 Armed with the knowledge of how the ancient Nords defeated Alduin , the player battles Alduin on the summit of the Throat of the World . Overpowered by the player , Alduin flees to Sovngarde , the Nordic afterlife . The player learns that Dragonsreach , the palace of the Jarl of Whiterun , was originally built to trap and hold a dragon . The Jarl refuses to allow the player to utilize Dragonsreach and possibly endanger the city if the civil war between the Stormcloaks and the Imperial Legion still rages . With the help of the Greybeards , the player calls a council between General Tullius — the Imperial Legion 's commander — and Ulfric Stormcloak , successfully calling for a temporary armistice while the dragon threat exists . If the civil war questline has been completed beforehand , thus ending the war , the Jarl eventually agrees with persuasion . 
