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[odin toelust]

FFS. Lydia won't exit Shalidor's Maze. She's just stuck there. I tell her to open the door to Skyrim and she says 'can't do that, sorry.' It wouldn't be such a problem but I'm not allowed to use any companions now even though I asked her to leave. I have no idea what to do now.

Kill her?

 

[BeeDog]

For fuck's sake, this game is pissing me off. (((

I just noticed that for some stupid reason, my Two-Handed skill is marked as red and at level 15, when it was around ~85. I was just able to unlock a 2H perk that requires lvl 80, so something strange's up. I tried visiting the various shrines to cure myself of diseases, but it didn't seem to help. I also have beast blood, so I shouldn't get diseases either way, right?

Heeeeelp!

 

[SmellyHands]

FFS. Lydia won't exit Shalidor's Maze. She's just stuck there. I tell her to open the door to Skyrim and she says 'can't do that, sorry.' It wouldn't be such a problem but I'm not allowed to use any companions now even though I asked her to leave. I have no idea what to do now.

Can you even ask her to wait? I've left a companion waiting in a shop while I did some thieving and completely forgot to go back and get her. After I remembered where I left her, she had disappeared and reappeared back at my house.

 

[odin toelust]

For fuck's sake, this game is pissing me off. (((

I just noticed that for some stupid reason, my Two-Handed skill is marked as red and at level 15, when it was around ~85. I was just able to unlock a 2H perk that requires lvl 80, so something strange's up. I tried visiting the various shrines to cure myself of diseases, but it didn't seem to help. I also have beast blood, so I shouldn't get diseases either way, right?

Heeeeelp!

If you are playing on PC you should be able to change it via the console

 

[Lakitu]

Kill her?

I guess I'll try that, but I'll feel horrible.

Can you even ask her to wait? I've left a companion waiting in a shop while I did some thieving and completely forgot to go back and get her. After I remembered where I left her, she had disappeared and reappeared back at my house.

I've done everything, there's something wrong with the AI in this particular area. Also, I can't fast travel from there either. I must have left her there for like a week.

 

[BeeDog]

If you are playing on PC you should be able to change it via the console

I see that as a last resort, since I don't want to risk locking out Steam cheevos because I'm changing console values.

Is there any rational explanation why it's marked as red and has dropped so radically?

 

[Epix]

Are you supposed to be finding Word Walls by chance? I haven't done a ton of free exploration and I feel like I'm grossly behind in shout development.

 

[RadAndrew502]

FFS. Lydia won't exit Shalidor's Maze. She's just stuck there. I tell her to open the door to Skyrim and she says 'can't do that, sorry.' It wouldn't be such a problem but I'm not allowed to use any companions now even though I asked her to leave. I have no idea what to do now.

If you just leave the area she should just spawn outside. Works every time for me.

 

[Uno Venova]

FFS. Lydia won't exit Shalidor's Maze. She's just stuck there. I tell her to open the door to Skyrim and she says 'can't do that, sorry.' It wouldn't be such a problem but I'm not allowed to use any companions now even though I asked her to leave. I have no idea what to do now.

Similar thing happened with Marcurio, had to kill him and take what I could carry.

Still no one I've found is as good as him.

 

[Lakitu]

If you just leave the area she should just spawn outside. Works every time for me.

I've done that over and over. She just won't leave. It's so frustrating.

Similar thing happened with Marcurio, had to kill him and take what I could carry.

Still no one I've found is as good as him.

I killed her as well. Yet still I can't take companions with me.

 

[Christine]

I pick Imperial simply because I like Tullius a lot better than Ulfric.

I don't know that it ultimately matters all that much, though. The Thalmor don't want either side to win, they want the war to continue indefinitely so that it continues to weaken the Empire. Either decision you make brings an end to the stalemate of the local conflict, thereby ending the hiatus in the greater conflict with the Aldmeri Dominion. I will be quite surprised if this plot isn't explored further through DLC.

I think either resolution can be seen as interregnum. Whether it's a Nordic High King or a high-ranking Legionnaire General that reunifies Skyrim (and probably later the Empire), there's going to be so much struggle before peace and prosperity can be reclaimed that it will effectively constitute an entirely new dynasty--i.e., it's not Tiber Septim's Empire anymore.

 

[The Albatross]

Kill her?

