Serratus Peryiphim

Written By Eis Vuur Warden, Historian and Scholar of the Imperial Geographical Society Circa 2E 580

I am only writing this for two reasons: because I do not wish that bumbling excuse for a scholar Cinna Scholasticus to even attempt such an endeavor, and because I have heard rumors about carriers of this disease becoming more aggressive than usual. And as I am somewhat of a specialist on this topic, I have decided to write this book to inform the public more correctly than some…others.

There are many different strains of the disease known collectively as vampirism. Porphyric Hemophilia of Cyrodiil. Sanguinare Vampiris of Skyrim. Noxiphilic Sanguivoria of High Rock. Each of these are different due to unique origins amongst them.

Out of all of those, however, it is Serratus Peryiphim that is commonly considered to be the most dangerous. Also known as Serratus Peryiphim Sanguis, it originated in the southern marshes of Argonia sometime during the late Merethic Era. The Whet-Fang, a clan of vampires that only reside in the homelands of my people, are all carriers of the disease. Serratus Peryiphim leaves the skin of a pale green hue, reminiscent of a drowned and bloated corpse. The teeth also become serrated fangs, like that of a shark, making the bite from a Whet-Fang capable of easily tearing flesh from the bone. They are also very clannish with others of their kind, and their eyes shine a bright yellow instead of the red or orange of other vampire clans.

Those inflicted with Serratus Peryiphim primarily worship Molag Bal, but also have ties with Peryite if the ancient tales can be believed true. Peryite, viewing vampirism as a mockery and tarnish of his sphere of balance (for vampires do not die), cursed a specific group of vampires into becoming the Whet-Fang of today. This curse resulted in their appearance, as well as making them incredibly susceptible to sunlight and fire; a few seconds of touch will cause them to erupt into flames. However, this curse also gave them a great affinity towards the wet; water even heals their wounds. Because of this, they tend to live in underwater caves and the deepest mires in Argonia.

One must be very careful when traveling through Argonia, especially on their own. Those inflicted with Serratus Peryiphim are masters of Illusion magic, and careful at fooling the senses. Always keep your mind guarded, or you might find yourself under their thrall. What makes the Whet-Fang even more dangerous is their unique ‘life magic’. With it, they can place victims in comas that slow down the aging process and allow them to feed whenever they like. In other words, mortal livestock. The Whet-Fang will keep such prisoners for decades for nourishment, before eventually killing them once they grow bored of seeing the same face every day.

So I say this to all travelers to the deeper parts of my homeland: be on your guard. The news that the Whet-Fang are on the rise troubles me more than you can possibly know. Arm yourself with torches as you travel through the mires, and keep a silver weapon on you at all times. And if you are bitten, drink a Cure Disease potion or see a Priest of Arkay immediately. Because of its connection with Peryite, Serratus Peryiphim takes only a day and a half before turning you into a full vampire. And now that you know this, stay diligent.