Ahh, time to behead some goldenrod jackboots again and leave their bodies in the road for all to see.

And that's why they do terrible whenever that game comes up. They're used to rational thinking. Politics, subterfuge, etc. When their enemy is implacatable they lose most of their weapons.

I agree that the stormcloaks are the puppets of the Thalmor, but then again, who isn't? Most people are forgetting that the High Elves have a natural ability to use magic, which can overpower barbaric physical weapons in almost every case. Stormcloaks would be utterly destroyed if they even attempted to rise against the Aldmeri Dominion. Think about it. The Thalmor brought the Empire, made up of most of Tamriel, to it's knees. The Aldmeri Dominion not only held their own against all of that, they forced their beliefs on the Empire, and the Empire had no choice but to accept because they were utterly lost. The only reason the Empire is even still the Empire, is because the Thalmor let it be so. The Aldmeri Dominion hold the strings in Tamriel now. If you don't agree, you're just in denial.

Enter the Dragon... born.

Alduin's defeat is but a declaration to the Thalmor that their days are numbered. The Dragonborn is a divine refutation of all attempts to destroy the world, be they a dragon or a cabal of knife-ears... who are all bark and no bite when it comes to facing one with the Thu'um. Talos made the Dominion his b....female dog before., and it will happen again.



....wut? I've only ever seen Erikur, Maven, Idgrod, the drunk redguard dude, and that one East Empire Company guy there. Where'd all the others come from?

One, Alduin was a total pansy. Two, he was also one being. Three, The Thalmor brought the entire Empire to it's knees, something that Alduin couldn't even do to Skyrim, mind you. Comparing the Aldmeri Dominion to Alduin is like comparing an enchanted daedric sword to a butter knife.

Even Ulfric's supporters (for example Gerdur in Riverwood) admit hes ruled Whiterun well and things like sending troops to protect Riverwood when his steward advises against it suggest to me he genuinely cares for the people of his hold.
However his deciding to side with the Empire seems to me to be based on his rivalry with Ulfric and not on whats best for Whiterun or Skyrim.

Actually the thalmor were close to a defeat when they decided to shot straight towards the capital, kvertook the capital but the empire took it back. The only reason why the thalmlr are still in existence is because the empire didnt know the thalmor was just as bad off as them, and then an abandoned hammerfell alone pushes the thalmor out wiyha stalemate after a few years. So its basically all ln luck and the empires mistake to sacrifise the blades to the thalmor or otherwise they woulda had an actual imtel grp unlike the worthless pos Intel grp they have now. If the empire didnt make all those God awful mistakes then the thalmor wouldnt be here today.

also be glad the septim empire is no more, or they would have done the right and smart thong and threw a prisoner at the thalmor and brought ot to its knees with that one prisoner.

You were also at the party.

Nor do you have to deal with his kids who went missing after the battle of white run and probably got murdered by Ulfric
Death to the stormcloacks who are nothing more than a bunch of religous terrorist and thalmor agents worse then the forsworn

I was there to infiltrate it. Balgruuf most certainly wasn't there to spy on them

The brat kids are still alive but they now live in the dungeon. I lol'd at the fact that you claim the Stormcloaks are terrorists and thalmor agents yet the Empire is allowing the Thalmor to do their job and influence very powerful people live Maven Black-Briar, and an Empire torturer is willing to stay in a crumbling fort and most certainly die just so he can torture a prisoner. Don't even get me started on the DB. Name me something the Stormcloaks have done that equals that sadism.

Since the Dragonborn was there for a reason other than being a Thalmor supporter (and Idgrod certainly is no Thalmor supporter either), there are probably countless reasons attendees would have shown up for, other than being either Thalmor supporters or for purely selfish or nasty reasons. Just knowing your enemy is a good enough reason.

Can we just get back to all those people who I never saw at the party? How do you get the likes of Tullius and Balgruuf there?

To quote MadCat "I've only ever seen Erikur, Maven, Idgrod, the drunk redguard dude, and that one East Empire Company guy there."

I'd very much like to see others there for RPing.

If you look in the Creation Kit you can see that a bunch of others are supposed to be there, but I've never seen them either. Might have something to do with them being 'reserved' by other quests at the time.

Scumbag is not exactly the impression I have of the man. His children though, they should be thought a lesson.

Because the Empire totally endorses the Dark Brotherhood.

The Stormcloak cause is just stupid. If they take the Empire, the Thalmor will just pounce and capture Skyrim, which is exctly what they're trying to stop. In the words of Imperial Guards "What the Stormcloaks like to forget, is that the Empire is what is keeping the Dominion out of Skyrim." And Skyrim for the Nords only? Thats just plain racist.

Back to the Original Topic, that article is dumb. http://www.ugo.com/games/skyrim-scumbag-jarl-locations. Balgruuf is not the only person in the game who does this, and it's just such a chore to wander the countryside of Skyrim.

''Save his city, get rewarded with women''

That does not look bad at all, only the awesome Jarls reward you with women.

Now aside the funnys, i think Balgruuf is okay. I personally like Ulfric as my favourite Jarl just because his role in the game is so...amazing.

I agree with the last thing on the list lol.

Your alright Balgruuf... Your alright...

Yeah, they were doing a real bang up job of that, weren't they? I mean it's not like you ever see any Thalmor in Imperial Skyrim... except for all the WGC enforcement squads wandering the country and rounding up more prisoners, and the ones who appear to be permanently installed in Understone Keep, and the ones who keep jumping out of the bushes trying to kill me, and the ones in their Embassy in Haafingar, and the ones occupying Northwatch Keep where they torture a Stormcloak POW that they removed from Imperial custody with the approval of the Legion's commanding officer.

But other than that, sure, they are totally keeping Skyrim 100% Thalmor-free. Go Empire! *rolls eyes*

Balgruuf is my favourite Jarl.

The apple doesnt fall far from the tree.

And what kind of father leaves his children behind in a city controlled by his enemies while he escapes to safety in another part of the country?

Well, okay, maybe a father with those particular children, but they also seem pretty happy after he leaves even though they are apparently confined permanently to the Dragonsreach basemant.

Oddly enough with Balgruuf, I liked him better better before I did multiple playthroughs and played on the Legion side of the war. Or maybe it's just the multiple playthroughs, I dunno, the more I'm exposed to him over time, the less I like him. I don't think he's a scumbag, necessarily, just not the shining ideal of Jarlship that he's sometimes made out to be. And it's interesting that while Ulfric seems to have the reputation of an impetuous hothead, Balgruuf is the one that I always seem to see losing his temper and shouting at people.

But you were there at the party for a whole different set of reasons. It wasn't just to enjoy the party but straight up business.

As a female who plays female characters...

Igmund gave me Argis. Balgruuf gave me snarky trap-bait.

It's all subjective.

My current character didn't even go to Whiterun until about 10 hours in. Didn't buy Breezehome after becoming Thane. Lydia just stands in Dragonsreach all day looking pretty, which is the best place for her.

(I don't actually hate Lydia. She can be a tank in the right circumstances, she's just never fit well with any of my characters. I've been working with Janessa a lot lately.)

I got Argis from Thongvor Silver-Blood, but your point stands. It's always Balgruuf who gives you Lydia, and it's Balgruuf who must answer for it.