All stormcloak commanding officers and soldiers are nords;

Imperials have bretons, imperials, high elves, and dunmers.

For statistics.

That's... what war is, Mister Smiley. Killing people who aren't fighting on your side. The empire didn't become the empire by handing out bonbons.

You didn't read The Bear of Markarth as closely as you should have. Like who it was written by, or the fact that it's an attempt to cast blame on Ulfric for the empire's involvement in a deal to reinstate Talos worship in exchange for the militia retaking the city they lost during the Great War.

Or perhaps you haven't listened closely enough to the (imperial) jarl's dialogue. That kindly friend of the Reach natives.

The Empire are not the Thalmor's [censored]. They are likely pursuing a policy of appeasemant, in order to regain strength for the next war. Neville Chamberlain (British Prime Minister, 1937-1940) did the same thing in between the World Wars. Today he gets a lot of criticism for allowing Germany to expand as he did, but it is likely had he attempted to stop them then Britian would have been easily defeated. Appeasing Hitler bought Britian the time it needed to build up it's armed forces, and because of this Nazi Germany was eventually overthrown.

The same author has written a book critical of the imperials treatment of the native reachmen; so am I suppose to believe a imperial propaganda writer would write something unfavorable to imperials? or you are just being biased?

The Jarl's father was killed in the conflict with the forsworn yes?

I don't think the Stormcloaks are as racist as they are made out to be, with the exception of some individuals. Ulfrics right-hand man will ask you why fight for Skyrim if you are not a Nord and you can chose to answer that it is because Skyrim is the home of more than just the nords(or something similar) and he will agree.
As for Ulfric, I believe he doesn't care who supports him as long as they do.

Something I always wondered is why "Skyrim for the Nords" automaticly mean "Only Nords in Skyrim". I am Norwegian and I want the people of Norway be be in charge(do not misunderstand, I concider all born in Norway Norwegian no matter their color, heritage etc. as long as they themselves refer to themselves as such), but I still don't mind people immigrating as long as they follow our laws and learn Norwegian. My impression of the whole "Skyrim for the Nords" agenda is that they want Nords to be in charge of Skyrim.

Of course I usually side with the Empire since I believe it would be better in the longrun. Skyrim will still have a government ruled by Nords as long as they do not break the Empire-wide laws they will be allowed to follow most of their old traditions. It also gives the Empire more of a chance against the Thalmor in the coming conflict, and since I hope the Empire survives go figure.

Still weakening the Empire suits the Thalmor just fine
Way I see it the Thalmor can't lose
Continuing Civil War - Best result possible for the Thalmor
Imperial Victory - Large numbers of Imperial Troops tied down in garrisioning Skyrim, great for the Thalmor
Stormcloak Victory - If you talk to Stormcloak supporters they want Thalmor and Imperials out of Skyrim and peace, no enthusiasm for foriegn wars. Great for Thalmor as a xenophobic and isolationist Skyrim leaves the Thalmor to make the Empire even more of a puppet than it already is

My Prediction for TES VI - Aldmeri Dominion invades Hammerfall, Empire and Skyrim do little to nothing, oh, look, a hero is needed

Thalmor agents are everywhere. Thalmor agents hear everything. Thalmor agents can reach everywhere.

Maybe not that extreme in reality, but at least that's the image they try to maintain. The player could very much be made an example of if he/she goes against the Thalmor. In which case the Thalmor would do everything possible to live up to and maintain their reputation. That is, if they don't already flat out have the capability to reach everywhere they'd please anyhow.

Only problem with that is that it would be kinda hard to make an example of him/her

Any criticism he makes of the imperials is very mild, along the lines of "I know they're savages, but they're noble savages." Sure he's writing propaganda. Look at the last few sentences. His take-away is, "we had this moment of weakness and promised the Nords religious freedom, but we didn't have a choice." Why is an academic addressing the Thalmor in such kiss-butt tones? He knows where his bread is buttered, that's why.

The thing is, two sides in a civil war don't usually work together all that well after the conclusion of their civil war. And Ulfric of all people is hardly the person who'd ally with the Empire after fighting a bloody civil war to kick them out of Skyrim. He might make a Hammerfell-Skyrim alliance and that would be a force to reckon with, but if the Empire can't stand against the Thalmor then I doubt a union between Ulfric's playground and a war-torn Hammerfell can either. And remember, defending for a long time isn't good enough. If no offense is possible then defeat is certain. It's only a war of attrition if the enemy also takes losses.

Contrast this with the current Imperial strategy. As long as the Empire stands, the Thalmor can't win. The Thalmor can't take on all of the Empire because sooner or later the invasion force will be cornered and have to face the Legion in open battle, and at that time the Thalmor force will lose. Thus the Empire can afford to bide it's time, which it is doing, and push Talos-worship underground. Officially it's outlawed but in reality, there isn't an Imperial law enforcer who cares about it.

