Skyrim:Serana

Serana; (RefID: xx002B74); (lore page)
Added by	Dawnguard
Location	Dimhollow Cavern
Other Information
Stamina	50+(PC-1)×2
Primary Skills	Sneak, Conjuration, Light Armor, One-handed
Perks	Augmented Frost (rank 1); Bladesman (rank 1); Custom Fit; Fighting Stance; Hack and Slash (rank 1); Magic Resistance (rank 1); Necromancy
Essential	Yes
Follower	Yes
Voice Type	Unique
Faction(s)	DLC1SeranaCrimeFaction; DLC1SeranaFaction

Serana

Serana is a Nord vampire found inside a sarcophagus in Dimhollow Cavern. She is the long lost daughter of Lord Harkon and Valerica, and is in possession of an Elder Scroll. Upon introduction, she will know if you are a vampire or not, and she will ask you to take her to her home.

Throughout the Dawnguard questline, Serana accompanies you as an obligatory follower regardless of whether you side with the Dawnguard or Volkihar Clan. Taught in the dark arts by her mother, she is a talented necromancer and will often reanimate corpses to assist the two of you in battle. As a magic user and vampire, she uses a variety of spells in battle and wields an Elven Dagger for close combat.

In regards to her personality, she possesses a natural defensiveness that doesn't come off as cold. Skillfully, she navigates away from difficult subjects and redirects conversations toward topics you're more inclined to discuss. These defenses stem from her quick temper and intense passion, which she guards against so others won't bear the brunt of them. While she genuinely cares for those who befriend her, she only invests so much as they demonstrate their worthiness. Additionally, she carries a hint of self-deprecating humor and self-awareness. Although intelligent, she maintains a degree of naïvety. Having been sealed in Dimhollow Crypt for centuries, she harbors a curiosity about the world's current state.

Related Quests[edit]

Awakening: Find out what the vampires are looking for.
Bloodline: Choose your side!
Prophet (Dawnguard): Find and rescue a Moth Priest from the vampires.
Prophet (Vampire): The time of prophecy has arrived! Locate a Moth Priest for the vampires.
Chasing Echoes: Explore Castle Volkihar.
Beyond Death: Search for Valerica in the Soul Cairn.
Unseen Visions: Perform a ceremony to read the Elder Scroll.
Touching the Sky: Find and retrieve Auriel's Bow.
Kindred Judgment: Confront Lord Harkon.

Background[edit]

Serana had a very close relationship with her mother growing up. In her youth, she was distant from her father, though never against him in any capacity. By vampire standards, her relationship with her mother was as loving and nurturing as it could be, given their circumstances. Even as a child, hers was a fairly lonely life. Her mother taught her necromancy and other forms of magic, allowing her to become a powerful mage in her own right.

A thousand years ago, her father became obsessed with a prophecy called the Tyranny of the Sun, which would require the blood of a pure-blooded vampire to block out the sun forever, allowing vampires to reign supreme. To prevent this from happening, Serana's mother sealed her away in Dimhollow Crypt to hide her from her father.

As a Follower[edit]

In many ways, Serana is a unique follower.

Finding Her[edit]

Her main location during gameplay depends on your allegiance. If you join the Dawnguard, you can find her at Fort Dawnguard. If you choose the Volkihar Vampire Clan, however, you can find her at Volkihar Keep. After completing the Beyond Death quest, she can also be found in Valerica's study. After completing the Dawnguard campaign, she often roams Skyrim in search of adventure. If you find her, you can recruit her, regardless of the location.

Attire[edit]

Serana wears a Vampire Royal Armor and a pair of Vampire Boots. She dons a unique hood when outside, which visually obscures her headgear.

She might wear the attire you place in her inventory, although she completely ignores those included in the Arcane Accessories DLC. Her attire choice logic ignores the fact that she has no need for items that bestow cold resistance while she is a vampire.

Behavior[edit]

Serana does not behave like other followers. She does not use one of the four personas of the base game (Imperial, Nord, Orc, or Arrogant). Her feedbacks are playful. While the other followers act as if they are on an invisible leash, Serana behaves more like an independent person. She sticks close to you, but might sit, read, eat, lean on a wall, use crafting stations (anvil, smelter, workbench, arcane enchanter, etc.), cook, or even mine ore veins. All of these actions are visual only; they have no gameplay impact.

You can tell Serana to wait, come along with you, or exchange inventory items, but she might decline. While the Bloodline quest is active, she refuses to exchange inventory items, as she doesn't trust you. In response to a "Wait here" command, she tells you, in no ambiguous terms, that she will continue to follow you, albeit with a distance.

Serana is not interested in joining the Blades, becoming your steward, or marriage. She does, however, react to an Amulet of Mara.

Combat[edit]

Serana is a magic user and wields an Elven Dagger for close combat. She has the highest health among the game's followers.

She will frequently, if not always, reanimate corpses, but they later turn into ash piles when their duration ends or if they die. Thus, she is less useful if you plan to reanimate extremely powerful magicians as dead thralls, for example Sild the Warlock, Arch-Curate Vyrthur, Orchendor, Malkoran, Lu'ah Al-Skaven, Malyn Varen, or the Caller. Outside of this, her necromancy is powerful enough to reanimate non-humanoid entities.

The spells she uses depend on her level. She has a Drain Life spell that gets stronger with higher levels (even if her vampirism is cured). Additionally, in every case she knows the following spells:

Level
12–19	Raise Zombie	Ice Spike
20–27	Reanimate Corpse	Ice Spike
28–37	Reanimate Corpse	Ice Spike	Lightning Bolt
38–47	Revenant	Ice Spike	Lightning Bolt
48–50	Revenant	Ice Storm	Chain Lightning

As long as she is a vampire, she will be immune to all frost-based attacks,^{[verification needed — Frost Resistance may be 50% and not 100%]} diseases, and poisons. However, she will also have Weakness to Fire 50% and No Health, Magicka, or Stamina regeneration in sunlight.

The Healing Hands spell does not heal Serana. She requires Necromantic Healing instead. Nevertheless, the game has flagged Serana as Essential; she never dies.

As an NPC[edit]

During the quest Chasing Echoes, she will offer to turn you into a Vampire Lord. After completing the quest Kindred Judgment, she can be asked to turn you into a Vampire Lord at any time. If you sided with the Dawnguard, while a Vampire Lord they will refuse any interactions with you, stating that you need to get cured immediately. This starts Rising at Dawn.

She can also transform any elven arrows in your possession into Bloodcursed elven arrows after obtaining Auriel's Bow.

Vyrthur was saying something about vampire blood and the bow...

"It sounds like... that's the last bit of the prophecy. The blood of a Daughter of Coldharbour can corrupt the bow."

Can I use your blood, then?

"Sure... do you have any arrows, though? They would have to be of elven quality, I'd guess."

You're a Daughter of Coldharbour.

"So I am. I guess we could use my blood. Do you have any arrows. Elven arrows. I'm not just going to bleed on any old thing."

Afterward, she will grant you arrows:

I'd like to treat some arrows with your blood.

"Let's just get this over with."

I'm not going to take your blood right now.

"Oh. All right, then."

If you have insufficient arrows:

I'd like to treat some arrows with your blood.

"I think you'll need to find some arrows, first. Only elven ones will work for this, remember?"

Curing Serana's Vampirism[edit]

Serana after she is cured of vampirism

If you side with the Dawnguard, you can convince Serana to cure her vampirism after her father's death. However, there is a way to deliberately lock yourself out of this line of inquiry: After Serana brings her Elder Scroll to Fort Dawnguard, you ask her, "Have you always been a vampire?" During this conversation, if you ask her if she has ever thought about getting cured, she will refer to her condition as a gift, insisting that she will never seek a cure for it. You can ask her to seek a cure after her father has been defeated, but she declines and refuses to speak to you about it further.

After Kindred Judgment, once you've have left Harkon's room, if you are not a vampire yourself, you can ask Serana if she's ever considered being cured. Unless you pick a self-centered response, she will immediately leave to see Falion for a cure. For the next three days, she will stay with Falion, at which point, she will become human and return to Fort Dawnguard. The conversation goes as follows:

Have you thought about getting cured of vampirism?

"No... why?"

Three options become available:

Look what it did to your family.

"Even before that, we weren't the most normal family. We did worship a Daedra, remember?"

(✔ Success)

You could be your own person again.

"It would be nice not to always be thirsty."

(✔ Success)

I think I'd feel more comfortable.

"(Sarcastically) Very supportive!"

(❌ Fail; terminates conversation)

If the first part of the conversation is successful, two options will become available:

If you want to cure yourself, I'll support you.

"I'll speak to Falion. I've heard he knows about these things."

(✔ Success)

I don't think I can help you with this.

"(Sarcastically) Very supportive!"

(❌ Fail; terminates conversation)

If you convince her to cure herself, two options become available. Neither change the outcome:

I want to come with you.

"I know you do, but this is something I need to do alone. I'll see you again. Soon."

Good luck.

"I'll see you soon."

If Serana chooses to become human, she will no longer be able to provide you with bloodcursed arrows, nor will she be able to turn you into a vampire. Her eyes will also revert to her mortal blue eyes (though due to a bug, they will be yellow instead of white on the outside). She will no longer be undead, which means that she can be healed by your Restoration healing spells, she won't be damaged by Restoration combat spells that target undead, and she appears with Detect Life instead of Detect Dead. Her combat spell usage remains the same; she continues to use a vampiric Drain Life attack along with her other attacks.

You can reverse the effects of your choices in conversation by typing the following into the console: SetPapyrusQuestVar DLC1NPCMentalModel ToldPlayerSheDidntWantCure_var False. You will now be able to convince her to get cured. If she still refuses to talk about being cured, type the following into the console: SetPapyrusQuestVar DLC1NPCMentalModel CutOffCureDiscussion_var False. You can force the quest to start by typing the following into the console: setstage DLC1SeranaCureSelfQuest 10. If the Serana cure quest should become stuck you can use setstage DLC1SeranaCureSelfQuest 100 to finish the quest after stage 10 and have Serana back, without her vampirism.

After she is cured, the following conversation occurs:

"There you are. I'm ... I'm back."

You're not a Vampire anymore?

"All clean. I feel like I can breathe again for the first time since I was turned. The world is alive, and so am I, for once."

I was wondering when I'd see you again.

"Here I am. Human as ever. It's like the world's alive again. Just like me."

Come with me.

