Skyrim:Serana

Serana is a Nord vampire found inside a sarcophagus in Dimhollow Cavern. She is the long lost daughter of Lord Harkon and Valerica, and is in possession of an Elder Scroll. Upon introduction, she will know if you are a vampire or not, and she will ask you to take her to her home. 

 
Related Quests
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

As a Follower
Her main location during gameplay depends on which faction you ally yourself with—if siding with the Dawnguard, she can be found at Fort Dawnguard; if siding with the Volkihar vampires, she can be found at Volkihar Keep. After completing Beyond Death, she can also be found in Valerica's study. After completing the Dawnguard main questline, she can normally be found at these same locations, although you will occasionally randomly encounter her in the wilds of Skyrim, where she can be recruited to follow you again.

Serana wears a set of vampire royal armor with a pair of vampire boots, and she will don a unique hood when outside, displacing any head-gear given her. She is equipped with an elven dagger.

During the quest Chasing Echoes, she will offer to turn you into a Vampire Lord. After completing the quest Kindred Judgment, she can be asked to turn you into a Vampire Lord at any time. If you sided with the Dawnguard, while a Vampire Lord they will refuse any interactions with you, stating that you need to get cured immediately. This starts Rising at Dawn.

She can also transform any elven arrows in your possession into Bloodcursed elven arrows after obtaining Auriel's Bow.

As long as she is a vampire, she will be immune to all frost-based attacks.

She will frequently, if not always, reanimate corpses, but they later turn into ash piles when their duration ends or if they die. Thus, she is less useful if you plan to reanimate extremely powerful magicians as dead thralls, for example Sild the Warlock, Orchendor, Malkoran, Lu'ah Al-Skaven, Malyn Varen, or the Caller. Outside of this, her necromancy is powerful enough to reanimate non-humanoid entities.

The spells she uses depend on her level. She has a Drain Life spell that gets stronger with higher levels (even if her vampirism is cured). Additionally, in every case she knows the following spells:


Curing Serana's Vampirism
thumb|right|Serana after she is cured of vampirism
If you side with the Dawnguard, you can convince Serana to cure her vampirism after her father's death. This depends on selecting certain conversation options over the course of the questline.

After Serana brings her scroll to Fort Dawnguard, you ask her "Have you always been a vampire?" while she is a follower. During this conversation, if you ask her if she has ever thought about getting cured, she will refer to her condition as a gift, insisting that she will never seek a cure for it. Should she say this, you can still ask her to seek a cure after her father has been defeated, but she will refuse and then refuse to speak to you about it further should you ask again. If you wish for her to cure her vampirism after the main questline, choose the option "Are you all right?" rather than asking her about the cure.

Once you have defeated Harkon and left Volkihar Cathedral, if you are not a vampire yourself , you can ask Serana if she's ever considered being cured. If you tell her that her vampirism makes you uncomfortable, she will criticize you for being self-centered and refuse to ever discuss the cure again. If you pick more tactful dialogue options, you can convince her to go see Falion. She will immediately leave, even if she is currently following you, saying that she needs to do this alone. For the next three days, she will stay with Falion, at which point, she will become human and return to Fort Dawnguard.

If Serana chooses to become human, she will no longer be able to provide you with bloodcursed arrows, nor will she be able to turn you into a vampire. Her eyes will also revert to her mortal blue eyes. She will no longer be undead, which means that she can be healed by your Restoration healing spells, she won't be damaged by Restoration combat spells that target undead, and she appears with Detect Life instead of Detect Dead. Her combat spell usage remains the same; she continues to use a vampiric Drain Life attack along with her other attacks.

 You can reverse the effects of your choices in conversation by typing the following into the console:  . You will now be able to convince her to get cured. If she still refuses to talk about being cured, type the following into the console:  . You can force the quest to start by typing the following into the console:  . If the Serana cure quest should become stuck you can use   to finish the quest after stage 10 and have Serana back, without her vampirism.

 

Following is a set of conversation picks that make the vampirism cure available.
:Have you thought about getting cured of vampirism? 
:"No... why?" 
:Look what it did to your family. 
:''"Even before that, we weren't the most normal family. We did worship a daedra, remember?" 
:If you want to cure yourself, I'll support you. 
| style="vertical-align: top;"|thumbnail|right|"My long-lost daughter returns at last. I trust you have my Elder Scroll?"''
|}

The Bloodstone Chalice
If you try to speak to Serana after bringing her home, she'll greet you with one of the following:
:"Oh, what is it?"

