Lore:Savos Aren

Arch-Mage Savos Aren
Arch-Mage Savos Aren
Race	Dunmer	Gender	Male
Died		4E 201 College of Winterhold
Resided in		College of Winterhold
Previous Ruler		Deneth
Appears in		Skyrim

Savos Aren was a skilled conjurer and the Arch-Mage of the College of Winterhold, one of the most influential positions any mage can hold in Tamriel. In 4E 201, the Dunmer was well over a hundred years old, having been an apprentice when the Psijic Order pulled their adviser from the College and the Isle of Artaeum disappeared. In his younger years as a student in the College, Aren led a party of five of his fellow students on an exploration of Labyrinthian in the hope of finding hidden treasures and the secrets of Shalidor. However, they underestimated the dangers the ruins held; the exploration went awry and the students died one by one, until Aren and his two remaining companions found themselves in a fight for their lives against a powerful dragon priest. In a last-ditch effort to contain the monster, he cast a spell to enthrall his two companions, trading their lives to trap the monster and save himself. With great shame, Aren fled the Labyrinthian as the sole survivor, sealing the ruin shut and vowing to never let anyone open it. It would haunt his memory for the rest of his days as his greatest, most shameful failure.

Aren became Arch-Mage well after the Great Collapse, which devastated much of Winterhold in 4E 122. He assumed the position no earlier than 4E 176, as Deneth was still serving as head of the College at that time. During Aren's leadership of the College, he was careful not to anger the already-incensed locals, though he allowed the practice of virtually all forms of magic, only barring some experiments for safety reasons. He also worked to keep the College a completely independent institution, refusing the entreaties of the Synod, the College of Whispers, the Stormcloaks, and the Imperial Legion. While he occasionally shared information when requested, he refused to allow "local politics" to distract from the College's true purpose: the study of magic. For unknown reasons, however, a Thalmor representative, Ancano, became his "advisor". Unfortunately, this would lead to Aren's death. When the College discovered the Eye of Magnus during an excavation of Saarthal and brought it to the College, Ancano attempted to wield its power himself and murdered Aren. Before his death, Savos Aren left behind some final instructions and secrets, where he explained that Labyrinthian held the Staff of Magnus, the key to harnessing the Eye. Aren's successor, guided by Aren's spirit, ventured into the Labyrinthian, finally defeated the dragon priest which had foiled Aren so long ago, and recovered the Staff of Magnus. Aren's successor returned to Winterhold and used it to stop and kill Ancano, saving the College and possibly all of Tamriel.

Gallery

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  Savos Aren's amulet (Skyrim)

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  The echoes of Savos Aren and his companions in the Labyrinthian (Skyrim)

Notes

• At some point in time, Savos Aren acquired one of the fabled Stones of Barenziah. It was later stolen by the Thieves Guild of Skyrim from his quarters and placed back into the crown.

See Also

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

References

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