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• Mr.

  

  • 763 posts
   

  September 14, 2015 9:41 PM EDT

  

• Edana

  

  • 694 posts
   

  September 14, 2015 9:45 PM EDT

  Every time I return to the city it's like coming home after work or a vacation, that feeling of being in familiar territory, does anyone else feel that way about any of the holds? 

  I can definitely get that. It's not my favorite place in Skyrim by a long shot, but it does have that homey feel to it. I like how grounded and sensible an answer this is too.  Easy +1 from me.

• Tom

  

  • 624 posts
   

  September 14, 2015 9:46 PM EDT

  Meh. Someone pick a Hold (or Raven Rock) and then I'll write out what I'd do after I think about it.

• Edana

  

  • 694 posts
   

  September 14, 2015 9:48 PM EDT

  Falkreath. Or the Pale. Because they haven't been done yet.

• Edana

  

  • 694 posts
   

  September 14, 2015 9:53 PM EDT

  *curtsey*

• Rogue

  

  • 743 posts
   

  September 14, 2015 10:08 PM EDT

  I'm your huckleberry. 

• Rogue

  

  • 743 posts
   

  September 14, 2015 10:08 PM EDT

  Falkreath

• Tom

  

  • 624 posts
   

  September 14, 2015 10:20 PM EDT

  Falkreath:

  This hold has a ridiculous amount of lumber and mining resources. I rally my citizens and form militias to clear my hold of the bandits and squatters. Those mines infested with orcs, reachmen, and outlaws? Start belching forth ore. Those hunters poaching my game? I'll pay you for bear, beaver, deer, wolf, sabre cat, fox, and hare pelts or have you thrown into the mines.

  I want the valleys cleared of lumber so I can bring in farmers. The climate is warmer than the rest of Skyrim year-round, and I'll take advantage of it. I want the wilderness tamed. I want that lake to be useful. I want those mountains cleared of ore.

  I move the city to the shores of Lake Ilinalta. The important parts of the city, that is. I make a new city between the road and the water from Half-Moon Mill to north of Shriekwind. Boom, we're Riften 2.0 with a lake of fish to feed my growing hold and to export.

  Lumber, pelts, crops, fish. Raw goods to be shipped across the holds and the Empire.

  All these strategic passes between tall mountains and cliffs in my hold leading to Whiterun, the Reach, Cyrodiil, and the Rift? How about some stone keeps/watchtowers with thick iron gates? I control who and what comes in or out.

  Jarl Magnar the Mage is in charge. Wulfharth come again. Bugger the Divines. We keep the old ways. That means we keep the Dead Gods Shor and Tsun, the Hearth Gods Kyne, Mara, and Dibella, the Testing Gods Orkey and Herma Mora, and the Twilight Gods Alduin and Talos.

  Akatosh? Never heard of her.

  Magic? You mean the Clever Craft. We're not the ignorant barbarians Ulfric wants us to be or the Imperials think we are. Shalidor was a Nord, and the greatest wizard ever. Are you too good to follow in the steps of Shalidor? I thought not.

  Bugger Ulfric. My smallfolk aren't dying over his squabbles. If you want to fight, then leave. But I'm not letting this war enter my hold.

• Delidas

  

  • 71 posts
   

  September 14, 2015 10:24 PM EDT

  Alright, I'll give this a go.

  I'd rule Falkreath. Agreeable weather, an abundance of nature, and a quiet political scene. The perfect place to be for a laid back, self-sufficient type.

  I'd rule benevolently, more or less. I'd give a lot of rights back to the people, try to dissemble hierarchy, and lower taxes quite a bit. Falkreath seems to have a lot of blue-collar folk, who could use more of their own money in their own pockets. I'd also sell off crown lands, and let everyone make use of the wilderness, seeing as I can't eat every deer myself now, can I?

  I'd stay neutral in the conflict. Both sides can buy resources from us, and do business with us, but I wouldn't allow for occupation by either side. No troops would be moving through the hold, and I'd have my guards prepared to defend the borders if need be. I guess in a way, I'd use the turmoil to quietly stake my own claim at sovereignty, hoping that no one would be paying attention to insignificant Falkreath.  

• Deleted Member

  
   

  September 14, 2015 10:30 PM EDT

  I didn't necessarily mean it as a binary

  I wanted to be silly for a bit. I do not do binary has a quaint layer of badassery when presenting your stance.

  You sound like you would make a very level-headed Jarl, indeed.

  Until they start complaining about my mage family and demanding the nature of the smell from the jarl house (?). Other than that, I would let people govern themselves for as long as they can interact with some basic sense. 

