Dragonborn: Well sticking pots on random shopkeepers heads for 4 hours has been fun, but I think it’s time to actually do something constructive with this game, like joining the Mages guild. I mean college of Winterhold.
Ancano: Hi, I’m Ancano, the bad guy and ambassador for the Thalmor. Like all Thalmor in this game, I’m a 2 dimensional Nazi! I’ll be you bad guy for this quest line, not that guessing that in advance will do any good whatsoever!
Dragonborn: Oh well, at least I got an actual magic lesson just now. That was actually pretty cool Bethesda, and makes a nice change from yet another dungeon crawl.
Tolfdir: Right class, its time for a field trip, otherwise known as a dungeon crawl! Try not to find any world destroying Macguffin just lying around.
Dragonborn: ...
Tolfdir: Actually, there’s some fascinating lore behind this dungeon.
Dragonborn: Which is?
Tolfdir: Go read the wiki or something; you have a Mcguffin to find.
Psijic dude: Beware Dragonborn! That Mcguffin you have found probably means the end of the world! I’ll be honest, I dont know entirely what it is. But then I’m not sure the writers do either, so that’s fine. I’m actually from a lore established order, with some fascinating history behind us.
Dragonborn: Which is?
Psijic dude: Go read the wiki or something, for the purposes of this plot, I’m just walking talking exposition in a robe. Now I could totally solve everything right now, but I guess I’m just going to leave this world destroying macguffin with you, where any old bad guy can use it to destroy the world. Have fun!
Ancano: My, that orb you brought back looks like any obvious bad guy could use it to...oh I dont know...destroy the world! I’m sure glad it’s easily accessible for any old bad guy like myself! Well, that’s just me reminding you I’m the bad guy, so see you later.
Tolfdir: Well that Macguffin sure looks world destroying. Better just leave it out where any bad guy could get at it. In the mean time, why dont you do more research, student who arrived, like yesterday?
Dragonborn: Does this involve dungeon crawling?
Tolfdir: You know it!
Psijic dude: Hi! Just teleporting in to remind you how doomed you all are! Bye again!
Tolfdir: That sure is concerning. I guess this means you’re going to have to go see an all knowing oracle type about this.
Dragonborn: Is this going to involve a dungeon crawl?
Tolfdir: Wow, are you an all knowing oracle type too?
The Augur of Dunlain: I the all knowing Augur must tell you...that Ancano is totes the bad guy and going to destroy the world with that macguffin. You should look into that.
Dragonborn: Well that was worth the trip.
Ancano: Guess what? I’m totes going to destroy the world with that macguffin!
Dragonborn: But why? You live in the world for Talos sake!
Ancano: Actually the Thalmor do have some fascinating theological reasoning in the lore.
Dragonborn: Which is?
Ancano: Go read the wiki or something, I have a world to destroy! And then puppies to eat! Also I killed Headmaster Dumbledore. I mean arch mage Savos Aren.
Mirabelle Ervine: Random pupil who got here, like yesterday, you must retrieve the staff macguffin to counteract this death orb macguffin.
Dragonborn: Say I have to go on another dungeon crawl and I will kill you.
Mirabelle Ervine: I’m still a plot important NPC, so that’s not happening. Have fun in the dungeon.
Savos Aren: Wooooo! I am the force ghost of Obi wan Kenobi! I mean Savos Aren. And as you dungeon crawl, you should know, I too once visited this dungeon and got some fellow students killed or something!
Dragonborn: That might be more shocking character revelation if we’d talked for more that 3 minutes ever. Why is this relevant?
Savos Aren: No idea. Wooooooooo!
Dragonborn: Oh well. At least I have the staff Macguffin now.
One Ancano killing boss fight later.
Psijic dude: Hi again! Well, even though a lot of people would still be alive if I’d just done this to begin with, I’m going to teleport off with the Macguffin for safekeeping now!
Dragonborn: But wait? Will we ever find out what the orb was? What was the point of any of this?
Psijic dude: No idea! I’m sure something awesome will happen with the orb, but like all interesting Elder Scroll lore, It’ll happen in-between games! Bye! Oh, and you’re the arch mage now I guess, even though I dont actually work here.
Dragonborn: But I got here, like, yesterday! I only learned one spell! That’s like Harry Potter being made Headmaster after saving the Philosophers stone!
Tolfdir: All hail the new Arch Mage who got here, like yesterday! Do you want to celebrate by doing some radiant dungeon crawl quests sir?
Dragonborn: ... I’m going back to sticking pots on random shopkeepers heads now.