I killed Lydia by accident. Wasn't too broken up about it, hated her attitude. And then I got another companion, the one who challenges you to a fight in Whiterun and for some reason becomes your best friend when you kick her ass, and then in the NEXT quest I accidentally killed her. The other person I killed was a total pacifist, wouldn't attach at all unless I was in severe trouble. She even took an arrow to the face and didn't do anything about it.

So now I've got Erik the Slayer, I love him. He's a well rounded companion who likes using axes and shit and he liberally attacks... Just my style.

 

[DownLikeBCPowder]

Though, at least to my understanding, the Empire only allows this as a condition of the continued peace between themselves and the Dominion. They are just really desperate to not set off another war which they don't think they're in any shape to fight, and are buying time until they're fully prepared.

Other than that, the Empire seemed like a much better entity than the Stormcloaks, who are essentially the game's equivalent of Nazis.

How are the Stormcloaks like Nazis? If they are, so too would the Empire be for just the aforementioned reasons! The Thalmor are like Gestapo as far as their operations within Skyrim are concerned, not to mention their genocidal desires (and the Empire declared "peace" with these folks and allow them to conduct such behavior within the boundaries of the Empire). Hammerfell split because the Empire left them high and dry, there's no reason Skyrim can't too.

The Empire just did what they had to do to survive. I doubt the Imperials liked giving up Talos worship either: there's probably plenty of people still worshipping him in Cyrodiil, too. The Empire just doesn't want to plunge head-first into another war without being prepared. Skyrim's been a part of the Empire for more than a thousand years, they practically founded it, after all. The Empire didn't just waltz in one day and declared they owned the land, they weren't even a 'foreign occupier' at all until Ulfric decided he wanted to sit on the throne and murder the High King. That's what brought Tullius and the Legion there: before, Skyrim was perfectly left alone to do what they wanted for the most part, because they practically founded the Empire in the first place. All these Stormcloaks crying for independence are a bunch of babies who have the foresight of a teaspoon.
.

Right, the entity itself did what it had to do to survive, even if it's archaic or futile and crumbling. There's no doubt those in power will sell out those without a voice if it allows them to grasp that power for just a little longer. Skyrim and the internal struggles are not the only evidence of this as mentioned.

The fact that the empire was "practically founded" by the Nords make this kind of transgression all the worse, so I always fail to grasp this argument.

 

[PumpkinPie]

I waited 90 hours before I even started the Companions quests, thinking they would be boring. I really wish I had done them sooner, they are awesome!

 

[Blue Ninja]

Right, the entity itself did what it had to do to survive, even if it's archaic or futile and crumbling. There's no doubt those in power will sell out those without a voice if it allows them to grasp that power for just a little longer. Skyrim and the internal struggles are not the only evidence of this as mentioned.

The fact that the empire was "practically founded" by the Nords make this kind of transgression all the worse, so I always fail to grasp this argument.

If this were any other case, I would probably agree with you. But, I don't think you understand the threat the Thalmor pose. This isn't some political war. They don't want to supplant the Empire and rule over man, they want to eradicate the human races from the world and 'restore' Tamriel to the Merethic Era. That's been their intent since the day their party was founded.

The Empire had its back to the wall. If they didn't sign the Concordat, the Aldmeri would've destroyed all Imperials, Nords, Redguards, Bretons, and probably the Dunmer too out of spite. You and I both know the Concordat won't last longer than a few years at most, whining about losing the right to publicly worship one of your gods in the face of annihilation is, well, petty, idiotic and stupid beyond belief. Make no mistake, if Ulfric were to win, his head would adorn the walls of an Elven-controlled Windhelm within months.

 

[ShinNL]

I killed Lydia by accident. Wasn't too broken up about it, hated her attitude. And then I got another companion, the one who challenges you to a fight in Whiterun and for some reason becomes your best friend when you kick her ass, and then in the NEXT quest I accidentally killed her. The other person I killed was a total pacifist, wouldn't attach at all unless I was in severe trouble. She even took an arrow to the face and didn't do anything about it.

So now I've got Erik the Slayer, I love him. He's a well rounded companion who likes using axes and shit and he liberally attacks... Just my style.

...

 

[Madds]

For fuck's sake, this game is pissing me off. (((

I just noticed that for some stupid reason, my Two-Handed skill is marked as red and at level 15, when it was around ~85. I was just able to unlock a 2H perk that requires lvl 80, so something strange's up. I tried visiting the various shrines to cure myself of diseases, but it didn't seem to help. I also have beast blood, so I shouldn't get diseases either way, right?

