well that made me to think that Kodlak is extremely old.

It's odd that they put such dialogues and comments you mentioned in the game. It would be better if in character creation player types in his age which will later in game give him chance to get different comments and attitude from other people depending in his age.

"Changing" when you're in prison and feeling hopeless is quite different from changing while you're free and have the option to keep doing whatever you want.

Yeah, I was gonna' say: I didn't think she looked that old. Is she really 50? Is it stated or are you just doing the math based on the history of the Blades?

Paarth didn't change because of humans specifically though. He changed because Alduin lost sight of his calling and started calling himself a god. To me, it seems like his motivations aren't entirely pure and out of pity, but out of a more personal beef with Alduin. So in a way, it balances out my example about the woman changing in prison.

The Thalmor dossier on her states she's 55. The actress also (Joan Allen) is 55. Looks a lot like Delphine probably would irl. I think they hired her because of her character in the Bourne movies.. she's kind of a spy, whose side you don't entirely figure out she's on too.

Meaning no disrespect, I doubt Delpine has access to Ms. Allen's plastic surgeon. She looks considerably younger than 55.

If she has plastic surgery, it's subtle then. She has crow's feet, for example: http://cache2.artprintimages.com/LRG/12/1260/6N2T000Z.jpg

Most people who get surgery stretch their eyes to remove the wrinkles, and get that awful permanently "surprised" look. She doesn't have that.

Ah. I haven't read them yet. I have them and actually know on which bookself they are...just haven't read them yet.

Yeah, I saw who her voice actress was. Another big name.

If a farmer can attack a Dragon and survive as happens on numerous occasions. Surely a barkeep can get away with it without people shoving the farmer out the way and saying: "Hey, you! Barkeep! You just attacked a Dragon! I've got my eye on you...".

Wandering nobody: "Yes, and then you walked off! At least after I attacked it, I stood around and stared for a while, talking to myself! There's something fishy about you..."

I don't find a problem with the OP's topic either positive or negative but it is amusing to hear about it. Thanks for sharing!

If you still play Oblivion then this mod might change your mind about the blades.

DarkRider's "Reclaiming Sancre Tor" and it can be found http://tesalliance.org/forums/index.php?/files/file/951-reclaiming-sancre-tor/

Be forwarned that you are looking at about 30+ hours of game play for this expansion.

That can be true many times. But get a 25 year old master in there and.. Well you know where I'm going with this. This isn't as true with edge weapons but he isn't what he was 50 years ago.

Yeah?

i do have a question, are the blades trying to get back at Paar for all the Blades that WENT AFTER Paar and died or the number of peopel we have no idea about that were killed during the dragon wars? Because if its the first...well they had ti coming going AFTER a dragon and a dragon killign them in self defence and if it was the second...by gones be bygones that was looooooong ago, id be prone IF a descendant of the peopel who were killed by Paar "brutality" was passed down and passed down...yeah then id be more inclined because he musta did soemthign terrible for somethign like that, BUT to get all vengeful because ur peopel went out AFTER "meaning he wasnt after u, u went after him" and they died...welllll thats nto his fault they shoulda doen better.

Ok. So it's a barkeep wearing armor and a big weapon. Maybe a little suspicious. But then so is a barkeep wearing armour walking down the road and through a village, attacking nothing. Surely my eyes would more likely be on the dragon than on some obscure warrior fighting it (unless you absorb it's soul) that tends to turn a few heads.

Walking through the town or along the road in interesting armor with nothing else to distract you tends to draw more eyes straight away. "Who is that person? Why are they wearing armour? Hey. isn't that Delphine from Riverwood? What she doing way out here dressed like that? That's a bit strange." Low profile? I don't think so. Barkeep garb? Farmers clothes? Not so eyecatching (unless it's the tavern serving girls clothing )

Killing dragons? Well, lore or no lore, everyone tends to have a go at that for some reason, weather it's written down or not. Maybe these guards and farmers should look it up on the web that they really shouldn't try tackling a dragon as only Dragonborn can kill one. "Hey! Guard! You just killed my Dragon! Go search the web you noob! you just can't do that. It says so in this book as well... ok, you can put the sword down now. The dragon's dead... Stand back... I'm warning you. My mouth is loaded and I'm not afraid to use it!"

Just the dragon wars. As Delphine states, they've never been able to go after Paarthurnax because the Emperors have always protected him. Apparently now that the Dragonborn emperorers are gone, they feel it is time to try to force the issue, because they certainly don't care much about your character.

Bah, I wish I could form a Way of the Voice / Allies dragon life insurance group. If you help out people or follow the Way of the Voice and some stupid blade or someone else kills you, then everyone else in the group will stop at nothing to return you to life.

lol

she CANT help you then, the Thalmor might find out and kill her.

you do bring up a really good point, though... for later.

couldn't someone suggest to her that she was neglecting her duty by not assisting, and even charge her with a crime? it would at least be a demotion and she'd quit telling ME, her BOSS what to do. lmao

just a thought