Lore:Tolfdir

Master Wizard Tolfdir
Master Wizard Tolfdir
Race	Nord	Gender	Male
Resided in		College of Winterhold
Appears in		Skyrim

Tolfdir (Legends)

Tolfdir was a Nord mage who taught at the College of Winterhold in the Fourth Era. He eventually took on the role of the College's Master Wizard. Despite seeming foolish or forgetful at times, he was actually one of the best Alteration scholars in all of Tamriel.

In 4E 201, Tolfdir took a group of new students including the Last Dragonborn on a field trip to the archaeological dig at Saarthal. He and the Dragonborn discovered the Eye of Magnus hidden inside Saarthal and Tolfdir brought it back to the College for study. Tolfdir's knowledge of magical lore helped identify that the markings on the Eye were unique, as they were neither Elven, Daedric, nor Ayleid.

Sometime later, Ancano, the College's guest Thalmor mage advisor, seized control of the Eye by magic, generating a powerful energetic field. Arch-Mage Savos Aren and Master Wizard Mirabelle Ervine confronted him, but a massive explosion ensued that killed the Arch-Mage and severely wounded Mirabelle. Tolfdir asked the Dragonborn to help save Winterhold from a swarm of Magic Anomalies unleashed by the explosion that threatened the city .

Tasked by Mirabelle to retrieve the Staff of Magnus from Labyrinthian, the Dragonborn returned to find Tolfdir and other mages stranded outside the College. Tolfdir explained they had been forced out by the Eye's magical barrier, which was increasing out of control, and that Mirabelle had died from her injuries. Tolfdir instructed the Dragonborn to use the Staff to break through it, after which he and the Dragonborn confronted Ancano, and the Dragonborn defeated him, saving the College and the city. Tolfdir became the new Master Wizard succeeding Mirabelle, and appointed the Dragonborn as the new Arch-Mage.

See Also

• For game-specific information, see the Skyrim article.