[Skyrim Double Feature] The Stormcloak Argument

*Spoiler Alert* This article contains spoilers about The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. It is one of two articles arguing opposing sides of the Skyrim's Civil War. The Imperial Argument can be found here.

The Stormcloak, the dedicated defender of Skyrim's freedom.

         It’s been awhile since The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim came out (4 months and 10 days by my count), but there’s still one argument that seems to pop up on video game forums an awful lot (aside from the inevitable “Where do I get my nude mods?”): Who is right: the Stormcloaks or the Imperials?

Even though the civil war/revolution isn’t technically the main quest line in the game, it’s mentioned so often that is might as well be.  While people recognize that there are DRAGONS attacking Skyrim’s cities and villages, they seem more concerned with the significantly more mortal and easy to kill Nords and Imperials running around hacking each other to bits.

I may have strayed a little too much from my point in that last paragraph…  Anyway, what I’m trying to say is that the Stormcloaks are more in the right than the Empire.  They fight for better reasons than the Imperials and their leader Jarl Ulfric Stormcloak is only slightly more of a dick than General Tullius.

The Stormcloaks fight for two main reasons as far as I can tell: political independence and religious freedom.  You know what country did that in our world?  The United States of America.

America!  Fu-  Never mind, that meme is too old.

First I’ll discuss their desire for political independence.  The politics in Stormcloak are much like feudal Europe’s were back in the day.  There the High King or Queen who rules over all of Skyrim and eight jarls that govern the eight holds that aren’t under the High King or Queen’s direct control.  When the High King dies, the jarls (and likely whoever is in charge of the late king’s hold) come together to select a new High King or Queen to rule over Skyrim.  During the events of the game, there are nine jarls, as the High King was killed and the moot has not yet met to elect a new jarl.

However, since Skyrim is part of the Empire, the titles of High King and High Queen are largely ceremonial and the rulers of Skyrim still have to answer to the Emperor.  The Emperor, being far from Skyrim in his palace in the Imperial City, doesn’t necessarily know what’s best for Skyrim.  The Nordic culture is often disregarded in face of the “betterment” of the Empire, as is shown throughout General Tullius’s campaign to bring an end to the rebellion.

During the events of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, the Empire is a sinking ship that threatens to drag down the rest of Tamriel with it.  Seeing this, Ulfric Stormcloak starts his revolution so keep Skyrim from being destroyed alongside the Empire.  He isn’t the first person to do this either.  Before the events of the game Hammerfell was renounced by the Empire after feeling betrayed by Emperor Tidus II.  Ulfric and many of Skyrim’s citizens feel the same way and want to leave the Empire that threw away so many Nord lives in a pointless war.

Many Imperials and supporters of the Empire believe that if Ulfric Stormcloak proves victorious and Skyrim’s secedes from the Empire it will only serve to make a Thalmor victory easier.  While there is a chance of this happening, do not forget that Hammerfell, after being abandoned by the Empire, managed to force the Aldmeri Dominion’s forces out of their lands.  Who’s to say that Skyrim can’t do the same?

With political freedom discussed, I’ll turn to religious freedom argument.  When the Empire lost to the Aldmeri Dominion (and they did lose, the White-Gold Concordant was almost identical to the ultimatum the Thalmor presented to the Empire before the Great War), the right and freedom to worship Talos was banned.  Talos, the divine incarnation of Tiber Septim, the very man who founded the Empire, was abandoned by his people.

Now if the Thalmor wanted to ban the public worship of Talos (much like how the public worship of the Daedric Princes is taboo), then I wouldn’t blame the Empire as much for accepting the terms to preserve the Empire, but the Thalmor completely banned the worship and travel throughout the provinces of Tamriel still controlled by the Empire (and through the Empire the Aldmeri Dominion) and arrest and often execute people suspected of worshipping Talos.  Religious persecution is something that has occurred throughout the history of our world, and it has never ended well for any of the parties involved.

Before I wrap up this argument, I’ll address one of the concerns that people have about this argument: Ulfric Stormcloak and the leaders of the Stormcloak Rebellion.  To be frank, Ulfric is a racist, selfish dick (but most people in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim are racist, otherwise I wouldn’t be the only khajiit allowed into the different cities).  I won’t even try to deny it.  However, he takes it upon himself to free Skyrim from the rule of the Thalmor, something no other man or woman was willing to do.

He's a dick, but damn does he have a sense of style!

His primary mistake was killing High King Torygg, who would have likely joined Ulfric’s cause.  Instead, the Jarl of Windhelm let his desire to become the High King cloud his judgment and he killed Torygg in battle.  Whether Ulfric used his voice to “shout High King Torygg to pieces” or he killed Torygg in an honorable duel, he still killed a potential ally out of greed.

However, despite this, Ulfric ultimately has his heart in the right place.  He fights for the people of Skyrim, and unlike the Imperial leaders he actually walks among his soldiers and speaks to his people, rather than having his officers relay all of his orders to the men and women who fight under his banner.

“I fight for the men I’ve held in my arms, dying on foreign soil!  I fight for their wives and children, whose names I heard whispered in their last breath… I fight so that all the fighting I’ve already done hasn’t been for nothing!  I fight… because I must.”

“But Sean,” you say. “Politicians will say anything to sway the people and gather support!”

“Reader,” I reply.  “That is most certainly true!  However, when Ulfric says this, he is speaking to Galmar Stone-Fist, a man he has known for years and doesn’t need to convince.  Aside from the Dovahkiin and Ulfric’s steward Jorleif, there is no one else in the room.  Ulfric speaks those words because they are how he truly feels.

Ulfric and the Stormcloaks fight for just and noble causes: freedom from an Empire that will only serve to slowly kill them and the right to worship their god.  The Empire only fights in hopes of holding on to Skyrim so that it can maintain its illusion of control over Tamriel.

The Stormcloak banner, because bears are awesome.

Stayed tuned for my friend Pierre's Imperial Argument!