Filthy Nest of Vampires

I cleaned out a den of vampires this morning.

I'm still working on my mage guild quest line in Oblivion. The Count of Skingrad has information the guild needs but he won't divulge it until I do some work for him. Quid pro quo, the bastard.

It seems a gang of vampires moved close to Skingrad, overtaking a den almost within site of the city's walls. A place known locally as, appropriately enough, Bloodcrust Cavern. The Count isn't just inconvenienced by the newly arrived blood suckers. Vampire hunters got wind of the new arrivals too and they're stalking the city's streets looking to stake them some undead.

The twist in all this? The Count is a vampire himself.

He explains that he wants his kind and the mercenaries who hunt them wiped out so as to not draw attention to himself. He's ruled Skingrad for hundreds of years. The local population attribute the Count's longevity to magical prowess, maybe even a minor dabbling in some dark art. The Count boast he could easily take care of the hunters and vampires combined, with one hand tied behind his back, but can't risk exposing a cover he's developed for decades. So he's dangling information I need as leverage to solve his nascent vampire problem.

I agree, of course, because I need that information. The vampire hunters skulk about town day and night in search of the undead, so I track one down. Turns out he's the leader. He's querulous at first, but when he admits to hunting vampires, I tell him the whereabouts of the vampire den. The leader departs to gather the rest of his Vampire Killing Task Force. Meanwhile, I mill about town for a few hours or so, biding my time, anticipating that the VKTF might just get all the dirty vampire killing work done for me. At which time, I'll politely ask them to leave town or burn them to a crispiness reminiscent of overcooked bacon.

I arrive at the den and poke my head through the planked door. Down the hall, I notice a body lying still on the rocking floor. I cautiously approach. It's a dead vampire. As I hoped, the hunters made their way to the den and are in the middle of cleaning house. Or den as it were. Suckers! Two passageways split in either direction. I take the right. As I move down the sloping hall, I hear the clang of parrying metal and the curses of heated battle. I listen for time but then I hear a gurgling death rattle and the game messages me that the last hunter perished.

Nothing but filthy vampires left.

Turns out they're five spread throughout the cavern. Some I take out in single man-to-blood sucker combat, others double team me. I often flee out the cavern door to the broad expanse of the outdoors. The vampires follow through, but I have more room to maneuver under a blanket of stars. Some of the battles are pitched to a degree that leaves me fatigued and low on health. But I prevail ultimately. The lewt is excellent, a nice mixture of magicked blades and dwarven armor. I gather what I can carry and make my way back to town.

The Count congratulates me on my work ethic and loose moral code and relays the information I need for my guild. It's not yet dawn and all the shops remain closed. I leave the Count's fortress and make for the local inn where I wait for sunrise. When the sun makes its anticipated appearance, I bring my loot to two separate shops and procure a nice bit of coin.

The funny thing is, I meant to start playing the expansion, Shivering Isles but I have yet to step foot on the isles. I had forgotten what a solid title Oblivion is. The experience has me giddily anticipating what Bethesda will do for the Fallout universe. I can't wait.