Heeeeelp!

This happened to my archery skill. The next time the skill leveled up, the red went away and my normal level returned. Try leveling your two-handed or paying someone to train it up.

 

[bengraven]

I pick Imperial simply because I like Tullius a lot better than Ulfric.

I don't know that it ultimately matters all that much, though. The Thalmor don't want either side to win, they want the war to continue indefinitely so that it continues to weaken the Empire. Either decision you make brings an end to the stalemate of the local conflict, thereby ending the hiatus in the greater conflict with the Aldmeri Dominion. I will be quite surprised if this plot isn't explored further through DLC.

I think either resolution can be seen as interregnum. Whether it's a Nordic High King or a high-ranking Legionnaire General that reunifies Skyrim (and probably later the Empire), there's going to be so much struggle before peace and prosperity can be reclaimed that it will effectively constitute an entirely new dynasty--i.e., it's not Tiber Septim's Empire anymore.

I thought the Thalmor were allied with the Imperials? It was my #1 reason for not going Imperial.

 

[Chris R]

So the dog is the best "companion" I've come across so far. Almost wanted to keep him with me forever, but I always roll solo.

 

[maniac-kun]

I was playing a new char (thief) and i decided to help the Stormcloaks and it was great until i had to

Spoiler

conquer Whiterun. I couldnt attack Jarl Balgruuf He is like a bro.

.
After that i never touched that char again.

 

[Blue Ninja]

I thought the Thalmor were allied with the Imperials? It was my #1 reason for not going Imperial.

Not really. They just 'tolerate' each other because they're too weak to take each other on right now. And behind the scenes,

Spoiler

the Thalmor are supporting both sides

. They want this war to weaken the Empire, because that'll further their own goals.

And for those, see above.

 

[AEREC]

I was playing a new char (thief) and i decided to help the Stormcloaks and it was great until i had to

Spoiler

conquer Whiterun. I couldnt attack the Jarl of Whiterun He is like a bro.

.
After that i never touched that char again.

Ya that part felt a little awkward since I had just been helping that Jarl out as well... but he was given a choice and he decided to go with the empire.

 

[DownLikeBCPowder]

If this were any other case, I would probably agree with you. But, I don't think you understand the threat the Thalmor pose. This isn't some political war. They don't want to supplant the Empire and rule over man, they want to eradicate the human races from the world and 'restore' Tamriel to the Merethic Era. That's been their intent since the day their party was founded.

The Empire had its back to the wall. If they didn't sign the Concordat, the Aldmeri would've destroyed all Imperials, Nords, Redguards, Bretons, and probably the Dunmer too out of spite. You and I both know the Concordat won't last longer than a few years at most, whining about losing the right to publicly worship one of your gods in the face of annihilation is, well, petty, idiotic and stupid beyond belief. Make no mistake, if Ulfric were to win, his head would adorn the walls of an Elven-controlled Windhelm within months.

I disagree that they didn't have any choice but to sign this agreement. What about Hammerfell? When they signed off part of their country as part of this "agreement" they, rightfully, said "hell no". There's no reason Skyrim shouldn't do the same.

The fact that the Empire is allowing these killers access to prey on civilians with really no recourse goes to illustrate that this group of leaders no longer represents the interest of those it claims to rule. I do agree that this treaty won't last, even more reason to have not supported the sham. I'd say you're better to die fighting for that right to be free than bowing to the enemy and allowing their secret police access to your people while awaiting a slow descent into irrelevance and concession.

I thought the Thalmor were allied with the Imperials? It was my #1 reason for not going Imperial.

They might as well be for t he sake of this scenario.

 

[GhaleonEB]

If this were any other case, I would probably agree with you. But, I don't think you understand the threat the Thalmor pose. This isn't some political war. They don't want to supplant the Empire and rule over man, they want to eradicate the human races from the world and 'restore' Tamriel to the Merethic Era. That's been their intent since the day their party was founded.

The Empire had its back to the wall. If they didn't sign the Concordat, the Aldmeri would've destroyed all Imperials, Nords, Redguards, Bretons, and probably the Dunmer too out of spite. You and I both know the Concordat won't last longer than a few years at most, whining about losing the right to publicly worship one of your gods in the face of annihilation is, well, petty, idiotic and stupid beyond belief. Make no mistake, if Ulfric were to win, his head would adorn the walls of an Elven-controlled Windhelm within months.

