Contract: Kill Hern

Overview

 * Prerequisite: Whispers In The Dark
 * Quest Giver: Nazir
 * Reward: Leveled

Walkthrough
Hern is a Nord vampire located at Half-Moon Mill. He is married to Hert.

This quest is given by Nazir of the Dark Brotherhood. Hern is a vampire to be assassinated. However, during dialogue, there is little indication that Hern or Hert are vampires (Astrid had stated that both are vampires), nor in terms of fighting; neither leaves vampire dust upon death. However, Hert and Hern's faces show some physical elements of vampirism, with Hern's red eyes and Hert's "cracked" face, (a line/scar going down her cheek from her eye).

When fighting, Hern uses a Steel battleaxe, and if disarmed with the Disarm shout, he will pull out a dagger, or use his fists. Hert behaves in a similar fashion, making it unlikely to contract Vampirism through combat.

Strategies

 * To kill Hern without making Hert hostile, enter their house in the evening, and wait until they both get up and head torwards the door. Quickly engage Hern in conversation so he stops, then, after Hert leaves the house, make a sneak attack on Hern as he heads torwards the door.
 * If you pick the lock to his Hern and Hert's home early in the morning, you may be able to find Hern inside the house without Hert inside.  If you kill him quickly, you may not be noticed by Hert.

Trivia

 * Hern leaves the hut and can be found alone, often around 9PM. The Dragonborn can sneak up and assassinate him without having to fight Hert, even if the kill is done right outside their door.
 * Occasionally, Hert will be near or in the mill around 5:30PM, while Hern is in the house. Hern may ask the Dragonborn to leave.
 * Hert can also be found at the Mill around 12:30pm. She can be taken out easily with a sneak attack. Then the key can be looted from her body, which allows the house to be entered and Hern killed.
 * If a Bloodcursed Elven Arrow is used to block out the sun, Hert may say phrases such as "It is our time now" and "The tyranny of the sun is over", things that a vampire would say.
 * If the Dragonborn is in good standing with Hert and her husband killed in front of her, she will turn hostile. At that point, killing her with the Ebony Blade will upgrade it.
 * Strangely, there's no unique dialogue option with Hern if the Dragonborn is a vampire, like those with Ma'randru-jo (as Khajiit) and Deekus (as Argonian).
 * Another sign of vampirism among the two is resistance to Healing Hands which does not effect undead.

Bugs

 * If weapon(s) is(are) sheathed during the fight, both Hert and Hern will stop fighting and go about their business. Upon then using Ice Form on Hert to freeze her, Hern will sit back down at the table with his back turned toward the Dragonborn. A power attack on Hern, while crouched, may kill both Hern and Hert, even if Hert is across the room.
 * There is also a way to kill Hern in front of Hert without having to fight her in the end. If Hern is killed in the house, when Hert turns hostile, she can be transformed using Wabbajack. When she reverts, she's not hostile anymore.
 * Killing Hert and Hern will cause the misc objective buy lumber to be impossible to complete. This is because the objective marker will point to Half Moon Mill.

Убить Херна