Board Thread:Lore Discussion/@comment-26213507-20150715194939/@comment-26801133-20150823124105

Diinfothur wrote: If the emperor is a coward then why did Ulfric surrended himself at Darkwater Crossing? As far as I know, Ulfric thinks that the empire are cowards because they surrended to the dominion, so Ulfric is a coward...

I can almost see why he surrendered. Had he fought on, his death(and the death of his men) would be guaranteed and instant. Surrendering would not save him from his fate, but it could buy time for a potential rescue. At first, the plan was take Ulfric to Cyrodiil. It would have been a very long trip, and Stormcloak forces are everywhere in Skyrim, ready to ambush any Imperial prison escorts (except that plan obviously didn't work). Another reason I can think of is that Ulfric's death could have made a bigger impact if he was executed in another country rather than had he fallen in battle. Ulfric would have become a martyr and his death could have sparked further passion in the rebellion to fight on. Like Ralof mentioned, had they executed Ulfric without a fair trial, it would have showcased the injustice of the Empire.