Should I Give Dag His Axe?

When It Makes Sense

• Good fit: You are roleplaying a generous, honorable, or merciful protagonist and want the choice to reflect that personality. Returning the axe can be a gesture of respect or trust that fits a particular moral alignment.
• Good fit: You want to de-escalate the situation and move the quest forward without unnecessary conflict. If the scene is framed as a moment of reconciliation or farewell, returning the item may feel like the natural story beat.

When You Should Avoid It

• Warning sign: You are aiming for a specific ending, alliance state, or achievement and have not yet confirmed how this choice affects later events. Some dialogue or inventory choices in narrative games can alter future scenes in ways that are not immediately obvious.
• Warning sign: You prefer a more cautious, defiant, or pragmatic interpretation of the protagonist. If your Eivor would not hand over a weapon in that moment, forcing the “nice” option may break your immersion or roleplay consistency.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Supports a coherent roleplay identity and can make the story feel more personal, especially if you have been making generous or honor-driven choices throughout the game.
• May lead to a calmer resolution of the immediate scene, reducing tension and letting the quest conclude on a less antagonistic note.

Cons

• Can lock you out of alternative dialogue, emotional beats, or consequences that you might have preferred to experience.
• If you later regret the choice, you may need to reload an earlier save or replay the sequence, which can disrupt progress.

Decision Checklist

• What kind of protagonist am I roleplaying, and does returning the axe fit that personality?
• Have I saved recently enough that I can reload and try the other option if I do not like the outcome?
• Am I more interested in the immediate emotional beat, or in optimizing for a specific long-term story outcome?

Alternatives to Consider

If you are unsure, the safest approach is to make a hard save right before the choice, then pick the option that matches your current roleplay. You can also keep the axe or select a more defiant response to see how the scene changes. For players who want to compare outcomes without guessing, a spoiler-free quest guide or the in-game journal can clarify what is at stake without revealing major plot points.

Final Recommendation

The best answer depends on your roleplay goals and how much you care about seeing every possible outcome. If you are playing a generous or honorable protagonist, giving Dag his axe is a natural choice. If you are optimizing for a specific ending or prefer a more guarded approach, keep the axe or explore the alternative. Because video-game narrative choices are low-stakes in real life but can affect hours of story, save before deciding and consult a reliable quest guide if you want full clarity.