:"Yes?"

:"Do you need something?" 

Prophet
Dawnguard
Serana will appear at the fort. Speak with her.
:''"You probably weren't expecting to see me again."
:What are you doing here?
:"I'd rather not be here either, but I needed to talk to you. It's important, so please just listen before your friend, here, loses his patience. It's... well, it's about me. And the Elder Scroll that was buried with me."
:What about you?
:"The reason I was down there... and why I had the Elder Scroll. It all comes back to my father. I'm guessing you figured this part out already, but my father's not exactly a good person. Even by vampire standards. He wasn't always like that, though. There was... a turn. He stumbled onto this obscure prophecy and just kind of lost himself in it."
:What sort of prophecy?
::"It's pointless and vague, like all prophecies. The part he latched onto said that vampires would no longer need to fear the sun. That's what he's after. He wants to control the sun, have vampires control the world."
:What do you mean... "lost himself"?
::"He just became absorbed... obsessed. It was kind of sick, actually. The prophecy said that vampires would no longer need to fear the sun. For someone who fancied himself as vampire royalty, that's pretty seductive. Anyway, my mother and I didn't feel like inviting a war with all of Tamriel, so we tried to stop him. That's why I was sealed away with the Scroll."
::You want us to help you?
:::"That was the plan, yes. Assuming the rest of them can trust a vampire. Come on, I'll need you to help convince them."
::What's all this have to do with the Dawnguard?
:::"I'm sorry, I had heard there were vampire hunters here. I thought they might want to know about a vampire plot to enslave the rest of the world. Was I wrong?"
::You took a big risk coming here.
:::"I did. But something about you makes me think I can trust you. I hope I'm not wrong."
:::No, you're right. We just have to convince the others you're on our side.
:::"Well, let's move then. I'm nothing if not persuasive."

thumb|right|Isran and Serana butt heads
Speaking with her again:
:Serana: "So far this hasn't been too bad. Gets lonely exploring by myself, though."

After talking with both Serana and Isran, the two will exchange quips.
:Isran: "You hear me? Don't feel like a guest, because you're not. You're a resource. You're an asset. In the meantime, don't make me regret my sudden outburst of tolerance and generosity, because if you do, your friend here is going to pay for it."
:Serana: "Thank you for your kindness. I'll remember it the next time I'm feeling hungry."

Speak with Isran, then talk to Serana again.
:"So in case you didn't notice the giant thing on my back, I have the Elder Scroll with me. Whatever it says, it will have something that can help us stop my father. But of course, neither of us can read it."
:Who can?
:"Well, the Moth Priests are the only ones I've heard of who can do it. They spend years preparing before they start reading, though. Not that it helps us anyway, because they're half a continent away in Cyrodiil."

After this discussion:
:Isran: "Some Imperial scholar arrived in Skyrim a few days ago. I was staking out the road when I saw him pass by. Maybe that's your Moth Priest."
:Serana: "Do you know where he's staying now?"
:Isran: "No, and I'm not going to waste men looking. We're fighting a war against your kind, and I intend to win it. You want to find him, try talking to anyone who'd meet a traveler. Innkeepers and carriage drivers in the big cities maybe. But you're on your own."

Speaking to her after this (this section is the same for the Dawnguard and Vampire versions of this quest):
:"Any idea how you're going to find a Moth Priest? Skyrim's a pretty big place."
:Where would a Moth Priest actually go?
::"Well, back before I... you know. The College of Winterhold was the first place I'd think to go for any kind of magic or historical thing. The wizards know about all kinds of things that people probably shouldn't know about. Actually, now that I think of it... I'm going to come along with you. I've been really wanting to get out and explore a bit."
:Do you have any ideas?
::"Well, back before I... you know. The College of Winterhold was the first place I'd think to go for any kind of magic or historical thing. The wizards know about all kinds of things that people shouldn't know about. Actually, now that I think of it... I'm going to come along with you. I've been really wanting to get out and explore a bit."
::What do you know about Elder Scrolls?
::"I mean... as much as anyone. Not a lot. You'd figure a couple hundred years locked away with one would have given me some insights, but no. Turns out you don't learn much from just sleeping with something."
::I guess we'll have to keep looking for that Moth Priest, then.
:::"I guess so."
::Are you saying you want to learn more about me?
:::"Not at this rate, no."
:::Or
:::"I guess you'll never get to find out."

