100% correct, the Empire didn't actually start enforcing the ban on Talos worship in Skyrim until Ulfric started causing trouble, forcing the Empire to pay closer attention to Skyrim and enforce the White-Gold Concordant in the process. This little factoid is something that Ulfric and his followers like to conveniently forget; that it is actually their fault that Talos worship was actively prevented. Prior to Ulfric's rebellion, while worship of Talos was officially banned 'on paper', in practice that rule was not actually enforced anywhere in Skyrim and the Empire fully intended to just look the other way and pretend they had no idea about that.
Ulfric is an easy target, but there were a lot of people urging him on. One thing I think is overlooked is that Talos was probably the most popular god in the empire. This was like the post-Christianity Roman Empire banning the worship of Christ. I don't think I'm exaggerating that much. It was huge. In particular, who do you think the richest temple was... Talos, almost certainly, although a generic Nine Divines might be top it. While the Empire didn't ban Talos worship, they absolutely had to shut down all the temples to Talos and all the priests of Talos - that's some pissed off clergy who were formerly the top of the ecclesiastical pyramid. Worse, priest magic actually works in Tamriel. That means these people derive their magical ability from their faith in Talos. These are not the political priests giving lip service. So, yeah Ulfric caused the Markarth incident, but if it hadn't been him some other bonehead would have given them a cause. It was bound to happen. The Thalmor planned for it happen.
Tamriel has a bad history with navies; the few times they tried to put together really serious navies and do something with them (usually invade Akavir) it all went tits up. Plus, while it doesn't show up much in the games, the seas are infested with all kinds of monstrosities like sea serpents and kraken and whatnot. Single ships are safe enough, but large armadas sailing together have an alarming habit of attracting hungry deep sea critters, which combined with the historical oopsies involved in major overseas conquests has led to the Empire mostly only keeping an armada for the purposes of patrolling trade routes. As such the majority of the ships are fast patrol cutters and the like that can run down pirates and run the fuck away from sea monsters rather than the heavy galleons that most people envisage when they think 'imperial armada', they do have some galleons of course, Titus Mede II shows up on a fairly impressive (if gaudy) one, but they're intended more as shows of power than actual warships.
There's also a bunch of sentient sea dwellers, like the Maormer, Dreugh and Sload who tend to get uppity about large numbers of ships crossing their territory, and unsurprisingly that usually goes very poorly for whoever happens to own the ships, for obvious reasons.
Now this bit about sea monsters is good stuff. I was wondering a bit about it and this gives some background. Still, in a world where pirates are common and you do a lot of shipping, you need at least ships for patrolling the sea lanes and keeping the pirates down.
Navies are more Hammerfell, High Rock, Cyrodill and the Summerset Isles bailiwick, probably because the seas around Skyrim have an alarming habit of being full of icebergs and sea monsters. The Redguard are actually known for their skills at sailing, though details on their presumed navy are somewhat lacking beyond that it is probably based in Lilac Bay.
Now I did know this about the Redguards, and I find it curious and very hand-wavy. Because they are supposed to be major sailors and the Aldmeri ripped Hammerfell a new one. Now, if you're an island nation invading a continental based nation you can't pull off that kind of invasion without first neutralizing their fleet. Even supposing the Aldmeri dominion took their army that was in Cyrodiil and marched it north to claim the territority they just won with their shiny new treaty - that fleet isn't going to just sit around in the water and watch their homeland get destroyed. If the Redguard have a major fleet, it's going to be returning the favor by raiding all up and down the coastline of the Aldmeri Dominion.
And maybe that's what happened, because the Aldmeri did eventually back off after trashing southern Hammerfell and signed a treaty. Given the reputation of the Redguards that was probably in part due to their armies having a rough time, but I'm sure their had to be some pretty fierce naval warfare going along with it.
Which is Dany's ulterior motive. If your real enemy lives on islands and you don't have a fleet to speak of, then you're stuck trying to rush troops to wherever they chose to land - putting you at a disadvantage from the get go. Not to mention that your enemy can engage in Ironborn tactics - pillage, raid, and leave before your troops ever arrive. She did learn something fighting a war.
Now this bit about sea monsters is good stuff. I was wondering a bit about it and this gives some background. Still, in a world where pirates are common and you do a lot of shipping, you need at least ships for patrolling the sea lanes and keeping the pirates down.
Now I did know this about the Redguards, and I find it curious and very hand-wavy. Because they are supposed to be major sailors and the Aldmeri ripped Hammerfell a new one. Now, if you're an island nation invading a continental based nation you can't pull off that kind of invasion without first neutralizing their fleet. Even supposing the Aldmeri dominion took their army that was in Cyrodiil and marched it north to claim the territority they just won with their shiny new treaty - that fleet isn't going to just sit around in the water and watch their homeland get destroyed. If the Redguard have a major fleet, it's going to be returning the favor by raiding all up and down the coastline of the Aldmeri Dominion.
And maybe that's what happened, because the Aldmeri did eventually back off after trashing southern Hammerfell and signed a treaty. Given the reputation of the Redguards that was probably in part due to their armies having a rough time, but I'm sure their had to be some pretty fierce naval warfare going along with it.
There would have been, the Aldmeri have also clashed with the Maormer several times, and won. Given that the Maormer are amphibious sea elves who ride tamed Sea Serpents, the Aldmeri must presumably have some pretty serious naval forces of their own, though they are likely more magical based than ship based, because elfses.
I also suspect that the majority of the Redguard fleet spends its time spread out all around Tamriel, trading and patrolling, rather than acting as a single united armada. But details on how exactly the Redguards operate are very sparse, so *shrug*
Chapter 21
Sundas, the 4th of Morning Star to Fredas, the 27th of Sun's Dawn, Year 202 of the 4th Era
With Faralda's guidance Daenerys managed to cast Sparks before the month of Morning Star was over. Faralda was especially pleased because Daenerys had now met the minimum standards that she demanded of her apprentices: Flames, Frost, and Sparks, plus one apprentice level spell. Since they were planning on leaving the College in a few weeks, Faralda suggested that Daenerys focus on learning magic from other schools. She would still be able to tutor Daenerys in Destruction magic as they traveled, but Daenerys would no longer have access to the wisdom of the masters of the other schools. She also wanted Daenerys to teach her to cast the Shove spell to see if could cast it based on a Seeming instead of Fus.
