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The Stormcloaks is one of two joinable factions to bring about the end of the Skyrim Civil War in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Led by Ulfric Stormcloak and his second-in-command, Galmar Stone-Fist, they intend to kick the Imperial Legion under General Tullius out of Skyrim and ensure Skyrim becomes an independent province for an impending Second Great War against the Aldmeri Dominion and their Thalmor enforcers.
History[]
Around 4E 175, Markarth, the hold capital of The Reach in western Skyrim, was captured by the Reachmen, later known as The Forsworn. Ulfric, head of a militia group he established after the Great War with the Aldmeri Dominion, took Markarth back from the Forsworn and placed it back under Nordic rule after being asked to do so by the current Jarl, Hrolfdir. Ulfric even went so far as to use his training from the Greybeards in the use of the Dragon Shouts, the Thu'um, to force the Forsworn out. In the process, Ulfric captured the Forsworn leader, Madanach, who was imprisoned in Markarth's Cidnha Mine by Thonar Silver-Blood, who would secretly use Madanach as a bargaining chip to have his Forsworn take out any threats to the Silver-Blood Family's control over Markarth and The Reach, paying off the Hold Guards to cover up any murders the Forsworn committed and lie that the Forsworn are not in Markarth.
As a result, per Ulfric's requests for helping take Markarth back from the Forsworn, Hrolfdir permitted worship of Tiber Septim, AKA Talos, in Markarth again, a blatant violation of the White-Gold Concordat that the Empire signed with the Aldmeri Dominion. When the Imperial Legion showed up to Markarth afterwards, Ulfric only allowed them in if they agreed to restore Talos worship. They agreed, but still feared if the Thalmor found out about it. Ulfric also earned the nickname of "The Bear of Markarth" after rumors surfaced that he executed any Markarth official who sided with the Forsworn, along with any Forsworn or Nord who did not side with him when he took back the city, declaring "You are with us, or you are against Skyrim", and tortured native women for information on Forsworn hiding throughout the hills of The Reach so they could be put to the sword as well. Any man, woman, or child who did not side with Ulfric met a grim fate with being seen as traitors to Skyrim for not allying with him.
Unfortunately, when the Thalmor and the Dominon found out about Markarth blatantly violating the Concordat with Talos worship because of Ulfric, they threatened a second Great War unless Emperor Titus Mede II took action himself against Ulfric. With little option, as the Dominion put him between a rock and a hard place, the Emperor had no choice, and ordered the arrest of Ulfric and his militia. Jarl Hrolfdir and his forces double-crossed Ulfric and arrested him and his militia with the Empire's forces, resulting in their expulsion and incarceration shortly thereafter. Angered and bitter at the Empire betraying him like this after he helped them, this planted the seeds for Ulfric's Stormcloak Rebellion.
In 4E 201, Ulfric traveled to the provincial capital of Solitude to meet with Skyrim's High King Torygg. It turns out, he wished to challenge Torygg to an ancient Nord duel of honor. Had Torygg refused, he would have been seen as weak in the eyes of the Skyrim Jarls, and a Moot would be called to replace him with someone else. Despite putting up a valiant effort, Torygg was slain by Ulfric, but the outcome differed between Ulfric and Tullius:
- Ulfric claims he fought and killed Torygg honorably and did not cheat by using his Thu'um against him.
- Tullius and Torygg's widow, Elisif the Fair, believe Ulfric cheated and slayed Torygg using the Thu'um, disintegrating him on the spot in front of his entire court.
Following Torygg's death, Ulfric, now a wanted man in Solitude, fled. A guard named Roggvir, who believed Ulfric won his fight with Torygg honorably, allowed him to escape capture by opening the gates for him to flee Solitude and return to Windhelm to continue his rebellion. Roggvir would later be beheaded for high treason by letting Ulfric escape.
Some time later, Ulfric and some of his men were ambushed near Darkwater Crossing by General Tullius and his Legionnaires. Wishing to avoid bloodshed, Ulfric surrendered without a fight. He was bound, and due to his knowledge of the Thu'um, gagged as well, before he and his rebels were taken by Tullius to be executed for high treason against the Empire and the murder of Torygg.
