Bear with me, as this is a long, brainstorming post about Lore….

Does anyone know ANYTHING else about this person other than what the Wikis say? I tried to get more info from the game but I just didn't find it. There seems to be NO depth to this interesting quest, which bugs me....

The Caller is an Altmer sorcerer who is running "projects" (experiments) in Fellglow Keep with her "assistants" who range from elemental mages to necromancers of all races. She convinces Orthorn, another Altmer mage (and at the time a student at the College of Winterhold) to steal three books for her from the library: Night of Tears, The Last King of the Ayleids, and Fragment: On Artaeum.

Types of experiments that are likely being run include: dissection, magic used on test subjects, enchanting and smithing with quicksilver, alchemy (poisons?), conjuration, and subjecting vampires to torture (or torturing them for intel).

The books she is using in some kind of ritual chamber are on the topics of Saarthal (the Eye of Magnus), a basic primer on the Ayleids and the human revolt, and the Psijic Order. The odd thing about these books is that they don't really have a link between them that I can see, except that they all deal with elves (Night of Tears: Snow Elves; The Last King: Ayleids; Fragment: Altmer. Obviously Saarthal and the Psijics are linked, which The Caller may or may not know, but what on earth would the Ayleids have to do with the other two?

Going back to the experiments, one of the more interesting aspects is the caged vampires who are all of mixed races (including one Altmer). The dissections are also being performed on various races, but none of them Altmer. All of them are vampires except for the Nord and the Khajiit (those who are, are Bosmer and what looks like Imperial). The race thing may not matter, in the end…. But what she may be trying to figure out is how vampires stay alive, or something about the undead, what are their strengths/weaknesses…. SOMEthing to do with vampires  or the undead. She may also be trying to do something to vampires or to mortals, such as turn vampires mortal or mortal vampires, or something in between. As there are necromancers around, it is possible that the mages are trying to learn how to properly enthrall vampires, or perhaps even mortals.

Back to The Caller and who she may be. Things she can do are interesting: she can teleport, cast elemental magic, and conjure things. Teleportation is a power that the Psijic Order possess (she has a book that is basically a primer on the Psijics). If she can conjure things, she could herself be a necromancer, despite her not being labeled as such. “To Call” is after all synonymous with Summon and perhaps even Conjure.

So what on Magnus’s good Nirn is she up to?! I can’t really figure it out, but my theories range from the enthrallment of the undead or perhaps even the living. This brings me back to the book on the Ayleids, who in the book are mentioned to be master enslavers (this particular book does not mention that they also tortured humans for fun). The torture aspect isn’t unknown in Skyrim as those wracks are seen throughout the country, but one interesting thing about Fellglow Keep is that there are three “practice rows” that have a hung iron cage toward which novice mages are casting magic. Practice for magic, or for torture?

Anyway, that’s where my brainstorming meets a brick wall. Taking an even bigger leap, one could say she’s working for the Thalmor. Saarthal/Eye of Magnus (a great power that ancient elves wanted); enslaving humans and learning from history about rebellions and the power of the Nords (who aided Alessia); and the power of telepathy/teleportation of the Psijics. All of these things would be useful to the Thalmor for whenever they plan on actually full-on invading Skyrim (because you know they want to….) Despite the fact that The Caller employs mages of all races, she may be merely using them with the guise of actually wanting or needing their help. If The Caller were not Altmer I would not have this Thalmor theory, but she is.

I just wish the quest story delved deeper into meaning, but really I think all it was meant for was to teach the player about Saarthal, the Psijics, and how elves once enslaved humans and how humans rebelled. Could the quest really be that shallow?

Brynja

Bear with me, as this is a long, brainstorming post about Lore….

Does anyone know ANYTHING else about this person other than what the Wikis say? I tried to get more info from the game but I just didn't find it. There seems to be NO depth to this interesting quest, which bugs me....

The Caller is an Altmer sorcerer who is running "projects" (experiments) in Fellglow Keep with her "assistants" who range from elemental mages to necromancers of all races. She convinces Orthorn, another Altmer mage (and at the time a student at the College of Winterhold) to steal three books for her from the library: Night of Tears, The Last King of the Ayleids, and Fragment: On Artaeum.

Types of experiments that are likely being run include: dissection, magic used on test subjects, enchanting and smithing with quicksilver, alchemy (poisons?), conjuration, and subjecting vampires to torture (or torturing them for intel).

The books she is using in some kind of ritual chamber are on the topics of Saarthal (the Eye of Magnus), a basic primer on the Ayleids and the human revolt, and the Psijic Order. The odd thing about these books is that they don't really have a link between them that I can see, except that they all deal with elves (Night of Tears: Snow Elves; The Last King: Ayleids; Fragment: Altmer. Obviously Saarthal and the Psijics are linked, which The Caller may or may not know, but what on earth would the Ayleids have to do with the other two?

Going back to the experiments, one of the more interesting aspects is the caged vampires who are all of mixed races (including one Altmer). The dissections are also being performed on various races, but none of them Altmer. All of them are vampires except for the Nord and the Khajiit (those who are, are Bosmer and what looks like Imperial). The race thing may not matter, in the end…. But what she may be trying to figure out is how vampires stay alive, or something about the undead, what are their strengths/weaknesses…. SOMEthing to do with vampires  or the undead. She may also be trying to do something to vampires or to mortals, such as turn vampires mortal or mortal vampires, or something in between. As there are necromancers around, it is possible that the mages are trying to learn how to properly enthrall vampires, or perhaps even mortals.

Back to The Caller and who she may be. Things she can do are interesting: she can teleport, cast elemental magic, and conjure things. Teleportation is a power that the Psijic Order possess (she has a book that is basically a primer on the Psijics). If she can conjure things, she could herself be a necromancer, despite her not being labeled as such. “To Call” is after all synonymous with Summon and perhaps even Conjure.

So what on Magnus’s good Nirn is she up to?! I can’t really figure it out, but my theories range from the enthrallment of the undead or perhaps even the living. This brings me back to the book on the Ayleids, who in the book are mentioned to be master enslavers (this particular book does not mention that they also tortured humans for fun). The torture aspect isn’t unknown in Skyrim as those wracks are seen throughout the country, but one interesting thing about Fellglow Keep is that there are three “practice rows” that have a hung iron cage toward which novice mages are casting magic. Practice for magic, or for torture?

Anyway, that’s where my brainstorming meets a brick wall. Taking an even bigger leap, one could say she’s working for the Thalmor. Saarthal/Eye of Magnus (a great power that ancient elves wanted); enslaving humans and learning from history about rebellions and the power of the Nords (who aided Alessia); and the power of telepathy/teleportation of the Psijics. All of these things would be useful to the Thalmor for whenever they plan on actually full-on invading Skyrim (because you know they want to….) Despite the fact that The Caller employs mages of all races, she may be merely using them with the guise of actually wanting or needing their help. If The Caller were not Altmer I would not have this Thalmor theory, but she is.

I just wish the quest story delved deeper into meaning, but really I think all it was meant for was to teach the player about Saarthal, the Psijics, and how elves once enslaved humans and how humans rebelled. Could the quest really be that shallow?

You make a very good point.  Honestly, I did not pay very much attention to the quest details, freed the vampires, and made my way up to the tower.  However, I was able to convince the Caller (with my speech skill) to hand the books over.  Mabey I might pay her one more visit and out more about this mysterious person?