"You shouldn't... accuse them like that, without proof," she retorts.

"It's not an accusation, it's an observation. If anyone draws conclusions from it, well..."

Onmund shrugs. "This was very big but... a lot of places in Skyrim have stories about mages, like that. And I don't know if magic can drive you crazy or if it's just because crazy mages are a lot more destructive than other crazy people but there sure are a bunch of crazy mages around."

"Magic is power," J'zargo states. "Any who control it can control the world and its people."

Onmund nods. "The war with the Aldmeri Dominion caused a lot of damage and the jarls haven't gotten their act together yet, so there are a bunch of abandoned forts or villages that have been taken by bands of fifty bandits or groups of four mages. That's how powerful magic is. So Nords hate magic and pretend it's because mages are weak and pathetic and real warriors use their steel. Because they know that a mage will win against steel, nine times out of ten.

"And there's also the thing I talked about yesterday, about summoning Daedra, plus some mages perform some horrible kinds of Necromancy."

"...so why isn't everyone else scared of magic?"

"Other places just use magic," says Brelyna. "It's no different than using swords or your hands. If you wouldn't judge someone for that why would you judge them for magic? And not all mages are all that powerful, most people only know a little bit of magic for this and that."

"Okay so why do the Nords in particular feel this way?"

Shrug. "I can only speculate, but... I think there are cultural reasons? Nordic culture focuses a lot on war," and the grimace on his face shows his opinion about that. "They say Nords who fall in battle or who were valiant soldiers in life will go to Shor's Hall in Sovngarde after death to drink mead and brawl and train until the Last Battle."

"And an army against four mages and their legion of Daedra and undead isn't a war, it's a massacre," surmises Ruby.

"That doesn't explain why Skyrim thinks all mages are like that," reasons Brelyna.

"Yeah, I don't know about that part."

"Could be a sort of cycle? People don't like magic, so the only people who study it at all are the ones who really feel a calling or are very good at it, and then those go on to become very powerful, and that scares people so again most continue to not study it..."

"J'zargo grows bored with this subject. Let us talk about magic."

Onmund hides a smile behind his drink. Sure, they can talk about magic instead.

Their lecture won't start until the second bell after noon, so Ruby excuses himself and goes to Tolfdir's table. "Excuse me. I don't suppose you'd know where I could find Phinis Gestor?"

"That would be me," says the black-haired human. "And you are?"

"Ruby. I'm one of the new Apprentices. I believe I found Yisra."

"Oh. Yes, I've been told. Give me five minutes to finish up here and we'll go to my office."

"Of course."

And in a little bit Gestor stands up and starts leading the way to his office.

(Okay that goes all the way from "big" to "cryptid", Ruby is morbidly curious but thinks this dude's cock could actually be used as a bludgeon.)

When they get to his office, he does a small gesture and a blue-tinted energy wall appears between the open end of his office and the central hall of the floor, opaque and soundproofed. He gestures at the visitor's chair and takes his own. "So, I hear you ran into a corpse."

"—yes I did." Here's the amulet again. "You were the last group's mentor?"

He peers at the amulet but doesn't take it. "Yes, I was. They were... a foolhardy bunch. Continually trying to prove themselves, do novel research. I believe they felt... shackled... by the College's regulations. It is a far from unheard of opinion. But you don't feel like that, do you?"