An assessment that ignores this:

Some of these Empire "arguments" are a joke (granted this is a game, so let's not take any of it too seriously ). Consider this: the Empire allows the Thalmor essentially free reign with what is practically their version of the Inquisition. They literally have (or would seek to have) inquisitors installed throughout Skyrim (completely foreign territory) that enforce religious protocol that they deem fit (as established with their little treaty). Further they whisk away supporters in what are essentially black bag tactics, off to be tortured and murdered or held indefinitely. This is glossed over frequently enough. Skyrim wouldn't be the only province to reject the Empire.

I get the impression that the ban on Talos worship was the icing on the cake. I think it's reasonable to understand whey they object to the situation. You plainly have a deeper grasp of the lore than I, but I think you're presenting a pretty one-sided view.

 

[someguyinahat]

I've done that over and over. She just won't leave. It's so frustrating.



I killed her as well. Yet still I can't take companions with me.

Did you try leaving, then fast travelling to the very location you were?

 

[Blue Ninja]

I disagree that they didn't have any choice but to sign this agreement. What about Hammerfell? When they signed off part of their country as part of this "agreement" they, rightfully, said "hell no". There's no reason Skyrim shouldn't do the same.

Of course they had a choice: die with certainty soon, or maybe not die later. They made the right one, imo.

And Hammerfell is still fighting. And losing. The Redguards are the most talented warriors in Tamriel, and even they won't be able to stop the Aldmeri onslaught. The Empire did the wise thing by signing that treaty, at least now they can rebuild their strength and boot the Aldmeri back the way they came. This won't end until the Crystal Tower falls.

The fact that the Empire is allowing these killers access to prey on civilians with really no recourse goes to illustrate that this group of leaders no longer represents the interest of those it claims to rule. I do agree that this treaty won't last, even more reason to have not supported the sham. I'd say you're better to die fighting for that right to be free than bowing to the enemy and allowing their secret police access to your people while awaiting a slow descent into irrelevance and concession.

I agree about the Thalmor rounding up civilians, it's despicable. But it's something the Empire won't be able to do anything about until they regain their strength: when the Stormcloaks stop crying about Talos and do the sensible thing for once. Unite, boot the Thalmor out of Skyrim, Hammerfell and Cyrodiil, drive them from Elsweyr and Valenwood and chase 'em all the way to Summerset Isle if need be. That's the only way this war will end, which is something Tullius himself acknowledges at the end of the Imperial questline. That, however, is impossible with everyone fighting because they feel butthurt.

You're better to die for your right to be free, you say? Perhaps. But if everyone dies for their right to be free, nobody will be free. And the Dominion will have won.

I get the impression that the ban on Talos worship was the icing on the cake. I think it's reasonable to understand whey they object to the situation. You plainly have a deeper grasp of the lore than I, but I think you're presenting a pretty one-sided view.

That's pretty much all the Stormcloak rebellion is, though. People were feeling unhappy about Talos worship being banned and Ulfric, as many people in-game state, "only cares about Ulfric". He wanted his crown, so he united the people tired of the Empire under his banner and went to war. It didn't help that many people shared his anti-Dunmer (well, basically anti-everything) sentiments, either. The ban was the only thing the Nords really had anything to complain about: before that, the Empire was as much part of the Nord's culture as mead and axes. It wasn't the oppressive entity the Stormcloaks forced it to become: it was just there, in the background. It was an idea.

And I dunno, I kinda like discussing shit like this. :lol It's more entertaining than discussing my own national politics, that's for sure.

 

[eso76]

i love how lidya spawns storm atronachs and unleashes walls of flames against level 1 sewer rats, often resulting in her hitting my dog and pissing him off.
then dog assaults her, she kills dog.

fucking bitch, how dare you touch my dog.

 

[Blue Ninja]

i love how lidya spawns storm atronachs and unleashes walls of flames against level 1 sewer rats, often resulting in her hitting my dog and pissing him off.
then dog assaults her, she kills dog.

fucking bitch, how dare you touch my dog.

There's only one solution. Fus Ro Dah her off the throat of the world.

 

[drizzle]

I thought the Thalmor were allied with the Imperials? It was my #1 reason for not going Imperial.

The imperials made a peace treaty with the Thalmor to end the war. The price was to outlaw Talos worship and allow the Thalmor to see everything that happens in the empire.

