Stormcloak Rebellion

The Situation

In Skyrim today, the land is torn apart by civil war. On one side stand the Stormcloaks, Nord rebels led by Ulfric Stormcloak, Jarl of Windhelm. On the other side is the Empire, commanded in Skyrim by General Tullius, determined to keep the province loyal to Emperor Titus Mede II.

The rebellion is rooted in anger at the White-Gold Concordat, which outlawed worship of Talos after the Great War. To Nords, Talos is no mere Imperial figure — he is their god-hero, Tiber Septim, proof that a Nord ascended to divinity. To outlaw his worship is to outlaw the Nord soul itself. The Empire, still weakened from war with the Dominion, enforces the ban reluctantly but firmly. For Ulfric, this was the final betrayal.

The crisis deepened when Ulfric challenged High King Torygg in Solitude to trial by combat. Using the Thu’um, the Voice of the Dovah, Ulfric slew Torygg in an instant. Stormcloaks proclaimed this lawful and traditional, while Imperials declared it murder and treason. Skyrim split: eastern holds have rallied to Ulfric, western holds to the Empire.

The War in Progress

At this very moment, Skyrim is divided.

  • Stormcloak Holds: Windhelm, Winterhold, Riften, and the Pale stand under Ulfric’s banner. His supporters cry for independence and a Skyrim free of Imperial chains. His men fight with Nord zeal, seeing themselves as true heirs of Ysgramor and Shor.

  • Imperial Holds: Solitude, Markarth, Falkreath, and often Whiterun support the Empire. General Tullius commands disciplined legions, supported by loyalist Jarls who believe Skyrim must remain within the Empire to resist the Dominion.

  • Neutral Ground: Whiterun holds its position cautiously, attempting to keep peace but certain to be drawn into the conflict.

Skirmishes flare along borders. Garrisons are raided, Jarls plot, and families are split between sides. Skyrim is in turmoil, the outcome uncertain.

The Key Figures

  • Ulfric Stormcloak: Jarl of Windhelm, rebel leader, warrior of the Voice. To his followers, he is liberator. To his enemies, he is murderer and traitor.

  • General Tullius: Imperial commander, seasoned veteran, pragmatic and stern. To loyalists, he is Skyrim’s shield. To Stormcloaks, he is foreign occupier.

  • Jarls of Skyrim: Divided, each with loyalties to Stormcloaks or Empire. Their choices fracture the province’s stability.

  • The Thalmor: The Aldmeri Dominion’s agents, quietly encouraging division. To them, a divided Skyrim and a weakened Empire are victories without battle.

The Present Day: Helgen, 4E 201

This morning, a convoy of prisoners was brought to Helgen. Among them: Ulfric Stormcloak himself, captured in Imperial ambush near Darkwater Crossing. Alongside him were his closest officers, and others swept up in the chaos — rebels, innocents, criminals.

The Empire prepared to execute Ulfric swiftly, hoping to cut off the rebellion’s head before it grew. General Tullius was present. The headsman sharpened his axe. Stormcloak soldiers readied themselves to die defiantly. Villagers gathered, anxious witnesses to history.

But fate intervened. A dragon appeared over Helgen’s walls — the first seen in living memory. Its fire engulfed the town, scattering soldiers and prisoners alike. In the chaos, Ulfric escaped, as did others fated to shape Skyrim’s future. The war, once contained to battles between men, has now been overshadowed by something older and more terrible.

How It Stands

As of this day in 4E 201:

  • The rebellion is unresolved. Neither Stormcloaks nor Empire hold clear victory.

  • Ulfric lives, his legend only growing from survival at Helgen.

  • The Empire struggles to maintain order, its authority shaken by the attack.

  • Skyrim stands at a crossroads, torn between tradition and unity, rebellion and loyalty.

The dragon’s return may change everything. But until then, the Stormcloak Civil War continues, and Skyrim bleeds while the Dominion watches from afar.