College of Winterhold (Skyrim)

"You know, if you have the aptitude, you should join the Mage's College in Winterhold."

- Farengar Secret-Fire

The College of Winterhold is a guild of mages centered in Skyrim. It is a faction and location that appears in. It was a guild of magic-users similar to the Mages Guild of Cyrodiil and Morrowind. When the Dragonborn appears, the current Arch-Mage is Savos Aren, with Mirabelle Ervine serving as the Master Wizard. During the faction's main quest, Tolfdir is replaced as Master Wizard.

Background
The College is located in the northern section of the city of Winterhold, in northern Skyrim. Teachers of each magical discipline reside within, offering training and various magical wares.

Outsiders view the college with indignation, believing its members to be the cause of the cataclysmic, "Great Collapse," which occurred in 4E 122. The event left Winterhold in ruins, in terms of physical destruction with the vast majority of Winterhold destroyed, the destabilization of its government, economy and social structure and the lasting emotional and pyschological damage to Winterhold's people, who believed that the College of Winterhold was to blame for the Great Collapse. It is believed that when this event occurred the majority of Winterhold fell into the ocean, as said by Jarl Korir, "cities just don't fall into the ocean".

Upon visiting the college, it can be joined by passing a test of merit, which requires the casting of a spell. The college must be joined during "Elder Knowledge" in order to progress the main quest. Joining the college opens a questline consisting of eight main quests and eight side quests, one of which is radiant. Because three followers are associated with the guild, completing their three personal quests allows them to become potential followers.

Three unique achievements can be unlocked by completing tasks for the college.

Admittance
Before entering the college, the gatekeeper, Faralda, will wish to see a demonstration of the Dragonborn's magical powers. She requests to see a spell appropriate for the Dragonborn's level before gaining passage. These spells include:


 * Firebolt
 * Fear
 * Fury
 * Magelight
 * Healing Hands
 * Conjure Flame Atronach
 * Conjure Familiar
 * Fireball

Although she does not state it explicitly; some spells, e.g. Fear, must be cast at the emblem on the ground or she ignores it. If the spell she requests has not yet been learned, she offers to sell it for 30 gold. The gate beyond the bridge does not open until the proper spell has been demonstrated for Faralda.

Bypassing
A persuasion check bypasses this test. Additionally, revealing one's Dragonborn-identity to Faralda causes her to ask for a Thu'um demonstration. Successfully using it bypasses the spell-casting test. This option can only be used during the quest Elder Knowledge.

Rules and expulsion
Killing a student causes other college members to refuse speaking with the killer, starting the Rejoining the College quest. Stealing items from college members is also considered a crime.

Architectural design
The College of Winterhold is located north of Winterhold on a large cliff. A narrow bridge in a state of disrepair connects the city to the college.

The central courtyard is dominated by a statue of the first Arch-Mage of the College, Shalidor who is also the supposed founder of the city; this is the hub of the facility, offering access back out to the bridge and into the three Halls. The exterior windows offer exceptional views of the coastline.

The courtyard branches off to the three halls of the college. The Hall of Attainment, the living quarters for mage apprentices, is off to the left upon entering the college, while the Hall of Countenance, the living quarters for more advanced mages, is off to the right. Straight ahead lies the Hall of the Elements, the lecture hall of the college.

From the Hall of the Elements, the Arch-mage's quarters branches off on the left while The Arcanaeum, the college's library, branches off on the right.

The Midden, a prison or storage area beneath the college, houses an Atronach Forge, the Augur of Dunlain, and the Daedric Relic. Ice Wraiths and Draugr inhabit the halls of The Midden. A tunnel here leads to Skyrim just outside of the college.

History


Winterhold was once a great, powerful and wealthy hold, and its relationship with the College of Winterhold was good.

In 4E 122, an unprecedented, cataclysmic event struck Winterhold and most of the areas along the coastline. A massive storm came in from the Sea of Ghosts which brought huge waves which crashed into Winterhold. Most of the city fell into the sea, leaving the city in ruins both physically in terms of the destruction of the city itself, and the emotional and psychological damage to Winterhold's people. This event would eventually be referred to as the "Great Collapse." The event left Winterhold in ruins, and some had said that things would never be the same again, including Winterhold's relationship with the College of Winterhold. The people of Winterhold would eventually begin to blame the College for causing the Great Collapse. Winterhold has never really recovered from the Great Collapse.

