Board Thread:Lore Discussion/@comment-26213507-20150715194939/@comment-26893431-20150909111728

S&#039;Dalaar the Snowcat wrote: If Whiterun still consider themselves to be a part of the Empire, then it means they are on the Empire's side. You speak against your own argument of them being neutral then.

True, but if the developers truly intended them to be neutral, then they could have coded a separate "Whiterun Faction" that would be friendly/hostile to both Imperials and Stormcloaks. It could be just laziness on the developers part, but considering that it was heavily implied even from the beginning that Balgruuf would side with the Empire, I am pretty certain they did that on purpose.

Yes, Gerdur mentions that Balgruuf and Ulfric has been at odd with each other for years and that he might side with the Empire because of it.

Yes, I already mentioned those soldiers when I said "like the gate guard when you are about to enter Whiterun and the 4 soldiers that help you fight Mirmulnir". I am aware of them. But once you finish their quests, they will either be dead from Mirmulnir or just vanish and/or be replaced with regular guards with Imperial gear. So I wouldn't really count those in. But if we are going to count them in, its only 5 soldiers among a pretty limitless amount. And 3 of them don't even wear real guard helmets. They might not even have been full-fledged guards, only militia. But that's just speculations.

Presicely! That is the way of war. When you pick a side, you will also pick an enemy. But Balgruuf picking the right/wrong side is all on him.

Ulfric didn't attack out of paranoia. He attacked after Balgruuf sided with the Empire. Before, he just sent an axe, just to know where his allegiance stood. Ulfric could not continue his campaign against the Empire until they could have access to the center of Skyrim, being the key to the Civil War.

And really, you compare Ulfric to Glarthir? That sounds more like an insult than an intellectual comparison. Ulfric shows some paranoiac behavior, but nothing like Glarthir, who acts without any kind of basis. You misunderstand, Whiterun doesn't consider itself as an Imperial Hold, but since Skyrim is an Imperial Province, of course they have Imperial Gear, and they have no need to change it.

The jailors also use steel swords, and the commander uses an Orcish one, and it doesn't matter if they dissapear (which they don't but okay) since they still existed.

General Tullius doesn't threaten with invading, unlike Ulfric, Ulfric reminds me of Hitler, how Hitler said before he bombed Rotterdam You have 2 options, you're with me and I don't bomb, or you're against me and I bomb. Fighting for freedom is honorable, a word Ulfric doesn't know.

Need I to speak of the Imperial Questline? Balgruuf sending his axe = I'm neutral, I'm on Whiteruns side.

Ulfric sending his axe = Join me, you're on Windhelms side.

It's different.

Well Glarthir had his reasons, have you never read his notes?