User blog comment:Spritydove/Deeper Thought into the Civil War/@comment-5135631-20120707164216/@comment-5135631-20120713012056

I hace reconsidered my opinions a little, the shout was not completley fair, and there wasn't a clear motivation for it. Although it is kill or be killed, I'd be kidding myself if I said Ulfric couldn't have killed him without Steel alone. It's kind of like t-bagging someone on an online game after you kill them. Still, I think he would make the best leader and still has the best claim to the throne.

The main reason I think Ulfric would be more use than Elisif is because he knows that in order to defeat the Thalmor, Skyrim must be able to direct itself. For such a religious nation, the banning of the main god (to them) will create dissent and is seen as a betrayal by almost everyone, including himself. Many Imperial Jarls side with the Empire because they think in the long term, joining Skyrim with the Empire will create unity and thus a better chance to defeat the Thalmor. Ulfric understands this won't work; to defeat the Thalmor, the human nations must play to their own strengths rather than confront the Thalmor as a big group. If Skyrim were to seceed, they would have the whole province free again and be able to focus on the Thalmor and forge an alliance with Hammerfell, and even the Empire eventually. The Imperials can't even properly plan fighting the Thalmor because the Thalmor oversee everything they do.

Skyrim being free will soon actually make them more unified than the Empire, as there are few Nords in Skyrim who don't hold Talos in some measure of reverence. Having Talos back will make all Nords eventually grow to like the Stormcloaks. In Cyrodill however, the citizens still resent having to bow to the Aldmeri, and the longer it takes Titus to conjure up a plan to defeat them, the higher the chances of facing dissent.

Obviously it would take a few years for Skyrim to heal after the civil war, but the Thalmor are not in shape to invade a province either, as the great war affected them badly in troop numbers too, especially considering Elves take longer to reproduce, a lot longer, so they wouldn't be able to overcommit in Skyrim, which they would probably be forced to do, considering the terrain and harsh weather.

I have not played through the Imperial civil war line, no. I know Tullius doesn't like the Thalmor any more than Ulfric does, and that he resents not being able to be free, whether he admits or not. I also understand that he is a symbol of oppression to the Nords, but unfortunately he doesn't take their feelings into account much. That's perhaps the main reason why I joined the Stormcloaks. As a Nord, I naturally assumed the Stormcloaks represented me more, when I first played the game, and I'm glad I proved to be right. Like it or not, the Imperials are now the invaders, and Western Skyrim only sided with them because of either "for the greater good" sentiment, love of coin/corruption, old loyalty, coercion or personal dislike of Ulfric. I also think that generally, though not in all cases, the Stormcloaks have better Jarls who care more, so that's another thing.

I found the dossier ambigious when I read it. The Thalmor tortured him, and he gave information as a result of torture. Anyone would. They let him go, correctly expecting him to cause trouble, but they were counting on the man's sense of honour.

About the dossier. In future games, I'm not too bothered who wins the rebellion. Obviously, I would love a Stormcloak win and hate an Imperial one, but as long as the war finishes quickly, it puts the Thalmor in a tougher position; an Imperial win restores Imperial morale, a Stormcloak win creates a new enemy.