Board Thread:Lore Discussion/@comment-72.74.78.209-20141019230536/@comment-24999978-20141101141709

1) The Empire did continue to fight, in a way, as the book you mentioned outlines how the 'invalids' left behind by Decianus, for that purpose, formed the core of Hammerfell's resistance of the Dominion.

2) According to Mystery of Talara, and implied in the Armistice with Morrowind, provincial laws and customs are subservient to Imperial Law, which prohibits killing any monarch or vassal of the Emperor, meaning the Empire had every right to condemn Ulfric's duel.

3) While skepticism of a source based on its origins is a good thing, to entirely write off the source because it was written by a Cyrodiil is foolish. Imperial authors have often been trusted and respected scholars, particularly during the Third Era, so I would not write him off so easily.

4) The stereotypes and generalisations in your last sentence are entirely inaccurate. There is nothing inherently wrong with Daedra worship (the Dunmer are not the only race to do it, either, just look at the Orcs and Malacath, for instance), and slavery was abolished by Helseth back in the Third Era. Before the abolition, however, there were still some Dunmer who opposed slavery, namely the Twin Lamps factions featured in Morrowind. Although racism is not entirely uncommon in Tamriel (some Dunmer are of course racist, but tar them with the same brush is silly), the Stormcloaks are still undoubtedly xenophobic. 'Skyrim for the Nords' is an inherently racist phrase, and it is sad to see people using the ignorant rhetoric real life groups like the BNP and Britain First (far-right political movements, for those of you who are not Brits) to justify their position, even if the Stormcloaks do occasionally use the odd foreigner for their own benefit.

5) No, they do not. Prominent figures like Rikke and Tullius, who predicts war with the Thalmor in the future if you complete the Civil War for the Empire, oppose the Thalmor, as do others like Alvor. There is difference between signing a peace treaty with a faction to end a bloody civil war, and actually supporting that faction. As Sothas stated, that would be like suggesting that Nazi Germany supported the Allies are sure ding to the Allies (or that Germany supported the Allies post-Versailles, which we all know as not the case and helped influence the rise of the Nazis).

6) Ulfric is a hypocrite, at best, condemning the Empire for signing a peace treaty and opposing any form of capitulation, and yet surrendered himself to the Empire rather that fighting to the death. He only supports Nordic tradition when it suits him, such as the duel with Torygg. During the Jagged Crown quest for the Stormcloaks, for instance, says to 'damn the Moot' as he was not willing to risk his chance at the crown.