Windhelm, the old city of stone in the east of skyrim, the new capital of this frozen land, and home of High king Ulfric Stormcloak. Three years have passed since the Jarls came together to elect him, Jarls that he appointed after his general Galmar Stone-Fist and his top lieutenants carved a path of conquest and destruction through the land they claimed to fight for. One by one they fell Whiterun, Falkreath, Markarth, Morthal, and the Imperial stronghold of Solitude. By the end of the "liberation" hundreds lay dead soldiers, civilians, Nords and Imperials with the occasional Khajiit trader being "accidently" killed. The answer to the question of why the war was fought varies from person to person but regardless of your opinion some things did change. Talos of Atmora, the man who ascended to the state of a god could be worshipped without persecution from the Thalmor, the overthrown Jarls returned to their cities (but not to any form of power or control higher than that of a common advisor) and the state of elves and the beast races decreased greatly.
The oppression turned to persecution on the 12th of Sun's Dawn in the quiet town of Riverwood. The people of Riverwood had no real problem with Elves, Argonians, or the Khajiit, the Stormcloak guards that were posted at the town thought much differently. Faendal a young Bosmer, was the main target of their hatred, at first it was pranks that caused minor inconveniences but it soon developed into a full assault on the poor elf. The last of such attacks resulted in a shockwave felt throughout the whole kingdom. A guard spotted him fishing on the riverbank and knew what he had to do. The guard grabbed him and threw him in. The elf lost it, too long had he been mocked and assaulted. He grabbed his dagger ran onto the bank and stabbed the guard in the back slightly below the ribcage. The guard yelled so loud it could be heard from bleak falls barrow. The entire town came running to find the elf with the guard's axe raised about to bring it down on the injured man. He dropped the axe behind him once the first arrow hit followed by another and another until the elf was brought to his knees. Finally a guard approached him with an iron warhammer. The last thing the Bosmer saw was his wife Camilla being held back by a guard. His head was smashed by one downward swing of the hammer making a crunching noise that was only amplified by the deafening silence of the shocked townspeople. His friend Sven ran from his home to see what the screaming was about. He saw what could only be described as the beginning of a disaster the Stormcloaks never thought was possible.