You are a budding mage, and you have been preparing to hone your craft according to the traditions of an ancient College of magic where you are an initiate, this can be Skyrims own College of Winterhold or another college of Tamriel such as the Arcane University of Cyrodiil, the Crystal Tower of the Summerset Isles or Sadrith Mora in Morrowind. Whether it is as an intitiate or by exchange you have a standing invitation to study at the presitgious College of Winterhold and wish to journey there, whether it is for learnings own sake, personal power or enrichment your goal is clear. 

Variant: Bardic Student Instead of a budding mage, you are practicing to become a bard and have travelled to Skyrim with intent to join the Bard's College in Solitude. With this variant you get proficency with Performance instead of Arcana and must choose musical instrument instead of Artisan's tools for proficency annd equipment.

Skill Proficiencies:

Skill Proficiencies Arcana, History

 

Tool Proficiencies: Tool Proficiencies One type of musical instrument or artisan's tools

Languages: Languages One of your choice

Equipment: Equipment A bottle of black ink, an ink pen, a set of artisan's tools or a musical instrumet (one of your choice), a school uniform, and a pouch containing 10 gp.

Suggested Characteristics

Acolytes are shaped by their experience in temples or other religious communities. Their study of the history and tenets of their faith and their relationships to temples, shrines, or hierarchies affect their mannerisms and ideals. Their flaws might be some hidden hypocrisy or heretical idea, or an ideal or bond taken to an extreme.

d8	Personality Trait
1	I idolize a particular hero of my faith, and constantly refer to that person’s deeds and example.
2	I can find common ground between the fiercest enemies, empathizing with them and always working toward peace.
3	I see omens in every event and action. The gods try to speak to us, we just need to listen.
4	Nothing can shake my optimistic attitude.
5	I quote (or misquote) sacred texts and proverbs in almost every situation.
6	I am tolerant (or intolerant) of other faiths and respect (or condemn) the worship of other gods.
7	I’ve enjoyed fine food, drink, and high society among my temple’s elite. Rough living grates on me.
8	I’ve spent so long in the temple that I have little practical experience dealing with people in the outside world.

d6	Ideal
1	Tradition. The ancient traditions of worship and sacrifice must be preserved and upheld. (Lawful)
2	Charity. I always try to help those in need, no matter what the personal cost. (Good)
3	Change. We must help bring about the changes the gods are constantly working in the world. (Chaotic)
4	Power. I hope to one day rise to the top of my faith’s religious hierarchy. (Lawful)
5	Faith. I trust that my deity will guide my actions. I have faith that if I work hard, things will go well. (Lawful)
6	Aspiration. I seek to prove myself worthy of my god’s favor by matching my actions against his or her teachings. (Any)

d6	Bond
1	I would die to recover an ancient relic of my faith that was lost long ago.
2	I will someday get revenge on the corrupt temple hierarchy who branded me a heretic.
3	I owe my life to the priest who took me in when my parents died.
4	Everything I do is for the common people.
5	I will do anything to protect the temple where I served.
6	I seek to preserve a sacred text that my enemies consider heretical and seek to destroy.

d6	Flaw
1	I judge others harshly, and myself even more severely.
2	I put too much trust in those who wield power within my temple’s hierarchy.
3	My piety sometimes leads me to blindly trust those that profess faith in my god.
4	I am inflexible in my thinking.
5	I am suspicious of strangers and expect the worst of them.
6	Once I pick a goal, I become obsessed with it to the detriment of everything else in my life.