Ulfric Stormcloak (Skyrim)

"I fight for the men I've held in my arms, dying on foreign soil! I fight for their wives and children, whose names I heard whispered in their last breath...I fight so that all the fighting I've already done hasn't been for nothing! I fight... because I must."

- Ulfric Stormcloak

Ulfric Stormcloak is the Jarl of Windhelm during the events of. He is the leader of the Stormcloak rebellion, which believes that Skyrim should free itself from the Empire. Some believed Ulfric a hero, while others labeled him an opportunist.

He is first seen bound and gagged accompanied by the Dragonborn, traveling to Helgen, for their execution.

Early Life
As a boy, Ulfric was chosen by the Greybeards to study with them at High Hrothgar. He trained with them for almost ten years and developed his skills in the Way of the Voice. He was to become a Greybeard himself, but his life took a different path when The Great War began. Ulfric felt compelled to help the war effort and left High Hrothgar to join the Imperial Legion, much to the disdain of Arngeir, who believed that the Way of the Voice should only be used for the worship of Kynareth.

The Great War
During the Great War, Ulfric was captured as a prisoner of war by the Dominion and tortured by Elenwen for information. While still imprisoned, the Dominion falsely led him to believe that the information they extracted from him was used in the sack of the White Gold Tower in Cyrodiil. Ulfric was then allowed to escape the Dominion prison, and he returned to Skyrim. He was also a distinguished war hero during the battle for the Imperial City, but the details of this were never mentioned.

Jarl of Windhelm
His father, the Jarl of Windhelm, known simply as "The Bear of Eastmarch", died during his incarceration with the Thalmor. Ulfric, his only son, was forced to deliver his eulogy via a letter that he had smuggled out of prison. Leaving prison, Ulfric returned to Windhelm to find the city in mourning. The citizens were said to have been calling out for justice and war against the Aldmeri Dominion. Naturally, they sat Ulfric on the throne and he became Jarl.

The Markarth Incident
In 4E 176, The Great War ended with the Empire signing the White-Gold Concordat, an act which banned the worship of Talos. During the war the Nords lost possession of the Reach to a Breton uprising.

Igmund, son of the previous Jarl, took it upon himself to seek help from Ulfric in ousting the Reachmen invaders. He promised Ulfric that if he re-took the Reach, then Igmund as Jarl would allow free worship of Talos. Ulfric agreed and marched his militia to the gates of Markarth and retook the city, supposedly using the power of his Thu'um.

The leader of the Reachmen, Madanach, was captured by Igmund but was spared by Thonar Silver-Blood, as he was more valuable as alive than dead. The surviving Reachmen fled to the hills of the Reach and became known as the Forsworn. As a result of the battle, later known as The Markarth Incident, Ulfric stationed a Nordic militia in the area to aid in keeping the Forsworn that had retreated from retaking Markarth. Igmund kept his promise to Ulfric and allowed free worship of Talos.

When the Imperial Legion arrived to restore the rule of law, Ulfric refused them entry into the city until they also agreed free worship of Talos would be allowed. With chaos supposedly running through the streets of Markarth and the reports of deaths rising every day, the Empire had no choice but to grant Ulfric and his men their worship, thus jeopardizing the peace agreement with the Aldmeri Dominion.

Eventually, The Empire rescinded upon the agreement due to pressure from the Aldmeri Dominion, and Ulfric and his militia were expelled from the city. This betrayal left Ulfric bitter towards the Empire and is considered to be the initial conception of the Stormcloak rebellion.

High King Torygg
In 4E 201, after years of brewing resentment for what he and his followers considered the Empire's betrayal of Skyrim, Ulfric challenged High King Torygg to a duel. Ulfric maintains it was to show how weak Skyrim had become under Imperial rule. He also claims that it was a formal duel in the "Old Nord Way" and that Torygg accepted the challenge. Others in Skyrim, such as General Tullius, denounced the act as murder and an attempt to usurp the throne.

After Torygg's death, Ulfric fled to Windhelm. Some time after this event, the Imperial Legion managed to lure Ulfric into a trap in order to capture him. The trap worked and Ulfric surrendered himself without a fight. General Tullius ordered Ulfric to be sent to Cyrodil to face trial, but there was a change of plan and instead it was decreed that Ulfric be publicly executed in Helgen.

