The Volkihar Clan is the most powerful and feared vampire bloodline of Skyrim, dwelling in the icy depths of the Sea of Ghosts. Unlike other clans, they have both aristocratic structure and Daedric ambition. Their lair, Castle Volkihar, looms over the northern coast, an ancient fortress of stone, ice, and malice.
Legends suggest the clan’s progenitor was among the first mortals cursed by Molag Bal, the Daedric Prince of Domination. Over centuries, the Volkihar thrived by blending ruthless predation with noble hierarchy, turning vampirism into both curse and dynasty.
At the head of the clan in 4E 201 is Lord Harkon, ancient Nord noble turned vampire lord. He and his wife, Valerica, once ruled Skyrim mortals, but through Molag Bal’s gift became immortals. With their daughter Serana, they form a twisted parody of royal family.
Lord Harkon: Tyrant and visionary, obsessed with fulfilling prophecy of the Tyranny of the Sun. His power as vampire lord grants him monstrous form, wings of shadow and claws of death.
Valerica: Scholar and mage, estranged from Harkon over his apocalyptic ambitions. She hides in the Soul Cairn, protecting Serana.
Serana: Caught between parents, one of the most powerful vampires alive, yet conflicted in loyalty and destiny.
Harkon’s court includes aristocratic vampires, thralls, and necromancers, all bound to his will.
The Volkihar Clan’s defining ambition is the Tyranny of the Sun, a prophecy contained in the Elder Scrolls. It foretells a vampire lord who, with Auriel’s Bow, could blot out the sun itself, granting vampires eternal dominion over Tamriel.
To fulfill this, Harkon sought the Blood of a Daughter of Coldharbour — a vampire created through Molag Bal’s ritual — to empower the bow’s arrows. His obsession with prophecy defines the clan in 4E 201, driving conflict with the Dawnguard and the Last Dragonborn.
The Volkihar are not rabid beasts but aristocratic predators. Their culture mirrors a twisted court:
Hierarchy: Lords and ladies of vampiric nobility preside over lesser spawn and enslaved thralls.
Feasting: Mortals are cattle, imprisoned in castle dungeons, fed upon for pleasure and ritual.
Rituals: Blood rites, sacrifices to Molag Bal, and necromantic experiments define their cultic life.
Immortality: Time means little; centuries pass in schemes and slumber.
Superiority: They see themselves as inheritors of Tamriel, rightful rulers above mortal cattle.
This aristocracy cloaks savagery in etiquette, making them both terrifying and alluring.
The clan’s seat is Castle Volkihar, a fortress on Skyrim’s northern coast, rising from the ice like jagged fang. Within its halls:
Grand Feasting Hall: Where nobles dine upon blood and flesh.
Catacombs: Filled with undead servants and experimental monstrosities.
Courtyards and Towers: Guarded by gargoyles and enthralled mortals.
Dungeons: Cells of prisoners, awaiting their fate as food or thralls.
Castle Volkihar is both fortress and shrine, a place where Molag Bal’s presence lingers.
The Volkihar embody the strengths and weaknesses of vampirism magnified:
Strengths: Immortality, enhanced strength, speed, and sorcery. Many master necromancy. Vampire lords wield monstrous forms, summoning bats and conjuring shadows.
Weaknesses: Sunlight weakens them, though Harkon seeks to undo this curse. Fire and silver remain dangerous.
Unique to Volkihar: Legends say they can reach through ice and pull victims beneath frozen lakes, making even Skyrim’s frozen waters unsafe.
Their curse is both boon and chain, binding them to Molag Bal’s will.
Dawnguard: Mortal enemies. The Dawnguard exist to destroy what the Volkihar represent.
Empire and Stormcloaks: Indifferent, exploiting civil war’s chaos to feed.
College of Winterhold: Distrusted but occasionally useful for lore or artifacts.
Other Vampires: The Volkihar consider themselves superior, rulers among vampire clans.
Their isolation in Skyrim allows them to flourish unseen, striking when least expected.
Among Nords, tales of the Volkihar are whispered like ghost stories: vampires who drag men through ice, who dine upon kings, who plot the sun’s extinction. Most dismiss such stories as legend, until bodies vanish from villages and shadows move on the frozen lakes.
To common folk, they are nightmare — unseen, unstoppable, eternal.
First Era:
Origins uncertain, but Castle Volkihar is said to date back millennia, its halls echoing with first vampire lords.
Second and Third Eras:
The clan persisted in isolation, occasionally intervening in mortal affairs, but never openly. Skyrim’s mistrust of magic and darkness kept them as myth.
Fourth Era:
Harkon’s pursuit of the Tyranny of the Sun prophecy brings them to forefront. Their conflict with Dawnguard defines Skyrim’s supernatural crisis in 4E 201.
The Volkihar are embodiment of vampiric ambition — predators cloaked in nobility, aristocrats of blood seeking dominion over sunlit world. Their existence proves vampires are not merely scattered monsters but can form dynasties, courts, and empires-in-shadow.
By 4E 201, they stand at cusp of apocalyptic power. Should Harkon succeed, the sun itself would fall, Tamriel enslaved to eternal night. Should he fail, the Volkihar remain in shadows, biding time, feasting on mortals, and whispering prayers to Molag Bal.
Their legacy is dread: the idea that in Skyrim’s frozen wastes, there is a court older than kings, crueler than Daedra, and patient as death itself.