Board Thread:Lore Discussion/@comment-3539474-20130910213054/@comment-10207438-20131103072554

74.135.126.174 wrote: Well in our last argument you said that the Empire was an Thalmor puppet, so yes, they would let the Dominion march through Cyrodiil. And if it was right after the civil war, the Thalmor would have no problem taking Skyrim. Thalmor use magic, so that can possibly speed up travel. I realize that you have faith in the Stormcloaks, but after a destructive civil war that will leave Skyrim with nothing but itself (Galmar says they're fighting for independence, so don't say Skyrim wouldn't be independent), there would be nothing that Skyrim alone could do against an attack from the Dominion. The Empire is the only thing keeping the AD from conquering Skyrim. And I know you ill answer with a bunch of made up info like "Skrim could get Hammerfell to help." The only way Hammerfell would help is if the Dominion started a war with both Skyim and Hammerfell, at the same time. If not, Hammerfell would continue to strengthen it's defenses instead of wasting it away by sending soldiers to Skyrim. No king is stupid enough to endanger his own people to help another land's people. Other than the Empire, which they are more than one province, so they have troops to spare.

Just because they're puppets doesn't mean they're stupid; if the AD put themselves into a position where the empire can destroy a significant amount of the AD's forces and put themselves in the good graces of a Stormcloak Skyrim there is no doubt they would do it; the only reason they're being the Thalmor's puppets is to wait till they're strong enough to defend themselves, if they can make that happen they will.

Independance from the empire. There's a difference from becoming independant of the empire, and being isolationist; IRL the united states became independant of The United Kingdom, they still had ties to France, Spain, and many other countries; So there you go, I AM saying Skyrim MIGHT not be independant.

And there is plenty Skyrim could do against the Thalmor, even without allies, they know the lay of the land, they know where to strike, and when, they know where they can hide to wait for the enemy, they know how to fight up close. The Altmer fight with magic, not as useful when the enemy pops up right behind you and you're surrounded by allies, one missed spell and your companion is dead; death is more damaging to an altmer army due to their slower maturity and reproduction rate; it only takes a nord around 18-21 years to mature, where the Altmer takes closer to 50, and nord women can have at least one child per year if they wanted to. In other words, Nord warriors can die more often than Altmer warriors and it would damage their army less than it would the altmer's.

We don't know whether or not Hammerfell would help Skyrim or not, they could come to an agreement where they would aid the other if the other is attacked, and unlike the empire they wouldn't pull out; also we do not know the extent of Hammerfell's distaste with the AD, as I said with the empire, they have an enemy with the AD, if they can put a significant dent in it by helping skyrim they will most assuredly do so.

And on a sidenote; The Empire didn't do much of the 'sending' troops to help 'Another Land's People'; especially when Cyrodiil was in any danger(See The Battle of Red Rings, The Oblivion Crisis, and The Argonian invasion of Morrowind) These are reasons I dislike the Empire, this is why I believe each province should have their own standing army as their main force, instead of relying on the empire's Legion; Morrowind was destroyed, because in the short time they were a real part of the empire the legion became the standing army, then when they pulled out of morrowind and the oblivion crisis the dunmer were almost powerless to stop the deadra invasion, then after that was over they're invaded by the argonians, and while they did deserve some of that, the legion stayed out of it completely, the dunmer had to fend for themselves; then we go one hundred and fifty years later, hammerfell is invaded by the aldmeri dominion, the Imperial Legion already stationed at Hammerfell defends the people, then Cyrodiil is attacked, eventually The Imperial City is overrun, and what does the emperor do? he pulls out all troops to retake the imperial city, meanwhile hammerfell is still being attacked by the AD, yet almost everyone of the legion soldiers are pulling out of hammerfell, the redguards who were used to the legion defending them had to defend themselves against the AD, and they did, then when a truce was brokered what did they get? half their land taken away, just given to the people who attacked them, by the people who are SUPPOSED to defend them, the same people who left an entire country just because one city was taken.

letting an entire country to die, then giving away half their land, without their permission, to the people who you left them to. that does not mark the sign of a just empire.