How to Join the Mages Guild in Oblivion: A Full Walkthrough for Every City Recommendation

Joining the Mages Guild in Cyrodiil is arguably one of the most rewarding decisions a player can make in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Unlike the Fighters Guild, which mostly offers gold and combat opportunities, the Mages Guild unlocks fundamental game mechanics: custom spellmaking and item enchanting. However, the path to full membership is not a single conversation; it involves a province-wide questline requiring you to prove your worth to seven different local guild leaders.

Accessing the Arcane University in the Imperial City is the ultimate goal, but before you can step foot behind those magical gates, you must navigate the internal politics and local problems of every major city in the empire.

The initial requirements for joining

To begin your journey as a member of the Mages Guild, the entry barrier is surprisingly low, provided you are not a known criminal. You can visit any of the seven Mages Guild halls in the major cities—excluding the Imperial City and Kvatch—and speak with the ranking leader.

The core requirement is that you must not have an active bounty on your head. If you are a wanted individual, the guild leaders will refuse to process your application until you have cleared your debt to society.

Once you find a guild leader (such as Adrienne Berene in Skingrad or Teekeus in Chorrol), simply select the "Join the Mages Guild" dialogue option. You will be given a guild key and a charter. While this technically makes you an Associate, you are still restricted from the Arcane University. To gain full access and the rank of Apprentice, you must collect a recommendation from every local guild hall head in Cyrodiil.

Detailed walkthrough for all seven recommendations

Each city focuses on a specific school of magic or a particular problem facing the local mages. These tasks range from simple fetch quests to dangerous dungeon crawls. You can complete these in any order, but finishing them all is mandatory.

1. Anvil Recommendation: The road murders

In Anvil, speak with Carahil. She is concerned about a rogue mage killing merchants along the Gold Road. To earn her recommendation, you are tasked with stopping these attacks.

Carahil will send you to the Brina Cross Inn, located north of Anvil. There, you must meet with Arielle Jurard, a battlemage undercover. You will need to rent a room and pose as a merchant. After sleeping for a few hours, Arielle will instruct you to travel along the road toward Skingrad. The merchant-killer, Caminalda, will eventually confront you.

Strategy Tip: Caminalda is a capable spellcaster, but if you stay close to Arielle and her fellow battlemage (who are hiding nearby), they will do most of the heavy lifting. Once Caminalda is defeated, return to Carahil to secure your first recommendation.

2. Bravil Recommendation: The stolen staff

Kud-Ei is the leader in Bravil, and her task is more personal. A fellow mage, Ardaline, has had her Mage's Staff stolen by a man named Varon Vamori.

You will find Varon Vamori elsewhere in the city. You need to raise his disposition or use a Beguile scroll (which Kud-Ei provides) to get him to confess. He reveals he sold the staff to a friend in the Imperial City named Soris Arenim.

Travel to the Talos Plaza District in the Imperial City and find Soris. You can either buy the staff back for 200 septims (if your speechcraft is high enough) or sneak into his basement to steal it from a chest. Returning the staff to Kud-Ei completes the task. This quest emphasizes the importance of the Illusion school and social manipulation.

3. Bruma Recommendation: Finding J'skaar

Jeanne Frasoric, the head of the Bruma guild, seems somewhat less competent than her peers. Her request is simple: find a missing mage named J'skaar.

However, J'skaar isn't actually missing in the traditional sense; he is being hidden by a prankster named Volanaro. Speak to Volanaro and he will ask you to steal a manual from Jeanne's desk as part of a joke. If you agree and retrieve the book, Volanaro will cast a spell to reveal J'skaar, who has been invisible the entire time.

This is one of the quickest recommendations to finish, provided you are willing to engage in a bit of light-hearted theft within the guild walls.

4. Cheydinhal Recommendation: The Ring of Burden

Falcar, the Cheydinhal leader, is notoriously unpleasant. He asks you to retrieve a Ring of Burden from the bottom of a well behind the guild hall.

Warning: This is a potentially lethal quest for low-level or low-strength characters. The ring weighs 150 units. If you pick it up while underwater without enough carry weight, you may become overencumbered and drown.

You will need the key to the well (obtained from Deetsan). Inside, you will find the body of Vidkun, a previous associate who failed this task. Retrieve the ring, but be prepared to drop it or use a Feather spell if you can't move. When you return, Falcar will be missing, and you’ll find two Black Soul Gems in his room, hinting at a darker plot involving Necromancy. Speak to Deetsan to officially receive the recommendation.

