For other uses, see Staff of Magnus.

The Staff of Magnus
Quest Giver	Mirabelle Ervine
Location	Labyrinthian
Prerequisite	Containment
Next Quest	The Eye of Magnus
Reward	Staff of Magnus
Faction	The College of Winterhold
Type	Faction quest

It serves as the seventh quest in the College of Winterhold string of quests. Traversing Labyrinthian, the Dragonborn searches for the fabled Staff of Magnus. Morokei, a Dragon Priest, holds the staff and must be battled to obtain it. The battle is difficult and only recommend for levels 20 and above.

Contents 1 Background 2 Notable loot 3 Walkthrough 3.1 Labyrinthian 3.2 Labyrinthian Chasm 3.3 Labyrinthian Thoroughfare 3.4 Labyrinthian Tribune 3.5 Fighting Morokei 3.6 Leaving Labyrinthian 4 Morokei dialogue 5 Journal 6 Trivia 7 Bugs 8 Appearances

Background

I need to retrieve the Staff of Magnus from within Labyrinthian and return with it to the College of Winterhold. Only the staff will help me put an end to Ancano's abuse of the Eye of Magnus.

Notable loot

• Staff of Magnus
• Spell Tome: Equilibrium
• Five Malachite Ore veins
• Five Gold Ore veins
• Morokei (Mask) - which can be used in conjunction witih the Archmage's Robes for ludicrous magical regeneration

Walkthrough

Labyrinthian

It is strongly recommended to get some shock-resistant armor before arriving as the boss uses high level shock magic and can summon a Storm Atronach. Note, in the Arch-Mage's Quarters are a pair of boots with 40% shock resistance next to his bed. There's also a Draught of Resist Shock on the shelves with the alchemical ingredients. Approximately four potions of resist shock can be made with the ingredients found here, alleviating some of the difficulty of the encroaching boss battle.

Upon arriving at the Labyrinthian, the staircase to the right leads to a large stone door. Opening this door requires the Torc of Labyrinthian obtained from Savos Aren's death.

Here, several ghostly apparitions appear -- Takes-In-Light, Atmah, Savos Aren, and others. These are college mages who previously explored the ruins. They discuss the upcoming dangers of spelunking.

On the right side of the foyer, inside the entrance, is a randomly generated spell tome. Possible Spell Tomes include Detect Life, Ironflesh, Telekinesis, Waterbreathing and Equilibrium.

The room after this contains a lever opening iron bars that are only temporary, so move fast. (Although you might want to take your time first, if you have attacks that can make it through the bars, such as conjurations). On the other side are several skeletons and a Skeleton Dragon, which does not have a soul to absorb.

Beyond this room is another vision, describing an encounter with the dragon the first time around. Standing in the hall is an Etched Tablet which reads:

"Hail All - Brave City Bromjunaar
Forever These Walls Shall Stand
May Enemies See Her Majesty
May all Quake to Behold Her"

Continue down the stairs to the double wooden doors to enter the next area.

Labyrinthian Chasm

Walk down the right-hand stairs to enter a room that holds a frozen door and two guardians. An ethereal voice speaks to the Dragonborn before they enter the room, which drains all magicka. Out of the frozen door comes a hostile Ice Wraith. To pass through the door, melt it with Flames or another fire spell. Despite all races starting with this spell, there is a book that teaches the spell nearby.

Down the path sits a room guarded by two Draugr Wights or a troll depending on character level. A door, sealed with a Lightning Rune, lies behind them. This rune does approximately 100 points of lightning damage and wards do not protect against it. However, an enemy can open the door from the other side and not set off the rune. Fling projectiles at the trap to spring it prematurely. In this room, on a pedestal, sits a spell tome for Equilibrium which turns 25 points of health into magicka per second. There is also an Alchemy Lab and an Arcane Enchanter, along with some supplies.

At the bottom lies a river and a door to the next section, the Labyrinthian Thoroughfare.

Labyrinthian Thoroughfare

Four Malachite Ore veins reside to the right, submerged in water. Continuing on, there is a vertical shaft with a waterfall, and a grate partway up. Open the grate and shoot down the Draugr seen from there. Toward the bottom, additional Malachite Ore and Gold Ore can be harvested.

