These are the best teachers to work with if you want to join the College of Winterhold to improve your magic skills.
Skyrim has a lot of different groups, or factions, that offer a lot of fun tasks and roleplaying options for a wide range of builds and play styles. Players can join a group of warriors called the Companions, become the newest member of a group of cruel killers, or become a member of the Thieves Guild and live in the shadows.
But magicians would love to join the College of Winterhold, which is a school for wizards on the frozen northern coast and has a lot of interesting history. There, players can learn more about magic from the different teachers who work and study at the college.
Sergius Turrianus
Sergius is the grump magical teacher at the College of Winterhold. He teaches up to level 75 in this skill. Sergius always seems angry about how much work he has to do making weapons and armour for the Nords in the area, and he may ask the player to help him collect soul gems.
Sergius is also having a secret relationship with two College members, Nirya and Faralda, which makes the elves hate each other even more. Sergius can be seen with Nirya late at night in the Hall of the Elements.
Phinis Gestor
Falion, a sorcerer who lives in Morthal, used to teach Phinis. Players can train in the Conjuration school up to level 75 with Phinis. He also sells books of Conjuration spells and magical gear, such as levelled Conjuration clothes.
Phinis Gestor seems to have a loose sense of right and wrong when it comes to magic. He thought that sending Malyn Varen’s followers away was too harsh, and he has no problem calling Daedra or bringing the dead back to life. He even tells the player that if they die, their bodies will be “put to good use…”
Colette Marence
The Restoration tutor is a paranoid person who is always worried that her study materials will go missing and that the Restoration school isn’t real. Colette says that her coworkers often treat her badly. She often finds notes in her bed, desk, and food that say her study isn’t useful. Sometimes you can find her walking around the College, trying to talk to other members but not getting very far.
Colette is paranoid and doesn’t have good social skills, but she knows a lot about the Restoration school and can teach up to level 75. She also sells Restoration spell books and clothes.
Faralda
Faralda is the first College wizard Skyrim players meet when they get to Winterhold. She stands guard on the bridge to keep bad guys away and welcome new students. She makes the players cast a spell from a random school (which she will teach) as a test of how good they are at magic. But if the player doesn’t have enough Magicka to cast the spell, they can still pass the test by speaking well or shouting that they are the Dragonborn.
Faralda wants to be the Master Wizard so she can take over from Mirabelle when she becomes Arch-Mage, which is a given. Faralda teaches the Destruction school up to level 90 and sells magic and robes for that school in the meantime.
Mirabelle Ervine
Mirabelle is the head wizard at the College. When you first meet her, she is putting Thalmor spy Ancano in his place outside the Hall of the Elements. She shows the player around the College before sending them to their first classes. She also runs the College on a day-to-day basis.
Mirabelle can tell players where to find the different teachers at the College, but she doesn’t sell magic or give Eggy Car lessons herself. Even so, she shows herself to be a good and strong mage over the course of the College’s quest line, where she does some brave things.
Drevis Neloren
Drevis is a strange person whose mind seems to always be somewhere else. When they meet, Drevis is working on some kind of spell to make him invisible, but it’s clear that it’s not working because he’s fully visible.
Drevis helps the player learn Illusion. He sells spell tomes and gives training in this school up to level 90. He also gives the Dragonborn a glowing quest that they have to do over and over again. In this quest, they have to clean the magical energy focus points around the college.
Savos Aren
As the College’s Arch-Mage, Savos Aren spends most of his time in his own room taking care of his own business. He comes out every so often to walk around the College and talk to Mirabelle. This is when players are most likely to run into him outside of College tasks. He is a very smart and kind elf. During the College quest line, he shows off both his power and his bravery.
But as the story goes on, it becomes clear that Savos Aren has a dark secret that makes him feel guilty.
Tolfdir
Tolfdir is the mage in charge of the group of trainees that the player joins. First, he teaches the player about wards, and then he leads the group on an adventure to Saarthal. Tolfdir is a kind man, but he is often forgetful. He always loses his alembic, and the player must help him find it.
He is a master teacher in the Alteration school and can teach up to level 90. He also sells spell books, magical equipment, and levelled clothes for the Alteration profession.
