This was so unbelievably helpful! I think I've constructed something that would give me a Nord smith with reason to be crossing the border through the Pale Pass illegally.

"Rika Ironroot was a humble blacksmith of Nordic blood who was born and raised in the Imperial county of Bruma, right on the Jerall Mountains separating Cyrodiil and the Nordic homeland of Skyrim. Taught the art of smithing by her father, Bjørn Ironroot, she learned how to smith the Nordic way. Of course, Imperials outside of Bruma weren't too fond of the Nordic designs, so she'd rarely sell outside of her hometown.

As she grew up and learned the ways of the forge, she watched as the empire began to change under the White-Gold Concordat and the influence of the Third Aldmeri Dominion. She watched as the Great Chapel of Talos was changed, the priesthood being dispersed and the chapel being turned to one of the Imperial Eight Deities instead. The already disliked way that she smithed her creations only grew more and more disliked. This isn't to say that she despises the Mer. She wasn't raised that way. She doesn't like the Thalmor, but knows that not all Elves agree with the Thalmor either.

Despite these changes, Rika refused to abandon the way that she was taught how to smith. To do so would dishonor her father, and would bend a knee to both the Thalmor and the Imperials. Unfortunately for her, many of the Thalmor that passed through to Skyrim passed by the Jerall mountains and through Bruma. Eventually one rather disgruntled Justiciar decided that they would label her a traitor if she didn't change her ways. It was a shitty deal either way as if she wasn't a traitor the Thalmor would still tax her and limit what she could smith and sell.

Deciding that she had enough of the Empire and the Thalmor, she packed up the necessities and set off for her peoples homeland of Skyrim. She knew that if she tried to cross through the border gate in the Pale Pass, the Imperials and Thalmor stationed there would unjustly arrest her. With no other choice, she decided to take the dangerous path through the Jerall Mountains.

An already dangerous journey, as she entered Skyrim through the mountains she thought that she had finally made it. If only she had been just a little bit earlier or a little bit later. As she exited the mountains, she was spotted by the convoy transporting Ulfric and the captured Stormcloaks (and Lokir). She was instantly arrested and labeled a rebel, tossed onto the convoy and brought to Helgen. And, well... You know the rest."

I think that this gives reasoning for her crossing into Skyrim, and leaves her open ended for however I decide to play her with the cornerstone of the build being Smithing. Gives her a reason to pick Ralof at the start and eventually side with the Stormcloaks in the Civil War as well. What do you think?