Shalidor's Insights (Quest)

Shalidor's Insights
Quest Giver	Urag gro-Shub
Location	College of Winterhold
Faction	College of Winterhold
Reward	Random three of the six Shalidor's Insights scrolls OR a magic skill increase (uncommon)
Type	Radiant quest
Quest ID	MGR21

For the book, see Shalidor's Insights (Book).

Shalidor's Insights is a quest available in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

Background

"Urag gro-Shub is looking for writings by the Arch-Mage Shalidor, so that he can translate them into something useful for the College. He's asked that I attempt to find another copy for him."

Walkthrough

Once the Dragonborn has been admitted to the College of Winterhold, they will have access to the Arcanaeum. The Arcanaeum is tended by an old Orc named Urag gro-Shub. The Dragonborn has to ask Urag if he needs any special books to be found. Urag will talk about the Arch-Mage Shalidor and his understanding of magic. Urag will then ask them if they wish to find Shalidor's Insights for him. Accept.

In the chest located on the map is a copy of Shalidor's Insights. Return the book to Urag and receive 30 . He says he will need a couple of days to translate the it. Wait 48 hours and ask Urag how the research is coming along, and if the Dragonborn waited long enough, he will say he has completed the translation, and gives them three Shalidor's Insights. These are scrolls which lower the cost and increase the duration of spells for 120 seconds. The kind of scroll they receive depends on which tree (Destruction, Alteration, Conjuration, etc.) they have the highest level on. Uncommonly, the Dragonborn will get a random magic skill increase. This increase does not count as one of the five training points each level but it functions in exactly the same manner as it would a trainer.

Possible locations

As a radiant quest, locations will vary.

Journal

Shalidor's Insights – MGR21
ID	Journal Entry
10	Urag gro-Shub is looking for writings by the Arch-Mage Shalidor, so that he can translate them into something useful for the College. He's asked that I attempt to find another copy for him. Objective 10: Find Shalidor's writings
20	I've managed to find the writings of the Arch-Mage Shalidor that Urag gro-Shub was looking for. I should take them to him at the Arcanaeum so that he can translate them. Objective 20: Talk to Urag
200	Quest complete

Bugs

This section contains bugs related to Shalidor's Insights (Quest). Before adding a bug to this list, consider the following: Please reload an old save to confirm if the bug is still happening. If the bug is still occurring, please post the bug report with the appropriate system template  360  /  XB1  ,  PS3  /  PS4  ,  PC  /  MAC  ,  NX  /  PS5  ,  XS  , depending on which platform(s) the bug has been encountered on. Be descriptive when listing the bug and fixes, but avoid having conversations in the description and/or using first-person anecdotes: such discussions belong on the appropriate forum board.

Click to see the list of bugs encountered

If Vokun has already been killed without looting the scroll, then it may not be possible to open the gates to get back into the treasure room behind Vokun. If a follower is present, jump on the pillars in the room where Anska is, then use whirlwind sprint to reach the ledge where the treasure room is. Use unrelenting force to push the follower through the gate (several tries will be needed, just wait an hour to try again); have the follower pull chain to open the gate so the treasure room can be accessed to get the book. If the player already has the required book, a dialogue to give it over will not appear, and going to the location will not help.  PC   The Book may be dropped using console commands (player.drop "refID"). The refID can be one of eight different ones, as listed below. After picking the book up again the quest jumps forward to the point were you can just turn it in. (000F6275; 000F6276; 000F6277; 000F6278; 000C1E77; 000C1E78; 000C1E79; 000C1E7A) If told to fetch the book in an area that is already cleared, it will not be there (may possibly reappear once the dungeon refreshes).  PC   After the quest is complete and the scrolls are obtained from Urag gro-Shub, the dialogue option with him to start the same quest still exists. Selecting this same option initiates the conversation in which Urag asks the Dragonborn if they have ever heard of Shalidor, and the quest reappears on the journal. However, a quest marker may not be shown. This quest can be done multiple times. Scrolls from all magic schools (except enchanting) can be obtained this way. Sometimes a skill level will be given as a reward, but this is extremely rare.  PC   360   PS3   Sometimes the location of Shalidor's Writings don't show up on the map, making it extremely hard to find. If one of the books is on Solstheim, you will need to travel there to see it on the map.