The Elder Scrolls Creatures / Characters

This page lists the "creatures" of Nirn. For an index of all races, see here.

Note: The Elder Scrolls lore is generally not clear-cut. Reasons for this range from biased in-universe sources intentionally only giving you only one side of a story, to sources lacking critical information or working from false information, to the implication that All Myths Are True, despite the contradictions, or that at least all myths are Metaphorically True. Out-of-game developer supplemental texts (frequently referred to as "Obscure Texts" by the lore community) are more trustworthy, but are frequently left unofficial and sometimes later contradicted. Because of this, it is entirely possible for two contradictory statements in the below examples to both be true. (And due to frequent events in-universe that alter the timeline, both may literally be true in-universe.)

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Creatures

Alit

A predatory species native to Morrowind.

Armless Biped: Alits have no forelimbs, merely a head and body on stocky legs.
Boss in Mook Clothing: Blighted Alits have three times as much health and can deal three times as much damage as their standard counterparts, but look identical.
Organ Drops: Their hides can be harvested from their carcasses. They are an alchemical ingredient.
Our Monsters Are Weird: As with most of the wildlife native to Morrowind, they have no direct real-life analogues.
Poisonous Person: They have a naturally poisonous bite.

Ash/Corprus Creatures

Ash and Corprus creatures are a variety of humanoid enemies associated with the Dunmeri Physical God, Dagoth Ur, and the "divine" Corprus Disease he channeled through the Heart of Lorkhan in the 3rd Era.

The Ageless: These creatures effectively stop aging and are immune to all other diseases. They do slowly turn into a deformed humanoid monstrosities, however.
Autocannibalism: Those inflicted with Corprus engage in this. The pieces they rip/bite off grow back quickly thanks to the disease's regenerative properties.
Bishōnen Line: Corprus causes horrible tumorous growths. For most this means becoming a grotesquely deformed zombie, but the higher echelons of the hierarchy are able to control these transformations, to the point where Dagoth Ur and his immediate underlings look completely humanoid except for the occasional extra eye (or pair of nipples).
Body Horror: Corprus disease turns most people into mindless zombies and Sixth House descendants into "Sleepers", which evolve through several stages to eventually become Ascended Sleepers. Neither path is pretty.
The Corruption: The Corprus Disease was developed by Dagoth Ur using the power of the Heart of Lorkhan. It kills plants, turns animals into homicidal monsters before killing them, and mutates people into horrible, cancerous monstrosities. He can communicate with those infected via dreams, turning them into his Mooks.
Cthulhumanoid: High ranking Sixth House members who are able to control their transformations after being afflicted with the Corprus disease will sprout tentacles from their faces. Ascended Sleepers are a prime example.
Enemy Chatter: Through use of stealth, it is possible to initiate conversation with these normally hostile-on-sight enemies. Most, like the corprus monsters, just babble incoherently, but some of the stronger ones, such as the Ash Vampires, have some amusing chatter - among other things, inviting the player for a drink before the fight (from which you actually gain a bottle of the rare and valuable Dagoth brandy).
Fate Worse than Death: The non-Sixth House victims of the Corprus disease. In essence, it combines the effects of leprosy, cancer, and dementia. The two "positive" effects of the disease are that you stop aging and become immune to all other diseases. Combine these, and your only hope for relief once the disease has advanced is a Mercy Kill.
Ideal Illness Immunity: A side effect of the Corprus Disease is immunity to all other diseases.
Lovecraftian Superpower: These creatures become much more powerful as the disease progresses, sprouting growths and tentacles as they do. They can also spread the disease to others.
Organ Drops: Corprus creatures drop their diseased skins and leprous meat chunks, while Ash creatures instead drop "Ash Salts" and the like.
Plague Zombie: Along with Technically-Living Zombie. The Corprus creatures become more and more zombie-like as the disease progresses, sapping their intelligence and saddling them with horrific, tumerous growths.
Semi-Divine: These creatures have a touch of the divine (channeled from Lorkhan's Heart by Dagoth Ur), given as... not exactly a boon, but is seen as such by the gifter and his cultists.
Was Once a Man: All of these creatures. Ash creatures are the descendents of members of House Dagoth thousands of years ago, allowing them to become more powerful with more controlled transformations and the ability to keep some measure of intelligence (though completely brainwashed by Dagoth Ur). Corprus creatures are the results of others being infected, with eventual complete loss of intelligence.

Ash Hopper

An insectoid species native to Solsheim.

Chaurus

An insectoid species native to the subterrain of Skyrim.

Acid Attack: Chaurus tend to spit acid at their victims.
Beast of Battle: For the Falmer, as well as being farmed for their chitin.
Big Creepy-Crawlies: They resemble giant earwigs.
Fantastic Livestock: Falmer farm chaurus for their chitin, which they use to make weapons and armor.
Hell Is That Noise: They make a distinct "clicking" noise which can be quite unnerving to hear in their (typically) dimly lit lairs.
Organ Drops: Chaurus Chitin can be harvested from their carcasses. The Falmer use it to craft weapons, armor, and chests. You can use it to craft and improve these items as well.

Cliff Racer

A flying reptilian species native to Morrowind. Saint Jiub famously drove them away from the island of Vvardenfell in the late 3rd Era.

Airborne Mook: Cliff Racers. Their ability to fly is one of the many qualities which makes them infamous as enemies.
Boss in Mook Clothing: Blighted Cliff Racers have twice as much health and can deal more than double the damage of their standard counterparts, but look identical.
Death of a Thousand Cuts: Morrowind has not historically have dragons. Why? They were driven out by Cliff Racers... Yes, these weak but hideously annoying creatures that are the bane of adventurers everywhere are able to drive out powerful Aedric (angelic) beings who could command elements into existence with a few words simply through numbers and persistence.
Hitbox Dissonance: One of the many reasons for the hatred towards Cliff Racers. When alive, their hit box is an inexplicably small portion of their body. Then when they die, this is reversed. You'll need to dispose of their corpse in order to access any items or other corpses nearby because their dead body "container" selection box is inexplicably massive.
Organ Drops: Racer Plumes can be harvested from their carcasses. They are an alchemical ingredient chiefly used to make potions of levitation.
Super-Persistent Predator: While true of most of Vvardenfell's predatory wildlife, Cliff Racers take the cake as their ability to fly makes them much harder to run away from.