Eventually, a room with grated windows along one side and a chest at the other end appears. A troll waits in ambush on the way out. Stand up at the grates and shoot at some of the skeletons with a ranged attack.

The next room has another spell-power reducing gate, which is opened with a lever. Below the windows are two Gold Ore veins, although one is placed incorrectly and is inaccessible. The bridge in the middle of the room leads to a small side-cave that is the lair for a few more trolls and a chest.

Through the gate, there is a pathway to the left, which leads to the area above the battlements of the gateway. There is a chest and a skull up there. Continuing along, three wisps float around a fire and stones. They are non-hostile until running past them. After defeating the Wispmother, continue to a door which is on fire. Use frost magic on the door, which may summon a Fire Spirit. If so, it must be defeated before continuing. A Frostbite Tome and Scroll of Ice Spike exist near the door.

A small room here shows another vision of Savos Aren and his expedition. Ahead, a skeleton and some ghostly apparitions. A Draugr Wight and a Spectral Warhound await. The Wight may drop Drainheart Sword or a similar item, as do most of the other spectral foes in this dungeon. The Dragonborn's magicka is drained as they go through that hallway, so it may be best to wait back and let them come through.

In the next room there are two spectral foes, and a skeletal compatriot below them. Gold ingots can be found on the shelf and, above it, sits a soul gem. The next door again, drains all magicka, and two spectral foes lie beyond it. Continue forward into the Labyrinthian Tribune.

Labyrinthian Tribune

The Tribune is a tomb, with more spectral foes to defeat. Almost immediately a Spell Tome of Steadfast Ward can be collected. The next hallway contains runes, fireball, and ice storm traps. The traps can be deactivated with anything that dislodges the Soul Gems powering them (e.g., arrows or a Fireball spell), or one can simply run in and take the gem before it fires. The Dragon Shout, "Become Ethereal" can be used to gather them one by one without taking damage.

At the end of the hallway, a tower is encountered. There are some alchemical ingredients on the higher floor, reached by exiting through the door and turning left. Two chests and a malachite ore can also be found. Below the tower, in the pool, is a gold ore and a malachite ore.

At the next intersection, behind a locked gate (adept), is an enchanted sword, an Ebony shield, some potions, and the Ancient Helmet of the Unburned.

Continuing on, the Word of Power for Slow Time can be found after defeating a Draugr Deathlord . There is also a chest hidden on the righthand side of the room. Another hallway contains a few foes -- a Draugr Scourge, a Draugr Wight and two other foes, which the Dragonborn can draw out of hiding by firing an arrow down the hallway. In the alcove on the left side of the hallway are two Ebony Ingots. At the far end, another vision of Savos and friends, making a pact to stay until death, appears.

At the end, behind a final door, stands Morokei, the dragon priest, wielding The Staff of Magnus. To defeat him, first kill the Enthralled Wizards holding him in his bubble. Which are two colleagues of Savos Aren sacrificed to hold Morokei here.

Fighting Morokei

This fight is not recommended for levels 20 and below. He uses wards, shouts, Mage Armor, and shock spells, but also has a spell which may convert summons or zombies against their summoner. Lower level characters may not see this. Summoners using scrolls are not affected by this either.

Once he locks onto his target, he does not move. As he has high-damage spells, attacking him at melee range is difficult; ranged attacks are effective. The Bretons' Dragonskin power is very useful to kill Morokei by the fact that each attack he uses against your character will instantly regenerate magicka. Shock resistant armor and potions help diminish the effectiveness of his attacks, and a shock resistance score of 80% is enough to be completely invulnerable to his attacks. The Slow Time shout can be used to slow down his attacks, making dodging much easier. The Drain Spell bows found earlier in the dungeon also help weaken his magicka, thus preventing him from casting spells.

Upon entry, proceed up the steps where the first enthralled wizard is. Kill him first, then proceed up to the second wizard, and then kill him. Morokei becomes free. Stay at the top and use long range attacks to finish him off. From this position, his spells may not reach the Dragonborn and hurt them.

