Board Thread:Lore Discussion/@comment-76.97.80.106-20130811163656/@comment-25343239-20140824131324

Smoking.Chimp wrote: WC-83 wrote: Minus the Republic thing (HAH! You think something like that can be made in a Medieval Fantasy? Oh Anon, you make my sides hurt) that isn't a bad idea (also excluding the "killing Ulfric by stabbing him in the back" idea, other than that, only moral decision). And it really can work either way, though supporting the Empire would keep the infrastructure of the Empire intact and far less rebuilding than if the Stormcloaks ran through Tamriel and conquered everything (Skyrim doesn't exactly have the manpower it thinks it does, they're elite fighters not a horde the size of the province). I'm not so sure. Oblivion pulled off a Medieval senate quite nicely, if I recall - and Skyrim is already a democracy given the moot. Correct me if I'm wrong but, historically, the most significant difference between a republic (Roman) and a democracy (Greek) was that a republic had universal suffrage (e.g. the Plebeian vote or Plebiscite) and a democracy didn't. If I recall, it is but a short step from a democracy to a republic but it is ultimately up to the "gods" to choose iron or silver.

Also, the White-Gold concordat would, by definition, be illegal under any form of republican government owing to its fundamental violation of the Plebiscite. Moreover, much of the Thalmor are thinly scattered as squads enforcing the White-Gold concordat. Simply shifting the machinery of government from democracy to republic would put a legitimate target on every Thalmor back in Skyrim and let the hot air out of Ulfric - without having to embarrass Ulfric into proving his doubtful loyalty to the Nords. The Empire, on the other hand, would find itself in a precarious balance between those who wish to follow Skyrim's change of system (having seen that it can be done) and the Thalmor who seek the double-standards of "privilege". The Thalmor could leave their enforcers deployed throughout the rest of Tamriel and risk losing them as they did in Skyrim. The Thalmor could also withdraw their enforcers and regroup - but doing so would only serve to facilitate the swing from Empire to Republic. Either way, they lose in the end because even their own Plebeians will hear of Skyrim's shiny new republic and, while those Altmer Plebeians may not overthrow the Aldmeri Dominion, they will no longer give it the full support they once did and the Dominion will weaken.

I signed up because of this most excellent post right here.

People forget, this isn't exactly a high-midevil fantasy like LOTR or GOT, this one also borrows quite a bit from antiquity and I'm not talking Christian Rome or Byzantium.

I had been thinking that the Dragonborn would rule as high-king in Skyrim, devestate the Dominion using his ability to rule Dragons, and then take the empire as Emperor and savior. Following that, the Dragonborn would reform the political system.

However, Smoking Chimp, you raise a good point. Why not become high king in skyrim and just introduce the reforms right then and there? Make it your little test marker, encourage republican revolution and interfere to support any rebel group that seeks to defeat Tyranny.

That would make for a more interesting story.

In any case, a republic in the Roman style makes perfect sense in the Elder Scrolls world - it's the getting there that would be tough. A republican political system combined with a public education system is the only way to ensure a lasting peace and it's the only way to ensure the needs of the people will be well articulated and heard.