Top 10 Ranked Mages Guild Quests in Elder Scrolls

Dreaming of becoming a wizard? Your journey will commence with an array of often mundane fetch quests.

While it’s true that the initial quests offered by the Mages Guild in each Elder Scrolls title may come across as a bit tedious, diligent students will find their perseverance pays off. As you delve deeper into the guild’s assignments, you’ll encounter thrilling pursuits, tracking down rogue sorcerers, recovering ancient artifacts, and exploring some of the most captivating dungeons scattered throughout the franchise.

From the marshlands of Morrowind to the majestic peaks of Skyrim, the Mages Guild will have you traversing all corners of its expansive landscapes. Aspiring to rise to the rank of Archmage? You’ll need to earn that prestigious title through dedication and skill.

Additionally, I’ve included quests from Morrowind’s House Telvanni—a magic-centric Great House that serves as a quirky rival to the Mages Guild. Known for their eccentric, suspicious, and power-hungry wizards, Telvanni adds an interesting layer that contrasts with the more conventional guilds.

10 Therana’s Clothes

The Telvanni Are Insane

Your adventure with the Elder Scrolls House Telvanni kicks off in a manner reminiscent of many early fetch quests. You are tasked with delivering a new skirt to Therana, one of the house’s famously “eccentric”councilors located in her tower at Tel Branora. Surely, receiving two Almsivi Intervention scrolls—used for teleportation to a Tribunal temple—won’t spell trouble.

Upon your arrival, Therana insists you wear the skirt to verify its lack of curses. In a shocking twist, she attempts to harm you for daring to don her skirt.

Alternatively, you can compel a nearby slave to wear the skirt, diverting Therana’s wrath towards the unfortunate Khajiit. However, this choice isn’t necessary to complete the quest successfully.

This quest’s lasting appeal lies in its early availability, Therana’s unpredictable violence, and the ethical dilemma of how to complete the task. Themes of moral choices and violence run throughout Morrowind, establishing from the outset that this so-called guild is home to quite the array of unpredictable wizards.

9 Under Saarthal

Time For A Field Trip

In Skyrim, your magical journey unfolds within the College of Winterhold—an institution that often feels more focused on dungeon exploration than on mastering the arcane arts.

However, during your journey to Saarthal under Tolfdir’s mentorship, the idea of “Elder Scrolls meets Harry Potter” comes alive.

Following the First Lessons quest, this field trip marks your pivotal transition from novice to a key figure within Winterhold. It offers a memorable combination of Tolfdir educating you about Skyrim’s history, engaging in an Indiana Jones-style treasure hunt in Saarthal, culminating in an unexpected encounter with the Psijic Order.

The ghostly presence of Nerien signifies that critical plot developments are unfolding, placing you squarely at their center.

What elevates this quest beyond being a simple dungeon romp is its successful intertwining of the College’s scholarly essence with the unfolding narrative. Even as you proceed through subsequent quests, this one remains a shining introduction to a magical mystery yet to be unraveled.

8 Information at a Price

Dead And Killing It

In my estimation, Oblivion’s introduction to the Mages Guild is among the most tedious in the Elder Scrolls series. Nevertheless, your persistence navigating the world’s intricacies eventually leads you to an intriguing mystery about the resurgence of necromancers in Cyrodiil.

The climactic action of “Information at a Price”kicks into high gear when Archmage Traven requires you to extract critical intelligence from Count Hassildor—a rather pale figure known for his reluctance to appear during daylight and a troubling aversion to mirrors. Sound suspicious?

Having likely encountered this less-than-friendly aristocrat before, you discover he is willing to barter valuable information in exchange for dealing with a few bothersome vampires that are gathering unwanted attention from vampire hunters.

As is common within the Elder Scrolls lore, the quest introduces an element of moral choice. The vampires indeed pose a threat; however, the hunters have their own agendas. You may choose to eliminate the vampires, ally with the hunters, or eliminate both factions independently.

Regardless of the path you choose, Count Hassildor is appreciative of your intervention and shares foreboding news—Mannimarco, the King of Worms, has resurfaced.

7 Kill the River

Is The Archmage Sane?

An observation commonly made concerning powerful wizards is their tendency toward paranoia and moral ambiguity, a fact exemplified in Morrowind’s House Telvanni. In this quest, Archmage Artorius calls upon you to rectify their behavior.

His solution? Eliminate all the leaders of House Telvanni.

While it’s true that Telvanni does not host the most benevolent individuals, their actions hardly compare to those of the Camonna Tong or other notorious Elder Scrolls villains. Artorius’s demand appears extreme even among his peers.

You have a choice: to follow Archmage Artorius’s orders or engage with other quest providers within Vvardenfell’s Mages Guild, perhaps facilitating a recall of Artorius back to the mainland instead.

This quest provides a compelling illustration that the conflict between the Mages Guild and House Telvanni is multifaceted; both factions harbor individuals who range from unsavory to noble in character.