"I knew you'd miss me."

Quest-Related Events[edit]

Awakening[edit]

When you open her sarcophagus, she stumbles out. She's clearly been asleep for a very long time. This exchange will be different depending on whether or not you're a vampire. She's quite groggy. You can answer her one of two ways when she first wakes up, regardless of whether or not you're a vampire.

If You're Not a Vampire[edit]

Serana initiates the conversation.

"Unh... where is... who sent you here?"

You have three lines of conversation, all of which lead to Serana commenting on you not being "like her."

Who were you expecting?	A man named Isran.	That's not your concern.
I was expecting someone... like me, at least.	I... don't know who that is. Is he... like me?	I think it is, actually. Why would someone who isn't... like me... come all the way down here?

It continues with:

What do you mean, "like you"?	Are you a...
A... can't you tell just from looking at me? A vampire.	Vampire, yes.

You can either deliver a notice of hostility or ignore her vampirism.

The Dawnguard would want me to kill you.	Why were you locked away like this?^†
Not fond of vampires, are they? Well, look. Kill me, you've killed one vampire. But if people are after me, there is something bigger going on. I can help you find out what that is.	That's... complicated. And I'm not totally sure if I can trust you. But if you want to know the whole story, help me get back to my family's home.

†You can ask this question again in few seconds, to which she gives an almost identical reply.

At this point, your only option is to agree to escort her home. The only question is how you'd word it.

Where do you need to go?	As long as you don't get in the way.
(No retorts)	I was going to say the same thing to you.
My family used to live on an island to the west of Solitude. I would guess they still do. By the way... my name is Serana. Good to meet you.

If You're a Vampire[edit]

"Unh... where is... who sent you here?"

Ask her who she's expecting	Tell her who sent you
Who were you expecting? "I was expecting someone from my family. I don't recognize you. Are you one of my father's little acolytes?"	A man named Isran. "I... don't know who that is. Is he working for my father?" That's not your concern. "I think it is, actually. Are you one of my father's little acolytes?"

You'll be faced with another round of options after the initial introduction.

Ask who her father is	Tell her who you're with
Who's your father? "He's a very powerful man. Or he was at one point. I'm surprised another vampire hasn't heard of him." How did you know I was a vampire? "You think I can't tell my own kind?" You're a vampire? "Can't you tell your own kind? I smelled you almost before my eyes were open."	No, a group called the "Dawnguard" sent me here. "That's not a name I know. And it doesn't sound like a name a group of vampires would choose." How did you know I was a vampire? "You think I can't tell my own kind?" You're a vampire? "Can't you tell your own kind? I smelled you almost before my eyes were open."

Serana stumbles out of her sarcophagus

The conversation continues regardless of what you pick.

The Dawnguard would want me to kill you.

"Don't think that'll keep them from turning on you eventually. They'll figure out what you are."

Why were you locked away like this?

"That's... complicated. And I'm not totally sure if I can trust you. But if you want to know the whole story, help me get back to my family's home."

Where do you need to go?

"My family used to live on an island to the west of Solitude. I would guess they still do. By the way... my name is Serana. Good to meet you."

As long as you don't get in the way.

"I was going to say the same thing to you."

Bloodline[edit]

You can speak to her in Dimhollow Crypt. The shortest dialogue tree is on the subject of how to get out of the crypt.

"My family used to live on an island to the west of Solitude. I would guess they still do. By the way... my name is Serana. Good to meet you."

Any idea how to get out of here?

"Your guess is as good as mine. This place looks pretty different from when I was locked away."

You can also ask her about her home.

Tell me about your home.

"It's on an island near Solitude. Hopefully we can find a boat to take us there. It's my family home. Not the most welcoming place, but depending on whose around, I'll be safe there."

Why wouldn't you be safe there?

"Let's just say that my mother and father had a bit of a falling out. Don't worry, I'm not in any danger or anything like that. It'll just be more unpleasant to run into my father."

Someone you don't want to see?

"My father and I don't really get along. Ugh, saying it out loud makes it sound so... common. "Little girl who doesn't get along with her father." Read that story a hundred times."

You can also ask about the Elder Scroll on her back.

Is that an Elder Scroll?

"Yes, it is, and it's mine."

Why do you have an Elder Scroll?

"It's... complicated. I can't really talk about it. I'm sorry."

Is it fragile? Do we need to be careful with it?

"Ha. Nothing can destroy an Elder Scroll. Worry more about protecting your hide, and let me worry about my things."

You can touch on how long she's been out.

How long were you in there?

"Good question. Hard to say. I... I can't really tell. I feel like it was a long time. Who is Skyrim's High King?"

Giving a Stormcloak-supporting answer	Giving an Empire-supporting answer	Stay neutral
Ulfric Stormcloak is the true High King. "I've... never heard of him. Is he well supported?"	Elisif of Solitude will be High Queen. "I don't know that name. You say she's Jarl of Solitude? Who supports her?"	That's actually a matter of debate. "Oh, wonderful. A war of succession. Good to know the world didn't get boring while I was gone. Who are the contenders?"

Rise and shade

Regardless of how you answer, the conversation continues.

The Empire supports Elisif, but there are many in Skyrim loyal to Ulfric.

"Empire? What... what empire?"

The... Empire. From Cyrodiil.

"Cyrodiil is the seat of an empire? I must have been gone longer than I thought. Definitely longer than we planned. Please, let's hurry. I need to get home so I can figure out what's happened."

You can also ask her why she was locked away.

Why were you locked away?

"I'd... rather not get into that with you. If that's all right. I'm sorry, it's not that... it's just that I don't know who I can trust yet. Let's get to my home, and I'll have a better sense of where we all stand."

If you return to her before agreeing to help her:

"I wasn't sure you'd come back for me. I'm still looking for a guide to get me home. What do you say?"

That's why I'm here. Let's go.

"I'm right behind you."

Another time, maybe.

"I'll be here if you change your mind."

Once she is following you, you can also ask her to wait.

Wait here.

"If you think I'm going to let you have all the fun, you're crazy. I'll let you lead ahead, but I'll be keeping an eye on you."

If you want her to continue following you:

Come with me.

"Thought you'd never ask."

It's important to note that you cannot trade things with her and you cannot part ways with her during this quest.

I need to trade some things with you.

"Why don't you keep your things, and I'll keep mine."

I think we should part ways.

"You can't get rid of me that easily."

When you finally escape Dimhollow Crypt:

Serana: "Ah, it's so good to breathe again! Even in this weather, it's better than the cave."

If you bring her to Fort Dawnguard:

Serana: "I don't like the look of this place. I'll wait for you back by the entrance."

Arrival at the Icewater Jetty:

Serana: "Umm... this is the part where we usually get in the boat. You with me?"

She will have a few words for you if you speak to her in front of the castle.

"What now?"

This is your home?

"This is it. Home sweet... castle."

Why didn't you tell me it was so huge?

"I didn't want you to think I was one of those... you know, the women who just sit in their castle all day? I don't know. Coming from a place like this, well... it's not really me. I hope you can believe that."

It's impressive.

"It's something all right."

At the gates of Castle Volkihar, she will turn to you for a quick word. This exchange will be different depending on whether or not you're a vampire.

If you're not a vampire	If you are a vampire:
"Hey, so... before we go in there..." What is it? "I wanted to thank you for getting me this far. But after we get in there, I'm going to go my own way for a while. I think... I know your friends would probably want to kill everything in here. I'm hoping you can show some more control than that. Once we're inside, just keep quiet for a bit. Let me take the lead." Are you all right? "I think so. And thanks for asking. I know your friends would probably want to kill everything in here. I'm hoping you can show some more control than that. Once we're inside, just keep quiet for a bit. Let me take the lead." What is it now? "Fine, don't worry about it. When we get in, you won't have to babysit me anymore."	"Hey, so... before we go in there..." What is it? "I wanted to thank you for getting me this far. But after we get in there, I'm going to go my own way for a while. I think... I just need to be alone. For a while. There's a lot of feelings wrapped up in this old place, and I don't think you're quite ready for them. So let me take the lead in here." Are you all right? "I think so. And thanks for asking. I just need to be alone. For a while. There's a lot of feelings wrapped up in this old place, and I don't think you're quite ready for them. So let me take the lead in here." What is it now? "Fine, don't worry about it. When we get in, you won't have to babysit me anymore."

When you approach the door, the Watchman will be shocked by Serana's sudden reappearance. He opens the gate, allowing you to proceed. When you and Serana enter the castle, Vingalmo will be the first to acknowledge her return.

Vingalmo: "How dare you trespass here! Wait... Serana? Is that truly you? I cannot believe my eyes! My lord! Everyone! Serana has returned!"

Serana: "I guess I'm expected."

Feran Sadri: "I can't believe it."

You'll then enter the castle, where her father will greet her.

Harkon:	"My long-lost daughter returns at last. I trust you have my Elder Scroll?"
Serana:	"After all these years, that's the first thing you ask me? Yes, I have the scroll."
Harkon:	"Of course I'm delighted to see you, my daughter. Must I really say the words aloud? Ah, if only your traitor mother were here, I would let her watch this reunion before putting her head on a spike. Now tell me, who is this stranger you have brought into our hall?"
Serana:	"This is my savior, the one who freed me."
Harkon:	"For my daughter's safe return, you have my gratitude. Tell me, what is your name?"

"My long-lost daughter returns at last. I trust you have my Elder Scroll?"

The Bloodstone Chalice[edit]

If you try to speak to Serana after bringing her home, she'll greet you with one of the following:

"Oh, what is it?"

"Yes?"

"Do you need something?"

Prophet[edit]

Dawnguard[edit]

Serana will appear at the fort. Speak with her.

"You probably weren't expecting to see me again."

What are you doing here?

"I'd rather not be here either, but I needed to talk to you. It's important, so please just listen before your friend, here, loses his patience. It's... well, it's about me. And the Elder Scroll that was buried with me."

What about you?

"The reason I was down there... and why I had the Elder Scroll. It all comes back to my father. I'm guessing you figured this part out already, but my father's not exactly a good person. Even by vampire standards. He wasn't always like that, though. There was... a turn. He stumbled onto this obscure prophecy and just kind of lost himself in it."

What sort of prophecy?

"It's pointless and vague, like all prophecies. The part he latched onto said that vampires would no longer need to fear the sun. That's what he's after. He wants to control the sun, have vampires control the world."

What do you mean... "lost himself"?