Daenerys followed this advice, but like anything worth learning, mastering magic was a slow process of both study and practice. She studied the theory, attended all her classes, and practiced diligently. She also decided to select one spell at a time and focus on mastering it. Clairvoyance was the obvious first choice. She could already manage a wisp of smoke. She took the brute force approach, drilling the spell over and over until she was finally able to cast it successfully. The Master of Illusion, Drevis Nerloren, was quite pleased, but Daenerys found the Seeming difficult to maintain. The caster had to convince themselves that what they knew was false, was actually true. It was quite different from the anger and rage of Destruction or the wish for the pain to stop of Restoration. While Drevis claimed that she had made good progress, Daenerys was content to have mastered Clairvoyance and shifted her focus to other schools of magic.
After some consideration Daenerys decided to focus upon learning Bound Dagger next. Both Brelyna and Sofija claimed that Daenerys had the will and determination needed to succeed. Conjuration had numerous applications. She had seen some of the students in spellsword training using conjured blades and with the right advanced techniques, conjured weapons were better than steel. She was also interested in the ability to conjure minions to fight for her.
From the Unsullied and Dothraki to Sniel in Bleak Falls Barrow, people kept dying for her. Back on Plaentos she had been so certain of her cause that the cost hadn't bothered her. That had led to the burning of King's Landing. Never again would she discount lives like that. She would learn to fight on her own. She would not ask more of others than she did herself. Yes, she would still need trained warriors to help her fight. Summoning creatures was slow, and they didn't last long. Nord barrows were dangerous, and Dragur could attack with little warning. However, she could use disposable creatures to help pay the blood cost – if she could master the spells.
Despite her focus on mastering novitiate spells, Daenerys did not neglect her spellsword lessons. She attended every lesson and worked hard to master the techniques. Her duel with Thaena had proved that relying completely upon magic was foolish. After only a few weeks she could feel her body changing in response to the lessons. The aches and pains of exercises were resulting in hard muscle under her softer curves. The stretches were becoming easier as well. In their practice duels, she was still well behind most of the students, but she was getting better. The lessons were also excellent for practicing Restoration. It wouldn't be long before she would be ready to race the dangers of Skyrim.
.oOo.
The 13th of Sun's Dawn was minor Nord holiday, the Feast of the Dead. The celebration was for remembrance of fallen Nord heroes. Nords being Nords, this remembrance was accomplished by drinking and feasting while the names of all Five Hundred Companions of Ysgramor were recited along with their known deeds. The holiday also featured competitions among bards for both the best story and the best song about the Companions. Like other Nord holidays, the Feast of the Dead was mostly ignored by the College of Winterhold. However, Daenerys, as a Thane of Winterhold, was obligated to attend.
Daenerys had expected it to be a boring affair full of drunk Nords boasting about the heroism of their ancestors. She was only half-right. The Nords were drunk and they did boast loudly about their ancestors, but it wasn't entirely boring. Jarl Kraldar had neglected to tell her that this was her introduction to Nord politics. While most of the population drank heavily and celebrated, she was introduced to all the jarl's thanes and landed nobles of Winterhold. All of them wanted to congratulate her on her duel and ask her advice about every issue that was facing Winterhold because Jarl Kraldar had not only acted on all her advice but also credited the ideas to her. The town had already built three ballistae and was training men to use them. They were also raising a tower and laying the keels for two new ships. Daeneys was also unsurprised to learn that her idea to spread the offer of pirates turning privateer in the fishing village had born fruit. One pirate had already accepted the Jarl's offer and two more were negotiating through intermediaries.
Now they all wanted advice about a new threat – vampires. In the process of clearing some of the old ruined homes to make way for a tower, they had uncovered two vampires sheltering in the basement. While there were only two found, vampires were now presumed to be the cause of the disappearances that had happened at isolated farms and even inside the town. More than one thane offered her cautious condolences on the loss of her 'lover' Sagyval. It disturbed her that her friend might now be a vampire, but she considered it likely. He had vanished without a trace. He had also mentioned only coming into town at night in his letter. She didn't have much advice to offer about vampires. She knew almost nothing about them. She made obvious suggestions about having everyone home before dark, locking doors, having the watch patrol in parties of two or more, and trying to contact the Dawnguard for advice. She found herself repeating this same obvious advice over and over. She plastered a smile on her face and reminded herself that these were important people in Winterhold. Nords weren't tolerant of outsiders in general, but because of her duel and her ability to Shout, she was being treated as one of them.
At the end of the day, Jarl Kraldar thanked her for sharing her wisdom with his court. He had a smug smile on his face as he did it. Maybe he was just a bit drunk, but she had the feeling that the jarl had used her reputation to smooth everything over. If it had been intentional, then there was a canny politician hiding behind the image of a Nord warrior. She wasn't even that upset. While it had been tedious, she had also made connections that might serve her well in the future.
.oOo.
Students were encouraged to practice outside of regular classes in the Hall of Elements. For most schools of magic, as long as the student was careful in their aim, only light supervision was needed. The exception to that rule was any form of Conjuration magic. All students of apprentice rank and lower had to be under the direct supervision the Master of Conjuration, Phinis Gestor. There was often a line waiting for a turn when he was supervising an open practice day.
Phinis was a middle-aged Breton, perhaps in his early forties, young for a faculty member, but already almost bald. He was a cold-hearted man and the strictest teacher at the College, and for good reason. It was all too easy for novitiates to accidentally summon an unbound Dremora. It hadn't ever happened to her, but she had seen it happen twice, once in Conjuration class and once in open practice. The Master of Conjuration had immediately banished the unbound Dremora on both occasions. That wasn't even the worst danger. It was possible for a mage to lose the battle of wills and end up the slave of the Dremora they tried to summon. However, willpower wasn't the part of Conjuration that gave Daenerys difficulty.
"Well, well, Daenerys Targaryen. Ready to make another attempt?"
"Yes, Master Phinis." That should be obvious. Why else had she been waiting her turn in line?
"Before you begin, what have you learned from your previous failures?"
"I'm still struggling with the invitation portion of the Seeming. As you've described in class, it's much like fishing. First, one must be sincerely open and inviting – baiting the hook. Then you wait until they're committed. You don't strike at the first nibble. Only after they take the bait, do you slam down your will and bind them. I'm fighting back too soon."
"Good. At least you understand your limitations. I think you're also not being inviting enough. They're cautious about taking the bait. Try focusing more on what you will let them do. Daedra are not fools, they know that mages will try to bind them. They hope to slip the noose, but they expect the attempt. It's the promise of the violence they can do that makes the commit. You want to bind a dagger. Focus on how you will use it, to cut and slash at your enemies, that it will drink blood."
