The Great Imperial vs. Stormcloak Debate

[Laserpinhead]

Imperials, They aren't led by a racist bigot and only wish to preserve and protect their own people, the banning of the worship of Talos is very likely a temporary thing until the Legion can regain it's fighting strength and wage war against the Thalmor to regain lost honor and lands. The empire has never simply given up so easily. The empire is hardly a puppet state, if given the chance to recover they would stand a chance at detating the Thalmor, especially if the dragonborn (presumably off camera) decides to side with them; skyrim and the lands of Cyrodill united stand a better chance of defeating the Thalmor rather than just the lands of Skyrim on its own. To me, the empire represents order, prosperity and security for the people of Skyrim if given time to recover. In the end I'd think security wise and economically speaking the people of skyrim would be better off versus some barbarian racist rebels with poor governing skills.

[Thor.]

Meh i choose neither, joins thieves guid, Its the most profitable.

 

I steal from the Imperials and Stormcloaks.:devil:

Edited December 6, 2011 by Thor.

[marin77]

Here is my plan since I am not given to chance to be king for now I decided on following plan.

 

First I kill the stupid lizard who created the current mess

After that I go ally myself with the Empire, destroy Ulfrik and his hopes to be king.

Than go to bed which I have not done for days because of the note from the Brotherhood and join them

Since there is a mission to assassinate the Emperor I will take it kill him and so the Path for me to the throne will be clear with me controling the Brotherhood and hte Blades :)

 

Or I turn in permanent Werewolf and kill every NPC which can be killed (maybe both)

[Aurielius]

Though I felt a degree of initial empathy for the Stormcloaks have decided to favor the Empire. Ulaf's bargaining at the Peace Council is what swayed me against his faction. It will make becoming Thane and home ownership in Winterhold so much easier. Edited December 6, 2011 by Aurielius

[NerdyScholar]

Hm.. sorry if somebody already said that, and spoiler alert - did any one read the books in Thalmor embassy? there is one (in the ambassador's office, I think) that pretty much says outright that Ulfric is a Thalmor agent (well, not agent, but he is secretly allied with them and apparently they pay him for causing disturbance in the Empire). After that, it's kinda hard to side with Stormcloacks, even though some of them, like Ralof for example, are pretty cool guys.

[marharth]

Hm.. sorry if somebody already said that, and spoiler alert - did any one read the books in Thalmor embassy? there is one (in the ambassador's office, I think) that pretty much says outright that Ulfric is a Thalmor agent (well, not agent, but he is secretly allied with them and apparently they pay him for causing disturbance in the Empire). After that, it's kinda hard to side with Stormcloacks, even though some of them, like Ralof for example, are pretty cool guys.

What book is that?

[Lirio]

Hm.. sorry if somebody already said that, and spoiler alert - did any one read the books in Thalmor embassy? there is one (in the ambassador's office, I think) that pretty much says outright that Ulfric is a Thalmor agent (well, not agent, but he is secretly allied with them and apparently they pay him for causing disturbance in the Empire). After that, it's kinda hard to side with Stormcloacks, even though some of them, like Ralof for example, are pretty cool guys.

 

That books keeps coming up, and people keep saying it proves the Ulfric is working with the Thalmor, but that's the opposite of what it says. The book is the Thalmor Dossier on Ulfric Stormcloak, and it's potential spoiler for those who have not done Diplomatic Immunity.

 

What it actually says is that the Thalmor were actively manipulating the guy into doing his bidding until the Markarth Incident, at which point Ulfric realize he was being played and basically told the Thalmor to go screw themselves. It is explicit that he will not co-operate with the Thalmor, accept their aid in any form, or even deign to talk to them. He's not working with the Thalmor, he's trying to work against them. Unfortunately for him the Thalmor are clever and have manage to turn even his attempts to spit in their eye to their own advantage, but that's just how they operate. They are also playing the Empire to their own advantage as well. Think about it, if the Empire's response to the Stormcloak Rebellion had been to let the Nords figure it out themselves, then there would have been no war. The moot would have been called, a new High King elected, and that would have been that. By fighting, they are playing into the Thalmor hands as much as Ulfric is.

 

The most important part of the document is that it proves that the Thalmor do not want the Stormcloaks to win. What the Thalmor want is a long drawn out war with no conclusion.The want year after year of pointless bloodshed. It proves that there is no right side or wrong side for the player to pick. A quick end to the war spoils the Thalmor plans either way. It doesn't matter if it's the Stormcloaks or the Empire who win, just so long as someone does. The only real wrong choice is to not make a choice at all. So pick which ever side you like best and help them win, it's cool either way.

