Board Thread:Skyrim/@comment-11344160-20140211191109

I'm curious what other people think.

The Empire outlawed worship of Talos, the founder of its greatest dynasty. Do the Nords have a right to rebel based on this fact given that the Empire, though currently based in Cyrodil, was born in Skyrim and forged by Talos himself?

Do you think the Nords of Skyrim would have chosen to save themselves and abandon their divine hero? No, they would have fought to the death to preserve their beliefs. So now, instead of just one (elven) enemy they have to fight their brothers as well; at least, that's the way the Nords see it. That's the fundamental difference - the Nords would have willingly charged into certain doom against the Dominion in the name of Talos, seeing the Empire as cowardly for 'surrendering' their beliefs and surviving to fight another day. Better to die standing up for what you believe in than to live as a traitor to the core of your beliefs.

Which is all fine and very glorious sounding, but not very pragmatic. The Empire chose to survive instead.

It's just the way that the Empire did it was a little greasy. They sent word to Skyrim that the White-Gold Concordat had been signed, along with chests of gold to placate the jarls. Then they agreed to allow the Thalmor entrance into their borders and abscond with suspected Talos-worshipers. At what cost did the Empire's survival come?

Ulfric Stormcloak and his questionable politics aside, should Skyrim belong to the Nords? Do they have a right to segregate themselves from the Empire they themselves forged? Is the Aldmeri Dominion truly so fearsome that none of it matters?

Just how important is Talos? 