The Blades are idiots (MASSIVE Skyrim main quest spoilers)

[aristos_achaion]

Because I know someone is going to neglect to read the title, I shall spoiler box the following.

Spoiler

Refusing to help me anymore until I kill Parrthurnax? Really?

I can completely understand why they would bear a grudge against him due to his history. But to suddenly turn around and alienate Dovahkiin unless he kills him is just flat out retarded.

I thought the Blades were about honour and morals, not petty revenge that, in its short sightedness, potentially endangers the entire world by way of their inaction - alienating and wishing destruction on what is probably their greatest ally and asset in the struggle.

There really should have been another choice here. Dovahkiin should have been able to explain to Delphine and Old Wrinkly Neck how it is wrong to judge a beast on its primal nature, especially one who has spent thousands of years overcoming its nature in order to transcend it and improve itself ethically. The moral question is there, I'm not attempting to answer it here, just suggesting that Delphine is an idiot for posing it at the time she did.

What did you guys think? were the Blades right here or was it a really dumb request?

I dunno...on the one hand, it's annoying that you can't talk your way out of it, but on the other hand, it's kind of realistic that there are groups whose agendas are simply 100% incompatible.

EDIT:

Spoiler

Then again, riffing on the idea of "dragons just want power"...who was the last Dragonborn everyone's talking about? Tiber Septim -- the guy who conquered all of Tamriel with a Dwemer robot and crowned himself emperor! Sounds pretty power-hungry to me. So if the Blades are really set on serving the Dragonborn, then they'll probably assume that said Dragonborn will realize his/her power-hungry nature sooner or later, and thus the best way to serve him is to wipe out all competition, and every dragon is a potential challenger to the Dragonborn.

 

[darth.pixie]

Would have told them to go to Oblivion but bugs prevented that. So I just left them there and saved the world without them.

They're asking you to pick between them (two useless members of a dying organization) and a friendly dragon. They're digging their own grave, honestly.

 

[Smeggs]

In response to the fact that the dovakhiin has a dragon soul. With the Blades "serving" the dragonborn, it may just be a cover to make sure that he doesn't go mad with power and if he starts to they are right behind him/her to put a sword in his/her back. They just know that the only way to kill a dragon is using the dragonborn to absorb the soul so they may just be using him as a tool and Delphine was just a little too forward about it.

We're not a bunch of weaklings like Uriel Septim and his line following Tiber/Talos.

The Blades know not what powers they trifle with, and if they intend to betray me then they can kiss their faces goodbye.

 

[Bato]

Here's how I look at it, the blades are entirely composed of two members left:
A crazy old man obsessed with dragons who lived in a sewer with fort Knox like Security.
And some bimbo.

I actually didn't know what they wanted because Parthunax was my bro, and sorta two feet away when they told me to go to one or the other.

 

[EHKOS]

The Blades know not what powers they trifle with, and if they intend to betray me then they can kiss their faces goodbye.

That makes me wish for a Nazi face-melting shout DLC....

 

[thethingthatlurks]

In response to the fact that the dovakhiin has a dragon soul. With the Blades "serving" the dragonborn, it may just be a cover to make sure that he doesn't go mad with power and if he starts to they are right behind him/her to put a sword in his/her back. They just know that the only way to kill a dragon is using the dragonborn to absorb the soul so they may just be using him as a tool and Delphine was just a little too forward about it.

We're not a bunch of weaklings like Uriel Septim and his line following Tiber/Talos.

The Blades know not what powers they trifle with, and if they intend to betray me then they can kiss their faces goodbye.

Ditto. Attempting to betray the one being in Skyrim with a kill record higher than all dragons combined is right up there with peacefully protesting at UC Davis in terms of potential for bodily harm...

I went with Paarthurnax, in part because the blades just annoyed me. Take care of your own damn problems, I'm busy teabagging the Jarl of Solitude.

 

[aristos_achaion]

and sorta two feet away when they told me to go to one or the other.

I felt like that part was pretty badly designed, actually -- it wasn't really clear why I should prefer one over the other, so I went with the one I was standing next to. If I'd gotten a "I shouldn't trust this guy" vibe from Parthunax, I might've checked in with the Blades, but, given that his only real failing thus far has been really drawn-out dialogue, I didn't see any reason not to just head over to him.

 

[EightGaugeHippo]

Spoiler

I finished the main quest without killing Parrthurnax... he still sits atop the throat of the world unharmed. The blades are still sat in Skyhaven temple (Or whatever its called) sulking asking me to kill him.
Excuse my dragon tongue, but fuck that. He has done nothing but aid Dovahkiin in his quest to kill Alduin.

 

[mooncalf]

If there were any fewer Blades in Skyrim they wouldn't qualify as a plural, it'd just be "Blade".
I was surprised Delphine and Esbern were even at that meeting, I didn't invite them. While I thank Esbern for his contribution, Delphine's only purpose seems to have been to stick her foot in it; while I quite understand where she was coming from, it spites everything parthunax has done for humans, he gave men and mer freedom from a fully fledged draconic tyranny, condemmed his own kind to fade to the merest shade of their original glory (Odahviing was right to criticise Parthunax as a Tyrant himself) and made his home on the mountain where it happened just in case he'd have to do it again.
If Parthunax ever changes his mind and decides to be an oppressor of men like Alduin and his ilk, then it'll be long after anyone who remembers his deeds is dead.

 

[Lil_Rimmy]

But, if you do kill Parth, it is pretty sweet. But I really, really hate the fact, that after talking to Parth, I couldn't say, "Hey guys, he is ok, let's go speak to him and resolve this peacefully!"

Nope, either ignore or kill.

If you kill him, you now have access to a fortress, where there are sweet weapons and armour, along with a dragon killing blessing, and you can rebuild the blades by giving them up to three followers, and then you can take those followers out to fight whenever you want, and it will be like a small army just waiting for the zombie invasion mod.

On the other hand, Parth just gives you a choice of blessing, and even if you kill him, you keep the last blessing he gave you and it stays there forever.

But Parth is the coolest character, an awesome friendly "Sitting on teh top of teh world" dragon, apart from maybe Odaviin.

Welp, modders need to do four things now.

1. fix this damn quest up, let's chat shall we?
2. fix up marriage. Once you marry, you can't remarry, even if your wife/husband is dead. "I love you Aela, but the stupid quest system won't let me marrry you!"
3. Make a zombie invasion mod
4. Make it so you can ride Ovadviin.

In their tongue, he is DovaMountDovaKiin.... DRAGON RIDING DRAGON BORN!

 

[TimeLord]

-snip-

I've literally just come to this part myself after agreeing the truce! Anyway, the Blades are being idiots, I like Parrthurnax and I won't kill him. I'm not really sure what he's done to them, since all you get is a half-story about him killing other Blades thousands of years ago and being Alduin's right hand dragon.

So yeah, screw you guys, I'm siding with the Dragon!

I mean if I get to the final battle and Parrthurnax turns on me then I'm going to feel pretty stupid but Parrthurnax helps you retrieve the Elder Scroll, tells you how to use it to gain the Dragonrend and helps you in the battle with Alduin, so I can't see him turning against me.

Oh yeah, and a middle option would be nice. Either kill or be ignored with nothing inbetween is a stupid situation.

Edit: It actually smacks me as the New Vegas quest on being asked to destroy the Brotherhood of Steel. The BoS being my favourite group in the Mojave and in Fallout world and I get ordered to wipe them out? Fuck that!