Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-109.92.245.62-20131121212935/@comment-80.216.192.17-20150114021507

Harold Burned-Mane wrote: Nope, where it not for the Thalmor a Civil War would never have happened. If you are not familiar with the Markarth Incident or have just forgotten what happened in will tell you why it is where the Civil War was pretty much started, or at least where the biggest seed was planted.

During the Great War the Reachmen killed the Jarl of the Reach and took over, capturing Markarth. Then for the next two years they were trying to get recognized as a nation, because just like IRL if you aren't recognized by other nations then you can't trade or have diplomatic relations. Anyway after the war Ulfric was released from Thalmor custody like other prisoners of war and he returned to Skyrim. There he created a militia out of people that, like him, were dissatisfied with the outcome of the war. Ulfric's militia, who would later become known as the Stormcloaks, was hired by Igmund to retake the Reach from the Reachmen. Ulfric agreed on the condition that Talos worship would be restored in the city, as it was one of two cities in Skyrim that had a Temple of Talos. Igmund agreed to the terms and the militia headed off to do its job. It completed it and took back the Reach from the Reachmen, the surviving members then became the Forsworn. Thus the Reach became a part of Skyrim again and free Talos worship was granted. Sometime later the Legion returned to bring order to the Reach, but Ulfric refused them entry into Markarth until they also agreed to allow Talos worship. The Empire agreed and Ulfric and his militia let them in. However the Thalmor found out about this and demanded that the ban on Talos worship be enforced and that Ulfric and the other militiamen be imprisoned or the Dominion would declare war on the Empire, again. The Legion immediately attacked the militia and imprisoned Ulfric and the others, sending them to prison. During his imprisonment Ulfric's father died in Windhelm, he wrote a his eulogy from prison and had to smuggle it out of it. After he was eventually released he returned to Windhelm and the morning citizens put him on the throne of Jarl (Which by the way was never supposed to be his, as he was supposed to become a Greybeard). Then sometime after becoming Jarl he went to Solitude and I'm sure you know the rest of the story.

So you can see that without the Thalmor pressuring the Empire into imprisoning Ulfric and the militiamen the Civil War would never have happened, as Talos worship would've been free and the Nords would have no reason to rebel. Wrong, Skyrim's discontent with Solitude puppet kings would have led to war with or without Ulfric, the Great War or the Thalmor.

And I know all about the Markarth incident.

The biggest seeds were the discontent and anger over Imperial meddling in Skyrim.

http://elderscrolls.wikia.com/wiki/Skyrim's_Rule

"But as mighty and influential as each individual Jarl is, Skyrim's true power comes from the strength of its High King. The High King is ruler above all, and is always one of the Jarls, selected by a body called the "Moot" - a specially convened council of all the Jarls, who meet with the express purpose of choosing Skyrim's High King. Or so it is, in theory.

The reality, however, is that the High King swears fealty to the Emperor, and as Solitude is the city most directly influenced by Imperial culture and politics, the Jarl of Solitude has served as High King for generations. The Moot, therefore, is more formality and theater than anything else.

But as I prepared to leave Skyrim, I could feel a change in the air, sense the trepidation of some of the good Nord people. Many seemed unhappy with the Empire's continued presence in their land."