You can make a choice to accept the suggestion or you can postpone it. However, this choice only determines which side you will be first asked to join.Īfter escaping the Helgen keep, your chosen companion will suggest that you join their side, adding the corresponding quest to your log. You are first asked to choose sides shortly after you escape your near-execution and the subsequent dragon attack during the Unbound quest, at the point when you choose whether to enter Helgen Keep with Ralof, a Stormcloak, or with Hadvar, an Imperial soldier.
The overall quest arcs for the Imperial Legion and Stormcloaks are similar, and allow you to unlock the same achievements. Either choice allows you to start a series of quests, during which various battles of the Civil War are fought, ultimately resulting in your chosen side taking control of Skyrim. You will be asked to take sides in the Civil War being fought between the Imperial Legion and the Stormcloaks (a historical description of which may be found here).
