My Dunmer is currently doing the DG quests. Not because she wants to, or because she cares, but because the damn DLC keeps slapping me in the face and keeping me from doing what I want to do. So anyway I am going to get the last Elder Scroll and I had to go to the college to find the guy that can tell me where to look. I did not mean in any way shape or form to join the College. Never would my character do that. But I had to talk to the Orc in the library. So I went in the college and did that. I did not, I repeat did not talk to the mage near the door that would give me my first Mages quest because I did not want to join the College. Right?

So I go meet the guy and then go back to my house in Whiterun to unload my loot before going out to get the scroll. Right? So anyway I leave the house and have Serana with me. She's been following me since we went to see her mother and I just hadn't bothered to remove her.

So anyway, I leave my house, with Serana in tow, and some guy wearing fur armor runs up to me and says something about being a mage and that he was going to challenge me. I said no and he fights anyway. Then Serana joins in and beats the crap out of him while I just stand there and watch. The whole time the guy is crying about it's supposed to be a one-on-one fight and all that.

Well I have never seen this happen before (981 hours of playing) and figured it must be from the game thinking I joined the mages guild. Which my character would never do. So is that what made this guy appear?

I think he appears as long as one of your magic skills excluding enchanting is over 50.

Well I guess that's proof that I don't play mages very often. My Dunmer just got her Destruction to 50, which I think is higher than any other character I've played (including the two that became Arch Mages).