After finishing both quest lines (I did one then reloaded to do the other), I can safely say that I prefer the Empire.
And here's why:
Ulfric and the Stormcloaks are way too overzealous and towards the end Ulfric reveals himself to be a power-hungry prick capitalizing on the racism of his underlings.
Meanwhile, the Imperials just want to restore order. Furthermore, it's implied that at least some (possibly more) legionnaires worship Talos while their commanders go "What? I didn't see anything. No Talos worship here". Lastly, General Tullus implies in his last few conversation options that he's biding time before starting a war with the Thalmor. (One I whole heartedly support).
So yeah. Long live the Empire!
Though I'll probably stay out of the way in future playthroughs.
The Empire is supposed to be an alliance but once the Thalmor threatened the Imperial capital they gave up even though from what I can tell Skyrim wasn't in danger. Then they signed that treaty, apparently without even asking the Nords what they thought so I can definitely see why the Nords would want to be independent. And to be fair even if you aren't a Nord and you side with the Stormcloaks they do eventually come to respect you and not all of them are racist Ralof calls you a friend no matter what if you help him escape Helgen. Plus after being attacked by the Thalmor and betrayed by the Empire I can see why they might be wary of outsiders.
I'm playing my character as a rabid anarchist in this for the same reasons I am- to kill time and have a few laughs. Stormcloak and Dark Brotherhood! Time permitting, I'll try and knife Ulfric, too.
Empire:
-Leader barely even spoke to me, just told me to go take orders from someone.
-Tried to execute me, despite knowing I wasn't guilty of anything.
-Commit Cultural Genocide.
-Are draining Skyrim's resources to try and prolong the life of the failing empire.
-White Gold Concordat means they are completely stuffed if they ever want to go to war with the Thalmor. They will have too much information thanks to the likely abuse of their powers to capture and interrogate anyone they think worships Talos, and who's to say that that critical Empire politician with tons of info doesn't worship Talos?
-Have almost no military power whatsoever.
-Abandoned other Imperial Provinces. Why would they not do the same to Skyrim if the 'need' came about. They started the secessions by forcing one, and people try to claim that they are trying to 'band everyone together'. Ha!
-Although their Jarls may not have as many problems as the Stormcloak ones, they are useless at the same time. The Jarl of Falkreath, too young to be a Jarl and more focused on self enjoyment than the good of his realm. Jarl of Solitude, too focused on the fact that Ulfric killed her husband in fair combat, and has no clue how to govern her city. Her advisors would make better Jarls than her, and yet she wants to be high queen?
-Public executions, of people who are guilty of no crime, however decided to help someone who was well within their rights with their actions but was not liked by the town.
Stormcloaks:
-Some are Xenophobic, though they aren't the 'Nazis' that people call them. They do not hold Mass Executions, all they do is leave other races to solve their own problems.
-Ulfric is somewhat self centred, but is a good leader - both military and otherwise - and charismatic as well. He also actually spoke to me and recognised me as a person, not merely a soldier to be sent to the front lines.
-Their holds have problems, but they are not always their own fault. Dawnstar was the fault of a cut of Daedra worshippers, Riften that of a guild - and Riften is VERY similar to Markarth in more ways than one - Windhelm's main problem is the xenophobia, but that is understandable, and Winterhold is distrusting of the College, but there were no other major problems I found there.
-Invaded Whiterun, but the Jarl of Whiterun had by that time made his position against them clear, agreeing to Imperial occupation to defend against the attack. He could just as easily have agreed to join the Stormcloaks as the war entered full swing. He chose the wrong side, and payed for it.
-After becoming independent of the Empire, Skyrim would be in the perfect position to ally itself with Hammerfell, combining the two military powerhouses of the old empire together. Hammerfell by itself kicked out the Thalmor. Hammerfell and Skyrim would be able to do far more.
-Skyrim can keep its resources for supporting itself and possibly Hammerfell in a war against the Thalmor
-No Cultural Genocide
-Thalmor would be kicked out of Skyrim, instead of being allowed to prowl around and arrest whoever whenever
-No public executions.
