Skyrim’s premier institution for learning the magical arts is as mysterious as those arts themselves. Shunned by some and revered by others, the College of Winterhold is a haven for those looking to expand their minds and increase their magic power. However, the College seems intent on keeping some of its secrets close.
Even after becoming its leader, the College of Winterhold still contains plenty of mysteries and unanswered questions. By their own nature, mystical forces tend to defy explanation—but not all of the College’s secrets have to do with those forces themselves. Here are just a few details that still have players puzzled after ten years.
10 What Is Nirya’s Role?
Most of the College’s members have a specific specialty. Faralda is a master of Destruction magic, Tolfdir presides over Alteration, Arniel Gane studies the magic of ancient peoples. Nirya, however, doesn’t appear to have any such area of expertise.
Her magical skills are fairly low, yet she doesn’t appear to be one of the apprentices. Is she perhaps a mid-level student, yet to choose her own specialty? The game provides no answers, and with her insecurity, Nirya probably wouldn’t take kindly to such questions.
9 Are Members Aware of Enthir’s Connections?
A merchant and sorcerer, Enthir studies unusual magical artifacts. He also figures prominently in the Thieves’ Guild questline. After the quest “Hard Answers,” he serves as a fence. Enthir presents himself as a covert operator, a man who can “get things” for the player. But among highly skilled and intelligent mages, how sneaky is he really being?
Onmund, at least, becomes aware of his underhanded nature after a bargain gone wrong. Are Savos and Mirabelle really oblivious, or are they simply willing to let his shady dealings slide?
8 What Is The Midden’s Purpose?
Beneath the College lies the Midden, a dungeon crawling with spiders, draugr, and ice wraiths. The presence of such enemies in an institute of learning sparks confusion. Are they there intentionally, to test members’ magical prowess?
Furthermore, why does the Midden exist in the first place? Clearly, members have used it for various experiments. But why are there jail cells? Have College members used this place to lock up dangerous summons? Perhaps this place is a kind of failsafe, to keep sinister secrets from being discovered.
7 What Happened To The Augur of Dunlain?
During the College’s main questline, the Dragonborn must seek wisdom from the Augur of Dunlain. To this end, Tolfdir sends the player to the Midden, where they discover that the Augur is a glowing, sentient mass of light.
Tolfdir later tells the player that the Augur was once a student, but his soul fused with the energies surrounding the College. The other members are reluctant to speak of the Augur, and the player never learns exactly what he did that resulted in this magical fusion.
6 What Does The Arch-Mage Do?
Savos Aren is the Arch-Mage, the head of the College of Winterhold. However, Mirabelle Ervine, the Master Wizard, handles daily operations. Whenever the player encounters Savos, he’s usually just poring over books. This begs the question: What exactly is an Arch-Mage’s job?
This question is only deepened when the player becomes Arch-Mage. Despite their new role, they don’t receive any new obligations, only magnificent chambers and fancy robes. Is the title purely honorary? How exactly does the Arch-Mage lead the College?
5 Why Is There A Dremora Pirate?
In the quest “Forgotten Names,” players investigate a Daedric gauntlet in the Midden Dark that killed four apprentices. Eventually, they summon Velehk Sain, a Dremora pirate. Depending on the player’s actions, he will either reveal the location of his treasure, or attack.
His very existence sparks curiosity. Despite his glorious pirate career, no in-game texts mention him. How did he escape Oblivion to pillage Tamriel’s seas, and who bound him to this gauntlet? Where did these apprentices find this relic, and why didn’t the College fully investigate it?
4 How Did It Survive The Great Collapse?
Eighty years before Skyrim, a series of vicious storms wrecked Winterhold and caused massive destruction. To this day, nobody knows the cause of what’s now called the Great Collapse—or how the College was spared.
Rubble from the Collapse can be found beneath the College; clearly the storms didn’t skirt it completely. One text claims that ancient warding magics protected the College, but if so, why does this protection not extend to dragons or other threats? The mystery remains unsolved, and only leads to further superstition regarding mages.
3 Why Is It So Sparsely Populated?
Before the Great Collapse, the College of Winterhold was home to a great number of scholars. Many of these were skilled Dunmer mages, refugees from Morrowind after the Red Mountain eruption. However, by the time Skyrim takes place, almost all of these members are gone.
Considering elven lifespans, eighty years isn’t much time for Dunmer—so why are so few left? Did they abandon the College of Winterhold due to the heavy scrutiny it faced after the Collapse? And if so, where did they go instead?
2 Why Do So Many Mages Dislike It?
Plenty of Nords are distrustful of magic, accounting for the suspicion surrounding the College of Winterhold. However, despite an illustrious history, even Skyrim’s mages hold the College in low regard. Falion dismisses it, as does Farengar Secret-Fire.
The College places few limitations on the kind of research its members can conduct, so close-mindedness isn’t the issue. Falion claims he didn’t like the direction the College was going, but doesn’t elaborate further. There appears to be a lot of tension between Skyrim’s mages that they’re unwilling to discuss.
1 What Accounts For The High Death Rate?
In recent memory, at least nine College apprentices have died of magical causes. Four perished in the incident with Velehk Sain, while others accidentally killed themselves with experimental spells. Are there no precautions in place whatsoever? Do none of these experiments require approval before moving forward?
The College’s lack of oversight gives its members freedom to practice the magics they choose, but it also frequently proves fatal. Members are aware of the College’s poor reputation, so why do Savos and Mirabelle do nothing to prevent these tragedies?
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