• Edana

  

  • 694 posts
   

  September 14, 2015 10:38 PM EDT

  Ho-lyyy shiiiit. This has got to be, without a doubt, the most Edd answer I've seen yet. Today Skyrim... tomorrow... TAMRIEL. 

• Tom

  

  • 624 posts
   

  September 14, 2015 10:39 PM EDT

  Dear Redoran Chancellor,

  House Redoran will not own Solsthiem for much longer.

  Signed, Eldamar of the Great House Telvanni

• Arturin

  

  • 24 posts
   

  September 14, 2015 10:42 PM EDT

  I'd pick haafingar hold. One reason is its capital is easily defendable; being atop of a stone arch there is only one way for attackers to, well, attack. Another would be the trade. Solitudes docks and wharfs are located in the calmer waters of skyrim and allow great trade with other provinces
  
  Matching my personality id be a honest and caring jarl. Although many of the imperial sympathizers would be angry with me when i reinstate talos as a divine and allow his worship. The Thalmor would ofcourse get their panties in a wad and demand his removal, which i would solidly refuse. I would then either diplomatically or forcefully remove the thalmor from my province on the grounds of them kidnapping and torturing the people of skyrim. Another thing that might tick some people off is that i would make solitude a city open to all races.
  
  Since the imperials would be against the talos worship, i would join the stormcloaks but ulfric would have to be contempt with my rules or i would challenge him to succession by combat and become the new leader of the stormcloaks
• Accursed

  

  • 95 posts
   

  September 14, 2015 10:42 PM EDT

  I'll check out the river waterfall situation for you tomorrow.

• Edana

  

  • 694 posts
   

  September 14, 2015 10:46 PM EDT

   Wowwww. Good show, Tom! What-his-bucket sitting on that throne doesn't have shit on you, dude. 

• Accursed

  

  • 95 posts
   

  September 14, 2015 11:13 PM EDT

  Since the Pale has yet to be done, I'll take that on.

  It has a port and two different mines. Mine the ore, ship it out, make money. Generate more in the harbor by providing a "rest stop" for trade ships, repairing/building ships, etc.

  Being on the ocean, we have fish galore. I'll bet those land-locked holds could do with some saltwater fish.

  That Black Door? We have two options. Either the Dark Brotherhood works for me personally, or I have my men rip that door from its hinges and destroy them all.

  There is a good amount of lumber in the hold for ship making as well as building more to the city and also for selling to other holds/provinces.

  With the improving economy, the city will become more of a target for bandits. Build up some basic stone walls and gates, clear the roads of dangers, and have regular patrols of the roads.

  Loot/scavenge parts from all the shipwrecks providing extra goodies and parts for trade ships.

  Lastly, the Empire would want our port to get troops closer to Windhelm. Likewise for Ulfric. I'd probably side with the Empire in the end, but our port is open to all unless for moving soldiers/war supplies until sides must be chosen.

• Deleted Member

  
   

  September 14, 2015 11:34 PM EDT

  The climate is warmer than the rest of Skyrim year-round

  The dominance of pine trees in Falkreath indicates the hold has a rather cold clime. The Rift, however, has deciduous forests, indicating the region has warm seasons as the shedding of leaves is a winter adaptation for deciduous trees.

  I move the city to the shores of Lake Ilinalta.

  Not a bad move. The currents could be used for mills.

  If Skyrim had any rivers people could sail (why Bethesda, why?!), there could be some serious trade, like with the Bjoulsae River (High Rock-Hammerfell border) and the Niben Bay.

  Jarl Magnar the Mage

  Can't get more Nord than that.

• Pinkie

  

  • 177 posts
   

  September 14, 2015 11:34 PM EDT

  Welllll, If I had to pick a hold I would say Falkreath Hold! I like the climate (I would go CRAZY in the north) and the location is ripe with timber and meats, with a shorter trip to Cyrodill to trade it all! I would rule very  benevolently, actually, my main goal would be too improve the gloomy atmosphere and raise morale! I could keep the hold sustained through trade, and I would invite other Jarl's to parties to assassinate them keep diplomatic ties strong! Finally I would use the many corpses of the city as undead soldiers and dominate Skyrim ,  ally with the Empire, they seem to be best for Skyrim, and are better trade partners than silly willy Stromcloaks! 
  

  

• Sotek

  

  • 367 posts
   

  September 14, 2015 11:44 PM EDT

  To be perfectly honest, I don't want the position of a Jarl. Hell I don't even want to be Harbinger of the Companions. Wish there was a Mod to keep Kodlak alive! My time is far better spent out on the plains hunting and howling around with Aela than to deal with boring diplomacy.

  Werewolves make appalling diplomats. Bite first, Howl later and to hell and oblivion with the questions... I’ll rule the Hunting Grounds soon enough... What the hell do I want to rule a town with walls for?