Neutral:
-Ulfric's dossier says that the Thalmor do not want the civil war to stop. If either side wins, it is bad for them, whether Stormcloak or Imperial. Ulfric is not the pawn some read the message and believed he was. He was captured in a war, fooled into thinking his disclosure of information caused the loss of said war, and was contacted by the Thalmor. Since then, he has further and further distanced himself from the Thalmor, and ceased any form of direct communication with them.
Chose storm-cloak the first time round, Im wary of the racism and lust for power and backward thinking. but on the other hand, if the nords wanna be racist in nordland then they can do that. Its their godamn homeland and if thats how they wanna be then fuck, let em be. Im willing to bet that once the oppression has been lifted tolerance will worm its way into the country anyway.
I mean what the hell are elves even doing in skyrim? Thats like me moving to the middle east and then bitching about it. Like woah fuck its all hot and dry and everyone hates me... Well duh.
I went Stormcloaks, because it's a game. And games are supposed to be fun. And not about caring whether your choices affect the distant future of a make believe land. Because that requires deep philosophical thought. And I don't like to think deeply while I'm slashing my way through a crowd of enemies.
During the main quest, you actually find out that Ulfric was a captive of the Thalmor and in fact an agent. He THINKS that he has gone rogue by creating choas with his rebellion, and believing he will drive out the Thalmor after winning, but he is in fact doing exactly what the Thalmor want, and that is to cause choas and weaken the Empire, so it is ripe for the taking!
So side with the Empire! Help unite all of the nations under the Empire and drive back the Thalmor!
But the Empire are the ones who split themselves up. How are they going to team up with everyone anyways? This is what I don't get, you say the Empire is going to win but they already lost once to the Thalmor. They gave in the demands and made themselves weaker to please the elves. Now you are saying the ALREADY weaken Empire is somehow..going to come back?
- No Hammerfell since they are probably still piss for being handed over to the Thalmor.
- A lot Nords still hating Empire even if they win so maybe not a lot of support.
- Already has Thalmor spies everywhere.
- The said Thalmor spies are now rounding people up who they say are "Talos Worshiper" for interrogation and executions.
- The Empire, even though they hate the elves, are not even lifting a finger to protect the civilians they claim to be helping.
I'm sorry, but the Empire is dead already. They just don't know it yet. If they couldn't win the first time around (Which they could if they just stuck with it. They would have Skyrim and Hammerfell full support still.) Since you know, it wasn't Skyrim or Hammerfell who betray the Empire, it was the Empire who betray them. Also the Thalmor are everywhere! How the hell is the Empire going to do any sort of attack without them knowing?
The only way to beat the Thalmor is to make them spread their forces to thin. With Skyrim independent the Thalmor will need TONS of supplies from their main homeland to be sent there. Which itself could take days, and the Thalmor probably won't attack full force. Due to the extreme weather of Skyrim (The place is like Russia.) The elves also will not know the terrain very well, unlike the Nords who mostly populate the place.
As well as keeping forces within its homeland due to the rebellion that's going on with it's homeland from their massacre of the wooden elves. Then their the Empire itself it has to keep a eye over. Then their the whole Hammerfell that's nearby they most likely will get attack from since it would be pretty stupid not to since the Thalmor will, again, be way to spread thin to keep hold of everything.
Though that is if they decide to do a attack on Skyrim full force. Which again be pretty stupid and would leave themselves open to attack. Unlike the Empire where they will have good control over and have their spies tightly within the area to keep a lookout for betrayal.
Quick question. I'm in the middle of the Dark Brotherhood quest line
where you are first informed that you have to kill the emperor. However I haven't picked a side between Stormcloaks and Imperials yet, in fact I barely visited Solitude. If I complete it, will it screw up me joining the Imperials and that whole questline in some way?
Ulfric Stormcloak is working for the Thalmor. He gains control of Skyrim and the empire is weakened making it easier for the thalmor to capture. You should realize that when you help the stormcloaks you serve the thalmor who seek the destruction of all life on nirn. My source is the Thalmor dossier on Ulfric Stormcloak. You should find it.
