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Posted by
Paul M June 6, 2014 -
539 views
For a place surrounded by highly murderous wildlife and beset by a pretty much continuous snowstorm, I'm surprised more of the houses in Winterhold don't have walls and roofs. I chat to Faralda, who gives me the third degree about why I want to train at the magician's college. I spin her a line about my curiosity about the mysteries of the universe. She doesn't dismiss me out of hand, and instead gives me a test: cast a fear spell. Well, I could make a fear potion, but the spell is not in my repertoire. I decide to give casting fury a go, but she's not impressed, and I have to confess to my ignorance.
It just so happens she has a fear spell for sale. I see the racket going on here, but I don't mind buying new and interesting spells so I hand over the money. Casting the spell elicits a compliment and a guided tour up to the college. Inside I meet Savos the arch mage who lays down the rules. He's a little tedious so I go hunting for someone with a bit more charisma.
I find Mirabelle giving a young student a grilling. I butt in and she enrols me on the spot, no doubt impressed with my bulging pockets full of potions and mountain flowers. Before we begin the tour I have a swift dinner of bread, cabbage and clam meat washed down with four bottles of Nord mead. This unlikely culinary combination enables me to walk at a decent pace with the new threads Mirabelle has given to me. She shows me my room and then points me in the direction of a lecture in progress with an old guy called Tolfdir.
There's some gobby teenagers in the class who are eager to get cracking. I'm in less of a hurry so when Tolfdir asks me what to do I say focus on safety. We jump in to ward spells, but I don't know any so Tolfdir has to earn his money and actually teach me one. I master that, even with some chap coming up and talking through most of what Tolf has to say. I buy some spells off him after the lesson, and he says the next lesson will be a field trip, but I fancy a rest before then. I chat to J'Zargo and Onmund the Nord. J-Zee is a bit of a prat but Mundo is alright.
I knock around the college a bit more and chat to various people. I'm glad Lydia isn't here as I'm sure she'd only be getting bored and politely coughing the whole time like with the Greybeards. I eventually come to the library and find some interesting reads to pass the time. One is called Nords Arise! and tells of the strife between Nord and empire that has been to hot topic in my travels so far. The worship of Talos as a god is outlawed following the signing of some treaty between the empire and a religious elf group who live in another land. The Nords are of the view that they like worshipping Talos a lot more than they like being part of the empire, so rebellion seems to be on the cards.
I read past midnight and into Fredas before heading off to bed. The next morning I dump all my useless possessions in the wardrobe and take a walk around the college in my fancy new student mage clothes. An elf with the most bloodshot eyes I've ever seen sells me some super powerful spells, before I head up to the roof. As I take in the view there is a mighty shout, and after a few seconds a blue dragon comes circling over to me. A good opportunity to try my new ward and destruction spells.
Fortunately the town of Winterhold itself keeps drawing the dragon off between attacks. I soften him up with some poisoned arrows to prevent him from flying around too much and to lower his resistance to fire, before sealing the deal with dual cast healing and firebolt spells. He falls at last and drops into the central plaza of the college. I head down to absorb the dragon soul, with the plan maybe to pop to Winterhold to take stock of the damage.
I don't see any casualties in town, but equally I can no longer find Faralda. I bump into a shop keeper called Birna though, who tells me some story about a deal gone sour. I tell her I'll look into it, and buy a dragon claw off her. I vaguely remember seeing some sort of barrow before the dragon showed up at the college, so it may be useful later. I head to the Frozen Hearth and chat to Haran about the decline of Winterhold. Apparently it is too remote for people to come here, but I've got to think that's not something that's happened overnight. I buy some more spells and then talk to the Jarl, who seems to be a bit down on his luck. I agree to get him some fancy hat, but only half heartedly.
I head back to college, but still can't find Faralda. I chat to Nirya, who clearly doesn't like the girl, but makes no mention of her being dead, so I take that as a good sign. I round out my evening by finding the alchemy table in the college and mixing up all the ingredients on the shelves. My alchemy continues to leap, reaching level 37. Just before midnight I stumble downstairs and search for a bed to sleep in. Doing so I find Faralda catching forty winks, and I do a mental jump for joy. There is a spare bed two berths over so I do what a student does best and take a luxurious 9 hour snooze.