• Accursed

  

  • 95 posts
   

  September 14, 2015 11:59 PM EDT

  Hah! The assassinations, er, "diplomacy" sounds like my style.
• Bulmar Great-Hammer

  

  • 1 posts
   

  September 15, 2015 12:08 AM EDT

   I would rule over Windhelm. There is too much misplacement there. I would dethrone ulfric and make Cicero my Thane. Then, I would spend a lot of money towards the imperial cause and improving the slums. Argonians as well will recieve a home and no tax until they have steady pay. Since Ulfric is gone, the Imperials would therefore win and I would help defeat the Thalmor. From thereon after I would deploy mages and guards to capture and behead the Butcher of Eastmarch. Vote DoctorUnibear for Jarl of Eastmarch! Oh and I would make sure those damn dragons lay off the mills, inns, ect.

• Tom

  

  • 624 posts
   

  September 15, 2015 1:24 AM EDT

  The dominance of pine trees in Falkreath indicates the hold has a rather cold clime. The Rift, however, has deciduous forests, indicating the region has warm seasons as the shedding of leaves is a winter adaptation for deciduous trees.

  Not entirely. It could mean Falkreath has stonier or more acidic soil than the Rift, which are conditions wherein coniferous trees usually fair better than deciduous. Regardless, Falkreath is described to have a climate that makes it difficult to judge the season. It could very well be cooler year-round, but it's the difference between tundra/taiga to the north and varying seasonal shifts to the east. A steady, cooler climate with less chance of huge temperature shifts would be beneficial for growing crops that grow well in the cold, and with less loss than you might have in other holds.

  But alas, I'm not a farmer. Descended from farmers, but a nerd at heart who enjoys his maths and fantasy.

  If Skyrim had any rivers people could sail (why Bethesda, why?!), there could be some serious trade, like with the Bjoulsae River (High Rock-Hammerfell border) and the Niben Bay.

  Locks? I don't think Tamriel has the knowledge or skill to construct the system of locks required to connect the water ways of Skyrim.

• Tom

  

  • 624 posts
   

  September 15, 2015 1:45 AM EDT

  The Pale:

  Rocks, Ice, Snow, and Sea. Not a lot to work with.

  First off, this place is near useless without the sea. That port is the number one asset to the Pale, and it needs to be a focus. This hold seems sparsely populated and has a good amount of pine forests. Start collecting that timber and get to building ships. Fishing ships, cargo ships, whaling ships, long boats, etc. The sea is the lifeblood of this hold and it needs to be exploited. It'll be hard to compete with Windhelm and Solitude to the East and West, so you capitalize on the fact that Dawnstar is the only safe port between the two.

  That natural harbor needs to be fortified to better protect ships from storms. It needs a shipyard to repair ships and build new ones. It needs warehouses to store goods and it needs to become the middle-man for trade in Skyrim's interior. Whiterun and Falkreath are landlocked, Morthal has no real access to the sea. Dawnstar can reach all three easier than Solitude and Windhelm. Diplomacy is most important to get the Jarls, Thanes, landowners, and merchants from Whiterun and Falkreath to want to transport or sell me their exports, so I can turn around and ship them out to other cities/provinces.

  Morthal's eastern settlements are dependent on me for real trade. Winterhold to a lesser extent too.

  Fort Dunstad? Most important fortress in my hold. Reclaim it, fortify it, never let it go.

  Giants are a useful ally. Befriend them. We are kin from Atmora. Food, land, goods, gifts, whatever it takes. Then we take a lesson or two from them and try to tame mammoths. Yes, you heard me. Mammoths have fur, fat, meat, and ivory. If I can figure out how to tame this beasts, or control them somewhat. Cultivate their flourishing in my hold and cull them carefully, it's a brand new commodity only Whiterun could compete with.

  Pelts, lumber, fish, whale/mammoth oil, ore, trade routes. This is how I gain wealth and let my hold prosper. I capture back my forts and watchtowers, I set my guards, and I make my hold safer for travelers and traders.

  The number of Dwemer ruins in my hold, and entrances to Blackreach is an asset I think might be worth utilizing. Secure openings to the surface, clear out/capture/enslave those Falmer, and milk that research, dwarven artifacts, and dwarven metal for all its worth.

  My social policies are the same as Falkreath.

  Jarl Magnar the Mage, 4E 216.

• Tom

  

  • 624 posts
   

  September 15, 2015 1:27 PM EDT

  This is fun, actually. I think I'll do every hold.

• Edana

  

  • 694 posts
   

  September 15, 2015 1:52 PM EDT

  I was really hoping someone would want to raise all those bodies from the ground.