Two sides in a civil war: neither is truly good nor truly evil. Both have their strong points and their weaknesses, their heroes and their bastards. In Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, we are presented with a civil war of such magnitude between the Empire of Tamriel and the rebel Stormcloacks. Today though, no analysis of this situation; only a hypothetical look into the implications of a Stormcloack victory.
In the lore of Elder Scrolls, the Empire of Tamriel had unified the continent under one banner. The founder of the Empire, Talos of Atmorra (later renamed Tiber Septim) has ascended unto godhood. Fast forward a few centuries, and the Empire is but a shadow of its former self. The province of Summerset Isle has become independent, ruled by the Aldmeri Dominion. The province of Black Marsh has separated itself and become independent, conquering the province of Morrowind. Elsweir and Valenwood have been taken by the Dominion as well. In time, the Empire that once ruled all of Tamriel held onto only three provinces: High Rock (though it may have gone independent too), Cyrodiil, and Skyrim.
The Stormcloacks seek the independence of Skyrim from the Empire. Their reasons include corruption in Imperial governments (this is actually provable), nationalistic fervor (the Nords are pretty nationalistic) and of course, religious persecution (the Empire forbade worship of Talos after the Great War, to appease the Aldmeri Dominion).
Suppose the Stormcloacks win the Civil War. Now what happens? This all assumes that:
Ulfric Stormcloack, leader of the Stormcloacks, becomes High King of Skyrim. He is supported by the Jarls, all of whom recognize the legitimacy of his rule. The war has been won, but now comes the REAL battle: winning the peace.
In Skyrim, many citizens refuse to support the new High King. Particularly, non-Nords feel themselves underrepresented in Skyrim's new government, and many will now face government approved discrimination. For example, Adrienne Avenicci of Whiterun, formerly a well regarded blacksmith, will see her business dwindle to almost nothing due to being a Cyrodiilian instead of a Nord. This will not sit well with the citizens, and may in fact lead to a new economic crisis.
In Riften, Maven Black-Briar may not hold the Jarl's Throne, but she is STILL the most powerful figure in the Hold. With the Thieve's Guild in her pocket, Jarl Lawgiver is LITERALLY powerless against her. The economic situation in Riften only deteriorates; many will turn their anger towards Layla Lawgiver for her powerless rule, and this anger WILL, with time, turn towards Ulfric himself. The Rift becomes a lawless (irony) Hold, one that will cause Ulfric Stormcloack headaches.
In Winterhold, the Jarl remains staunchly anti-College. This position hurts Winterhold's economy, which is pretty much non-existent.
In Hjalmarch, the economy improves slightly thanks to Jarl Sorli's proprierty of Stonehill's mine. However, due to the overall bad condition of the area surrounding Morthal (a swamp) the economy does not improve noticeably.
Perhaps the Hold to suffer the most would be The Reach. The Forsworn, emboldened by Ulfric's victory (and angered by it as well) make their intentions to reclaim their Kingdom known. They begin more attacks against the Nord populace of the Rift. As the guard has been weakened following the war, these attacks take a heavy toll on the Nords of the Reach. Unless Ulfric acts, a Forsworn victory is inevitable.
Now let's suppose Ulfric acts. Ulfric recruits soldiers from the Whiterun, Falkreath, Hjalmarch, and Haafingar holds to deal with the Forsworn. This leads to a long, bloody conflict that drains Skyrim's coffers. As Ulfric had sacrificed much to defeat the Forsworn previously, he will NOT accept losing The Reach to them. The conflict ends with a victory for the independent Skyrim, though at a heavy price.
Jarl Dengeir of Falkreath will be unhappy with the losses, ESPECIALLY from the men and women of his Hold. He will lose confidence in Ulfric, and will likely be the first Jarl to do so. Though this may not start a domino effect with the other Jarls, it may well lead to some terrible consequences...
Jarl Kodlak Gray-Man will remain loyal to Ulfric, believing him to be the man who restored integrity to Skyrim. As Whiterun remains an economic hub for Skyrim, the Kingdom's coffers do not empty YET. However, Kodlak will be fond of spending money on weapons for soldiers, as well, as that new temple for Talos. This will have consequences in the future.
One of Ulfric's ambitions for an independent Skyrim was an all-out war against the Thalmor. Concurrent to the Forsworn war, Ulfric will lead a campaign to rid Skyrim of Thalmor agents. He will succeed, but not without heavy losses. As the Nords disfavor magic, the Thalmor will have many advantages, leading to a casualty rate of 3:1 in the Thalmor's favor. Following both military campaigns, Ulfric's forces will be two thirds what they used to be.
