So I decided to start from the begining again this time I'm going to start the Alduin war first and then the civil war.

I just finished the Bleak Falls Barrow quest by retriving the dragonstone from the dragar deathlord, along with getting my first shout. I went back to dragonreach where I went to talk to Farengar Secret-Fire to which I discover that he was speaking with delphine.... the queen blade [censored]. So theirs a commotion coming from one of the guards along with that grey elf woman that works for Balgruuf
indicating that he saw a dragon, and that it was coming whiteruns way. All of this happening Delphine shows no interests whatsoever in this dragon, and walks away! She doesn't even try to help us fight this dragon. I am novice when it comes to the elders scroll seris, but isn't delphine suppose to be fighting dragons? Thats what her little group is all about, right? Dragon slayers yet SHE ISN'T DOING HER JOB!

The more that I restart this game the more that I hate the blades for the hypocrites that they are.

Dude, she has to stay undercover.

Really? This pisses you off?

This isn't quite as nitpicky as the guy who blew a fuse over the "beards" in this game the other day, but I think you're trying too hard to be angry.

Delphine is one the the last Blades; as already said, she must stay undercover. Read all the books you can find in the game to learn more about the world.

Wait until much later in the main quest. She does stuff that is really worthy of being pissed off about.

Besides, she's 50 years old. The old hag maybe can still sneak around in a tomb without waking up its diligent guardians but she's totally useless against a dragon. That's it... the three sole Blades survivors in Skyrim are an hold hag with delusions of grandheur, an eccentric scholar who lives like a rat and a drunkard living in an inn in the middle of nowhere.

She has to stay under cover, what with the Thalmor hunting her. Besides, whiterun is an imperial city, and the imperials have a history of selling out people to the Thalmor.

Better than having your head delivered to the Emperor by a Thalmor agent.

My curiosity is piqued. How might I find this thread??

This is really quite the phenomemon actually. Kind of like the "arrow to the knee" jokes. It's totally unpredictable what ideas will become popular or oft-repeated. I hear the same types of complaints about the two Blades. It's like a mantra or something. Like Esbern, how he's nothing but a useless old man in the sewers. That's definitely not what the writers intended. First, they got the most legendary "Nord" actor in history (Max Von Sydow) to play him. It's not a throwaway role. Second, he's the only guy who's studied the scroll enough, and knows about Alduin more than anyone around. He's the one guy that knows that a dragonborn negates Alduin's apocalyptic "world eater" status, and that there is still room for a hero to change things. That's not exactly "useless". I can definitely see why Delphine grates on people, but even then, they overblow it.

haha.. it's somewhere in the General section. It's probably buried now. I'd rather spare you anyways though

The master of the local iaido dojo is well into his 80's and he can move and swing a sword like nobody's buisness. Martial weapons training and self discipline can do wonders for your health (Yes I'm talking real life here)

Yeah, my own martial arts teacher is over 50 as well. He hits hard. Being a bit over 50 is hardly that old though, these days. It's more impressive when it's the above, like a guy in his 80s.

Like many said, she has to stay in cover. Remember that bit about the Thalmor hunting her down? Yeah, she is trying to stay alive.

Besides, you're the Dragonborn, so it's your duty to stop the dragon, not to go running to her and ask her to destroy it for you.

Face your fate with courage, Dovahkiin!!

Probably because nowadays nobody is taught how to properly use a world. Against someone trained in the ways of old warfare his only hope would be to catch the adversary off guard at the beginning of the fight. My grandfather used to chop wood with an axe well into his eighties and walked for several kilometers when he went shopping instead of using his car: while this may seem an achievement, in his youth he could take his body through much more severe work.

All these facts are just proof that our generation is largely composed of fat and lazy people, not that these guys are (were) outstanding.

Back on topic, I think Bethesda failed in making the Blades likeable characters and can even hardly be considered essential for the story. Even without them, the player could have learned about dragonrend, the elderscrolls, Alduin fate.

Besides, she's 50 years old.

looks good for 50.

Don't diss on 50 year olds, you may yet become one in the future.

