Paarthurnax ( Skyrim ) Paarthurnax ( Dovahzul : ) , called " the Old One " by other dov , is the leader of the Greybeards . He served as Alduin ' s lieutenant during the Dragon War in the Merethic Era , during which he was said to have committed and witnessed unspeakable atrocities against man kind . Appearance . Despite dragons being immortal , Paarthurnax shows clear signs of great age , including tattered skin on his wings and tail , broken and chipped horns and chin - spikes , dulled color in his skin and eyes , and several teeth missing . History . Merethic Era . Paarthurnax claims it was Alduin ' s false claim of godhood that turned him against his older brother . However , Nordic legend states that it was Kyne herself who intervened , and sent Paarthurnax to assist mankind . Either way , Paarthurnax , along with several other Dragons , betrayed their former master and taught mankind to use the Thu ' um . Mankind eventually prevailed and Alduin was banished from Mundus . As with all Dragons , the lust for power was innate and still strong within him and if left unchecked , he would surely revert to his old ways . To overcome this , he retired to the peak of the Throat of the World and lived in seclusion so that he could meditate and focus on the Way of the Voice , a pacifist creed developed by Jurgen Windcaller that preached the Thu ' um should only be used for the worship and glory of the gods rather than martial exploits . Jurgen Windcaller also founded the Greybeards , a monastic order dedicated to mastering the Way of the Voice . He built High Hrothgar , located near the peak of the Throat of the World , which served as the monastery where the Greybeards meditated and perfected their Voice . Paarthurnax became the grandmaster of the Greybeards , but continued to live in seclusion at the peak of the mountain . First Era . Some time after 1E 420 , he would often visit the legendary Dragon Numinex during his imprisonment in Dragonsreach . He recalls that Numinex was so lonely and disturbed by his captivity that he could not remember his own name . Fourth Era . The Blades kept a record of any known surviving Dragons from the Dragon War . According to the " Atlas of Dragons " , Paarthurnax is recorded as one of the only dragons that survived . Given his history , and the atrocities he committed during the Dragon War , the Blades are very keen to see him brought to justice . Interactions . The Throat of the World . After the Greybeards teach the Clear Skies shout to the Dragonborn , they use it to approach the summit of the Throat of the World , seeking Paarthurnax for information on the location of an Elder Scroll . Paarthurnax is not surprised when the Dragonborn is confused over his form as a dragon . When this is mentioned , he replies with " " I am as my father Akatosh made me . " " He teaches the Dragonborn the Fire Breath shout . If the first word has already been learned , he will teach the second , and if the first and second words have been learned he will teach the third one . He can also help the Dragonborn to meditate on their shouts , giving them additional perks depending on the word chosen . Alduin ' s Bane . After the Dragonborn recovers the Elder Scroll from the Tower of Mzark and reads it at the Time Wound , Paarthurnax helps the Dragonborn in defeating Alduin . After the latter escapes to Sovngarde , Paarthurnax will devise a plan to capture a dragon in Dragonsreach to find out where Alduin has gone . Paarthurnax . After the Blades learn that Paarthurnax aided Alduin during the Dragon War , they seek to kill him . When the Dragonborn mentions that Paarthurnax betrayed Alduin , the Blades will state that this simply means that he has the ability to betray them and others as well . If he is not killed , he appears for a small speech in the Epilogue . This quest will not go away until the Dragonborn kills him , or until the Greybeards are sought out afterwards , sitting at their table at High Hrothgar . They will give the Dragonborn a debriefing on their excursion to Sovngarde and battle against Alduin , and they will hint at their fate and future accomplishments . Epilogue . If Paarthurnax was not killed at the request of the Blades , he appears at the Throat of the World in this quest , which is immediately after Tsun sends the Dragonborn back to Mundus upon completion of the final quest , Dragonslayer . Paarthurnax then speaks of his intent on bringing the " Way of the Voice " to all dragons and flies off . However , he can still be found perched on the mountain ' s Word Wall at any given time , and will still aid the Dragonborn in meditating on Shouts . Although Paarthurnax behaves at this point like an essential character , it is possible to kill him after meditating ( see below ) upon a shout , but a very strong Poison of Lingering Damage Health will be needed to overcome his healing rate . At such point , the Dragonborn may return to Delphine at Sky Haven Temple to further their progress on the Blades quests . Meditation . Paarthurnax will guide the Dragonborn in meditating on words of power . Meditating on a word grants a perk related to that shout until the Dragonborn meditates on a different word . There are three choices :