Death Hound

Aggressive, demonic-looking dogs associated with vampires.

Attack Animal: The vampires tend to use them as minions during fights.

Durzog

Reptilian dogs associated with Goblins.

Beast of Battle: Trained and used as such by some Goblin clans.
Domesticated Dinosaurs: They are a sort of reptilian dog often trained by Goblin clans.
Organ Drops: Meat can be harvested from their carcasses and used as an alchemical ingredient.

Fabricants

The collective name for the semi-organic servants of Sotha Sil.

Animal Mecha: These creatures have the look of mechanical dinosaurs.
Mook Maker: One machine in the Clockwork City pumps out Verminous Fabricants in this fashion.
Mooks: They are they guardians of Sotha Sil's Clockwork City. Though when visited in Tribunal, he's not the one in control, making them False Flag Mooks of Almalexia...
Mini-Boss: The Imperfects are a pair of a massive fabricants which serve as guards of Sotha Sil's chambers.

Guar

A reptilian species native to Morrowind and Black Marsh.

Domesticated Dinosaurs: Guar are vaguely therapod-like dinosaurids, about the size of a cow, which the Dunmer farm for their hides and use as beasts of burden.
Fantastic Livestock: The Dunmer raise guar as mounts and beasts of burden similar to horses and donkeys, but also for their hides. There's a smaller breed known as bantam guar that serves as an equivalent to chickens, being used for their meat and eggs, and are even called "ugly chickens" in-universe due to their similarity.
Organ Drops: Their hides can be harvested from their carcasses and used as alchemical ingredients.

Grahl

Large humanoid monsters associated with ice and native to Solstheim.

Healing Factor: Their "Ice Blood" ability allows them to constantly regenerate health. Receiving fire damage disrupts this ability.
Our Trolls Are Different: They are theorized to be related to Trolls and share their health regeneration trait.

Horker

Large walrus-like creatures native to Tamriel's frigid northern coasts.

Beware the Nice Ones: They aren't immediately hostile, but if you stand too close to them (or outright attack them), they will aggressively defend themselves.
Monstrous Seal: They can be quite vicious if provoked.
Organ Drops: Their tusks can be harvested from their carcasses and used as alchemical ingredients.

Ice Wraith

Small serpentine ice elementals first seen in Skyrim.

Kagouti

A predatory species native to Morrowind.

Armless Biped: Kagouti have no forelimbs, merely a head and body on stocky legs.
Boss in Mook Clothing: Blighted Kagouti have twice as much health and can deal nearly double the damage of their standard counterparts, but look identical.
Organ Drops: Their hides can be harvested from their carcasses and used as alchemical ingredients.
Our Monsters Are Weird: As with most of the wildlife native to Morrowind, they have no direct real-life analogues.

Kwama

A family of worm-like creatures native to Morrowind and farmed by the Dunmer.

Abandoned Mine: Their burrows are frequently turned into "egg mines" by the Dunmer in Morrowind. During the Blight of the late 3rd Era, many of these mines had to be abandoned after the queens became blighted and the colonies turned hostile.
Beware the Nice Ones: Scribs, the adolescent form, are not hostile but will defend themselves with a paralysis spell if attacked.
Big Creepy-Crawlies: The Kwama family of creatures range from the grub-like Kwama Foragers, to the adolescent wood louse-like Scrib, to the larger Kwama Workers, Warriors, and Queens. They lay eggs which are a staple of the Dunmeri diet.
Boss in Mook Clothing: Blighted Kwama creatures have anywhere from 1.5-3 times as much health as their standard counterparts while dealing anywhere from 2-6 times as much damage. They look identical as well.
Fantastic Livestock: The Dunmer raise kwama for their eggs.
The Goomba: Kwama Foragers are small, easily dispatched worms.
Organ Drops: Most varieties drop "cuttle", a waxy substance with alchemical properties. Scribs instead drop Scrib Jelly, which is a delicacy to the Dunmer while also being an alchemical ingredient. Their eggs are another staple food source for the Dunmer.
Our Monsters Are Weird: As with most of the wildlife native to Morrowind, they have no direct real-life analogues. They are insectoids who go through drastic physical transformations during different stages of their lives and are farmed for their eggs.

Liches

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ob_creature_lich.jpg

"Like a spider in his web, he sucked all their power into himself,
Mannimarco, Worm King, world's first of the undying liches.
Corruption on corruption, 'til the rot sunk to his very core,
Though he kept the name Mannimarco, his body and his mind
Were but a living, moving corpse as he left humanity behind."

— Mannimarco, King of Worms

Liches are powerful undead wizards, having sacrificed their very lives and humanity in exchange for extreme magical power. They can be found throughout Tamriel where they can often be found using their gifts in the school of Necromancy to create legions of undead followers. As with many of Tamriel's supernatural creatures, there are regional variants when it comes to the specific powers and abilities of liches. Additionally, there are several rumored means to become a lich, most involving the consumption of a potion made up of powerful magical ingredients. The most famous lich in Tamriellic history is Mannimarco, the "King of Worms", who is said to be the first mortal to successfully become a lich.