At the start of the game, General Tullius, an Imperial soldier named Hadvar from the town of Riverwood, and two more driving carts full of Stormcloak prisoners, including the Dragonborn, Ulfric, one Stormcloak soldier named Ralof who, like Hadvar, is from Riverwood, and a horse thief named Lokir from Rorikstead, are heading to the town of Helgen for the public execution of Ulfric and his Stormcloak rebels for high treason against the Empire due to Ulfric's murder of Skyrim's High King Torygg. Though one Stormcloak rebel willingly lets himself be the first to be beheaded by the headsman's axe after the Priestess of Arkay mentions the "Eight Divines", not "Nine Divines" to include Talos, AKA Tiber Septim, because of the White-Gold Concordat with the Aldmeri Dominion, Alduin arrives to disrupt the executions and lay waste to Helgen, allowing Ulfric, Tullius, and others to escape, including the Dragonborn. After he retreats safely back to Windhelm and the Palace of the Kings, Ulfric tries to regroup to deal with Tullius as the Civil War currently is at a standstill. Ulfric, as Jarl of Windhelm and Eastmarch Hold, currently has loyalty from three other Holds in Skyrim: The Pale, led by Stormcloak loyalist Skald the Elder, Winterhold, under Jarl Korir, and The Rift, under Jarl Layla Law-Giver, while the Empire currently holds onto Haafingar, where the capital of Solitude is, under Torygg's widow, Jarl Elisif the Fair, The Reach, under Jarl Igmund, son of Hrolfdir, the previous Jarl that Ulfric helped and was then betrayed by, Hjaalmarch, under Jarl Idgrod Ravencrone, and Falkreath, under Jarl Siddgier. Only Whiterun Hold, under Jarl Balgruuf the Greater, remains neutral, and Balgruuf refuses to take a side in the war since siding with the Legion or the Stormcloaks will mark him a traitor to the other faction.
Ulfric is discussing the situation with Whiterun with his second-in-command, Galmar Stone-Fist, when the Dragonborn enters, offering to join the Stormcloaks to help them free Skyrim from the Empire. If Ralof was joined escaping Helgen, Ulfric will be surprised to hear Ralof made it out of Helgen as well, but can't confirm his story until he checks in at the Palace of the Kings. Nevertheless, thinking the Dragonborn's execution was justified in wanting revenge for trying to be beheaded for the wrong reasons, Ulfric has Galmar send the Dragonborn to kill an ice wraith near the Serpent Stone as a test for their initiation into the Stormcloaks. From there, they help Galmar retrieve the Jagged Crown before the Legion can, then deliver Ulfric's axe to Balgruuf as a warning to him about the threat to Whiterun from the Stormcloaks if he chooses to side with Tullius. Balgruuf makes it clear he is against the Stormcloak Rebellion and has the Dragonborn return the axe to Ulfric. This convinces Ulfric to declare he will attack Whiterun. With the Dragonborn assisting him, Galmar and the Stormcloaks tear through Whiterun's defenses of Legionnaires and Whiterun Hold Guards before making their way to Dragonsreach to face Balgruuf, his Housecarl Irileth, and what remains of his Hold Guards. When Balgruuf is defeated, he orders his forces to stand down and surrender, before Vignar Gray-Mane arrives to take over as the new Jarl under the Stormcloaks, leaving Balgruuf furious that the Dragonborn betrayed his trust and sided with the rebels before he is escorted away to live in exile in the Blue Palace in Solitude. With Whiterun theirs, Ulfric prepares to take down the other Empire-controlled holds before taking the capital of Solitude and earning Skyrim the independence it deserves.
After Hjaalmarch, Falkreath, and The Reach are reclaimed, and their Hold Guards replaced with Stormcloaks as Idgrod, Siddgeir, and Igmund are replaced with Stormcloak-loyal Jarls, such as Thongvor Silver-Blood, once Fort Hraggstad, the main stronghold in Haafingar Hold, is captured, Ulfric personally leads the final assault on Solitude with Galmar and the Dragonborn, confronting Tullius and Rikke in Castle Dour, demanding their surrender, or face execution. Tullius has already given up, but Rikke refuses to stand down against her old friends, forcing a battle to take place between them. Though Tullius and Rikke put up a valiant defense to keep their fight to keep Skyrim in the Empire alive, Rikke is slain, and Tullius is soon down on one knee in defeat. Tullius warns Ulfric that they are playing right into the Thalmor and Aldmeri Dominion's hands, but while Ulfric admits he's right, he grants the Dragonborn the chance to end the General's life, but the Dragonborn can refuse and let Ulfric do it instead. With Tullius dead, the Civil War is over, and Skyrim is now fully independent of the Empire, with Elisif pledging fealty to Ulfric, as he awaits the Moot to crown him the new High King of Skyrim and prepares for the impending war with the Aldmeri Dominion.
However, the Dragonborn can instead choose to side with the Legion and Tullius, either by joining them right at the start, or deliver the Jagged Crown to them instead, showing they are defecting to their forces, and help put down Ulfric and Galmar, ensuring Skyrim's reunification with the Empire so Tullius can prepare Skyrim for the inevitable face-off with the Aldmeri Dominion in the foreseeable future.
