Board Thread:Lore Discussion/@comment-26213507-20150715194939/@comment-1600847-20150731160010

Shigeru Thalmor Slayer wrote:

2) Ulfric is the reason people are arrested for worshiping Talos. Speaking to Alvor in Riverwood confirms this. He talks about how the Imperials turned the other way when it came to Talos worship, and it was clear they really didn't enforce that law on Skyrim. When you ask him why the Thalmor has a right to arrest Talos worshippers, he will say: "It's from that treaty that ended the Great War, remember, when the Emperor was forced by the Thalmor to outlaw Talos worship.  We didn't pay much attention to it when I was a boy - everyone still had their little shrine to Talos.  But then Ulfric and his "Sons of Skyrim" started agitating about it, and sure enough the Emperor had to crack down.". And now the Stormcloaks are saying, "We want to worship Talos" when it's their leader's fault that they can't. Now you know who to blame when you see Thalmor dragging people off in the middle of the night to be tortured at their embassy. This attitude towards Talos worship is similar to difference between the Empire and the Stormcloaks when it comes to how to deal with the Thalmor:

The Stormcloaks want war NOW. They don't want to wait any longer, they want to go for it immediately, and are open about it.

The Empire wants to bide its time and wait. A more subtle approach.

Which will ultimately be the best is open for debate, but the two opposing attitudes show in most of their dealings.