You can also ask her more about herself.
:Were you always a vampire?
:"That's... a long story."
:I want to hear it.
::"I guess... we kind of have to go way back. To the very beginning. Do you know where vampirism came from?"
::I don't know much about it.
:::"The first vampire came from Molag Bal. She... was not a willing subject. But she was still the first. Molag Bal is a powerful daedric lord, and his will is made reality. For those willing to subjugate themselves, he will still bestow the gift, but they must be powerful in their own right before earning his trust."
::I would guess it came from a daedric lord.
:::"Exactly! The first vampire came from Molag Bal. She... was not a willing subject. But she was still the first. Molag Bal is a powerful daedric lord, and his will is made reality. For those willing to subjugate themselves, he will still bestow the gift, but they must be powerful in their own right before earning his trust."
:::How did you actually become a vampire, then?
::::"The ceremony was... degrading. Let's not revisit that. But we all took part in it. Not really wholesome family activity, but I guess it's something you do when you give yourselves to a daedric lord."
:::Do you regret becoming a vampire?
::::"Nobody's ever asked me that before. I... I don't know. I think... mostly I hate what it's done to my family."
::::How has it affected your family?
::::"Well, you've met most of us. My father's not exactly the most stable, and eventually he drove my mother crazy with him. And it all ended with me being locked underground for who knows how long. It's definitely been a bad thing, on the whole."
::::Are you all right?
::::"I will be. Just give me a little time."
:::It sounds like you weren't thinking clearly.
::::"I'm not sure it's really your place to judge me. To judge us. My family has its problems, but they're our problems. Let's just... move on from here, okay?"
::::Do you ever think about curing yourself?
::::"A cure? Why even think of it that way? I can't think of any reason I'd want to lose my gift. Especially after what I did to get it. It may have driven my family apart, but I'm still here, and I'm alive. I won't give this up."
::::Are you all right?
::::"Don't... Just leave me alone for a bit."
:Spare me the details.
::"The short version is that my parents and I... we were followers of Molag Bal."
::The daedric princes disgust me.
:::"I know, I know, but just... anyway. Molag Bal is the original source of vampirism, and still grants it to his more worthy followers."
::I admire your devotion.
:::"Not many people understand the appeal. You keep surprising me. Now, you might already know that Molag Bal is the original source of vampirism. But what you probably don't know is that he still grants it to his more impressive followers."'' 

Another response appears if you've completed The House of Horrors:
::'''I'm a follower of Molag Bal, myself.
:::"I have to admit, I'm impressed. I didn't think you had the spirit for it. Now, you might already know that Molag Bal is the original source of vampirism. But what you probably don't know is that he still grants it to his more impressive followers. This isn't that watered down child's power that you simply contract from another vampire. We're pureblood creations of original vampires. We earned this."

Vampire

Chasing Echoes
:"Do you have a moment to talk?"
:Can't it wait?
::"Well, you could waste a lot of time trying to figure out our next move, or you could let me help. Your choice." 
:What's on your mind?
::"That Moth Priest, Dexion. He said we needed two other Elder Scrolls. I think I know where we can start looking."''
The next response is different depending on whether or not you're in the Dawnguard.



Regardless of which side you're on, the rest of the conversation is the same. You can ask Serana one of two questions, both of which lead to the rest of the conversation.

:Does Harkon even care about you anymore?
:"You know, I've asked myself the same thing. I thought... I hoped that if he saw me, he might feel something again. But I guess I don't really factor in at this point. I don't think he even sees me as his daughter anymore. I'm just... a means to an end."
:So where is this Elder Scroll?
:"We need to find my mother, Valerica. She'll definitely know where it is, and if we're lucky, she actually has it herself."
:You said you didn't know where she went.
:"The last time I saw her, she said that she'd go somewhere safe... somewhere that my father would never search. Other than that, she wouldn't tell me anything. But the way she said it... "someplace he would never search." It was cryptic, yet she called attention to it."

You can answer her in one of three ways

:Sealed away like you were?
:"I don't think so. She said she wanted to stay awake in case the situation was resolved. It had to be one of us, and, well, she's so much more powerful than I am. It just made sense for her to be out here. Anything else?"''

The following responses are different depending on who you sided with.



If you speak to her again after saying you have things to do:
:"I'm ready if you are."

