Elder Scrolls: Best Mages Guild Quests, Ranked

So you want to be a wizard? First, thou shalt perform an arbitrary number of tedious fetch quests.

Initially, the early Mages Guild missions in each game may seem rather uneventful. Yet, a student’s persistence pays off—later assignments from the guild lead you on thrilling adventures to track down renegade mages, hidden artifacts, and deep into some of the franchise’s most captivating dungeons.

No matter if you’re venturing through the marshes of Morrowind or scaling the summits of Skyrim, the Mages Guild assigns tasks across the land. Aspiring to be named Archmage? You’ll need to demonstrate your worthiness for the title first.

Additionally, I’ve incorporated a couple of quests from Morrowind’s House Telvanni. This magic-centric Great House serves as a Dunmer counterpart to the Mages Guild and is known for its eccentric, paranoid, and power-hungry wizards. From my perspective, it complements the more conventional guilds seamlessly.

10. Therana’s Clothes

The Telvanni Are Insane

Your journey with House Telvanni initiates much like some initial errands. You’re asked to deliver a new gown to Therana, an eccentric member of the council, who resides in her tower at Tel Branora. Retrieving two scrolls of Almsivi Intervention, which whisk you away from peril to a Temple of the Tribunal, can’t possibly be a sign of impending doom, right?

Upon your arrival, Therana insists that you don her skirt as evidence it isn’t enchanted. Later, she attempts to harm you because she considers it disrespectful for you to wear her personal garment.

Instead, you could ask a nearby servant to wear the skirt. Thera’s anger falls upon the unfortunate Khajit, but it’s not necessary for completing the quest effectively.

The reason this initial mission remains captivating is due to its early accessibility, the brutal actions of Therana, and the ethical dilemma surrounding its completion. Ethical choices and violence are prevalent throughout Morrowind, but this quest underscores their significance within this supposedly non-guild of psychopathic sorcerers.

9. Under Saarthal

Time For A Field Trip

The Mages Guild’s branch in the often overlooked city of Winterhold is primarily focused on exploring dungeons rather than studying and perfecting magical arts.

During your exploration of Saarthal under Tolfdir’s tutelage, there remains a compelling resemblance to the concept of “The Elder Scrolls and Harry Potter.”

Or:

While exploring Saarthal with Tolfdir, you can’t help but feel the strong connection between your adventure and the idea of blending “The Elder Scrolls” with “Harry Potter”.

Even though the first lessons follow directly after this, this field trip signifies your transformation from apprentice to the main character of Winterhold. This transition is significant as the quest progression moves from Tolfdir discussing Skyrim’s history, to a touch of ‘Indiana Jones’ style adventure during the exploration of Saarthal, and ultimately an unanticipated encounter with the Psijic Order.

Nerien the Monk’s ghostly appearance signals that the story is unfolding, and undeniably, you are right in the thick of it.

As I delved deeper into this quest, I found that the inclusion of the Saarthal ruins seamlessly complemented the diverse elements at play. Unlike just another generic dungeon crawl, Saarthal managed to preserve the scholarly ambiance of the College of Winterhold throughout our journey together.

In the subsequent missions, the narrative theme may not be as strong; however, it effectively sets up an intriguing enigma involving magic.

8. Information at a Price

Dead And Killing It

According to me, I find the introduction to the Mages Guild in the Elder Scrolls series rather lengthy. However, once you’ve journeyed across the world map to secure entry into the Arcane University, you’re subsequently drawn into a captivating mystery involving the resurrection of necromancers within Cyrodiil.

In “Information at a Price,” the storyline takes a turn towards violence when Archmage Traven requests that you retrieve some information from Count Hassildor. This count appears rather pasty, prefers to stay indoors during daylight hours, and exhibits an unusual reluctance around mirrors – does this ring a bell?

Lucky for me, I’ve already crossed paths with this character who goes by something other than Count Dracula. He’s in need of assistance and seems open to a deal: help him get rid of some pesky vampires, and he’ll share some valuable information in return. Quite the predicament for those bloodsuckers, as they’re drawing unwanted attention from vampire hunters – a definite inconvenience for our mysterious friend.

