I'm surprised at how few Redguards we see in Skyrim seeing as it's neighbours with Hammerfell. I find the recent history of the Redguard rebellion against Thalmor occupation and its secession from the Empire really fascinating and wish it was fleshed out a bit. I mean one of the only quests that even hints at these events is so ambiguous it may as well be talking about purely fictional events, and even then we aren't told which side of the story is true.
Also found something very interesting in the 1st edition Pocket Guide to the Empire* - on the article about Hammerfell, YR cryptically notes "The most formidable of all the ills that threaten the future of the Empire arises from the presence of the Redguards within its provinces ~"
Amazing foreshadowing or what?
The in-game book 'The Great War' concludes with this:
"Epilogue: Hammerfell Fights On Alone
Hammerfell, however, refused to accept the White-Gold Concordat, being unwilling to concede defeat and the loss of so much of their territory. Titus II was forced to officially renounce Hammerfell as an Imperial province in order to preserve the hard-won peace treaty. The Redguards, understandably, looked on this as a betrayal. In this, the Thalmor certainly achieved one of their long-term goals by sowing lasting bitterness between Hammerfell and the Empire. In the end, the heroic Redguards fought the Aldmeri Dominion to a standstill, although the war lasted for five more years and left southern Hammerfell devastated. The Redguards say that this proves that the White-Gold Concordat was unnecessary, and that if Titus II had kept his nerve, the Aldmeri could have been truly defeated by the combined forces of Hammerfell and the rest of the Empire. The truth of that assertion can, of course, never be known. But the Redguards should not forget the great sacrifice of Imperial blood - Breton, Nord, and Cyrodilic - at the Battle of the Red Ring that weakened the Dominion enough to allow the eventual Second Treaty of Stros M'kai in 4E 180 and the withdrawal of Aldmeri forces from Hammerfell. There can be no doubt that the current peace cannot last forever. The Thalmor take the long view, as is proved by the sequence of events leading up to the Great War. All those who value freedom over tyranny can only hope that before it is too late, Hammerfell and the Empire will be reconciled and stand united against the Thalmor threat. Otherwise, any hope to stem the tide of Thalmor rule over all of Tamriel is dimmed."
I want to use this thread for a place for people to discuss how the Hammerfell rebellion may affect events in Skyrim, e.g. the civil war, relationships between the empire and the thalmor (if the redguards could do it why can't the legion???), and what significance this neighbouring tumultuous country may have in future games or other content.
* For those of you don't know, the Pocket Guide is meant to be a propaganda pamphlet published at the end of the Second Era during the reign of Tiber Septim for the education of the Imperial masses. YR is a mysterious Altmer who has left handwritten notes on the pages of this book to give another less Imperial and more anti-man perspective.
