
The Stormcloaks see the Empire's Thalmor influenced laws as a threat to their Nordic way of life. They consider themselves the "true sons and daughters of Skyrim" since they are the only force in Skyrim who have not capitulated to the Aldmeri Dominion and are openly revolting against their influence. The Stormcloaks claim to hold fast to old Nord customs and values and recruit from those who share their principles.

īesides stemming from deep discontentment with the ban on Talos worship, a secondary motivation behind the Stormcloak uprising is the belief that the Mede Dynasty and the Empire of Cyrodiil have become a puppet state of the Thalmor in all but name, and no longer has the legitimacy to rule over Skyrim. The rebels' stated goals include lifting the ban on Talos worship across Skyrim, expelling or executing all the Thalmor Justiciars who have been granted the authority by the Empire to enforce the White-Gold Concordat within the province, crown Ulfric Stormcloak the High King of Skyrim, and to independently prepare Skyrim for a future war with the Aldmeri Dominion. The Stormcloak movement was initiated by Jarl Ulfric Stormcloak of Eastmarch after the Markarth Incident, and aims to remove the Imperial Legion from Skyrim and turn the province into an independent kingdom. The Imperial banner (left) and the Stormcloak banner (right). After the Markarth Incident, Ulfric refused direct contact with the Thalmor. Following the Imperial acceptance of Ulfric's demands, the Aldmeri Dominion forced Ulfric and his militia to be arrested, and established a presence in Skyrim to oversee enforcement of the ban on Talos worship, which had up until that point been largely ignored. Ulfric held the city and refused to surrender it to the Imperial Legion until they agreed to allow Talos worship once again. įollowing the signing of the treaty, Ulfric led a force of militia to retake The Reach, which had declared independence under the Forsworn during the Great War. The Markarth Incident proved his worth to them, although the Thalmor later forcibly imprisoned him. After the Great War ended, the Thalmor established contact with Ulfric, believing that he could be a valuable asset. The terms of the treaty included banning Talos worship.

Īt the end of the war in 4E 175, Emperor Titus Mede II signed the White-Gold Concordat.

Thalmor sources imply that they kept some degree of contact with Ulfric following his escape. During this interrogation, Ulfric was made to believe that he divulged information which led to the fall of the Imperial City before being allowed to escape. During the Great War against the Aldmeri Dominion, Ulfric was taken captive by the Dominion, and interrogated, after which he was listed as an asset to Elenwen.