"I understand." Daenerys gathered her will. The invitation was part of the focus, she wanted a Daedra to cut, to slash, to rip open her enemies, to feast upon blood. It really was a little like baiting a hook. The problem was that she was the bait. No sooner had she made then invitation than something slimy and filthy accepted. It slipped inside her body using her as an opening into Mundus. She hated the feeling. The spirit was nasty, impure, and hateful. This is where she always failed. She closed the connection too soon. She wanted to fight back, but she didn't. She let it wriggle inside her. It was vile and evil. She could feel it corrupting her. Letting it remain inside her was just felt so wrong. The longer it stayed, the worse it felt. She couldn't take it any longer! She slammed down her will and forced it out of her and into the form she had chosen, a small vessel shaped like a dagger. All the filth squeezed forth from her like lancing a boil and appeared in her hand – concentrated evil malice in the form of a dagger.
"There you go." He nodded in approval but didn't seem to really care that much. "That wasn't so hard now, was it?"
She held the thing shaped like a dagger in her hand. She forced a smile in acknowledgment although she felt sick inside. "No, it wasn't hard," she lied.
"Now, it should only last a few minutes the first time. Let's make sure you got the binding right."
Daenerys nodded and swung the dagger about a few times. Her victory felt so hollow. It wasn't as bad now that it was outside her body. Although it still reeked of hate and murder. It still wanted to drink blood, but at least it was no longer inside her corrupting her. She held onto it for a minute or two just wanting it to go away. Finally, after what seemed like forever, it vanished.
"Well done, Daenerys. It only took you a few months. That's really good progress. Get to the back of the line. You can probably get another two summons in before open practice is over."
Daenerys nodded. She felt used and dirty. It had only been inside her a few moments, but still the sensation lingered.
Brelyna patted her on the back. "It gets easier."
"I'm sure it does," agreed Daenerys, but was it getting easier a good thing? She had known from her earlier attempts what Conjuration meant. Mages summoned draemora every day. It was like building up a tolerance to poison. However, the feeling of being defiled still lingered. She had wanted disposable minions, but she wasn't sure the cost was worth it. She understood now why Masters of Conjuration became unfeeling and numb.
Daenerys practiced Bound Dagger three more times to be sure she could cast it, but she couldn't do it again. The more that she studied casting magic with a Seeming, the more she understood why Faralda was so excited at the prospect of Shout-based magic. The Nords weren't wrong to distrust mages. To master Conjuration she would have to continue to allow Draemora to use her body to access Mundus, and the Draemora would only grow in power and evil. If she persisted, there might come a day when she no longer needed warriors of flesh and blood to protect her, but at what cost? She had already fallen to madness once. She feared that if she continued down that path, there would come a day when she simply no longer cared about anything except power. That was not a price she was willing to pay. No, she had been a fool to think she could let corruption inside her and not be stained by it. This was not a path she could safely tread.
Having firmly turned her back on Conjuration, Daenerys had to decide what to study next. While Candlelight was obviously useful, Daenerys had never had more than a flicker of light. The Seeming for Alteration required one to embrace the wonder of childhood and endless possibility. While being reborn in Skyrim should be proof of that anything was possible, Daenerys found it hard to embrace that kind of naivety. She was simply too cynical. After considering what would help her survive Nord barrows the most, Daenerys decided to focus on learning Fast Healing. While it was technically an Apprentice level spell, it would be undoubtably useful. She also had ample opportunity with her spellsword training to practice healing herself.
She had also taken to spending more time in the library. Originally it had been to determine the location of Ilinalta's Deep. It was located, not surprisingly, on Lake Ilinalta west of Riverwood. That had led her to look up more information about Skyrim and Tamriel. There was much that she still didn't understand. Her reading speed still wasn't that good, but she no longer required a dictionary multiple times a page. There was much she wanted to know about dragons and Dragonborn. Faralda guided her to some books, but they were vague and disappointing. She only found two references of Dragonborn absorbing the souls of dragons but details were completely lacking. There were a lot of references to Nord oral tradition and songs that nobody had apparently ever bothered to write down.
Sofija was also studying and practicing diligently. She had clearly taken the command from Daenerys to be ready seriously. While she didn't have a preferred school of magic, Sofija had picked up quite a few spells that were useful to spellswords: Bound Dagger from the Conjuration School, Fury from the Illusion School, Healing from the Restoration School, and Oakflesh from the Alteration School. She had begged Brelyna for tutoring and finally mastered Bound Sword. Sofija pushed herself even harder in spellsword lessons than she did at studying magic. She had somehow convinced Malak to give her private tutoring and was now holding her own against the better students in the class during their duels.
Sofija wasn't the only one who seemed more determined. Brelyna was also studying hard. In truth she should be an apprentice already. She was working on apprentice level spells and could summon a Flame Atronach. She was focusing on mastering the Soul Trap spell, something which would aid Brelyna in advancing her enchanting skills. It was only the lack of anyone capable of taking over the senior novitiate position that kept Phinis Gestor from taking her as one of his apprentices. However, everyone knew it was only a matter of time until she was accepted.
.oOo.
Since taking Daenerys as an apprentice, Faralda had made it a point to meet at least once a week in her office to discuss her overall progress. These meetings had gradually become less and less formal. Although Faralda was still her mentor in learning Destruction, she treated Daenerys as an equal partner. Of course, Daenerys teaching her to cast the Shove spell had helped that along greatly.
Daenerys took a sip of her Calen tea before congratulating Faralda. "You've obviously mastered the spell. We've tested it thoroughly. Even though you're using a Seeming the results are identical to my casting."
"Yes," agreed Faralda with more than a bit of self-satisfaction. "Which is an interesting result. The hard part is conceiving of force as a separate thing in and of itself. While it has some similarities to telekinesis, it clearly belongs in the Destruction school."
"I admit that it's interesting, but did it really get us anywhere?" Daenerys sighed. "I'm becoming more and more convinced that we won't find the answers to shout-based magic here. We'll only find them out there in Tamriel. Maybe at Word Walls, maybe with the Greybeards." And with the weather finally growing warmer travel would soon be possible again.
Faralda just grinned over her cup of tea.
"What? Did you actually base your Shove off Fus?"
