Faralda (Skyrim)

Faralda is an Altmer mage who teaches Destruction at the College of Winterhold and guards the college's bridge. Her chamber is in the Hall of Countenance.
==Personality and relationships==
Nirya accuses Faralda of being jealous and antagonistic towards her, although Faralda shows no personal animosity in return, and in fact does not even mention her in conversation. However, if the Dragonborn kills Nirya, Faralda will contact the Dragonborn in a letter, telling them Nirya will not be missed and that she will not tell anyone who killed her. However, witnessing the murder of any other member of the College leads to suspension and earns a 1,000 bounty.
==Interactions==
===Joining the College of Winterhold===
Faralda will greet the Dragonborn when they first approach the college, explaining that outsiders may not enter without permission. To become a member, the Dragonborn must demonstrate magical aptitude by performing a spell of Faralda's choosing. If the Dragonborn does not know the appropriate spell, she will offer to sell the tome for it for 30 , and mentions that other merchants who sell spell tomes may have it; however her price is less than the base price of other merchants.
Alternatively, if the Dragonborn is far enough along in the main quest, they can gain entry by displaying mastery of the Voice.
===Containment===
Following Tolfdir's advice to defend Winterhold against the magic anomalies released by Ancano, Faralda and Arniel Gane assist the Dragonborn in battle. Faralda dual-wields Thunderbolt spells and casts Ebonyflesh to repel melee attacks.
===Destruction Ritual Spell===
The Dragonborn must speak with Faralda to begin the Destruction Ritual Spell quest, the reward for which is the ability to acquire and use master-level Destruction spells.
===Elder Knowledge===
==Dialogue==
"Mirabelle does a fine job as Master Wizard, I suppose. Still, there's always room for improvement."
:Is there any advice you can give about Destruction spells? "Certainly. Destruction spells come in different forms, each useful for various purposes. Concentration spells can be cast immediately, though they're weaker. Good for a tight spot, and less costly if you miss. You'll also need to decide whether to devote yourself to a single type of spell. Focusing solely on flame spells will make them more powerful, but you may find yourself at a disadvantage against foes immune to fire."
Show: First Lessons
At the College of Winterhold:
"Cross the bridge at your own peril! The way is dangerous, and the gate will not open. You shall not gain entry!"
If approached again:
"Welcome to the College of Winterhold. I am Faralda, one of the senior Wizards here. I trust you found your journey to Winterhold not entirely unpleasant. Now, I must advise you that if your only purpose in being here is to complain, you would be far better off speaking with the Jarl of Winterhold. If, however, you seek something more, I will be happy to assist you."
:Why would I want to complain about the College? "It is no great secret that we have been unjustly blamed for a great many things over the years. The good people of Skyrim on occasion would rather pass judgement than attempt to understand what we do here. Thus we must take certain precautions in order to secure our safety."
:What is this place? "Oh, forgive me. Most who arrive here do so because they have heard of the College beforehand. This is the College of Winterhold, a safe haven for mages in Skyrim. A place of wisdom and arcane knowledge."
:Why are you out here? "I am here to assist those seeking the wisdom of the College. And if, in the process, my presence helps to deter those who might seek to do harm, so be it. The more important question is: why are you here?"
::May I enter the College? "Perhaps. But what is it you expect to find within?"
:::I want to use the power of ice and fire to destroy any who oppose me. "I see. That power certainly exists, I assure you. Wield it faithfully, and few can withstand you."
:::I seek the knowledge of the Elder Scrolls. "It is true there are some here who have spent years studying the accumulated knowledge of the scrolls. But what you seek does not come easily, and can destroy those without a strong will."
:::I desire to bend the will of those around me. "Yes, the school of Illusion can be quite influential. Kings have risen to power because of it, and empires have been razed with it."
:::I want to unravel the mysteries of Aetherius. "Ah, the immortal plane. It is said to be the source of all magic. This is a noble goal, indeed."
:::I just wanted to see what it looks like inside. "Ha! Humor is often in short supply here. But I sense that perhaps you're after more than just that."
:::"It would seem the College has what you seek. The question now is what you can offer the College. Not just anyone is allowed inside. Those wishing to enter must show some degree of skill with magic. A small test, if you will."
::::I think we both know I'll succeed here. (Failure) "No, I'm afraid I don't know anything of the sort." (Success) "You know, I think you're right."
:::: "Dragonborn? It's been so long since we've had any contact with the Greybeards. Do you really have the Voice? I would be most impressed to see that."
