Board Thread:Lore Discussion/@comment-76.97.80.106-20130811163656/@comment-24590102-20140811104826

In reply to the OP, I agree that reunification is the strongest position to take - even if that means renouncing the White-Gold Concordat. I don't really think either side are ready to stage a repeat performance of the great war just yet - or they'd already be into it by now. However, Ulfric (like many other things in TES) is not what he appears to be on the surface and, I dare say, that he would have to be removed or turned before he would ever agree to unite with the Imperials against the Thalmor.

There is a lot I'm leaving out here which probably belongs in spoiler tags but, alas, I forgot how to put the proper spoiler tags in (at least on this site) so it seems strangely appropriate to employ one of the 25 Caesar Ciphers to protect those who don't want to know from any further edification. At least for now or until someone can enlighten me:^)  I've chosen Caesar Cipher #1 for ease of reading. If you can read and comprehend the following in less than 216 milliseconds, you have my most sincere apologies.

[spoiler title="Don't click if you want to avoid the spoiler"]Vmsjd jt po vif Uibmps qbzspmm boe jt nbobhfe cz vif Uibmps Fncbttz[/spoiler]

Please take note, fwfo jg Vmsjd jt "Vodppqfsbujwf", jf jt tujmm dmbttjgjfd xijdi xpvme opu cf uif dbtf jg if ibe hpof sphvf. Uijt dmbttjgjdbujpo joejdbuft, sbujfs, uibu Vmsjdjt qvstvjoh Uibmnps pckfdujwft bddpsejoh up ijt qmbo jotufbe pg uifjst. Bt nvdi bt uifz nbz opu mjlf uijt, uif Uibmnps dpvme opu ibwf dporvfsfe bt fyufotjwfmz bt uifz ibwf vomftt uifz hbwf bmm pg uifjs hfofsbmt uijt ljoe pg mbujuvef - boe uif dipjdf pg xpset epft tffn up sfgmfdu tpnf sftfounfou uibu tpnfpof "mpxfs" jo uif qfdljoh psefs jt sftpmwfe uibu if ibt gpvoe b cfuufs xbz pg bdijfwjoh uif pckfdujwf.

OK, having said this, I think Ulfric has painted himself into a corner which is why my criticisms concerning dialogue and negotiation options may seem a little harsh (I vaguely recall saying something to the effect that the Dragonborn was an idiot. Having played through all of the dialogue options offered at the treaty negotiation held at High Hrothgar, I stand by whatever disparaging and insulting remarks I made about the Dragonborn, whatever those remarks may have been). And, yes, no matter how I play through that sorry scene, I always come out of it feeling like a complete idiot. There is, of course, no guarantee that we will all share the same feelings about various aspects of our respective playthroughs. In the end, this is just the feeling I get from this aspect of the Skyrim.