I think when he says "where's your sense of the dramatic moment" he's sort of making fun of himself and the Stormcloaks, and Galmar's like "haha, very funny." It gets over the top at times but the Nordic image thing is politically genius.
http://cs.uesp.net/index.php?game=sr&formid=0x000d1e0e
This ties into Imperial victory killing Nord nationalism. Either you have a bunch of stubborn Nords you're now executing or imprisoning or you're forcing them to renounce what they believe in.
The worship of Talos will finally be stamped out. Or so they think. Those true sons and daughters of Skyrim will never cease to worship mighty Talos. If we cannot do so in our temples, we will do so in our hearts.
They won't give up and when the next war starts and the Concordat is thrown out the window, they will lose whatever hatred they have for the Empire and refocus on the Aldmeri Dominion.
I think Ralof figured it out when they started heading for Helgen. If they were caught at Darkwater Crossing they would've entered Cyrodiil through the passage in the Rift.
That would be very stupid. Slow moving prison transport crossing heavy Stormcloak controlled area and waltz down the road past a capital filled with a garrison?
Ralof wouldn't know what they were doing, not even Hadvar figured out what they were up to until they reached Helgen. Tullius seemed to change his mind spur of the moment, which I suspect was due to the Thalmor. They did show up at Helgen before Tullius himself had and were demanding the prisoners be transferred into their hands.
See this where I think Stormcloak critics get a little unreasonable. The Old Holds don't want to change but things keep getting forced on to them. Refugees, the Concordat, justiciars, etc.
It doesn't matter, they prefer isolation, they put Nords first above everyone else. They're not bad people, just they're the diehards of Skyrim. Much like Colovia are the diehards of the Empire, yet neither are fit to rule.
Colovia and Eastern Skyrim share very much in common. Religious, war-like, and they distrust outsiders. They don't respect you until you've proven yourself. They hold to traditions of their forefathers, slow to change.
The moment Ulfric became jarl he probably started making preparations for war, he founded his army, spread propaganda, stockpiled food and weapons and eventually had skirmishes near Windhelm break out. The Dunmer werent relocated to the Grey Quarter were they? Ulfric didn't start ordering Rolff to go on his drunken rants. Exactly, real change takes time, and we never see Ulfric without the war. I'm sure he wants to make an ally out of the Dunmer if he can, or at least keep them happy enough he doesn't have a revolt on his hands.
Except that isn't what we see, and it isn't what his supporters see.
There is cause for optimism, though, as Jarl Ulfric is not nearly so tolerant of these substandard beings as his fathers were.
Ulfric has a duty still to those in his city. He banished the Argonians, and there isn't a reason why, except what Brunwulf tells us which is there are Nords who still believe as Ulfric does.
"Can't see why we let them dark elves live inside the walls. We should kick 'em out like we did to the scalebacks."
Rolff is the brother of Ulfric's second in command, the second highest ranking member of the Stormcloaks. Even if Ulfric doesn't order him, he's out there giving Stormcloaks a bad name and Ulfric doesn't bring him to heel.
Don't think of Rolff as a loner, he represents a population of Nords who hate the Dark Elves and give them hell.
Ulfric will face revolt while he continues to ignore them, because his own supporters see it as he hates them. They feed off of it, Ulfric's inactions allows a racist social structure to happen in his city.
Even with his steward, they don't have the resources to improve anything. And aren't the buildings privately owned anyways...?
They don't need the resources now. They just want the issue addressed and discussed. Is it so hard to just acknowledge them? Ignoring them doesn't help the matter, it is stupidity. He has to start treating non-Nords as fairly he treats Nords if he even hopes to be a good High King.
Only the rich would most likely be able to afford a home privately. Most things would be considered "Jarl's holdings". The Dunmer aren't on about inside the homes, they're talking about the streets and outside. Most of the buildings in the Gray Quarter are stone work if I remember correctly, attached to the wall. The mention of cramped alleys would mean zoning and clearing of rubble.
You need special permissions to do things, even hunting.
Yeah but the west has Solitude, Whiterun and Markarth, and with Riften falling on hard times, you'll see some western influence for sure in the years to come.
Solitude does well, but it was the capital of Skyrim for hundreds of years. Empire would have flooded it with commerce, traders from all over would most likely want to sell in the capital, and other businesses would be higher class due to foreign nobles and dignitaries on visits to the city.
Had Windhelm been the seat of the royal line, it would be very rich too. Whiterun isn't a Western Hold, it is smack in the middle of East and West and serves as the trade hub of the entire province. Markarth is indeed rich, but that provides wealth for Skyrim.
Eastmarch isn't poor by any means, they have two big trading companies located there. Though if they strike a deal with the Orcs, they would be able to buy off ebony. Make them a big deal to the Empire, since it pays a lot for it.
If Skyrim was a little independent, probably not anymore.
"The Legion will be staying here for quite some time"
Though I'm not sure how the Legion is going to be enforcing this if the Dominion comes calling.
It doesn't matter how many times the Empire brings the hammer down on them when they rebel. You can't kill the Nordic spirit, even when they're part of the Empire they're still proud independent people.
Tullius isn't just blindly doing things the "Imperial way", he has to adapt and he has Legate Rikke by his side to aid him in that.
"The General's put me in charge of assisting the new governments. I may understand things here in Skyrim better than the General, but I'm a soldier at heart, not a politician. But I'll do my best. This is the land of my birth, the land that shaped me. I'm proud to have any part in making it strong again."
Legate Rikke also becomes the de faco ruler of Eastern Skyrim. So unless you think she is bad, the Nords won't have too many issues with her rule.
"No, I suspect Skyrim to be my home for many years. Can't say I'll ever get used to the damn cold, or understand these Nords... but I've come to respect them. The harshness of Skyrim has a way of carving a man down to his true self."
Even Tullius grows to respect the Nords.
So the Nords will be okay, they're not under the rule of someone who just hates them and seeks to oppress at any given chance. Rikke is a good woman, and treats all fairly. Even Winterhold is hopeful to rebuild with the Empire's help, and repair Nord relations with the College.
Tullius isn't that bad, he does care for the citizens and he hates the Thalmor so much he almost considered joining the Stormcloaks. He won't help them with their Talos hunting.
He also willing to free prisoners from the Thalmor (On PC though, since the quest to free the Grey-Mane is glitched).
The Redguards fought the war for 10 years on their own land, I can't see them being in a better position than the Empire when the concordat was signed.
Doesn't matter, the Empire would not have lasted ten years. They were hit hardest, the Aldmeri Dominion wasn't trying to simply occupy southern parts. They sought the complete destruction of the Empire.
A small part of Hammerfell being occupied, and the Imperial Legions doing most of the heavy fighting doesn't mean the Redguards had it like the Empire did. Only the southern areas of Hammerfell were devastated, so I'd say from Sentinel and Gilane down.
All of Cyrodiil was just about conquered with the exception of the snowy northern areas. Where the Imperial Army had to winter up after the Aldmeri had destroyed the Legion Supply Depots.
"It got bad back in Cyrodiil. The war with the Thalmor ruined... everything."
