A Report on the Bloodlines of Tamriel's Vampires Vol III

Celann

I write this letter as I move into the more civilised Imperial province after a near deadly stay in Black Marsh, or more commonly referred to nowadays as Argonia. I cannot tell you how happy I am to leave these dank, dark marshes behind me. After reading The Argonian Account I knew that Argonia was a harsh environment, harsh environments breed harsher vampires it would seem.

Despite a close call in a Whet-Fang lair I am resolved to continue on my quest to catalogue the vampires of Tamriel. Besides, after my stay in Argonia I have surely faced the foulest of the bloodlines. Tell Isran that tales of the Dawn Guard reforming in Skyrim have spread further than he could have hoped. I am currently staying in a tavern in Leyawiin, where reports of the resurgence of the Dawn Guard appear to have reached, as when the barkeep asked where I was going and the reasons for my travels as soon as I mentioned vampires he asked me if I was “one of them Dawn Guard fellows”.

If our reputation is spreading throughout Tamriel, so soon shall the order itself. That conversation with the barkeep reinvigorated me, reminded me of why I am out here. I do hope you are passing my reports onto Isran and Florentius. Once the vampire threat in Skyrim is dealt with we can spread to the other provinces. Hopefully this third report will help those stationed in Argonia, I do not envy them.

Kind Regards, Ragnar Lothbrok

The Vampires of Argonia

The vampires of Argonia are known as the Whet-Fang, they may be the most despicable and horrific bloodline I have encountered yet. They are easily identifiable as the disease strain Serratus Peryiphim leaves the skin of the victim with a pale green hue, reminiscent of a drowned and bloated corpse. The name Whet-Fang may derive from the other main characteristic of this strain of vampire, the unusual teeth that set them well apart from any other bloodline. They have multiple serrated fangs, like that of a shark, giving their bite and even more deadly edge as they can easily tear flesh from bone with their teeth alone.

Unfortunately I could not source any information regarding the origin of the deadly bloodline, fear and terror was the only information I could glean from local legends and tales of the Whet-Fang.

Behavioral Patterns

The unique and rather obvious appearance of the Whet-Fang made it easy for me to track them and discover their feeding ground. They seem to enjoy the more swamp filled regions of Argonia, making their nests in the deepest part of the swamp, often underwater if possible. Once I found a small village located rather centrally in a large swamp (somewhere between Stormhold and Helstrom) that had recently had a string of disappearances it was quite easy for me to locate the nest.

I was quite lucky in that regard as the local folk lore of the town states that these sort of disappearances happen every one hundred and sixty or so years. I would learn later why there was such a large gap between abductions by the Whet-Fang to my great horror. Their lair was in a cave network with several underwater entrances, some near the village, some further away. The townsfolk had never explored this underground network as any who dared enter the caves would never be seen again. To me this screamed of a nest, as all tales of the Whet-Fang had them travelling in packs or family groups.

Abilities

The Whet-Fang are masters of illusion magic, using it to ensnare their prey, forcing them to wander off into the swamp to be easily captured. Only one of a stern and well guarded mind can hope to face them without becoming their thrall. However, the most despicable ability of all is their apparent life magic, capable of suspending life, slowing the ageing process of their prey, keeping them in a subdued state. This is the cause for the disappearances having a cycle. The Whet-Fang keep their victims alive so they can feed on them for almost a hundred and sixty years!

I stumbled into the holding area of the cave, where over a dozen victims hung in the air, suspended by nothing, bathed in an eery blue aura. The ground was littered with the skeletons of past ages. I went to help the first of the victims I saw, a young breton girl of about sixteen. But as I tried to pull her down and out of the blue light her eyes snapped open shining bright yellow as her skin turned green and pale. I had been fooled by her illusion spell! I must have interrupted her feeding as I entered the holding area.

Weaknesses

Fortunately I had come prepared. Like all undead, silver burns their flesh, and as most vampires I had encountered thus far had a weakness to fire I was well equipped with a silver dagger with layered fire enchantments. As I shoved the blade up under her chin and into her skull the flesh of her head ignited, bubbling away instantly leaving only bones and ash behind.

Never before have I seen such vulnerability to fire. Perhaps this is the reason for their underwater lairs and natural affinity for swamps and other such wet environments. Luckily I had placed fire runes on all entrances I could find to the cave and nearly every junction within. As such, in spite of the large number of Whet-Fang inhabiting the cave system, I was able to escape with my life.

I returned later in the day with some of the family of the abducted victims in tow. My descriptions of their still living but captured fellows roused them into action to help me mount a rescue. I ensured that they were all armed with fire based destruction spells and a cure disease potion for when the mission was done. We managed to cleanse the nest of the filthy abominations and bring the victims back to the village with minimal casualties.

Addendum

It took a week for the victims to awake from their induced comas, all were given potions of disease curing and general health poultices as soon as we returned to the village and had healers casting spells upon them until they awoke.