Anti-Magic: Most liches have powerful resistances (if not outright immunity) to nearly all forms of magic, with the sole exception of Fire-based magic.
Area of Effect: Large area of effect fire and shock spells are favored attacks of liches.
Burn the Undead: Fire-based spells are the only form of magic most liches are vulnerable to, a trait they share with most forms of undead.
Deadly Upgrade: A literal example. By becoming undead, Liches gain immense magical power and a form of immortality.
Enemy to All Living Things: Almost nothing living will willingly ally itself with a lich, leading to most liches raising their own undead servants. The one exception is that some liches will work with still-living necromancers, to whom they serve as an Evil Mentor.
Immortality Seeker: One of the two main motivations for those seeking to become liches, is the form of undead immortality being a lich imbues. This was the main motivation for Mannimarco, who was seeking to take it even further and become a god.
Mage Species: The other of the two main draws to becoming a lich (in addition to undead immortality) is the greatly enhanced magical powers it brings. Liches are among the most powerful magical beings in existence on Nirn.
Magic Staff: A common tool for many liches, further enhancing their magical prowess.
Monster Progenitor: Mannimarco, being the first lich, set the example of how to do it for others.
Necromancy: Many liches were skilled necromancers in life to begin with, and becoming a lich boosts those abilities even further.
One-Winged Angel: Some liches are able to maintain a facade of humanity, be it with powerful Illusion magic or something else. After this form is killed, they switch to their true undead forms and must be defeated again.
Our Liches Are Different: Undead wizards who have sacrificed their lives and humanity in exchange for magical powers. One variation on the standard fantasy lich is that a soul jar does not seem to be required, though soul jars are mentioned in lore. Instead, the most popular means for becoming a lich is said to be the consumption of a potion made up of powerful magical ingredients.
Screwball Serum: Some of the rumored ingredients in the potion needed to become a lich include the tongue of a dragon, blood-tainted herbs, Akaviri poison, dust from saints, sheaves of human skin...
Soul Jar: Subverted due to Gameplay and Story Segregation. While soul jars for liches ("phylacteries") have been mentioned in the series' lore, it is rarely brought up in game. One Oblivion quest gives you the option of killing a necromancer who is slowly turning into a lich by destroying his soul jar, but he is not yet a full lich. (And after the transformation, the soul jar no longer holds any power.)
Was Once a Man: Liches were once mortals who have undergone a process to become powerful undead wizards.

Mudcrab

The generic term for a variety of large crab species found throughout Tamriel.

Giant Enemy Crab: Downplayed in that they are still smaller than people, but they get much larger than any real life crabs, up to about the size of a tortoise.
The Goomba: They are small, slow, weak, and usually easily dispatched.
Mascot Mook: Perhaps the most famous creature from the series.
Organ Drops: Crab Meat can be harvested from their carcasses and used as an alchemical ingredient.
Penny-Pinching Crab: The Mudcrab Merchant is a legendary talking Mudcrab...who is also inexplicably rich and will buy your items at full value.

Netch

Floating jellyfish-like creatures native to Morrowind and farmed by the Dunmer.

Fantastic Livestock: The Dunmer raise netches for their skin and paralytic jelly, which they use as armor and alchemical ingredients respectively.
Flying Seafood Special: They look like flying jellyfish.
Living Gasbag: The Netches are flying jellyfish. Males ("bull netch") are larger with leathery brown hides, and can shoot poison. Females ("betty netch") are smaller and translucent blue in color, with stronger physical attacks. The native Dunmer domesticate them and use their hides as leather.
Organ Drops: Their hides can be harvested from their carcasses and used as alchemical ingredients. The Dunmer also use it to craft armor.
Savage Setpiece: Whether wild or farmed, they won't attack you unless provoked. However, both the large, venomous male and the smaller, more physically damaging female can easily dispatch a person.

Nix-Hound

Predatory dog-like insectoids native to Morrowind.

Big Creepy-Crawlies: They have a very insectoid like head attached to a dog-like body. They fill the ecological role of a wolf in Vvardenfell.
Boss in Mook Clothing: Blighted Nix-Hounds have three times as much health and can deal three times as much damage as their standard counterparts, but look identical.
Organ Drops: Hound Meat can be harvested from their carcasses and used as an alchemical ingredient.
Our Monsters Are Weird: As with most of the wildlife native to Morrowind, they have no direct real-life analogues.

Shalk

Giant black beetles with innate fire magic native to Morrowind.

Big Creepy-Crawlies: They are a large black beetle with natural fire magic abilities.
Boss in Mook Clothing: Blighted Shalks have more than double the health and can deal almost twice as much damage as their standard counterparts, but look identical.
Playing with Fire: They have innate fire magic abilities and attack with a flaming bite.

Silt Strider

Giant flea-like arthropods native to Morrowind and used by the Dunmer for transportation.

Big Creepy-Crawlies: Silt Striders resemble gigantic fleas.
Organic Technology: These creatures are gigantic, domesticated arthropods that are used to rapidly travel from city to city. The striders essentially appear akin to enormous fleas. The striders have portions of their shell removed from their back so that the driver, or 'caravaner', can poke at the sensitive flesh underneath to goad the strider in the desired direction. Their shells are further carved or modified to hold cargo or passengers, based on need.
Our Monsters Are Weird: As with most of the wildlife native to Morrowind, they have no direct real-life analogues.

Skeever

A variety of rat commonly found in Skyrim.

Slaughterfish

Large, aggressive fish found in nearly every body of water in Tamriel.

The Goomba: They're basically the fully-aquatic counterpart to the mudcrab or rat/skeever. Like them, they're low-level enemies that are barely a threat and can be easily dispatched with even basic weaponry.
Organ Drops: Their scales can be harvested from their carcasses and used as alchemical ingredients.
Pike Peril: In some regions, including Morrowind and Skyrim, fully grown Slaughterfish have pike-like proportions.
Piranha Problem: These small fish tend to immediately attack any traveler who puts their feet into the water.

Trolls

Ape-like monsters with innate healing abilities.

All Trolls Are Different: The Elder Scrolls interpretation of trolls is as large, hairy, ape-like creatures with long, powerful arms and sharp claws.
Beast of Battle: The vampire-hunting organization the Dawnguard sometimes uses domesticated trolls, fitted with crude suits of armor and wrist-mounted blades, as shock troops during their vampire hunts.
Bigfoot, Sasquatch, and Yeti: Skyrim redesigns them from the knuckle-walking, medium-sized apes seen in Oblivion to large, ape-like humanoids, with common trolls resembling Sasquatch and frost trolls resembling yetis.
Extra Eyes: Trolls have a third eye in the middle of their foreheads.
Healing Factor: Trolls can recover from wounds they receive much more quickly than most other creatures of Tamriel, even without the use of healing magic.
Organ Drops: Troll Fat can be harvested from their carcasses and used as an alchemical ingredient.
Weak to Fire: Fire-based attacks and spells are highly recommended when battling trolls, as they mess with the beast's inherent Healing Factor. There have been some reported instances of trolls that refused to die until their bodies were burned with torches.

Vampires

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/newvampface.png

A stage 4 vampire from Skyrim.

"Know first that we are no simple tribe of savages, tearing throats with the orgiastic abandon of our scattered, tribal brethren. Ours is a civil fraternity, to which we are bound — every one — by our dual hunger for flesh and influence."
"To Kin-father Molag Bal, who brought forth the Bloodmatron Lamae to spite Arkay, we owe our existence, as do all vampires, though not all honor Him."