Similar to many quests in the Elder Scrolls series, this one presents a dilemma involving moral decisions. The vampires are clearly a menace that must be eliminated, but the hunters are only interested in slaying them. You have options: you can provide evidence of their deaths, enlist the hunters for the upcoming battle, or choose to deal with both groups independently without any assistance.

Regardless of the path taken, it’s clear that Count Hassildor is content with the resolution of the problem at hand, and as a gesture of gratitude, he shares some foreboding news: The King of Worms, Mannimarco, has resurfaced once more.

7. Kill Telvanni

Is The Archmage Sane?

It appears that there’s a certain quality about potent sorcerers which often leads them towards growing suspicion and immorality. This definitely applies to the House Telvanni in Morrowind, and Archmage Artorius has tasked you with addressing this issue.

By murdering all of House Telvanni’s leaders.

House Telvanni may not be home to the most amiable individuals, but they pale in comparison to the malevolent characters like the Camonna Tong and other villains from The Elder Scrolls. The Archmage’s demand seems somewhat extravagant, even for his standards.

Of course, you can simply carry out Artorius’s instructions, much like a devoted apprentice would. Alternatively, engage in conversation with other guides within Vvardenfell’s Mages Guild. It might just be the moment for Archmage Artorius to return to the mainland.

This mission is interesting as it illustrates that the conflict between the Mages Guild and House Telvanni isn’t solely driven by one side being wrong. In fact, both parties have their fair share of unsavory characters.

Indeed, it’s important to note that there are indeed kind-hearted individuals in both groups as well! This nuance paints the factions in a more complex light, allowing the player to make choices and align with the virtuous members of either side.

6. Vahtacen’s Secret

Magical Puzzle-Solving

In the early stages of ‘Oblivion’, a mission tasks you with investigating the archaeological project of the Mages Guild at the old, Ayleid ruin of Vahtacen.

Although the main focus is exploring a dungeon, this quest distinguishes itself by incorporating a puzzle that demands knowledge of multiple spells.

Inside Vahtacen, there are no rotating pillars like in Skyrim. Instead, to enter, you must decipher a message on one of the pillars, acquire or create the required spells (or perhaps at the Arcane University’s Praxographical Center), and then cast them in the right order. If you make a mistake, the Ayleids will retaliate from beyond the grave.

Inside Vahtacen, spinning pillars like Skyrim are absent. To gain entry, you’ll need to figure out a message on one of the pillars, learn or craft the necessary spells (perhaps at the Arcane University’s Praxographical Center), and then successfully cast them in the correct sequence. Failure to do so correctly will result in Ayleids attacking from beyond the grave.

Besides navigating an unspoiled catacomb like Indiana Jones, this adventure serves as an engaging initiation into the lore of the Ayleids and the enigmas surrounding ancient Cyrodiil.

As you delve into the role reminiscent of the Dwemer in both Morrowind and Skyrim, Ayleid ruins scattered throughout the province gradually unravel additional layers of the Elder Scrolls’ complex history.

5. Mages Guild Monopoly

Time To Trust-Bust

Among the advisors of House Telvanni, Master Aryon expresses growing frustration with the Mages Guild’s dominant position in providing magical services within Vvardenfell. Of course, he encourages you to take action against this situation.

Instead of interpreting it as “he wants you to kill people,” Aryon asks you to assume the role of a politician. Your mission is to persuade three members of House Redoran’s council to side with the Telvanni, so that together, you can gather enough votes to break the Mages Guild’s monopoly.

Approaching a quest with reckless brutality, as a murderhobo does, will indeed complete the task. However, it angers Aryon and denies you his potent reward. It seems that not every situation in the Elder Scrolls universe rewards violence without consequences.

4. Spy Catch

Fire Your Boss

As a dedicated follower of the Mages Guild in Balmora, I find myself pondering over a troubling suspicion – it seems that a cunning Telvanni agent might have slipped into our ranks as an undercover spy. It’s up to us to unmask and apprehend this intruder before they cause any further harm.