::::(After Shouting)
::::"So the stories are true... you are Dragonborn! Normally you'd need to show some aptitude with one of the schools of magics, but you... I think there is much that we can learn from each other. I think you'll be a superb addition to the College. Welcome, Apprentice. I'll lead you across the bridge. Once you're inside you'll want to speak with Mirabelle Ervine, our Master Wizard. Please, follow me."
::::I'll take your test, then. "Excellent. A standard spell for one skilled in magic is the . Casting it on the seal on the ground here would be sufficient."For the Conjuration school, the line is slightly different, with the line being: "The Flame Atronach is a vital companion for anyone relying on Cojuration. Summoning one here would certainly show your skill."
:::::Okay, I can do that. "I look forward to it."
:::::Never mind. I'm not interested. "No? Very well, it's your choice."
:::::I don't know that spell. "No? Well, if you think you're capable of it, then I'd be happy to provide it to you for a mere 30 gold. Or you can try your luck with one of the court wizards around Skyrim. They also sell spells."
::::::Okay, this is for the spell. (Give 30 gold) "Here you are. Now I'm anxious to see you cast it."
After casting the spell:
"Well done, indeed. I think you'll be a superb addition to the College. Welcome, Apprentice. I'll lead you across the bridge. Once you're inside you'll want to speak with Mirabelle Ervine, our Master Wizard. Please, follow me."
If approached again:
"The College is an asset to Skyrim, even if it goes unnoticed or unappreciated."
:Where did I need to go again? "You'll need to speak to Mirabelle Ervine. Her quarters are in the Hall of Countenance, but she could be anywhere on the grounds."
:Who is Mirabelle Ervine? "She's the Master-Wizard here. Arch-Mage Aren may be in charge, but Mirabelle runs the place. You'd do well to remember that."
:I'd like to know more about the College. "We are the only group left in Skyrim dedicated to the study of the arcane. There are others who study to be sure, but they do so in private, and often in secret."
:Is there any advice you can give about Destruction spells? "Certainly. Destruction spells come in different forms, each useful for various purposes. You'll also need to decide whether to devote yourself to a single type of spell. Focusing solely on flame spells will make them more powerful, but you may find yourself at a disadvantage against foes immune to fire."
"Mirabelle is waiting for you."
Show: Good Intentions
At the College of Winterhold:
"I can't wait to see who succeeds Mirabelle. I've no doubt she'll be promoted to Arch-Mage at some point."
:Have you ever heard of the Augur of Dunlain? "The Augur? Really? Well, it's certainly not my place to say anything about it. I think you'd better go see Mirabelle Ervine."
After securing Winterhold:
"We'll stay here. Get back to the College and let them know what's going on."
Show: Containment
At the College of Winterhold:
"What's going on? What happened in there?"
:Something went wrong. Winterhold may be in danger. Can you help? "It 'may be' in danger? Take a look. I don't think there's much question. Let's get down there. We have to do something."
:There's no time. We need to make sure Winterhold is safe. "We'll go with you, but when this is all over I want an explanation."
Show: Destruction Ritual Spell
What else is there to be learned about Destruction magic? "I daresay you've learned all I can teach you. But... That doesn't mean there isn't more out there."
:What do you mean? "Over the years I've heard things. Powerful magics lost to the ages, incredible spells that only the most skilled mages can master. This is the only thing I've ever found. I think it's better off in your hands."
==Conversations==
===Containment===
Faralda: "Come on, Arniel. Let's go."
Arniel: "Do we have to? They'd never lift a finger to help us."
After securing Winterhold:
Faralda: "Arniel, stay on your guard. We can't let harm come to these people."
==Lecture==
Faralda delivers a lecture on The Synod and the College of Whispers and the College of Winterhold's relationship with them, held in the Hall of the Elements. Most of the members of the College gather around her in the Hall to listen to her lecture. After she finishes, everyone goes back to their usual schedule.
"It is no secret that both the Synod and the College of Whispers have recently made inquiries as to the status of our College here in Winterhold. At this time, there is no indication that either group is aware of the other's correspondence. The College of Winterhold has thus far declined requests for direct meetings. This has been at the specific request of Arch-Mage Aren.
"Aren believed that although the initial communications were innocent enough, they were sent with a particular motive in mind. The Synod's harsh rules and draconian structure are maintained only by suppressing any opposition to their Council's policies. It is entirely possible that they look to our College here in Winterhold in order to find supporters for their organization. Likewise, the College of Whispers has long been driven by its desire to directly oppose the Synod. They focus on research banned by the Synod, such as Conjuration and Necromancy. The College of Whispers hopes to learn that our College also supports these avenues of research. Thus they may claim that the Synod is indeed a political minority in the Empire and should be treated as such.