"He just became absorbed... obsessed. It was kind of sick, actually. The prophecy said that vampires would no longer need to fear the sun. For someone who fancied himself as vampire royalty, that's pretty seductive. Anyway, my mother and I didn't feel like inviting a war with all of Tamriel, so we tried to stop him. That's why I was sealed away with the Scroll."

You want us to help you?

"That was the plan, yes. Assuming the rest of them can trust a vampire. Come on, I'll need you to help convince them."

What's all this have to do with the Dawnguard?

"I'm sorry, I had heard there were vampire hunters here. I thought they might want to know about a vampire plot to enslave the rest of the world. Was I wrong?"

You took a big risk coming here.

"I did. But something about you makes me think I can trust you. I hope I'm not wrong."

No, you're right. We just have to convince the others you're on our side.

"Well, let's move then. I'm nothing if not persuasive."

Isran and Serana butt heads

Serana listening to the moth priest

Speaking with her again:

Serana: "So far this hasn't been too bad. Gets lonely exploring by myself, though."

After talking with both Serana and Isran, the two will exchange quips.

Isran: "You hear me? Don't feel like a guest, because you're not. You're a resource. You're an asset. In the meantime, don't make me regret my sudden outburst of tolerance and generosity, because if you do, your friend here is going to pay for it."

Serana: "Thank you for your kindness. I'll remember it the next time I'm feeling hungry."

Speak with Isran, then talk to Serana again.

"So in case you didn't notice the giant thing on my back, I have the Elder Scroll with me. Whatever it says, it will have something that can help us stop my father. But of course, neither of us can read it."

Who can?

"Well, the Moth Priests are the only ones I've heard of who can do it. They spend years preparing before they start reading, though. Not that it helps us anyway, because they're half a continent away in Cyrodiil."

After this discussion:

Isran: "Some Imperial scholar arrived in Skyrim a few days ago. I was staking out the road when I saw him pass by. Maybe that's your Moth Priest."

Serana: "Do you know where he's staying now?"

Isran: "No, and I'm not going to waste men looking. We're fighting a war against your kind, and I intend to win it. You want to find him, try talking to anyone who'd meet a traveler. Innkeepers and carriage drivers in the big cities maybe. But you're on your own."

Speaking to her after this (this section is the same for the Dawnguard and Vampire versions of this quest):

"Any idea how you're going to find a Moth Priest? Skyrim's a pretty big place."

Where would a Moth Priest actually go?

"Well, back before I... you know. The College of Winterhold was the first place I'd think to go for any kind of magic or historical thing. The wizards know about all kinds of things that people probably shouldn't know about. Actually, now that I think of it... I'm going to come along with you. I've been really wanting to get out and explore a bit."

Do you have any ideas?

"Well, back before I... you know. The College of Winterhold was the first place I'd think to go for any kind of magic or historical thing. The wizards know about all kinds of things that people shouldn't know about. Actually, now that I think of it... I'm going to come along with you. I've been really wanting to get out and explore a bit."

What do you know about Elder Scrolls?

"I mean... as much as anyone. Not a lot. You'd figure a couple hundred years locked away with one would have given me some insights, but no. Turns out you don't learn much from just sleeping with something."

I guess we'll have to keep looking for that Moth Priest, then.

"I guess so."

Are you saying you want to learn more about me?

"Not at this rate, no."

Or

"I guess you'll never get to find out."

You can also ask her more about herself.

Were you always a vampire?

"That's... a long story."

I want to hear it.

"I guess... we kind of have to go way back. To the very beginning. Do you know where vampirism came from?"

I don't know much about it.

"The first vampire came from Molag Bal. She... was not a willing subject. But she was still the first. Molag Bal is a powerful daedric lord, and his will is made reality. For those willing to subjugate themselves, he will still bestow the gift, but they must be powerful in their own right before earning his trust."

I would guess it came from a daedric lord.

"Exactly! The first vampire came from Molag Bal. She... was not a willing subject. But she was still the first. Molag Bal is a powerful daedric lord, and his will is made reality. For those willing to subjugate themselves, he will still bestow the gift, but they must be powerful in their own right before earning his trust."

How did you actually become a vampire, then?

"The ceremony was... degrading. Let's not revisit that. But we all took part in it. Not really wholesome family activity, but I guess it's something you do when you give yourselves to a daedric lord."

Do you regret becoming a vampire?

"Nobody's ever asked me that before. I... I don't know. I think... mostly I hate what it's done to my family."

How has it affected your family?

"Well, you've met most of us. My father's not exactly the most stable, and eventually he drove my mother crazy with him. And it all ended with me being locked underground for who knows how long. It's definitely been a bad thing, on the whole."

Are you all right?

"I will be. Just give me a little time."

It sounds like you weren't thinking clearly.

"I'm not sure it's really your place to judge me. To judge us. My family has its problems, but they're our problems. Let's just... move on from here, okay?"

Do you ever think about curing yourself?

"A cure? Why even think of it that way? I can't think of any reason I'd want to lose my gift. Especially after what I did to get it. It may have driven my family apart, but I'm still here, and I'm alive. I won't give this up."

Are you all right?

"Don't... Just leave me alone for a bit."

Spare me the details.

"The short version is that my parents and I... we were followers of Molag Bal."

The daedric princes disgust me.

"I know, I know, but just... anyway. Molag Bal is the original source of vampirism, and still grants it to his more worthy followers."

I admire your devotion.

"Not many people understand the appeal. You keep surprising me. Now, you might already know that Molag Bal is the original source of vampirism. But what you probably don't know is that he still grants it to his more impressive followers."

Another response appears if you've completed The House of Horrors:

I'm a follower of Molag Bal, myself.

"I have to admit, I'm impressed. I didn't think you had the spirit for it. Now, you might already know that Molag Bal is the original source of vampirism. But what you probably don't know is that he still grants it to his more impressive followers.
This isn't that watered down child's power that you simply contract from another vampire. We're pureblood creations of original vampires. We earned this."

Vampire[edit]

Chasing Echoes[edit]

"Do you have a moment to talk?"

Can't it wait?

"Well, you could waste a lot of time trying to figure out our next move, or you could let me help. Your choice."

What's on your mind?

"That Moth Priest, Dexion. He said we needed two other Elder Scrolls. I think I know where we can start looking."

The next response is different depending on whether or not you're in the Dawnguard.

If you're in the Dawnguard	If you sided with the Volkihar vampires
Why didn't you say something earlier? "Half the people in your little crew would just as soon kill me as talk to me. That doesn't exactly make me want to open up. I got a warmer welcome from my father, and that's saying something."	Why didn't you say something earlier? "Didn't want that lot getting wind of it. Especially my father."

Regardless of which side you're on, the rest of the conversation is the same. You can ask Serana one of two questions, both of which lead to the rest of the conversation.

Asking her what the deal is	Asking her if she trusts her father
What is it between you two? "Ever since he decided to make that prophecy his calling, we kind of drifted apart."	Do you trust Harkon at all? "It's not a question of trust... he's just obsessed with the prophecy. And from what I could tell, a thousand extra years of obsession haven't made him any better. We should have found him a hobby."

Does Harkon even care about you anymore?

"You know, I've asked myself the same thing. I thought... I hoped that if he saw me, he might feel something again. But I guess I don't really factor in at this point.
I don't think he even sees me as his daughter anymore. I'm just... a means to an end."

So where is this Elder Scroll?

"We need to find my mother, Valerica. She'll definitely know where it is, and if we're lucky, she actually has it herself."

You said you didn't know where she went.

"The last time I saw her, she said that she'd go somewhere safe... somewhere that my father would never search. Other than that, she wouldn't tell me anything. But the way she said it... "someplace he would never search." It was cryptic, yet she called attention to it."

You can answer her in one of three ways

Sounds like she was being cautious.	We can't waste time on cryptic clues.	Maybe your mother didn't trust you, either.
"Maybe. What I can't figure out is why she said it that way."	"If you have a better lead than this, I'm all ears."	"That's always a possibility. She was almost as obsessed as my father by the time she shut me in. But I can't worry about that now. We need the scroll, and she's our only lead. Besides, I can't imagine a single place my father would avoid looking. And he's had all this time, too. Any ideas?"

Sealed away like you were?

"I don't think so. She said she wanted to stay awake in case the situation was resolved. It had to be one of us, and, well, she's so much more powerful than I am. It just made sense for her to be out here. Anything else?"

The following responses are different depending on who you sided with.

If you're in the Dawnguard	If you sided with the Volkihar vampires
Hiding with the Dawnguard? "They'd be even less welcoming to her than they've been to me. It would have been a bloodbath. And since the Dawnguard are still around, that must not have happened. Any other ideas?" In Castle Volkihar? "Wait... that almost makes sense! There's a courtyard in the castle. I used to help her tend a garden there. All of the ingredients for our potions came from there. She used to say that my father couldn't stand the place. Too... peaceful." Isn't that pretty risky, staying around the castle? "Oh, absolutely. But my mother's not a coward. That is... I don't think we'll actually trip over her there. But it's worth a look." They aren't going to let us use the front door. "True. But I know a way we can get to the courtyard without arousing suspicion. There's an unused inlet on the northern side of the island that was used by the previous owners to bring supplies into the castle. An old escape tunnel from the castle exits there. I think that's our way in." Let's go to the castle's secret entrance. "It's around the side of the castle. Let's move." Actually, I have some things to do first. "Don't let me stand in your way, then. I'll be at the dock whenever you're ready."	Hiding with the Dawnguard? "I doubt my mother would waste her time with those fools. They probably would have tried to kill her, and that has a way of souring relationships. Any other ideas?" How about right here, in the castle? "Wait... that almost makes sense! There's a courtyard in the castle. I used to help her tend a garden there. All of the ingredients for our potions came from there. She used to say that my father couldn't stand the place. Too... peaceful." Isn't that pretty risky, staying around the castle? "Oh, absolutely. But my mother's not a coward. That is... I don't think we'll actually trip over her there. But it's worth a look." How can we get in without your father noticing? "Trust me. I lived here for a very long time and I know every nook and cranny. There's an unused inlet on the northern side of the island that was used by the previous owners to bring supplies into the castle. An old escape tunnel from the castle exits there. I think that's our way in." Let's go to the castle's secret entrance. "Come on. It's just around the side." Actually, I have some things to do first. "Don't let me stand in your way, then. I'll be at the dock whenever you're ready."

If you speak to her again after saying you have things to do:

"I'm ready if you are."

