Ragnar Lothbrok: Imperials or Stormcloaks? (GUILD SPOILERS)

[Leaf]

I'm going to be RPing as a Tamriel equivalent of Ragnar Lothbrok (Nord) from Vikings. I've worked out the following:

- Will gladly become companion (Cure Lycanthropy)
--> Due to it being a traditional mercenary organization focusing on companionship and profit.

- Will join college of winterhold (Enchanting)
--> Will join college of winterhold (during main storyline) but stay (after main storyline) to learn more about enchanting. I'm using his intellectual and curiousness about things that can improve his life to explain this.

- Will join thieves guild
--> Will join thieves guild during main storyline and use it to increase his own fortune, avoiding unnecessary violence.

- Will destroy Dark Brotherhood (after main storyline)
--> Come on, I doubt Ragnar would join a supernatural assassin cult.

- Will complete main storyline
-->No profit in a dragon-fire burned country.

- (Daedrics) Will perform "minor" evils for artifacts, such as mehrunes dagger, the dream staff, no one will miss one cultist/priest and he will enjoy the power of the artifacts.


After the main story line I intend to join the civil war. My question for you all, is what side should he join? Unfortunately the episodes are stuck in my DVR so please NO SPOILERS for season 3.

My thoughts:

Imperials
-->More orderly
-->More wealth
-->Jarl Bulgruf is a likely ally
-->Stronger defense against impending doom of the Aldmeri Dominion

Stormcloaks
-->More opportunities for raiding
-->More traditional
-->Companions prefer stormcloaks, though not in action.
-->Didn't try to cut off Ragnar's head.


I'm left without an answer. Please share your thoughts, and remember, please no Season 3 spoilers. Thank you.

[StarscreamSAS]

Thalmor are behind Stormcloaks rebellion, i wonder if Ragnar knew that if he would join that kind of rebellion ?!

[Leaf]

That's been a point I've been wondering about. The Thalmor support the rebellion but also state (in the same note) that Ulfric has become uncooperative and under no circumstance should the rebels win the war. I wonder if they fear what the stormcloaks could do with a unified Skyrim.

[SpeedFreak1972]

I always choose the imperials why? think about the main reason they wanted to cut off your head ok who says the stormcloacks wouldn't do the same if they catch you crossing the border illegally with the imperial general ...

[Bomb Bloke]

It's less that the Thalmor support "the rebellion" and more that they support "the conflict". Better two forces opposed against each other than one force opposed against the Thalmor.

[Mr. Shaggnificent]

Originally posted by Krafayis:

- Will complete main storyline
-->No profit in a dragon-fire burned country.

Have you considered using "Skyrim Unbound" and bypassing the main quest entirely?

[Leaf]

Originally posted by Mr.Shaggnificent:

Originally posted by Krafayis:

- Will complete main storyline
-->No profit in a dragon-fire burned country.

Have you considered using "Skyrim Unbound" and bypassing the main quest entirely?

I hadn't thought about it. I don't mind doing the main quest though, I feel like being the dragonborn is as close as I can get to Ragnar's claim to being Odin's son, giving himself a demi-god like status.

[Leaf]

Originally posted by SpeedFreak:

I always choose the imperials why? think about the main reason they wanted to cut off your head ok who says the stormcloacks wouldn't do the same if they catch you crossing the border illegally with the imperial general ...

Maybe so, though the Empire had no reason to the main character or the horse-thief. Both were captured separately for trivial crimes and put on the same prisoner transport.

[Ilja]

Originally posted by Mr.Shaggnificent:

Have you considered using "Skyrim Unbound" and bypassing the main quest entirely?

I am partially doing that for my soon starting playtrough, with Skyrim Unbound. My character is a Dragonborn, but unaware of this during Civil War (Civil War Overhaul + Immersive Patrols). He (maybe she) will fight trough the war as a grunt. No special powers, no dragons and no dragon souls.

Dragons won't come in, until just after the last battle. Once our veteran is able to devour his first soul, he will also start to understand sings on those walls. To be honest, I would have preferred devouring/understanding in that order in vanilla game.

And then it is MQ, Dragonborn crazy all the way.

Sorry about this little sidetrack. :)=

[Evil Tiger]

jarl borg > ragnar
but on topic, well, no matter what character u make, u must join the stormcloak cuz, go to windhelm and listen to ulfric's speech then give a reason not to join them

[gnewna]

" Come on, I doubt Ragnar would join a supernatural assassin cult."

