History Headscratchers / TheElderScrollsVSkyrim

*** [[comicallymissingthepoint Dragon priests are wearing masks, so you can't see their faces. QED.]]

** Also, about the waking up part, he may not have been a high rank within the Dragon Cult, but perhaps when he knew Alduin would fall, he used Necromancy to remain in a lich form. [[/folder]]

%% Notice to anyone editing this: this question has been deleted without being answered on the page proper, and the only available answer being a citation in the reasons for deleting it. Rather than just dismissing it, could we put an actual answer on the wiki for the benefit of anybody else wondering?

[[folder: Balgruuf's Reaction]]
* During the Battle For Whiterun (Stormcloak version), Balgruuf gets all high and mighty with you about you being a Stormcloak, saying that he expected better of you. I'll let his feelings slide since I totally fucked up his land and got him thrown into exile, and the Stormcloaks often get a bad reputation both in- and out of universe. But why is he surprised to know you're a Stormcloak? Even assuming your capture of the Jagged Crown didn't reach him before, you delivered Ulfric's war axe to him - something Ulfric would likely never give to just some random guy to deliver, even if he was the Dragonborn. When you delivered the axe, he didn't seem to be upset at you personally. I doubt he was mad at you for fucking up Whiterun, since he scoffs at you for being a Stormcloak. Further, he seems surprised that the Gray-Manes were not helping to hold back the Stormcloaks, despite them being ''very'' vocal Stormcloak supporters. Yes, Whiterun is their home, but obviously it would be much better for them for the Stormcloaks to be in power. So if Balgruuf just really ignorant, a HorribleJudgeOfCharacter, or just trying to guilt people because he lost?
** You know, he might just be a little pissed off that you, well, sort of ''attacked his city, killed his men, and put him into exile.'' When someone's men get killed, their city sacked, and get thrown out of their home, they tend to get irrationally angry at the people who did the aforementioned killing, sacking, and exiling, as well as those who supported said killing, sacking, and exiling. He's less likely to be angry at them before the battle because of a combination of bravado and confidence, but after losing the battle he's going to be pissed at you and anyone who didn't back him up.
** And remember, he was, like, the first NPC that didn't think the idea of you being Dragonborn was a bunch of bull earlier in the game. He actually approved of the idea and went, "Well, if the Greybeards think you're something, I suggest you go to High Hrothgar immediately. I envy you." He showed gratitude towards you for helping him to save his city from a dragon that was getting too close, so...''yeah'', he's going to be mega pissed off that you would then lead an army of Stormcloaks into his city, kill a bunch of people and boot him off. To him, you're an UngratefulBastard. After all he's done, this is how you repay him? Besides, as said before, he just lost everything he owned, so he's not in the state of mind to say, "Oh, right, you gave me Ulfric's axe, I should've known you were in his rank. My mistake. Should've known better."
*** I think the issue is not so much that he feels betrayed by you, but rather that he never asks your opinion on the matter - or even pays any attention to your allegiance. He won't talk about the civil war until after ''Dragon Rising'', which means you will definitely be a thane of Whiterun by this point. Yet despite one of his vassals coming to him with a message from the Stormcloaks, wearing a Stormcloak uniform, talking about Stormcloak plans, he doesn't clue in on the fact that you might have joined the Stormloaks until after the battle. He acts all surprised about it while many players are left thinking, "Dude, we talked about this. Don't act like you didn't know."
*** Having played that questline by offering up Ulfric's axe before even taking care of Balgruuf's dragon problem, his amnesiac reaction was doubly annoying to me. As was his disingenuous practice of offering a confirmed Stormcloak warrior the title of thane and ownership of property within his city, and then going straight to war with the Stormcloaks when presented with the opportunity.
*** Remember that Balgruuf was originally neutral in the Civil War, with Whiterun undeclared or committed to either side of the conflict. The only reason he winds up siding with the Imperials in either scenario is because Ulfric mounts an attack on Whiterun outright. Had Whiterun been threatened by the Imperials, Balgruuf would have undoubtedly gone to the Stormcloaks for help.
