f1onagher
Well-known member
The general failure of Bethesda's worldbuilding doesn't really need any explanation. They created a static open world with a theoretically dynamic narrative and it ended up being a supreme disappointment. So I had a thought, why don't we try and apply some meat to the bones as a thought exercise? I'll proffer my own as an example and then anyone can feel free to chime in expounding my ideas or offering their own.
So here's my thought process:
The war with the Thalmor was an economic catastrophe. It wasn't just that the Thalmor walked into the Imperial capitol and demanded they sign papers, nor was it that the Imperial legions were beaten like a game of chess. The war sapped the economic engines of the Empire, depriving it of the labor force, financial resources, and internal trade that the Empire typically ran on. This was of course following the Oblivion Crisis, the loss of legitimized rule after Martin died, and the various spin off crisis that resulted from that. Long and short, the insides of the Empire caved in and they had to sue for peace lest they canabalize the Empire itself to continue the war effort.
This of course didn't sit well with the forcefully demobilized legionaries. After years of grueling war they were returned home in ignominious defeat, only to find that home was gone too. With the collapse of the economy Skyrim shrank. There was no longer sufficient tax revenue to maintain the forts and patrols that protected internal trade, not that there was a manpower pool big enough either. Bandits started to strangle trade that was already shrinking due to population retractions thanks to the war. The tax burden to fund the war hurt everyone and dead husbands and fathers collapsed families across the region.
Out of this chaos spiral emerges not just bandits, but the usually suppressed warlocks, hags, vampires, and dark mages that always think that their dreams are just one more human sacrifice away. More generic rebellions like that of the Forsworn pick up as soldiers leave the region. These forces tear the region up even further, driving the rural economy into collapse by raiding farms and woodsmen, which further shrinks the population centers. Those that can leave for more stable region do, further exacerbating the manpower shortage.
Then thousands of angry, disgruntled veterans return from the front. They're unhappy, likely unpaid, and many lost everything they ever had. That means more bandits and mercenaries in a region now racked with violence and instability. The Empire isn't any help. They're trying to stabilize the entire empire, so Skyrim gets told to hang in there, they'll be around to help someday. That flies about as well as a lead balloon, especially if Imperial taxes are still being extracted. Why bleed and pay to support an Empire that hangs you out to dry?
So Ulfric, a powerful noble and decorated war veteran decides to take matters into his own hands. If Skyrim can attain independence from the Empire it can have the freedom to see to its own house. There's doubtless a moral and tribal element to the decision too. Nords are supposed to be a strong hardy people, capable of beating any problem bare handed if necessary. Clearly the weak, cosmopolitan Empire has corrupted the Nords with their love of money and materialism. The fact that a martially weak king backed by wealthy merchants is currently abiding over Skyrim's darkest days is proof of this.
So Ulfric rebels, kills King Torygg to destabilize the loyalists, and tries to scramble for the upper hand amidst the chaos of Skyrim. He is frustrated by two forces outside of the general chaos in the region. Jarl Balgruuf of Whiterun isn't an idiot and sees a civil war as a further detriment to an already collapsing Skyrim. He declares the central crossroads of Whitrun neutral, blocking strategic movement for both sides, a state of affairs that favors the loyalists. The other is that the Empire now can't afford to ignore Skyrim anymore. They can't afford to lose another province, so they're sending in the big guns and despite Ulfric's opinions its clear that many Nords don't want to cut ties with the Empire. So the legions swell to counter the Stormcloaks with every passing week.
The Thalmor obviously work in the background to make things worse, this entire scenario is to their advantage. Then there's the return of the dragons, the escalating conflicts between vampires, cults and their hunters in the background. And of course the Dragonborn. All in all, a lovely mess.
So what are y'all's thoughts? What are ways for Skyrim to rebuild and do you think that there's a path forward for an independent Skyrim if Ulfric wins?