If you speak to her again after agreeing to go to the secret side passage, you can ask her about the Elder Scroll and her family.

"Yes? What did you need?"

Any clues about the other Elder Scroll?

"Dexion said something about that scroll. What was it... something to do with dragons I think? Maybe we should try asking at the College of Winterhold. Sounds like something they'd know about."

Were you and Valerica close?

"Before my father became obsessed with the prophecy, mother and I spent quite a bit of time together. She was very fond of her alchemical garden in the castle courtyard. She taught me quite a bit about cultivating quality reagents."

So you always got along?

"Like the best of friends. I would never hesitate to share anything with her."

But then it all changed.

"It was very sudden. It was almost like one day we were a normal family, and then the next I didn't know who they were. I'd try to visit my mother in the garden, and she'd quickly shoo me away saying she was much too busy."

That's why we're headed there?

"She had to be up to something in that garden. I'm hoping it's a clue that will tell us where she went."

You can also go down a dialogue path that ends with Serana asking you about your family.

Tell me about your family.

"There's not a whole lot to tell. You've already seen my father's obsession. My mother's not a whole lot better, but you'll see that soon enough."

Were you close with them?

"My father... no, not really. I did spend a lot of time with my mother, but she saw me more like a protege than a daughter."

It sounds like you don't like either of them very much.

"It's not that simple. I guess it never is with families, is it?
What about you? What were your parents like?"

The Dragonborn's parents are dead	The Dragonborn loves their parents, who are still alive	The Dragonborn's parents aren't very nice people	The Dragonborn is an orphan
They were good people. I miss them. "Oh, I'm sorry. Didn't mean to bring up a bad memory." We should keep moving. "Right behind you." It's fine. "Let's... uh... let's just keep going."	We're very close. I can't wait to see them again. "You're a good son/daughter." We should keep moving. "Right behind you." I try. "Yeah. Let's... uh... let's just keep going."	We didn't really get along. Best that I haven't seen them in a while. "That's too bad. Do you know how they're doing now?" Nobody hears from them much anymore. "Oh. I... I see. Let's... uh... let's just keep going." No, but we're all better off this way. "That makes sense. Let's... uh... let's just keep going."	I never knew them. I grew up alone. "I know how that feels. I mean... I know it isn't the same thing. But I was a pretty lonely child, myself." Do you still feel lonely? "Not as much. Let's... uh... let's just keep going." That's too bad. "It is. Let's... uh... let's just keep going."

After asking if she still feels lonely, you can ask her for further information:

You talk about being lonely a lot.

"Well, growing up the way I did, you get used to it."

Do you still feel that way?

"A little bit. That's... one of the reasons I wanted to come with you."

Your parents didn't make it easy on you.

"No, they didn't. But that's why I like being out here with you."

"But... what about you?"

What about me?

"Do you get lonely? Are there... people in your life?"

You mean, do I get lonely?

"Yeah. Is it just you, or do you have... people in your life?

The Dragonborn is not married, but says they are	The Dragonborn is married	The Dragonborn prefers solitude	The Dragonborn has many friends
I'm married. (Lie) (if you are not married) "Oh, I didn't even know. Is it a happy home?" We have a happy life together. "Good. You deserve that much." We're not close anymore. "That's too bad. You deserve to be happy."	There's my husband/wife... (if you are married) "Oh, I didn't even know. What kind of man/woman is he/she?" We have a happy life together. "Good. You deserve that much." We're not close anymore. "That's too bad. You deserve to be happy."	I try not to rely on others. Does it bother you that I'm here? I'm glad you're with me. "Me too." I'm used to a little more quiet on my journeys. "Well, I'll be out of your hair soon enough."	I have lots of friends. Well, I guess now you have one more. I'm glad you're with me. "Me too." I'm used to a little more quiet on my journeys. "Well, I'll be out of your hair soon enough."

"Anyway, this is all very touching, but don't we have some more important things to worry about right now?"

After the conversation ends, she says:

Serana: "I can't wait to see the courtyard again."

She will make some comments as you make your way to the courtyard.

Serana: "Yeah, just around this bend."

Serana: "Castle looks so big from down here. I mean, it is big, but, well, even bigger."

Serana: "The old water cistern. On some days, this would smell just... be glad you weren't here then."

Serana: "Take the left up here. This is one of those weird double-barred security measures that my father put in when he got more paranoid. If we follow that path around, we can find the other switch."

Serana: "This leads out to the courtyard. Just head for the door."

She will have more commentary when you reach the courtyard.

Serana: "We've made it to the courtyard. Oh no... What happened to this place? Everything's been torn down... the whole place looks... well, dead. It's like we're the first to set foot here in centuries. This used to lead into the castle's great hall. It looks like my father had it sealed up. I used to walk through here after evening meals. It was beautiful, once. This was my mother's garden. It... do you know how beautiful something can be when it's tended by a master for hundreds of years? She would have hated to see it like this. Wait... Something's wrong with the moondial here. Some of the crests are missing and the dial is askew. I didn't even know the crests could be removed. Maybe my mother's trying to tell us something?"

Serana: "I'm telling you, there's something strange with the moondial."

Serana: "If we had the crests, we wouldn't have to keep hanging around this lovely place."

Speaking to her in the courtyard:

What's so special about the moondial?

"Well, as far as I'm aware it's the only one in existence. The previous owners of the castle had a sundial in the courtyard, and obviously that didn't appeal to my mother. She persuaded an elven artisan to make some improvements. You can see the plates that show the phases of the moons, Masser and Secunda."

Does it work?

"That's the thing... what's the point of a moondial? I always wondered why she didn't just have the whole thing ripped out. But she loved it. I don't know. I guess it's like having a piece of art, if you're into that sort of thing."

So what exactly am I doing to it?

"Hard to say. Maybe if we found the missing crests, we could figure it out."

What happened to the castle courtyard?

"If I had to guess, I'd say the moment mother fled the castle, father went on a rampage. Knowing him, anything at all that reminded him of her was just destroyed."

Then he just walled it off.

"It appears that way. I suppose he wanted to put the past behind him. Perhaps if he had spent more time with us, he would have recognized the beauty for himself."

After you exit the conversation, she says:

Serana: "Look around for the missing crests. Even in this mess, they should stick out."

After placing the crests:

Serana: "Very clever, mother. Very clever. I've never been in those tunnels before, but I'd bet they run right under the courtyard and into the tower ruins. Well, at least we're getting closer. Let's go."

Inside the ruins:

Serana: "I've never even seen this part of the castle before. Be careful. I don't know what might be around."

You can speak to her here.

"We're getting close, I'm sure of it."

Do you know this place?

"I had always just assumed that the other tower was completely destroyed inside. My mother kept this a secret, even from me. She must have been up to something she thought was dangerous."

After you encounter a gargoyle, you can ask her another question:

Did your mother keep gargoyles here?

"Not that I ever saw. My mother had a bit of a thing for magical constructs. Not... not what you're thinking. She just found them fascinating."

Serana: "Turns out my mother is sneakier than I thought. I wonder what she's hiding?"

In the gargoyle room:

Serana: "I don't think we've reached the top yet. I'd bet there's some kind of secret passage around here."

Serana: "Leave it to my mother... always smarter than I gave her credit for."

When you find Valerica's Study:

Serana: "Look at this place. This has to be it! I knew she was deep into necromancy. I mean, she taught me everything I know. But I had no idea she had a setup like this. Look at all this. She must have spent years collecting these components. And what's this thing? I'm not sure about this circle, but it's obviously... something."

Serana: "Let's take a look around. There has to be something here that tells us where she's gone."

Speaking to her here:

What exactly are we looking for?

"My mother was meticulous about her research. If we can find her notes, there might be some hints in there."

Your mother maintained quite a laboratory.

"I had no idea that her laboratory even existed. She had an alchemy setup in her drawing room, but nothing that even comes close to what's here."'

What did she research?

"Looking at the equipment and materials, it looks like she was trying to advance her necromancy."

To what end?

"I don't know. Certainly not longevity. Kind of a waste of time for a vampire."

Serana: "I remember she used to keep a small journal. See if you can dig it up."

After finding Valerica's Journal:

"Any luck yet?"

I've found your mother's notes.

"You did? Let me see them."

What's this "Soul Cairn" that she mentions?

"I only know what she told me. She had a theory about soul gems. That the souls inside of them don't just vanish when they're used... they end up in the Soul Cairn."

Why did she care where used souls went?

"The Soul Cairn is home to very powerful beings. Necromancers send them souls, and receive powers of their own in return. My mother spent a lot of time trying to contact them directly, to travel to the Soul Cairn itself."

If she made it there, we'll find her.

"That circle in the center of the room is definitely some type of portal. If I'm reading this right, there's a formula here that should give us safe passage into the Soul Cairn."

What do we need?

"A handful of soul gem shards, some finely-ground bone meal, a good bit of purified void salts... Oh... damn it..."

What's wrong?

"We're also going to need a sample of her blood. Which... if we could get that, we wouldn't even be trying to do this in the first place."

You share her blood.

"Hmmm. Not bad. We'd better hope that's good enough. Mistakes with these kind of portals can be... gruesome. Anyway, enough of that. Let's get started."

Are all of those ingredients here?

"Oh, definitely. Mother would have plenty of those materials in her laboratory, you just need to find them."

Alternatively, if you have already found the ingredients, you can advance:

I already found all of the ingredients.

"Oh, good. Well then... let's head over to the portal vessel and I'll do the rest."

You can talk to her more after this exchange.

"Having trouble finding those ingredients?"

Anything you can tell me about the Soul Cairn?

"The Soul Cairn is a tiny sliver of Oblivion, the realm of the daedra. It's ruled by unseen beings known as the Ideal Masters."

Why was your mother so fascinated by it?

"Honestly, I don't know. Necromancers are always interested in souls, though, so that probably has some kind of interest."

What exactly are the Ideal Masters?

"Nobody really knows. As far as I've heard, no one's seen them and returned to Tamriel to tell about it."

Then how are you sure they even exist?

"I've read stories. Stories about fools that managed to... communicate with them. You give the Ideal Masters souls, they give you powers to summon the undead. It's all very business-like."

Fools? Why do you say that?

"Because most of the stories end with the Ideal Masters duping the necromancers, who end up dead or wishing they were dead."

After the conversation ends, she says:

Serana: "They shouldn't be that hard to find. Shelves, tables... should be easy to find. She wouldn't have hidden them."