"Oh no, nothing that grand." Faralda chuckled. "I agree with you. I just know something you don't. Arniel Gane, one of our Alteration Adepts has been researching the nearby Nord ruins of Saarthal. It's one of the oldest Nord cities in Tamriel. In fact, according to legend, it is the first Nord city in all of Tamriel. While it is not a barrow, I think it is highly likely there is a Word Wall there. It's a day's journey to the north and wouldn't require going through any dangerous passes. There don't appear to be any draugr present. At least Arniel hasn't found any yet. Tolfdir has suggested that some additional hands and eyes might be helpful. Naturally, I put my weight behind the suggestion." She paused and sipped her tea.
"And? Was it approved?"
"It was indeed. In two weeks we'll be taking a half-dozen or so interested students. Apprentices and senior novitiates are eligible. It will be a four-day trip. A day there, two days exploring the ruins, and a day back. They haven't described anything like a Word Wall, but I'm hopeful."
"That is good news." She had thought they would be waiting for another month for the snow to melt enough for the passes to be clear. "Will I have difficulty getting one of the open spots?"
"Oh, no." Faralda smiled. "You're already on the list."
"I know it is supposed to be safe, but I'm going to bring the jarl's gift, the Grand Staff of Repulsion, just in case."
"Good," agreed Faralda. "You know, it's a pity the expedition isn't happening a few weeks later. There is a dragon peak a few days west of Saarthal. If the passes were clear we could go there after Saarthal."
"We shouldn't go near the dragon peaks." Daenerys knew even as she said the words that Faralda would require reasons which would mean speaking about things she hadn't even told Brelyna yet. Faralda had accepted that despite her secretive past she had shared everything important, but Faralda wouldn't let this go easily.
"Why not?" asked Faralda. "It's just a name. It doesn't mean they have dragons atop them."
"They do." She sighed. "I have dreams. Dragon dreams. They're true dreams, and in my dreams he is waiting atop a mountain. He's not the dragon from Helgen, but he's almost as strong. He's old, powerful, scarred. His wings are torn, his scales are dull, he's missing teeth and his horns are chipped, but he's deadly dangerous. He's waiting for me."
"Daenerys, lots of people dream."
She shook her head sadly. "I know, but when I dream of dragons, I dream true. I've done so in the past. It's a part of my heritage, my bloodline. I've told you that my family has links to dragons. All Targaryens have dragon dreams."
"I see. Well, we can cross off the dragon peaks then. Anything else you want to share?"
"No, not today." She really didn't want to talk about dragon dreams. Her dreams had led her to walk into Khal Drogo's funeral pyre and walk out the Mother of Dragons. However, dragon dreams had driven many of her ancestors mad. Aerion Targaryen had thought that drinking wildfire would turn him into a dragon. Her father, Mad King Aerys, had tried to burn King's Landing, and she… she had succeeded where her father had failed. But this dream, she knew to be true. Somewhere, atop a lonely mountain, a dragon waited. Someday, she would scale that mountain and face that dragon. Not now. She was not yet ready. But one day, soon, she would be.
Wow, exciting day, I start reading the chapter and refreshed the page only to see a new chapter! Great updates and going a neat direction. I'm looking forward to more and grateful for your fast pace of new updates. Don't burn out!
LOL Daenerys is screwing over herself by letting her experiences in Planetos so thoroughly colour her experiences in Nirn. Paarthunax is a very helpful dragon and she's avoiding him. A lot of the concerns she has are non-issues in Nirn.
LOL Daenerys is screwing over herself by letting her experiences in Planetos so thoroughly colour her experiences in Nirn. Paarthunax is a very helpful dragon and she's avoiding him. A lot of the concerns she has are non-issues in Nirn.
She scales the mountain, ready to face down a new foe, only to find out that he's not in fact an enemy, and she could have had a teacher this entire time...
LOL Daenerys is screwing over herself by letting her experiences in Planetos so thoroughly colour her experiences in Nirn. Paarthunax is a very helpful dragon and she's avoiding him. A lot of the concerns she has are non-issues in Nirn.
LOL Daenerys is screwing over herself by letting her experiences in Planetos so thoroughly colour her experiences in Nirn. Paarthunax is a very helpful dragon and she's avoiding him. A lot of the concerns she has are non-issues in Nirn.
/shrug Daenerys doesn't know what she doesn't know. Dragon dreams are incredibly vague and led Targaryens to do a lot of stupid things. Getting such a detailed read on Paarthunax in terms of appearance and power is a well above average.
Given the lengths that Paarthy goes to to stay hidden, the fact that she's dreaming about him at all is pretty impressive. Dude hides behind a perpetual magical snowstorm at the top of the world that can only be opened by a specific fully formed Shout that only the Greybeards know, his existence is so well hidden that to literally everyone other than the Greybeards it was Kyne who taught humans how to Shout and the concept of a not-evil Dragon is laughable.
Given the lengths that Paarthy goes to to stay hidden, the fact that she's dreaming about him at all is pretty impressive. Dude hides behind a perpetual magical snowstorm at the top of the world that can only be opened by a specific fully formed Shout that only the Greybeards know, his existence is so well hidden that to literally everyone other than the Greybeards it was Kyne who taught humans how to Shout and the concept of a not-evil Dragon is laughable.
No kidding, and he apparently lives on the occasional goat. I'm honestly tempted to solve the 'You must kill Paarthurnax' by having Daenerys go do some dungeons and then come back. "Yeah, I killed him. He's dead now." Not like Delphine would be able to go check.
No kidding, and he apparently lives on the occasional goat. I'm honestly tempted to solve the 'You must kill Paarthurnax' by having Daenerys go do some dungeons and then come back. "Yeah, I killed him. He's dead now." Not like Delphine would be able to go check.
The whole 'you must kill Paarthurnax' quest was so badly received by the fandom and mods to allow you to not do that were so common that Bethesda eventually patched in the option to let Paarthy live into the game by talking to Arngier (Angrier ) and telling him you won't do it. So yeah, you don't actually have to kill Paarthurnax anymore even if you're running a vanilla game for some inexplicable reason. Delphine does throw a hissy fit if you don't kill him though, and refuses to let you do any more radiant Blades quests until you murder the one dragon that doesn't deserve it.
No-one actually does run a vanilla game though, and the option to not kill Paarthy isn't mentioned in the quest, which is why no-one actually knows that this happened.
The whole 'you must kill Paarthurnax' quest was so badly received by the fandom and mods to allow you to not do that were so common that Bethesda eventually patched in the option to let Paarthy live into the game by talking to Arngier (Angrier ) and telling him you won't do it. So yeah, you don't actually have to kill Paarthurnax anymore even if you're running a vanilla game for some inexplicable reason. Delphine does throw a hissy fit if you don't kill him though, and refuses to let you do any more radiant Blades quests until you murder the one dragon that doesn't deserve it.
