LE Balgruuf for High King!

[orkdom]

Just an idea a friend and I were talking about. We both have too much work/school to do anything so extensive and involved ourselves, however, so I'm throwing it up here in case anyone anywhere has the time/desire to pick it up and run with it.

 

Balgruuf and Whiterun are obviously central to the story arc of Skyrim, and it seems fair to me to say that he's got a certain claim of his own (and an implicit desire as well, I believe) for the rulership of Skyrim. His army is purportedly large, well-trained, well-organized. Whiterun is one of the largest, richest cities, and one of the best fortified. Balgruuf obviously doesn't care much for Ulfric's claims, but he doesn't seem too completely interested in the Empire either.

 

As the Dragonborn, your first major steps all take place in Whiterun's Hold. You get to know the characters there, it's there that you discover your powers, Balgruuf even makes you a Thane of the city. Doesn't it just make sense that you might come to like him? Might want to defend him, and whatever claims he might make? It seems sort of absurd that you are forced to just toss him out if you choose to side against the Empire/Thalmor in the War. He gives you a home, a title, makes you a part of his court, and then you just turn around and beat him out of his own home? This just doesn't make any sense to me.

 

There should be a third way. A middle ground, of sorts (and literally, given Whiterun's placement). Balgruuf obviously seems to have some plans of his own, that don't involve being used by either the Empire or the Stormcloaks, but he's cautious, because he knows he's stuck in the middle, and he doesn't want to put himself in a position he can't long defend. But what about you?

 

You're f***ing Dragonborn. And you're also his Thane. This is kind of a big deal, yes? I thought so. What about a scenario where Balgruuf and his advisors begin, slowly, to confide in you, as you gain their trust by your dragon-hunting actions within the Hold: Proventus Avenicci, stuck between loyalties to the Empire and to his Jarl (Which way does he go? Which way does his daughter go after him?); Hrongar, Balgruuf's brother, could be Balgruuf's very own Galmar Stone-Fist. You could begin to see a hidden layer of intrigue and duplicity within the Whiterun court, secret contingency plans for establishing Whiterun's own supremacy in the War, troop movements and politicking behind the scenes so as to keep out of sight of both the Stormcloaks and the Imperials until the right time arrives to reveal themselves.

 

And the arrival of the Dragonborn as a Thane of Whiterun could be just the moment they were looking for. Something to not only add to their might on the field, but also to really sway the hearts of the Nordic peoples.

 

This is just a rough sketch of things, obviously. I don't really have the knowledge of mod-making for Skyrim that would be required for such an extensive undertaking; but I could hash out plotlines, development ideas, whatever, pretty quickly. Just throwing this out there in case there's someone somewhere with both the abilities and the time to actually make this work! I think it would be quite fantastic.

 

Thanks

Edited March 16, 2012 by orkdom