NOTE: IF you haven't done the Civil War/Main Quest DO NOT click the Spoiler Button.


Let's just say I might have to dethrone Ulfric here in a couple minutes...

there are soooo many of these threads *sigh*

It's more so that the war itself is an asset. The Thalmor need the Civil War to weaken their enemies, and Ulfric is a key figure in the Civil War.

It was for that very reason I sided with the Imperials when I finally gave in and did the CW quests. However, because of the bugs at the end, I had to restart my character from a save before doing them. Totally worth it though watching him lying dead at your feet

You believe in whatever is inside the Thalmor embassy huh? If Elenwen told you that Ulfric kills puppies... would you believe it?

Ulfric wasn't working directly with the Thalmor. The unrest he created among the nords unwittingly made him an asset to the Thalmor.

EDIT: Also.
Dude, the Thalmor wrote these Dossiers for themselves. Why would they fill their own confidential information with lies?

The Thalmor consider him and his agenda an asset for their own (unrelated) goals, but Ulfric himself has no knowledge of this. They've never approached him and consider approaching him only under 'extreme circumstances'. Are you angry just because the CW itself is helping the Thalmor? You've just ended it, so it's no longer doing them any good.

I was just about to say.. not EVERY Book/Journal you find is a bunch of BS lies! lolz...

EDIT: After reading dudes post above me. That does kind've make sense.. but Ulfric HAD to have known he was a puppet to them in some form. How he gets captured as a POW and NOT killed by them and basically he "escaped". More like they let him go for the purpose of the War.

IMHO, Ulfric is one of the smarter minds I've come across in this game.. there's a reason I side with him because alot of what he says makes sense. So for him not to have known he's part of their "agenda" is BS.

I was just thinking, since they did win it would've been easier for the Thalmor? Apparently it's harder for them now?

Umm, duh!? Obviously they did that because they knew that as the superior race of Skyrim, they would easily be duped into letting a spy into one of their parties and sneak around, killing anyone he/she saw fit to, and would stumble upon their highly classified information.

If you are basing what you're saying on the dossier, Ulfric has no knowledge of the Thalmor's machinations. And the Thalmor didn't save him at Helgen, Alduin did.

I should probably butt in here for a second. Just because Ulfric and details about him in a book doesn't mean he is a asset to the Thalmor. He was never approached or was befriended. The Thalmor is just using his rebellion at his advantage without him knowing, so there is no reason to go nuts on him!

This is what people get ticked off about, and I can see why but they need to realize that his name in a book doesn't equal Thalmor plant

Yes yes yes, this has ben talked about time and time again. In the end, the stormcloak supporters deny that ulfrics a threat/thalmor assest(even though the thalmor documents state that Ulfric kept DIRECT CONTACT with them after his release, and only became reluctent to contact after the Markarth incedent,implying that he (was at least for a time) a direct asset to the thalmor.It is still unkown just how much he will cooperate,the fact that he was once a thalmor agent is not to be be-littled). The imperial supporters will use this to hurl atacks at the stormcloaks(but themselves forget about the same document saying that a stormcloak victory is to be avoided,showing he may have cut ties compleatly,or that it may not be time for a winner yet).The book is to be viewed either way.Untill either a new game, or a dlc comes out with lore that expands upon the civilwar ending/furthers events to see results of your choice, we cant say for sure.

Yep, that dossier is the one that makes my respect for ulfric down. Not because he's an asset but because of this line:
He gives them the friggin' info! Who would want that kind of weakling to be a high king? That's why I support Vignar gray-mane to be the High King of skyrim.

They put this Dossier into the game to balance both sides of the civil war even better. On the one hand you have the slowly-rebuilding Empire (currently) under the whims of the Thalmor and on the other you have the Brash and bold Stormcloaks who are unwittingly playing into the hands of the Thalmor. Although either side you go can defeat the Thalmor IMO and would probably ally in order to defeat the Thalmor.

Yeah that's exactly my point. He could've just died.. let them kill him. But instead for info he gets freedom. So in a way he HAS to know he's someway or another an "asset" to them.

If you'd been tortured and humiliated wouldn't you want revenge? I doubt he thinks he's an asset, he's out to get revenge not power.

But doesn't it say they allow him to escape? Wouldn't that imply that he doesn't know he was let go?

I'm not an Ulfric supporter, I've always favored the Imperials who are between a rock and a hard place, but if Ulfric was deliberately manipulated, how does that make him complicit? If he was on their side there would be no need to try and secretly pull his strings.

If those puppies weren't True Son of Skyrim, I would.

The Thalmor didn't want either side to win - it would help their position in Skyrim for the land to remain in chaos. I sided with the Empire - Titus Mede did the right thing by signing the White-Gold Concordat instead of continuing the war and destroying the empire.

I didn't like what I read in that dossier either abotu Ulfric being broken by the Thalmor but I had already decided what path my character would have to take because a civil war that weakens the empire, anything that weakens the empire is good for the Thalmor and had to be stopped. The mistakes made by the empire can be reversed later with new leadership, the White Gold Concordat being one. It was necessary at the time but a mistake in the long run and they knew that.

I also felt that Ulfric was a murderer and didn't deserve to be rewarded for that. He deflected attention from his own actions for his personal gain. He couldn't manage his own city as a Jarl so all of Skyrim would be far beyond him.

I'm really starting to like Thalmor more and more.
I know they are arrogant, but as time flows one simply starts to understand and appreciate it.
For now, I totally ignored war with this character since I find both sides silly.
I find Empire to be a better choice, but still not enough to motivate to join them.
But if there is ever an option to join Thalmor, I will!

The continuation of a Civil War aids the Thalmor because the war weakens one of the Spokes of creation. They could care less who is actually leading a Civil War as long as the war continues, the end of the war means the end of the weakening of the Spoke and the strengthening of Talos. I think a Stormcloak victory is better, but the Thalmor do not want either side to win because they want to destroy everything.

I remain a true skeptic. I don't at all find it outside the realm of the possible that the Thalmor planted specious dossiers in their own embassy. I still won't get anywhere close to Ulfric and the SC, but I tend to doubt the Thalmor FAR more than I do even Tullius.

He is a Thalmor asset nonetheless, as he is further weakning the grasp the empire has on Tamriel.

I tend to see that as "stalking horse" rather than "asset", personally.