The Bards College, located in Solitude, with Masser in the backdrop.
The Bards College is a joinable faction that appears in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Located in Solitude, the guild consists of bards, poets, and public speakers. Joining the college requires completing a quest for the guild's headmaster, Viarmo.
History
The Bards College was first formed during the Second Era as part of the Guilds Act.[1][2]
Admittance
Viarmo, headmaster of the Bards College, holding a torch
Upon entering the Bards College, admission can be requested from Viarmo. He will ask the Dragonborn to go to Dead Men's Respite to retrieve the missing verses from a poem about King Olaf One-Eye, called King Olaf's Verse. However, some of the verses are missing, so the Dragonborn and Viarmo will have to make up their own lines for the poem, so that it can be read to Solitude's Jarl. The Dragonborn must then attend the burning of Olaf's effigy, and speak to Viarmo to join the Bards College.
Benefits
After becoming a member of the guild, items can be freely used or taken from the college. Interestingly, the College contains no loot of immense value, but does contain many, many books. Book collectors and lore-enthusiasts may value this. The teachers at the College will see the Dragonborn as an 'adventuring type' and ask them to search for misplaced items and artifacts. Once these items are found, the teachers will provide the player with one skill up to each type of skill.
Faculty quest rewards
- Find Finn's Lute - +1 to all Thief skills
- Find Pantea's Flute - +1 to all Mage skills
- Find Rjorn's Drum - +1 to all Warrior skills
Quests
- Tending the Flames - Admittance quest
- Find Finn's Lute
- Find Pantea's Flute
- Find Rjorn's Drum
- The book The Legend of Red Eagle can be found in a bookshelf on the main floor. Reading this book initiates a quest of the same name.
- The book The Aetherium Wars can also be found in a bookshelf on the main floor. Reading the book initiates the quest called Lost to the Ages.
Members
- Aia Arria
- Ataf
- Bendt - Chef
- Giraud Gemane - Dean of History
- Illdi
- Inge Six Fingers - Dean of Lutes
- Jorn
- Pantea Ateia
- Viarmo - Headmaster
Other bards
- Delacourt - plays in Dead Man's Drink in Falkreath.
- Karita - plays in the Windpeak Inn in Dawnstar.
- Lisette - plays in The Winking Skeever in Solitude.
- Lurbuk gro-Dushnikh - plays in the Moorside Inn in Morthal.
- Mikael - plays in The Bannered Mare in Whiterun.
- Sven - plays in the Sleeping Giant Inn in Riverwood.
- Talsgar the Wanderer - A wandering Bard, found all over Skyrim.
- Llewellyn the Nightingale - The Bard who can be hired for Lakeview Manor.
- Luaffyn - plays in Candlehearth Hall in Windhelm.
- Ogmund- plays in the Silver-Blood Inn in Markarth.
- Oriella - The Bard who can be hired for Heljarchen Hall.
- Sonir - The Bard who can be hired at Windstad Manor.
Trivia
- Only Viarmo is labeled as essential.
- Despite joining the college and becoming a full-fledged bard by completing all the available quests, there is still no way as of yet to play any instrument in-game.