But he'd join a supernatural thief cult? And, come to think of it, a werewolf cult? Okay, so the DB is the only one you know is a cult at the outset, but will he stay at those points? Mind you, with ESF - Companions you can apparently opt not to take the Beast Blood but still continue with the questline as far as I know - haven't done it yet, but I'm intrigued.

Originally posted by The1&Only Ugluk.of.Isengard:

jarl borg > ragnar
but on topic, well, no matter what character u make, u must join the stormcloak cuz, go to windhelm and listen to ulfric's speech then give a reason not to join them

Skyrim without the (admittedly mediocre) protection of the Empire and stricken by the civil war will be even weaker against the Thalmor/Dominion, do you really think Ulfric and his ragtag militia will be able to keep them out? Unity is better than division against a greater enemy.

[Ilja]

Originally posted by The1&Only Ugluk.of.Isengard:

jarl borg > ragnar
but on topic, well, no matter what character u make, u must join the stormcloak cuz, go to windhelm and listen to ulfric's speech then give a reason not to join them

- Because Ulfric tortured and murdered surrendered Bretons in Markarth. He went so far that Jarl had to bend to politics and give him to Empire because of his crimes.

- Because he turned his back to Way of the Voice. He is not a Dragonborn and was not taught fo use his powers to murder and war.

- Because the one keeping Ulfric as her lapdog is not afraid of him and keeps looking for new ways to use him to weaken both Skyrim and the Empire. She would likely already achieved, if Titus had not sent Tullius to Skyrim - despite him openly opposing the White-Gold Concordant.

- Because he murdered his High King, fellow Talos worshipper, who opposed the agreement with the Dominion and kept Thalmor out of the Skyirm. By doing so Ulfric gave Thalmor inquisition the legal reason to enter in to Skyrim and hunt Talos worshippers.

Torygg had not lifted a finger to prevent Talos worshipping. Instead his reign protected fellow worshippers against the Thalmor. Ulfric marched in and murdered the man - and used the Voice while doing so.

He killed that man who he wanted to be and has been acting to be one ever since.

Yeah. "All I have fought for."
Nice speech.
Now give me your head.

[Leaf]

No worries about the sidetrack. As far as the cults go, I would choose to cure the beast blood curse in the companions quest line. The supernatural side of the thiefs is incredibly small, from my memory Nocturne isn't active in the guild so long as nobody messes with her. Where the dark brotherhood kills to sate the bloodlust (and for money) of a dead woman carted around by a mad clown acquiring the contracts through ritual. Companions on the functional level receives a contract through letter or person, and carries it out in pure worldy mercenary fashion.

Back to the topic, I feel like with Ulfric's leadership Skyrim stands an equal chance to resist the Aldmeri Dominon when compared against the Empire's protection. Ulfric's "rag-tag" militia has been able to match the Empire's forces blow for blow before your involvement afterall. Plus, with two wielders of the voice (Ulfric + Dragonborn) they're that much more deadly. On the counter-side, Empire provides more economic stability despite the oppression.

[gnewna]

Ulfric can't even keep order in his own city. Not encouraging for a High King... (I actually quite like Ulfric, I just think he's in way over his head and too stubborn to realise/accept it. I don't particularly agree with the common idea that he's power-crazed, I think he does, genuinely, love his country and want what he thinks is best for it, he just isn't prepared to see that maybe he's wrong about what that is.)

[Leaf]

Originally posted by gnewna:

Ulfric can't even keep order in his own city. Not encouraging for a High King... (I actually quite like Ulfric, I just think he's in way over his head and too stubborn to realise/accept it. I don't particularly agree with the common idea that he's power-crazed, I think he does, genuinely, love his country and want what he thinks is best for it, he just isn't prepared to see that maybe he's wrong about what that is.)

Part of me thinks this is why Ragnar should go with him. Ragnar is a truly ambitious person. I don't know if you watch the series but he supports passion, ambition, and experience over established societal structures.

[Bomb Bloke]

Both sides have got experience, but Uflic's got passion and ambition in spades. Sounds like Ragnar would go with him - he may live to regret that choice, but it's not like he's got the benefit of foresight.... right?