*** But Ulfric ''doesn't'' attack Whiterun outright in the Stormcloak version of the quest. He sends the Dragonborn there with the axe specifically to ask for Balgruuf's allegiance. He then, in front of the Dragonborn, tells Ulfric to go to hell and starts petitioning Tullius for Imperial soldiers. When he can just keep the axe and declare a truce, which is exactly what he does if you do the quest before killing Mirmulnir. He has no excuse for acting surprised at me being a Stormcloak, especially if I come to him first bearing Ulfric's axe, and the fact that he made me a noble and allowed me to own property in his city while he was nominally Imperial (he was favouring the Imperials, he was friendly to Imperial traffic, his steward was an agent of Tullius and almost everyone concerned with it admits that he's in the Empire's pocket.) All it would have taken was changing a single line of dialogue to make him seem not so idiotically dense. In the Stormcloak version of that quest, ''I'' should be the one to call him out as an UngratefulBastard. ''I'' was the one who brought him word of the Dragon attack, ''I'' was the one who recovered the Dragonstone at his behest, and ''I'' was the one who saved his entire province from Mirmulnir's rampage, and he repays my kindness by going to war with my chosen king and faction.
*** I'm sorry, but "my friend supports this guy" is not logically followed by "I should let this guy take over my kingdom". Balgruuf may or may not have been aware that you sided with Ulfric, but that's another level from helping Ulfric conquer his city, especially when he seems to feel that a Stormcloak victory would be bad for the people of Whiterun in the long-term.
*** Except that accepting to support to Ulfric is the only way his city avoids being conquered in that situation, right? It's not like any of the other cities under Stormcloak command lose their autonomy; their Jarls are allowed to rule their territories as they will, hence why Stormcloak secret police aren't rounding up non-Nords in Winterhold or Dawnstar. No, I stand by the fact that I should have had the opportunity to call out Balgruuf as the idiot he was. Once again, if he was stupidly going to play around on Tullius' marionette despite the fact that the fricking Nordic equivalent of the second coming of Jesus was batting for Ulfric, he shouldn't have stupidly given me property and a noble title, which, even if he did somehow win the Battle of Whiterun, would still have put him in big trouble with the Imperials afterwards. The man's a fool. And in any case, his choices aren't just 'side with the Imperials' or 'side with Ulfric' anyway. As has already been mentioned, simply keeping the axe would have been indicative of a truce. A which point, Balgruuf could have closed down his city to both Imperial armies and Stormcloak warriors and declared real neutrality, ie: not favouring the bloody Imperials. I'm not trying to say Balgruuf should join the Stormcloaks if you come to him having joined yourself, but rather that there should have been a dialogue option to call him out for not doing so after you gave him the choice, and that he shouldn't have acted in surprised that you turned out to be one when you had just given him the axe.
*** You're working with the assumption that Balgruuf doesn't have a stake in who wins. His stance isn't "I don't care who wins", it's "I want what's best for Whiterun". He leans towards the Empire not because he likes them, but because a Stormcloak victory would be harmful to his people. If he accepted the axe, then he would either become an enemy of the Empire, or be called upon by Ulfric for aid (in which case he'll either become an enemy of the Empire or a liar to Ulfric). He was helpful to you beforehand because he liked you, even if he thought you were misguided, but loses his fondness for you if you screw over his hold.
** True, though keep in mind that he should've realized you had joined the Stormcloaks (or somehow are in league with them) when you gave him Ulfric's axe. This after he's made you Thane, gave you a Housecarl and a home in his city. You'd think that when you then pretty much show up under Ulfric's banner, he'd go, "Now wait a minute, Thane. I'll not have ''you'' putting my city in jeopardy. What are you doing in Ulfric's circle? This complicates things a lot." In other words, he should've acknowledged that you, his Thane, was working for Ulfric and considered his options. Instead, he seems to act like because you served him well, then you should have had no right to then invade his city with an army.
*** That's... kind of the reaction I would expect from someone who had their confidence betrayed by someone they considered a friend and ally just a short while ago. You served him well, you helped him out, he rewarded you... and then you turn around and lead an army into his city. He's got every goddamned right to be pissed off at you.
*** The OP has a good point with his original question:"But why is he surprised to know you're a Stormcloak?" Key words are ''surprised to know you're a Stormcloak''. His shock bugged me, too. How else would I have gotten Ulfric's ax unless he handed it to me because I'm on ''his side.''
[[/folder]]