As these heavy lossess accumulate, Skyrim enters an economic crisis that would have been previously mitigated by Cyrodiil's help. As relations between Cyrodiil and Skyrim have (understandably) soured, Skyrim is left to fend for itself. Skyrim is yet unrecognized by other nations; Black Marsh is slow to accept Ulfric's rule thanks to his treatment of Argonians. Only Hammerfell can be said to have good relations with Skyrim, and those can best be described as "frosty." If High Rock is or becomes independent, its relations with Skyrim would not be necesarily "warm," either.
As the crisis worsens, Dengeir begins to demand the Moot. This will sour his relationship with Ulfric, who will start treating Falkreath unfavorably and will start seeking a replacement for Dengeir. Paranoid as ever, Dengeir will begin making moves to separate Falkreath from Skyrim, returning the territory to Cyrodiil.
In spite of everything, Ulfric continues to press the idea of leading an invasion force to Sommerset in order to destroy the Dominion. Initially widely supported, as time goes on this idea becomes less and less popular. By the time of Dengeir's call for the Moot (let's say seven years into Ulfric's victory), the idea is only supported by hardcore Talos worshippers. All throughout Skyrim a new call echoes: "Bread and Emperor!"
There is no doubt in anyone's mind; Ulfric has lost the peace. Ten years into his rule, Ulfric is forced to step down as High King of Skyrim; the Jarl Elisif the Fair is chosen to replace him. Thanks to her good reputation in Cyrodiil and High Rock, she is able to foster better international relationships. She focuses her energies on restoring Skyrim's economy, a feat that takes her most of her rule.
The Thalmor's defeats in Hammerfell and Skyrim did much to obliterate their standing with both Elves and Men. The provinces of Valenwood and Elsweyr begin to rebel against the Aldmeri Dominion, with many Altmer in the Dominion itself becoming cynical about the Dominion. The provinces of High Rock and Cyrodiil also become emboldened, and double their efforts to resist and expel the Thalmor from their lands. A second Great War is fought, and this time, the Dominion loses. All this occurs in the waning years of Ulfric's reign and the dawning years of Elisif's; Ulfric himself would lead many campaigns against the Thalmor during the latter period. This helped redeem him in the eyes of many Nords who had become cynical regarding his capacity as a leader.
Ulfric himself becomes a divisive figure in Skyrim's history. The general consensus is that his rule was burdened with many troubles; Historians, though, are divided regarding how he reacted. Some paint him as a man who did his best and had some limited successes, while others paint him as a warmonger who was ill-fit to be a High King. In any case, Ulfric's name lives on as the founder of the new Kingdom of Skyrim.
In the lore of Elder Scrolls, the Empire of Tamriel had unified the continent under one banner. The founder of the Empire, Talos of Atmorra (later renamed Tiber Septim) has ascended unto godhood. Fast forward a few centuries, and the Empire is but a shadow of its former self. The province of Summerset Isle has become independent, ruled by the Aldmeri Dominion. The province of Black Marsh has separated itself and become independent, conquering the province of Morrowind. Elsweir and Valenwood have been taken by the Dominion as well. In time, the Empire that once ruled all of Tamriel held onto only three provinces: High Rock (though it may have gone independent too), Cyrodiil, and Skyrim.
The Stormcloacks seek the independence of Skyrim from the Empire. Their reasons include corruption in Imperial governments (this is actually provable), nationalistic fervor (the Nords are pretty nationalistic) and of course, religious persecution (the Empire forbade worship of Talos after the Great War, to appease the Aldmeri Dominion).
Suppose the Stormcloacks win the Civil War. Now what happens? This all assumes that:
- The Stormcloacks won on their own; no help from the Dragonborn.
- The Dragonborn remained neutral throughout the entire conflict.
- The Dragonborn still joined the Thieve's Guild, Dark Brotherhood, etc...
- After defeating Alduin, the Dragonborn disappears off the political sphere.
- Dragons do not, in any way, impact the history of Skyrim any further.
Ulfric Stormcloack, leader of the Stormcloacks, becomes High King of Skyrim. He is supported by the Jarls, all of whom recognize the legitimacy of his rule. The war has been won, but now comes the REAL battle: winning the peace.
In Skyrim, many citizens refuse to support the new High King. Particularly, non-Nords feel themselves underrepresented in Skyrim's new government, and many will now face government approved discrimination. For example, Adrienne Avenicci of Whiterun, formerly a well regarded blacksmith, will see her business dwindle to almost nothing due to being a Cyrodiilian instead of a Nord. This will not sit well with the citizens, and may in fact lead to a new economic crisis.
In Riften, Maven Black-Briar may not hold the Jarl's Throne, but she is STILL the most powerful figure in the Hold. With the Thieve's Guild in her pocket, Jarl Lawgiver is LITERALLY powerless against her. The economic situation in Riften only deteriorates; many will turn their anger towards Layla Lawgiver for her powerless rule, and this anger WILL, with time, turn towards Ulfric himself. The Rift becomes a lawless (irony) Hold, one that will cause Ulfric Stormcloack headaches.
