Board Thread:Skyrim/@comment-120.28.157.86-20140406014559/@comment-26893431-20170219184752

1.32.71.168 wrote: The thalmor can sail to Skyrim and be butchered by the nords. The worst kind of strategy to fight when u have no escape route and supplies easily cut off. The dosier clearly states either a empire or stormcloak victory is to be avoided. During the quest, there are random nords being captured by the thalmor.

If u join the empire, whiterun is under siege from Ulfric. If u join the stormcloaks, u attack whiterun together with Ulfric. The outcome of this battle determines which side goes on the offensive. The empire cannot attack as Whiterun does not want any legionnaire in the city unless ulfric attacks. Ulfric cannot attack without the dragonborn opening the gates of whiterun. There isnt anything pointing towards imperial victory unless the dragonborn joins them. The dragonborn will decide the outcome and future of skyrim. The Nords won't butcher them, since the Stormcloaks are weak. Solitude is ripe for the taking. The dossier states that a Stormcloak victory should be avoided, while an Imperial one harms them.

And yes there is, all the evidence points to an Imperial victory, from a lore-friendly pov, the LDB did not participate in the CW, for this reason, Whiterun backs the Empire. Since Galmar says the Stormcloaks are getting massacred by the Imperials, it's safe to say that the Stormcloaks' invasion of Whiterun will fail.