Historical documents
Papers kept in the College's library are meant to prove its age, reportedly dating back 700 years. However, dialogue with Serana reveals it to be much older as she recalls the college from before she was entombed in the First or perhaps even Merethic Era.

The first recorded evidence of the College's existence is Pocket Guide to the Empire, Third Edition: Skyrim. Arguably, the documents in the College are not meant to date the institution's age. As noted in the Pocket Guide to the Empire, the College became home to an older library of documents, the Ysmir Collective.

Relation to the Mages Guild
As the College was independent from the Mage's Guild, Necromancy was never made illegal by the College, unlike the Mages Guild in Cyrodiil. For the College of Winterhold, the practice was generally regarded as a tool, not a weapon, although practicing it outside of the College was advised against by Phinis Gestor. Like Cyrodiil, there were still wandering groups of Necromancers that did not function alongside the College. Since the College was independent of the jurisdiction of the Mages Guild, it was unaffected by the Necromancy Ban of 3E 431 and the subsequent eradication of that ban which led to battles against Mannimarco.

Distrust
The College is often blamed for the Great Collapse of 4E 122 and is therefore widely distrusted. It is often believed that it was activities at the College that caused the disaster; the proof of this is that only the College remained untouched. The College has since been cautious as to avoid provoking the population of Skyrim. Many nationalistic Nords also do not trust the College because of the fact that the immigrant Dunmer make up the vast majority of the members within the faction. Additionally, most Nords view magic and its practitioners as spineless and weak, as stated quite humorously by a pair of feuding siblings upon entering Winterhold.

The only positive relation the people of Skyrim have to the College of Winterhold are requests for various items to be enchanted for them. Sergius Turrianus explains that enchanting services are the only connection between the College and the people of Skyrim. Occasionally, he will have his students travel to a specific location in Skyrim to pick up an item from a person who made a request to the College to have it enchanted.

Lectures
Lectures are held in the Hall of the Elements during the day. These cover a wide range of subjects and the Dragonborn is welcome to listen, provided the college has been joined.

Main quests

 * Elder Knowledge

College of Winterhold quests

 * First Lessons
 * Under Saarthal
 * Hitting the Books
 * Good Intentions
 * Revealing the Unseen
 * Containment
 * Staff of Magnus
 * The Eye of Magnus

Side quests

 * Arniel's Endeavor
 * Daedric Relic
 * Aftershock
 * Out of Balance
 * Finding Tolfdir's Alembic
 * Fetch me that Book!
 * Shalidor's Insight
 * Lost Apprentices
 * Rejoining the College

Follower quests

 * J'zargo's Experiment
 * Onmund's Request
 * Brelyna's Practice

Master-level spell quests

 * Alteration Ritual Spell
 * Conjuration Ritual Spell
 * Destruction Ritual Spell
 * Illusion Ritual Spell
 * Restoration Ritual Spell

Members

 * Savos Aren - Arch-Mage
 * Mirabelle Ervine - Master Wizard
 * Tolfdir - Scholar of Alteration magic
 * Colette Marence - Scholar of Restoration magic
 * Faralda - Scholar of Destruction magic
 * Drevis Neloren - Scholar of Illusion magic
 * Phinis Gestor - Scholar Conjurer
 * Sergius Turrianus - Scholar Enchanter
 * Urag gro-Shub - Librarian and Scholar
 * Nirya - Scholar
 * Arniel Gane - Scholar
 * Enthir - Scholar and Black Market trader
 * Wuunferth the Unliving - Court Wizard of Windhelm
 * Brelyna Maryon - Student
 * Onmund - Student
 * J'zargo - Student
 * Ancano - Not an actual member of the College, but is an advisor from the Thalmor.

Former Members

 * Falion
 * Festus Krex
 * Calixto Corrium
 * The Caller
 * Orthorn
 * Nelacar
 * Malyn Varen
 * Hamelyn

Trainers

 * Colette Marence - Expert Restoration trainer
 * Drevis Neloren - Master Illusion trainer
 * Faralda - Master Destruction trainer
 * Sergius Turrianus - Expert Enchanting trainer
 * Tolfdir - Master Alteration trainer
 * Phinis Gestor - Expert Conjuration trainer