— Manifesto Cyrodiil Vampyrum

Tamriellic Vampires are preternatural beings, typically considered a type of undead, who are feared and loathed as abominations throughout Tamriel. Vampirism is technically a form of disease, generally starting off innocuous before developing into full Vampirism, after which it is nearly impossible to cure. The diseases which cause Vampirism can be transmitted through any wound inflicted by a Vampire. There are numerous regional bloodlines of Vampires (with over 100 known, according to some sources) with many differing features and abilities. These bloodlines generally have a few traits in common, however, such as the presence of fangs, pale skin, agelessness, immunity to other diseases, enhanced night vision, sensitivity to sunlight (ranging from irritation to outright burns upon exposure), and the need to consume humanoid blood (or another vital substance).

Vampirism is a creation of Molag Bal, the Daedric Prince of Domination and Corruption. Mortals who obtain their Vampirism directly from Molag Bal are known as "Pure-blood" Vampires and typically have greater powers as a result. These Pure-bloods hold those who become Vampires via disease ("half-breeds") in low regard. All non-Pure-blood Vampires can trace their lineage back to Lamae Beolfag, known as the "Blood Mother", who became the first to suffer the disease following being raped by Molag Bal. Molag Bal created the disease to upset the balance of life and death maintained by one of his fiercest enemies, the Aedric Divine Arkay.

For the specifics of vampire clans as factions, see the factions subpage.

