The Dragonborn could easily either challenge Ulfric to a duel or even storm Windhelm herself and defeat him. So why isn't the Dragonborn ever given such a mission by Tullius? It would end the war over-night and save the lives of countless brave Nords on both sides to fight against the Aldmeri Dominion in the upcoming war Tullius and Rikke say is imminent.

basically making a whole questline into one quest.

Because Tullius wants the credit its all about playing the politics

I have wondered something like this.

Ulfric bases his claim on the fact that Torygg was unable to defend himself against Ulfric in a duel he couldn't refuse if he wanted to preserve his honor.
So doesn't that mean that anyone is free to go and kill the High King, or at least try it?

Sounds pretty Byzantine to me, and we all know how that story ended.

P.S. As for OP, it's just a gameplay quirk. Jarls are public figures and reaching them should be easy so they can't do it like New Vegas where they important folks hidden for most of the game.

If such a bleak view on his motives is accurate, then putting down the rebellion in a single day would look far more impressive on his resume. Tullius has never shown any interest in politics and his entire character seems to be based off being exhausted from not understanding it.

because there is never said, that you are a nord that honors the old traditions

Because they couldn't come up with a better questline. I'd prefer it if Ulfric was under heavy protection, and if you even punched him 20 Stormcloaks in steel plate would attack you. The same with Tullius. But hey, what can you do eh?

You got a point there. Hmmm?

I guess that would be too much like 'Troy'.

I think so too, a simple security area or a large group of elite guards, like what was done the Kaiser in New Vegas. You had to give up all your weapons and he was surrounded by several uber guards that beat you down with powerfists in a mater of moments. It was still possible to kill him, but it was far from easy.

It is Kinda like a Medieval Standoff.

They are a bunch of unfair cowards in New Vegas then. Them punk ass [censored]es. They can svck my you know what.

No such thing as fair or unfair in war, it's about securing as much of an advantage as you possibly can so you win.

To force Ulfric haters to sit around sticking pins in their Ulfric voodoo dolls shouting "FOR THE EMPIRE! FOR THE EMPIRE!"

Exactly. I think that in the next TES things like this will be more polished, but for now we have to overlook things like this.

For the Empire, Skyrim, Talos, and the restoration of its their honor.

I have to agree, if you have seen Breaking Bad you will know the measures that can be taken against people who ask you to surrender your weapons while carrying weapons themselves.

In theory, yes, but since only another Jarl can be elected to fill the position once it's vacant (and arguably that only happens if there is no surviving blood heir), what would be the point of doing that if you're not a Jarl yourself? It might prove that the current ruler isn't "fit" to rule but beating him/her yourself wouldn't put you on the throne and it wouldn't score any points for any of the people who would be in line for the job since they're not the ones who issued the challenge and was proved the better warrior by winning it.

And I suspect that in terms of the tradition itself, challenging the High ruler like that was something that could only be done by another Jarl - someone who, if he or she won the challenge, was already pre-qualified to be awarded the throne as a result if the Moot saw fit.

If there comes an option to challenge Ulfric for the crown, I'll do it. I agree with his politics, but that doesn't mean he's a better leader than the Last Dragonborn, the Shezzarine, the Last Letter of Lorkhan, the Fourth and Final Face of Talos, Ysmir, and all that jazz.

But you can only challenge the High King as a jarl.

See. It's all to drive Ulfric voodoo doll sales in the new BethStore. Those sneaky BGSdevs.

Well, why didn't Frodo use the eagles to fly him directly to Mount Doom to drop the ring? Because it would have been such an awfully short story. But it would have saved him a long and tiresome journey...

I've been thinking of that many times, that it would be so easy just to waltz in to any palace and kill the Jarl right there, be it Ulfric, Elisif or anyone (if we ignore their essential tags, of course). Of course, anyone who tried this would immediately be jumped by the housecarl and a bunch of guards, but the Jarl would still be dead and a true fanatic wouldn't care if he/she died in the process.




(I used to be mad that the second Boethiah quest where you got to kill Elisif was never implemented in the game, because I wanted her clothes. Then I got a PC instead. )