However, the Thalmor don't really want peace with the empire, they want to take control of everything - thus, why the war is a good thing: It weakens the empire as a whole.

If you read the Thalmor Dossier on Ulfric, you can get a clearer view of what's happening

Spoiler

Ulfric was manipulated by the Thalmor in the first place, and is classified as a "sleeper agent". The Dossier even talks about how a Nord victory on the Civil War is not a good deal either

Hell, if you read a couple more books, you'll even see that the Empire allowed parts of Skyrim to worship Talos, going directly against the concordat. Even they (the empire) think it's bullshit. They really had no choice.

 

[GhaleonEB]

That's pretty much all the Stormcloak rebellion is, though. People were feeling unhappy about Talos worship being banned and Ulfric, as many people in-game state, "only cares about Ulfric". He wanted his crown, so he united the people tired of the Empire under his banner and went to war. The ban was the only thing the Nords really had anything to complain about: before that, the Empire was as much part of the Nord's culture as mead and axes.

And I dunno, I kinda like discussing shit like this. :lol It's more entertaining than discussing my own national politics, that's for sure.

So true. Though to make a parallel, I'm more sympathetic to the outrage the ban on Talos worship has fostered, which you keep dismissing. It would be like banning Christianity in the US. Plenty of other religions to choose from, right? Don't worry, this pact might fall apart eventually, no big deal. One can imagine why that wouldn't go over well. (I'm a non-believing heathen, myself.) Not a perfect comparison I know, but I keep seeing the ban on Talos worship dismissed when I imagine it runs a bit deeper than that in Skyrim.

 

[Uno Venova]

Me and my new companion Aela shows up at a Forsworn camp,started picking them off but then a couple witches show up and spawn frost atronachs, start slinging fire and ice spikes around. Then a freaking blood dragon shows up, sooo hectic, the framerate took a huge hit during that huge battle. I'm surprise my PS3 didn't melt. that's enough Skyrim for today lol.

 

[Blue Ninja]

So true. Though to make a parallel, I'm more sympathetic to the outrage the ban on Talos worship has fostered, which you keep dismissing. It would be like banning Christianity in the US. Plenty of other religions to choose from, right? Don't worry, this pact might fall apart eventually, no big deal. One can imagine why that wouldn't go over well. (I'm a non-believing heathen, myself.) Not a perfect comparison I know, but I keep seeing the ban on Talos worship dismissed when I imagine it runs a bit deeper than that in Skyrim.

Good point. Basically, why I'm dismissing the ban as a 'big deal' is that, even in Imperial-controlled areas like Whiterun, Talos worship is still pretty much allowed, just not officially. I doubt any of the town guards, even in Solitude, would raise a blade to someone who admitted to worshipping Talos. The Stormcloaks really opposed the idea and went to war when Ulfric decided he could use 'em to become High King. That's when the Thalmor came in, riding on the Legion's coattails. (Well, techically, they came in after the Markarth Incident, but that's just semantics.)

I'm definitely sympathetic to the Nords feeling outraged, make no mistake.

 

[Deleted member 17706]

If you read the Thalmor Dossier on Ulfric, you can get a clearer view of what's happening

Spoiler

Ulfric was manipulated by the Thalmor in the first place, and is classified as a "sleeper agent". The Dossier even talks about how a Nord victory on the Civil War is not a good deal either

This is precisely what caused me to restart my game.

When I discovered that Ulfric

Spoiler

was a sleeper agent for the Thalmor, but the game wouldn't allow me to do anything about it

, I simply couldn't continue supporting the Storm Cloaks.

 

[eso76]

There's only one solution. Fus Ro Dah her off the throat of the world.

heh i already have to fus ro dah her everywhere.
i was clearing this dungeon with a huge hole in the ground earlier, and she wouldnt jump off with me.
hole in one, bitch.
oh looks like you have tons of undead guys down there.
*pushes select, waits one hour*
how is it going down there ?

 

[Blue Ninja]

This is precisely what caused me to restart my game.

When I discovered that Ulfric

Spoiler

was a sleeper agent for the Thalmor, but the game wouldn't allow me to do anything about

, I simply couldn't continue supporting the Storm Cloaks.

To be fair, though,

Spoiler

he tried cutting ties with the Thalmor. They still support his war effort to an extent, though. I wonder how the Stormcloaks would feel if they learned the Thalmor were planning on saving Ulfric themselves.

