Information at a Price

Overview
Faction: Mages Guild

Quest giver: Hannibal Traven at the Imperial City Arcane University

Reward:

Background Information
Hannibal Traven informs you that Count Janus Hassildor of Skingrad requires a favour from you in exchange for information on the status of the necromancers.

Walkthrough
Head to Castle Skingrad and speak to Hal-Liurz who will fetch the Count. The Count tells you that in exchange for information, you must first do him a favour. It appears that a nest of Vampires and a group of Vampire Hunters need to be removed from the area. The vampires are found in Bloodcrust Cavern while the Vampire Hunters are at the Two Sisters Lodge in Skingrad (though the hunters can also be found wandering the streets of Skingrad).

Ways to complete this quest:

Method One
Head to Bloodcrust Cavern and fight the vampires. Once the last one is dead and you have some Vampire Dust, you'll need to deal with the vampire hunters. Head to the Two Sisters Lodge and speak to Eridor, who is their leader. Inform him of the vampires demise and show him the dust as evidence. With this, they will leave the town.

**Method Two
Instead of speaking to Eridor and his group of vampire hunters, wait until they fall asleep (after midnight) and kill them in their rooms. Once all four are dead a updated journal entry will inform you that the group has been dealt with. This is the more dangerous (and bloodthirsty) option as the Count warns you that if you get caught, the guards will attack you and he cannot help you. Two of the vampire hunters are sleeping in the same room so you'll have to kill both carefully or risk getting caught.

Note that if you have completed all the Thieves Guild quests and have the Gray Cowl of Nocturnal, then this way is greatly simplified.

Then head to Bloodcrust Cavern and exterminate the vampires.


 * the GrayCowl of the Nocturnal is a very useful item for dispatching the vampire hunters

Method Three
Go to the Vampire Hunters and tell them where the Vampires are. They will head to the cavern themselves and take out the vampires. Let the two groups fight it out. If the vampire hunters win, they'll leave town in a few days and a journal entry will inform you of this. Otherwise, head to the cavern yourself and clear the mess up (should be a few stray vampires left). If the vampire hunters were sucessful, then you may wish to head to the cavern anyway, as there is much valuable loot there, which can be freely obtained.

Bug

 * There seems to be a bug in which the vampire hunters do not go to the cave when told the location. It is currently unknown what triggers this bug, or what resolves it (short of murdering them in their sleep). Killing the vampires does not resolve the issue, as no new conversation topics appear when talking to Eridor, even while in possession of dust from each of the vampires. The hunters simply behave as they did immediately after being given the location of the lair but before they actually go to it. Waiting 24 hours should resolve this.

My solution to the bug: Use a frenzy spell (illusion magic) on the vampire hunters whilst they are in town. They will get themselves killed, and you are away scot free. The frenzy spell does not register as an assault, so if you are a righteous character (wishing to avoid the dark brotherhood) you will remain untarnished, and of course, bounty free.

In the unpatched game, killing all the vampires may not be recognized by the game as having been done.

(Adding to bug list from above, which I did not write):


 * If you try to sell your vampire dust to Roland Jenseric (usually about 10 portions in all from the cave), for some reason he acts as if you do not have any vampire dust, and you will not get the 250 gold for each portion. I have not been able to find a solution to this. Either save it for ingredients for a potion, or sell at an alchemist shop.

Back to Count Hassildor
Once the Vampires are dead and the Vampire Hunters gone, head back to the castle and speak to Hal-Liurz. Once the Count arrives, tell him of your victory and he will tell you about Mannimarco. Head back to the University and speak to Hannibal Traven about Mannimarco and the quest is done.

Before you're able to be given another task, you have to wait a few (three-ish) days.

Journal Entries
After speaking to Traven:
 * Count Hassildor wishes to see me. I should travel to Skingrad immediately and speak with Hal-Liurz.

After speak in to Count Hassildor:
 * Count Hassildor has information that he will provide only if I remove the Vampire Hunters lurking around Skingrad, as well as a nest of vampires in Bloodcrust Cavern outside of town.

When the vampires at Bloodcrust Cavern are killed:
 * The Vampires in Bloodcrust Cavern have been disposed of. Now I must deal with the Vampire Hunters.

If you've shown the Vampire Dust to the vampire hunters, or if they disposed of all the vampire hunters:
 * The Vampire Hunters have left Skingrad. I should return to Castle Skingrad and speak with Hal-Liurz.

If you killed the vampire hunters, or if they were killed by the vampires:
 * The Vampire Hunters in Skingrad have been killed.

After speaking to the count:
 * Count Hassildor's news about Mannimarco must be delivered to Hannibal Traven right away.

Upon returning to and informing Traven in the University:
 * I have told Arch-Mage Traven about Mannimarco's presence in Cyrodiil.