Deceiving the Herd is a Volkihar Clan side quest from the Dawnguard add-on, handed out by Feran Sadri at Castle Volkihar. His idea of public relations is a staged murder: you dress up as a member of the Dawnguard, kill someone in the streets of a hold capital, and leave an incriminating letter on the body so the vampire hunters take the blame. The more important the victim, the happier Feran will be.
How to start
- Join the Volkihar Clan and be a vampire.
- Complete The Bloodstone Chalice.
- Ask Feran Sadri for work at Castle Volkihar. He gives you a mixed set of Dawnguard Armor and the Incriminating Letter.
- The target city is chosen at random.
Walkthrough
1. Kill someone in the streets
The killing has to happen outdoors in the named city. Members of a Jarl’s court only count once they have left the palace, and merchants or bards have to be outside as well. Two optional objectives make the job “better” in Feran’s eyes:
- Public kill in Dawnguard armor: wear the armor and make sure a guard or citizen sees the murder. This adds a 1,000 gold bounty.
- High-profile victim: a merchant, bard or member of the Jarl’s court.
A stealthy kill still counts for the main objective, but both optional objectives fail.
2. Plant the letter
Open the victim’s inventory and place the Incriminating Letter on the corpse.
3. Report to Feran
Return to Feran Sadri at Castle Volkihar for your reward.
Choices and consequences
- Who dies: if you would rather not kill an ordinary citizen, a guard counts, and so does a vampire if the city is under vampire attack. Neither satisfies the high-profile objective.
- The Dead Thrall trick: the source describes raising a hunter’s corpse with Dead Thrall and killing it in town, which reportedly counts as a high-profile victim without anyone actually being murdered.
- Thane status: if you are already Thane of the hold, witnessing guards can be talked into looking the other way, so you may dodge the bounty and jail.
- According to the source, picking a high-profile target or not does not appear to change the reward.
Possible high-profile targets
- Markarth: Hogni Red-Arm, Lisbet, Ogmund.
- Riften: Bersi Honey-Hand, Brand-Shei, Grelka, Madesi, Marise Aravel, Ungrien, Vald.
- Solitude: Aia Arria, Ataf, Endarie, Evette San, Giraud Gemane, Illdi, Jala, Pantea Ateia, Sayma.
- Whiterun: Adrianne Avenicci, Anoriath, Carlotta Valentia, Danica Pure-Spring, Farengar Secret-Fire, Fralia Gray-Mane, Olfina Gray-Mane (probably only in certain civil war outcomes), Ulfberth War-Bear.
- Windhelm: Aval Atheron, Calixto Corrium (during Blood on the Ice), Hermir Strong-Heart, Hillevi Cruel-Sea, Jora, Lortheim, Oengul War-Anvil.
- Raven Rock: with Dragonborn installed the town can be chosen too. Its high-profile targets are the merchants, and the source suggests Garyn Ienth as the least costly loss.
Rewards
- Three Potions of Blood, or a leveled enchanted item.
Tips and notes
- This is described as one of the easiest side quests to fail. Simply wandering in and out of the city without acting, or certain conversations, can break it, so save before you start.
- In Markarth, killing Weylin before he attacks Margret on your first visit counts as murder and may fail the quest.
- If you are cured of vampirism by Falion before turning it in, Feran will no longer accept the quest.
- The Dawnguard’s own answer to Volkihar schemes is A Jarl’s Justice; fellow Volkihar jobs include Protecting the Bloodline and The Gift.
