Containment

"Whatever happened here has affected Winterhold as well. I need you to get out there and make sure everything's all right. I'll do what I can here. Go now, go!"

―Tolfdir^[src]

Containment is a quest available in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim in which the Dragonborn must defeat magic anomalies that have appeared in Winterhold as a result of Ancano's tampering with the Eye of Magnus.

BackgroundEdit

ObjectivesEdit

1. Assess the damage to the Great Hall
2. Find the Arch-Mage
3. Protect the town of Winterhold
4. Defeat the creatures infesting Winterhold
5. Report to Mirabelle Ervine

WalkthroughEdit

A Plague on WinterholdEdit

After the explosion, Mirabelle Ervine can be found sitting by one of the columns in the Hall of the Elements. Ancano remains with the Eye of Magnus, protected by strong magic.

Mirabelle will ask the Dragonborn to find Savos Aren, who was knocked away by the explosion. When Dovahkiin steps out to the courtyard, a crowd is forming around a body. Tolfdir confirms the shocking news: the Arch-Mage has succumbed to the wounds he suffered during the battle with Ancano. However, there is another, more important matter. Winterhold is being overrun. Magic anomalies appeared there and are attacking the townsfolk.

Running on the bridge out of the College, Faralda will stop the player and ask to be told what happened. She can be recruited to help, before asking Arniel Gane to join the fight herself.

The ten Magic Anomalies are easily spotted and quickly removed. Ranged magic is a good choice, but pinpoint spells (such as Firebolt or Ice Spike) that do not hit the fleeing townsfolk who are under Magic Anomalies' attack work best. Melee weapons, such as bound swords and "conventional" weapons like daggers and war axes will also do nicely.

One strategy is to draw the anomalies away from the townsfolk, leaving Faralda and Arniel to deal with them. However, if the anomalies are dealt with during the night, when everyone is indoors, it makes things much easier to protect the townsfolk as the only casualties will be the chickens outside The Frozen Hearth. If The Elder Scrolls V: Dawnguard is installed, a Master Vampire and either his thralls or death hounds or a group of Dawnguard warriors may choose to help and focus on the anomalies as well before possibly turning their attention to the Dragonborn. If Faralda is here when the ten magical foes are dead, she shouts that she will stay here and check for any more incursions. The defeated anomalies leave behind ghostly remains that have soul gems to be looted.

After all the anomalies are defeated, the quest continues by returning to the College and seeking out Mirabelle, letting her know that Winterhold is safe for now. She wishes she could say the same for the College. While she attempts to keep the Eye of Magnus contained with her fellow mages, she asks the Dragonborn to locate the Staff of Magnus.

When the Dragonborn mentions they are off to Labyrinthian, Mirabelle is taken aback: The Arch-Mage gave her an item from this place and told her she would know what to do with it. She gives the Dragonborn the Torc of Labyrinthian and Savos Aren's Amulet. This ends this quest and begins the next, "The Staff of Magnus."

JournalEdit

TriviaEdit

• If soul trap is cast on the anomalies, the Magic Anomalies possess Grand souls, allowing for potential and valuable soul collecting during the battle.
• Using at least one rank of the Summoner perk, casting a summoning spell on the roof above Ancano's spell will raise an Atronach or Dremora inside the barrier. However, they still will not attack Ancano.
• Depending on when this quest is started, it is possible that a leveled dragon will attack Winterhold, making it very hard to complete the quest while avoiding death from the dragon. Dragonrend can be used to disable the attacking dragon temporarily, but most of the characters will likely attack it and ignore the Magic Anomalies.
• The anomalies sound identical to ice wraiths. They also move around and attack in the same manner.
• A good way to deal with the anomalies is by using the master level Destruction spell Fire Storm, which could destroy them all at once.

BugsEdit