No-one actually does run a vanilla game though, and the option to not kill Paarthy isn't mentioned in the quest, which is why no-one actually knows that this happened.
I'be been reading the lore and eventually found the towers. Snow-throat tower is described as 'sundered, kingless and bleeding' which most take to mean the heart is gone, but...
Sundered - it was the site of the time-rip that catapulted Alduin into the 4th era. Not entirely clear, but the Dragonborn using the Elder scroll again to see the time rip might have solved the paradox and it ain't sundered any longer
Kingless - Paarthurnax's king was Alduin, who is missing, so it was kingless
Bleeding - Paarthurnax is old and injured
All of which boil down to the possibility that Paarthurnax is the heart of Snow Throat tower. If that's so... Great Job Delphine for toppling a tower.
I'be been reading the lore and eventually found the towers. Snow-throat tower is described as 'sundered, kingless and bleeding' which most take to mean the heart is gone, but...
Sundered - it was the site of the time-rip that catapulted Alduin into the 4th era. Not entirely clear, but the Dragonborn using the Elder scroll again to see the time rip might have solved the paradox and it ain't sundered any longer
Kingless - Paarthurnax's king was Alduin, who is missing, so it was kingless
Bleeding - Paarthurnax is old and injured
All of which boil down to the possibility that Paarthurnax is the heart of Snow Throat tower. If that's so... Great Job Delphine for toppling a tower.
I'be been reading the lore and eventually found the towers. Snow-throat tower is described as 'sundered, kingless and bleeding' which most take to mean the heart is gone, but...
Sundered - it was the site of the time-rip that catapulted Alduin into the 4th era. Not entirely clear, but the Dragonborn using the Elder scroll again to see the time rip might have solved the paradox and it ain't sundered any longer
Kingless - Paarthurnax's king was Alduin, who is missing, so it was kingless
Bleeding - Paarthurnax is old and injured
All of which boil down to the possibility that Paarthurnax is the heart of Snow Throat tower. If that's so... Great Job Delphine for toppling a tower.
It's funny, because it also fits for the Civil War as well:
Sundered - Split between the Empire and Stormcloaks.
Kingless - Ulfric killed the king.
Bleeding - Nord is killing nord.
Given the lengths that Paarthy goes to to stay hidden, the fact that she's dreaming about him at all is pretty impressive. Dude hides behind a perpetual magical snowstorm at the top of the world that can only be opened by a specific fully formed Shout that only the Greybeards know, his existence is so well hidden that to literally everyone other than the Greybeards it was Kyne who taught humans how to Shout and the concept of a not-evil Dragon is laughable.
The whole 'you must kill Paarthurnax' quest was so badly received by the fandom and mods to allow you to not do that were so common that Bethesda eventually patched in the option to let Paarthy live into the game by talking to Arngier (Angrier ) and telling him you won't do it. So yeah, you don't actually have to kill Paarthurnax anymore even if you're running a vanilla game for some inexplicable reason. Delphine does throw a hissy fit if you don't kill him though, and refuses to let you do any more radiant Blades quests until you murder the one dragon that doesn't deserve it.
No-one actually does run a vanilla game though, and the option to not kill Paarthy isn't mentioned in the quest, which is why no-one actually knows that this happened.
No it's not, that's what the most popular mod is called. The quest is just called Paarthurnax.
IIRC it was originally optional in the sense that the quest was optional, but because it didn't actually have any fail conditions it just sat there in your quest log forever. The patch allowed you to tell Angrier that you weren't going to kill Paarthurnax and cause the quest to disappear from your log, it still doesn't actually fail, but at least its gone and no longer annoying you by hanging around in perpetuity.
No it's not, that's what the most popular mod is called. The quest is just called Paarthurnax.
IIRC it was originally optional in the sense that the quest was optional, but because it didn't actually have any fail conditions it just sat there in your quest log forever. The patch allowed you to tell Angrier that you weren't going to kill Paarthurnax and cause the quest to disappear from your log, it still doesn't actually fail, but at least its gone and no longer annoying you by hanging around in perpetuity.
Its fine, like I said, no-one runs vanilla Skyrim so it is really common to accidentally get the more common mod content mixed up with base game content. Stuff fixed\added by the Unofficial Patch is especially egregious in that regard, I think there's even a catchy little term for 'thinking modded content was part of the base game' though I can't remember what it is.
I remember when SE came out, I played it for a few hours before I couldn't stand it anymore and was like 'this is horrible, I forgot how bad this game was without mods.'
I remember when SE came out, I played it for a few hours before I couldn't stand it anymore and was like 'this is horrible, I forgot how bad this game was without mods.'
So... I'm not getting rid of YDdraigGoch94 as a beta, but I am open to adding another beta or two. Preferably with great grammar powers and knowledge of both Skyrim and GoT/ASOAIF canon, but I know that's a lot to ask for in one person.
So... I'm not getting rid of YDdraigGoch94 as a beta, but I am open to adding another beta or two. Preferably with great grammar powers and knowledge of both Skyrim and GoT/ASOAIF canon, but I know that's a lot to ask for in one person.
Chapter 22
Tirdas, the 10th of First Seed, Year 202 of the 4th Era
Time seemed to slow as she waited for the expedition to Saarthal to depart. It turned out that almost every apprentice and all the senior novitiates wanted to come on the expedition. Daenerys could understand why. She was tired of being locked up inside the walls of the College for the long months of winter. From what she had heard most of the students were looking forward to any excuse to get out. After some debate Archmage Savos decided there would be multiple excursions. Each excursion would consist of a small number of students supervised by a faculty member. Daenerys and the other senior novitiates were assigned to the second group. Tolfdir had originally been slated to be in charge, but Faralda swapped with him.
The day after the decision was announced Sofija informed Daenerys that she would be coming along to protect her thane. Daenerys knew Nords well enough to know that this was a matter of honor. She took Sofija's request to Faralda to try and get her housecarl added to the expedition. It turned out to be easier than she thought. Since Daenerys was an acknowledged Thane of Winterhold, that made her de facto nobility. Faralda dusted off the College bylaws and discovered an entire chapter on the rights of students who were nobles. As a mere thane, Daenerys was only allowed one retainer. Had she been a landed noble she would have been allowed three retainers, a concubine, and a private suite. Sofija was approved to join the expedition.
