Talvas Fathryon is a Dunmer conjurer and the apprentice of the Telvanni wizard Neloth at Tel Mithryn, the mushroom tower on Solstheim (Dragonborn). He spends his days trying to prove he deserves his place. Neloth spends his days telling him he doesn’t. Talvas admits the apprenticeship is honestly horrible, but he still learns a lot just by watching.
Where to find them
You usually find him at Tel Mithryn. The first time you show up, he is outside practising a spell in the ashy soil, struggling to read his master’s handwriting.
Quests
From the Ashes – Talvas tries to cast Conjure Ash Guardian, a tricky spell that only Neloth had mastered. He skips a part of the instructions that didn’t make sense to him, and the summoned Ash Guardian runs wild. While you fight it, he runs off to keep Neloth busy. As thanks, he offers either the Ash Guardian spell tome along with a heart stone, or a staff if you’d prefer something safer. The lesson: the spell needs a heart stone, or the guardian attacks everything, you included.
He also turns up with small bits of information in Reluctant Steward (he hasn’t seen Varona and points you to Elynea) and Old Friends (he never met Ildari Sarothril, Neloth’s previous apprentice, and only got the job because she died).
Services
Talvas trains Conjuration up to master level. He also sells a wide range of spell tomes, including the rare Conjure Ash Guardian, plus soul gems. His shop only works inside Tel Mithryn.
Follower & marriage
Help him during From the Ashes and he can become your follower. In battle he leans on Destruction magic such as Firebolt, Fireball and Ice Storm, protects himself with Ironflesh and Steadfast Ward, heals himself, and can summon a Flame Atronach or Frost Atronach. He will wear any armor you give him. He is also the only follower on Solstheim who can be made a steward for a homestead (Hearthfire). The money you pay him for training ends up in his inventory, so you can take it back while he travels with you. He refuses to steal for you.
Personality & relationships
Talvas is earnest, anxious and a little too eager to cut corners. His exchanges with Neloth are a running joke: he is promised a new spell, then loses it for breaking a staff; he flatters his master and is told that still won’t save him from giving a skin sample; he fills a grand soul gem with a common soul and gets called an idiot. He bickers with Varona about practising spells outside the lab.
Good to know
Loyalty to Neloth comes first. If you attack Neloth while Talvas is following you, he turns on you. He doesn’t mind you changing into a werewolf or Vampire Lord outside Tel Mithryn, but doing it inside the tower is another story.
Details checked against community wiki articles and the Skyrim/DLC game files, written in our own words.
