Ozan
the Magnificent Bastard
But she doesn't sell Skooma.
The effect of being Totalitarian Asshats and getting their nose in places they shouldn't, of course.
"Son, all I've ever asked of my marines is that they obey my orders as they would the word of God. We are here to help the Vietnamese, because inside every gook there is an American trying to get out. It's a hardball world, son. We've gotta keep our heads until this peace craze blows over."
-The Colonel from Full Metal Jacket.
I'm sure they do appear that way to you. Imperialism has that effect on people.
Disciplined soldiers aren't militia, they're trained to fight (which was what he had). Think of it as the former High King against Ulfric Stormcloak. Ulfric WRECKED him, I doubt a clone would have faired much better even if they both fought him at the same time. If there was an uprising, they'd have little to no training and wouldn't hold their ground for very long. I'm not impressed.
Simply because Tiber Septim was cruel and unusual doesn't mean he was a bad warrior. It just meant he knew how to get places, and it wasn't by being nice. Imagine if all the famed Warriors in history were nice people, Genghis Khan and Attila the Hun wouldn't be known for plops if they weren't horribly cruel.
And Ulfric's capture was a fluke. He probably didn't expect Tullius to actually know what he was doing, and ambushes are a pain to deal with anyways because you don't see them coming. Thats why its an ambush. They're also really easy to do, and even if you had crap guys you could still win a battle (for example, Spain's commonfolk fighting France's unstoppable military during the Peninsular War). Tullius didn't have just rabble with arms, he had soldiers. In Ulfric's position, I'd surrender too to try to save their lives. Turns out, the Empire doesn't know mercy well enough to care.
Chalk that up for a lesson learned for Ulfric. After all, even Caesar lost a battle but was still praised as a genius strategist. Ulfric has a slip up and he's banned for life?
Doesn't that seem a bit biased?
Being captured by the enemy was pretty common back in the day, but if you're including one of those captures to Markarth, then you shouldn't and here's why. He was arrested for Talos worship, not during a battle. If it were a battle, then I could see your stance but it wasn't. Infact, the battle beforehand when he captured Markarth is a pretty interesting achievement seeing as sieges are a lot harder to pull off than battles on the field.
I don't like Ulfric either, but your total disdain for the guy is making you overlook EVERYTHING. Come on, Mage, you're better than this.
So Galmar's Brother is the Jarl of Windhelm now? Or is it the people who make the laws and policies, not the Jarls? That's such a shame, seeing the Jarls not have any control over their cities.
What makes you think that Ulfric and company suspects the Dunmer of being Spies? What makes you think he would issue the order for arresting some Dunmer in the night just to torture them to see what they fess up? One of them has Legion Armor in their building, so maybe there is a reason to think so but Ulfric hasn't issued any arrests that we're aware about yet.
No, rather it was Galmar's brother who has no pull with the Jarl of Windhelm. Don't grasp for straws.
That's most of what I said, good to see you're listening. But if Titus Mede dies (of course by assassination), his son would take the throne. Considering how long it has been since an Emperor has been assassination, I wonder when it will happen again. Perhaps a Thalmor agent, this time, right before the next war.
If Ulfric dies, whatever to the rest of the world, another Warlord down. If Tullius dies, whatever to the rest of the world, another soldier fell. If the Emperor dies as he did... then that's not just a murder, that's a sign. He died, on a boat, full of his precious PO guys. The Emperor is not safe and may never be safe for quite some time.
Perhaps The Jarl is up in age, so its possible he met him after the great war and before Markarth and as a child. Ulfric is a Jarl's son, afterall. Considering both are port cities, I doubt they'd ignore each other for long. There is a whole world of possibilities, so whose to say?
Alright. How many Emperors can you name? How many Jarls of Falkreath?
Skyrim may be the second most important (with Hammerfell being dead last), but the first takes priorities. A lot of folks don't like playing second fiddle, its about time the Nords of Skyrim got tired of it too.
Oh, so you're saying that some of the holds (excluding the holds bordering Windhelm) may not support Elisif? Sounds like an easy win for Ulfric, can't have that. Better move in and remind the other Jarls who think a third party is an option that the Empire is here and always watching.
If the Empire didn't join in Balgruuf may or may not have fought against Ulfric. He would have been a third party. Whose to say how that would of gone.
Right, wouldn't want another Titus Mede to step up, would we?
So, this isn't a fight for Skyrim, this is a play to show the Empire is still here? The Imperials aren't trying to defend Skyrim, they're trying to defend their power. What a weak claim to the moral highground.
This war with the Aldmeri, its like the Dragons in Game of Thrones. Always promised it'll come but it sure is taking its time. If the Aldmeri REALLY wanted a war, why not just invade during the climax of the Skyrim Civil War? Or after the Emperor has been assassinated? They're not looking for a war, they already won and the Empire has accepted all their laws.
What would the Thalmor possibly want? Land? Even MORE power? No, I think they're good. Any second war sounds like a War of Imperial Aggression, which would seem to be an ongoing theme since their intervention in Skyrim.
You even said yourself, talking of the Nords in the Legion whose families live on their wages. If the Empire were truly so grand, the Nords wouldn't have to leave their families in poverty. The Empire wouldn't have to harvest the fighters of Skyrim for their wars.
If the Nords are so warlike, then why is it that it is only Cyrodiil who requires fighting? The Stormcloak ranks are filled with Former Legion, Ulfric and Galmar having both served. Why do you think some of the Empire's soldiers would defect sides? Why do they not stay? Is it because they are fooled? Because they are gullible? Perhaps this is why they joined the Legion in the first place, because they were filled with promises and assurance that it has to be done to save their homes when the real enemy was allowed in by the Empire many fought for.
Without the Empire, Thalmor wouldn't be in Skyrim. Skyrim shares no borders with the Aldmeri, only Cyrodiil does. The Nords have no reason to be afraid, yet the Empire claims they do. Now that the Nords fight, so too do the Imperials if only to back their lies.
Skyrim belongs to the Nords. Deal with it.
