Corpus Tamrielicum - The Imperial Library

320 2. THE ELDER SCROLLS CHAPTER 2: DAGGERFALL
[66] Vampires of the Iliac Bay
[66.1] Vampires of the Iliac Bay I
Vampires of the Iliac Bay, Part I
by Anonymous
There are over one hundred distinct kinds of vampire in Tamriel. The Iliac Bay region alone
has nine variations with unique powers and abilities. I have this information not only because
I have been researching this blight of the world for the last ten years of my life, but because
for the seven years before that, I was one of the creatures.
Vampirism is a disease, like brain rot or cholera, but far, far more insidious. One can become
a vampire through certain magical items or by the curse of a powerful wizard, but the most
common cause is the bite or scratch of a vampire. There are no symptoms of vampirism
except this -- if the victim sleeps after the attack but before he becomes a vampire, his sleep
will be plagued with nightmares.
During this two to four day period, when the disease has been spread but the victim is still
mortal, most any temple healer can remove the curse of vampirism. There will be no further
warning.
I do not remember dying. I had been a scout for an order of knights which shall go nameless
for this. A daughter of a local nobleman had been kidnapped by a mysterious character, and
my captain had located his hideout. Deep in the dank underground chambers, I searched until
I found the girl. Or what remained of her, a corpse the color of snow, drained of every drop of
blood. I knew what the mystery man was right then, but he found me before I found the exit
out. He took a good sized hunk out of my fighting arm before I managed to outrun him. I
figured I was lucky to be alive. Some luck.
My trip back to the knightly order was a five day journey. I decided to get some rest early to
get my arm in better shape in case I found any more trouble. I can't remember the dreams I
had that night -- only that I was doing something horrible and I couldn't stop myself. I woke
up screaming. The next night, at an inn a little closer to my destination, my sleep was deep
and dreamless. On the third night, I died.
Of course, I didn't know that I died. I had gone to sleep in a nice warm feathered bed and I
woke on a cold wet stone mortuary slab. Dazed, I opened the door to the masoleum I was in,
which I think must have been locked. I was in a cemetary not far from a town I knew, so I
wandered in. It was late at night, so there were precious few souls in the streets. I paused to
read a public notice and noticed the date. The date was two weeks later than I thought it must
have been.
As I puzzled over that, I saw a girl, a wench at my favorite tavern in that town, wandering
toward me. I hailed her. She ignored me. I called her by her name, and she turned to me,
smiling, but with an expression that told me she did not know who I was. I had visited her
tavern on my way over to the mystery man's hideout, but she didn't know me!