Heh. Some of us are quite a bit older than that.... Now, I don't swing a sword IRL, but I run up and down our hill every day (at 7k feet.... and it's 150 yards up and down a 45degree slope - yeah there's a few steps.... and once you get in the house, there's two full FLIGHTS of stairs from the basemant to the first floor, and from the first floor to the second floor). And husband, at WELL over mid-70s, still finds good dying standing pi?on trees, brings them down with chainsaw, cuts them into manageable rollers, throws said rollers into the truck, and once it's unloaded, splits it all into firewood lengths. About 5 cords worth every summer - which of course we burn every winter....

And actually, on topic, I never found the Blades "likeable characters" in any of the previous games, so I wasn't precisely surprised this time 'round.

I happen to think they're likable. Esbern is like the Obi Wan of this game or something. If Esbern was a useless old man in the sewers, so was Obi-Wan basically. He's got the old "hermit" persona, and he's an member of an old legendary order that's on the run.. not only that, he's pretty keen on thinking Vader needs to die. He's hung up on ideals about justice, vengeance, etc.. There's some similitarity with Esbern's need to think Paarth should pay for his crimes and Obi-Wan thinking it's impossible for Vader to be redeemed. He doesn't believe in redemption. Neither did Yoda. Luke, being the good hearted guy that he was, proved him and Yoda wrong, and saw good in Vader... but that doesn't mean they were bad people. It's more like people like Luke are kind of a rarity, and can make even good people look bad in comparison.

This is really off the point, but if you've ever taken an "MBTI" test, you'll find that Luke is an "INFP". He's usually typed as one. That's one of the rarest types.. a dreamy idealist, who sees good even in the worst situations, basically. People like Obi-Wan and Esbern are more common. I can't hate Esbern for what amounts to normal behavior.

I'm pretty sure some of you are INFPs too, btw.

Korr, as far as whether "likeable" means "redeemable" or vice versa - I think that's apples and oranges.... I don't now, nor have I ever "liked" the Blades as a game plot construct. But IF the game (or a mod - more likely) allowed the "redemption and restructuring" of the Blades, I would likely opt to go there. At least once. Like I did the MQ. Once.

I'm pretty sure that's the direction every faction goes. But you always have to do some questionable stuff to get to that point. For example, you need to beat up random civilizians and become a flesh eating werewolf even to come close to redeeming the Companions and saving Kodlak's soul. You have some trials by fire in the Thieves Guild. If you want to save the Forsworn, you really have to be pretty bad.

Well... there ARE places I just won't go. I repeat - it's a game I play to have fun. Stuff like that is NOT fun for me. But that's okay, 'cause guess what? I have the choice not to do anything that bothers me. Works for me.

Not if he keeps talking like that.

You talk like I'm forcing you. I hope you don't think that.

When I mock certain decisions though, it's more like I'm mocking the nicer side, I keep hidden in my own self. lol. I speak in defense of the Blades, but I understand the complaints about Delphine, and why people like Paarthurnax. He's probably the only character that scratches your back without asking that you scratch his first. I'm sure it's a huge relief for some people, seeing that every other NPC is a jerk in one way or another.

Esbern I actually like. Although he wants to kill Paarthurnax, he is at least slightly more polite in saying so. Delphine, on the other hand, essentially tells you that if you get in her way, she'll run you through with that junky katana of hers. The fact of the matter is that Paarthurnax had plenty of opportunities to betray humanity, but he did not. In fact, he ended up helping humanity out. Willingly, might I add. In fact, he helped humanity at the height of Alduin's power. That goes against the very nature of a dragon. Esbern has at least earned the right to tell me that he wants Paarthurnax dead. He was instrumental in saving the world, after all. He did the work and the research. Delphine? She used a contact to get me into a party. Regardless, I've made several attempts to kill Delphine just for even hinting at aggression. So far, Alduin has been an easier kill.

I haven't been back since I killed Alduin, but when I went there to learn the voice to call Odahviing Delphine told me to kill Paarthanax (and, of course started the Kill Paarthanax quest - yet another f-ing quest that will forever gum up my journal ), but Esbern didn't mention anything about it. If I go back he will, I guess.