Arnie's Skyrim Adventure: Time in Solitude

Solitude market in the evening

Solitude. This is a city I try to avoid. This is where the Imperial Legion has it's main garrison, Castle Dour, headed by General Tullius, the man who ordered the execution of all of us who were captured and brought to Helgen when the dragon, Alduin, attacked. I had nothing to do with Ulfric Stormcloak and his rebellion. I was only making my way back to my homeland and happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Even after I explained to the Imperials that day that I was not a Stormcloak rebel and proclaimed my innocence, they simply stated that orders were orders. They wanted to kill Ulfric and those with him in an Imperial town so there would be no record of his "martyrdom" and the rebellion would collapse. I was a victim of circumstance. I was guilty by association. I was convicted and sentenced to death by, Tullius, the judge, jury, and executioner, and his cowardly men did nothing to prevent this injustice though they expressed their concern. And why was Tullius in such a hurry to execute us all? Why in Helgen? Did I misunderstand the Imperial soldiers when they spoke of delivering Ulfric to the Imperial City in Cyrodiil, the origin of my travels? I thought that's what the Thalmor scum, who was overlooking the mass execution, was there to do; to escort us into the hands of the rotten Thalmor wretches who now ran the puppet Empire through their White-Gold Concordant, the treaty that put an end to the great war but also banned Talos worship throughout the Empire.

How many corpses have I seen lying scattered at the altars of Talos throughout this land since I've arrived, slain by the zealous, bigots who pride their race and self-proclaimed purity of belief above all others? My anger for the weak Tullius, who bends his knee to the Altmer scum, is great for his deliberate and ill-conceived attempt on my life and all of the other innocent Nords who merely wish to live their lives according to their ancient culture and religion. How can I listen to the Empire's apologists when it was this very Empire that was willing to take my head unmercifully and unjustly, when they deny my right to worship whom I choose, when it is by their fiat that the Thalmor roam my father's land, brutally murdering innocent men and women for being "impure".

Solitude market in the evening

I cannot forgive so easily Tullius and the Empire that I was raised to have trust and faith in. The collapsed in the face of adversity. They became weak being run by stewards with no Emperor, since Uriel Septim VII was assassinated by the Mythic Dawn at the breakout of the Oblivion crisis. And though I have no desire to join Ulfric and his Stormcloaks in fighting to remove the Imperials and the Thalmor from Skyrim, one has been budding. With every convoy of Thalmor that passes with yet another brother Nord in chains undoubtedly being led to a place of suffering and death, my sympathies for the Stormcloak rebellion grows. I'm afraid that the next Thalmor unit that passes me will be the last one to do so alive. But where will that leave me? Where will that lead me? Where would I go from there? I would have to find my place with the Stormcloaks. For then, I would become the enemy of the Empire by default, and they'll take your head, enemy or not.

Here I was in Solitude, the beating heart of the Imperial forces in Skyrim, where they meet with the Thalmor puppet masters who seek the enslavement of my people. I had to be careful and avoid Castle Dour at all costs so as not to be seen. Who knows if they would recognize me, the innocent man they were so close to beheading. It wasn't worth the risk. In these times of flaring rebellion, drawing attention to myself would mean disaster. Waltzing into town in full dragonscale armour, weilding a massive daedric artifact for a weapon would not be the best way to avoid attention. Just before entering the town gates, I donned my civilian clothes. I stopped by the many shops in the market and sold off the loot that I had accumulated since my journey from Falkreath several days. After I finished with business and perusing the market stands, it was time for the pub.

The Winking Skeever

Arnie dropped into the Winking Skeever for some food, drink, and to find an able bodied hireling to recruit to the Blades. He met an old drunk who was buried in debt by an amount he'd never be able to repay, so Arnie spoke with his debtor and persuaded him to forgive him the debt.