Locating the spy shouldn’t be too difficult – Tiram Gadar, who appears to be sneaky as a weasel, acts as Archmage Artorius’s advisor with a questionable letter of recommendation. Collect the proof, hand it over to Ranis, and he’ll be dismissed from his position.

Alternatively, you could choose a slightly deceitful path and inform the archmage about Rani instead. This has always been one of my preferred decisions in Morrowind because, truth be told, Rani Athrys is quite a character. To put it mildly, her past quests required you to convince ex-members and independent mages to join the guild, or else they faced consequences.

100% certain: Tiram Gadar is indeed a spy. And without a doubt, Ranis Athrys should be dismissed from her position. By sparing those targeted in her past missions, you can effectively bring an end to Ranis’s ruthless enforcement of the Mages Guild’s monopoly.

3. Staff of Magnus

Into Labyrinthian

Toward the finale of my Skyrim adventure with the Mages Guild, I found myself tasked with the challenge of securing the legendary Staff of Magnus from its hidden chamber within Labyrinthian – a massive, maze-like ruin, as suggested by its name.

Regardless of the fact that it only loosely necessitates becoming a wizard, this dungeon is so impressive we can’t afford to leave it off our list. It starts with an arena fight against a skeletal dragon and a horde of minions, culminating in one of Skyrim’s toughest battles against the dragon priest Morokei.

In my initial gameplay, I came across a dragon priest for the first time during Labyrinthian. Since then, my perception might be slightly biased towards that encounter. Yet, the final battle in that tough dungeon still seems like the College of Winterhold’s genuine high point.

Upon returning home to the college, you’ll encounter a fight against Ancano. However, before that, there’s only one more boss battle left. And it’s the Labyrinthian that seems like the final test you’ll face.

2. Oblivion Confront the King

Off With His Head!

Since you enrolled at Arcane University, the climactic showdown you’ve been preparing for has finally arrived: the ultimate confrontation with the King of Worms. Mannimarco is a formidable adversary who summons numerous minions to aid him. To defeat him, you will need to draw upon all your magical power.

Although the initial stages of this storyline may not be particularly strong, the confrontation against Mannimarco is likely the most rewarding boss battle found within any of the Mages Guilds in the series.

The conflict with the necromancers of Cyrodiil is hinted at from the moment we enter the Arcane University, and it gradually grows more intense through various missions, information-gathering, and preparation for confrontation.

This version maintains the original’s structure and meaning while using simpler, more conversational language.

Similarly to Dagoth Ur and Alduin, Mannimarco is an ancient foe from long ago, a formidable adversary even to the founder of the Mages Guild. Often found nestled within a side quest narrative, his power level is top-tier, almost unmatched. If he’s not defeated, who else will step up to the challenge?

In a storyline where your character takes a back seat to Martin, it’s fantastic that the Mages Guild questline provides a genuinely impactful “save-the-world” conclusion instead.

1. The Disappearance of the Dwarves

Write Tamriel’s True History

As a devoted fan, I can’t help but share the first task bestowed upon me by my esteemed mentor, Archmage Artorius: a humble expedition to some ancient Dwemer ruins to uncover their fate. It’s not exactly a brain-bending enigma like those found in Morrowind, but every clue is a step closer to understanding this mysterious world.

Initially, the task appears to be a mere jest. Since Artorius is willing to assign it to a novice apprentice, one might think so. However, as you delve deeper into the character of the archmage, his seemingly absurd demand starts to appear more genuine and bizarre.

This task leads you on an intriguing journey, where you search for Dwemer texts, delve into their old ruins, and ultimately converse with what is believed to be the sole surviving dwarf across all of Tamriel.

This is an optional mission that involves accomplishing a substantial part of the primary storyline, and it serves to shed light on the enigmas that fuel Dagoth Ur’s wickedness.

Essentially, it seems the Dwemer strove for divine status, disrupted time, and ultimately vanished from reality, or so it’s hypothesized.

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2025-04-03 16:12