Serana opens the portal to the Soul Cairn

After collecting the ingredients, she tells you the next step:

Serana: "Get the ingredients in the vessel and let me know when you're ready."

Serana: "Just get all the ingredients into the vessel."

You can speak to her again after placing the ingredients.

"Then the rest is up to me. Are you ready to go? I'm not entirely sure what this thing is going to do when I add my blood."

I have some preparations to make, first.

"I'll be here. Don't take too long, now!"

I'm ready.

"Okay, here goes."

You can ask her a few questions before continuing.

Can I ask you something first?

"Of course. What is it?"

What will you do if we find your mother?

"I've been asking myself the same thing since we came back to the castle. She was so sure of what we did to my father, I couldn't help but go along with her. I never thought of the cost."

You can respond in one of two ways:

Neutral response	Give an opinion
I don't know what she was thinking. "Neither do I. She always seemed happy, before we heard the prophecy. Then it all changed. She became a different person. They both did."	It sounds like she was pretty selfish. "She wasn't, always. But I think you're right. She was practically smirking as we left home. Almost like she was proud of herself. Like she didn't want to just stop my father... she wanted to stick it to him, too."

Regardless of how you answer, the conversation continues

We won't know until we find her.

"Yes... yes, you're right. I'm sorry. I just didn't expect anyone to care how I felt about her. Thank you. Are we ready then?"

Let's get that portal open.

"All right. Here goes."

When the portal opens:

Serana: "By the blood of my ancestors... She actually did it... created a portal to the Soul Cairn. Incredible."

Serana: "Incredible. Simply incredible."

Serana: "I'm ready when you are."

You should then be able to enter the Soul Cairn, but there's a catch. Serana can go in with no problem. You, however, can't go in just yet if you're not a vampire. If you attempt to enter the portal, you'll be stopped, and the following conversation will occur.

"Are you alright? That looked painful."

It was. What happened?

"Now that I think about it... I should have expected that. Sorry. It's hard to describe. The Soul Cairn is... well, hungry, for lack of a better word. It's trying to take your life essence as payment."

So there's no way in, then.

"There might be, but I don't think you're going to like it. Vampires aren't counted among the living. I could probably go through there without a problem."

Are you saying that I need to become a vampire?

"Not your first choice, I'd guess."

There has to be another way.

"Maybe. We could just "pay the toll" another way. It wants a soul, so we give it a soul. Yours."

Wouldn't that kill me?

"My mother taught me a trick or two. I could partially soul trap you, and offer that gem to the Ideal Masters. It might be enough to satisfy them. It would make you a bit weaker when we travel through the Soul Cairn, but we might be able to fix that once we're inside. Maybe."

Those are my only options?

"I'm sorry. I wish I knew a better way, something that would be easier for you. Just know that... whatever path you choose, I won't think any less of you. Sometimes things just have to be done. I know that better than anybody."

Approaching her to make your decision.

"Have you made up your mind?"

Choosing to become a vampire	Choosing to be soul trapped
I don't see another way. I'll become a vampire. "Are you sure? I'm willing to turn you, but you need to think it through. You'd become the very thing you've sworn to destroy. I don't know how the Dawnguard will react." You're right. Let me think about it. "I understand. Take your time." I'm ready. "Turning someone is a very... personal thing for vampires. It's intimate. For us. I don't want you to feel like I'm forcing you into this." In that case, I'm glad you're the one doing it. "Let's not waste too much time, then." I understand. "Good." Let's just get it over with. "As you wish." Serana: "I promise to try and make this as painless as possible. Hold still."	Soul trap me. I won't feel right as a vampire. "Are you sure? I'm willing to do it, but you need to think it through. You'll remain mortal, but you'll find yourself weakened within the Soul Cairn." You're right. Let me think about it. "I understand. Take your time." I'm ready. "I know this is difficult for you. I hope you trust me. I'd never do anything that could hurt you." I trust you completely. "Thank you. Let's not waste any more time then." Don't worry about it. "Oh. Good." Let's just get this over with. "As you wish." Serana: "I promise to try and make this as painless as possible. Hold still."

She then either traps your soul or turns you into a vampire, depending on what you chose.

Beyond Death[edit]

Serana battling a denizen of the Soul Cairn

Inside the Soul Cairn:

Serana: "I'd heard stories about the Soul Cairn, but never thought I'd see it myself. So far it's... about what I imagined."

Serana: "Let's go. My mother must be waiting on the other side of that thing."

Serana: "Look at this place. I can't imagine choosing to come here. My mother must have been terrified."

Serana: "You'd think a vampire would be right at home in this place. You'd be wrong. Let's just find my mother and get out of here, quickly."

You can ask her a few questions about the Soul Cairn after you arrive.

Do you know anything about this place?

"Just what my mother told me. I've also studied a little bit on my own, but there's not much. When something is trapped in a soul gem, and then the energy is used for powering an enchantment, the remnants are sent here."

Any soul gem?

"Well, I think it's specifically the black ones. I don't know if the Soul Cairn takes just any leftovers."

Does anything live here?

"Look at this place. Do you think anything would want to live here? The only things that can survive here are the Ideal Masters, the undead and the souls themselves. Well, if you want to call that "living.""

Do you think we'll meet the Ideal Masters?

"I don't think anyone's ever met the Ideal Masters. I'm not even sure anyone knows what they look like. They could be underground, flying above us... They might be the ground. I have no idea."

Why are they collecting these souls?

"Lots of theories. Some say they feed on them like I feed on blood. Others think they use them as payment to an even higher power... almost like a currency. A very strange currency. Whatever they're doing with them, they've been harvesting for millennia. No telling how many souls are trapped here."

Why would a necromancer want to deal with them?

"Look around you. There are some extremely powerful undead here. Even a necromancers as seasoned as my mother would be willing to spend years trying to gain access to them."

Summon them you mean?

"Exactly. It's a lost art. Most necromancers just raise up whatever bodies are nearby. A simple trick, really. Child's play. But bringing something from the Soul Cairn gives you something much more powerful."

How do the necromancers communicate with them?

"Well, that's usually the trick. It's possible to do it through a simple portal. But to finalize the deal, you have to travel here yourself... and most of them never come back."

Are you sure Valerica has the Elder Scroll?

"No, but there's no way she would have left it in Tamriel. She wanted to get it as far away from my father as possible. I can't imagine a better place."

And if she doesn't?

"Then we find out where she hid it. If she's still alive... well, as alive as she was before. Or is now. Or... you know what I mean."

Why not hide it in the Soul Cairn and then return?

"Probably to avoid whatever my father would do to her if he could get his hands on her. Or maybe her plan was to come back, but she was stuck here. We won't know until we find her."

When you approach Valerica's prison, Serana will see her.

Serana: "Mother? Mother!"

Valerica: "Maker... it can't be. Serana?"

Serana: "Is it really you? I can't believe it! How do we get inside? We have to talk."

Valerica: "Serana? What are you doing here? Where's your father?"

Serana: "He doesn't know we're here. I don't have time to explain."

Valerica: "I must have failed. Harkon's found a way to decipher the prophecy, hasn't he."

Serana: "No, you've got it all wrong. We're here to complete the prophecy our way, not his."

Valerica: "Wait a moment... you've brought a stranger here? Have you lost your mind?"

Serana: "No, you don't..."

Valerica: "You. Come forward. I would speak with you."

After speaking with Valerica, she turns to speak to Serana.

Valerica: "This stranger may call himself/herself vampire, but he/she knows nothing of our struggle, Why should I entrust you to him/her?"

Serana: "This "stranger" has done more for me in the brief time I've known him/her than you've done in centuries!"

Valerica: "How dare you! I gave up everything I cared about to protect you from that fanatic you call a father!"

Serana: "Yes, he's a fanatic... he's changed. But he's still my father. Why can't you understand how that makes me feel?"

Valerica: "Oh, Serana. If you'd only open your eyes. The moment your father discovers your role in the prophecy, that he needs your blood, you'd be in terrible danger."

Serana: "So to protect me you decided to shut me away from everything I cared about? You never asked me if hiding me in that tomb was the best course of action, you just expected me to follow you blindly. Both of you were obsessed with your own paths. Your motivations might have been different, but in the end, I'm still just a pawn to you, too. I want us to be a family again. But I don't know if we can ever have that. Maybe we don't deserve that kind of happiness. Maybe it isn't for us. But we have to stop him. Before he goes too far. And to do that, we need the Elder Scroll."

Valerica: "I'm sorry, Serana. I didn't know... I didn't see. I've allowed my hatred of your father to enstrange us for too long. Forgive me. If you want the Elder Scroll, it's yours."

After speaking with Valerica, you can talk to Serana again.

"Let's kill those... Keeper things and get back to the prison."

"I can't believe we found my mother alive... well, you know what I mean."

"I'm glad you're here. I don't think I could be doing this alone."

How are you feeling after talking to your mother?

"Relieved... I think. All those things had been building for a while. You have no idea how long I wanted to say that to her."

Why did you ever agree to her plan?

"Look, I loved my father, but when he found that prophecy... that became his life. Everything else, even me and my mother... we just became clutter. I was close with my mother, but she just kept feeding me her opinions of him, and eventually I started believing them."

She doesn't seem too fond of him.

"The moment we gave ourselves to Molag Bal, things got really icy between them. They were both drunk with power, and pulling in different directions. Then he found that prophecy, and... that was it."

It sounds like you already didn't like him much.

"Like I said, we were never very close. Not a lot of father-daughter bonding if you know what I mean. But once we threw our lot in with Molag Bal... people just don't think about their families anymore. "Power takes precedence," he always said."

And you were caught in the middle.

"I was. Honestly, it took me up until now to figure out that my mother was really just as bad as he was. He was obsessed with power. She was obsessed with seeing him fail. It was just so... toxic. Maybe I could have seen this coming. We could all be better off now."

You shouldn't blame yourself.

"I know that in my head. But I just can't help feeling bad about... the way things are. Sorry, I know you're trying to help. Thanks."

It probably didn't have anything to do with you.

"That's easy to say, but I definitely didn't help things."

It sounds like they were both being selfish.

"Oh, they definitely were. I just wonder if that meant it was my job to be giving.
Anyway, we should keep moving."

After killing the Keepers:

Serana: "The barrier should be gone now. Let's head back."

After entering the prison, Serana will notice something is off.

Serana: "Wait... I hear something!"