The journey to Saarthal wasn't difficult. They only had to cross one low rise of hills and then it was a long downward journey. The land was cold, bleak, desolate, and unsettled. They were attacked once by wolves, but Faralda sent them fleeing with a couple of fireballs. The sun was setting by the time they arrived at Saarthal. The entrance to the city itself looked like a quarry. She doubted it was the original entrance, but rather one that had been uncovered by excavation.
"Was Saarthal always like this?" asked Daenerys.
"No," replied Onmund. "Look, you can see the remains of supports. A large part of the city was above ground. That part didn't survive the Night of Tears when the Snow Elves descended upon the city and slaughtered everyone who lived here, and now we're here to pick over the bones of my ancestors."
"Onmund," growled Faralda. "We've been over this. You volunteered to come on this expedition. If it bothers you to explore these ruins, you're welcome to tend the camp instead of exploring with us."
"No, I'm fine," stated Onmund although he obviously wasn't.
Sofija shook her head slightly when Onmund turned his back. Clearly, she wasn't impressed by his complaints.
They spent the night inside the ruins in the first chamber. Arniel Gane joined them and showed some of the artifacts that had been uncovered. Nothing particularly exciting as far as Daenerys was concerned: broken pots, tools, and old weapons. Most were well preserved. Just not that remarkable. In the morning they finally got to explore the ruins. While Arniel Gane claimed it was safe, Faralda was more cautious. She assigned J'zargo and Onmund to help Arniel while she watched over Daenerys and Brelyna. As for Sofija, she quietly shadowed Daenerys everywhere while keeping a watchful eye on every dark alcove.
Arniel Gane didn't really seem to want or need their help. "Fine. Just... Just don't make a mess of my work. I've only looked through a portion of this section. You, uh, you can look around in the chambers just north of here. Try and be careful, all right? We don't want to damage anything."
"As you wish," agreed Faralda.
The northern corridors were dusty and looked empty until Brelyna bent down and picked up an object. "I found a ring! It has an enchantment on it. Very old and weak. Fortify Health, I believe."
Faralda nodded. "Good find. Daenerys, can you read the enchantment?"
"I'll try." Daenerys accepted the ring. "I can tell it's old." She tried to feel the magic, but she simply hadn't made much progress at reading enchantments. "I would have guessed Fortify Strength."
Faralda took it and felt it. "And you would have guessed wrong. Brelyna is correct. It fortifies the health of the wearer." She handed it back to Brelyna. "You can keep it. The enchantment is very weak. Let's look around here some more."
They happened upon two more rings with the same enchantment, so Faralda gave the second to Daenerys and the third to Sofija. Then Daenerys spotted a golden amulet in an alcove.
"Hey, I found something." She picked up the golden amulet and as soon as she did there was a loud rumbling sound and a slab of stone dropped down trapping them at the end of the corridor.
Sofija spun around and conjured two Bound Blades holding them at the ready, but nothing attacked them. They were just cut off.
Brelyna looked at the wall of stone that now blocked their escape. "That's not good."
"No, it's not," agreed Faralda. "So much for this site being safe. Daenerys, hand over the amulet."
Daenerys did so immediately. If she had let someone who could read enchantments observe it before she just grabbed it, they might not have triggered the trap.
Faralda turned it over in her hands. "Hmm, it makes it easier to cast spells. All spells for that matter. Which is rather unusual. It's not very strong, so the enchantment is probably weakening after so much time. Something else… Ah, it's a key." Faralda ran her hand over the alcove. "Yes, I think so. Everyone back."
They all backed up and Faralda tossed a Firebolt at the alcove. It didn't just impact stone like a Firebolt normally would. It blew the alcove apart and revealed a roughhewn tunnel behind it. "Well, it appears the only way out is forward."
Daenerys looked down the tunnel. "Three mages and a spellsword. I'll lead because I can Shout, and I have my staff that I can use on draugr. If we run into dragur, or spiders or anything else, I'll Shout and then pull back. Sofija, I know you'll want to protect me first, but you're our best fighter. If we encounter more numbers than we can easily handle, it will be up to you to keep them off all of us while we cast."
Faralda frowned. "I don't like it, but it makes sense."
Sofija saluted, thumping her chest with a fist. "Yes, my thane."
Brelyna merely nodded. She looked composed, but Daenerys knew her well enough to know that she was nervous.
Daenerys set off down the corridor exercising the caution that might have saved her before, but saw nothing but a round tunnel in the rock. The tunnel ended abruptly at a burial chamber with three upright coffins. "Spread out so we're not in each other's line of fire. I wouldn't be surprised if we find draugr down here." She looked out to see that Faralda was on her left and Brelyna was on her right. Daenerys cast flames at one of the coffins.
The coffin opened and a draugr staggered out. It was immediately met by Firebolts from Faralda's hands. However, one of the other coffins opened as well and released a second draugr. Daenerys stepped up to it and Shouted, "Yol" and it went flying back. It slammed into the wall as a burning heap. Sofija was all over it, slashing with two conjured blades and hacking it into pieces. The fight was over before Brelyna finished casting and her familiar, a blue spectral wolf, appeared.
"So, you were right about the draugr," noted Faralda with a lack of concern. "And still no way out but forward."
Daenerys nodded feeling relieved. That hadn't been too bad, but she remembered Bleak Falls Barrow. Dragur weren't always considerate to come at you in ones and twos.
.oOo.
As they continued exploring the ruins, her worry about the dragur attacking in numbers proved true. Fortunately, her Grand Staff of Repulsion lived up to its name. They didn't find just draugr, but chests with gold, potions, and weapons. They looted what they found as they went. Sofija had no hesitation at all about looting her ancestors. In fact she was downright eager to kill and loot them.
At first they had little choice in direction, but they came to a strange room where a stone bridge spanned a pit covered by an intricate lattice of metal bars. The room also housed several draugr. Once they were dead, they paused to investigate. Six corridors had originally led this room: the one they entered by, four that led off in cardinal directions, and one that led down. Two of the corridors were blocked by rubble. They also examined the chasm below. A mist swirled below that made it hard to make anything out. Along the sides were odd projections that all sloped down into the darkness.
"How far down do you think it goes?" wondered Brelyna.
"Let's find out," replied Faralda. She stuck a hand through the lattice and cast a fireball straight downward. The roaring ball of flame lit up a perfectly circular well that extended down as far as the eye could see. The fireball simply dwindled in size becoming fainter and fainter until it vanished.
"By the gods," whispered Brelyna.
"Possibly," agreed Daenerys. "I don't think that was made by human hands."
