Nelacar is an aging Altmer wizard who was thrown out of the College of Winterhold for what is politely called bad research. Rather than go far, he rents a room at the Frozen Hearth inn in Winterhold, close enough to keep in touch with his old colleagues.
Where to find them
He lives and works at the Frozen Hearth. When you first walk in, he is usually explaining to the innkeeper Dagur that last night’s smell, or last night’s explosion, was just a minor miscalculation. Dagur and his wife Haran put up with him and his experiments, which makes them unusual in a town where most people distrust mages and Jarl Korir complains about him openly.
Quests
The Black Star: after you visit the Shrine of Azura, the priestess Aranea Ienith tells you to look for an elven mage who studies the stars. You can go straight to the inn, or ask Faralda at the College, who points you to Nelacar. He won’t talk until you persuade, bribe or intimidate him.
Once he opens up, he confesses he worked under the Dunmer mage Malyn Varen, who tried to alter Azura’s Star to hold his own soul and escape a fatal disease. The research drove Malyn mad, students died, and he fled with his followers to Ilinalta’s Deep. Nelacar blames Azura for all of it and urges you not to hand the Star back to her.
Bring the broken Star to Nelacar instead of Aranea and he offers to finish the work: he sends your soul inside the Star to deal with what is left of Malyn, then turns the artifact into the Black Star, a reusable soul gem that only takes black souls. Return it to Aranea and he will treat you coldly ever after.
He is also the victim in Some Light Theft, where Malur Seloth wants you to lift the Staff of Arcane Authority from his room.
Services
If you finish The Black Star on his side, Nelacar starts selling spell tomes.
Personality & relationships
Nelacar is dry, defensive and haunted by his past. He insists his College days are long over, and he has a deal with Dagur: privacy in exchange for not blowing up the inn. Fail to persuade him and he’ll crack a joke about the Argonian Maid and the lusty baron, or remind you that he is an old elven wizard and muscling him is a bad idea. College regulars like Enthir and Arniel Gane drink at the same inn at night. If you reach the top of the College first, he greets you as Arch-Mage.
Good to know
The Persuade option in The Black Star can be stubborn even with high Speech; bribing or intimidating him works fine.
Quick facts
- Race: High Elf
- Gender: Male
- Level: 6
- Class: Sorcerer
- Status: Essential
- Found in: Winterhold
- Services: Sells spell tomes after The Black Star (if completed in his favour)
- Factions: College of Winterhold
- Base ID: 0001E7D5
Also in Winterhold
Ranmir, Reckless Mage, Thaena, Thonjolf, Assur, Birna, Dagur, Eirid, Haran, Kraldar, Malur Seloth.
Race, level, class and factions read from the Skyrim game files; story details checked against community wiki articles and written in our own words.