Durnehviir is a decaying, undead dragon who haunts the Soul Cairn in the Dawnguard add-on. His name in the dragon tongue, Dur-Neh-Viir, means Curse-Never-Dying, and it fits him painfully well. The Ideal Masters have set him to guard Valerica, which puts him squarely between the Dragonborn and the Elder Scroll she keeps. Most players meet him first as a fearsome boss and later as one of the most memorable allies in the game.
Background
Long ago, probably in the early Merethic Era, Durnehviir flew over Tamriel with the rest of his kind while dragons fought bloody wars over territory. Rather than rely only on claws and fire, he turned to necromancy, which the dragons call Alok-Dilon, hoping to command armies of the dead. That ambition led him to the Ideal Masters. They promised him unmatched power over the undead, and in exchange he would act as keeper of the Soul Cairn until Valerica died. As an immortal dragon he saw no catch. The catch was that Valerica is a vampire and will never die naturally, so the bargain chained him to the Soul Cairn forever. The Masters controlled his mind, though by his own account never his soul.
His body shows the cost. He resembles a frost dragon in outline, with huge spikes running from neck to tail and four horns, but his grey-green hide is rotting, his wings are tattered, flies buzz around him and yellow drool drips from his jaws. When he falls he burns in purple flame, and the Dragonborn does not absorb his soul.
Where to find him
During Beyond Death, Durnehviir attacks the Dragonborn and Serana on the approach to the Boneyard, calling Bonemen to help him. Once beaten he fades away, and Valerica warns that he cannot truly die. Sure enough, he is waiting outside when you leave the Boneyard, this time ready to talk. He honours you with the title Qahnaarin, Vanquisher, because no one had ever defeated him in battle. What he says next depends on your progress: before Dragon Rising he is puzzled by his own instinct to treat you as a dragon, after The Way of the Voice he calls you Dovahkiin, and after Dragonslayer he has heard of your victory over Alduin.
Summon Durnehviir
Durnehviir longs for the open skies of Tamriel, but his bond to the Soul Cairn means he would wither away if he stayed there long. His solution is to give you his name: he teaches the Summon Durnehviir shout so you can call him for short visits, and he promises to fight at your side in return. On each of his first three summons he teaches one word of Soul Tear: Rii (Essence), Vaaz (Tear) and Zol (Zombie). Like any shout, the words still need dragon souls to unlock. From then on he is a powerful flying ally whenever you call.