Description: Jarl of Windhelm, leader of Stormcloak rebellion, Imperial Legion veteran
Background: Ulfric first came to our attention during the First War Against the Empire, when he was taken as a prisoner of war during the campaign for the White-Gold Tower. Under interrogation, we learned of his potential value (son of the Jarl of Windhelm) and he was assigned as an asset to the interrogator, who is now First Emissary Elenwen. He was made to believe information obtained during his interrogation was crucial in the capture of the Imperial City (the city had in fact fallen before he had broken), and then allowed to escape. After the war, contact was established and he has proven his worth as an asset.The so-called Markarth Incident was particularly valuable from the point of view of our strategic goals in Skyrim, although it resulted in Ulfric becoming generally uncooperative to direct contact.
Operational Notes: Direct contact remains a possibility (under extreme circumstances), but in general the asset should be considered dormant. As long as the civil war proceeds in its current indecisive fashion, we should remain hands-off. The incident at Helgen is an example where an exception had to be made - obviously Ulfric's death would have dramatically increased the chance of an Imperial victory and thus harmed our overall position in Skyrim. (NOTE: The coincidental intervention of the dragon at Helgen is still under scrutiny. The obvious conclusion is that whoever is behind the dragons also has an interest in the continuation of the war, but we should not assume therefore that their goals align with our own.) A Stormcloak victory is also to be avoided, however, so even indirect aid to the Stormcloaks must be carefully managed."
Reread that a few times.
I don't think you understand the terminology. "Asset" does not mean "cohort".
What the document says is that, under torture ("before he had broken") or extreme duress, ulfric gave information to the thalmor. The thalmor then led him to believe that said information was directly responsible for their victory, and allowed him to escape, hoping to use him and his supposed guilt against him. However, he refuses to meet amicably with the elves, and they mention he is a "dormant asset", and thus has little to no strategic value any longer. They were going to intervene to prevent his execution at helgen, but were spared the trouble by the dragon attack. They want the WAR to go on, with neither side winning.
If you help the empire, you fuck over the thalmor. If you help the stormcloaks, you fuck over the empire AND the thalmor.
My Nord went with the Imperials, because his Imperial upbringing put him at odds with Ulfric's ideals, and because his sense of honor was too great to betray the Jarl of Whiterun, having been made a thane in his court.
My Altmer mage, on the other hand, loves skyrim and her people, and hates those bastards in charge who put his race to shame. So he proudly wears an amulet of Talos over a set of Thalmor robes he took from a Justicar he killed in the wilds in town, to mock the imperials and their murderous leash-holders. Elf is angry, angry dude.
Realistically, I say that the stormcloaks are much better for Skyrim. The empire is BROKEN. A sundering must be finished before it can be made whole again. The provinces are in turmoil, and the Empire hasn't been able to take care of them since the Oblivion Crisis. Skyrim has always been a weak state, politically, because the empire kept its grasp firm in order to drain the land of its natural resources. By putting ulfric on the throne, you put a strong leader, with a shrewd grasp of rule, in charge. This also allows skyrim to try to ally itself with Hammerfell, something the empire can no longer do with the thalmor in charge. Redguards and nords are two of the hardest-fighting races in all of tamriel, and while the orcs may be elves themselves, I doubt the thalmor would include them in their hierarchy. they have nothing in common culturally anymore, and instead are much more related in their way of life to nords themselves. The dunmer, while discriminated against now, would likely be eager to gain favor by fighting against the thalmor (as the orcs and dunmer are both chiefly residing in skyrim now, having been forced to leave their native land. An independent Skyrim is free to attempt these political maneuvers. The Empire, on the other hand, would be met with swift retribution
besides, those milk-drinking imperials banned Talos!
I completed the Dark Brotherhood chain first in which the last mission is:
to assassinate the Emperor of Tamriel, which I succeeded in doing.
I then began the civil war chain, siding with the Empire; after all, Hadvar did help me escape Helgen AND they are led by Colonel Tigh.
