Lore:College of Winterhold
| College of Winterhold | |
|---|---|
| Type | District |
| Continent | Tamriel |
| Province | Skyrim |
| Hold | Winterhold |
| Settlement | Winterhold |
| Appears in | Skyrim |
The College of Winterhold is a school for Magic in the city of Winterhold. The campus is large and fortress-like in appearance. The buildings are separated by a central courtyard and various walkways. It functions much like the Mages Guild in other parts of Tamriel, except in its being a singular and completely independent establishment. The College itself is located across a large stone bridge, parts of which have crumbled to the sea below. The College has documents dating back as far as the late Second Era,[1] though the College itself is even older.[2] Ever since the Great Collapse, it has been sitting precariously on a surviving, inverted pyramid of rock that juts out of the sea.
In the late Third Era, the College became home to the Ysmir Collective, a library rescued from destruction in the east. It became the cornerstone of academic life at the College, and scholars from all over Tamriel descended on Winterhold to study its contents.[3]
The College has struggled to maintain its prominence in Skyrim in the Fourth Era for a number of different reasons. The local Nords, who remained skeptical of magic despite the prestige the College brought to their city, became even more distrustful after it came out conspicuously unscathed during the Great Collapse.[4] The College maintains that it was spared thanks to ancient magical protections not afforded to the surrounding city.[4] However, the many troubles of the Fourth Era resulted in a significant loss of their history.[1]
Being an independent organization, the College was not affected by the dissolution of the Mages Guild following the Oblivion Crisis, and continues to remain neutral despite pressures from the Synod and the College of Whispers. The College has standards for what kind of practices are allowed on campus, but they are mostly related to safety. In contrast to the Mages Guild, it regards Necromancy as an acceptable arcane practice. The College is a very secure and selective school which only allows entry to those they deem worthy. It has managed to somewhat standardize instructions in magic for those who are deemed qualified.[5] They've been known to produce some of the finest scholars in Skyrim's history. The College's main building is the Hall of the Elements, which is used for all kinds of magical practice. It holds the famous Arcanaeum library as well as the Arch-Mage's quarters, while accommodations for students and faculty are provided in separate buildings. Beneath the college campus lies the Midden, a remnant of the college's past where many of its greatest secrets lie.
In 4E 201, the College discovered the ruins of Saarthal and found the Eye of Magnus, revealing ancient secrets of such great magnitude that members of the Psijic Order returned to Mundus and journeyed to the College for a rare intervention into the affairs of Tamriel.[6]
[edit] Notes
- It is not clear how the modern Arcanaeum library relates to the "Ysmir Collective" referred to in The Pocket Guide to the Empire, Third Edition.
[edit] See Also
For game-specific information, see the Skyrim place and faction articles.
[edit] References
- ^ a b Savos Aren's dialogue in Skyrim.
- ^ Mirabelle Ervine's dialogue in Skyrim.
- ^ Pocket Guide to the Empire, 3rd Edition: The Throat of the World: Skyrim — Imperial Geographical Society, 3E 432
- ^ a b On the Great Collapse — Arch-Mage Deneth
- ^ A Primer on Enchanting — Sergius Turrianus
- ^ Events of Skyrim
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