If you speak to her again after agreeing to go to the secret side passage, you can ask her about the Elder Scroll and her family.
:"Yes? What did you need?"
:Any clues about the other Elder Scroll?
:"Dexion said something about that scroll. What was it... something to do with dragons I think? Maybe we should try asking at the College of Winterhold. Sounds like something they'd know about."
:Were you and Valerica close?
::"Before my father became obsessed with the prophecy, mother and I spent quite a bit of time together. She was very fond of her alchemical garden in the castle courtyard. She taught me quite a bit about cultivating quality reagents."
::So you always got along?
::"Like the best of friends. I would never hesitate to share anything with her."
::But then it all changed.
::"It was very sudden. It was almost like one day we were a normal family, and then the next I didn't know who they were. I'd try to visit my mother in the garden, and she'd quickly shoo me away saying she was much too busy."
::That's why we're headed there?
::"She had to be up to something in that garden. I'm hoping it's a clue that will tell us where she went."

You can also go down a dialogue path that ends with Serana asking you about your family.
:Tell me about your family.
::"There's not a whole lot to tell. You've already seen my father's obsession. My mother's not a whole lot better, but you'll see that soon enough."
::Were you close with them?
:::"My father... no, not really. I did spend a lot of time with my mother, but she saw me more like a protege than a daughter."
::It sounds like you don't like either of them very much.
:::"It's not that simple. I guess it never is with families, is it? What about you? What were your parents like?"''



After the conversation ends, she says:
:Serana: "I can't wait to see the courtyard again."

She will make some comments as you make your way to the courtyard.
:Serana: "Yeah, just around this bend."
:Serana: "Castle looks so big from down here. I mean, it is big, but, well, even bigger."
:Serana: "The old water cistern. On some days, this would smell just... be glad you weren't here then."
:Serana: "Take the left up here. This is one of those weird double-barred security measures that my father put in when he got more paranoid. If we follow that path around, we can find the other switch."
:Serana: "This leads out to the courtyard. Just head for the door."

Speaking to her in the ruins:
: 

She will have more commentary when you reach the courtyard.
:Serana: "We've made it to the courtyard. Oh no... What happened to this place? Everything's been torn down... the whole place looks... well, dead. It's like we're the first to set foot here in centuries. This used to lead into the castle's great hall. It looks like my father had it sealed up. I used to walk through here after evening meals. It was beautiful, once. This was my mother's garden. It... do you know how beautiful something can be when it's tended by a master for hundreds of years? She would have hated to see it like this. Wait... Something's wrong with the moondial here. Some of the crests are missing and the dial is askew. I didn't even know the crests could be removed. Maybe my mother's trying to tell us something?"
:Serana: "I'm telling you, there's something strange with the moondial."
:Serana: "If we had the crests, we wouldn't have to keep hanging around this lovely place."

Speaking to her in the courtyard:
:What's so special about the moondial?
:"Well, as far as I'm aware it's the only one in existence. The previous owners of the castle had a sundial in the courtyard, and obviously that didn't appeal to my mother. She persuaded an elven artisan to make some improvements. You can see the plates that show the phases of the moons, Masser and Secunda."
:Does it work?
::"That's the thing... what's the point of a moondial? I always wondered why she didn't just have the whole thing ripped out. But she loved it. I don't know. I guess it's like having a piece of art, if you're into that sort of thing."
::So what exactly am I doing to it?
::"Hard to say. Maybe if we found the missing crests, we could figure it out." 
:What happened to the castle courtyard?
::"If I had to guess, I'd say the moment mother fled the castle, father went on a rampage. Knowing him, anything at all that reminded him of her was just destroyed."
::Then he just walled it off.
::"It appears that way. I suppose he wanted to put the past behind him. Perhaps if he had spent more time with us, he would have recognized the beauty for himself."

After you exit the conversation, she says:
:Serana: "Look around for the missing crests. Even in this mess, they should stick out."

After placing the crests:
:Serana: "Very clever, mother. Very clever. I've never been in those tunnels before, but I'd bet they run right under the courtyard and into the tower ruins. Well, at least we're getting closer. Let's go."

Inside the ruins:
:Serana: "I've never even seen this part of the castle before. Be careful. I don't know what might be around."

You can speak to her here.
:"We're getting close, I'm sure of it."
:Do you know this place?
:"I had always just assumed that the other tower was completely destroyed inside. My mother kept this a secret, even from me. She must have been up to something she thought was dangerous."