Such complexity adds shades of morality, providing players with the chance to align themselves heroically with those who truly prove admirable.

6 Vahtacen’s Secret

Magical Puzzle-Solving

In this mid-game quest, players are tasked with inspecting the Mages Guild’s archaeological undertaking at the ancient Ayleid ruins of Vahtacen.

Despite the quest’s dungeon-crawling nature, it earns its place on this list due to its engaging puzzle elements which require the application of a diverse array of spells.

No simplistic spinning pillars here; accessing Vahtacen requires deciphering an inscription on a pillar and casting specific spells in the correct sequence. A single mistake could result in Ayleid wrath!

This quest serves not only as an exhilarating dungeon experience but also as a gateway to uncovering the lore of the Ayleids, enriching the tapestry of Cyrodiil’s past.

Much like the Dwemer in Morrowind and Skyrim, Ayleid ruins gradually unravel the intricate legends that populate the Elder Scrolls universe.

5 Mages Guild Monopoly

Time To Trust-Bust

During this quest, Master Aryon, one of House Telvanni’s councilors, seeks to dismantle the Mages Guild’s stronghold on magical services in Vvardenfell.

In an unexpected twist, Aryon’s solution doesn’t involve violence; instead, he charges you with stepping into the role of a politician. Your mission is to persuade three councilors from House Redoran to support the Telvanni, sufficient to disrupt the magical monopoly held by the Mages Guild.

Engaging in outright combat could indeed yield results, yet such behavior would displease Aryon, causing you to lose out on significant rewards. Often, diplomacy proves more advantageous than the sword in the Elder Scrolls.

4 Spy Catch

Fire Your Boss

Ranis Athrys, the head of the Balmora Mages Guild, believes a Telvanni spy has infiltrated their ranks. Your task? Capture the spy.

Tracking down Tiram Gadar, a slippery advisor to Archmage Artorius with little credibility, proves relatively simple. Provide the gathered evidence to Ranis, and he will be dismissed.

If you prefer a more devious route, you could instead inform the archmage about Ranis’s ineptitude. This moral decision ranks as one of my favorite moments in Morrowind; Ranis has certainly proven to be difficult during your previous interactions, coercing previous guild members to join under less than friendly terms.

Is Tiram the spy? Absolutely. Does Ranis deserve to be ousted? Most definitely! If you choose to spare those other targets, you can effectively put an end to Ranis’s tyrannical grip on the guild.

3 Staff of Magnus

Into Labyrinthian

As you approach the conclusion of Skyrim’s Mages Guild questline, your task is to retrieve the legendary Staff of Magnus from the expansive Labyrinthian.

This dungeon features an impressive start with an arena battle against a skeletal dragon and various minions, culminating in one of Skyrim’s most formidable bosses, dragon priest Morokei.

Perhaps I view it through nostalgic lenses, as Labyrinthian was the first instance I encountered a dragon priest in my initial playthrough, yet the encounter at the end of this arduous dungeon feels like a true pinnacle for those affiliated with the College of Winterhold.

While there’s still a climactic confrontation with Ancano awaiting you back at the college, Labyrinthian serves as the ultimate test and culmination of your efforts in mastering the arcane.

2 Oblivion Confront the King

Off With His Head!

Since your entry into the Arcane University, the quests have ingeniously built up to this pivotal moment: your climactic confrontation with Mannimarco, the King of Worms. This formidable adversary, accompanied by numerous summoned minions, necessitates that you muster all your magical prowess to prevail.

Foreshadowed from your initial entrance into the Arcane University, and reinforced through continued assignments, this fighter represents a resurgence of necromancy intended to challenge the Mages Guild’s very existence.

Mannimarco embodies a significant threat; his history intertwines deeply with that of the Mages Guild’s founder, positioning him as a legendary foe awaiting defeat. If you don’t confront him, who will?

In a narrative landscape that often sidelines your heroics in favor of Martin, its undeniable that the Mages Guild questline delivers a truly satisfying ‘save the world’ finale.

1 The Disappearance of the Dwarves

Write Tamriel’s True History

Our dubious ally, Archmage Artorius, brings our list to a close with his introductory quest: simply venture to the Dwemer ruins and uncover their fate. A straightforward task, or so it seems—after all, the mystery behind their disappearance is one of Morrowind’s most significant enigmas.

Initially, you might perceive this quest as a mere jest. Artorius entrusts it to you as an apprentice, after all.

Your quest takes you on a winding journey, engaging in the search for Dwemer texts, exploring their ancient establishments, and ultimately conversing with the last Dwemer in all of Tamriel.

Not only is this secondary quest intricately tied to the main storyline, but it also sheds light on the mysteries that fuel Dagoth Ur’s malevolence.

In conclusion, the Dwemer endeavored to ascend to divine status, defied the fabric of time, and ultimately vanished from existence—probably.

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