1.2 Unbound

        My character is a Wood Elf named Torbjorn Skogtyv. I chose to be a Wood Elf because they make good scouts and thieves, and my character will mostly likely be a thief or roguelike character. The game utilizes appeals of logos when allowing you to choose your race, presenting their attributes and giving facts about what each race excels in.
        I chose to follow Ralof from the Stormcloaks when given the choice. I have chosen the Stormcloaks each time I have started a new Skyrim character because they are presented to be rebellious, and frankly, choosing to follow the Imperials - who were about to execute me - does not make any sense to me. My decision to choose the Stormcloaks was also influenced by my knowledge of an exploit that allowed me to raise my Sneak stat to level 100 in about twenty minutes. In addition, while I was being carried in the cart with the other prisoners, Ralof asks the horse thief Lokir what town he is from, giving the reason that a Nord's final thoughts should be of home; this is a stirring appeal of pathos. However, the Imperials do have the appeal of Ethos; a longstanding empire should be credible and able to support any promises they would make.
        After entering the Keep, we encounter dead Stormcloaks, and Ralof comments something to the effect that we will be seeing them in Sovngarde: presumably the afterlife in the Skyrim universe and perhaps influenced by Norse and other mythologies. This is another appeal to pathos that solidifies my decision to follow and perhaps later join the Stormcloaks.
        Many genres are present in this first quest. I am able to talk to Ralof, though rather briefly. In the torture room of the Keep there is a book on a table titled The Book of the Dragonborn which gives history and prophecy as to the nature of the Dragonborn. Many other books are present throughout Skyrim, some of which give stories and poems, others provide stat boosts, and others provide you with new spells and abilities. Much information is transmitted simply through the speech of other characters you hear as you make your way through this first quest.