"The first age was full of wonders," said Faralda. "But I never heard of anything like this. I would think it was the work of the Dwemer, but dwemer metal is golden in hue. Also, I never heard of the Dwemer being associated with Saarthal. This was supposedly the first city of men. I suppose it could be the work of the Snow Elves, so little is known about them, but as far as we know they preferred to live above ground, unlike their Farmer descendants."
"More importantly, is there a way out?" asked Sofija joining the conversation for the first time. "I admit the big hole is impressive, but we can't eat rocks and darkness."
Daenerys chuckled at Sofija's joke, but it was no laughing matter. They could starve down here, although they would likely die of thirst before that happened. With a wave of her hand, she tried Clairvoyance asking for how to reach Winterhold. A smoky white rope of magic grew out of her hand and extended into the corridor leading down. "Yes, there is a way out. So, do we explore the other corridors on this level? Or find the exit first?"
"We find the exit first," said Faralda. "Clairvoyance can be temperamental. There is no telling how difficult it will be to follow that path."
Nobody could fault Faralda's logic, so they took the downward path. They stopped at every intersection and someone cast Clairvoyance to keep them on the path that would lead out. As they continued, it became clear that there was a whole underground city around them. In addition to draugr they found broken pottery, stone furniture, and other relics of ages ago.
Once Brelyna triggered a trap that shot them all full of darts. It was painful, but they all knew Healing and survived to continue. They passed through two different puzzle rooms and fought more draugr. Compared to Bleak Falls Barrow it was easy, mostly because Faralda was a Mistress of Destruction. Daenerys had known that Faralda was powerful, but seeing her fight was beautiful to behold. The only thing she could compare it to was watching one of her dragons.
As they continued Faralda suddenly froze. "Stop. There is something up ahead. Something powerfully magical."
"I don't-" began Daenerys.
"I feel it," interrupted Brelyna.
Daenerys paused trying to feel whatever it was the mer felt. Sofija looked equally clueless. "I don't feel it. Regardless, let's be cautious."
As they crept down the corridor, the darkness was broken by a greenish glow that grew brighter Daenerys could feel the magical energy that the two mer had picked up on earlier. Quietly they reached the end of the corridor and stepped out onto a balcony overlooking a vast room. The dominant feature of the room was a massive glowing magical barrier. Behind the barrier a huge orb carved with runes and glowing with magical power floated in midair. So impressive was the orb that Daenerys almost didn't notice the dragur sitting on a throne before a table directly below them. He was slumped over as if he'd just fallen asleep and wasted away. However, even as she noticed him, he started to move.
"Dragur!" Daenerys hurried down the stairs, to cut it off. Once she hit a draugr with a Shout, the fight was mostly over. Some of the tougher ones survived, but they were still knocked down and injured. Even as she dashed down the stairs two at a time, she had a moment of doubt. This felt wrong. The draugr marching up the stairs to meet her wore a helmet with a long set of horns. It carried a battle axe held high waiting to strike, and it was glowing green – the same shade of green as the barrier. Something about it reminded her of the draugr lord in the final chamber of Bleak Falls Barrow. Too late to change tactics, Daenerys met it halfway down the stairs. She stepped in close and shouted "Yol"! Her word caught fire, striking it with the force of her Thu'um.
Nothing happened. The draugr was completely unaffected. She was wide open as it swung it's axe down at her in a vicious overhead strike.
Daenerys frantically parried but lost her balance in doing so. The stairwell was too narrow, and she fell off the stairs as the draugr's second slash cleaved the air where she had stood. She fell five feet and landed roughly on the hard stone floor. The impact with the floor knocked the wind out of her and sent her staff flying. Once she regained her breath, it was her hands that hurt the most. She had reflexively thrown her arms up to try and catch herself and landed on them. Both her hands were raw and bloody, but she forced herself up. She remembered all too well that the last draugr lord she'd fought had been able to Shout. That was when Sniel died. Even worse, this one had been immune to her Shout.
She glanced up the stairs. Sophia was fighting the draugr with two conjured blades against its one battle axe, but she was barely holding her own. A ghostly wolf popped into existence at the draugr lord's back. The conjuration started harrying it from behind, but the draugr lord didn't seem to notice. Suddenly from atop the balcony, a bright bolt of lightning lashed out at the green glowing barrier. The barrier held briefly, then exploded in a green flash of light and magic. Daenerys couldn't see anything for a moment. She blinked trying to clear her vision, which slowly resolved from darkness to magenta-colored blurs.
She heard a scream and saw someone else falling from the stair. Still partially blind she hurried to the fallen figure. Up close she could tell that the fallen person was Sofija. The brave but foolish girl was bleeding from a large abdominal wound. Back on Planetos that kind of injury would be certainly lethal. Even if the bleeding could be staunched, injuries like that always became infected. However, Niirn was a world of magic.
As Firebolts slammed into the draugr lord one after another after another, Daenerys gathered her will. Sofija would not die today! The Seeming was so simple, compassion and caring, a wish for Sofija to be made whole. Healing magic flowed from her and into Sofija. She poured everything she had into it. Golden light washed over Sofija's wounds healing her. As the healing magic flowed from Daenerys her own vision cleared up as well.
Sofija's eyes opened and she groaned.
Daenerys felt immense relief that her magic had worked. "I'm sorry, Sofija Ēlī Vokēdrie, you'll have to wait another day to join the heroes of Sovengarde."
Sofija laughed. "Thank you, my thane, but you won't be getting rid of me that easily."
The charred and smoking corpse of the draugr suddenly tumbled down the stairs and fell into a heap beside them. Daenerys spun to face it with a hand raised to blast it, but it clearly already dead. She looked up the stairs.
Faralda was walking down the stairs. She gave a little wave and didn't look at all bothered. "Apprentice, what's the first rule of Destruction magic?"
Daenerys laughed as she recalled Faralda's first rule. "When in doubt, kill it with fire."
"Quite," agreed Faralda.
.oOo.
With the draugr lord dead they searched the room. By unspoken agreement they left the enormous glowing ball of magic for last. They found a staff laying on the table that Brelyna and Faralda both found to be impressive. It was a Staff of Lightning with an additional enchantment to make it even more damaging to magicka than lightning usually was.
"And it's named," commented Faralda. "Jyrik Galdurson's Staff, or the Staff of Jyrik Galdurson if you prefer."
"How can you tell that?" asked Daenerys.