The Ageless: Agelessness is a near universal trait among all Vampire bloodlines. One caveat is that they typically must continue to feed, otherwise they will go irrevocably insane and feral. These feral Vampires are known as "Bloodfiends".
Always Chaotic Evil: This is the opinion of most of Tamriel, though in reality it's more played with than anything. The general argument, laid out by the Tribunal Temple but espoused by multiple groups including the Vigil of Stendarr, is that since vampirism is well-known to be transmissible through fighting vampires and easily cured if treated within 3 days but incurable otherwise, anyone who fights a vampire and does not treat themselves is considered to have done so in a deliberate attempt to become a vampire, which is "a mark of monstrous depravity." Player encounters with vampires make it clear that the situation isn't so black-and-white; some people can't, for whatever reason, access cures in time, some initially become vampires willingly but later regret their choice, or have vampirism forced on them (like Serana, whose father got Molag Bal to transform her against her own will). Friendly vampires (like Janus Hassildor and Serana) are possible, if not all that common, as vampires do not necessarily kill those they feed on, and many of them hate Molag Bal as much as everyone else.
Anti-Magic: Most Vampire bloodlines are immune to magical poisons and paralysis. Others have more specific anti-magical defenses, such as the Selenu clan of Hammerfell, which is highly resistant to elemental Destruction-school of magic attacks.
Awesome, but Impractical: Vampirism brings with it many positive qualities, but an overwhelming amount of negative qualities which can make it impractical as well. The need to feed on sapient beings, being damaged by sunlight, being ostracized from normal society...
Beast of Battle: The Volkihar bloodline of Skyrim is known to raise Death Hounds, monstrous undead dogs, for this role.
Black Eyes of Evil: A trait of several Vampire bloodlines. Others instead have pale and blank Empty Eyes, lacking pupils or an irises.
Breaking and Bloodsucking: Common among many bloodlines, who feed on sleeping victims. The act of feeding itself does not seem to wake the victims.
Bullet Time: Pure-blood Vampire Lords have a spell which mimics this effect.
Burn the Witch!: Vampires are almost universally loathed, feared, and ostracized throughout Tamriel, and are often killed on sight as abominations wherever they are found. Fire is a very common method of executing them, given their usual weakness to it.
Charm Person: A very common trait among Vampire bloodlines is the ability to enthrall mortal servants.
Child Eater: In addition to the usual "being preyed upon while you sleep" fear inherent to all vampires, the Telboth vampire bloodline of Valenwood is known to prey upon children. The Telboth are then said to take the place of those children, eventually killing the entire family.
Convenient Coma: Members of the Whet-Fang vampire bloodline in the Black Marsh are known to place their victims in a magically induced coma, allowing them to feed on the victim at their convenience.
Creature-Hunter Organization: Many Vampire-hunting organizations have existed throughout Tamriellic history, most famously the Dawnguard. Other groups are known to hunt Vampires along with other manners of supernatural being, including the Tribunal Temple of Morrowind and the Vigilants of Stendarr.
Cursed with Awesome: Or Blessed with Suck, depending on the opinion of the infected individual. Vampirism brings with it agelessness, disease immunity, typically enhanced speed and physical strength, and typically enhanced magical abilities. However, it forces the individual to consume blood or else risk weakness and insanity, can drastically alter the individual's appearance, and can cause the individual to be ostracized by society to the point of being hunted and killed outright.
Daywalking Vampire: Generally averted by most bloodlines, but some clans have been known to attack during the day, sending the message that not even sunlight will protect their enemies. Even for those who aren't outright harmed by sunlight, Vampires are typically far weaker during the day, downplaying it.
Deceased and Diseased: Vampires are considered a form of undead, and many strains of vampirism are spread through diseases, with names like Porphyric Haemophilia and Sanguinare Vampiris. They are typically contracted through being attacked by a vampire, and will cause the victim to mutate into a vampire themselves if they don't manage to cure themselves before the disease has fully incubated.
Dhampyr: There have been known instances of Tamriellic vampires producing offspring with non-vampires. Any traits inherited from the vampire parent are pretty mild, however. One of the most famous instances was Agronak gro-Malog, aka "The Grey Prince", champion of the Imperial City Arena in the late 3rd Era.
Equal-Opportunity Evil: Any member of any of the playable races can become a Vampire. Whether they are accepted by other Vampires is a different story, however.
Evil Is Deathly Cold: Many Vampire bloodlines, especially those in Skyrim, have a particular affinity for cold places and frost-based magic.
Fate Worse than Death: What many consider Vampirism to be, particularly the Tribunal Temple of Morrowind. They see a swift Mercy Kill as the only "cure" for the disease.
Find the Cure!: While it is widely believed throughout Tamriel that there is no cure for Vampirism, there are recorded cases of individuals being cured. Knowledge of how to be cured is typically suppressed for two major reasons: One, because the cure is often extremely unsavory (such as currying favor with Molag Bal, convening with witches, or using sapient souls). Two, in order to discourage wannabe Vampires from intentionally infecting themselves with the disease.
Friendly Neighborhood Vampire: They do exist, though there aren't all that many of them. While Molag Bal created vampirism with the intent to spread his ideals of corruption and domination, and most vampires do think of themselves as the top dogs and everyone else as livestock, becoming a vampire doesn't force you to think this way, and vampire feeding isn't necessarily fatal for the victim. Several vampires, most famously Janus Hassildor from Oblivion and Serana from Dawnguard, resist the urge to drink blood too often and retain their vampiric state purely because they see it as Cursed with Awesome.
Fur Against Fang: Thematically, though in practice most werewolves and vampires don't come into conflict aside from individual instances. Vampirism and lycanthropy are the "blessings" of two different Daedric Princes, and as such are mutually exclusive. Hircine and Molag Bal's philosophies are also opposed; werewolves are all about the duality of the hunt, spending equal time as predators and prey, while Molag Bal's nature means that vampires strive to remain predators full-time and achieve complete dominance over their prey.
Glamour Failure: For many Vampire bloodlines, going too long without feeding will change their appearance to become more and more monstrous, until they are no longer able to pass as a non-Vampire and may be attacked on sight.
Glowing Eyes: Dawnguard reveals that all Vampires have glowing golden eyes, but it is strongly implied that only some other beings of a supernatural nature (such as the Dragonborn who possesses a draconic Aedric soul) can actually see this quality. Mortals typically only mention them having an ill-defined "hunger" to their eyes. Can qualify as Glowing Eyes of Doom if the vampire in question is malevolent.
I Hate You, Vampire Dad: A common reaction among a Vampire's friends and family. The Grey Prince, the Champion of the Imperial City Arena in the late 3rd Era, invoked this on himself after discovering that his father was a vampire.
Healing Factor: A trait in some Vampire bloodlines. Often times, this occurs immediately after feeding. This was one of the very first traits displayed by Lamae Beolfag which terrified the nomads who rescued her, leading to them attacking and her slaughtering them all. Especially rapid healing is known to be a trait of the Thrafey bloodline of High Rock.
He Who Fights Monsters: Because Vampirism is a disease that can be transmitted via any wound inflicted by a Vampire, becoming a Vampire is a common fate of many Vampire hunters who aren't outright killed. Most carry disease curing potions on their person for immediate consumption in the event they become infected.
Horror Hunger: Many Vampire bloodlines can pass as non-Vampires as long as they feed regularly. However, the longer a Vampire goes without feeding, the more monstrous they become in both appearance and temperament, until the point that they go irrevocably insane and feral. These feral Vampires are referred to as "Bloodfiends".
Ideal Illness Immunity: All known Vampire bloodlines come with the advantage of being immune to all other diseases. This also makes for a One Curse Limit and Hybrid-Overkill Avoidance with Lycanthropy, as each makes a person immune to the other.
Innate Night Vision: Most Vampire bloodlines are known to have inherent enhanced night vision abilities.
Invisibility:
- Another common trait of many bloodlines. Whether it is an inherent ability or simply using the Vampire's enhanced abilities in the Illusion-school of magic varies.
- Some bloodlines also possess the ability to see invisible individuals.
Kill It with Fire: A weakness to fire and fire-based magic is common among Vampire bloodlines.
Light 'em Up: Several spells in the Restoration school of magic are specifically designed to harm undead, including Vampires. These spells take the form of balls and auras of light.
