Your first deployment will be to Skyrim, home of the Nords. Your vessels will land in Solitude on the first of Rain's Hand, 4E222. Though your character may have had other deployments, this will be their first in the Grey Legion. Formed from a mixture of conscripts and enlistees, it is a new one created to fill the gaps left by the insufficient quantity of Legions and the men therein after the first year of the Second Great War. It is called the Grey Legion for the white and black colours they wear mixing into such in the distance, and upon them appearing as such from being dirtied and worn in the field. Under the Command of Legate Ingjald of Stuhn and General Rikke, your immediate superior officer is Sergeant Antony Dallio.
The situation in Skyrim is dangerous. With spies and illusion magic the Thalmor were able to make the Empire believe their Southern border was under far graver threat than it was. This allowed them to smuggle assets into the Nordic lands. Mounting three separate invasions, they were able to take the hold of Dawnstar and establish several beachheads including one supported by their invasion of High Rock. Their Khajit and Bosmer auxiliaries were able to penetrate deep into their territory to help strangle control of the rivers. As well, they have all but encircled Morthal making entering or exiting the city a task demanding an armed escort of one does not want to have more arrows in them than a porcupine quills.
However the Thalmor in their cunning ensured word spread fast of their incursion prompting many an opportunist to strike. The Forsworn are the greatest of these, the great population of Reachmen having taken full control of a great swathe of Skyrim. Markarth is cut off from any aid at best the city is under siege, at worst it has been taken with all the Nords within exterminated as promised by the Forsworn.
Accumulating great magical artifacts and an armada of thralls, vampires have arisen near Solitude. Their apparent lack of aggression to the Altmer lead many to conclude they have an alliance with them
To the East, three other entities have arisen. Near Windhelm the bands of Dunmer refugees violently exiled years ago have coalesced into a separatist movement. Operating from the Dwemer ruins and forts they hold, they roads key to the Imperial war effort much to the delight of the Thalmor. Following suit, the Orcs of Narzulbur declared themselves independent of anyone save themselves, their definition of their hold expanding far beyond what it once was and thus dominating yet more critical roads.
In the Isle of Solstheim, the departure of most Imperials from the island yet again has emboldened the Rieklings to slowly resume a reign of terror.
Finally, the Falmer with their growing intelligence have become an ever more common problem in Skyrim. Though at first largely nocturnal, their raids now come day and night and with warriors going off to fight the High Elves the Falmer now have free reign across much of Skyrim, particularly the South East.
There are other minor presences from bandits to daedric cultists given new confidence, these other enemies of the Empire are negligible. However note must be made of those who serve the Empire’s interests.
Within Solstheim both the Skaal and the Dunmer owe far more allegiance to themselves than they do to Skyrim and the White-Gold tower. Though for now they are happy to host Imperial ships and sailors, dangers to themselves and ever bolder requests from the Crown may change this.
Paramilitaries of all sorts also roam Skyrim. Though the Emperor and his father have done much work to try integrate them into the Imperial Legion, the success of this is debatable.
In the East of the land, Vigilants of Stendarr run amok. From the Daedra worship of the Dunmer and Orsimer to investigations around the now ruined Sanctuary of the Dark Brotherhood, Legionnaires steer clear of them. Though their headquarters are in the South-East of Skyrim, much of the Dawnguard has relocated on a semi-permanent basis to Solitude. Though their experience against the vampires proves valuable, their lack of dedication to the greater war effort makes them oft an annoyance to Imperial high command as they eat Imperial supplies but will not bother to do much more than take a few lazy pot shots at forces of Alinor they see.
In the West, The Blades still reside in Sky Haven temple. Now a veritable fortress, they have thus far fought off attacks of the Forsworn and are among the few that manage to reliably navigate the lands around Markarth. Their efforts against the Thalmor continue using their vast knowledge gained from the first Great War to perform great acts of subterfuge. However their ever colder relationship with the Emperor has them refuse to work directly with the Legion and Penitus Oculatus, and rumours spread they will not hesitate to end the lives of Imperials should they get in their way. As well, they are oft seen on wild goose chases across Skyrim for even the smallest mention of dragon sightings.
Greatest though arguably least unified of the paramilitaries in Skyrim are the Nord militias, consisting in great part of Stormcloaks that fell under the Imperial amnesty and secret accords formed following the Skyrim civil war. Though a great many Thalmor and their lackeys lie in Oblivion thanks to their efforts, they are a chaotic, rowdy bunch of rabble-rousers that tend to “creatively” interpret words of Imperial authority; their unsanctioned actions are among the larger contributors to the secessionist sentiment among Dunmer and Orsimer in Skyrim. Efforts to reign them in have been made only as symbolic gesture to Orcs and Dark Elves elsewhere in the Empire for their maintenance of safe routes between the holds and villages (particularly Windhelm and Winterhold) have at many points saved the Imperial war effort in Skyrim.
There are also two great contingents of mercenaries in Skyrim. The first are the Redguard, they who see the futility of their conflict with Orsinium and insist on continuing the fight against the Thalmor, they serve often for a negligible fee as independent forces or auxiliaries in support of the Imperial Legion. With many Alik’r in their ranks, they are irregulars particularly adept at fighting the Khajit auxilia of the Dominion.
Motivated far more by coin are the Dunmer from the Houses of Morrowind. Their hiring came with several goals in mind: to fill ranks, to create economic, personal, and other other ties to great Dunmer mages and warriors, and to create larger involvement of Morrowind against Alinor; if all goes as desired, the inclusion of this mercenary force would create a Morrowind more prepared for true reintegration into the Empire.
The first assignment of your Cohort in your deployment will be to remove all threats to Solitude. The vampires, Thalmor, and their auxiliaries all but surrounding the Hold must be driven out. Once the capital is secured, Markarth can be liberated. Following that the Aldmeri auxiliaries on the border of Hammerfell and Orsinium are to be defeated in an effort to discover Thalmor subterfuge.
Depending on the logistical situation, the Cohort will then be deployed to crush the separatists or to liberate Dawnstar. If by this point they have not retreated, then the Thalmor restricting Windhelm’s access to the sea are to be eradicated.
If it is determined that the pacification of of Skyrim is complete, then the Legion will be redeployed to a new conflict zone.
Thus far, the Legion has suffered a particularly devastating ambush at the hands of the Thalmor.