Download Hints

Get quick and convenient access to just the hints you need for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, without staying on our website. Just download a free trial version of our UHS Reader software and a copy of these hints. You will get the same gradual hints you see here -- unlike ordinary cheats or a walkthrough that can spoil your game.

You can also buy the full version of the UHS Reader for Windows or macOS. For just $14.95, you get full access to hints for hundreds of games and 1 year of free updates. You can also search, decode, or print an entire game's worth of hints at once.

Ask the Author

If you have questions about a puzzle that aren't answered anywhere in these hints, you may contact the author.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Hints

Shalidor's Insights

  • 1 of 6: Anytime after gaining entrance to the College, enter the Hall of the Elements' Arcanaeum area and ask Urag gro-Shub if there are any special books he's looking for.
  • 2 of 6: He'll send you after a copy of Shalidor's writings in a randomly chosen area. Fight your way through the area (if necessary) until you find the chest with a book called Shalidor's Insights in it.
  • 3 of 6: Take the book and return to the College's Arcanaeum, then turn it over to Urag.
  • 4 of 6: Come back later and ask Urag if he's made any progress translating Shalidor's work. It'll take about 36 hours, after which he'll give you a reward. It'll be a few magic scrolls or a permanent increase to one of your magic skills.
  • 5 of 6: Unfortunately, quicksaving right before getting the reward and then quickrestoring doesn't seem to change it. You could try quicksaving right before giving him the book, then waiting 36 hours to see what reward you get. If you then quickrestore and repeat the process, you may get a different reward. (Though note that even after many tries, I was never able to get any skill increases.)
  • 6 of 6: A few hours after you get the reward, you can ask Urag about looking for special books again to get this quest again. The only differences will be where you find the book and (maybe) what your reward is.