After you encounter a gargoyle, you can ask her another question:
:Did your mother keep gargoyles here?
:"Not that I ever saw. My mother had a bit of a thing for magical constructs. Not... not what you're thinking. She just found them fascinating."

:Serana: "Turns out my mother is sneakier than I thought. I wonder what she's hiding?"

In the gargoyle room:
:Serana: "I don't think we've reached the top yet. I'd bet there's some kind of secret passage around here."
:Serana: "Leave it to my mother... always smarter than I gave her credit for."''

When you find Valerica's Study:
:Serana: ''"Look at this place. This has to be it! I knew she was deep into necromancy. I mean, she taught me everything I know. But I had no idea she had a setup like this. Look at all this. She must have spent years collecting these components. And what's this thing? I'm not sure about this circle, but it's obviously... something."
:Serana: "Let's take a look around. There has to be something here that tells us where she's gone."

Speaking to her here:
:What exactly are we looking for?
:"My mother was meticulous about her research. If we can find her notes, there might be some hints in there."
:Your mother maintained quite a laboratory.
:"I had no idea that her laboratory even existed. She had an alchemy setup in her drawing room, but nothing that even comes close to what's here."
:What did she research?
:"Looking at the equipment and materials, it looks like she was trying to advance her necromancy."
:To what end?
:"I don't know. Certainly not longevity. Kind of a waste of time for a vampire."

:Serana: "I remember she used to keep a small journal. See if you can dig it up." 

After finding Valerica's Journal:
:"Any luck yet?"
:I've found your mother's notes.
:"You did? Let me see them."
:What's this "Soul Cairn" that she mentions?
:"I only know what she told me. She had a theory about soul gems. That the souls inside of them don't just vanish when they're used... they end up in the Soul Cairn."
:Why did she care where used souls went?
:"The Soul Cairn is home to very powerful beings. Necromancers send them souls, and receive powers of their own in return. My mother spent a lot of time trying to contact them directly, to travel to the Soul Cairn itself."
:If she made it there, we'll find her.
:"That circle in the center of the room is definitely some type of portal. If I'm reading this right, there's a formula here that should give us safe passage into the Soul Cairn."
:What do we need?
:"A handful of soul gem shards, some finely-ground bone meal, a good bit of purified void salts... Oh... damn it..."
:What's wrong?
:"We're also going to need a sample of her blood. Which... if we could get that, we wouldn't even be trying to do this in the first place."
:You share her blood.
:"Hmmm. Not bad. We'd better hope that's good enough. Mistakes with these kind of portals can be... gruesome. Anyway, enough of that. Let's get started."
:Are all of those ingredients here?
:"Oh, definitely. Mother would have plenty of those materials in her laboratory, you just need to find them."

You can talk to her more after this exchange.
:"Having trouble finding those ingredients?"
:Anything you can tell me about the Soul Cairn?
:"The Soul Cairn is a tiny sliver of Oblivion, the realm of the daedra. It's ruled by unseen beings known as the  ."
:Why was your mother so fascinated by it?
:"Honestly, I don't know. Necromancers are always interested in souls, though, so that probably has some kind of interest."
:What exactly are the Ideal Masters?
:"Nobody really knows. As far as I've heard, no one's seen them and returned to Tamriel to tell about it."
:Then how are you sure they even exist?
:"I've read stories. Stories about fools that managed to... communicate with them. You give the Ideal Masters souls, they give you powers to summon the undead. It's all very business-like."
:Fools? Why do you say that?
:"Because most of the stories end with the Ideal Masters duping the necromancers, who end up dead or wishing they were dead."

After the conversation ends, she says:
:Serana: "They shouldn't be that hard to find. Shelves, tables... should be easy to find. She wouldn't have hidden them."

After collecting the ingredients, she tells you the next step:
:Serana: "Get the ingredients in the vessel and let me know when you're ready."
:Serana: "Just get all the ingredients into the vessel."

You can speak to her again after placing the ingredients.
:"Then the rest is up to me. Are you ready to go? I'm not entirely sure what this thing is going to do when I add my blood."
:I have some preparations to make, first.
::"I'll be here. Don't take too long, now!"
:I'm ready.
::"Okay, here goes."

You can ask her a few questions before continuing.
:Can I ask you something first?
:"Of course. What is it?"
:What will you do if we find your mother?
:"I've been asking myself the same thing since we came back to the castle. She was so sure of what we did to my father, I couldn't help but go along with her. I never thought of the cost."