"It's possible to weave a name into an enchantment, like a smith adding a maker's mark to a weapon," explained Faralda. "Many don't bother, but some believe there is power in names, and it adds to the power of an enchantment."
"They may not be wrong," added Brelyna. "There are many who think that belief has power. Some say that even the gods derive some of their power from the belief of their worshipers. Some believe that is the true reason that the Thalmor wanted Talos worship banned. They believe he exists, but they want to starve him of power by denying him worship."
"Fools," muttered Sofija. "Banning Talos worship only drove away the weak. The faithful have become even more devoted."
The name of the staff matched the note they found lying on the table:
Be bound here, Jyrik, murderer, betrayer
Condemned by your crimes against realm and lord.
May your name and your deeds be forgotten forever
And the charm which you bear be sealed by our ward.
The charm was found seared to the dragur lord's neck. Faralda examined it. "There was an enchantment that keyed it to the ward, but it's broken now. There is a second enchantment, also broken enchantment, but it's odd. It will help magicka, but I really can't tell what it should be. Let's not use it until I have Sergius check it out when we return to the College. Broken enchantments can sometimes behave unpredictably."
Daenerys nodded. "So, do you think he has something to do with that?" She pointed at the huge metal ball spinning slowly as it floated in the air. Sometimes it would flare brighter and runes could be seen inscribed in intricate patterns across its surface.
"I have no idea. The orb was powering the wards, and the guardian was drawing power from it indirectly through the wards. When I hit the wards with lightning, they collapsed, but that orb seems completely unaffected. I can still feel the power coming off of it."
"Maybe you should hit it with lightning again," suggested Brelyna.
"Really, Brel?" asked Daenerys. "We have a stupidly powerful artifact and you think we should just zap it with lightning and hope for the best?" Sometimes Nords were right to distrust mages.
"It might work. Lightning disrupts magic. It took down the ward." She sighed. "But I concede your point."
"Yes, I agree with Daenerys," added Faralda. "We're not going to be experimenting on it with lightning. Let's start by trying to read it's magic shall we." She walked over to the metal orb and held her hands up to it without touching it. "Ohhhh," she sighed blissfully. "The magic. It's so strong. Almost overpowering. Too strong to read."
"Faralda!" Daenerys barked in command. "Get back here now."
Faralda blinked and backed up.
"What was that? You sounded like you were in the arms of a lover."
Sofija chuckled and muttered something that made Brelyna snort with laughter.
"It was not like the arms of a lover, but the magic is so strong. It's more like being wrapped like a child in the arms of a parent. Try it yourself before you judge me."
They all tried it. Daenerys and Sofija could just sense that it was powerfully magical. Brelyna's reaction was similar to Faralda's. Both mer claimed it was simply because they were more sensitive to magic. While their reactions were interesting and a little amusing, it didn't help them decide what to do with the thing. The idea of reporting it to the College where Ancano would eventually learn about it did not appeal to her. She was honestly tempted to drag it back to the pit and drop it inside. Nobody having it was better than the Thalmor getting their hands on it. However, she had no clue how to move it. The runes were of no help. No one could read them, or even identify them.
"Considering where we found it, they may be Snow Elf runes," suggested Faralda.
"Adept Enthir back at the College would know," said Brelyna. "He is one of the few living experts on the Falmer language."
Daenerys sighed. "Having him try to read the runes is a much better idea than poking around at it blindly, but it might be best to keep this secret – if we can. For now, let's leave it alone and find the way out."
They had been down here for hours at least without food or water. No one was suffering yet, but they also hadn't found an exit yet. Clairvoyance was a temperamental spell and didn't care how dangerous a path might be – as evidenced by it leading them straight to this room. They continued down a twisty tunnel. They didn't need Clairvoyance because there was only one path.
Then Daenerys heard a faint noise. Two steps more and she recognized it. "Stop. Does anyone else hear chanting?"
Faralda and Breylna shook their heads. Sofija looked puzzled. That's when Daenerys realized that she had never told Sofija exactly what secrets she was seeking in Nord barrows. "There is a Word Wall up ahead. I encountered one before in Bleak Falls Barrow. That's where I learned the Shout, Fus."
"You mean, I could learn to Shout?" asked Sofija.
"I don't know. That's what I'm hoping we'll find out. If others can learn from Word Walls or just me. We advance slowly from here. Feel with your magic."
"I'll lead," said Faralda firmly.
"Agreed," said Daenerys, and she followed Faralda as she walked slowly down the tunnel which was opening up into a chamber. As they got closer to the chamber, the chanting started to make sense. "It's in Dovahzul, Dragon tongue." Yet, they were still too far away.
"I hear nothing," replied Faralda. She had a slight snap in her voice that Daenerys recognized as her mentor keeping a sharp grip on her anger.
"Nor do I," said Brelyna.
Sofija cocked her head to the side as everyone looked to her. "Nothing." She sighed.
"Let's keep going," said Daenerys. While she was eager to learn another Shout herself, it seemed that hearing the chanting from a Word Wall was a gift the others didn't share. That was not a good sign for Faralda's dream of learning shout-based magic.
The Word Wall was obvious when they entered the chamber, and Daenerys could hear the chanting increase in volume and grew clearer. She started to pick out words. They resonated within her with undertones and nuances that had been missing from the Dovahzul codex she studied.
And there was a Word. One Word that was glowing as the chant continued.
Liiv Krasaar – Withering sickness. Het nok – Here lies. Kopraan – Corpse.
Iiz
While the other words in Dovahzul resonated this one vibrated her entire being. The other words she heard, but word rang with meaning. Iiz. Ice. Not the merely chill or cold, but the way wet moving water changed its being to become as hard as stone. The word seemed to freeze her in place by the sheer weight of its majesty. She felt her tongue stick, but she had to voice the word. She had to set it free. Still facing the wall she gave it voice, "Iiz!"
Fus and Yol exploded out into the world. Iiz wasn't Force or Fire. It didn't rip into the world. It flowed. Like a rock dropped into a tranquil pond changed the surface from smooth to rippled, Iiz changed the air and wall. The air stilled and became cold. The rock surface of the wall changed little save for a bit of frost. Despite the lack of visible effect, Daenerys knew that Iiz was as powerful and dangerous as either of her other two shouts.
) and telling him you won't do it. So yeah, you don't actually have to kill Paarthurnax anymore even if you're running a vanilla game for some inexplicable reason. Delphine does throw a hissy fit if you don't kill him though, and refuses to let you do any more radiant Blades quests until you murder the one dragon that doesn't deserve it.
