Heresy, I know. But I couldn’t help but think about this as I was playing the Blades recruitment questline a few days ago. Was Delphine and Esbern actually right for wanting to kill Paarthurnax?
Alright, let’s just look at this from a neutral perspective. Delphine and Esbern, two disgruntled members of an organization that is being actively hunted and systemically destroyed by an oppressive regime, are clearly not rationally thinking about how to deal with Paarthurnax. I’m not sure if I had to hide and watch my back for Thalmor spies 24/7 that I’d be thinking straight either.
However, I think this fact applies more to Esbern (as he locked himself away in the Ratway Warrens under Riften), rather than Delphine (who not only betrays the Dragonborn trust by ordering him to kill his friend, but also misleads the hero of Skyrim in nearly every situation). Esbern truly seems lost in his paranoia, while Delphine is just a ruthless, cold-hearted opportunist. Yet, that doesn’t mean they are not, somewhat, justified in their reasoning behind wanting Paarthurnax dead.
(Bethesda-Elder Scrolls-Delphine)
As far as they know, Paarthurnax was Alduin’s first-born brother, second-in-command, and was responsible for countless atrocities against humanity in the Merethic Age. If the story was as simple as that, then I’d be fully supportive of the Blades’ efforts to slay Paarthurnax. Yet, as we all know, Paarthurnax is far more complex than that.
Not only did Paarthurnax rebel against his brother during the Nord’s fight for freedom, but he also taught them the Thu’um that eventually led to them overthrowing Alduin. Even after telling Delphine all of this, she still brushes it aside and insists Paarthurnax is a murderer and needs to be punished.
Half of that thought process is true as Paarthurnax is still a murderer. His crimes of murdering countless numbers of humans thousands of years ago should not be forgotten. Yet, by completely disregarding his redemptive actions and behavior that has redeemed his worst qualities, she overlooks that he has become a changed individual.
Nevertheless, the Dragonborn can’t convince Delphine otherwise as she refuses to help the Hero of Skyrim in his fight against Alduin until he holds the old dragon responsible for his past.
That raises a huge question: can someone ever be truly redeemed for their crimes? That kind of question strikes at the very soul of humanity and one’s morals. I am, as are many of Skyrim’s players, of the mind that a person can be redeemed. It is as Paarthurnax says, “What is better? To be born good or to overcome your evil nature through great effort?”
I find it more endearing in an individual if they are able to overcome their evil nature through great effort, though I understand Delphine and the Blade’s point of view. One can never truly know if an individual can continue to overcome their evil nature and not relapse into the patterns of evil that defined their past.
That kind of moral dilemma is what makes Skyrim one of the best games of all-time in my opinion. And I’m sure the god, Todd Howard, is pleased to hear that.
Images Source: Featured Image: (Bethesda) (Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim)
In Text Source 1: (Bethesda) (Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim)