:lol

Anyways, good discussion around, but I'm tired as shit, so I might just call it a day now.

 

[drizzle]

There's also the fact that took a Dragonborn to unite the empire.

You're Dragonborn, and you're going to help the separatists? That's not cool.

 

[MWS Natural]

Haven't had any slowdown on the 360 yet. Level 36 and game saves don't seem to be getting bigger than ~9mb.

Still amazed by how smooth this game runs, after console Oblivion.

If you make multiple saves does it all count under the same savefile size? I have about 20 different save instances.

 

[GaimeGuy]

i'm not sure, but I think some of t he combat skills turn "red" if you overuse them within a short period too much.


it's basically a fatigue system.

 

[The Librarian]

So true. Though to make a parallel, I'm more sympathetic to the outrage the ban on Talos worship has fostered, which you keep dismissing. It would be like banning Christianity in the US. Plenty of other religions to choose from, right? Don't worry, this pact might fall apart eventually, no big deal. One can imagine why that wouldn't go over well. (I'm a non-believing heathen, myself.) Not a perfect comparison I know, but I keep seeing the ban on Talos worship dismissed when I imagine it runs a bit deeper than that in Skyrim.

Good point. Basically, why I'm dismissing the ban as a 'big deal' is that, even in Imperial-controlled areas like Whiterun, Talos worship is still pretty much allowed, just not officially. I doubt any of the town guards, even in Solitude, would raise a blade to someone who admitted to worshipping Talos. The Stormcloaks really opposed the idea and went to war when Ulfric decided he could use 'em to become High King. That's when the Thalmor came in, riding on the Legion's coattails. (Well, techically, they came in after the Markarth Incident, but that's just semantics.)

I'm definitely sympathetic to the Nords feeling outraged, make no mistake.

I need to stop trying to grasp my head around what you two are talking about.

Twenty more days...

 

[Hank Scorpio]

Frost the Horse mission question:

Spoiler

so I have the option to inform Maven Black-Briar of her son's scheme with Louis Letrush. I'm wondering if not informing her will piss her and the Thieve's Guild off. I've just joined the TG. A couple of their members advised me to be careful with this quest.

Are the consequences if I don't tell her?

 

[kittens]

Companions just piss me off, period. I roll solo.

 

[BeeDog]

This happened to my archery skill. The next time the skill leveled up, the red went away and my normal level returned. Try leveling your two-handed or paying someone to train it up.

Thanks, this worked!

 

[DRock]

For fuck's sake, this game is pissing me off. (((

I just noticed that for some stupid reason, my Two-Handed skill is marked as red and at level 15, when it was around ~85. I was just able to unlock a 2H perk that requires lvl 80, so something strange's up. I tried visiting the various shrines to cure myself of diseases, but it didn't seem to help. I also have beast blood, so I shouldn't get diseases either way, right?

Heeeeelp!

I have the same issue except with my archery skill. The text is red on the perk screen and it shows level 15. It shows the correct number when buying perks though. I wish I knew what causes it.

x360 version.

edit: I'll have to try that Madds!

 

[DownLikeBCPowder]

Good point. Basically, why I'm dismissing the ban as a 'big deal' is that, even in Imperial-controlled areas like Whiterun, Talos worship is still pretty much allowed, just not officially. I doubt any of the town guards, even in Solitude, would raise a blade to someone who admitted to worshipping Talos. The Stormcloaks really opposed the idea and went to war when Ulfric decided he could use 'em to become High King. That's when the Thalmor came in, riding on the Legion's coattails. (Well, techically, they came in after the Markarth Incident, but that's just semantics.)

I'm definitely sympathetic to the Nords feeling outraged, make no mistake.

Sure. It's "allowed" until the Justicars come along and happen upon you, or hear of you from someone else. Once again, this dismisses the troubling element of foreigners enforcing religious protocol through cloak and dagger or violence with official sanction from your "guardians" at the top. Yeah, no.

Of course they had a choice: die with certainty soon, or maybe not die later. They made the right one, imo.

And Hammerfell is still fighting. And losing. The Redguards are the most talented warriors in Tamriel, and even they won't be able to stop the Aldmeri onslaught. The Empire did the wise thing by signing that treaty, at least now they can rebuild their strength and boot the Aldmeri back the way they came. This won't end until the Crystal Tower falls.

