LobselVith66

There is alsoa book called the BEar of Markath that talks about Ulfric war crimes. So it's easy to vilify a villian. You mean the propaganda book that makes claims that are explicitly contradicted by the people from Markarth - like the Reachman Cedran and the pro-Legion Jarl Igmund?

Because it's an easy way to vilify Ulfric and his goal of liberating Skyrim from an Empire that capitulated to the Dominion, despite it being a boldfaced lie?

The civil war doesn't continue if Ulfric wins, and his victory is an outcome the Thalmor don't want. Unlike the Empire, Ulfric isn't interested in capitulating to the demands of the Dominion.

Hardly irrelevant when you're addressing Karliah. I'm glad you added your input. Given the revelations in "Dragonborn", I don't think Karliah would be an heir. Morrowind seems to be independent of the Empire now, with Hlaalu losing it's status as a Great House due to their past ties to the Empire.

Considering that an independent Skyrim is an outcome the Thalmor don't want, I don't see how he's a puppet. The Empire capitulated to the Thalmor and have given them reign throughout the Empire; Ulfric opposes them. I'm not seeing how Ulfric is the puppet here.

Ulfric wants to be High King, while the Empire wants to rule over Skyrim. I'm not seeing how Ulfric is somehow malevolent for wanting to be High King, especially when he wants to restore Skyrim and take the fight to the Thalmor. I don't see how the Empire is benevolent for wanting the same thing as Ulfric: control over the throne of High King. Also, the dossier makes it clear Ulfric isn't working for the Thalmor, and they don't want the Stormcloaks to win the civil war. His hatred for Elewen, the woman who tortured him, is evident enough.

Spoken dialogue isn't comparable to population size; you're comparing what's explicitly said by characters with game mechanics, and asking me to ignore the dialogue when it contradicts your argument. We have two Nords harassing a Dunmer because the Dunmer aren't joining the Stormcloaks, we have Ulfric trying to establish an alliance with High Rock, and we even hear the proprietor in Falkreath talk about the Stormcloaks are why he's tolerant towards non-Nords. Ulfric isn't whipping Skyrim into an anti-elf frenzy; that's utterly disingenuous. He's focused on stopping the Thalmor, rather than capitulating to them. And he deposed the Reachmen for the Empire, in exchange for freedom to worship Talos in Markarth, and he was betrayed. Given that he wasn't even ruling Markarth (as Igmund's father helped capture him for the Empire when the Thalmor found out) I don't think his views on Talos are disingenuous. We also have the Forsworn in Cidna Mine talking about the abuses of the Jarl (although they don't specify if this was Igmund or his father), but they don't mention Ulfric. Also, everyone isn't racist on Nirn. Racism exists; that doesn't mean everyone is racist. That's not even close to any degree of accuracy about the setting. As for Tullis, he's flawed, like Ulfric, but he also confides that he's come to respect the Nords.

It's hard on Adrianne because she made weapons for the Legion, and her father is the stewart of the Jarl who allied with the Legion; of course, she never addresses this as the reason why the Stormcloaks don't buy her weapons or armor. I wouldn't call the Stormcloaks racist over that. And with the Thalmor having free reign over Skyrim because of the WGC, I'm not seeing an Imperial victory as the better of the two options.

Incorrect. Ulfric challenged Torygg to a duel as per Nordic tradition, which the High King accepted (because turning it down would have risked a Moot being called), and then Ulfric defeated him. That isn't murder. And while Torygg may have sided with Ulfric, we don't know for certain that he would have; either way, Ulfric isn't telepathic.

At the same time, we are told that Ulfric is more concerned with his own conflict, and the views and traditions of his Nordic followers, than with his non-Nord citizens. The man who takes over as Jarl (can't remember his name) notes that Ulfric knowingly ignored the poverty and concerns of the Dunmer in the Grey Quarter. Again, actions speak louder than words, and Ulfric, despite not being responsible for their lodging int he first place, did nothing to help the Dunmer in his own city. As for Ulfric's acceptance... There is a point where leeway must be made for the sake of gameplay. Based on everything else we know about Ulfric and the Stormcloaks, it is highly unlikely that, in universe, a non-Nord Dovahkiin was accepted so readily. You're told by Brunwulf, the person who criticized how Ulfric ran his Hold, and then proceeded to run it the same way, except with him at the helm of an Imperial controlled Hold. Brunwulf doesn't allocate funds to the Gray Quarter because there are more urgent concerns, and he keeps out the Argonians because it's dangerous for them inside the city - like Ulfric. And your last point makes no sense when two belligerent Nords accost a Dunmer because the Dunmer aren't joining the Stormcloaks, a Thalmor agent masquerades as a Stormcloak officer (as though no one will take note of a non-Nord being a Stormcloak), and Galmar explicitly takes note of a non-Nord wanting to become a Stormcloak while Ulfric doesn't care about race.

