Going by lore you don't need to be a master at restoration and enchantment. Given how common it is to find a shrine that heals throughout the series it stands to reason that shrine blessings are entirely man-made or simply a gameplay effect, my money is gameplay.

Hmm. Enchanting 100 perk of two enchantments on one item. One would need to create a Cure Disease object, but the second part Fortify Barter would actually be considerably stronger than the stock Zenithar blessing because Enchant 100 is wayyyy stronger than what the shrine blessing offers. (Especially if you add an Alchemy 100 Fortify Enchanting potion.)

Obviously, EVERY magical item in the game was created for the first time in the far distant past by some talented mage that was dabbling with creating new enchantments. The fact that there is no Cure Disease enchantment yet doesn't indicate so much that it's impossible. What is actually reflected is that Bethesda just never got around to working out the game mechanics of player-created enchantments. (LOTS of programming involved.)

Empire pretends they "think" there is only 8 to appease the Thalmor. The Thalmor no doubt will argue that passage was written by a man (human instead of elf), and that alone being reason enough to make the quote moot.

If you talk to Ulfric, he makes the point that he challenged the High King in Skyrim in fair fashion using old nord traditions and the king lost. So that puts it into a grey area if it truly would be "high treason" unless the Empire truly was ignoring nord tradition which is exactly what is getting Ulfric all worked up. However, I will agree that he when it's boiled down, he is after that throne for himself or else he would accept the moot if they voted in a different leader than him and the way he talks is not better than the Talmor attitudes. Haughtily thinking they will surely vote him in as the High King of Skyrim. It is this reason I wish there would have been gameplay to let the Dragonborn become leader of Skyrim sort of in the same way Talos might have (but not ascending to "godhood"), to sort out and (hopefully) unite warring factions.

Perhaps, but equally arguable is that obviously, every magical effect was created by the Gods in the distant past...

Isn't that just like practically EVERY Religion? Trying to take credit for EVERYTHING?

You may as well blame Jarl Igmund (or his father, Hrolfdir) since he was the one who called upon Ulfric to capture Markarth with the promise of religious freedom.

And since the Jarl of Markarth is a vassal of the Empire, it wouldn't be unfair to hold it accountable as well.

Ulfric could've turned down the offer and asked for something else also yes, it is unfair to hold it accountable as we have no confirmation that the Emperor or the Elder Council okay'd it.

It was Ulfric's fault.

It was the Jarl of Markarth who made the offer and ordered the recapture of the city. Absolving of him of responsibility is intellectually dishonest because he was the architect of the plan.

The Loud-Mouth agreed to it, he has the opportunity to say no and ask for something else but he didn't. If anything Ulfric and the Jarl of Markarth are both responsible, I'll admit that but saying the entire Empire is at fault? That's straw grasping at best.

Ulfric should've known better, he is very much responsible for it. If it wasn't for the Ulfric the Loud-Mouth there wouldn't be any Thalmor in Skyrim and the Empire wouldn't do a damn thing about Talos worshipers.

You are correct that we are shown no confirmation of the Empire being involved in the plot to recapture Markarth.

However, Markarth is of tremendous value to the Empire. To dismiss the notion that the Empire could not have been directly involved in the Markarth Incident is pure folly.

And if it weren't for the Empire's willingness to sign the WGC, the imprisonment, torture, and execution of Talos worshippers would not have been legally sanctioned in the first place.

Besides, the Thalmor would have arrived in Skyrim regardless due to the importance of Talos to the Nords.

No because starting up a disastrous war that had ruined numerous families and displaced numerous innocent people, possibly killed innocent people too, is a much better idea then the WGC, a way to rebuild and to become more powerful. Nah, the deaths of thousands is better, good logic you have there.

But again, you forget that the Thalmor are only in Skyrim because Ulfric gave them a reason and without the Stormcloak rebellion there wouldn't be as many Talos worshipers getting arrested as we see numerous times the Thalmor need EVIDENCE that a person needs to be a Talos Worshiper.

Ulfric not only brought the Thalmor to skyrim but he is openly feeding them Talos worshipers.

But nah, let's not blame Ulfric the Loud-Mouth for that, let's just blame the Empire for making the wrong choice of not having thousands of people killed in a pointless war, let's blame the Empire for the Thalmor getting Talos worshipers by imprisoning known rebels. Nope, not Ulfric's fault all the Empire's

And to put them involved without evidence of their hand in sett Ulfric on that path (saying that it was okay for the Jarl to get outside help) is foolish and blinded.

And if it were not for the pride of humanity, there would not have been a great war to have a WGC for. Humans are prideful creatures. After all, as queen of the Elder Scrolls Online Aldmeri Dominion said "Like all children, they are driven by emotion."

I agreed with Cider and acknowledged that there is no evidence of the Empire's direct involvement.

However, nothing you wrote refutes my theory (or quells my suspicion) that the Empire had a hand in the Markarth Incident. I had given a very brief explanation as to why it would it would have an interest in getting involved. You have not addressed it. Thus, your comments regarding foolery and blindness are empty.

and a joke, that you apparently took seriously, used to stop the argument.

I am not quite sure what you're getting at.

I was joking, and you responded as if I was being serious. How is that hard to understand what I am getting at? I said it straight up when you responded to me that it was joke.

You've lost me.

You're joking.

We may be falling a bit off-topic. If you would like, we can continue this through PMs.

No thanks.

When we joke on the internet we typically use smiley emoticons so that other people can know that we are joking.

I imagine that the conversation went something like this:

IGMUND: Ulfric! Can you help me take my city back from those barbarians?

ULFRIC: Possibibly, but you will have to make it worth my while.

IGMUND: What would make it worth your while?

ULFRIC: I want Freedom of Worship for all Nords in Markarth and the Reach.

IGMUND: Anything! Whatever you want! Just get me my city back!

What is missing and should have been addressed by the Empire is that after the Markarth Incident where the Empire forced the agreement to be nullified is that Igmund should have been arrested and sent to Imperial City to be tried for high treason. For having knowingly and willfully violated an Imperial treaty and thereby deliberately risked the collapse of the tenuous peace secured by the WGC.

What is the fun in that? It is more fun to make people guess. Plus, I NEVER used emoticons, joking or not.

In the end, when it comes to the Stormcloaks, they are running on emotion right now. The war will kill the Stormcloaks unless the player gets involved. Every one soldier that is killed in the war is one less to secure things, something that the stormcloaks fail to understand.

Oooof, we have been slipping off the ledge into the realm of irrelevance for quite some time. If you would like, we can continue our discourse via PMs.