So you want to be a wizard? First, thou shalt perform an arbitrary number of tedious fetch quests.
OK, so the first couple Mages Guild quests in eachElder Scrollsgame are a bit boring. However, a student’s patience is well-rewarded—later quests from the guild send you off hunting for rogue wizards, lost artifacts, and into the bowels of some of the franchise’s best dungeons.
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Whether you’re exploringMorrowind’smarshes orSkyrim’ssummits, the Mages Guild sends you all over the map. Want to become the guild’s Archmage? You’ll have toearnthat title.
I’ve also included two quests fromMorrowind’sHouse Telvanni. This magic-focused Great House is the Dunmer rival to the Mages Guild, and is filled with eccentric, paranoid, power-hungry wizards. In my opinion, it fits perfectly alongside the more “traditional” guilds.
10Therana’s Clothes
The Telvanni Are Insane
Questgiver
Felisa Ulessen
Sadrith Mora
This quest forMorrowind’sHouse Telvanni begins like many early fetch quests. You’re tasked with bringing a new skirt toTherana, one of the house’s “eccentric” councilors, in her tower at Tel Branora. Surely receiving two scrolls of Almsivi Intervention—which teleport you out of danger to a Tribunal temple—is not ominous.
Upon arrival, Therana demands you put on the skirt to prove it isn’t cursed. Then, she tries to kill you becausehow dare you wear her skirt.
However, an alternative is to instruct a nearby slave to put on the skirt. Therana’s ire is then directed to the poor Khajit—but this isn’t required to successfully complete the quest.
What makes this simple quest so enduring is how early it is available, Therana’s violence, and the moral choice of how you complete the quest. Moral choice and violence are present in much ofMorrowind,and this quest establishes they’re especially true for this totally-not-a-guild of psychopathic wizards.
9Under Saarthal
Time For A Field Trip
Saarthal Ruin
Skyrim’sversion of the Mages Guild is a college in theunder-utilized city of Winterhold,which tends to be more about dungeon-crawls than mastering magic.
However, the premise of"Elder ScrollsmeetsHarry Potter"is still strong during your expedition to Saarthal under Tolfdir’s guidance.
Despite coming immediately after First Lessons, this field trip begins your transition from apprentice to Winterhold’s protagonist. It’s a memorable transition as the quest shifts from Tolfdir lecturing about Skyrim’s past, to a bit ofIndiana Joneswhile exploring Saarthal, and finally an unexpected visit by the Psijic Order.
The monk Nerien’s apparition is a flag that The Plot is in motion, and (of course) you’re at the heart of it.
This story element blends well with the diversity of other elements during the quest. Under Saarthal goes beyond “an excuse for a dungeon crawl” because it retains the College of Winterhold’s scholastic vibes during the quest.
Later quests drop the thematic ball a bit—but at this point in the story, the quest successfully introduces a magical mystery.
8Information at a Price
Archmage Traven
Cyrodill (Arcane University)
In my opinion,Oblivion’sMages Guild introduction is the most tedious in theElder Scrolls.After traipsing around the world map to get access to the Arcane University, though, you’re rewarded with an engaging mystery about the return of necromancers to Cyrodiil.
The plot kicks into violent gear in “Information at a Price” when Archmage Traven asks you to go get some information from a certain Count Hassildor. He’s rather pale, tends to avoid coming out during the day, and has a curious aversion to mirrors. Sound familiar?
Fortunately, at this point you’ve likely already met the totally-not-Count-Dracula, and he’s willing to trade information for a favor. Just goslay some vampiresfor him. They’re attracting a bunch of pesky vampire hunters, which clearly is a bit of a nuisance for the count.
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Like most of theElder Scrolls’strong quests, this one offers an element of moral choice. The vampires have absolutely got to go, but the hunters just want dead vampires. you’re able to show proof you’ve killed the vampires, recruit the hunters for the battle, or just wipe out both groups all on your lonesome.
Either way, Count Hassildor’s pleased that you’ve tided up this hassle, and rewards you with ominous information—Mannimarco, the King of Worms, has returned.
7Kill Telvanni
Is The Archmage Sane?
Archmage Artorius
Vivec (Foreign Quarter)
There’s just something about powerful wizards that seems to make them all increasingly paranoid and amoral. That’s certainly true ofMorrowind’sHouse Telvanni, and Archmage Artorius wants you to fix that.
By murdering all of House Telvanni’s leaders.
Sure, House Telvanni isn’t filled with particularly nice people, but they don’t even compare to theCamonna Tong and otherElder Scrollsvillains.The Archmage’s request is probably abitover-the-top, even for him.
Naturally, you can just follow Artorius’s commands like an obedient apprentice. Or, have a chat with other questgivers in Vvardenfell’s Mages Guild. It may well be time for Archmage Artorius to be recalled to the mainland.
This quest is great because it shows that the feud between the Mages Guild and House Telvanni isn’t just a one-way street. Both factions are filled with jerks.
However, there arealsogenuine not-jerks in both factions, too! This casts the factions within “shades of grey,” while still giving the player agency to be heroic and side with individual good guys.