Looks Like Orlok: Many vampires fit, though it varies depending on the bloodline. Some, like the Iliac Bay bloodlines and the Vvardenfell bloodlines, have many Orlok-like feature from the start. Others, such as the Cyrodiilic and Skyrim bloodlines, only gain this appearance if they go long enough without feeding.
Mage Species: Many Vampire bloodlines give immense boosts to spellcasting abilities, particularly in the Illusion, Mysticism, and Destruction schools of magic. Vampires are perhaps second only to Liches out of undead creatures in terms of their inherent magical prowess.
The Masquerade:
- Many Vampires are able to blend in with general population of Tamriel. For many bloodlines, as long as they stay well-fed, they are indistinguishable from mortals of the same race.
- One bloodline, the Bonsamu of Valenwood, are completely indistinguishable unless seen in candlelight, which will reveal their true nature.
Monster Progenitor: All non-Pure-blood Vampires can their lineage back to Lamae Beolfag, a Nedic Priestess of Arkay who was raped by Molag Bal, turning her into the first Vampire.
Multiple-Choice Past: While the general scholarly consensus is that Lamae Beolfag was indeed the first vampire, there are other origin stories as well. Given the numerous other bloodlines and tales of other individuals acquiring Vampirism directly from Molag Bal as well, it's possible that each of these stories has some truth to them.
Necromancy: Many Vampire bloodlines practice necromancy, with some even gaining special abilities and aptitudes for it.
Nightmare Sequence: One of the side effects of Vampirism is having disturbing and grisly dreams. In Oblivion this would mean that your vampirism stage advances.
No Body Left Behind: Many Vampires turn to dust when they are killed, and this dust can be collected as a valuable alchemical ingredient.
Nonindicative Name: Ash Vampires, high ranking servants of Dagoth Ur, are not actually Vampires; they're just the most powerful type of Ash Creature. Some sources refer to them instead by the much more accurate term "Heart Wights".
No Ontological Inertia: Several Vampire bloodlines in the Iliac Bay region are known to have this as a weakness. If their progenitor is killed or cured, the other vampires of the bloodline will lose their powers as well. This is said to include Rapid Aging as well, and for those who have been alive longer than their natural lifespans, leads to death.
Our Vampires Are Different: While Tamriellic Vampires have many traits in common with those of classic Vampire lore (the presence of fangs, pale skin, agelessness, immunity to other diseases, sensitivity to sunlight, and the need to consume humanoid blood) there are many differences as well. Tamriellic Vampirism is a disease which originates with the Daedric Prince Molag Bal, and Tamriellic Vampires typically do not need to feed to survive (and some bloodlines even grow stronger if they go without feeding), though they do go irrevocably insane if they go too long without feeding. There are also numerous other differences within the Vampire bloodlines that make each one distinct from the others.
Power Floats: The ability to levitate is common among many Vampire bloodlines, especially Pure-bloods.
The Power of the Sun: All known Vampire bloodlines are, at the very least, weaker in sunlight than they are at night. This ranges from a mild irritation which prevents natural healing and Magicka regen, to outright being burned by sunlight and potentially being killed by it.
The Renfield: Vampires often use powerful Charm-like spells to enthrall mortals into their service. Other mortals willingly serve Vampires, typically hoping to become Vampires themselves.
Silver Has Mystic Powers: While many Vampire bloodlines are resistant or immune to normal weapons, weapons made of silver tend to be an exception, dealing extra damage to Vampires.
Stronger with Age: Typically true of most Vampire bloodlines thanks to their agelessness, as long as they feed regularly enough to stave off insanity. Vampire Ancients are some of the most powerful Vampires in Tamriel and can be thousands of years old.
Super Mode: Pure-blood Vampires have the ability to transform into a "Vampire Lord" form, drastically increasing in size, strength, and magical prowess.
Super Smoke: Turning into a cloud of mist is an ability of the Keerilth vampire bloodline in Valenwood. Vampire Lords also have this as an ability during the night.
Teleport Spam: This is an ability of the Montalion bloodline in the Iliac Bay region.
Torches and Pitchforks: The typical reaction of any given community in Tamriel when they discover a Vampire in their midst, unless there is a Vampire Hunter group nearby to call instead.
Vampire Refugee: Many who become Vampires did not do so by choice, leading to this. Accidental Vampires are often shunned by Vampire clans and in many cultures, the infected is no longer welcome at best (or outright killed on sight at worst). Many spend their time seeking a cure.
Vampire Vannabe: There have been many cases of mortals who wish to become Vampires, often entering the service of Vampires in hopes of being rewarded with the disease. Though being cured is possible, the knowledge of how to do so is often suppressed to dissuade these types of people from intentionally infecting themselves.
Vampire Variety Pack: Every pureblood vampire (i.e. directly received vampirism from Molag Bal) gets a different variant of vampirism, and some of those strains mutate over time, resulting in quite a few vampire bloodlines with different abilities.
- Lamae Bal's strain is known as Noxiphilic Sanguivoria. These vampires aren't weakened in the day, but strengthened at night, and become more powerful the more they feed. This is the version of vampirism the player can contract in The Elder Scrolls Online. Being cured is quite easy; ask Prelate Sabinus in the Mages' Guild to cure you and pay him 693 gold.
- There are 9 vampire clans in Daggerfall (Anthotis, Garlythi, Haarvenu, Khulari, Lhyrezi, Montalion, Selenu, Thrafey, Vraseth), which give the same basic vampirism with an extra clan ability.
- Morrowind and Oblivion both use the disease name Porphyic Hemophilia for vampirism. There are three clans in Morrowind (the Aundaes are mages, the Berne are rogues, and the Quarra are warriors), and one in Oblivion. Both have enhanced skills and attributes, are weak to fire, and take damage from sunlight, but while Morrowind vampires get a health draining spell, Oblivion vampires instead get the ability to see in the dark, detect life, charm others, silence others, and turn invisible. Morrowind vampires cannot pass as human, but Oblivion ones can as long as they stay fed. Morrowind vampires have pale eyes, while Oblivion vampires have reddish eyes and wrinkled faces. Morrowind vampirism is essentially limited to 'on' and 'off', but Oblivion adds stages of vampirism depending on how recently you've fed; if you've fed recently, you look human but are at your weakest, while if you go without feeding, you'll get stronger but also more obvious. Curing oneself in Morrowind involves completing a quest for Molag Bal (killing his 'daughter' Molag Grunda and her Frost Atronach lover) and can only be done after reading a book that says it's possible, while curing oneself in Oblivion involves talking to the witch Melisande (who also asks for 5 Grand Soul Gems for her help) and creating a potion from bloodgrass, garlic, nightshade, Argonian blood, and the ashes of a powerful vampire (only one will count, named Hindaril; regular vampire dust isn't enough).
- Vampirism in Skyrim is called Sanguinare Vampiris, and these vampires have red eyes (or glowing gold with Dawnguard installed), have multiple magical abilities, and are weakened in sunlight but don't take damage. They are presumably descended from the purebood vampire Lord Harkon, but not all are affiliated with the Volkihar Clan he leads. To be cured, one can go to the wizard Falion and have him perform a ritual involving a filled black soul gem, or become a werewolf, which can be done through the Companions questline.
- Non-playable vampiric clans include the Whet-Fangs and Vakka-Shuxalt of the Black Marsh, the Hollowfangs (who worship Sangiin, the Khajit name for Sanguine) and Tenar Zalviit of Elsweyr, House Ravenwatch and House Montclair of High Rock, the Systres (a mutant strain from a Breton vampire named Seraphyne, which is known to put the infected into deep sleep), the Nighthollow (who instead feed on the Dark Heart, an artifact of Namira) of Skyrim, and the Bonsamu (only distinguishable from mortals in candlelight), Keerilith Telboth, and Yekef clans of Valenwood.
Vampiric Draining: A common trait of the majority of Vampire bloodlines. Some exceptions are known to magically absorb the health of their prey or consume their prey whole instead.
Viral Transformation: Vampirism is technically a disease. It starts off fairly innocuous (fatigue, insomnia, nightmares) and is easily cured within the first few days of being contracted. Porphyric Hemophilia, Sanguinare Vampiris, and Noxiphilic Sanguivoria are a few of the disease that develop into full-blown Vampirism.
Was Once a Man: Played straight on two levels:
- All Vampires were once mortals who have been infected with a disease that caused their transformation, or was a "gift" received directly from Molag Bal.
- If a Vampire goes too long without feeding, they are known to go irrevocably insane and feral. These feral Vampires are referred to as "Bloodfiends".
You Are Who You Eat: An unusual inversion for some bloodlines, who get more powerful the longer they go without feeding. However, their appearance tends to become more monstrous (making their vampiric nature obvious) and they risk irrevocable insanity if they go too long without feeding.

