Becoming a Legend: Exploring the Depths of the Skyrim Bards College Questline
Introduction
The Bards College in Solitude offers more than just a haven for aspiring musicians and wordsmiths. It's a gateway to a world of adventure, intrigue, and the power of song. This article delves into the intricacies of the Bards College questline in Skyrim, enhanced by new dimensions of gameplay. From epic vocal training to immortalizing your deeds in song, prepare to embark on a journey that will transform you into a legendary bard.
Joining the College and New Beginnings
To begin your journey, seek out Viarmo within the Bards College in Solitude. Request admission, and he will task you with retrieving the missing verses from a poem about King Olaf One-Eye, called King Olaf's Verse, located in Dead Men's Respite. This initial quest serves as an introduction to the College's world. Some of the verses are faded beyond readable, so the Dragonborn and Viarmo will have to "reconstruct" the poem by making up some lines so that Solitude's Jarl can be convinced to allow the burning of Olaf event.
Upon completing Viarmo’s quest and officially joining the College, Helvana will approach you and introduce you to new teachers. These mentors will guide you through the new stories and systems that define the Bards College experience. One such character is Archbard Sledrig.
After becoming a member of the guild, items can be freely used or taken from the college. The College contains no loot of immense value, but does contain many books. The book The Legend of Red Eagle can be found in a bookshelf on the main floor. The book The Aetherium Wars can also be found in a bookshelf on the main floor.
The Dragonborn's Voice: A Bardic Weapon
The Bards College Expansion recognizes the Dragonborn's unique ability to wield The Voice. As Bards are masters of their voice, it is only appropriate that a wielder of The Voice - the Dragonborn - could leverage this mastery to greatest effect. Since some players enjoy bypassing the base game’s main story, the rest of the content of the Bards College Expansion does not require doing so. The main quest generally only gates Shout-related mechanics.
Read also: Musical Academy in Skyrim
Enhancing Shouts with Resonating Crystals
The Bards College Expansion introduces enhancements that come in the form of inventory items called Resonating Crystals. Unlocking these enhancements requires using the Shout near a Resonating Crystal in a particular location which you’ll learn about during the main quest which captures its essence. Each Shout may have one active enhancement at any given time, if you have multiple crystals that affect a particular Shout, removing them all from your inventory and picking up just the one you want will make that one active.
Chanting: A New Combat Style
Chanting creates a powerful new combat style using Shouts as a key component for offense or utility. During the main quest you’ll be granted a new power: Chant of Ravaging. Equipping the Chant will set your Shout to the first in the series that make up the chant. After using the Shout, if you then use a Cadence Rod, your Shout cooldown will reset and the next Shout in the series will be queued up. Each time you capture the three Shouts that make up a Chant in Resonating Crystals, you’ll find the corresponding book to teach the chant on an altar nearby.
Bardic Inspiration and Skill Development
You’ll eventually find a stone mural that is reminiscent of a constellation. Rather than using your normal skill points, you’ll use Bardic Inspiration as a currency.
The Instrument of Adventure
The instrument he gives you can be found in the Apparel category and can be Favorited and Equipped. While playing, you can move freely, jump, and even use Shouts and powers! Right Attack will change the song you are playing. Sheathe/Unsheathe will toggle your character between the sheathed weapon and unsheathed weapon pose. While in unsheathed pose, your companions will un-sheath their weapon, your camera will stay tight behind your character, and the song change action will be available as described above. Image. Become the Soundtrack - The mountains will come alive as you play your instruments on the open road.
Shaping Your Legend Through Ballads
As you complete major questlines, you may speak to Olvus. He will then invite you to choose how you acted during the questline. As Ballads are written, there’s a chance that in major cities you’ll find a team of Bards singing them in town squares. Your Deeds Immortalized in Song - Spread your reputation throughout the province with song.
Read also: The College of Winterhold: Full Guide
Duels of Wit: A Battle of Words
Peras will teach you a small handful of insults, and a couple of retorts. Each insult has a corresponding retort that both matches the context and rhymes with the insult. Your goal in a Duel of Wit is to insult your opponent with a line they don’t know the retort to. Certain races are unfamiliar with the cultural insults of others. Each bard you come across that will play the Duel of Wit will have a rank.
Emissary Quests: The Art of Persuasion
When completing Emissary quests, your goal is to pay attention to the types of things the people you are speaking to are saying, consider your objective, and try and guide that person in that direction. Learning who will respond to what requires carefully paying attention to what is said, the tone it’s said in, and your particular objective. Sometimes you may want a positive reaction, other times a negative, sometimes you want to keep things emotionless.
Seeking Hidden Knowledge
Tyriana offers a special service in this realm: finding locations and relics.
Read also: Mastering Skyrim Enchantments
tags: #skyrim #bards #college #questline
