Harkon

"I offer you my blood. Take it, and you will walk as a lion among the sheep. Men will tremble at your approach, and you will never fear death again."

- Harkon Lord Harkon is the leader of the Volkihar vampire faction in.

Background
Harkon once ruled as a mighty king. His domain was said to be vast and powerful. His greatest fear was his own mortality, so he pledged himself to Molag Bal and in his name he sacrificed a thousand innocents. In return, Molag Bal granted him immortality by turning him and his family into pure-blood vampires.

Prophecy
As the years passed, he uncovered a prophecy called the Tyranny of the Sun, that if enacted would blot out the sun and allow his kin to roam freely during the day. He became obsessed with the prophecy and everything in his life, including his family, was pushed to one side.

To enact the prophecy he required the ancient artifact called Auriel's Bow and the blood of a Daughter of Coldharbour, namely his daughter, Serana. His estranged wife Valerica saw the change in Harkon's behaviour and disagreed with his goal. She believed that vampires should stay in the shadows otherwise it would bring too much attention and ultimately lead to their extinction.

In an attempt to stop him fulfiling the prophecy, she locked Serana and one Elder Scroll in Dimhollow Crypt for her protection and escaped to the Soul Cairn with the other sometime in the First Era. Harkon, enraged by this betrayal, comanded every vampire in his court to look for them, but after centuries of searching, he lost hope.

Personality
Harkon is an elitist, and sees mortals as inferior beings. He has little regard even for his family, and only remembers his wife and daughter due to his lust for power. Harkon is cruel and will not let anything stop him in his quest for domination. He views the vampires found throughout the rest of Skyrim to be no more than feral animals that "frighten the herd" of mortal citizens of Skyrim that he and his fellow "pure-bloods" feed upon. He also harbors a deep dislike for werewolves and regards lycanthropy as "filth."

He harbors a great deal of resentment towards his estranged wife, Valerica and wished to enact revenge upon Valerica for her betrayal.

Bloodline
The Dragonborn first encounters Harkon upon returning Serana to Castle Volkihar in the the quest Dawnguard. As a reward, he offers the Dragonborn the ability to become a Vampire Lord and take sides with the vampires. Alternatively, the Dragonborn can refuse his offer and join the campaign against him, with the Dawnguard.

Prophet
If the Dragonborn sides with the vampires, Harkon will send the Dragonborn and Serana on a quest to find someone capable of reading the Elder Scroll. After learning that two additional Scrolls are needed to complete the prophecy, he sends the Dragonborn to find them, stating that they are located hidden with his wife Valerica and in some Dwarven ruins. After finding and deciphering the last two Elder Scrolls, the Dragonborn is finally sent to recover Auriel's Bow.

Kindred Judgment
Eventually, the Dragonborn and Serana realize that Harkon sees the Dragonborn as a threat and will not allow him or her to live. Once the three Elder Scrolls of Blood, Dragon and Sun have been deciphered and Auriel's Bow been gained in the quest Touching the Sky, the Dragonborn and Serana will go to Castle Volkihar to confront Harkon in the quest Kindred Judgment. After some dialogue, there will be the option to either kill Harkon or give him the bow. Either way, Harkon begins the fight.

Notable items
After killing Harkon during Kindred Judgement, his ashes will appear at the foot of the Molag Bal vampire altar. They can be looted for the following items:
 * Harkon's Sword
 * Potion of Blood
 * Vampire Royal Armor
 * Vampire Boots
 * Random enchanted or unenchanted jewelry
 * One of many assorted random potions

Quotes

 * "You have forsaken my gift. The ancient blood no longer flows through your veins. Don't deny it!. Count yourself fortunate that I'm a forgiving man. Now, be still while I give you the ancient blood once again." - If cured of Vampirism.
 * "I see you have my Elder Scroll."

Trivia

 * Despite Serana and Valerica being Vampire Lords as well, Harkon is the only one to take the form in battle.

Appearances


Harkon