In Winterhold, the Jarl remains staunchly anti-College. This position hurts Winterhold's economy, which is pretty much non-existent.
In Hjalmarch, the economy improves slightly thanks to Jarl Sorli's proprierty of Stonehill's mine. However, due to the overall bad condition of the area surrounding Morthal (a swamp) the economy does not improve noticeably.
Perhaps the Hold to suffer the most would be The Reach. The Forsworn, emboldened by Ulfric's victory (and angered by it as well) make their intentions to reclaim their Kingdom known. They begin more attacks against the Nord populace of the Rift. As the guard has been weakened following the war, these attacks take a heavy toll on the Nords of the Reach. Unless Ulfric acts, a Forsworn victory is inevitable.
Now let's suppose Ulfric acts. Ulfric recruits soldiers from the Whiterun, Falkreath, Hjalmarch, and Haafingar holds to deal with the Forsworn. This leads to a long, bloody conflict that drains Skyrim's coffers. As Ulfric had sacrificed much to defeat the Forsworn previously, he will NOT accept losing The Reach to them. The conflict ends with a victory for the independent Skyrim, though at a heavy price.
Jarl Dengeir of Falkreath will be unhappy with the losses, ESPECIALLY from the men and women of his Hold. He will lose confidence in Ulfric, and will likely be the first Jarl to do so. Though this may not start a domino effect with the other Jarls, it may well lead to some terrible consequences...
Jarl Kodlak Gray-Man will remain loyal to Ulfric, believing him to be the man who restored integrity to Skyrim. As Whiterun remains an economic hub for Skyrim, the Kingdom's coffers do not empty YET. However, Kodlak will be fond of spending money on weapons for soldiers, as well, as that new temple for Talos. This will have consequences in the future.
One of Ulfric's ambitions for an independent Skyrim was an all-out war against the Thalmor. Concurrent to the Forsworn war, Ulfric will lead a campaign to rid Skyrim of Thalmor agents. He will succeed, but not without heavy losses. As the Nords disfavor magic, the Thalmor will have many advantages, leading to a casualty rate of 3:1 in the Thalmor's favor. Following both military campaigns, Ulfric's forces will be two thirds what they used to be.
As these heavy lossess accumulate, Skyrim enters an economic crisis that would have been previously mitigated by Cyrodiil's help. As relations between Cyrodiil and Skyrim have (understandably) soured, Skyrim is left to fend for itself. Skyrim is yet unrecognized by other nations; Black Marsh is slow to accept Ulfric's rule thanks to his treatment of Argonians. Only Hammerfell can be said to have good relations with Skyrim, and those can best be described as "frosty." If High Rock is or becomes independent, its relations with Skyrim would not be necesarily "warm," either.
As the crisis worsens, Dengeir begins to demand the Moot. This will sour his relationship with Ulfric, who will start treating Falkreath unfavorably and will start seeking a replacement for Dengeir. Paranoid as ever, Dengeir will begin making moves to separate Falkreath from Skyrim, returning the territory to Cyrodiil.
In spite of everything, Ulfric continues to press the idea of leading an invasion force to Sommerset in order to destroy the Dominion. Initially widely supported, as time goes on this idea becomes less and less popular. By the time of Dengeir's call for the Moot (let's say seven years into Ulfric's victory), the idea is only supported by hardcore Talos worshippers. All throughout Skyrim a new call echoes: "Bread and Emperor!"
There is no doubt in anyone's mind; Ulfric has lost the peace. Ten years into his rule, Ulfric is forced to step down as High King of Skyrim; the Jarl Elisif the Fair is chosen to replace him. Thanks to her good reputation in Cyrodiil and High Rock, she is able to foster better international relationships. She focuses her energies on restoring Skyrim's economy, a feat that takes her most of her rule.
The Thalmor's defeats in Hammerfell and Skyrim did much to obliterate their standing with both Elves and Men. The provinces of Valenwood and Elsweyr begin to rebel against the Aldmeri Dominion, with many Altmer in the Dominion itself becoming cynical about the Dominion. The provinces of High Rock and Cyrodiil also become emboldened, and double their efforts to resist and expel the Thalmor from their lands. A second Great War is fought, and this time, the Dominion loses. All this occurs in the waning years of Ulfric's reign and the dawning years of Elisif's; Ulfric himself would lead many campaigns against the Thalmor during the latter period. This helped redeem him in the eyes of many Nords who had become cynical regarding his capacity as a leader.
Ulfric himself becomes a divisive figure in Skyrim's history. The general consensus is that his rule was burdened with many troubles; Historians, though, are divided regarding how he reacted. Some paint him as a man who did his best and had some limited successes, while others paint him as a warmonger who was ill-fit to be a High King. In any case, Ulfric's name lives on as the founder of the new Kingdom of Skyrim.
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