Madena is a Breton mage and the court wizard of Dawnstar, serving Jarl Skald the Elder. She came to the town hoping for a quiet life of curing crop blights and lighting holiday bonfires, and is rather disappointed that war keeps following her around.
Where to find them
Madena is usually inside The White Hall, the jarl’s longhouse. She stays on as court wizard if the Legion takes the town and Brina Merilis takes over.
Quests
Around the start of Pieces of the Past you may catch her outside Silus Vesuius‘s house, arguing with him about his planned museum. She begs you not to go in: Silus’s ancestors belonged to the Mythic Dawn, the cult that nearly destroyed Tamriel, and she sees the museum as a misguided attempt to restore his family’s pride. During Waking Nightmare she can also fill you in on the town’s sleepless nights – her appeals to the College of Winterhold for help have gone unanswered.
Services
She is a spell merchant, selling spell tomes, mage robes, soul gems and scrolls, but only during normal business hours. If you want proper lessons, she’ll point you to the College of Winterhold, the only place in Skyrim that teaches magic openly.
Personality & relationships
Madena fought as a Legion battlemage in the Great War and saw the sack of the Imperial City. She burned and blasted young Elven soldiers with fire and lightning and still can’t shake the memory. Since then she has sworn to use her magic only to help people, never to kill.
That puts her firmly at odds with Skald, who wants his court mage throwing spells at the Empire. She asks for leave to go home to High Rock until the war is over; he refuses and accuses her of shirking her duty. Brina handles her far better, asking only that she heal anyone who gets hurt – which Madena gladly agrees to. Brina’s housecarl Horik Halfhand openly distrusts her, and turns down her offer to soothe his sore legs with a spell.
Good to know
Her story mirrors that of Runil, the priest of Arkay in Falkreath: both are Great War veterans who vowed to use magic only for good afterwards.
Quick facts
- Race: Breton
- Gender: Female
- Level: 15
- Class: Destruction Mage
- Status: Killable
- Found in: Dawnstar
- Services: Sells spell tomes, mage robes, soul gems and scrolls
- Base ID: 0001361D
Also in Dawnstar
Ravam Verethi, Rustleif, Seren, Silus Vesuius, Stig Salt-Plank, Thoring, Zaynabi, Abelone, Ahkari, Alding, Beitild, Bodil.
Race, level, class and factions read from the Skyrim game files; story details checked against community wiki articles and written in our own words.