Mistmen are eerie, legless skeletons that drift above the ground of the Soul Cairn, the grim realm of the Ideal Masters introduced in the Dawnguard add-on. Instead of rushing in with a sword, they keep to range and hurl frost spells at anyone who intrudes. You will run into them while exploring the Soul Cairn during Beyond Death, alongside the realm’s other restless dead such as Bonemen and Wrathmen.
The in-game book The Book of Life and Service even has a kind word for them, praising Mistmen as blessed beings who blend into the glory of the transcendent spirit. Whether the frostbitten adventurer agrees is another matter.
Variants
The source lists Mistmen at three levels, 1, 13 and 21, but gives no separate names or stat blocks for them, so treat them as stronger and weaker versions of the same creature.
Where to find them
Mistmen live only in the Soul Cairn, which the Dragonborn reaches during the main Dawnguard questline while searching for Valerica with Serana. They can also appear when the undead dragon Durnehviir uses his unique Soul Cairn Summon shout, which raises Bonemen, Mistmen and Wrathmen to fight beside him.
Summoning a Mistman
The spell tome for Conjure Mistman is found in the Soul Cairn itself, so a Conjuration user can bring one of these spirits back to Tamriel as an ally. A conjured Mistman is able to grab weapons dropped by fallen enemies, so it may end up swinging a blade as well as casting frost. Its sister spells, Conjure Boneman and Conjure Wrathman, round out the Soul Cairn set.
Notes
A Mistman can be soul trapped, and doing so leaves you with a filled soul gem. Even without soul trap, they tend to carry a random soul gem.
