Board Thread:Lore Discussion/@comment-26213507-20150928140042/@comment-26213507-20151009010004

A bunch of unanswered questions, I say we start with the second one, since the first was discussed earlier.

"The Stormcloaks can only win the civil war if they have help from the mythilogical creature of legend, the Dragonborn, but by extension, the Empire would have already won, had Alduin not appeared."

I think that you are correct. The Empire had Ulfric and the leaders captured. Alduin decided to attack, and The Stormcloaks were given, in essence, a second chance. When the Dragonborn intervenes, then they are able to win. The Empire could have ended the blood shed earlier, but Alduin messed it all up!