Leaving Labyrinthian

After killing Morokei, search the chamber. There is a chest at the bottom of the pool of water. Note that a Slaughterfish is in the pool. There are Deathbells near the pool. Behind where the lower of the two mages was standing, there's a staircase to exit and, before the doors, another chest with good loot. You will also find a chest out of sight to the left of the staircase.

Upon leaving, you will see a memory of Savos Aren, despairing about sacrificing his friends to contain Morokei, and says he will seal the place away.

Finally, Estormo, a Thalmor mage, attempts to kill you to retrieve the Staff of Magnus from you for Ancano. Kill Estormo or sneak past him. Return to the College of Winterhold and talk to Tolfdir.

Morokei dialogue

1. Wo mey wah dii vul junaar.
2. Nivahriin muz fent siiv nid aaz het.
3. You do not answer... Must I use this guttural language of yours?
4. Have you returned, Aren? My old friend?
5. Do you seek to finish that which you could not?
6. You only face failure once more...
7. You... You are not Aren, are you? Has he sent you in his place?
8. Did he warn you that your own power would be your undoing? That it would only serve to strengthen me?
9. Come. Face your end.

Journal

Journal Entry
I need to retrieve the Staff of Magnus from within Labyrinthian and return with it to the College of Winterhold. Only the staff will help me put an end to Ancano's abuse of the Eye of Magnus. Objective: Enter Labyrinthian
Objective: Find the Staff of Magnus
I have recovered the Staff of Magnus, and need to get it back to the College at once. Objective: Return to Tolfdir
I have recovered the Staff of Magnus. Quest complete

Trivia

• Killing one of the Enthralled Wizards, exiting the dungeon, and returning may cause their magicka chain to remain, allowing for infinite health and magicka restoration while standing in it.
• When fighting the skeletal dragon the subtitles show that the dragon uses the power-word "Yol" for fire, but the actual attack is an ice attack.
• The spell Clairvoyance show you the path back the way you came, not the way you are supposed to go around the back. If you follow the Clairvoyance path you will not fight Estormo or see Savos Aren's ghost.
• Despite the fact that one of the two wizards left behind was Atmah, a woman, both of the Enthralled wizards are male.

Bugs

Click to see the list of bugs encountered

360   PC   When beginning The Staff of Magnus quest, it is possible that the entire faculty of Winterhold will be stuck discussing The Eye of Magnus and its adverse effects on the college. This blocks any further progress in this quest chain. When entering the Labyrinthian Thoroughfare, the game crashes upon hearing the disembodied voice, after walking past the Novice-locked gate. Solution: If the game crashes in certain rooms, quickly escape those rooms and lure enemies into adjacent rooms to prevent crashing. Solution: drop all staves in the inventory. The staff may not work on the Eye of Magnus to lower Ancano's shield. No known fix. Solution: Open console, select the door and type 'disable'. Cutscenes including Savos, may not include other characters: "Savos: we should continue" (another character's line is missing) "Savos: agreed we'll all stick together". Some cutscenes may not generate at all. The disembodied voice may not trigger. Upon returning to the college, the mages may be distracted by an unreachable Magic Anomaly, preventing them from being interacted with. Two Staves of Magnus may be acquired from Morokei. Conversely, Morokei may not drop a Staff at all. The Word of Power may not be available. When approaching the Word Wall, chanting is heard, but the word is not learned. Sometimes if the lower mage containing Morokei is killed, he glitches out of his bubble and floats around the room while the upper mage remains enthralled. Before releasing Morokei, it is possible that, visually, he will be out of the containment field.

Appearances

• The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (First appearance)

College of Winterhold Quests
Main Quest	First Lessons • Under Saarthal • Hitting the Books • Good Intentions Revealing the Unseen • Containment • Staff of Magnus • The Eye of Magnus
Side Quests	Arniel's Endeavor • Daedric Relic • Aftershock • Out of Balance • J'zargo's Experiment Brelyna's Practice • Onmund's Request • Fetch Me That Book! • Tolfdir the Absent-Minded
Master Spell Quests	Alteration Ritual Spell • Destruction Ritual Spell • Conjuration Ritual Spell Illusion Ritual Spell • Restoration Ritual Spell

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