So Tigh has me take the oath, "I swear to protect the Emperor and the Empire"...I laughed out loud (ironically of course). I loved the fact that while I was there taking an oath I'd already broken that I knew something they did not which, had they known, might have had some small effect on my application
Second playthru gonna go stormcloaks and do main quest chain first to get all the shouts.
I just looked it up, and it sounds more like he started off helping the Thalmor out of fear (and torture), then rejected them when the civil war started (meaning he is no longer on their side), and it then states that a Stormcloak victory would not be a good thing for the Thalmor, so it would seems that siding with the Stormcloaks is a good idea. I mean, it helps remove Ulfric from the Thalmor's pocket, which is good (you don't want a Jarl working for the Thalmor), and they don't want the Stormcloaks to win (a united Skyrim is a greater threat than one weakened by civil war or a resource-plundering empire on the brink of collapse).
OT: My character is a hard working Nord, fighting for his homeland. He specialised in Light Armour, Smithing and One-handed, with minor investments in speechcraft, block and archery (very much a 'By the sweat of his brow' kind of bloke). He joined the companions (because being a 'Shield-brother' fits the character I'm playing) and the Stormcloaks, for a free Skyrim, and to end the civil war that is leaving both Skyrim and the Empire weakened and vulnerable. I intend to finish the main story-line to fit the character's "Defend Skyrim" vibe.
My next character, I'm thinking either a decent-looking wood elf (if at all possible) or a Redguard, and then I'll specialise in Light Armour, Sneak, Archery, One-handed (dual-wield sword-dagger) with minor investments in lock-picking and pick-pocketing, then I'll join the thieves guild and the Dark Brotherhood. This character will be more of a self-interested rogue, seeking opportunities that work with his ... special talents. To him being the dragonborn is more of a perk than a responsibility. I'm not sure who I will side with.
You see, I've never seen them as rasist, I see the attitude of the Stormcloaks similar to the current attitude in the UK. The amount of immigrants (legal and illegal) that are arriving every day, who get a house and benefits handed to them when there are British born citizens living on the streets. The (majority) of Brit's arn't racist, we're just sick of being second class citizens in our own country.
(before anyone calls me racist, I have many friends of different nationalities and my goddaughters mother is polish, you still have a problem.. time.. place... we'll sort it... over a pint)
I have a hard time choosing the Empire. From the first moment on you get the feeling that somethings wrong with them and later on you'll see public executions from some people who just said that the Stormcloaks might have actually a good point. They are basically the dog of the Thalmore.
So I chose the Stormcloaks. Yeah, they might be a little xenophobic and direct with it but I can't call them racist if Windhelm has examples of wealthy Elves. You prove your worth and your origin doesn't matter, even Ulric gives you a place right next to the castle (in 9 out of 10 cases a point against racism). If I consider how the Thalmore trat humans and especially their gods I can't blame them for beeing so.
I hoped that a succesful revolution will enflame revolutions in other provinces, the death of the old empire and the formation of a new one to fight the Thalmore.
I grappled with that concept, and ultimately my decision was based purely on how I thought the Thalmor could be better dealt with, with multiple free nations banding together against them (Hammerfell and Skyrim in an alliance? Yeah, I could see it), or by a single united if somewhat fractured Empire.
The way I see it, siding with Ulfric and working for an Independent Skyrim would the end of the Septim (third) empire. At that point a war would line up with Hammerfell, Skyrim, and High Rock (The Redguards, Nords, and Bretons respectively), aided by resistance movements from Valenwood, Morrowind, and Cyrodil, versus The Summerset Isles, Valenwood (as controlled by the Thalmor), Cyrodil (see previous), Elswyer (Khajiit), Black Marsh (Argonian), and occupied Morrowind (occupied by the Argonians prior to the events in Skyrim, due to the destruction of Vvardenfell). Valenwood and Cyrodil would probably be under "Vichy" type governments (Valenwood already is, and if the Empire collapses, Cyrodil wouldn't be far behind) giving some aid, but basically only halfhearted help to the Thalmor; while Morrowind would definitely fall into the occupied category, giving almost no aid to the Thalmor at all.
