Serana

You brought Serana back to castles Vulkihair.

Serana: "Unh... where is... who sent you here?" Dragonborn: "A man named Isran." Serana: "I... don't know who that is. Is he... like me?" Dragonborn: "Are you a..." Serana: "Vampire, yes." Dragonborn: "Why were you locked away like this?" Serana: "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." Dragonborn: "Where do you need to go?" Serana: "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."" Bloodline Serana: "Hey, so... before we go in there..." Dragonborn: "Are you all right?" Serana: "I think so. And thanks for asking." Serana: "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." Prophet Serana: "You probably weren't expecting to see me again." Dragonborn: "What are you doing here?" Serana: "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." Dragonborn: "What about you?" Serana: "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." Dragonborn: "What do you mean... "lost himself"?" Serana: "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." Dragonborn: "You took a big risk coming here." Serana: "I did. But something about you makes me think I can trust you. I hope I'm not wrong." Dragonborn: "No, you're right. We just have to convince the others you're on our side." Serana: "Well, let's move then. I'm nothing if not persuasive." Chasing Echoes Introduction Serana: "Do you have a moment to talk?" Dragonborn: "What's on your mind?" Serana: "That Moth Priest, Dexion. He said we needed two other Elder Scrolls. I think I know where we can start looking." Dragonborn: "Why didn't you say something earlier?" Serana: "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." Dragonborn: "Does Harkon even care about you anymore?" Serana: "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." Dragonborn: "So where is this Elder Scroll?" Serana: "We need to find my mother, Valerica. She'll definitely know where it is, and if we're lucky, she actually has it herself." Dragonborn: "You said you didn't know where she went." Serana: "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." Dragonborn: "Maybe your mother didn't trust you, either." Serana: "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?" Dragonborn: "In Castle Volkihar?" Serana: "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." Dragonborn: "Isn't that pretty risky, staying around the castle?" Serana: "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." Dragonborn: "They aren't going to let us use the front door." Serana: "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." Dragonborn: "Let's go to the castle's secret entrance." Serana: "It's around the side of the castle. Let's move." Vampires Dragonborn: "Were you always a vampire?" Serana: "That's... a long story." Dragonborn: "I want to hear it." Serana: "I guess... we kind of have to go way back. To the very beginning. Do you know where vampirism came from?" Dragonborn: "I would guess it came from a daedric lord." Serana: "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." Dragonborn: "How did you actually become a vampire, then?" Serana: "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." Dragonborn: "How has it affected your family?" Serana: "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." Dragonborn: "Are you all right?" Serana: "I will be. Just give me a little time./Don't... Just leave me alone for a bit." The ingredients are ready Serana: "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." Dragonborn: "Can I ask you something first?" Serana: "Of course. What is it?" Dragonborn: "What will you do if we find your mother?" Serana: "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." Dragonborn: "I don't know what she was thinking." Serana: "Neither do I. She always seemed happy, before we heard the prophecy. Then it all changed. She became a different person. They both did." Dragonborn: "We won't know until we find her." Serana: "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?" Dragonborn: "Let's get that portal open." Serana: "All right. Here goes." Entering the Soul Cairn Dragonborn: "Soul trap me. I won't feel right as a vampire." Serana: "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." Dragonborn: "I'm ready." Serana: "I know this is difficult for you. I hope you trust me. I'd never do anything that could hurt you." Dragonborn: "I trust you completely." Serana: "Thank you. Let's not waste any more time then. I promise to make this as painless as possible. Hold still." Beyond Death Meeting Valerica Valerica: "So how has it come to pass that a vampire hunter is in the company of my daughter? It pains me to think you'd travel with Serana under the guise of her protector in an effort to hunt me down." Dragonborn: "This is no ruse. I want to keep her safe." Valerica: "Coming from one who murders vampires as a trade, I find it hard to believe your intentions are noble. Serana has sacrificed everything to prevent Harkon from completing the prophecy. I would have expected her to explain that to you." Dragonborn: "That's why I'm here for the Elder Scroll." Valerica: "You think I'd have the audacity to place my own daughter in that tomb for the protection of her Elder Scroll alone? The scrolls are merely a means to an end. The key to the Tyranny of the Sun is Serana herself." Dragonborn: "What do you mean?" Valerica: "When I fled Castle Volkihar, I fled with two Elder Scrolls. The scroll I presume you found with Serana speaks of Auriel and his arcane weapon, Auriel's Bow. The second scroll declares that "The Blood of Coldharbour's Daughter will blind the eye of the Dragon."" Dragonborn: "How does Serana fit in?" Valerica: "Like myself, Serana was a human once. We were devout followers of Lord Molag Bal. Tradition dictates the females be offered to Molag Bal on his summoning day. Few survive the ordeal. Those that do emerge as a pure-blooded vampire. We call such confluences the "Daughters of Coldharbour."" Dragonborn: "The Tyranny of the Sun requires Serana's blood?" Valerica: "Now you're beginning to see why I wanted to protect Serana, and why I've kept the other Elder Scroll as far from her as possible." Dragonborn: "Are you saying Harkon means to kill her?" Valerica: "If Harkon obtained Auriel's Bow and Serana's blood was used to taint the weapon, the Tyranny of the Sun would be complete. In his eyes, she'd be dying for the good of all vampires." Dragonborn: "I would never allow that to happen." Valerica: "And how exactly do you plan on stopping him?" Dragonborn: "I'll kill Harkon." Valerica: "If you believe that, then you're a bigger fool than I originally suspected. Don't you think I weighed that option before I enacted my plans?" Dragonborn: "And Serana's opinion in this?" Valerica: "You care nothing for Serana or our plight. Whether or not you've become one of us in order to survive the Soul Cairn, you're still a vampire hunter at heart. You're here because we're abominations in your mind. Evil creatures that need to be destroyed." Dragonborn: "Serana believes in me, why won't you?" Valerica: "Serana?" Serana and Valerica talk; then Valerica gives instructions for how to free her. After Kindred Judgment You have to leave the castle before this conversation becomes available. Dragonborn: "Have you thought about getting cured of vampirism?" Serana: "No... why?" Dragonborn: "Look what it did to your family." Serana: "Even before that, we weren't the most normal family. We did worship a daedra, remember?" Dragonborn: "If you want to cure yourself, I'll support you." Serana: "I'll speak to Falion. I've heard he knows about these things. I'm going to go away for a while. I'll meet you back home when I'm done." Dragonborn: "Good luck." Serana: "I'll see you soon."