Stormcloak Or Imperial, Which side are you on? Options

[King Of Beasts]

Welcome! Which side are you on? Are you a strong, patriotic Stormcloak? Or are you a loyal, sophisticated Imperial? What about a powerful Thalmor Mage? Do you believe Ulfric Stormcloak truly cares about the good people of Skyrim, and agree that the Empire has turned it's back on Skyrim and Talos, or do you believe that the Stormcloaks are just a bunch of rebels, under a false leader who cares about nobody but himself? Perhaps you're a Thalmor agent who's just going to sit back and enjoy the show?

Please no arguing, insulting, flaming, etc, etc. Debates are welcome as long as they don't get out of hand. In this thread you can pick what side you chose and explain why.

Thank You,
-KoB

I chose the Stormcloaks. Honestly, the empire turned their backs on all of Tamriel, and abandoning Talos made everything worse. I think Titus Mede is a complete coward. I don't think Uriel Septim would have surrendered to the Thalmor even if he was at the wrong end of a Thalmor blade. He'd want the empire to keep fighting.

Truthfully, I think Ulfric Stormcloak is a racist, self centered [censored], but he does have a good cause.

This post has been edited by King Of Beasts: Jan 12 2013, 03:56 AM

[jack cloudy]

Hmm, I have a hard time making myself join the Stormcloaks. I just can't, even with a character who is best described as an amoral murderhappy honoured user. I had to go full force into evil territory with a Thalmor spy before I could and it still leaves me uncomfortable.

The way I see it, the civil war is nothing but good for the Thalmor. Ulfric ruins the Empire's ability to recover from the last war and prepare for the next. If Ulfric wins, the empire will have to commit even more manpower and resources to stopping him because I don't see the man stopping at just one province. If that dragon hadn't showed up at the beginning of the game, either Skyrim would have gone up in flames with martyr Ulfric, or Tullius would have taken control and restored the peace. Either way, the empire would not have to worry about the northern unrest anymore. (Hence the insertion of a Thalmor. In case they couldn't convince Tullius to give up Ulfric, who would then conveniently escape and renew the war, the spy would save him and infiltrate his court.)



But that is mere pragmatism I suppose. The real issues I have with the Stormcloaks start with the cart-ride. Ralof really comes across as too much of a brainwashed fanatic for me to like him and it only gets worse from there. I don't want Ulfric as High King. I don't want a guy who surrounds himself with bootlickers, who monologues to himself on how he is a true Nord who must be High King. I don't want a Sith High King who deals in absolutes. (You're either with me, or against me!)

Talos? Thalmor? Sure, the Stormcloaks yabber on about that, but they also keep yabbering on about Ulfric. Their personal anthem (which is as bad as the Imperial one, mind you) finds it important to repeat how awesome and totally kingly Ulfric is, while refusing to mention Talos and the Thalmor.



Then there is the true Nordness and upholding of the old traditions. Yes, it sounds nice on paper. But Ulfric is only a traditions guy when it is convenient to him. Kill the High King through trial of combat? Hell yes! Let us ignore on how I used the voice which the High King probably never even saw before. It shows how the High King lacked the ambition and commitment or something. (More like he lacked the training in fus-ing.) Also, the voice is a ranged weapon, which by its nature I would say disqualifies Ulfric in a presumably melee-duel.

But let the Moot happen, one of those other Nordly traditions? Hell no! They would not bend down and kiss Ulfric's boots! So damn the Jarls and damn the Moot! Let us grab some old crown thingy and tell everyone it is some super awesome duper crown that only the High King can wear (Ulfric). That will show them!


Oh, and I suppose there are the parts where Windhelm is a ghetto and falling to pieces in crime while Ulfric plays warlord, but that's really secondary to the whole cult of personality and fanaticism thing.


To be honest, I don't even care about Talos all that much. So what if you aren't allowed to publically worship the guy? It was an open secret that nobody, Empire and Nords, gave a damn about the concordat until Ulfric started screaming about it and invading the other holds.


So I'm not Stormcloak. Am I empire? I don't know. I haven't really investigated the other side of the coin in any depth yet. I doubt the civil war will really matter though. Given current tendencies, two weeks after the completion of the main quest, Dragonborn runs of to Atmora in search for Ysgramor's holy loincloth. Then Tullius and Ulfric both die, avalanches wipe out all of Skyrim and Falmer play football with Nord heads. Meanwhile, the Thalmor laugh.

[Lady Saga]

The way I see it, the civil war is nothing but good for the Thalmor.

It's two against one, basically. Thalmor and Imperials against the Stormcloaks. So yeah, it's in the Thalmor's best interest to have an ally they can now use to help them conquer other lands.