Hammerfell fought the Summerset Isles to a standstill on its own, and it's not too far out there to assume that Skyrim, despite the political instability at the beginning of the game, would be united enough to take on the Thalmor in typical Nord fashion. Meanwhile, Valenwood is already seeing resistance to Thalmor reign, and I can't imagine the Imperials just rolling over to the High Elves like St. Alessia taught them nothing. That means that the High Elves with support from the Khajiit and token support from the Bosmer, Imperials, and Argonians (who have their own problems to deal with in Morrowind) would clash with the Redguards, Bretons, and Nords, along with token support from the Bosmer, Imperials, and ostensibly the Dunmer.
On the other hand, say you support the Empire and force Skyrim back into Imperial control. The Empire proves itself in a war, just after routing the Thalmor at the battle of the Red Ring (a major Imperial victory that couldn't be pursued due to the exhaustion of the armies).
The Emperor who lost the Imperial City will be killed, and most likely succeeded by the General who brought the rebellious Nords back under the Empire (Tullius manages a major victory for the Empire even after the Emperor is killed? Sound a bit like General Talos?).
Tullius' popularity would be a major boon for Imperial forces. So now the same set up as above would be dealt with, but with the Imperials firmly on the "Human" side. Hammerfell and Cyrodil would have problems working together, but assuming they can successfully fight the wars separately, with Skyrim's Nord legions helping to run interference between the two, the "human" side would look to have a better chance. In conclusion, it seems to me that siding with the Empire is best, as it puts Cyrodil in a position to directly help out against the Thalmor, rather than being a sort of non-entity. Assuming that the Empire (that being Cyrodil, High Rock, and Skyrim, currently) are able to win the war against the Thalmor, with the help of the Redguards, the Empire would the occupy at least part of the Summerset Isles, and would reclaim Valenwood. On top of that, they'd have a very good jumping off point for re-asserting their power in both Hammerfell and Morrowind, having beaten the Argonian's main enemies, and having surrounded Hammerfell with their provinces again. This would put them in a much stronger position to start negotiations to re-establish the ailing empire. This would, in effect, mirror what happened with the Alessian Empire, being re-established as the Reman Empire (in this case, the Septim Empire being re-established as the Tullius Empire). Not to say the Empire would definitely succeed, but they'd be in a very good position to succeed.
Ultimately, on my first character I ended up killing the Emperor before I chose a side, and I felt like if I had killed the Emperor, it would be terribly ironic to then side with the Empire. I went Stormcloak. On my next play through I intend to skip the Dark Brotherhood and support the Empire.
I'd love to see a dlc about the war with the Thalmor, to see how close my predictions were to accurate. All in all, though, returning to the OP, my choices are based on my loathing of the Thalmor. Whatever decision hurts them the most is the right choice in my mind.
[HEADING=2]Bethesda's Bias[/HEADING]
At the start of the game, I feel as if Bethesda unfairly biases us against the empire. First, they try to chop your head off, when you've done nothing wrong. Then, as you escape with Mr. Stormcloak - who you inevitably picked - you get to see the imperial torture chambers, and the horrible things that have been done within. Once you arrive in Whiterun, you witness the feud between the Greymanes and the Battleborn. The Greymanes are honourable, trustworthy and fair people, while the Battleborns are corrupt and unlikeable. To add to that, they're
fully aware that the Thalmor have taken one of the Greymanes prisoner, and torturing them.
In short, for a player new to the series, or even one simply not particularly concerned with the lore, you have:
The Stormcloaks
True nordic folk, honourable, brave and courageous, fighting for freedom against an oppressive empire. Their religion has been banned, their way of life threatened, and their people taken to fight in wars against distant enemies on foreign fronts.
