Ulfric cares about humans. He doesn't care about other races being in Skyrim, merely that Nords deserve Skyrim land. How can you say that isn't true? Skyrim is originally Nord land and does anybody have the right to take that away from them. That's like saying Germans deserve to control Germany. Or French people deserve to control France. Well of course! Although Skyrim was conquered during Tiber Septim reign, TALOS HIMSELF WAS A NORD.

Although the Empire afterwards was ruled by Imperials, it was always an Emperor with some Dragon blood in him to control it. But after Uriel Septim, Mede controls the Empire! It would be fine but he signed over the Empire to the Thalmor! The Battle of Red Ring should've ended with a simple cease fire. Titus Mede II destroyed the Thalmor and although he suffered heavy losses, it was enough for a long cease fire.

And what about after the Stormcloaks win? The cold environment alone would provide hard for the Thalmor who have been in Summerset Isles or in Elsweyr and they'd have to go to Skyrim after the Skyrim branches are killed, which would happen very easily. Even after the Thalmor succeed in conquering the cold environment, Skyrim's landscape is a death trap for those who are foreign to the land.

Caves are everywhere and each city is built to stand against a siege. Will they stand? Perhaps not as demonstrated by the battle of Whiterun but to get one city, Thalmor would lose at least a hundred men to the guards and soldiers alone. There's no mention needed about the humans who will definitely raise arms against this foreign invader. Although the Stormcloak and Empire war divided the population, nobody is with the Thalmor.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Really, the Empire's recovery will be slow and the Thalmor will thwart many attempts of a war as they're too involved in Empire politics. Will the Empire recover enough to kill the Thalmor. Yes. Will they do so quick enough? Perhaps not, perhaps so. Remember that Stormcloaks are hell bent on killing the Thalmor while the Empire...well they just want to recover from the Great War.

The Empire is certaintly not democratic, though I consider this good thing.

I went Imperial, Rikke says it very accuratlely that Nords are often lead by their hearts, not their heads. I think that's what happend. And also, I'm wary of Ulfric becoming High King. Wouldn't want an incredible racist in that position.

Funny, and here I thought the Nords came from Atmora. "Good thing this land was just sitting here unused! *hides the Falmer corpses* Yup... nobody else when they arrived. What's that Reachmen? You want to reclaim your ancestral lands? TOO BAD! Haha, stupid backwards natives trying to establish a sovereign nation. But like I was saying about liberating Skyrim from the tyrants who take away our religious freedoms..."

Bethesda kinda made a bad choice with the opening scene. It creates way too much bias.

No, it isn't. Ysgramor conquered it from some elves or something.

That Legate Rikke is interesting person. I defeated her in the battle of Solitude but when I was in Sovngarde she came to congratulate after I killed Alduin. She in her imperial armor was funny to see among the other heroes.

Empire's legal system was only doing what it always does: get the Destined Hero to the right place at the right time. It seems to be really good at that.

They did. They did conquer and they did make that area their land. However, their conquest was successful and their rule was absolute with the Elves completely driven out, making it their land. Saying conquest doesn't make a land legitimately yours apparently means that the entire area of Manchuria belongs to Korea doesn't it? However, the Empire's conquest was done by a Nord, Talos. Not to mention the Empire still made sure each province was a land of a certain people.

Each province deserves that type of people to rule their province. And now that the Empire is wavering and destroying the identity of THEIR OWN people, Skyrim truly does have a right to rebel.



And that conquest was like a thousand years ago. Not to mention that the conquest made it their land through the means of war. Now fast forward to present time and you'll see that the dominant people are Men in Skyrim. Specifically Nords.

That's ancient history. And don't forget that Ysgramor was Nerdic by his race and all Men races on Tamriel are their descents - not only the Nords.

No, they didn't Ulfric Stormcloak challenged the high king to a duel and won. It's the nord way.

That's true and when Ulfric won the duel the people of Solitude wanted to murder him. One man opened the gates for Ulfric so he was able to flee. And what the people of Solitude did to that man? They executed him because he respect the Nordic way and opened the gate. That just doesn't seem right in my eyes.

The Stormcloaks have a righteous cause but it's not a very smart one.

