Board Thread:Skyrim/@comment-11344160-20160205154012/@comment-26693897-20160206195736

Frozenhero1 wrote: I don't buy the argument that a unified Empire is the 'only hope against the Dominion'. The Redguards have held them back, and the Nords are every bit as dangerous as the men and women of Hammerfell. As for Valenwood and Elsweyr, my guess is they're as likely to revolt as Skyrim was. Have you ever heard of that quote "united we stand, divided we fall"? Also the only reason that Hammerfell won against the Dominion was because the bulk/main forces of the Dominion were in Cyrodiil fighting, the Redguards put their civil war on hold and fought together and the Redguards knew the land better. It wasn't some grand victory that proved one small nation could easily defeat the Dominion, if it were that easy, Hammerfell could have just kept going and fought the elves all the way back to the Summerset Isle, instead of signing their own peace treaty. People blindly assume that just because Hammerfell won 1 victory that somehow means the Dominion can be easily defeated. "Hammerfell did it, so can Skyrim!" isn’t a valid argument without seeing the bigger picture.

The Dominion isn't this all-powerful, unstoppable force capable of conquering Tamriel. If they were, they would have done it. They have a lot of enemies, both at home and abroad. Invading Skyrim would be extremely unwise - it's the province furthest from the Dominion's center of power, and the Nords excell at guerilla warfare on their home turf. The elves are weakened somewhat after the Great War yes, but they are still a force to be reckoned with, and not to mention they have the Wood Elves AND the Khajiits to call on as well! It's not just everyone Vs Summerset Isles. And if the Dominion isn't this all-powerful, unstoppable force capable of conquering Tamriel, then there wouldn’t be a second Great War coming soon, or hell, there wouldn’t even be a cold war going on right now between the Empire and the Dominion.

The Empire is a crumbling shell of its former self, with weak Emperors and no more provinces in which to even call themselves an 'Empire' - especially if they lose Skyrim. Like the Romans they are based on, their dominance over Tamriel is at at end. Skyrim has a chance to carve out its own identity, a country whose people are free to embrace their culture and worship who they choose. If this Empire falls, another one will take its place. An Elder Scrolls game is incomplete without the Empire.

"Skyrim belongs to the Nords!" does not mean no one else is welcome, it means Skyrim and her customs are not up for debate. They will not allow the Dominion, or the Empire, or anyone else tell them that Talos, their man-god, is not a divine. It means Skyrim is the birthplace of man and deeply rooted with history. Yes, there is a lingering societal prejudice against the elves. Wars have been fought against them since the first era. "The Great War is still fresh in the minds of many." Yet, elves are found throughout Skyrim. There are no laws against elves. There isn't any ethnic cleansing going on. You don't see Nords walking the roads escorting elven prisoners. The elves of Skyrim aren't told who they can or can't worship. They aren't prevented from prospering. There are elven merchents, guildmasters, housecarls, stewards, and priests. Hell, there's even an elven Companion - a group whose founder tried to eradicate the elves. The Nords have become among the most accepting of other races and cultures - they don't even ban necromancy! They just don't want other races and cultures telling them they can't be Nords. If the Nords have become among the most accepting of other races and cultures, then explain to me why the Stormcloaks don't buy stuffs from Adrianne and Arcadia? Let me guess, these women are Imperials, not Nords because if they were Nords, the Stormcloaks would buy from them.

Ulfric wants to stand up and fight against tyrrany. He's a strong, capable leader that isn't willing to sacrafice his principles against threats or offers of gold. He's a dedicated man with will and patience enough to learn how to shout in the language of dragons. He has known war, imprisonment, and loss - he doesn't want those things for his people. He's not perfect, but I think he's a better choice than the Empire and General Tulius, a man who shows little respect for Nordic culture who seems dedicated to go down with the sinking ship that is the Cyrodillic Empire. While we can all agree fighting against tyranny is a noble pursuit, Ulfric could have fought specifically the Thalmor if that’s all he wanted. But no, it's totally the Empire who's the disgusting ones here. The Empire didn’t ban the worship of Talos, the Thalmor did, there's a huge difference there. It wasn’t the Empire's idea. Speaking of it, can you tell me the difference between the Thalmor and the Empire? They're not the same faction, they don't work together, they don't make plans together and they don't even share the field of battle. You are attaching things you hate about the Thalmor to the Empire and this is isn't fair. The Thalmor are the ones who are torturing people who are worshipping Talos, not the Empire. As for Tullius, initially, yes, Tullius may seem a little cold, but that is hardly an uncommon trait for a man of his position. His role, really, is, first and foremost, to put down the rebellion, which may be why he appears to have such an unrelenting character. You must remember, too, as a Cyrodiil, some of these odd Nordic traditions must be a bit confusing at first. At the end of the civil war quest line for the Empire, if you ask Tullius if he is going to return to Cyrodiil, he says "No, I suspect Skyrim to be my home for many years. Can't say I'll ever get used to the damn cold, or understand these Nords... but I've come to respect them. The harshness of Skyrim has a way of carving a man down to his true self." You see, character progression is often a feature of stories, and the development of Tullius' character is evident. A character cannot do so if they are perfect, and I think Tullius display much more progression than Ulfric does (I've played through both sides of the civil war, so you know, and Ulfric still appears to be as hard headed as ever).