No.33- Stormcloaks Get Stormy

From March 2012: "Now I was forced to consider which was strategically more important to handle first, the long trek across Skyrim and way up the mountain to the practitioners of the Voice or into The Wolf Queen's catacombs? Decisions!"

Taking several steps towards our next quest, the world suddenly swirled away from me. Time passed... I awoke in a cabana at the South Beach Resort, Cryodiil, the recipient of a vigorous, full body massage. I would have never willingly agreed, but once again Lydia had saved me. I submitted to what turned into an extended, direly needed stress induced vacation, dipping my toes in the warm water of the gulf while sipping Martgueritas. Months later, guilt finally got the better of me. Dragging Lydia from her annoying infatuation with Pepe, the masseuse, we gathered our gear and made the long trek back to frigid mountains of Skyrim. There we mysteriously discovered the status-quo unchanged, as we left it many months ago, as if time had stood still awaiting for our return!

Without dwelling on the mysteries of the Skyrim space/time continuum, I launched back into mental-questing mode and decided the answer to my now ancient question, whether to seek the means to defeat Alduin or dive into the Wolf Queen Catacombs, would be neither at least for now. Instead, I was going to settle Stormcloak uprising once and for all!

First stop was to meet the Jarl of Whiterun and give him a message from General Tullius that it was time to choose, the Imperials or the Stormcloaks. Under the guise of my personal story, I'm happy to report that he chose the Imperials. He then handed me his War Axe to deliver to Ulfric Stormcloak, head of the rebellion in Windhelm, asking him to submit to the authority of the Imperial Legion or prepare for war.

Ulfric Receives Ultimatum

Lydia and I traveled under fair skies to Windhelm where we were greeted by snow flurries, symbolic of the greeting I would receive in the dismal Palace of the Kings. Upon being informed of his choice, Ulfric was disappointed in my decision, but remained civil as he returned the axe, telling us and the Legion to prepare for war. A man of honor, he allowed us to make a hasty retreat to Whiterun.

Battle for Whiterun, Ho Hum

But Ulfric wasted no time on his threat. Upon arrival at Whiterun, the alarm sounded and forces loyal to the Legion rallied outside Whiterun's main gate to meet the Stormcloak attack! Disappointingly, the Battle for Whiterun was not the grand spectacle I had imagined it would be, but really a sad, sad display of Stormcloak battle tactics, which started with a fiery bombardment, followed by a pack of Stormcloaks dribbling into our weapon's range at a rate which allowed us to decimate them in quick order.  Afterwards, the Jarl gave the Whiterun Victors a pep talk and encouraged us to finish the Stormcloaks wherever we encountered them. But because Ulfric decided to pass on this engagement, the outcome of the Rebellion was not yet certain.

Victor's Pep Talk