"Hmm, it's a solid plan on paper. But I image the execution will be less than easy." Ulfric finally said seriously.
I shrugged "Nothing worthwhile typically is. There are a lot of variables and factors to take into consideration for the plan to work. First and foremost the High king's stance on this needs to be understood. It must be handled delicately however, pressing him to make a decision immediately will only serve to annoy him and possibly turn him against the idea. Rather than that perhaps regularly send him bits of information that would paint this idea in a better light than staying part of the empire." I said seriously.
"What sort of information?" he asked testingly.
"You are Jarl of Windhelm, coincidentally the closest hold to Morrowwind as well. Maybe start seeing about making trade deals, and the sort with the province. Get some letters from important people over there implying their own favoring of this plan. Build a strong case with overwhelming evidence of how right you are here and unless he's braindead he should fold or at least start making moves himself to see about doing this." I said firmly.
"And if he still won't listen?" he asked.
I sighed "Then you use your right as a Jarl to demand a moot and formally challenge him for his seat. Under no circumstances go to Solitude and make a challenge without the other Jarls. If you do and kill Torygg Skyrim will be split in two in civil war." I said while doing my best to emphasize how much he really shouldn't follow the path he did in the game.
"I need time to contemplate what has been said here. Leave me." he said and I didn't argue but turned and left while he just stared at the map stretched out before him with furrowed brows.
Admittedly I knew that Ulfric had only been humoring me for a good part of this meeting. I also knew that my points had absolutely hit home for him as he didn't outright reject what I said but pressed me to make a mistake. Perhaps he won't use my exact plan since it would take a lot longer than he might be happy with but so long as he used most of it I was A-Okay with that. -
That last bit about having the other Jarls present if he chose to challenge for the throne was honestly the most important piece. In the game from what I knew Ulfric went to Solitude, threw down the challenge and proceeded to kill Torygg without anyone else of proper station there. This let the empire spin the tale of him murdering Torygg unjustly and got the civil war kicked off properly. With the other Jarls present however there will be no room for the empire to spin the tale falsely without flat out stomping on not only tradition and ancient law but the rights of all the Jarls.-
It should be mentioned that even in the game the majority of Jarls were already NOT happy with the empire. The white gold concordat had already been a serious offense to them as Nords for the most part but they had to suck it up. If the empire tried to kick them again, well, these old dogs still had teeth. Still this honestly wouldn't be any of my business soon enough. In two days give or take I'll have my new fur traveling clothes to get the Winterhold and will be all but unreachable when I finally get there.-
I did my part, I gave Ulfric a second option. What he chooses is not something I had any part of anymore. The man gave my reputation it's due respect in even hearing me out but he was not obligated to do any more. I could kind of lend more weight to what I was saying if I demonstrated my ability to shout but I refused. That was a trump card at the moment and I was going to keep it under wraps for as long as I could. With the meeting done with I returned to the inn and spent the rest of the day meditating on words of power.-
I didn't know how long it would take for me to have the ability to shout any word I wished but at the moment I learned new words at a rate of one per seven days. Each new word made the next incrementally easier than the last. This made this walking way one of the most difficult since technically I couldn't start until I fully completed this process. The amount known about this path was also pitifully little perhaps outside the Dwemer who also walked it as a race with their tonal magics.-
I considered delving the Dwemer ruins here in Skyrim to try and learn this tonal magic as a supplement for my own path but that must come later when I finish my studies at the college. Much as I wished it weren't the case my "baby buff" was basically gone as far as learning was concerned. Had been for a couple years now really. Skills would prove much harder to raise now. Though my high intelligence stat would still make it faster than most. My meditation was eventually interrupted by Do-Ra.-
"Why do you do that?" she asked curiously.
"Can you be more specific?" I asked without opening my eyes.
"Whatever this is. This sitting here in the cold as if asleep yet not." she said with a tinge of annoyance.
"Meditation, it's called meditation." I said calmly.
"Can you not do it inside where it is warm?" she asked confused.
"I can but it's easier here under the domain of Kyne, the sky." I said honestly.
"What does this self torment have to do with the goddess of sky?" she asked confused.
"First this is not self torment, I am not in pain. Second it's the nature of what I am meditating on that has everything to do with her. It was her gift to mortals long ago that allowed it and so is connected deeply to her." I explained calmly.
"So this is worship then?" she asked and I chuckled.
"Yes, I suppose it is a sort of that." I said amused.
She seemed satisfied with that and left me to my meditations. I also wasn't lying when I said it was easier to meditate on words of power under the open sky. The tale was old, dating back to the Merethic era in fact. Kyne saw the oppression of the dragons. In hope of allowing mortals to rise against their oppressors gave us the ability to speak as the dragons do but with great effort instead of innately. -
From then on the Thu'um of mortals was always tied to some degree with the goddess. Whilst under her domain it thus became easier to learn and master, though only slightly. In a way the graybeards were correct in their philosophy of meditating on the voice in her domain, it was a type of worship in truth and so drew the connection to her even tighter than normal.
Over 20 chapters more on my PAT if you want to throw some support my way, just saying.
pat reon.com/pat reon_loskro just remove the spaces between the T and R