The Empire
A corrupt, bloated entity, and a shadow of its former self. They've outlawed the religion of the Nords, and are but the puppets of the Thalmor. In its dying throes, the empire drains the remaining provinces to keep up the gold flow to the capital, at the expense of its citizens. The true line of Emperors is gone, replaced by petty warlords squabbling for the throne.
To a new player, there's nothing positive about Skyrim's position in the Empire. Abused for the sake of the corrupt nobility, it bleeds to protect the capital, that has done nothing but abuse and drain it for decades. In reality, however, it's not like that at all.
[HEADING=2]The Reality[/HEADING]
I've written this, or something like this, five or six times already, so there are bits where I won't go into too much detail. The events of Oblivion, and the origins on the Thalmor are important, but suffice to say that the last true emperor sacrificed himself to prevent an invasion from the Daedric Prince Mehrunes Dagon, and that in the aftermath, as the empire fell into disarray, the Thalmor declared the independence of the Summerset Isles.
As far as the political situation went into the lead up to the Great War, the Thalmor - or High Elves - controlled the Summerset Isles, and supported Valenwood and Elsweyr as client kingdoms. Morrowind, having become nearly uninhabitable after the explosion of Red Mountain, a volcano in the centre of the province, was under the thumb of the Argonians of Black Marsh. The Empire had never held more than a tenuous grip over Black Marsh, which had seceded with the Empire's weakness.
In the lead up to the Great War, the Empire controlled Cyrodil, Skyrim, High Rock and Hammerfell, a far cry from the extent of its earlier days. The Thalmor - or the High Elves - controlled the Summerset Isles, Elsweyr and Valenwood.
The Great War
The Great War began when a Thalmor diplomat took his nation's ultimatum to the Emperor: The disbandment of the Blades, and the denouncement of Talos as a god. Naturally, the young emperor, Titus Mede II, refused, sparking the Great War. Striking with hidden armies, the Thalmor caught the Empire off guard, invading both Cyrodil and Hammerfell, eventually capturing the Imperial City itself. The Emperor, showing a great deal of competence, abandoned the city, and flanked the Thalmor forces. He drove them back, recapturing the city, but suffered bloody losses. In his desire to restore peace, he accepted the Thalmor's original ultimatum, outlawing the worship of Talos.
What it is important to understand here is that, contrary to popular belief, the Empire is not simply a puppet of the Thalmor. The worship of Talos was not outlawed so as to please the Thalmor, but rather so that the Empire might gain the time to lick its wounds, and to prepare for a second war. The Emperor accepted necessity when he denounced Talos, but it is not a permanent change. When the Empire finally moves to strike against the elves, it will be under the Nine. They tolerate the demands of the Thalmor, but only for so long as it might take to be rid of them.
The Empire vs. The Stormcloaks
At the start of the game, the player is prejudiced against the Empire. Presented as a dying beast, the empire is seen as little more than a sap on the livelihood of Skyrim, taking men and resources, first to fight its distant war against the elves, and then to prepare for another one. The first time the player enters Solitude, they're witness to the execution of a man - with no context, and with no information. Personally, I saved the guy, only to be informed that this was not simple tyranny, but rather that this was the guard who had allowed Ulfric to escape after his murder of King Torygg. I cannot justify the torture chambers, but in a war that distracts the empire from its crucial struggle with the elves, you can see how they might resort to drastic action. They are not saints, and nor are their actions even always defensible, but the legions of the empire are no different to Ulfric's men. That they seek to destroy the Nordic way is but clever rhetoric on Ulfric's part - there are as many Nords in Tullius's ranks as there are amongst the rebels.
But are the rebels any better? Racist and supremacist, they're blatantly obvious about their desire to clear Skyrim of other races. The elves in Ulfric's city of Windhelm are oppressed and downtrodden, while the city itself falls apart. He has no desire to free or even provide for his people - he wants power. A man in Riften, commenting on his father's obsessive hatred of the Empire, bitterly remarks that "Ulfric serves only Ulfric", and the proof of that claim is everywhere. The man is little more than a petulant child during the
negotiations of the peace treaty, arrogantly demanding thing after thing, incapable of forgetting his petty war, even to deal with the threat of the dragons. Tullius, however, takes it stoically, putting the threat of the dragons ahead of his own war.
