Dark Ancestor

Destroy Vighar, Dengeir of Stuhn’s escaped vampire ancestor, in Bloodlet Throne before the family’s shame gets out.

Dark Ancestor is a vampire hunt in Falkreath Hold. The empty grave in Falkreath‘s cemetery is not the work of a body snatcher: it belonged to Vighar, a centuries-old ancestor of Dengeir of Stuhn, who also happens to be a vampire. Someone stole the wardstone that kept him in the ground, and Dengeir wants him dealt with quietly before the whole of Skyrim hears about it.

How to start

  • Complete Dengeir’s earlier request, Some Light Theft, first.
  • Talk to Dengeir in Falkreath and ask what he needs. He explains the open grave and the stolen wardstone.
  • The wardstone is a lost cause in his view; he only wants Vighar destroyed. Agree to do it.
  • If you turn him down, he will ask again later whether you have changed your mind.

Walkthrough

Travel to Bloodlet Throne

Dengeir believes Vighar has gone off to gather others of his kind. That place is Bloodlet Throne, a fort southeast of Falkreath. Expect several types of vampires, vampire thralls and wolves on top of Vighar himself.

Destroy Vighar

Fight your way through the fort to Vighar, a master vampire, and kill him. At lower levels this is a tough fight, so bring healing potions or a healing spell, and cure disease potions to deal with any vampirism you catch along the way.

Report back to Dengeir

Return to Falkreath and tell Dengeir that Vighar is dead. He thanks you on behalf of his family and pays you.

Rewards

  • Gold from Dengeir. The walkthrough source quotes 600 gold, while the quest summary lists a leveled amount, so the exact figure may vary.
  • Loot from Bloodlet Throne and its vampires

Tips and notes

  • If the Civil War questline ends with Dengeir as Jarl of Falkreath, this quest can no longer be obtained, so pick it up before that point.
  • Vighar’s escape is the reason behind the disturbed grave many Falkreath townsfolk blame on a corpse thief.
  • Carry a cure for Sanguinare Vampiris (cure disease potion or a shrine) unless you actually want to become a vampire.

Objectives

Destroy the vampire Vighar
Tell Dengeir that Vighar is dead

Walkthrough

Choices & consequences

Known bugs & fixes

Lore notes

Dengeir’s family has the duty of keeping Vighar buried; a wardstone on his grave held him until it was stolen.

Characters in this quest

Dengeir of Stuhn in Skyrim: Falkreath’s paranoid ex-Jarl and Stormcloak sympathiser, his quests, and how he can win his throne back in the civil war.

Creatures you will meet

Wolves are Skyrim’s most common wilderness threat. Variants, the Rockjoint disease, pelts and tips for handling a pack.

Locations

Bloodlet Throne in Skyrim: vampire fort southwest of Helgen – master vampire, wolf lever, fire traps, Incident at Necrom, Black Soul Gem and linked quests.
Falkreath is the quiet forest town of southern Skyrim with a famously large graveyard – home of Jarl Siddgeir, the Dead Man’s Drink and a talking dog called Barbas.

Factions

Quest rewards

Sources checked: Fandom Elder Scrolls wiki (quest article), Skyrim game files

Dark Ancestor

Quest type
Game
Quest giver
Dengeir of Stuhn (Falkreath)
Faction
Prerequisites
Complete Some Light Theft
Previous quest
Some Light Theft
Next quest
Gold
Gold from Dengeir (600 per the walkthrough; listed as leveled)
Rewards
Missable
1
Quest ID
FreeformFalkreathQuest03B