Valerica: "It's Durnehviir... he's here! Defend yourselves!"

After killing Durnehviir:

Serana: "Come on, she's leading us to the scroll."

After talking with Valerica:

Serana: "Come on, let's go home."

Serana: "The sooner we get the scroll home, the sooner we deal with my father."

Serana: "I'm glad we found the scroll, but I... I wish she could come with us."

Unseen Visions[edit]

You can ask her about her feelings.

Dawnguard	Vampire
"Yes?" Does it bother you that we're working against your father? "I can't say it surprises me. I kind of figured we were heading for this some day. I just didn't know when." Will it be hard for you if we have to kill him? "If? I've been assuming that's where all this is going. I've been trying to make my peace with it." As long as you're ready to kill him, that's all that matters. "You... always say what you think, don't you? I don't like him any more than you do. But he is my father. I'm getting there. Making my peace with it. Come on. We can talk about this another time."	"Yes?" Does it bother you that we're working with your father? "I figured it would be more of an issue for you." Why would it matter more to me? "Don't tell me you're that naïve. Really? Oh, wow. All right, well, what do you think my father's going to do once we bring the bow to him?" This isn't going to end well, is it? "No, it's probably not. I mean, what do you think my father will do when we bring him the bow?" You'll have two options to choose from. He'll want to use it. "Of course he will. But at that point, he'll have everything he's ever wanted." We'll celebrate our victory. "And I thought my father was the delusional one. At that point, you'll have given him everything he's ever wanted. He won't need either of us anymore." The conversation continues regardless, and you're given two more options: I've proven my value to him. "No, you've proven your strength to him. Which just makes you a more dangerous rival." You think he'll try to kill us? "You'll have shown yourself to be strong, which means you can't be allowed to just stick around. And I'll be unnecessary when he has it." Again, you'll be given two options regardless of what you choose. So what do we do? "I think you know. We both know what's going to have to happen once we find the bow. Keep strong, and eyes open. We're on a different path now." Then we'll have to take care of him. "Not until we have the bow. But... you're right. This won't be easy. But we can handle it."

Inside the grove of the Ancestor Moths:

Serana: "Hmph... not very impressive, is it? If this ends up being a wasted trip, your friend Dexion and I are going to have some words when we get back."

Serana: "Wow. Look at this place. No one's been here in centuries. I doubt there's any other place like it in Skyrim. It's beautiful."

If spoken to:

"What now?"

Have you ever seen anything like this?

"It's not like anything else in Skyrim, I can tell you that much. From now or... before. There's probably groves like this all over Tamriel. Most people just don't even know what to look for."

Serana: "Well, we got the knife... now all we need to do is track down one of those Canticle Trees."

After collecting bark from a Canticle Tree:

Serana: "Hope the moths like that bark as much as Dexion said they would."

After collecting one swarm of moths:

Serana: "Look at them... they've definitely taken a liking to you. And unless I'm seeing things, you're starting to... glimmer."

Speaking to her after collecting one group of moths:

"Yes?"

Damn moths! Why are they doing that?

"Ha ha. They seem quite taken to you now that you're carrying some of the tree bark. I guess we should have seen this coming... Moth Priests, moths... they're apparently related in some way. Couldn't hurt to gather more I suppose."

How many more?

"Well, unless my vision's playing tricks, there seems to be some sort of magical effect around you. Seems like we're on the right track. Otherwise, I don't have the faintest idea."

After collecting seven swarms of moths:

Serana: "Woah! I think that might have been what we were waiting for. Let's head back up there and see if we can read the scrolls."

Speaking to her here:

"Yes?"

Now what?

"The effect around you looks an awful lot like that huge column of light shining on the dais. Let's check that out."

Speaking to her after reading the Elder Scroll:

"Are you okay? Almost thought I lost you there... you went white as the snow."

Don't worry, I'm fine.

"I never trusted those damn scrolls. Who knows what those things could have done to you... just look at Dexion.
What about Auriel's Bow? Do you know where we can find it?"

That felt strange.

"I could see it in your eyes. You looked about a thousand leagues away.
What about Auriel's Bow? Do you know where we can find it?"

Never mind that... it worked!

"After everything we've been through, it had damn well better work.
What about Auriel's Bow? Do you know where we can find it?"

The conversation continues regardless of how you respond.

It's in a place called Darkfall Cave.

"Then it's almost over. We can finally rewrite the prophecy as we see fit. Where is this "Darkfall Cave?""

The scrolls gave me its exact location.

"Then let's get going. I want to get there before my father has a chance to track us down."

Touching the Sky[edit]

You can ask her a few questions inside the Ancestor Glade.

What do you know about Auriel's Bow?

"Not much. If you read any history, it shows up from time to time, but it's a hard thing to track. As far as I know, though, it's never been held by a vampire. That would be a new one."

What does it have to do with the sun?

"Auriel is one of the elven gods. He's with the rest of them in Aetherius. The way I've heard it, the sun represents the connection from our world to theirs. Supposedly, the bow draws its energy from the sun itself, which is why it shows up in that prophecy."

What exactly does it do?

"That part, I don't know. Once we have it, hopefully it'll be obvious."

If you try to part ways with her, she'll meet you at Darkfall Cave instead of going to Castle Volkihar or Fort Dawnguard; you cannot progress through the rest of Dawnguard's main quest without Serana.

"Yes?"

I think we should part ways.

"All right. I'll meet you at Darkfall Cave."

Past the bridge in Darkfall Cave:

Serana: "Something's not right here. Be careful. I think we may be in for some trouble."

Passing the campsite:

Serana: "I wonder what happened to them. These people were... why would anyone want to set up camp here?"

Coming upon the wayshrine:

Serana: "I don't like the look of this..."

Serana: "What's that? I can feel some kind of power from it..."

Gelebor talking to Serana

When Knight-Paladin Gelebor reveals the first wayshrine, he and Serana will enter a conversation.

Serana: "So, this is snow elf magic. Incredible."

Gelebor: "This structure is known as a wayshrine. They were used for meditation and for transport when the Chantry was a place of enlightenment. Prelates of these shrines were charged with teaching the mantras of Auri-El to our Initiates."

Serana: "What's that basin in the center signify?"

Gelebor: "Once the Initiate completed his mantras, he'd dip a ceremonial ewer in the basin at the wayshrine's center and proceed to the next wayshrine."

Serana: "So these Initiates had to lug around a heavy pitcher of water. Marvelous. How long would they have to do that?"

Gelebor: "Well, once the Initiate's enlightenment was complete, he'd bring the ewer to the Chantry's Inner Sanctum. Pouring the contents of the ewer into the sacred basin of the Sanctum would allow him to enter for an audience with the Arch-Curate himself."

Serana: "All that just to end up dumping it out? Makes no sense to me."

Gelebor: "It's symbolic. I don't expect you to understand."

Serana: "So let's get this straight. We need to do all that nonsense to get into the temple, so we can kill your brother and claim Auriel's Bow?"

Gelebor: "I know how it all sounds, but if there was another way I'd have done it long ago. The only way to get to my brother is by following in the Initiates' footsteps and traveling from wayshrine to wayshrine just as they did. The first lay at the end of Darkfall Passage, a cavern that represents the absence of enlightenment."

After stepping through the first wayshrine to Darkfall Passage:

Serana: "That... wasn't as unpleasant as I thought it would be."

Approaching the next two wayshrines, Serana will call them out:

Serana: "I think that's another wayshrine up there. Here we go."

Serana surveys the Forgotten Vale

Entering the Forgotten Vale:

Serana: "This is incredible. It's like a whole other world. Come on, the bow has to be in this valley somewhere."

Upon entering the Vale, a new dialogue line will become available:

It's ironic that we're "helping" these priests.

"Honestly, I don't think they care what a bunch of vampires would do with Auriel's Bow. They're pretty focused on the past. As long as we can get this "Vyrthur" out of the Sanctum, I think they'll be happy to just hand it over."

After defeating the spiders at the mountain pass:

Serana: "More spiders? I liked the ones back home better."

Advancing further into the Vale, Serana will remark on its beauty:

Serana: "This is the kind of thing I've been wanting to see. Makes everything else worth it."

Reaching the ice lake:

Serana: "Does this ice feel a little... thin to you?"

Approaching the third wayshrine, Serana will call it out:

Serana: "Is that another one of those wayshrines up there? I wonder where this one goes..."

Approaching the fourth wayshrine, Serana will be irritated:

Serana: "This things are everywhere, aren't they?"

Once you step onto the bridge to the Inner Sanctum from Wayshrine of Radiance, Serana will say:

Serana: "That... has to be the place. I've never seen a building like that before. It looks like some kind of temple. Are you seeing this? It's fantastic!"

In the courtyard, Serana will comment on the statue of Auriel:

Serana: "This is a statue of Auriel, but it's using the older signs of his power. This temple must be ancient. The bow has to be in here."

Once you enter the Inner Sanctum, Serana will comment on the frozen Falmer arrayed around the shrine:

Serana: "These Falmer are... they are frozen in the ice. I wonder how long they've been like this. And I thought the Soul Cairn was creepy."

As you approach the throne in Auriel's Chapel, Arch-Curate Vyrthur will address you.

Arch-Curate Vyrthur: "Did you really come here expecting to claim Auriel's Bow? You've done exactly as I predicted and brought your fetching companion to me."

Serana: "Wait, is he talking about me?"

Arch-Curate Vyrthur: "Which, I am sorry to say, means your usefulness is at an end!"

As you finish off the waves of attacks, these exchange will happen:

Arch-Curate Vyrthur: "An impressive display, but a wasted effort. You delay nothing but your own deaths!"

Serana: "Watch out! He's pulling down the ceiling!"

Arch-Curate Vyrthur: "Finish them!"

Arch-Curate Vyrthur: "This has gone on long enough."

Serana: "Your life ends here, Vyrthur!"

Arch-Curate Vyrthur: "Child, my life ended long before you were born!"

Arch-Curate Vyrthur: "No... I won't let you ruin centuries of preparations..."

Serana: "Surrender and give us the bow!"

Arch-Curate Vyrthur: "Death first!"

Vyrthur will then use all his power to destroy Auriel's Chapel with you inside, knocking you down. Concerned Serana will kneel next to you and say this:

Serana: "Are you alright? Come on, we can do this. I know we can. He's up there, on the balcony. Come on!"

