DrunkenMage
Intoxicated Arch-Mage
Well since we're going on why we support each side.
Stormcloaks would say "The Empire surrendered!" In a manner of speaking, yes they did surrender. For the first time in four eras, the Empire surrendered to a far superior enemy. Did they simply roll over and give up? No, it took five years of destructive war with thousands left dead and homeless. Was it selfish of them to sue for peace it desperately needed? A temporary pause for another war.
"They banned Talos worship!" Twenty six years ago. Twenty six. Where was this rebellion when the treaty was signed? Where was this rebellion twenty or even ten years ago? Why the long wait, why not challenge High King Istlod? The Empire didn't ban Talos lightly, nor was it completely enforced until it became so obvious the Empire was ignoring it.
"The Stormcloaks fight for what they believe!" The Legion doesn't? Are they just fighting for the sake of it? No, they're fighting to preserve what they believe. Fighting for their homeland just the same as the Stormcloaks fight for theirs.
"The Empire doesn't care about Skyrim" If they didn't care, why are they wasting resources trying to hang onto it? Why are they wasting time keeping to Skyrim traditions of the Moot? If they didn't care they wouldn't lift a finger. I've seen Stormcloaks in this thread make out the Legion fighting shows they don't care, absolute rubbish. The Empire wouldn't part with a single gold Septim if they didn't care, they wouldn't dispatch soldiers and start preparing a larger force in northern Cyrodiil.
The whole Nord focused of the Stormcloaks will be their downfall, it'll take more than Nords to make Skyrim strong and it'll take more than Nords to defeat the Aldmeri Dominion. The Stormcloaks fight against the discrimination of the Thalmor, who believe themselves superior. Yet they spread that same discrimination onto non-Nords.
What good is independence and "freedom" if it takes slavery, segregation, isolation and death to obtain it? When does the price became too high, where do you limit yourself? You already have Stormcloak supporters considering non-Nords as substandard beings, where all elves are blamed for the Great War and Thalmor. It always starts small "segregation is needed" "they're to blame, really" "they could be spies" "why don't they just leave then" already half way there, that first step is the hardest, becomes far easier when it moves towards more enslavement, more segregation and then finally rounding up and killing.
Paranoia and religious militants, how interesting Skyrim is becoming. Some consider the rebellion to be a Holy War, and Ulfric does get compared to Talos a fair bit by his supporters. How high up they put him, and nearly worship him. Ulfric Stormcloak "truest of us all". The bad "faithless Imperials", I'm just waiting for the "heretics" and the Thalmor and Stormcloaks can wear matching coats.
Empire may not be perfect, and the Legion aren't saints. But, at least Elf, Man and Beast are equal sharing the same goal, under one banner.
Stormcloaks would say "The Empire surrendered!" In a manner of speaking, yes they did surrender. For the first time in four eras, the Empire surrendered to a far superior enemy. Did they simply roll over and give up? No, it took five years of destructive war with thousands left dead and homeless. Was it selfish of them to sue for peace it desperately needed? A temporary pause for another war.
"They banned Talos worship!" Twenty six years ago. Twenty six. Where was this rebellion when the treaty was signed? Where was this rebellion twenty or even ten years ago? Why the long wait, why not challenge High King Istlod? The Empire didn't ban Talos lightly, nor was it completely enforced until it became so obvious the Empire was ignoring it.
"The Stormcloaks fight for what they believe!" The Legion doesn't? Are they just fighting for the sake of it? No, they're fighting to preserve what they believe. Fighting for their homeland just the same as the Stormcloaks fight for theirs.
"The Empire doesn't care about Skyrim" If they didn't care, why are they wasting resources trying to hang onto it? Why are they wasting time keeping to Skyrim traditions of the Moot? If they didn't care they wouldn't lift a finger. I've seen Stormcloaks in this thread make out the Legion fighting shows they don't care, absolute rubbish. The Empire wouldn't part with a single gold Septim if they didn't care, they wouldn't dispatch soldiers and start preparing a larger force in northern Cyrodiil.
The whole Nord focused of the Stormcloaks will be their downfall, it'll take more than Nords to make Skyrim strong and it'll take more than Nords to defeat the Aldmeri Dominion. The Stormcloaks fight against the discrimination of the Thalmor, who believe themselves superior. Yet they spread that same discrimination onto non-Nords.
What good is independence and "freedom" if it takes slavery, segregation, isolation and death to obtain it? When does the price became too high, where do you limit yourself? You already have Stormcloak supporters considering non-Nords as substandard beings, where all elves are blamed for the Great War and Thalmor. It always starts small "segregation is needed" "they're to blame, really" "they could be spies" "why don't they just leave then" already half way there, that first step is the hardest, becomes far easier when it moves towards more enslavement, more segregation and then finally rounding up and killing.
Paranoia and religious militants, how interesting Skyrim is becoming. Some consider the rebellion to be a Holy War, and Ulfric does get compared to Talos a fair bit by his supporters. How high up they put him, and nearly worship him. Ulfric Stormcloak "truest of us all". The bad "faithless Imperials", I'm just waiting for the "heretics" and the Thalmor and Stormcloaks can wear matching coats.
Empire may not be perfect, and the Legion aren't saints. But, at least Elf, Man and Beast are equal sharing the same goal, under one banner.