The Dunmer have been living in the Gray Quarter since before Ulfric was even born, after the eruption of Red Mountain, and even the Legion controlled Windhelm keeps Argonians out due to the hostilities with the Dunmer and Nords. And I think it's ridiculous to blame Ulfric for the views of other people, especially ones that have been held across generations. The willingness of the Stormcloaks to accept non-Nords, and Ulfric's own acceptance of a non-Nord protagonist, speak loud enough for his views.

According to Igmund, it was him and Ulfric alone. The legion only agrees to Ulfric's conditions after Markarth is taken, because violence is escalating within the city and they need to take over. Steward Rearek confirms Ulfric's precarious attitude towards Markarth during the Stormcloak questline. There's no indication anywhere that the emperor or the High King made any promisses to Ulfric. It wasn't him and Ulfric alone, as Cedran and Igmund explicitly state when they address the matter of the Markarth Incident; in fact, it was Igmund's father who handed Ulfric over to the Empire, as Cedran points out when he explains the inception of Ulfric's rebellion. "It's the whole reason Ulfric revolted against the Empire. Well, the first reason anyway. Forsworn had taken over Markarth, and Ulfric and his men drove them out. Empire promised they'd be free to worship Talos afterwords. Pity no one told the Elves. Whole group of those Thalmor came and they demanded Ulfric's arrest." Igmund justified the betrayal in the name of peace with the Thalmor because of the WGC, but he never denies that Ulfric and the others were betrayed by the Empire. Ulfric and the other Nords were offered the freedom to worship Talos in exchange for reclaiming the Reach, and it was Igmund's father who handed them over. "That would be Jarl Igmund. Young for a ruler of a Hold, especially the Reach. Wasn't surprising he stayed loyal to the Empire. His father helped capture Ulfric Stormcloak after the Markarth incident."

Considering that the protagonist never hears Ulfric say anything explicitly racist, and only Galmar even brings up the race of the Dragonborn if the main character joins the Stormcloaks (a rebellion that is clearly open for non-Nords), I'm not certain why some people take the opinions of his naysayers as indisputable fact.

Interesting backstory for your character. Considering that Morrowind seems to be independent now (with House Hlaalu losing all it's power because of it's political ties to the Empire) I've made the same decision with my Telvanni mage (to help the Stormcloaks), although for different reasons than your protagonist. Perhaps Ulfric can reach out to High Rock and House Redoran to deal with the Thalmor, since the former might change their response with an independent Skyrim offering the alliance, and I'm certain some Orcs who served in the Legion during the Great War might be willing to bear arms against the Thalmor, given how there are Orc strongholds throughout the region. Considering that some Legion troops talk about a possible invasion of Morrowind (by the troops stationed in Riften) if you help the Empire, it seems like the right decision (to me). With the Thalmor posing a threat to virtually everyone with their intention on unmaking Mundus, it's not too difficult to see why anyone would want to oppose them directly - Orc or otherwise.

There's no actual evidence that Ulfric is racist. He even tries to forge an alliance with High Rock; in fact, he's fairly diplomatic about the fact that they refused his offer of an alliance. In fact, if a non-Nord Stormcloak becomes a Stormcloak, it's Galmar who brings up the issue of race, not Ulfric, and it's Galmar who is the one who explicitly says things that can be seen as racist (like Skyrim being "man's land" and all that, and denigrating the race of the people of High Rock). And it was the betrayal at Markarth that spured on Ulfric, since the Empire and Igmund's father offered Ulfric and the Nord militia the freedom to worship Talos in exchange for reclaiming the Reach, as we know from the pro-Legion Jarl Igmund (in contradiction to the "Bear of Markarth"). True, he wants to be High King, but I don't see how that makes Ulfric a bad guy. And his focus is on defeating the Thalmor, which is why he needed Skyrim to secede from the Empire (which is another argument altogether). As for your point about the meeting, Tullius also wants territory as well. That said, I don't think Tullius is a bad guy, either. Both leaders are doing what they think is right.