Serana accosting Vyrthur

Once you follow Vyrthur, you find him exhausted from using all of his power. He will begin to talk to Serana, allowing him time to recover. She will pick him up by the scruff of the neck, but he will eventually burst free in a blast of light.

Serana: "Enough, Vyrthur. Give us the bow!"

Arch-Curate Vyrthur: "How dare you. I was the Arch-Curate of Auri-El, girl. I had the ears of a god!"

Serana: "Until the "Betrayed" corrupted you. Yes, yes. We've heard this sad story."

Arch-Curate Vyrthur: "Gelebor and his kind are easily manipulated fools. Look into my eyes, Serana. You tell me what I am."

Serana: "You're... you're a vampire? But Auriel should have protected you..."

Arch-Curate Vyrthur: "The moment I was infected by one of my own Initiates, Auri-El turned his back on me. I swore I'd have my revenge, no matter what the cost."

Serana: "You want to take revenge... on a god?"

Arch-Curate Vyrthur: "Auri-El himself may have been beyond my reach, but his influence on our world wasn't. All I needed was the blood of a vampire and his own weapon, Auriel's Bow."

Serana: "The blood of a vampire... Auriel's Bow... It was you? You created that prophecy?"

Arch-Curate Vyrthur: "A prophecy that lacked a single, final ingredient... the blood of a pure vampire. The blood of a Daughter of Coldharbour."

Serana: "You were waiting... all this time for someone with my blood to come along. Well, too bad for you... I intend on keeping it. Let's see if your blood has any power to it!"

Kindred Judgment[edit]

After claiming Auriel's Bow, Serana will know the next move:

I have the bow.

"It's... not as shiny as I was expecting. Still, it's beautiful."

What do we do now?

"I think we both know... it's time to face my father. If we don't, he'll keep chasing us for the rest of our lives."

Dawnguard	Vampire
If we do, he'll have to die. "I've been thinking about this for a long time. It's... it's not easy. But I don't think we have much of a choice." Maybe we can reason with him. "Have you been paying attention? It's obvious my father's well beyond reason." Let's run as far from him as we can. "There's nowhere to run. And I'm certainly not moving in with my mother, if that's what you're implying." "No. This has to end here and now" Then let's face him, together. "If we head back to the castle and kick the front door in, we're going to be knee deep in his friends. Let's head back to Isran and let him see what we've got first. I'm betting he'll lend us a sword or two."	Then we kill him, before he kills us. "I keep thinking there's got to be another way, but he'll turn on us both the moment he gets the chance." We have the bow, he'll listen to us. "Have you been paying attention to everything that's happened? He'll betray us the second our backs are turned." We should honor our agreement with him. "Are you out of your mind? The moment you hand over the bow your usefulness ends. He'll kill you and then he'll take my blood for the damn prophecy." "No. He has to die. We have no choice." Then let's face him, together. "Thank you. Somehow I knew you'd understand."

You can ask her if she is ready to face her father:

Are you ready to do this?

"I don't think you can ever be ready to kill your parent. I'm doing my best not to think of him as my father anymore."

That's a good way to be thinking.

The Dragonborn told Serana their parents died, or never mentioned them	The Dragonborn told Serana they didn't know their parents	The Dragonborn told Serana they had bad parents	The Dragonborn told Serana they had good parents
"I hope so."	"I know you didn't know your parents. But if they were anything like mine, you're better off."	"I think both of our parents have failed us. Just you and me against the world, now."	"We didn't all get to have parents like yours. Sometimes this is just... how it is."

Let me know if you need anything.

"We've got enough to worry about right now. You stay focused, and I'll worry about me."

Asking her again:

Are you ready to do this?

"Just... leave me alone for now. I'll be fine."

Volkihar[edit]

Harkon: "So, you've returned. Is your... pet keeping you entertained?"

Serana: "You know why we're here."

Harkon: "Of course I do. You disappoint me, Serana. You've taken everything I provided for you and thrown it all away for this... pathetic being."

Serana: "Provided for me? Are you insane? You've destroyed our family. You've killed other vampires. All over some prophecy that we barely understand. No more. I'm done with you. You will not touch him/her."

Harkon: "So, I see this dragon has fangs. Your voice drips with the venom of your mother's influence. How alike you've become."

Serana: "No ... Because unlike her, I'm not afraid of you. Not anymore."

Harkon: "And you ..."

During the fight:

Serana: "Tough day for you!"

Serana: "Sorry it had to be this way!"

Serana: "This won't end well for you!"

Serana: "I won't fall for your tricks!"

Serana: "It's time for you to suffer!"

Serana: "No... it's not working!" (attempting to attack Harkon's blood field)

Serana: "The bow! Use the bow!" (attempting to attack Harkon's blood field)

Harkon: "No ... Serana ... your own father ..." (upon death)

When you defeat Harkon, Garan Marethi will walk into the Volkihar Cathedral:

Garan: "Lord Harkon, defeated. I never imagined I'd see the day. My lady, you have my deepest sympathies. I'm sure this was not easy for you."

Serana: "He was out of control, Garan. It had to be done. I'm not happy about this. He... he was still my father. But I suppose my father really died a long time ago. This was just the end of something else."

Garan: "Of course, my dear. All will be well now."

Afterward, Serana can be spoken to:

"Well, now that's done."

What will you do now?

"I'm not sure. I'll probably stay here, for as long as they'll let me. I think we can rebuild here. Make my family's legacy something more respectable. Of course, if you've got any more adventures planned..."

I'd love to have you along.

"That's what I wanted to hear."

I don't think they'll involve you.

"Suit yourself."

Dawnguard[edit]

Harkon: "Serana, my darling. I see you still favor keeping a pet."

Serana: "You know why we're here."

Harkon: "Of course I do. You disappoint me, Serana. You've taken everything I provided for you and thrown it all away for this ... pathetic being."

Serana: "Provided for me? Are you insane? You've destroyed our family. You've killed other vampires. All over some prophecy that we barely understand. No more. I'm done with you. You will not touch him/her."

Harkon: "So, I see this dragon has fangs. Your voice drips with the venom of your mother's influence. How alike you've become."

Serana: "No ... Because unlike her, I'm not afraid of you. Not anymore."

Harkon: "And you ..."

During the fight:

Serana: "Tough day for you!"

Serana: "Sorry it had to be this way!"

Serana: "This won't end well for you!"

Serana: "I won't fall for your tricks!"

Serana: "It's time for you to suffer!"

Serana: "No... it's not working!" (attempting to attack Harkon's blood field)

Serana: "The bow! Use the bow!" (attempting to attack Harkon's blood field)

Harkon: "No ... Serana ... your own father ..." (upon death)

When you defeat Harkon, Isran will walk into the Volkihar Cathedral:

Isran: "It's over. He's dead, and the prophecy dies with him."

Isran: "I... I suppose this is difficult for you."

Serana: "I think my father really died a long time ago. This was just... the end of something else. I did what needed to be done. Nothing more."

Isran: "I think perhaps... I think you did more than that. You have my thanks."

Afterward, Serana can be spoken to:

"Well, now that's done."

What will you do now?

"I'm not sure. I'll probably stay with the Dawnguard, for as long as they'll let me. They're respectable fighters, and I think they see the benefits of having a vampire on their side, now. Of course, if you've got any more adventures planned..."

I'd love to have you along.

"That's what I wanted to hear."

I don't think they'll involve you.

"Suit yourself."

Combat Dialogue[edit]

Condition	Dialogue
Defeating an enemy	"Done and done."	"Teamwork, right there."
Defeating an enemy	"That'll teach you."
Detecting an enemy	"Who's there?"	"I knew I heard something."
Detecting an enemy	"Where did you get to?"
Taunting an enemy	"What have you got?"	"Tough day for you!"
	"I still remember how to fight!"	"This won't end well for you!"
	"I'm not going to die like this!"
Taunting a dragon enemy (in flight)	"I'll bring you down!"	"Get it on the ground!"
Taunting a dragon enemy (grounded)	"Kill the beast!"	"Get it now while we can!"
Taunting a draugr enemy	"Back to dust!"	"Too slow!"
Taunting a draugr enemy	"How many of you are there?!"
Taunting a Falmer enemy	"Disgusting creatures."	"I'm over here!"
Taunting a Falmer enemy	"You fight worse than you smell!"
Taunting a gargoyle enemy	"Come on, stoneskin!"
Taunting a vampire enemy	"Sorry it had to be this way!"	"Your powers are nothing!"
Taunting a vampire enemy	"I won't fall for your tricks!"
Taunting Lord Harkon	"This day was always coming!"	"It's time for you to suffer!"
Taunting Lord Harkon	"This is what your obsession brings you!"
Fleeing from combat	"Leave me be!"

Follower Dialogue[edit]

When in Solitude:

"I'd read stories about the Solitude windmill, but I didn't expect it to be that big!"

"From the castle, you used to just be able to see Solitude over the mountains. It's exactly what I imagined."

When in Windhelm:

"They used to call Windhelm, "the City of Kings." In my books, anyway."

"I had expected Ysgramor's city to be ... bigger."

When in Whiterun:

"What a curious city. It's so ... open."

When in Riften:

"This place makes me a little uneasy."

"These people seem nervous, which makes me nervous."

When in The Reach:

"This land feels ... twisted. I'm surprised my father didn't want to live out here."

"Rocks and valley, crevices and hiding places. This is the kind of place where hermits and fanatics dwell."

When in The Rift:

"I've never seen leaves this color."

When near a cave:

"I'm okay with the dark, but I've spent more than my share of time in caves already."

When outside:

"Let's move faster. The sun is... it's not great for my skin, if you know what I mean."

"This must be that beautiful Skyrim weather I've always heard about."

"I'm no fan of the sun, but it would be better than this."

"Let's get indoors. Or in a cave. Anywhere, just out of this."

"Good, let's get inside there. The sun is starting to get to me."

When near an ancient Nordic ruin:

"I was always taught to avoid these types of ruins. I think I see why, now."

"Nordic ruins. Even older than I am. I wonder if the draugr are as gullible as they were when I was a girl."

When inside a cave:

"Does the air feel... heavy down here? I'm a little woozy, but it might just be from waking up."

"It'll be good to get outside and breathe again. I haven't missed the sunlight, but I do miss fresh air."

"So this is the grand tour of Skyrim's caves that you're showing me?"

When in a Dwarven ruin:

"Is this a dwarven city? I can't believe they'd let it get so run down."

"I always wondered what the dwarves actually looked like. I hear they're like elves, but with beards."

