Vampire (Skyrim)

Vampires are one of the enemies featured in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

They are individuals afflicted with the disease Sanguinare Vampiris. The disease causes the individuals to undergo drastic physical and biological changes that are permanent if not cured within three days. Among these changes include a heightened vulnerability to sunlight and fire and an increased resistance to frost.

Characteristics
Vampires can be of any race but the majority of them are easily distinguishable from uninfected persons. As a result of the hemophiliac virus, the infected slowly grow a pallid complexion. Fangs protrude from their gums, allowing for easier feeding and eye color changes from the spectrum of average hues to red. Bosmer and Dunmer, which typically already possess red eyes, may pass unnoticed as vampires.

When infected, the fur of the Khajiit alters as the skin of a human or elf would. Long-toothed by nature, the incisors of the Khajiit grow exceptionally long, so that they protrude below the lip. However, their pupils become thinner and more blade-like. The scales of Argonians grows greyer as the infection worsens.

Volkihar
The vampires who inhabit Skyrim are considered to stem from the powerful Volkihar Coven. They are said to live under haunted, frozen lakes and only leave their dens to feed, however more often than not they are encountered in remote caves and ruins.

It's unknown the Volkihar possess the ability to reach through the ice of frozen lakes as described in books, or if it's just folklore.

In addition, the Volkihar share many of the same traits as their Cyrodiilic counterparts. Few are known to be more cultured and civilized than the vampires of other provinces and as such can seamlessly blend into society. Many also prefer to feed on victims while they are asleep and unaware. One difference, however, is they do not burn in direct sunlight, rather they are just weakened by it.

Stigma
Due to their predatory nature, Vampires are widely viewed as evil. Citizens and guards consider Vampires open threats and attack anyone who reveals their vampiric identity on sight. This usually occurs when a vampire is discovered feeding or being harmed by sunlight.

Types
Vampires come in two variants: regular and master. The specific type that is encountered is typically level-dependent, however lower leveled vampires can still be encountered at higher levels. The race and gender is radiant.

The combat style of both types doesn't vary much. Both are primarily spellcasters and one-handed melee fighters and wear either assorted pieces of armor or standard Mage Robes. They also have a unique version of Vampiric Drain spell that is much more powerful than the version available to the Dragonborn. All Vampires past level 6 also gain a bonus to Unarmed Damage.

Both types also exhibit the symptoms of stage two of Vampirism, namely:
 * 50% resistance to Frost Damage
 * 50% weakness to Fire Damage
 * Damage from Sunlight

Vampires
Standard vampires range from level 1 to 48.

Master Vampires
Master Vampires are the highest possible level of Vampires encountered and typically serve as the boss of a Vampire lair.

The standard Master Vampires are level dependant and range from level 14 to 42, whereas the Volkihar Master Vampire is fixed at level 53 but can be encountered when the Dragonborn is level 39+.

Vampire lairs

 * Alva's House
 * Bloodlet Throne
 * Blue Palace
 * Broken Fang Cave
 * Cronvangr Cave
 * Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary
 * Fellglow Keep
 * Haemar's Shame
 * Half-Moon Mill
 * Mara's Eye Pond
 * Movarth's Lair
 * Shriekwind Bastion
 * Castle Volkihar

Known vampires

 * Alva
 * Babette
 * Hern
 * Hert
 * Laelette
 * Movarth
 * Sybille Stentor
 * Vighar
 * Serana
 * Lord Harkon - Leader of Volkihar Vampires in
 * Modhna
 * Stalf
 * Orthjolf
 * Salonia Caelia
 * Rargal Thrallmaster
 * Vingalmo
 * Ronthil
 * Feran Sadri

Dawnguard
In the Dawnguard add-on, Volkihar Vampires are a joinable faction. There are several differences to the Vampires in Dawnguard, both aesthetically and the powers that they gain.

In Dawnguard, Vampires now have yellow/red eyes which glow in the dark, and their lips turn a dark red. They also appear to be paler than the Vampires in the vanilla game.

A stage 4 Vampire in Dawnguard is no longer attacked by peaceful NPCs, but the other negatives still remain, such as lowered Health/Stamina/Magicka during the day time.

Most significantly, Vampires in Dawnguard, through the main quest, gain the power Vampire Lord, which turns the player into a fearsome Vampire Lord. The process of transforming into a Vampire Lord is similar to that of becoming a Werewolf in the vanilla game. The camera moves to forced third person and the player gains access to a variety of Vampire Lord specific powers. The Vampire Lord also has access to a special perk tree (another thing it shares with Lycanthropy) which improves as the player feeds on both humanoid and beast targets. Not all foes will provide blood to improve the Vampire Lord's abilities however.

The vampirism central to the Dawnguard add-on (if the player chooses it) can be cured through the usual means (e.g. going to Falion in Morthal), rescinding the Dragonborn's ability to morph into a Vampire Lord and their other powers/abilities/perks gained up to that point. Castle Volkihar will still be accessible, but the interactions with its members will be severely limited (services such as buying and selling will not be possible, for example), who will instead suggest the Dragonborn speak to Serana to have her "change you back". Clarification is needed as to whether the storyline would be halted by the Dragonborn's cure: at least one event -- making Dexion Evicus into a vampire thrall in the Prophet quest -- is directly dependent on their being a vampire.