I’ll be suggesting a few, related mods today, in hopes of capturing some bored modder’s attention. In addition, I am a college student about to head into a lazy summer, so if some friendly modder could teach me how to start off on my journey to modding, I would greatly appreciate it. However, given my naivety in this regard, I am unsure how easy or difficult any of my suggestions will be. In addition, given the subject matter, spoilers are ahead.

After the End – So, what happens after the Civil War?

I think something that most of us can agree on is that the Civil War quest was handled poorly. In order to combat this, some mod have been created that add pitched battles between Imperials and Stormcloaks to the game, or cause Imperial banners to fly or statues to disappear after the war. While good, I feel that modders should instead be focusing on the consequences of the Civil War in order to give it some weight, as well as offer many players the closure they expected to have in the rumored “Redguard DLC.” Therefore, I’ve suggested a few questlines and events be added to the game, resolving the immediate consequences of the Civil War. These are as follows:

-Settling remaining disputes and scouring Skyrim for remaining enemies

-King’s Moot

-Crowning Skyrim’s new leader

I will now divide these based on which faction won the war. Realize that by no means is this an exhaustive list of what I’d like. Instead, it is an outline, and I would be happy to craft a story with any prospective modders.

Settling Disputes

Imperial Victory:

-Announcement of Imperial Victory in Solitude. Large event where Ulfric’s Head is put on a pike. Tullius (and Emperor Mede, if still alive) speaks to a crowd about the Imperial Victory and what it means for Skyrim. He praises the Dragonborn’s Contribution. We could use the natural platform made by the ramp leading up to the blacksmith and the imperial garrison, or else use the Blue Palace.

-The crowd’s stirrings, following the announcement, could comment on the state of Skyrim following Imperial Victory. Who’s happy. Who’s upset. What they think will happen with the Thalmor. There could also be an attempt on Tullius’s life by remaining, Stormcloak dissidents. He’s shot town like Lokir.

-This sets the stage for the continued resistance. A member of the Penitus Oculatus or a similar “Imperial Special Forces” Agent character takes over, sending the Dragonborn out on missions to clear out the remaining Stormcloak camps in the east and fight mini Stormcloak bosses.

-The Imperial Agent sends the Dragonborn as a diplomat to Markarth. There you must speak with Jarl Igmund about the Empire’s plans to allow Talos worship to slowly trickle in once more, in exchange for Imperial support. Imperial banners fly through Markarth.

+Possibly have the Blades follow the Dragonborn in service of the Empire and the Imperial Agent. Some Blades relocate to the derelict shrine of Talos in Markarth.

-The Imperial Agent tells the Dragonborn of an assassination plot involving Balgruuf, as revenge for siding with the Imperials. Balgruuf needs to be alive to support Elisif in the coming Moot. You attend a feast at Dragonsreach and through dialogue options have to find out who the assassin is.

+There could be various options – kill the assassin quietly, have Balgruuf’s guards arrest him, or confront him in front of everyone.

-Either way, through questioning or a note found on his body, the Imperial Agent discovers there is a last Stormcloak leader who he sends you to arrest him (using a speech skill option or beating him down) so that he will formally surrender. However, the Thalmor assassinate him, thus elongating the conflict. You kill the Thalmor involved that were meant to assassinate you as well and report to the Imperial Agent.

-Worried about what the Thalmor are doing, but confident the Stormcloak resistance is weakened, the Agent and Tullius wait for the Kings Moot and hope to make Elisif High Queen.

Stormcloak Victory:

-Ulfric announces his victory at Windhelm from his keep to a group of couriers which he sends to all the holds. He says the Dragonborn was integral to Stormcloak victory, but, ever the ego-centric leader, gives himself a lot of credit. He is also wearing the Jagged Crown now.

-All Imperial camps scattered through Skyrim are gone. Didn’t make much sense for a centralized military to have such camps anyway.

-Ulfric plans to force Elisif to marry him in order to stop any future threats to his legitimacy and secure control over Solitude. He sends the Dragonborn to collect her from Solitude, but it turns out the Penitus Oculatus is trying to secret her away on a ship. You fight through the Penitus Oculatus and capture her.

-Despite Tullius’s defeat, the Imperials have not given up. Scouts report a column of Imperial troops heading up from Cyrodiil on the Bruma road. Ulfric sends you with Galmar Stonefist and a group of Stormcloak guerilla fighters to ambush the Imperial wagon train in southern Skyrim. This would involve your group charging into a road where many imperial soldiers are, along with a few of the “broken wagon” models that are used throughout Skyrim. Your “reward” is looting the many boxes full of alchemical “supplies” and fighting an Imperial leader.

-An Imperial plot to put Maven Black-Briar in control of Riften is discovered. Rather than defend her at a banquet, you initiate an assault on the Black-Briar Brewery with Galmar Stonefist and the Stormcloaks against Imperial agents and Black-Briar henchmen. Maven is imprisoned, but buys her way out by promising Ulfric heavy taxes to support his fledgling regime.

-Confident that he is positioned well, Ulfric waits for the Kings Moot that will make him High King.

King's Moot

(More to come)

Skyrim and the Thalmor

(More to come)