Board Thread:Skyrim/@comment-12599067-20130928060857/@comment-24589685-20140227071819

I think the Forsworn are living in "barbaric" tribal communities out of *necessity*, likewise their reliance on banditry for survival and sustenance, rather than out of *choice*. And when we look at the "assimilated" Reachmen... well the word "assimilated" kind of hits the nail on the head, doesn't it? There's lots of serious cultural clashes going on here. The Forsworn worship the "Old Gods", Reachmen have a history of Daedra worship, they're involved in various shamanistic / animistic / pagan practices and rituals (Briarhearts, Hagravens, etc), they (partly due to being "Bretons" and Manmeri, partly due to lots of other things) have a much much more magic-oriented culture than Nords, etc. etc. etc. Assimilating into Nord culture (a culture that is OPENLY antagonistic towards many of their own cultural values... magic, daedra, etc) in order to have limited / partial access to Nord-controlled mines, land, farms (and generally under brutal authorities like the Silver-Bloods) doesn't seem like a very appealing prospect to me. ESPECIALLY considering what Last Dragonborn has witnessed firsthand in regards to how "civilized" Reachmen, like Ogmaud for example, are treated by the Nords when they try to get along peacably in Nord society.

Again, I don't think the Forsworn are "in the right". And I agree with you that there's all kinds of dodgy, aggressive, jingoistic, self-important, duplicitous motives amongst the Forsworn. I just don't agree that it's right to regard them as the ones "in the wrong", or as definitively "the aggressors", and I do believe their reasons and tactics are understandable (*understandable*, but not necessarily *justified*) given the situation they're in and the historical / cultural / social / religious context of it.

After all, when have the Nords EVER allowed cultural minorities to live happily as unsegregated minorities in their communities? Ever? They even treat Nords who aren't the "right kind" of Nords as second-class citizens! (Magic-Users, for instance).

But even if we don't agree, this has been a fun debate! Cheers. :)