User blog comment:JoshofBlades/Tiber's Hard Work Shall NOT Be Torn Asunder!/@comment-4692385-20111223160450/@comment-86.135.202.182-20120124185501

@Ryusenka16: No, the empire got utterly annihilated, and would have been completely destroyed if not for the Thalmor deciding to strip them of their dignity instead. They did what was necessary for all the non-altmerkind to survive and thrive. The empire is in desperate need of time: time to get back on it's feet and fight back once again. Last I checked, the Thalmor don't like Talos much either, and an independant skyrim is ripe for the picking.