July 22, 2013 12:36 AM EDT
You call the Nords barbarians. Look at the world- the real world-'s history. Anytime that one group of people ruled over another for extensive amounts of time (England in Africa, Britain in India), when the rulers were eventually driven out, the natives had a hard time ruling themselves.
Look at the Nords. They've been ruled over since the beginning of the third Era. That's roughly a thousand years. The Nords are a warrior people at heart; do you think being ruled over for a thousand years would change that? But ruling is a different idea entirely. Look at the system of Holds. They are all independent, but answer to one High King. Flashback to Oblivion. If you committed a crime in any city, the guards would fight you all over the place. How would the Nords know justice and legality and morality when they've had a mother country watching over them?
The Empire needs to fall so that the races can learn how to handle themselves. Because, state of the Empire: Rebellions.