User blog comment:MonkeydashUnderscore/Imperials Or Stormcloaks?/@comment-166.82.245.89-20120509022154/@comment-166.82.245.89-20120512010739

I'm not saying rejecting the duel wasn't an option, but from the "True Nords" point of view, it would have been seen as extremely cowardly, and while I'm sure the Empire had a hand in it, it was still up to the Moot who would be High King, and perhaps some didn't really care who was and simply voted for the Jarl of Solitude, since 90% of the time apparently someone in charge of there was High King.

When it comes to accepting the duel, I view it as either Toryyg still believed in the "True Nord" way and accepted it honorably, or knew that his reputation would severely diminish his reputation and knew it wouldn't be as easy as, like I said, "I reject your duel Sir Ulfric Stormcloak, no I bid thee good day!" As far as I'm concerned, it could be either or. If what you said was true, then there would be no point in risking his life, if you were in his shoes I doubt you would have done the same if you would have the Empire once and for all. But IMO the whole duel was unnecessary, and Ulfric could have at least tried to talk to Toryyg and asked him to leave the Empire, and it seems there was a good chance he would do just that, but the fact that he decided to kill him cemented in my mind the image that he's nothing more than a power hungry, prejudiced, short-sighted warlord, Tullius on the other hand, while he may not be the most respectful toward Nord beliefs at the beginning, he eventually concedes that although he does not understand them, he has come to respect them, and goes so far as to stay in Skyrim, on top of the fact that he hand picks Grunwald of all people, cemented in my mind that he's a much better and more competent leader than Ulfric.

Now I never said that you joined the Stormcloaks for religious freedom, I just meant if a person joined for that reason, no, they just want to worship that one god, the most popular and most celebrated, yes, but overall he's not the most important. I defiantly get where you're coming from about the Empire being weak and corrupted, but from where I stand the Stormcloaks are just a bad an option, for one they fought each other to get independence, so they're significantly weaker than if they have support from other places, for another they severed ties with the Empire killed a bunch of their men and killed one of their generals, so the Empire too is severely, weakened, add to that the Empire was the one bringing in supplies, so Skyrim's that much weaker (maybe not much, but every little bit helps). So IMO even if the quite possible second Aldmeri Dominion war lasts long enough that the Empire and the Stormcloaks realize they have to work together, both sides are already weakened significantly from such a long and bloody civil war that both sides may suffer from much higher casualties than if they are were united in the first place. As for the Forsworn problem, its probably just insignificant enough that either side can for the better part mostly ignore it, until they take over a mine or something, but the Forsworn are probably too dug in in places like mines and caves, etc. etc. That spending resources and manpower to eradicate them would be more costly than the potential gain, that's where you (the Dragonborn!) come in, your just one man, you can eradicate a whole colony of them, and they don't have to spend time and resources to do it, of course for gameplay reasons, the problem never goes a way, but I like to think that.

As for the Elven discrimination, like I said its a very complicated issue, and if real life is any indicator, even a century isn't enough time for both sides to make nice, remember, this is a race the Nords have been fighting for thousands of years, such kind of wounds aren't healed so quickly, and as that one Dunmer woman said, its not their fight. Look at it like this, lets say your a Dunmer, living in then Gray Quarter, and Nords, who have been harassing you and your family, friends, and other Dunmer all your life, and then a group of Nords declare war on the Empire for such and such reasons, I don't know about you, but I wouldn't exactly be running up to join, on the UESP, it says you'll even see Dunmer on their way to Solitude to join the Legion, if I was a Dunmer, that's what I would do. If you know anything about Tamriel's geography, you'll know Windhelm and Riften are pretty close to Morrowind's borders, the you can see the same thing in Bravil, Cheydinhal, Leyawiin, and Bruma, these cities close to the other countries borders tend to have a higher population if that countries race (Bravil has a lot of Argonians, Bruma has a high concentration of Nords, and so on), and it was Toryyg who let the refugees into Skyrim, not the local Nords, and as I said before, the majority of the Elves can't just pack up and leave, at least the poorer ones, but then, they're all either poor or pretty well off, and I don't think the well off would find a lot of reason to leave.

I'm sorry, but what were you talking about in the last part? I get the Dominion won't invade directly, but then, are Nords good at Cold War style stuff? If not, then they are at a severe disadvantage, and I don't think the Empire would try to take Skyrim again, as I said, they lost a bunch of men and one of their Generals.

I'm sorry, but you lost me when you started rambling about armour, could you clarify?