"Our actual position and policies are irrelevant. No matter the facts of the response, it will certainly be twisted to suit the whims of either group. Indeed, it has been jokingly suggested that we send the exact same response to both, which each will warp into support for their side. At present, these two groups do little beyond attempting to gain the attention and favor of the Emperor. They appear to have little interest in real study and research for the sake of gaining knowledge.
"Arch-Mage Aren believes that their conflict poses a significant threat to the autonomy of our College, and I concur. Falling in with either would threaten to draw much unwanted attention to our College. If either group goes through less official channels and attempt to contact you directly, please refer them to the College's Master Wizard. Say as little as possible so as to avoid compromising our neutral position."
==Trivia==
*She is only available as a spell vendor after completing "First Lessons."
*Although Faralda is a master-level Destruction trainer, her Destruction skill is only level 83.
*Faralda's 'crime' tolerance is set to low; she attacks criminals who have bounties in Winterhold or Windhelm.
*If someone steals from her, she will retaliate by sending hired thugs.
*She will not offer training while the "Containment" quest is active. Instead, she just says, "We must find a way to put a stop to this."
*During "Containment," Faralda will pronounce Arniel Gane's name differently twice: first, when told about the magic anomalies, she will pronounce his name as "Are-knee-el" and after the anomalies are dispelled, she pronounces it "Are-kneel."
*Faralda will never leave her personal chambers once the College of Winterhold questline has been completed, she will only be seen sleeping or sitting in one of the two chairs in her room. This can be used to the advantage of the Dragonborn, as they will no longer have to scour the entire college in order to purchase from her, receive Destruction training, or even to feed from her if they are a vampire.
*According to Faralda, Mirabelle Ervine was skeptical of her admitting the Dragonborn into the college.
*She, along with most other members of the College, are suspicious of Ancano and his true motives for serving as an advisor to the Arch-Mage.
*Despite brief animosity against the Dragonborn during their first meeting, Faralda seems to come to genuinely care about them during the questline, as she will voice her suspicions of Ancano only to them and warn them to be wary whilst speaking to him. However, given that she was put there as a guard against anti-magic trouble makers, its possible that she holds no real animosity and would challenge anyone seeking entrance in a similar way. 
*When first meeting Faralda before passing her test, she asks why the Dragonborn wants to enter the College. If the response is "I just wanted to see what it looks like inside," she will chuckle and say that its good to have a sense of humor, as there "is a short supply" of it around the College.
*Originally, asking Nirya about Faralda would start the quest "Research Thief." The quest, however, was cut from the game and does not appear in the final version of it. Telling Faralda about Nirya's plan was the only way to gain her favor. The quest can still be started through the use of console commands.
*When Nirya is killed by the Dragonborn, Faralda may send a letter by a courier which provides the objective "Read The Letter From Faralda." The letter reads: "I know you killed her. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. In fact, I wanted to thank you. She will not be missed."
*The speech check for Faralda to let the Dragonborn into the College without casting a spell is the highest speech check in the game.
==Notes==
==Bugs==
*The pillars on the bridge of the College may not light unless she is followed to each one.
*Having a bounty in Winterhold Hold may cause Faralda to not start dialogue and, thus, allow initial entrance into the college.
*Upon reaching level 90 in Destruction and completing the quest "Destruction Ritual Spell," she may not relinquish the Power of the Elements tome needed to unlock the master-level Destruction spells.
**The solution to this is to reach level 100 in Destruction, and then speak to Faralda again.
* Faralda can become hostile and attack for no apparent reason. Since she is marked essential, this can be very problematic.
** Enter the console, enter tdetect, then target Faralda and enter setav aggression 0. For this to work, the tdetect must be off.
** The only way to cure this problem is reloading earlier saves.
**Additionally, waiting 10 in-game days may fix her hostility. 
==Appearances==
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de:Faralda
es:Faralda
fr:Faralda
it:Faralda
pl:Faralda
pt:Faralda
ru:Фаральда
uk:Фаральда
Category:Skyrim: Skill Trainers
Category:Skyrim: Spell Merchants
Category:Skyrim: Winterhold Characters
Category:Skyrim: Essential Characters
Category:Skyrim: College of Winterhold Members