The faction that many often overlook in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is one designed for bards and anyone with an appreciation for good songs and poetry. Located in Solitude, the Bards College might not have the most immersive questline compared to some of the other factions, but it would be a lie to say it’s all a waste of time.
The Bards College is among some of the oldest schools in all of Tamriel, along with the College of Winterhold. Its long tradition and unique focus provides a nice break from regular gameplay. Plus, its main quest concerning King Olaf is anything but easy. Rather than underestimating the Bards College, have a look at what they’re actually all about.
10 Viarmo, The Only Essential
An essential NPC is a character that can’t be killed under any circumstances and is protected by the game from any unfortunate “accidents.” This applies to major quest-givers and those who serve to tell a story.
In the Bards College, there’s only one character that seems to merit this status, and it’s Viarmo. The headmaster himself is immortal against any kind of damage. This means any of the other members are sensitive to being whacked to death, so make sure to be careful or else some radiant quests might be lost.
9 Not Just For Bards
Each faction in Skyrim has a specific role and is meant to attract a certain type of crowd. The Companions are known for pulling in the fighter types, while the College of Winterhold is a safe haven for mages. This isn’t any different with Solitude’s famous Bards College.
That being said, the definition of who can join the college is much wider than in other factions. It’s not just for singers or talented musicians; public speakers and those fluent in the art of poetry are also very much welcomed in what seems like a school for art and literature rather than just bards.
8 Born From Outlawing Guilds
Despite coming across a bit niche, the Bards College is actually something that has existed for a long time. In fact, since the Second Era of Tamriel something akin to it has been in existence and continued to spread and practice the art of music and storytelling.
The college itself used to once be a guild, just like most of Tamriel’s factions from the Fighters’ Guild to the Mages’ Guild. The Empire actually outlawed these guilds in favor of colleges it could probably better control and keep an eye on.
7 Viarmo’s Neutrality
One would imagine that something like the Bards College would have a bunch of colorful, memorable characters, but the truth is that only one of them really sticks out. Viarmo, the headmaster himself, is really the most important and flashiest character in the entire place.
It’s also interesting that he’s an Altmer. High elves are known for being quite arrogant and self-important, especially when it comes to politics. That being said, Viarmo doesn’t seem concerned with the politics of the ongoing civil war. He comes across neutral, and only expresses a deep worry towards the dragon crisis in Skyrim. In that regard, he’s a very unique Altmer.
6 The Bards Outside Of The College
Bards aren’t just confined to the college itself, although it’s safe to assume many of them received their knowledge and education from Viarmo’s college. In Skyrim, there are a total of 12 bards that can be found all around the province. Many of them are located in inn and taverns of major cities.
However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. There’s also a single wandering bard known as Talsgar the Wanderer, who can be found pretty much anywhere in the province. There’s also a bard in Windstad Manor, Lakeview Manor and Heljarchen Hall.
5 Two Other Major Quests
The Bards College is mainly relevant to the quests related to its bards, as well as King Olaf’s verses. That being said, it’s an excellent place to easily start a few other major quests that require the player to find a specific book and read it to begin the quest process.
In Dawnguard, the Lost to the Ages quest can be started by reading the Aetherium Wars book found in the college. Moreover, The Legend of the Red Eagle can also be found in the college’s bookshelves, which begins the quest of the same name.
4 The Inspiration For King Olaf
The focal point of joining the Bards College is definitely the major quest that Viarmo offers to the Dragonborn as they walk in. This concerns reinstating the age-old tradition of burning an effigy of the traitorous King Olaf in the city of Solitude, a practice which the Jarl has temporarily banned.
This practice isn’t actually that unique to Skyrim. In fact, it very closely resembles a very real world tradition in the UK known as Guy Fawkes Night. Similarly to King Olaf’s tradition, an effigy is also burned in real life, which must have acted as an inspiration for the game itself.
3 Plagiarism Is Apparently Okay
There’s one controversial part in the main quest of the Bards College that just can’t be ignored. One would think that in a college full of artists and musicians, matters like plagiarism and altering someone’s original work would be a serious issue, even if the original creators are no longer around.
And yet, this is exactly what the Dragonborn needs to do in order to convince the Jarl of the importance of King Olaf’s verse. By inventing the rest of the verses on their own, the Dragonborn basically leaves their mark in history, and the truth about King Olaf is basically forgotten.
2 Instruments Can’t Be Played
The whole point of joining the Bards College is of course the practice the art of music, poetry and literature. This would normally include playing instruments like the lute, the flute or even the drums, which are all readily available in Skyrim.
However, despite all this, the player is never able to interact with any of these instruments no matter how far they play out their Bards College quest line. Unless mods are installed, making music is left solely to the actual bard NPCs of Skyrim, which is a bit of a shame and a lost opportunity.
1 All 18 Skills Can Be Boosted
So what’s the whole point of joining this quirky faction if the Dragonborn can’t even recite poetry or play the lute? Thankfully, it’s not all a waste of time. Money aside, completing the radiant quests for the faculty actually brings some pretty significant rewards.
After finding three different instruments from random dungeons, the player can expect to raise all 18 of their skills by one thanks to the training opportunities available at the Bards College.
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