Policies and beliefs
Much of Stormcloak doctrine stems from Ulfric's views that Skyrim should secede from what he considers a crumbling Empire that already is defeated by the Thalmor. After witnessing the untold number of Nords who sacrificed themselves during The Great War, Ulfric considered the White-Gold Concordat treaty between the Empire and the Aldmeri Dominion to be a complete betrayal of the Empire's citizens.

Ulfric also seeks to become the next High King, as he believes there hasn't been a "true" high king in Skyrim for generations, and that previous kings were puppets that were hand-picked by the Emperor.

With several of his policies being nationalistic in tone, many non-Nord and some Nords consider Ulfric to be prejudicial. He sequestered the Dunmer population in Windhelm in the slums of the Gray Quarter and the Argonians to the assemblage off the docks. Pleas from Dunmer citizens often fall on deaf ears leading them to believe he has nothing but disdain for them. Some even claim Ulfric refuses to send aid to the Khajiit caravans and non-Nord towns that have been raided by bandits.

Ulfric admits to having fallen from the Greybeards strict teachings about using the Way of the Voice for anything other than the worship of Kynareth, however he still believes that his Thu'um should not be used lightly and rarely uses his training.

Execution at Helgen
"Ulfric Stormcloak. Some here in Helgen call you a hero. But a hero doesn't use a power like the Voice to murder his king and usurp his throne. You started this war, plunged Skyrim into chaos, and now the Empire is going to put you down, and restore the peace."

- General Tullius

At Helgen, Ulfric is among the prisoners awaiting execution along with the Dragonborn. He can be identified easily by the cloth he is gagged with, preventing him from using the Thu'um. He was scheduled to be executed when a dragon attacks the town. Ulfric escapes his execution and survives the dragon attack with the help of his men, and returns to Windhelm to resume his office of Jarl. When the Dragonborn meets him again they discover that he and his Stormcloaks plot to usurp the throne, opposed by the Imperial Legion.

Stormcloak rebellion
If choosing to aid Ulfric in the Stormcloak resistance, the Dragonborn is sent to Korvanjund to retrieve the Jagged Crown. Ulfric believes the relic will secure his claim to the throne. Retrieving it, he sends the Dragonborn to Whiterun to deliver an axe, a symbol of challenge, to Balgruuf the Greater. Balgruuf sends the weapon back to Ulfric, and Ulfric sends the Dragonborn to help his Stormcloaks assault Whiterun, stationing Vignar Gray-Mane as the Jarl there. To expand his plot for becoming High King, Ulfric sends the Dragonborn to Solitude to question Jarl Elisif the Fair of her allegiance to him or to the Empire.

Thane of Eastmarch
Upon completing a personal task for Jarl Ulfric Stormcloak, the Dragonborn is offered a place in his court as Thane of Eastmarch. But a Thane needs to be known by the Jarl's subjects and therefore the Dragonborn must complete a series of tasks for the people of Eastmarch. To become Thane, the Dragonborn must purchase Hjerim, a previously condemned estate in Windhelm and have completed the Blood on the Ice quest.

Fate
Ulfric can be killed during the Civil War if the Dragonborn chooses to side with the Empire. After the Battle for Windhelm, the Dragonborn storms his throne room, and he requests that the Dragonborn will kill him, as "it will make for a better song". Upon death, he can be encountered in Sovngarde as a specter, interestingly regretting his belligerent actions against the Empire due to how it only weakend Skyrim and strengthened the Thalmor.

Or, Ulfric can become the unofficial High King of Skyrim after the Battle for Solitude if the Dragonborn chooses to side with the Stormcloaks during the Civil War. Ulfric will help in the Battle for Solitude. After the battle of Solitude, Ulfric can be found at both Windhelm and Solitude, as a clear sign that he combined his status as High King of Skyrim and Jarl of Windhelm.

Equipment
It is possible after completing the Legion questline to obtain Ulfric's apparel after his death. His apparel is comprised of Ulfric's Clothes, Ulfric's Boots and Ulfric's Bracers.

Quests

 * Joining the Stormcloaks
 * The Jagged Crown
 * Battle for Whiterun

Trivia

 * Ulfric Stormcloak is voiced by Vladimir Kulich.
 * Ulfric's leveled stat growth is identical to that of the Housecarl Followers.

Bugs

 * Ulfric's corpse does not disappear after death. The same issue occurs with Galmar Stone-Fist.