One of the Quests for the Mages Guild. Count Hassildor has information for the Guild, so you need to head out to Skingrad to see what price the Count is asking for it.

Walkthrough

Report to Hannibal Traven

Be sure you’ve spoken with Raminus Polus for your promotion to the Rank of “Warlock.” This is required to progress the Questline.

Make your way into the Arch-Mage’s Tower and locate Arch-Mage Traven. Once again, ask after your “Task” and tell him “I’m ready” to move things along.

Travel to Meet the Count of Skingrad

With your assignment, travel out to Castle Skingrad. Head inside and this time you will want to talk with Hal-Liurz. This is the newly appointed steward to the Count. This Argonian will quickly see about making arrangements for you to meet the Count. It can take some time, so use the Wait Command to quickly pass the time.

There is a chance she gets bugged, and you will need to find the Count on your own.

Meet with the Count

Once you can meet with the Count, he doesn’t make it seem like there’s good news. Choose “Information” to start getting at whatever it is. After that, choose either dialogue option. You need to deal with a group of Vampires that have appeared in the nearby Bloodcrust Cavern. You can talk to the Count about both the Vampires and the Hunters.

Talking to the Count about the Bloodcrust Cavern, you can learn its location. It’s just Southeast of town. Far enough away people don’t really go there.

Vampire Hunters that have arrived in town. They’re lead by the Bosmer Eridor. This group is looking for the Vampires in the Cavern. Apparently Eridor is decent at Vampire Hunting.

Deal with the Vampire Hunters

There are 4 paths with the Vampires and the Hunters.

1) Kill the Vampires to get rid of the Hunters

This one starts with heading into the Bloodcrust Cavern and clearing out all of the Vampires. In the process, you will need to collect at least 1 Sample of Vampire Dust. It’s not a very big cavern and only takes a little time to clear.

Once you’ve cleared the Cavvern, and collected the sample of Vampire Dust, return to Skingrad. Find Eridor and tell him you’ve already cleared out the nest. Show him the Vampire Dust as proof. This will have him and is team leave Skingrad without anything else happening.

2) Help the Hunters Kills the Vampires

This is one of the easier ones. Find Eridor and talk with him. Tell him about Bloodcrust Cavern and insist on helping to clear out the cavern. Take your time to avoid hurting the Hunters. It’s not a very big cavern and only takes a little time to clear.

3) Kill the Vampires and the Hunters

This one can happen (inadvertently) while trying to help the Hunters kill the Vampires. If Eridor dies, then you are forced to kill the other 2 Vampire Hunters.

Agree to help the Hunters kill the Vampires in Bloodcrust Cavern. While fighting through the Vampires, don’t discern against the Hunters. Attack everyone and leave no one else alive.

4) Have the Vampires Kill the Hunters

This is a simple one to complete. Find and tell Eridor about the Vampires being in Bloodcrust Cavern. You just need to wait a day or two before investigating the Cavern itself. You are waiting to get a quest notice about the Hunters being killed by the Vampires. Once you get that, head into the Cavern and clean up the surviving Vampires.

Clear Bloodcrust Cavern

What the Count doesn’t tell the Hero is that Bloodcrust Cavern sits in the shadow of Castle Skingrad. It’s very easy to locate for that. Take some time to increase your Disease Resistance to avoid potentially contracting Porphyric Hemophilia. Remember, if you do contract this disease, see about getting it cured within 3 days to avoid becoming a Vampire.

Once inside, there are going to be a good number of Vampires for you to deal with.

Once inside the cavern, you will want to head down the slope into the first chamber. While there are 2 paths, you will want to head to the right (North). In this first chamber, there is at least 1 Bloodcrust Vampire.

Head down the slope after that to the next chamber. There are 3 Bloodcrust Vampires in here to defeat. 1 patrols the main part of the chamber while the other 2 are just around the corner on their patrol.

Go into the corridor that the pair was guarding. You’ll pass a table. Head forward along the corridor. Toward the exit of the corridor, you’ll see another pair of Bloodcrust Vampires.

This leads to another large chamber with another Bloodcrust Vampires. Search around the chamber to find them. Head out of it the South.

Follow the slope upwards and around the corner to the left. In the next chamber, go over to the right in the chamber. You’ll find a bed and a Chest just next to it.

Turn to the North and follow the passage to the East around the corner. The next opening leads to a smaller chamber with 3 Bloodcrust Vampires. 1 is patrolling while the other 2 are talking before moving around a little. These are the last of the Vampires within. Leave the cavern.

If you haven’t talked with the Vampire Hunters, now is the time to do so and simply report having cleared the Vampire Nest.

Report to Count Hassildor

Leave the Bloodcrust Cavern and return to Castle Skingrad. You will want to talk with the Count once again. Go and talk with Hal-Liurz to get this going. Talk to her and she’ll report your success to the Count. When talking with the Count, choose “Information.” He’ll share what he knows. You can also ask after “Mannimarco” to learn more about this coming threat.

Report to Arch-Mage Traven

With this information, you need to head back to the Imperial City and the Arcane University. Once again, and find and report to Hannibal Traven. He’ll take the news poorly, recognizing the name “Mannimarco.” He needs to bring this information to the Council immediately.

You are awarded 1 Fame for your efforts.

Video Walkthrough