>>11532365I also base my decision on who would be the best Jarl for each hold after the war. So I feel I should discuss Maven Black-Briar, who becomes Jarl of Riften if the Empire wins the war. She is a manipulative sociopath in charge of a large criminal organization based around her mead business. She can be seen walking around town insulting and intimidating just about every single citizen she comes across, including the Jarl.
Comparing the pro-Stormcloak Jarls to the pro-Empire ones, Maven stands out as the only "Imperial" Jarl who is morally detestable. Nearly all the Stormcloak Jarls are utter shitbags, and tend to be petty, paranoid, and bitter toward their own subjects over what they perceive as personal attacks against their authority or character. The Silver-Bloods in Markarth are gangsters and slave-drivers. Skald the Elder of Dawnstar publicly threatens two of his oldest subjects with execution for being Legion veterans. The Jarl of Winterhold utterly despised the Mage's College despite the College now being the only thing bringing trade and relevance to his hold. Siddgeir of Falkreath is a narcissist shitbag, but his father Dengeir is a feeble geezer who spies on his townsfolk.
The Stormcloak-leaning Jarl of Riften, Laila Law-Giver, is shown to be a weak ruler without the power to tackle the rampant crime and corruption dominating her city. Maven basically runs the city herself through her mafia activity, and if she becomes Jarl during the Civil War but is then removed by a Stormcloak victory in the Battle of Riften, Maven and her retinue will not be exiled but will simply return to their normal routines after the war. This is likely because she has played both sides from the start and convinced them that no matter what, she will always be the one in charge.
