Really? So they're planning a campaign of genocide? I hadn't noticed.
I've yet to see evidence that the Thalmor wish to commit genocide instead of reestablish an ancient empire which places Mer over Men. When one looks at Windhelm, in which Dunmer are restricted to the slums and Argonians were banned from the city by Ulfric himself, it's pretty obvious that Ulfric's plans for other races amounts to servitude (
and they'd better like it!). Sure, the Thalmor may drop all pretenses and openly enslave their conquered subjects, but that might be a bit of refreshing honesty on their side compared to the false liberty the Nord's promise for outsiders deemed "too different" to deserve rights.
There are differences between the groups but I never claimed that the Stormcloaks were the only "bad guys", nor am I even arguing that the Thalmor and Stormcloaks are exactly the same when it comes to undermining the common good. My original post referred to factions which the player can join as I've yet to see indications that we're allowed to become Thalmor agents. Stormcloaks (even Ulfric) have some redeeming features compared to the elven organization and despite seeing the evils of Stormcloak rule it can't be absolutely said that these will grow to the extent that they have in the new Aldmeri Dominion. Rather, my point was that Stormcloak ideology follows the same lines of thinking as the Thalmor's with regards to racial superiority, even if it has not reached the same intensity. Hence why I said Stormcloaks follow the Thalmor in spirit. Stormcloaks still need to be sneakier, more vicious against their own kind, and lose whatever vestiges of honor they have left before they're on the level of the Thalmor.
Spoiler He isn't really using tradition when its convient, he felt that if Torygg couldn't even defend himself there was no way he could defend skyrim. The challenge he issued was just according to tradition, if Torygg had declined then he was not fit to be High King, same if he lost, which he did. Ulfric also feels that a few Jarls could be bought out by the Empire, and if a moot was convined and Elisif crowned High Queen, everything he did would have been pointless.
Spoiler See, the whole idea that a young king should be able to match an accomplished legion veteran who used magic dragon shouting in single combat is something I find completely absurd, especially when used as evidence that Torygg was unfit for an administration role. Ulfric says that Torygg was too distracted by entertaining Elisif but when I looked at the way he ruled I quickly surmised that his opinion on the matter was rather worthless. By talking to Ulfric I realized that a part of what drove him was a love-affair with the old tales of great Nord hero-kings, and his other actions (such as making a last request for the Dragon-born to be the one who ends his life) only seem to support that hypothesis. I find that kind of ego poisonous to the role of leadership and harmful to the common good. He is the sort of person who I would never want to see anywhere close to the reigns of government.
» Tue Dec 13, 2011 2:32 am 
