I'm majorly stuck on the Staff of Magnus quest (which I've now found out is the final quest for the Mage's guild - wow that seemed real short!).

I'm at the bit in the Labyrinthian ruins where there is a stone that seems to be shooting fireballs at me. There's also a tome for a warding spell provided nearby, hinting that I should be using that. However, even with the ward up, the fireballs still damage the hell out of me and stagger me, making it even more difficult to keep the ward up (which I'm not really sure is doing anything). Am I doing something wrong? It's so hard to even see where I'm meant to be going due to the constant slurry of fireballs being spewed at me.

Do you have a fireball spell handy, yourself? I just blasted it with that. All you have to do is knock over the soul gems.

Oh, I just figured out an easier way! The ethereal shout that makes you immune to damage is really handy, and gets you right through. There are some stairs on the right.

thanks for that I've been stuck there for like 20 minutes

what you should do is try the unrelenting force shout.
if im not mistaken what was shooting at you was a soul gem on a pedestal knock it off or take it and it stops shooting.

i did the etheral shout too lol

whirlwind sprint ftw

I just had a hard time with this as well. I solved it with whirlwind sprint, as I had no fireball spells and Unrelenting Force was useless.

Without whirlwind, I have no idea how I would've made it, tho...

Walk up, pick up stone.

No shouts no nothing.

Easy