10 Seemingly Pointless Video Game Choices That Have Surprising Consequences
3. The One Escort Mission You Want To Do - The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Skyrim's quests usually don't come with any major choices for you to make.
One of the rare exceptions is the quest, "The Blessings of Nature."
In this side mission, the Dragonborn has to help a priestess of Kynareth called Danica acquire a cursed dagger that can extract sap out of an ancient tree called Eldergleam in order to save Whiterun's own sacred oak.
When you bring the blade to Danica, there will be a pilgrim called Maurice Jondrelle, who overhears you heading to Eldergleam's sanctuary and then asks to accompany you.
Now, no one likes an escort mission, especially when the NPC can be killed like Maurice, but if you invest the time to take him all the way to the sanctuary, the man will provide you with a secret alternative to Danica's quest.
If you follow Danica's request and hurt Eldergleam, the tree will send a horde of Spriggans to attack you. However, if Maurice is with you, he will offer to pray to the tree to give you what you want without a fight.
Escorting the pilgrim costs time, but it saves you from a really nasty encounter. It is also the only way to get a good ending to the quest, that doesn't involve destroying Skyrim's oldest natural wonder.