Winter-hold and the College Mystery

[woodsman30]

It is no secret that much more was planned for the College of Winter-hold but was cut short to release the game. We are left with a huge mystery one that I hope to bring to light in the following tale with facts and opinion based on game findings to back it up.

When you first enter Winter-hold you soon relies much is missing and lays at the sea of ghosts coast. What happened? and when? These answers are there if one chooses to look real close at the facts some can be heard from the Winter-hold citizens and the Jarl. They believe the college had something to do with the Great Collapse but that is not what happened in its entirety. The Red mountain erupted in spectacular way creating what is known as The Red Year. The Sea of ghosts was rocked and created massive waves that battered the coast of Skyrim one only has to look at he map to see Winter-hold had no protection from it's wrath. However, the College was spared as was some of the town ...how? There was some powerful forces at work during this time and one person seen it coming..... enter the Augur of Dunlain. Augurs are considered tellers of the future and omens to come... Dunlain was believe where he was from as he is a Breton . The Augur was a Breton with extraordinary skill denied by no one who delved deep into magic and perhaps the "old magic" seen by the Reach-man. We have no proof of when he lived but appears well before the current Arch-mage rein. I believe it to be at the time of the great collapse. The Augur studied restoration magic and is considered to be the best at it.

 

The Augur of Dunlain did study the old magic as evidence of Reach-man statues in The Midden how deep did he go and how far could he see events before they happened... In his current state he is able to see events in the future as I believe this is a skill he always had even when alive see prior reference. We know Reach-man are powerful wielders of magic and some even cast their own hearts aside to become more than man or mer. Now we are left with hows and whys.

 

I believe the Augur of Dunlain did see the events of the Red Mountain happen before the actually did. I believe this is what drove him to go into the old magic to find a way to prevent what he saw coming and also seen what he must do. I believe he saw it all transpire in real time and seen the massive waves heading to the very college he called home. This is where I believe he used himself to cast as a ward unlike any seen before that tore the flesh from his very bones. A ward so powerful it protected the college from massive tidal waves from the eruption of the Red Mountain. I believe the magic use was so powerful it consumed his living body and what is left is the form we see today... pure energy. Now this spell would have been seen by all....enter why they think it was the colleges fault. The Augur was able to stop the brunt of the waves but part of the town still fell to the torrents of water. It can be assumed he is now part of the college as without him it would surely collapse.

 

His story is untold but this makes the most sense as all other theories fall short this matches timelines, characters, and events. The Augur could leave I believe but chooses to stay and protect what he calls home.... this is why he was willing to help you as he knew your story long before your coming to Winter-hold. 

 

More may come as evidence of the Midden is very ancient.... 

[knightind]

This has to be the more reasonable theory I've seen regarding Winterhold. I've wondered too at the history behind it and how the town that survived is the part that lived in the shadow of the college.