It says in the book the Great War or whatever, the Redguards by themselves brought the Aldmeri Dominion to it's knees. Titus Mede should have brought the strength of the Bretons, Nords, and Imperials to help but he did not. Doesn't make sense. And then for the Empire to allow the High Elves to push around the native people of Skyrim who are the most important people in the Empire, is ridiculous. However, Skyrim would fall without the Empire against the recovered Aldmeri Dominion.

Bethesda did a good job with the reasons of the rebellion, I like it. Except of course for the strange fact that the Empire didn't assist Hammerfell, that doesn't make sense.

And as for the opening scene, I got a way different impression. The citizens of Helgen are all chanting for the death of the Stormcloaks, and the thief and Tullius make a good case for the execution of Jarl Ulfric. Depends how you look at it I suppose.

Actually, Ulfric just about murdered him. First, he issued a challenge to the High King in his very court, meaning that the King had no choice but to accept, or renounce his title. Then, once in the duel, Ulfric killed him by using Thu'um, instead of fighting a fair and proper duel, whilst the King obviously didn't have the shout.

Does that sound like a 'fair duel' to you? Because it sounds like planned murder to me. Ulfric is the scum of Skyrim, and he and his ilk only seek power. You'd do well to remember that.

It was duel to death. Best warriors of Skyrim may have power of Thu'um. It's not against the rules to use Thu'um in the battle - it still was Ulfric's blade in the High Kings heart which killed him.

On my dunmer I went Imperial, for obvious reasons. I'm probably staying out of it on my Argonian. None of it really affects me too much, and neither side offers me anything from a role-playing perspective.

Both sides have moral grey areas to them. I tend to personally prefer the Empire for many of the above listed reasons, but always with major caveats. My character reluctantly joins the Imperials after a long time of refusing to officially take sides, because she feels that's the best thing for the world as a whole. She worships the Nine (i.e. not *just* Talos, as a lot of NPCs seem to be doing as a knee-jerk response), plus some of the 'less evil' Daedra (Azura in particular). She kills Thalmor any time she comes across them with extreme prejudice, but cannot abide the way Ulfric runs his Hold. She is also too sympathetic to the cause of the Forsworn to like Ulfric as a person. She can understand the ideals of the Stormcloaks, and like Rikke, has a lot of respect for them. She regrets having to kill them, but they're between her and Ulfric, who she sees as a distraction from the bigger problems, and as a potential big problem if he gets his way. So, she joined the Legion, and continues to butcher Thalmor. Because she's the frakking Dragonborn, and the Aldmeri Dominion's going to have problems as soon as this dragon business is settled. >

Seriously, play which ever side feels right to you. Because let's face it, whichever side the Dragonborn picks is going to be the one kicking the Thalmor off the continent. ...Or it could be like every other game in the series and history is written so that it essentially doesn't matter what faction choices the Hero makes.

You make it sound as if the Thu'um is as common as magic in Skyrim.

A duel need not be fair, but to use unfair methods in a duel pretty much stains that fellow's 'honor'.
It's like someone demands a fight with you, puts you in a position where you cannot refuse, and when the duel starts - instead of just fists, blades, guns (common), he takes out a rocket launcher.

It is what caused the reappearance of dragons.

Stormcloaks first time, now starting my imperial character!

PEOPLE PLZ! im getting really tired of hearing that the thalmor didnt crack down on talos worshipping until Ulfric made a big deal out of it, plz plz get ur facts straight. Hell the whole rebellion started when Ulfric and his men were HIRED by the local Jarl to recapture the city that was overtaken by the Forsworn in return of a free and safe place to worship Talos....Thalmor found out about it and the City broke their deal and ratted Ulfric out to save the empire form goign to war with the thalmor again. WHEN the thalmor came ot arrest Ulfric for WORSHIPPING Talos and the city broike their deal and ratted Ulfric out is when he started his rebellion.

So case in point the Thalmor were already crackign down and enforcing the Ban, Ulfric didnt use it as a slogan to rebel, its what happened tohim that caused him to rebel.

Maybe, but a war veteran challenging someone like Torryg, and using a Shout, seems rather unfair.

Damn Nord supremacists need to be put in their place.

Death to Ulfric!