The man makes a move on Whiterun when it refuses to join him, attacking an innocent city because it's in his way. The, excuse the language, fucker, cares nothing for the people of Skyrim, but only for his final goal. Furthermore, the Thalmor have a hand in his rebellion, using it to weaken the Empire's hold on the key province of Skyrim, and thereby weaken it for the final conflict with the Dominion. He is not aware of this manipulation, but it is there, nonetheless.
Honestly, I don't think that there's really much else to say, save that if the Empire falls, Skyrim falls with it, regardless of its allegiance. The elves of the Dominion regard their own race as superior, and seek to conquer the entirety of the continent, enslaving humanity in the process. Divided, Skyrim and the Empire cannot stand, but together they might.
]Besides, you meet the Emperor, and he seems like a cool guy.
TL;DR: Empire is not the puppet of the Thalmor, ban on Talos worship both necessary and only temporary, competent Emperor, Corruption Ulfric's propaganda, Empire necessary for the survival of Skyrim, and Stormcloaks are bad.
Empire get my vote easily, from the start they were rather polite with me (likely cos i set my race as empire) and I got on jolly well with that npc guard from the start (warrior eh? i knew you shouldn't have been on that cart the moment i laid eyes on ya! Daww). Seeing him in subsequent missions was nice.
Then i went to solitude and saw their general is basically julius caesar. And his 2nd in command was rather cool, grew to like her in subsequent missions and rather enjoyed the empire missions overall (except the ones which involved cloak and dagger, not my forte).
I don't really have any positive inclination for the stormcloaks, when i came to see them they all sounded like a bunch of angry rabbledousers with no vision for the future, whereas the empire folks were all about "the big picture". Maybe if i played a nord character their patriotism might appeal to me, but as it stands they have little to offer to my eyes.
Totally. When taken at face value the rebellion seems a decent enough cause, but when you learn that the Dominion is stoking the rebellion in order to weaken the Empire and to ultimately enslave all the human races it becomes a little tricky to support them.
Plus, I don't quite get the rebellion. The rebels want to be able to be free to worship Talos, yes? And they're upset because the Empire has signed a treaty with the Thalmor banning his worship. But Talos is Tiber Septim. Tiber Septim created the Empire. The very existence of an Empire is living, breathing worship of Talos, without the need for churches and temples. If the rebels revere Talos so much, why are they fighting against the Empire he created? "We are so devoted to Talos, we want to destroy his legacy." Er, what?
Totally. When taken at face value the rebellion seems a decent enough cause, but when you learn that the Dominion is stoking the rebellion in order to weaken the Empire and to ultimately enslave all the human races it becomes a little tricky to support them.
Plus, I don't quite get the rebellion. The rebels want to be able to be free to worship Talos, yes? And they're upset because the Empire has signed a treaty with the Thalmor banning his worship. But Talos is Tiber Septim. Tiber Septim created the Empire. The very existence of an Empire is living, breathing worship of Talos, without the need for churches and temples. If the rebels revere Talos so much, why are they fighting against the Empire he created? "We are so devoted to Talos, we want to destroy his legacy." Er, what?
But it is not the same Empire that Talos made all those years ago. Tons of provinces are gone now and they only have Skyrim and High Rock. They aren't rule by Tiber Septim bloodline as well as just thinking of themselves rather then anyone else. I mean hell they sure drop Hammerfell off quickly without any second glaces back at them.
I mean hell I don't see Hammerfell ever coming back to the Empire (or at least not so soon.) I wouldn't blame them. Getting handed over to the Thalmor and then the Empire dropping you off from its provinces quickly once they started to rebel.
Also the old Empire wouldn't have given up so soon. Yes, they were beaten badly but so were the elves. As well as the Empire would still have Skyrim and Hammerfell backing them up fully. I don't care if the Empire was "force to" give up Hammerfell. You don't give up your allies so easily and expect them to follow the treaty which they didn't sign for.
This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