When arriving at a point of interest:

"Oh wow. This is gorgeous. I'm glad you're here with me."

Notes[edit]

Serana is voiced by noted voice actress Laura Bailey. (IMDb) She would return to voice Dame Isobel Veloise in The Elder Scrolls Online: High Isle.
Depending on your dialogue choices, at some point during or after Chasing Echoes, you can ask Serana to marry you. However, she will refuse indefinitely, stating that even walking near a temple scares her. Despite this, she will follow you into any of the temples during normal travel. She will not marry you even if she has been cured of vampirism.
If Serana is a follower and you have lycanthropy, corpses she has reanimated can still be killed and fed on before they vanish completely. Bloodlust will still be extended and perk progress will still be made.
While following you, Serana interacts with most activators, which sometimes results in odd behavior. She tends to use any nearby crafting apparatus, sit in most chairs on her own or even on the floor, mine ore veins, eat food, dance, drink, and clap for bards at taverns. If she has reanimated a corpse, it will join in and perform similar tasks.
When indoors, Serana's reanimation spell is able to penetrate walls and revive dead bodies you cannot see.
Even after you finish the Dawnguard main questline, Serana remains an essential character and can never be killed. This can make her a very valuable follower, as she is already quite powerful.
If Serana is cured of her vampirism, she will still wear her hood outside, and still complain about the weather.
When Serana is initially rescued, she will join you in addition to whatever follower you currently have. However, during the quests Chasing Echoes and Beyond Death, she will replace any follower you currently have active, and will be unable to be dismissed until those quests are over, though the option to do so is present.
If you're a normal vampire, Serana will still be willing to turn you into a Volkihar vampire. However, she will not offer to do so during the quest Chasing Echoes.
Serana cannot be asked to join the Blades.
If she is wearing her default armor, she will automatically wear or take off her hood depending on where she is. If she is given new armor to wear, then she will not automatically switch back and forth, but will constantly wear her hood if she had it on when she was given the new armor, unless she is given a helmet. She will wear new armor if it has a higher armor stat than Vampire Royal Armor; if she is given new boots or gauntlets to wear, but still has the Vampire Royal Armor, she will continue to wear and take off her hood.
If she is given tempered Vampire Royal Armor, her displayed inventory for trading will not show it being worn. However, her Damage Resist value in the console will increase by the tempered amount.
If you decline to become a vampire and finishes the Dawnguard expansion, after killing Harkon, his sword can be used by you, but only without its enchantments active. The best option to take advantage of the absorption enchantments is to provide it to Serana, the only vampiric follower a Dawnguard can have.
During the quest Bloodline, she will refuse to take any orders from you or trade items with you. The dialogue options are still there, however. She will follow orders issued by long-pressing the action button from afar. This can be used to give her equipment.
Serana has unique dialogue upon entering most cities in Skyrim, including mentioning the large size of Solitude's windmill tower and Whiterun's "openness".

Bugs[edit]

During the quest Chasing Echoes, Serana may repeat the question, "Yes? What did you need?" any time the Dragonborn gets too close in proximity to her. When standing still she will continue asking this question indefinitely.
When Serana is your follower, she may not return to a walking position after sneaking.
- You can use the console to teleport past the gate if Serana was bugged when you get there. The command is to get in is (change any number by 1 to get out): cow Tamriel -44,36
- Going to the sneaking position yourself, then changing instance (fast-traveling or changing zones), then going back to the walking position may cure this, at least until the next time she gets stuck in sneaking position. If that doesn't work, you can order her to perform an action on an object, forcing her to switch her animation. If you are unable to command her, you can also stand around without taking action near an interactible object for a few moments, such as a chair, or enchanting table, her idle behavior will cause her to use nearby objects which will fix the issue.
- Disabling and re-enabling her with the console also fixes this.
Serana may get stuck in combat after her target has died. Entering combat again fixes this only as long as the combat persists.
- Use the Unrelenting Force shout on her, or attack her until she falls to her knees.
- A powerful Pacify spell such as Pacify or Harmony also fixes it, but requires the Master of the Mind perk unless she has been cured of her vampirism. For Imperials, Voice of the Emperor will also work, without the need for Master of the Mind.
- Open the console, select Serana by either clicking on her or entering the code prid xx002B74, then try these codes to fix her behavior: disable followed by enable, resetai, or moveto player.
After being asked to "wait" or being dismissed as a follower, she may not have the option to follow again.
- The Unofficial Dawnguard Patch, version 2.0.2, fixes this bug.
- Travel to Castle Volkihar and enter using the side Undercroft entrance. Wait a few seconds and Serana should appear behind you (and following already). If she doesn't, try using the Wait feature or exit the Undercroft and fast-travel to any location. When you arrive, Serana will be following you again.
- To bring back the "Come with me" dialogue after dismissing Serana, enter the code sqv DLC1NPCMentalModel in the console. You are given a long list of information. Scroll down the list using the page up and page down keys, and make sure that the following codes: CanFollow_var = True / IsFollowing_var = True / IsWaiting_var = True / TurnOffComeWithMe_var = False / LockedIn_var = False are in order by looking at the false/true (i.e., if LockedIn_var was set to true then you need to put it to false). To do this, enter the following command: setpqv DLC1NPCMentalModel LockedIn_var False. Once you do this you should be able to recruit Serana to be your follower again.
- To get Serana following again after asking her to "Wait", go somewhere far away (like inside Fort Dawnguard) and wait three to five days.
- To fix this issue, enter the code sqv DLC1NPCMentalModel in the console. Scroll using the page up and page down keys to see whether IsWaiting_var = True. If so, set the value to "false" with the following console command: setpqv DLC1NPCMentalModel IsWaiting_var false. Serana should then follow at the distance set by her FollowDistance... variable values.
Even after completing Touching the Sky, Serana will sometimes say that she will meet you at Darkfall Cave when dismissed as a follower, though she will never go there.
- The Unofficial Dawnguard Patch, version 2.0.1, fixes this bug.
Sometimes after completing the main questline for Dawnguard, while visiting a specific place (like Volkihar Courtyard), she will appear out of nowhere and act as if she were your follower even if she wasn't beforehand. If you dismiss her, however, you will never be able to recruit her again as the option "Come with me" will not appear.
If you have both a dog follower and a humanoid follower when entering the cell to kill Harkon, she will continue to follow you in addition to your other two followers after you've completed the quest. This effectively allows you to have two humanoid followers and a dog. You can dismiss the humanoid follower and acquire another while still keeping Serana as a follower. After being cured of vampirism however you cannot have her as a "second" follower. Even if you try: dismissing your current follower, recruiting Serana, and then re-recruiting your now previous follower. ^?
Unlike other followers, the option "I need you to do something." does not appear while conversing with her as a follower. You will need to press and hold E () or A () in order to issue commands to pick up, sleep, attack, etc.
When you convince Serana to get cured of her vampirism and meet you back at Fort Dawnguard, after the short talk about being cured, she may only reply to dialogue options with "What do you need?" and "Yes?", making it impossible to take her as a follower again.
Sometimes when Serana is your follower, you will acquire 'vampire skills' and yet not be a vampire (Champion of the Night, Nightstalker's Footsteps and Weakness to Fire).
- To remedy this effect, get infected with vampirism. Then, after telling Serana to wait somewhere, proceed with the quest to cure it.
- This is often a result of having been hit by her Drain Life attack while engaging in close combat with an enemy, or simply from being between her and the enemy when she attacks it. Wearing a Necklace of Disease Immunity seems to prevent this bug from happening.
If you bring Serana back to Dimhollow Cavern, she may become totally immune to any attacks.
- Advance the primary questline of the College of Winterhold. The issue will be fixed when Quaranir freezes time.
- This can also be fixed when the fight with Vyrthur commences. It seems that both he and Serana get set to ghost mode when the 'cutscene' starts, and restored to normal once it's over.
- Highlight Serana in the console and type setghost 0.
Sometimes when Serana wears her hood outdoors, the game creates a new copy of the hood for her to wear, which will eventually fill up her inventory with a number of identical hoods.
- The Unofficial Dawnguard Patch, version 1.2.2, fixes this bug.
- You can temporarily fix this using the console: clicking on Serana, and then typing showinventory and look for an item called Serana Hood. The number of hoods she has will be shown on the console and using removeitem xx00E6A0 #, where xx is the code for the Dawnguard add-on (probably 02 or 03, and is shown by the returned results of showinventory) and # is the number of hoods she has, should be able to get rid of the extra hoods. Unfortunately, the game will start adding new hoods after that, necessitating using this fix again.
While Serana is your follower if you use Vampiric Drain as a Vampire Lord the spell's damage decreases dramatically. This is the result of a condition on the Damage Health effect of the spell; if Serana is following you, the Damage Health effect will be reduced to zero points for all levels of the spell and only the Drain Health, Magicka, and Stamina will take effect.
After the explosion of Eye of Magnus in College of Winterhold, Serana may disappear. ^?
- She returns to you when you enter Ancestor Glade during the Unseen Visions quest.
Talking through Serana's dialogue tree in the Soul Cairn may cause her to stay in one place instead of following you, as if you had ordered her to wait (which you cannot do in the Soul Cairn).
After asking Serana to "Wait here." in an area where the dialogue option is possible and getting the response "Sorry, I'm not that easy to get rid of...", Serana may wait where asked but eventually reappear at your side (for instance, when approaching Knight-Paladin Gelebor for the first time triggers a conversation involving her), then continue to follow you, but at a great distance.
Serana's eyes remain yellow after she's cured.
If you kill an undead creature with Dawnbreaker while Serana is nearby, she may turn invisible. ^?

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Skyrim:Serana

Contents

Related Quests[edit]

Background[edit]

As a Follower[edit]

Finding Her[edit]

Attire[edit]

Behavior[edit]

Combat[edit]

As an NPC[edit]

Curing Serana's Vampirism[edit]

Quest-Related Events[edit]

Awakening[edit]

If You're Not a Vampire[edit]

If You're a Vampire[edit]

Bloodline[edit]

The Bloodstone Chalice[edit]

Prophet[edit]

Dawnguard[edit]

Vampire[edit]

Chasing Echoes[edit]

Beyond Death[edit]

Unseen Visions[edit]

Touching the Sky[edit]

Kindred Judgment[edit]

Volkihar[edit]

Dawnguard[edit]

Combat Dialogue[edit]

Follower Dialogue[edit]

Notes[edit]

Bugs[edit]

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