“ | Upon my honor I do swear undying loyalty to the Emperor, Titus Mede II, and unwavering obedience to the officers of his great Empire. May those above judge me, and those below take me, if I fail in my duty. Long live the Emperor! Long live the Empire! | „ |
~ Imperial Oath. |
The Imperial Legion is a faction based from the Mede Empire in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Led by General Tullius, the military governor to Skyrim, they oppose the Stormcloaks and are entangled with a war against them. Hailing from Cyrodill, they believe that Skyrim is a dominion to the Empire, and hence believe that they should pledge loyalty to it and abide by its laws, including those stated in the White-Gold Concordat made with the Thalmor. Despite this contract, many head members have an animosity towards the Thalmor and are skeptical of their beliefs.
Role
The Imperial Legion was once a prime entity in Tamriel, however due to the disappearance of the Blades and the rise of the Thalmor, they have since been fallen corrupted, however, during the events of Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, they begin plans on restoring their image to its original glory.
The Dovahkiin is able to request joining the Legion by traveling to Castle Dour, located in the city of Solitude. Their they will be told by General Tullius to speak to his second-in command Legate Rilke, who will task the Dragonborn into clearing a fort infested with bandits. Upon completing the task, the Dragonborn will be inducted into the Legion by swearing to their oath.
Afterwards, the Dragonborn will then be sent to Korvanjund with Legate Rikke to acquire the Jagged Crown from the Nordic crypt. In doing so, they will encounter and battle against Stormcloak soldiers attempting to acquire the said crown as well.
After obtaining the crown, Whiterun will be attacked by the Stormcloaks. In response, the Legion travels to the city to defend the city against the rebels and successfully holds them off, however it will not be the last time they hear from Ulfric Stormcloak.
Afterwards, the Legion begins the process of liberating each Skyrim hold of Stormcloak control by means of liberating forts or persuasion by diplomatics.
Finally, after each hold is liberated, the Imperial Legion begins an attack on Windhelm, the headquarters of the Stormcloaks. In doing so, a major battle erupts within the city, in which the rebels persist to defend the Palace of the Kings, forcing the Dragonborn and General Tullius to make a detour in order to reach the palace. Upon reaching it, they confront Ulfric and engage in a battle with his second-in-command Galmar Stone-Fist and kill him in the process. Afterwards, Ulfric attacks Tullius and the Dragonborn, but the two manage to defeat him. A now wounded Ulfric then states his last words before the Dragonborn swiftly kills him, effectively ending the Civil war in the province.
Alternatively, the Dragonborn can side with the Stormcloaks and bring an end to the Legion.