Board Thread:Skyrim/@comment-11344160-20160205154012/@comment-26103034-20160822214550

The point about Hammerfell holding off the Dominion isn't the same. Hammerfell had peacefully left the Empire and still had nearly all of its soldiers still alive and in support. All trained veterans, most ex-Imperial soldiers. The newly-victorious Stormcloaks, however, have far less than half of Skyrim's original army, assuming the soldiers split pretty much 50-50 and then they lost many/most in the battles, and a fair amount of them are just farmers with an axe. The army has no order, either. They have Generals with unspecific roles and a system made of heroic names, but few actual positions. * Now, the Nazi/Jew comparison was a good point. However, before Ulfric's firestarting, the Thalmor didn't give a raccoon's genetically modified ass about Skyrim. Talos shrines everywhere, despite the twenty of Talos being outlawed, half the Imerial Legion worshipping Talos and their superiors either joining in or going mysteriously deaf. * Ulfric is, in my occasionally humble opinion, often an absolute - ... um, bad person. So are most of the other Stormcloaks with character. Racism: He does nothing - and neither do his guards, or anyone - about the constant abuse of the Dunmer in the city. The intimidation, threats, drunken insults, etc. He ignores the bandits who prey on non-Nords and non-Men and refers to the Snow Quarter as the Grey Quarter, effectively a racial slur. On the topic of High Rock not joining the war, Galmar announces "Those milk-drinkers? Might as well be elves. Think they're better than us.", which raises no question from Ulfric, despite the call of being an Elf being bad, and all elves think they're better than them. While he allows the Dunmer refuge, he bans Argonians and the Khajiit from the cities, forcing the Argonians into the Argonian Assembalage. Not the Homeless Shelter, or anything like that. Traditions: He claims to respect traditions and the Nordic way, yet when there's a chance this is not good for him, shouts to "Damn the Jarls!" and "Damn the Moot!" The only reason he wants a Moot is so that people respect his position. If not, he would be willing to scrap the Moot entirely and prance off. I suppose he has some good speeches, and the line, "Legends don't burn down villages," gave me some respect, but being occasionally badass doesn't make you right. * Skyrim is not used to leading itself. It may be able to, but with a fair bit of the population dead, bandits at an all-time high, a few dragons still flying around and its High King being an ex-Soldier who has spent most of his life in prison. I would assume most of the intelligent and educated of Skyrim are with the Empire, having been taught by better schools in Cyrodiil. This makes getting their affairs in order harder. Trade with Morrowind will be pointless; there's so little there and the Dunmer-Nord relations aren't the best. Trade with Cyrodiil and High Rock will be practically impossible. Trade with Hammerfell will be likely, but Hammerfell is barren, for the most part, and has little to trade. Black Marsh is too far away and has too much disease. The Dominion is really likely, all trade will be with them too far away. Possibly some other problems. * "A united Empire is better for everybody,"  I firmly believe that if Skyrim left, the Dominion would continue to squeeze the Empire harder and harder, all while bolstering their ranks. The Empire would have no chance, weak as it is, but to agree, to pay the Thalmor in soldiers, supplies and shinies. The Empire would have no opportunity to resist as thousands, millions, (the info on the Empire size is sketchy at best) starved and arrested, tortured and killed. High Rock would likely leave, peacefully now, since the Empire is struggling to pay the Thalmor. The Empire would be unable to resist the Thalmor entering the land and preparing for battle against Skyrim and/or Hammerfell, with many of their soldiers amonst them. Skyrim may well make an Alliance with Hammerfell, possibly even High Rock. After the above happens, they may even defeat the Thalmor, eventually. Who knows, there may be rebellion in a Dominion province, or Morrowind or Black Marsh may join them. Unlikely, since Morrowind will likely be sour towards Ulfric, and is too weak to help anyway. Black Marsh may, but I doubt it. In the unlikely event that the Thalmor lose, or a stalemate is reached, what then? The Thalmor are stalled again, and Tamriel has once again been ravaged by war. These new countries, just getting on their feet, are shaken to the core and the Thalmor likely hold much of Cyrodiil. The catastrophic loss of life in both the years of Thalmor reign and the war is the price to be paid, it seems. More likely is that the Thalmor win, and then fall apart from the size of their Empire, with even more loss of life and many years of subjugation. But it's OK, because "at least he's got a spine". :P