And thus my point. Hammerfell is still fighting. How much better off would Hammerfell be if the Empire didn't sell them to retain a seat of power and instead came to their aid? Hammerfell is fighting the good fight and deserves support, not abandonment.

My primary point is this: at what point will the Emperor decide the whole of Skyrim, not just Talos, is worthy of a trade for retaining power.

I agree about the Thalmor rounding up civilians, it's despicable. But it's something the Empire won't be able to do anything about until they regain their strength: when the Stormcloaks stop crying about Talos and do the sensible thing for once. Unite, boot the Thalmor out of Skyrim, Hammerfell and Cyrodiil, drive them from Elsweyr and Valenwood and chase 'em all the way to Summerset Isle if need be. That's the only way this war will end, which is something Tullius himself acknowledges at the end of the Imperial questline. That, however, is impossible with everyone fighting because they feel butthurt.

What makes you think Hammerfell wants anything to do with the Empire anymore?

You're better to die for your right to be free, you say? Perhaps. But if everyone dies for their right to be free, nobody will be free. And the Dominion will have won.

You're assuming that fighting is fruitless and will always result in Elven supremacy. I happen to have the alternate view that supporting the Empire leads to an inevitable list of concessions until there is nothing left for the archaic institution to give. It has already sold out on several fundamental levels, I can see how many civilians decline the authority at this point.

 

[Zero Hero]

Companions just piss me off, period. I roll solo.

Word. I had a merc for a few quests and did very well for me. I gave him a nice weapon and armor only to see him shoved into an abyss by a dwemmer piston. I could have really used that sword he was using back. I'm not investing in them anymore.

 

[krioto]

Companions just piss me off, period. I roll solo.

Yep - conjured dremora lords > companions

 

[Deified Data]

If this were any other case, I would probably agree with you. But, I don't think you understand the threat the Thalmor pose. This isn't some political war. They don't want to supplant the Empire and rule over man, they want to eradicate the human races from the world and 'restore' Tamriel to the Merethic Era. That's been their intent since the day their party was founded.

The Empire had its back to the wall. If they didn't sign the Concordat, the Aldmeri would've destroyed all Imperials, Nords, Redguards, Bretons, and probably the Dunmer too out of spite. You and I both know the Concordat won't last longer than a few years at most, whining about losing the right to publicly worship one of your gods in the face of annihilation is, well, petty, idiotic and stupid beyond belief. Make no mistake, if Ulfric were to win, his head would adorn the walls of an Elven-controlled Windhelm within months.

Don't sell the Nords short, Ninja. Ulfric could probably last a year or two before the Thalmor crush him undertoe. The Nords are masters of warfare, after all.

But yeah, a united Empire is the only force that can stand up to the Thalmor. A sword sworn to Ulfric is a sword sworn to the Dominion. The Thalmor themselves spell this out plain as day. Of course, they'd love nothing more than to see both parties slug it out for decades, but a Stormcloak-controlled Skyrim is, to the Thalmor at least, the lesser of two evils.

 

[LowParry]

I have no idea how far into the game I am. I haven't really joined any "side" though I have finished a lot of city type quests and the school. Suppose it's better that I don't know because I'm having a lot of fun just finding things to do in the world. I really should start working on enchanting. What's the best place to start that?

 

[Rimfya]

I've accidental killed Aranea about 30 times, always reload the save. She rocks.

 

[GhaleonEB]

Good point. Basically, why I'm dismissing the ban as a 'big deal' is that, even in Imperial-controlled areas like Whiterun, Talos worship is still pretty much allowed, just not officially. I doubt any of the town guards, even in Solitude, would raise a blade to someone who admitted to worshipping Talos. The Stormcloaks really opposed the idea and went to war when Ulfric decided he could use 'em to become High King. That's when the Thalmor came in, riding on the Legion's coattails. (Well, techically, they came in after the Markarth Incident, but that's just semantics.)

I'm definitely sympathetic to the Nords feeling outraged, make no mistake.

Fair enough. I'm learning a lot of the background lore through this conversation, it's all quite interesting. I'm still not settled on what I think would be best tactically for the Stormcloaks/Nords, I just found myself understanding their position better at the time I ran into some rude Imperials on the road, sealing my alignment.

The back and forth has been illuminating, and just further highlights to me how well constructed the lore behind the war is. My second character will probably align with the Imperials just to I can see events from both sides.