Were-creatures

"Werewolves are sturdy hybrids with powerful jaws and claws on both hands and feet. They stand three hands taller than an Orc and exhibit severe bloodlust. If you encounter one, attempt to flee at all costs unless you feel supremely confident in your arms and armor. If possible, thrust the indigenous population into the path of the lycanthrope, so it sates its appetite on them while you retreat to cover or your mount. If you must fight a werewolf, arm yourself with any silver weapon, as these have proven extremely effective. However, prepare for severe gash wounds and the possibility of becoming infected."

— Dealing with Werewolves

The Were-creatures of Nirn, also known as Lycanthropes^note, are supernatural beings made up of a cross between a beast and their original species. Like Vampirism, Lycanthropy is technically a disease and can be spread through any wound inflicted by an infected individual. It is easily cured within the first few days of being contracted, but once it fully progresses, it becomes far more difficult to cure. There are also rare instances of the disease being hereditary. There are numerous variations of were-creatures found through Tamriel, with many appearing only in certain regions. Werewolves are by far the most common, and can be found across the entire continent with higher concentrations in the northern regions. The exact effects of the disease vary greatly between individuals and regions. The most common effect is an involuntary transformation into a humanoid beast form at night, with the frequency of the transformation varying from nightly to monthly. Other individuals have the ability to transform voluntarily. For those who transform involuntarily, they must commonly kill a sentient being during the night or risk returning to their mortal form in an extremely weakened state.

Lycanthropy is a creation of Hircine, the Daedric Prince of the Hunt, who bestows it as a blessing. He considers were-creatures to be the epitome of the nature of a hunt. During the night, they are vicious beasts who hunt their prey. During the day, they become the hunted to the very same prey. Were-creatures also have a spiritual connection to Hircine, as he claims their souls upon death to forever serve in his realm of Oblivion, known as the Hunting Grounds.