** Akatosh and Lorkhan are opposed to one another, but at the same time they have things that they agree on, such as defending Nirn. Pelinal Whitestrake was an example of where their interests intersected: Lorkhan incarnating a Shezzarine to protect humans, and Akatosh using his Divine gifts as blessings to ensure his Covenant with Alessia. Talos would be another example of this: General Talos leading an army for the benefit of mankind, and Akatosh blessing the same individual with a dragon's soul so he could take the Ruby Throne and renew the Covenant.

[[folder: Think of the Children!]]
* Why are the only children seen in Skyrim young humans (here meaning Imperials, Redgaurds, Nords and Bretons)? It seems strange that they're the only population to successfully reproduce often enough that you actually see one of their kids, especially given some other in-game details: There are no fewer than four Orc villages in Skyrim, populations comparable to Riverwood (which has two kids running around) or possibly one of the hold capitals; the Khajit form caravans wandering Skyrim, and tend to be a little fast-and-loose in that department (there's even a Khajit book that suggests the reader get laid as soon as possible, with basically anybody eligible); the Mer have an active presence in Skyrim (even discounting the Thalmor) and tend to congregate whenever possible; and the Argonians in places other than Windhelm are doing fairly well, and one side quest even has you gathering jewels for a prospective couple's wedding bands... and yet ''none'' of the above appear to have any kids running around.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Think of the Children!]]
* Why are the only children seen in Skyrim young Nords? It seems strange that they're the only population to successfully reproduce often enough that you actually see one of their kids, especially given some other in-game details: In Dawnstar, you can find a couple running the forge, with the woman being a pregnant Redguard, and Amren in Whiterun mentions holding his children (whom you never meet); There are no fewer than four Orc villages in Skyrim, populations comparable to Riverwood (which has two Nord kids running around) or possibly one of the hold capitals; the Khajit form caravans wandering Skyrim, and tend to be a little fast-and-loose in that department (there's even a Khajit book that suggests the reader get laid as soon as possible, with basically anybody eligible); the Mer have an active presence in Skyrim (even discounting the Thalmor) and tend to congregate whenever possible; the Argonians in places other than Windhelm are doing fairly well, and one side quest even has you gathering jewels for a prospective couple's wedding bands; Imperial soldiers make up one of the major factions and there are more than a few civilians from Cyrodil in the Imperial-held holds... and yet ''none'' of the above appear to have any kids running around.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Picking the Stormcloaks over the Empire]]
Now I don't really know how to put this... maybe it's just me getting too emotionally invested into the game, but why is it that you're so heavily "railroaded" into joining the Stormcloaks? What I mean i that in the beginning of the game, where both factions are introduced, the stormcloaks are presented as romantics and victims of unjust rule, while the imperials try to murder you for nothing without a trial. You get to speak with one of the Stormcloaks (Ralof, who is amicable, understanding and all and not at all a murderous terrorist like many actual rebels) way before you get to talk to any imperials. You see "the true face of the empire", As Ralof puts it, right at the beginning, while you learn all the bad stuff about the Stormcloaks (their racism, their hypocricy and ulfric beeing a murderer) much later into the game. Also the torture room and the sadistic torturer... What I'm getting at is that, whitout any knowledge about the future events of the game (that your character can't possibly have at the beginning) there is really no good (or logical) reason to pick the imperials over the stormcloaks when prompted to follow either Hadvar or Ralof. Of course I'm going with the guy who already showed me kindness and who was going to share my fate instead of the guy who was ready to chop off my head on a whim! Even if i play as one of the beast races and pretend that my character somehow knows of the stormcloak's racism, it still feels like picking the lesser of two evils. It just bugs me...

[[/folder]]

[[/folder]]

** This is probably an oversight, or at least included to keep it compatible with an Imperial victory. In other situations, such as confronting Thalmor, you can tell them that you worship Talos.

** Like I said: godhood is ''weird.''

** The Senile Scribbles series pokes fun at this too.