Board Thread:Lore Discussion/@comment-26213507-20150715194939/@comment-26896471-20150909013646

In regards to whether "Is Ulfric really racist for segregation of Dunmer and Argonians within his city. or is he protecting them from each other...?", the answer is actually neither. Dunmer are not exclusively forced to live in the Grey Quarter. Belyn Hlaalu owns a large house in the city and a successful farm outside of it. He accuses his fellow Dark Elves of not earning their keep, and blames them for their predicament  Idesi Sadri works for and lives with Clan Shatter Shield and Luaffyn works and resides in Candlehearth Hall. If their was a policy of racial segregation, then surely the Altmer would get the same 'treatment'. Nurelion owns the Alchemists, the stables are owned by High Elves, and Niranye owns her own house, trades freely in the market, and says the Dark Elves live in the Grey Quarter due to their own naivety. I will also add that while many Dark Elves live in squalor, there are only two beggars in Windhelm and both are Nords. The Dark Elves themselves can be seen to mistreat Argonians. Suvaris Atheron boasts in her log book about punishing Argonians, as well decrying them as 'lazy'. Then again this is to be expected from a race of slavers.

There is no direct policy of racial segregation in Windhelm against Elves, Altmer or Dunmer. Indeed, as seen by Niranye, Nurelion and Hlaalu, they are allowed to advance themselves economically with minimal hindrance.

The only form of segregation in Windhelm pertains to the Argonians, who have to live outside the walls. Like Khajiit in every single hold in Skyrim. Even then, this was not a policy introduced by Ulfric, but one which has been in more or less continuous practice since Hoag Merkiller in the First Era.

To Ulfric personally, then. Even if Ulfric was the greatest blind racist in existence, this has clearly not translated itself into policy. Indeed, we are presented with dialogue which shows that he has no time for the prejudices of many in Windhelm. We see Galmar presenting Ulfric with 'evidence' of criminal Dunmer activity, which Ulfric dismisses, telling Galmar to return only if he has 'something more substantial'.

As Ferris has suggested, Ulfric is not necessarily power-hungry, and as seen above neither is race a major factor. He is driven by a sense of betrayal by the Empire and desire for religious freedom (wether or not this is hypocritical), as well as the desire to make Skyrim as strong and safe as possible.

The real question therefore, is not 'Is Ulfric rascist' or 'power-hungry'. The real question is: 'is fighting for an independent Skyrim the best way to ensure its own prospertiy and eventually defeat the Thalmor'. I would argue yes and have done so in previous posts. 'Ulfric is a rascist milk-drinker' isn't really the way to go.