Winterhold College stood on a huge, towering rocky platform in the Sea of Ghosts, north of Winterhold. It was connected to the coast by only a few floating stone bridges supported by magical wells. When necessary, the mages could even control the bridges with spells, pull them back near the castle, and completely sever the college's only connection to the outside world!
Thanks to this ingenious magical design and its advantageous location, ordinary armies had no chance of conquering the castle from the outside. On top of that, the college's main buildings were designed to look like a fortress, no different from the strongholds of the lords of the neighboring holds. That was why outsiders often called Winterhold College the Winterhold Fortress.
And that was the real reason Winterhold College could stand as an equal to the lord of the hold it occupied!
With their powerful magic and sturdy fortress, the mages were never subject to the Jarl of Winterhold's orders or control. For countless years, they had maintained a relatively independent status in Skyrim, almost like a country within a country.
Fortunately, the relationship between Winterhold and Winterhold College wasn't too bad.
The mages occasionally helped the Jarls with small matters. They even sent court wizards to the various holds or provided magical assistance when necessary... So, in the town outside Winterhold College, which had sprung up to serve the college, Winterhold's soldiers were also responsible for guarding the area and maintaining basic law and order nearby.
At the same time, because it had been built atop a towering, enormous rock, the college couldn't be made too large, given the geographical limitations. It mainly consisted of two connected dormitories and a large lecture hall.
Corridors connected the three main buildings at the lower levels, while their upper floors were