Edited December 10, 2011 by Lirio

[Deleted1738346User]

First of I will write by my analisys some spoilers so readers of have not finished some main quest lines about the dragons and the damn thalmor be warned

I have not deciced yet the side since the game leaves you with two sides that have good and bad points to prove:

 

The empire is the side I will never go with because for me it ended with tha last Septim. after that it became corrupted and the morrowind volcano inccident did not help, the morrowind inccicent is on some books and with the dark elfs talking about it on Windhelm and other areas. Then 30 years before the start of Skyrim the Great war came (read the awesome book of the Great War and do not lose it since is quiet hard to find) The thalmor are a race of nazi elfs who want to conquer tamriel for unknow reasons unless I find about it later on. The empire was weak affter some civil wars and the expensive coin it takes to maintain an army in every post of the provinces just like Rome in real life. The book of the great war has some good points about how stupid, weak and sob is the empire when it abanonded Hammerfell to its luck, it was not the red guards but the Empire who leave them, and gues what hammerfell prove it can beat the thalmor with the use of nature remeber the thalmor army could not defeat the arik' desert and it worked in favor for hammerfell, thus becoming an independent nation with people hating the empire. the south provinces where conquered by thalmour and the imperial city fell to them and reconquered by the empire with guess what help the legion of skyrim, nords quiet frankly by my interpretation of the book the great war where the saviors of the empire since the other legions where destroy, the nords proved to be the most strongest of all the legions and the thalmor knew it after one of those crushing defeats at their hands. After the end of the great war the empire and the thalmor were weak, more the empire, and a treaty came that make me dislike them even more the baning of talos that caused the civil war of skyrim, all in the name of a fake peace. the thalmor are controling part of the empire politcal status look at marakat and the embassy in solicitude is full corruption.

 

the stromcloaks are nords looking to rule free with no one telling them they should take out years of traditions towards a god. If they belive in a talos a man so be it but the empire has to follow the exact plans of the thalmor by banning talos and this is the result, I want to join them but ulfric is an idiot if the game gives me a choice to make the oath in the name of skyrim and not ulfric i do it because in my believe and creation of my nord character I want to fight for the freedom of skyrim before the empire backstabs behind and leave skyrim like it happened with hammerfell. a thalmor invasion to skyrim is complicated by that fact that nords know their land, are fearsome warriors proved by the legion of skyrim in the great war, skyrim is full of mountains exept one place that is a big open battlefield, other than that attaking form the south is almost impposible if not taking a close road and they can become a trap since most roads on the south are very streched, by sea is another problem if you believe in the lore that the sea of ghosts is the most treacherous sea of the north of tamriel, and the cities in the north have a great terrain defense like solicitude and windhelm with the exeption of winterfell. the other fact is the hate towards thalmor and the fact of dragons creating some problems and not forget of the dragonborn so it choices a side.

 

Is complicated to decide which one since the empire is full of it *** and ulfric is another full of it**** I cannot join the stromcloaks with an oath that obligates me to be loyal ot ulfric, he is not skyrim is the people and the land and since the game does not allow it yet I am still confused about it and the fact that some of the empire jarls are good people who need to be tunerd down in favor of ulfric, I can wait but sooner or later I must go with the stromcloaks since what the empire did to hammerfell is the complete and uterly blow that changed my mind along with the banining of talos that makes choose more the stromcloaks

 

anyway I keep reading and feel free to talk or correct anything since I have only read the lore once and is quiet interesting to keep reading it and to finish death to the Thalmor so*****

[reymyst]

This is my first post in the forums, and there's no better place to start than this thread, I feel.

 

I've completed the main quest. I've completed all the other faction quests. The only one I havent touched is the Stormcloaks vs Imperial questline.

 

I've always had the ideal that while the Stormcloaks ideals are the better, the Imperial should win. Maybe because I'm a big fan of the Braveheart film. One of the opening lines was "History is written by those who have hanged heroes", which I sorta feel is how this story should end.

 

I'll join the Imperials. Defeat the Stormcloaks. Face down Ulfric in honorable battle. *Moving battle ensues*. Ulfric eventually falls. Imperials are so moved by his courage and heart, that it grows a spine, and drives the Thalmor out. Ulfric dies, but his legacy prevails.

 

Hehe, a sob story. And I'm starting tonight =)

[handerseight2]

I'm about to join the Stormcloaks inspite of wanting no part of the war initially. It would seem the Thalmor are rightly despized (and have found myself liberating any suspected Talos worshipper - gladly dispatching the pompous Thalmour officers). Ulfric is an ass but that's not to say whomever succeeds him will also be. The role as Dragonborn appears to be geared to favour the Nords of Skyrim as their fabled hero, it just wouldn't do to surrender them to Imperial occupation and further the intentions of the Thalmor. After all the buggers tried to execute me while the Jarls were impartial allowing my action to prove my worth which only propelled me through to prosperity and to be honoured for my accomplishments throughout Skyrim.

 

The revered Dohvakiin of legend who mastered the Thu'um. Thane to Jarls in honour of my feats. I who walked the planes of Sovengarde among the heroes of old and secured the safety of the districts from giants, beasts and monsters. I who recovered lost enchanted treasures and rescued the abducted. Who is favoured by the Divines and Daedric princes, I who bay at the full moon with my brothers and slay zombies and warlocks and maurauders I who play a pivetal role in the outcome of this war WILL BLOW A FUS-RO-DAH OUT MY BACKSIDE BEFORE I BOW MY HEAD FOR A SECOND TIME TO THE FLAT LANDERS! >:( They wanna war? I eat vampires for breakfast.. literally.