6Vahtacen’s Secret
Magical Puzzle-Solving
Raminus Polus
This relatively early quest inOblivionsends you to check up on the Mages Guild’s archaeological expedition to theancient Ayleid ruin of Vahtacen.
Despite being centered on a dungeon-crawl, this quest earns its place because it uses a puzzle which actuallyrequires knowing a variety of spells.
No spinningSkyrimpillars here. To get inside Vahtacen you’ll need to translate the message on a pillar, learn the necessary spells (or perhaps create them in the Arcane University’s Praxographical Center), and cast them in the correct sequence. Screw it up, and the Ayleids zap you from beyond the grave.
In addition toIndiana Jones-ing your way through an untouched dungeon, this quest is also a fun introduction to the Ayleids and the mysteries of Cyrodiil’s past.
Filling a role similar to the Dwemer inMorrowindandSkyrim,Ayleid ruins across the province slowly reveal more background oftheElder Scrollsintricate lore.
5Mages Guild Monopoly
Time To Trust-Bust
Master Aryon
One of House Telvanni’s councilors, Master Aryon, is sick and tired of the Mages Guild’sde factomonopoly on magical services in Vvardenfell. Naturally, he wants you to do something about it.
And by that, hedoesn’tmean “go murder a bunch of people until I get what I want.” In a refreshing change of pace,Aryon directs you to play a politician.Convince three of House Redoran’s councilors to vote with the Telvanni, and you’ll have enough votes to bust the Mages Guild’s monopoly.
Mind, murderhobo-ing your way through the quest does get the job done. But it ticks off Aryon, and you lose out on his powerful quest reward. Turns out violence doesn’talwaysget the best results in theElder Scrolls.
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4Spy Catch
Fire Your Boss
Ranis Athrys
Ranis Athrys, the leader of Balmora’s Mages Guild, thinksa Telvanni spy has infiltrated the guild.Go catch them.
It’s pretty easy to track down the spy—one Tiram Gadar is an evasive weasel serving as Archmage Artorius’s advisor on the basis of a very shoddy letter of recommendation. Find the evidence, turn it in to Ranis, and he’ll get the boot.
Or,you can be a bit dishonest and instead report Ranis to the archmage. This is one of my favorite quest choices inMorrowindbecause, frankly, Ranis Athrys is a piece of work. After all, her previous quests sent you to “persuade” former members and independent mages to join the guild, or else.
Is Tiram Gadar the spy? 100%. Does Ranis Athrys deserve to get sacked? Also, 100%. Spare your “targets” in her previous quests, and you may ensure Ranis’s murderous enforcement of the Mages Guild’s monopoly is over.
3Staff of Magnus
Into Labyrinthian
Mirabelle Ervine
College of Winterhold
Toward the end ofSkyrim’squestline for the Mages Guild, you need toretrieve the legendary Staff of Magnus from its resting place in Labyrinthian.As the ruin’s name implies, it’s a bit on the large side.
Despite only tangentially requiring you to “be a wizard,” this dungeon’s too excellent to pass up on our list. Opening up with an arena battle against a skeletal dragon and a bunch of mooks, it climaxes withone ofSkyrim’shardest bossesin a battle against the dragon priest Morokei.
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My lenses might be rose-tinted since Labyrinthian was the first time I encountered a dragon priest back in my first play-through. However, this fight at the end of a grueling dungeon still feels like the College of Winterhold’strueclimax.
Sure, there’s the battle with Ancano when you get back home to the college. But with just a quick boss battle remaining, it’s Labyrinthian which truly feels like your last trial.
2Oblivion Confront the King
Off With His Head!
Ever since you entered the Arcane University,Oblivion’squests have built up to this point:your final battle with the King of Worms.Mannimarco is a fierce foe supported by plenty of summoned minions, and you’ll need all your magical might to put him down.
Despite the weak start of this questline, the battle with Mannimarco is probably the most satisfying boss fight in any of the franchise’s Mages Guilds.
This fight is foreshadowed early after entering the Arcane University, and further built up by continued quests, gathering intel and preparing to oppose Cyrodiil’s resurgent necromancers.
Like Dagoth Ur or Alduin, Mannimarco is an ancient villain from thousands of years ago, the rival of the Mages Guild’s founder. He’s really an A-tier threat sitting at the end of a “sidequest” storyline. If you don’t take him down, who will?
In a game where the plot kind of sidelines you in favor of Martin, I love that the Mages Guild questline offers a real solid “save the world” ending.
1The Disappearance of the Dwarves
Write Tamriel’s True History
Our good “friend” Archmage Artorius ends this list with his very first quest:just go to some Dwemer ruinsand find out what happened to them. Simple stuff, really—obviously this isn’t one ofMorrowind’sbiggest mysteries.
At first, it seems like this quest may be a joke. After all, Artorius will even give it to you as an apprentice. The more you learn about the archmage, the more serious (and ludicrous) his request becomes.
This quest sends you on a wild goose chase, hunting for Dwemer books, exploring their ancient ruins, and eventually even speaking with thelast dwarf in all of Tamriel.
It’s a sidequest that requires completing a significant chunk of the main quest, and which also helpsexplainthe mysteries which drive Dagoth Ur’s villainy.
In short, the Dwemer attempted to become their own gods, broke Time, and erased themselves from existence. Probably.
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