You can respond in one of two ways:

Regardless of how you answer, the conversation continues
:We won't know until we find her.
:"Yes... yes, you're right. I'm sorry. I just didn't expect anyone to care how I felt about her. Thank you. Are we ready then?"
:Let's get that portal open.
:"All right. Here goes."

When the portal opens:
:Serana: "By the blood of my ancestors... She actually did it... created a portal to the Soul Cairn. Incredible."
:Serana: "Incredible. Simply incredible."
:Serana: "I'm ready when you are."''

You should then be able to enter the Soul Cairn, but there's a catch. Serana can go in with no problem. You, however, can't go in just yet if you're not a vampire. If you attempt to enter the portal, you'll be stopped, and the following conversation will occur.
:"Are you alright? That looked painful."
:It was. What happened?
:''"Now that I think about it... I should have expected that. Sorry. It's hard to describe. The Soul Cairn is... well, hungry, for lack of a better word. It's trying to take your life essence as payment."
:So there's no way in, then.
:"There might be, but I don't think you're going to like it. Vampires aren't counted among the living. I could probably go through there without a problem."
:Are you saying that I need to become a vampire?
:"Not your first choice, I'd guess."
:There has to be another way.
:"Maybe. We could just "pay the toll" another way. It wants a soul, so we give it a soul. Yours."
:Wouldn't that kill me?
:"My mother taught me a trick or two. I could partially soul trap you, and offer that gem to the Ideal Masters. It might be enough to satisfy them. It would make you a bit weaker when we travel through the Soul Cairn, but we might be able to fix that once we're inside. Maybe."
:Those are my only options?
:"I'm sorry. I wish I knew a better way, something that would be easier for you. Just know that... whatever path you choose, I won't think any less of you. Sometimes things just have to be done. I know that better than anybody."

Approaching her to make your decision.
:"Have you made up your mind?"


She then either traps your soul or turns you into a vampire, depending on what you chose.

Beyond Death
Inside the Soul Cairn:
:Serana: "I'd heard stories about the Soul Cairn, but never thought I'd see it myself. So far it's... about what I imagined."
:Serana: "Let's go. My mother must be waiting on the other side of that thing."
:Serana: "Look at this place. I can't imagine choosing to come here. My mother must have been terrified."
:Serana: "You'd think a vampire would be right at home in this place. You'd be wrong. Let's just find my mother and get out of here, quickly."

You can ask her a few questions about the Soul Cairn after you arrive.
:Do you know anything about this place?
::"Just what my mother told me. I've also studied a little bit on my own, but there's not much. When something is trapped in a soul gem, and then the energy is used for powering an enchantment, the remnants are sent here."
::Any soul gem?
::"Well, I think it's specifically the black ones. I don't know if the Soul Cairn takes just any leftovers."
::Does anything live here?
::"Look at this place. Do you think anything would want to live here? The only things that can survive here are the Ideal Masters, the undead and the souls themselves. Well, if you want to call that "living.""
::Do you think we'll meet the Ideal Masters?
::"I don't think anyone's ever met the Ideal Masters. I'm not even sure anyone knows what they look like. They could be underground, flying above us... They might be the ground. I have no idea."
::Why are they collecting these souls?
::"Lots of theories. Some say they feed on them like I feed on blood. Others think they use them as payment to an even higher power... almost like a currency. A very strange currency. Whatever they're doing with them, they've been harvesting for millennia. No telling how many souls are trapped here."
::Why would a necromancer want to deal with them?
::"Look around you. There are some extremely powerful undead here. Even a necromancers as seasoned as my mother would be willing to spend years trying to gain access to them."
::Summon them you mean?
::"Exactly. It's a lost art. Most necromancers just raise up whatever bodies are nearby. A simple trick, really. Child's play. But bringing something from the Soul Cairn gives you something much more powerful."
::How do the necromancers communicate with them?
::"Well, that's usually the trick. It's possible to do it through a simple portal. But to finalize the deal, you have to travel here yourself... and most of them never come back."
:Are you sure Valerica has the Elder Scroll?
::"No, but there's no way she would have left it in Tamriel. She wanted to get it as far away from my father as possible. I can't imagine a better place."
::And if she doesn't?
::"Then we find out where she hid it. If she's still alive... well, as alive as she was before. Or is now. Or... you know what I mean."
::Why not hide it in the Soul Cairn and then return?
::"Probably to avoid whatever my father would do to her if he could get his hands on her. Or maybe her plan was to come back, but she was stuck here. We won't know until we find her."''