5. Chorrol Recommendation: Fingers of the Mountain

In Chorrol, Teekeus asks you to deal with Earana, a former guild member who is loitering in town. She wants a book called "Fingers of the Mountain" located at Cloud Top.

You have a choice here: give the book to Teekeus to earn your recommendation immediately, or give it to Earana to learn a powerful (but incredibly expensive to cast) shock spell. To get the recommendation and the spell, give the book to Teekeus first to finish the quest, then steal it back from his chest and give it to Earana.

6. Leyawiin Recommendation: Dagail's visions

Dagail, the Leyawiin leader, is struggling with disturbing visions because she has lost her Seer's Stone (an amulet). Speak to Agata, who suggests talking to other members about the stone's disappearance.

It turns out a mage named Kalthar has stolen it to undermine Dagail's authority. You will need to travel to Fort Blueblood, fight through marauders, and retrieve the amulet from a coffin in the depths. Kalthar will confront you once you find it. Defeat him and return the stone to Dagail. This quest highlights the lore of hereditary magic and the burden of prophecy.

7. Skingrad Recommendation: Finding Erthor

Adrienne Berene in Skingrad wants you to find Erthor, a mage who went into hiding at Bleak Mine after a spell went wrong.

This is a combat-heavy quest. Bleak Mine is infested with leveled undead or creatures (usually zombies or imps at lower levels). You must clear the mine entirely so that Erthor feels safe enough to leave. Once the path is clear, escort Erthor back to the Skingrad guild hall. Adrienne is notoriously prickly, so don't expect much warmth, but she will grant the final recommendation you need.

Entering the Arcane University

Once you have secured all seven recommendations, your journal will update, instructing you to head to the Imperial City. Enter the Arcane University grounds and locate Raminus Polus in the Arch-Mage's Lobby.

Raminus will review your progress and officially promote you to the rank of Apprentice. Along with this promotion, you receive:

1. The Robe of the Apprentice: A unique garment that provides a permanent boost to your Willpower, which helps with Magicka regeneration.
2. Full Access: You can now enter the Praxographical Center (Spellmaking) and the Chironasium (Enchanting).
3. The Alchemical Garden: Access to a variety of rare plants for potion-making.

From this point forward, you are no longer a mere errand-runner. You are a recognized member of the guild, and you can begin the main Mages Guild questline, which involves the escalating conflict with the Order of the Black Worm and the King of Worms, Mannimarco.

The benefits of membership

While the questline itself is engaging, the functional benefits are the real reason to join.

Custom Spellmaking

At the Arcane University, you can combine multiple effects into a single spell. For example, you can create a spell that simultaneously weakens an enemy to fire while dealing fire damage. This is essential for high-level play where standard spells often fall short.

Enchanting

You no longer have to rely on found loot. Using soul gems and known spells, you can enchant your own weapons and armor. Creating a "Drain Health 100 points for 1 second" weapon is a classic Oblivion tactic that makes combat significantly more manageable.

The Enchanted Chest

Much later in the guild's progression, once you reach the rank of Arch-Mage, you gain access to the Enchanted Chest. Placing a single alchemical ingredient (like a Daedra Heart or Nirnroot—though Nirnroot has restrictions) into the chest will cause it to multiply after 24 hours. This is the most efficient way to maintain a supply of rare potion components.

Dealing with suspension: How to get back in

The Mages Guild has strict rules. If you are caught stealing from a fellow member or, worse, murdering one, you will be suspended.

To be reinstated, you must speak with Raminus Polus. He will task you with a tedious collection mission. For the first offense, you are usually required to collect 20 samples of Dragon's Tongue and 20 samples of Redwort Flower. These can be found in the West Weald and Blackwood regions.

Be warned: if you are suspended a third time, you are permanently expelled from the guild unless you are the Arch-Mage. Always ensure your "sneak" eye is closed before taking items from the guild shelves.

Summary of Key NPC Leaders

By following these steps, you will transition from a nameless traveler to a powerful sorcerer with the full resources of the Empire's premier magical institution at your disposal. The Mages Guild is not just a faction; it is a gateway to mastering the mechanics of Cyrodiil.