Board Thread:Lore Discussion/@comment-24137988-20140425080241/@comment-16047389-20140610181416

The Empire as you know it is crumbling. It was founded by Tiber Septim, and carefully led by his lineage (or close enough to it anyway). And now, Talos himself questions the purpose of it. When the Nerevarine meets Wulf in Morrowind, he tells of how the Empire is getting old and how it is time for a change. It is only later that it is discovered that it was in fact an aspect of Tiber Septim himself.

I believe that not only did Martin Septim's sacrifice mean the end of the Septim Empire as a necessity, but that the end of the Septim Dynasty symbolically signalled the end of the Empire as a necessity. The current Empire has seen the loss of control of control over Summerset Isles, Valenwood, Elsweyr, and Hammerfell. Skyrim is in a Civil War in an attempt to secede. Morrowind is still recovering from the eruption of Red Mountain. Orsinium still hasn't been accepted as a province yet. Cyrodiil is still recovering from the Great War. The only provices that haven't either left, tried to leave, or suffered yet are High Rock and Black Marsh, although Black Marsh did just invade Morrowind.

Whether or not you think the Empire is weak, Tamriel is breaking apart, and the Empire isn't doing very well at holding it together anymore.