DrunkenMage
Intoxicated Arch-Mage
I stand by what I said and there's really no way to disprove the fact that the Thalmor weren't all chased out of Cyrodil immediately following Red Ring. Or that the new border with the Dominion isn't now at the Imperial city. The treaty of Stros M'Kai dictated a withdrawal of all Dominion troops but not the WGC. Least as far as I can tell. My interpretation is not far-fetched, as it does not explicitly say that the treaty required the Thlamor to leave or that Cyrodil got it's Southern cities back. My interpretation is that the primary army was destroyed and then the Emperor waited a month to make sure Naarifin couldn't escape when the treaty was signed. Says nothing about the southern cities being liberated or going back to the Empire.
I mean, by these Imperials very standards if it doesn't say something explicitly in Lore then you don't waste another thought ~ you just auto dismiss it. Well, it doesn't say they didn't either, just that the WGC was signed at the end of that Battle and terms were similar to the WGC. Which said nothing about Cyrodil, so, if it said nothing about Cyrodil and the Thalmor were still holding those cities at the end of the war... then there's no reason whatsoever to compel the Thalmor to just turn over the cities in Cyrodil they controlled. If anything, the fact that the Imperial army was so badly weakened and that Titus Mede II surrendered so quickly tells me the Emperor knew he would lose a war of attrition and didn't have the forces to Siege the (4) cities the Thalmor still held even after Red Ring (Anvil, Skingrad, Bravil, Leyawin). Speaking of which, it also never says much about Chorrol(for all we know they could be a neutral state), only that the Imperials gathered near there.
Cicero's journal also talks about how the Listener? I think... was killed by fire balls in the tomb of the night mother and that cities in Cyrodil were crumbling due to violence. Could very well be the Empire is not longer in control of Bravil and those were Thalmor Mages invading the tomb.
In the end, the main Aldmeri army in Cyrodiil was completely destroyed. The Emperor's decision to withdraw from the Imperial City in 4E 174 was bloodily vindicated.
Lord Naarifin was kept alive for thirty-three days, hanging from the White-Gold tower.
Although victorious, the Imperial armies were in no shape to continue the war. The entire remaining Imperial force was gathered in Cyrodiil
Seems to mention Cyrodiil quite a bit. Those cities are part of Cyrodiil.
The situation in Bravil grows more dire. The city has erupted in violence, due to a war of control being waged by Cyrodiil's two largest skooma traffickers.
Just because magic is mentioned, doesn't mean it is Thalmor. Cyrodiil isn't Skyrim where magic is shunned. Cities erupted into violence due to weakened Imperial authority, the Empire recovering from warfare trying to restore peace and order. Much of the Empire was lawless for four years, Wayrest was also lost in High Rock and Markarth in Skyrim.
There were two Thalmor armies, one in Cyrodill and one in Hammerfell. The main Aldmeri Dominion army in Cyrodiil was destroyed, Cyrodiil being the large landmass in the middle of Tamriel. Not once in any sources you mention (Which are few and far between, and they don't support what you say) that the Thalmor control most of Cyrodiil.
Lore tells us that the Thalmor army in Cyrodiil was completely destroyed.
Completely, totally; utterly.
Destroyed, end the existence of (something) by damaging or attacking it.
Lore doesn't say "But the Thalmor held this and this after they were completely destroyed in Cyrodiil because by completely destroyed in Cyrodiil they don't actually mean Cyrodiil but only the small fraction in one section."