Look at that Whiterun Talosian? He's been standing every at the cloud district and shouting his religious crap and nobody has bothered to put him in chains yet. At this point my ears are bleeding so badly that I almost wish someone would enforce the law, but nobody does. Nobody cares, which means Talos worship continues and the ultimate Thalmor goal remains foiled.

Meanwhile the country can build up and hopefully avoid more plot nukes until such a time where going offensive against the Thalmor becomes possible. The mainland is more or less safe from further Thalmor invasions, the Legion can rebuild, new spy networks can be created, and superior human reproduction can replenish the population rather faster than the Thalmor can rebuild new armies. The current situation looks bad, but appearances can be deceiving. Fact remains that the Thalmor can't hope to invade a unified Empire. They've tried once and it cost them their entire invasion army.

I'm with you. I still haven't made up my mind but after spending some time questing in Windhelm and hearing about how the Dunmer are treated there (and I'm a Dunmer), it doesn't make much sense for my character to side with the Stormcloaks. Why would I want to fight for a cause that wants to "cleanse" my kind from the land? Ulfric needs an axe between the eyes!

Down with Ulfric!!

Dunmer hate Argonians. They enslaved them in Morrowind. Dunmer treated Nords like crap in Morrowind. Altmer have worked their way up in Windhelm society. Dunmer are a proud people. They are in many ways my favorite. I've played a Dunmer in most TES games. This time I play a Nord. Ulfric did not put the Dunmer in the ghetto. That's where his father allowed them to settle when they immigrated when Vvardenfel became uninhabitable. They would be treated a lot better if they supported the Stormcloaks, but they say it is not their fight. That's what the Nords in Windhelm are upset about. The Dunmer are between a rock and a hard place (it ISN'T their fight). If they were even to offer healing help it would be better but knowing certain Imperial officer's penchant for the chopping block I can understand the hesitance. Argonians are kept out on the docks because there would be riots in the grey quarter between Dunmer and Argonians.

No one likes Khajiit. They're all thieves and deal in moon sugar and skooma. Every one I meet on the road turns says something like "Hand over your possessions or die."

Elaborate?

Do you know how so many Dunmer ended up living in Windhelm? Maybe you didn't find the Refugees' Rest just up the road.

Consider what you find there, in light with how the empire responded to Morrowind's disaster. Hint- the empire did nothing while they were invaded by the Argonians.

Seriously, this "I'm a Dunmer so I'm going to fight for the empire" rationale makes very little sense. I can only assume that people don't realize what's happened in the empire in the 200 years since Oblivion.

There's also the part where the argonians are paid like crap like wage slaves.

I can see how the Thalmor can loose. Elves have very low reproduction-rates. They only manages to tie with a crippled Empire that was not prepared for war, so how will an Empire ready for war, and most likely with a lot more soldiers since humans reproduce pretty fast, fare against the Dominion that was equally devistated as themselves, but will almost certainly have too few soldiers, especially if the Empire decides to strike first?

Maybe if you'd learn to read a little before spamming your views on every single post in a thread, you'd have noticed the imminent threat to loved ones was the concern there.

The last part of ulfrics speech is the part he is trying to get across, methinks.

There is no right or wrong decision. It's what you support with your ideals and morals.

This thread should've ended hours ago.

Well, that would never backfire

At first I didn't know which to pick. I leaned to Stormcloaks after being almost beheaded, but it was only that one [censored] that wanted me killed. Then I started leaning back to the Empire bc I was a Breton and we all know, Ulfric is 'racist.' After several days played time and everytime I passed an Imperial i'd get welcomed and complimented, and everytime I passed a Stormcloak i'd get negative responses, I sided with the Empire.

In one Stormcloak hold- and he coughs up pretty easily when challenged about it. In another, the Argonian skooma addict says the Nord fishery owner is generous and pays them well.

Really, if people would just pay attention to the game, we wouldn't need to have these repetitive threads grinding the same points. With posters like you insinuating nobody can disagree with you if they know the lore.

The Empire isn't any more fond of the Thalmor than the Stormcloaks, but they cannot act against them because then the Thalmor would have their head.

The irony is that the rebels are actually diminishing Tamriel's chance vs the Thalmor.

With Skyrim secceeding from the Empire, both would become weaker and this only benefits the Thalmor.


A proof that the Thalmors are just pro at 'Divide and conquer' xD

So who are those people I see the Thalmor "escorting" all around Skyrim?

And got almost everything they wanted anyway, with unqualified intelligence on the empire's every move since the war as a bonus.

I'm talking about windhelm; you know ulfric's city; not riften controlled by Maven.

And you know how bad it is when people starting making up "facts"; that's where the lore comes in.