Alternate Identity Amnesia: The disease can be transmitted directly and instantly by consuming the blood of an infected Lycanthrope. However, conversion using this method causes an instant "unusually intense" transformation, often accompanied by amnesia. Later transformations do not have this amnesia.
Always Chaotic Evil:
- In the opinion of most mortal denizens of Tamriel, at least. Known were-creatures are ostracized and frequently hunted down as monsters. Within the Imperial Legion, if a soldier is infected by lycanthrophy they are required to immediately report it and then be euthanized. In Skyrim if one is witnessed transforming, then they are given a bounty large enough to be killed on sight.
- Played with in different instances, as many were-creatures do give into their bestial urges and kill indiscriminately, sometimes going completely insane (even in their mortal forms). Others, like the Companions of Skyrim, avert it outright, likely helped by the fact that their particular form of the disease allows for voluntary transformations.
Armor-Piercing Attack: The claw attacks from were-creatures are known to outright ignore armor.
Awesome, but Impractical: Becoming a were-creature gives a massive power boost while transformed. However, while transformed, they cannot use items, equipment, or magic. Additionally, being a known were-creature will typically get one ostracized from society and potentially killed on sight.
Bat Out of Hell: Werebats are a form of Lycanthrope found most commonly in the forests of Valenwood. They are massive human-sized fliers.
Bears Are Bad News: Werebears are a form of Lycanthrope found most commonly in the colder northern regions of Tamriel. They are massive, even larger than werewolves, with muscular bodies and large claws. They are known to have a rivalry with werewolves, often killing them when they come into contact with eachother.
The Beastmaster: Wolves and bears are sometimes known to have reduced hostility toward werewolves and werebears, respectively, even if they aren't in beast form. They are also sometimes known to hunt with and follow werewolves and werebears when they are in beast form. The howl of a werewolf or growl of a werebear has also been known to summon wolves or bears to aid the creature in battle.
Bizarre Alien Reproduction: On Lycanthropy suggests this as a possible explanation for werebeasts' Horror Hunger: since they don't need to eat meat to survive, it's possible that they "feel the need to spread the disease as a form of procreation".
Creature-Hunter Organization: Like Vampires, were-creatures have their fair share of specialized hunters. The Silver Hand is one of the most famous, and one of the most ruthless as well. The Vigilants of Stendarr are known to include were-creatures among those that they attempt to cleanse from Tamriel.
Cursed with Awesome:
- Or Blessed with Suck depending on the opinion of the inflicted individual. Were-creatures are able to transform into powerful monsters, but enter a vicious hunter/hunted cycle as the are typically demonized by their fellow mortals. Additionally, Hircine claims their souls upon death to hunt and/or be hunted in his Hunting Grounds realm, regardless of what afterlife they may have preferred.
- For the Circle of Skyrim's Companions, who are gifted with the ability to voluntarily transform, many of the downsides are lessened or outright removed. Additionally, contracting the disease but never voluntarily transforming still brings with it immunity to disease at the cost of restless sleep.
Equal-Opportunity Evil: Any member of any of the playable races can become a were-creature. Whether they are accepted by others of their kind is a different story, however.
Find the Cure!: While it is widely believed throughout Tamriel that there is no cure for Lycanthropy, there are recorded cases of individuals being cured. Knowledge of how to be cured is typically suppressed for two major reasons: One, because the cure is often extremely unsavory (such as convening with witches or making human sacrifices). Two, in order to discourage wannabe Lycanthropes from intentionally infecting themselves with the disease.
Full-Boar Action: Wereboars a type of were-creature found most commonly in the Iliac Bay region. They are humanoid boars complete with tusks and spiny looking hair on their backs.
Fur Against Fang: Generally averted. Were-creatures and Vampires are not known to have any specific animosity toward one another, though individual instances have occurred. As noted in the vampires entry, the two diseases are mutually exclusive.
Giant Flyer: Werevultures are a form of were-creature native to the forests of Valenwood.
Glamour Failure: Downplayed in that it's not especially obvious, but some were-creatures retain traces of their beast form while in mortal form. Werewolves are sometimes known to have fur in their ears or have a "wet dog" smell, for example.
Hereditary Curse: In a roundabout way. One known means of curing Lycanthropy is to infect someone who has a dormant, hereditary version of the disease. Passing it on to such a person removed the disease completely from the original Lycanthrope.
He Who Fights Monsters: Because Lycanthropy is a disease that can be transmitted via any wound inflicted by a were-creature, becoming a were-creature is a common fate of many Lycanthrope hunters who aren't outright killed. Most carry disease curing potions or ingredients on their person for immediate consumption in the event they become infected.
Horror Hunger: Combined with a form of Cannibalism Superpower. Consuming humanoid beings they've slain (or at least eating their hearts) allows were-creatures to recover lost health.
Human Sacrifice: One known cure for the disease requires bringing a human sacrifice to the Glenmoril witches coven. The witches will kill the sacrifice, infect the sacrifice's flesh with the disease, and the resurrect the sacrifice. The original Lycanthrope must then kill the sacrifice a second time, which will also permanently destroy their inner beast.
The Hunter Becomes the Hunted: They embody this idea. At night, they are dangerous monsters and hunt mortals while they have the advantage. During the day, however, they revert to their own weaker mortal forms and must flee from the mortals they were just preying on.
Hunting the Most Dangerous Game: Were-creatures are overcome with an intense bloodlust and typically must hunt and kill at least one sentient being while transformed. If they fail to do so, they will return to their original form in an extremely weakened state.
Ideal Illness Immunity: Lycanthropy brings with it immunity to all other diseases. It thus enforces One Curse Limit and Hybrid-Overkill Avoidance with Vampirism.
I'm a Humanitarian: While seemingly not a requirement, were-creatures are frequently known to devour at least part of their kills. This is known to replenish lost strength and health.
Involuntary Shapeshifter: While there are known instances of individuals who can control their transformations, the majority of were-creatures cannot. While the frequency of the transformation varies, they generally have no control over it when it is time.
Lunacy: Averted. While some denizens of Tamriel still believe there is a connection between the moon and were-creatures, this is not the case. Depending on the exact form of lycanthropy present in the infected, they may transform nightly, monthly, or voluntarily at any time.
The Masquerade: In their mortal forms, were-creatures are usually indistinguishable from any other mortals. This allows them to live and function within normal society as long as they aren't witnessed transforming.
Monster Progenitor: Were-creatures were a creation of the Daedric Prince Hircine. He sees them as the embodiment of the spirit of the hunt, and they serve him in life as mortal agents and in death as the "hounds" of his Hunting Grounds realm.
Natural Weapon: Most beast forms come with some form of claws and/or fangs. These are even able to harm creatures which are otherwise immune to normal weapons, such as ghosts and some forms of lesser Daedra.
Never Smile at a Crocodile: Werecrocodiles are a form of were-creature most commonly found in the swamps of Black Marsh and southern Morrowind. They are known to lurk in isolated swamps.
Our Gods Are Different: The Daedric Prince Hircine maintains an active role in his creations existence, as he has been known to personally enhance favored Lycanthropes with increased abilities and rewards some with items of power, such as the Ring of Hircine, which allows a Lycanthrope to control his or her transformations. Hircine has even been approached or summoned by packs of werewolves to appoint a pack leader, thus serving as a advisor and an important figure among Lycanthropes.
Our Werebeasts Are Different: Tamriellic Lycanthropes are known to take many forms, including werewolves, werebears, werebats, werecrocodiles, werelions, wereboars, werevultures, and legends even tell of weresharks. All can trace their origins back to Hircine, the Daedric Prince of the Hunt, who created the disease as a blessing for his followers. Hircine views his werecreatures as the embodiment of the very idea of the hunt, being ideal hunters at night before turning to prey during the day as they become the hunted. Transformations vary from nightly, to monthly, to voluntary.
Our Werewolves Are Different: Werewolves are the most common type of werecreature in Tamriel, being found all across the continent. Tamriellic werewolves are bi-pedal, though they may move in a quadrupedal fashion when traveling at high speeds, with elongated arms and human-like hands. Like the other were-creatures, the transformations are caused by a divine disease bestowed as a blessing by Hircine and which can be spread through any wound inflicted by the infected.
Panthera Awesome: Werelions are a form of were-creature most commonly found in Elsweyr, Black Marsh, and Cyrodiil.
Rerouted from Heaven: Regardless of which afterlife one may prefer, Hircine claims the souls of all were-creatures upon death to spend eternity in his realm of the Hunting Grounds.
Shapeshifter Baggage: Were-creatures typically put on significant bulk when they transform. Given that the disease has a divine origin, it probably excuses it from adhering to real world physics.
Silver Has Mystic Powers: Were-creatures often have a resistance to normal weapons, but take extra damage from silver weapons.
Super Mode: Essentially, the disease temporarily transforms mortals into a powerful beast.
This Was His True Form: Averted. Unlike many instances of the trope, Tamriel's were-creatures typically do not revert to their mortal forms upon death. This also helps were-creature hunters avert Van Helsing Hate Crimes.
Threatening Shark: Tamriellic legend tells of weresharks found in the oceans around the continent. However, there have never been any reputable sightings and they are considered to be myths.
Torches and Pitchforks: A common reaction to finding a were-creature in the midst of a community throughout Tamriel. A rule in the Imperial Legion requires soldiers who are infected with the disease to turn themselves in for immediate execution. This is also prevalent in Bosmer communities, as the Green Pact forbids any sort of transformation other the ritual Wild Hunt.
Transformation Is a Free Action: Averted. The transformation from mortal form to beast form takes at least a few seconds.
Vampire Refugee: Many who become were-creatures did not do so by choice, leading to this. The infected is no longer welcome at best (or outright killed on sight at worst). Many spend their time seeking a cure.
Vegetarian Carnivore: Werewolves can apparently completely subsist on an herbivorous diet, assuming they can resist the Horror Hunger for human flesh. Presumably this extends to other lycanthropes as well.
Viral Transformation: Lycanthropy is technically a disease and can be transmitted via any wound inflicted by the infected. It starts off fairly mild (drowsiness, fatigue, restless sleep) and is easily cured within a 3-day "incubation" period. Sanies Lupinus and Canis Hysteria are two of the diseases which develop into full-blown Lycanthropy. Additionally, drinking the blood of the infected is known to lead to instant conversion. The first transformation using this method is unusually intense and often accompanied by amnesia.
Your Soul Is Mine!: Hircine claims the souls of all were-creatures upon their death, usually whether or not they worship other entities or want to go to other afterlives.
Zerg Rush: Were-creatures commonly form packs with were-creatures of the same type. They are known to attack in groups.

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