When you approach Valerica's prison, Serana will see her.
:Serana: "Mother? Mother!"
:Valerica: "Maker... it can't be. Serana?"
:Serana: ''"Is it really you? I can't believe it! How do we get inside? We have to talk."
:Valerica: ''"Serana? What are you doing here? Where's your father?"
:Serana: ''"He doesn't know we're here. I don't have time to explain."
:Valerica: ''"I must have failed. Harkon's found a way to decipher the prophecy, hasn't he."
:Serana: ''"No, you've got it all wrong. We're here to complete the prophecy our way, not his."
:Valerica: ''"Wait a moment... you've brought a stranger here? Have you lost your mind?"
:Serana: ''"No, you don't..."
:Valerica: "You. Come forward. I would speak with you."
After speaking with Valerica, she turns to speak to Serana.

:Valerica: "This stranger may call himself/herself vampire, but he knows nothing of our struggle, Why should I entrust you to him/her?"
:Serana: "This "stranger" has done more for me in the brief time I've known him/her than you've done in centuries!"
:Valerica: "How dare you! I gave up everything I cared about to protect you from that fanatic you call a father!"
:Serana: "Yes, he's a fanatic... he's changed. But he's still my father. Why can't you understand how that makes me feel?"
:Valerica: "Oh, Serana. If you'd only open your eyes. The moment your father discovers your role in the prophecy, that he needs your blood, you'd be in terrible danger."
:Serana: "So to protect me you decided to shut me away from everything I cared about? You never asked me if hiding me in that tomb was the best course of action, you just expected me to follow you blindly. Both of you were obsessed with your own paths. Your motivations might have been different, but in the end, I'm still just a pawn to you, too. I want us to be a family again. But I don't know if we can ever have that. Maybe we don't deserve that kind of happiness. Maybe it isn't for us. But we have to stop him. Before he goes too far. And to do that, we need the Elder Scroll."
:Valerica: "I'm sorry, Serana. I didn't know... I didn't see. I've allowed my hatred of your father to enstrange us for too long. Forgive me. If you want the Elder Scroll, it's yours."

After speaking with Valerica, you can talk to Serana again.
:"Let's kill those... Keeper things and get back to the prison."

:''"I can't believe we found my mother alive... well, you know what I mean."

:''"I'm glad you're here. I don't think I could be doing this alone."
:How are you feeling after talking to your mother?
:"Relieved... I think. All those things had been building for a while. You have no idea how long I wanted to say that to her."
:Why did you ever agree to her plan?
:"Look, I loved my father, but when he found that prophecy... that became his life. Everything else, even me and my mother... we just became clutter. I was close with my mother, but she just kept feeding me her opinions of him, and eventually I started believing them."
:'''She doesn't seem too fond of him.
:"The moment we gave ourselves to Molag Bal, things got really icy between them. They were both drunk with power, and pulling in different directions. Then he found that prophecy, and... that was it."
:It sounds like you already didn't like him much.
:"Like I said, we were never very close. Not a lot of father-daughter bonding if you know what I mean. But once we threw our lot in with Molag Bal... people just don't think about their families anymore. "Power takes precedence," he always said."
:And you were caught in the middle.
:"I was. Honestly, it took me up until now to figure out that my mother was really just as bad as he was. He was obsessed with power. She was obsessed with seeing him fail. It was just so... toxic. Maybe I could have seen this coming. We could all be better off now."
:You shouldn't blame yourself.
:"I know that in my head. But I just can't help feeling bad about... the way things are. Sorry, I know you're trying to help. Thanks."
:It probably didn't have anything to do with you.
::"That's easy to say, but I definitely didn't help things."
:It sounds like they were both being selfish.
::"Oh, they definitely were. I just wonder if that meant it was my job to be giving. Anyway, we should keep moving."

After killing the Keepers:
:Serana: "The barrier should be gone now. Let's head back."

After entering the prison, Serana will notice something is off.
:Serana: "Wait... I hear something!"
:Valerica: "It's Durnehviir... he's here! Defend yourselves!"

After killing Durnehviir:
:Serana: "Come on, she's leading us to the scroll."

After talking with Valerica:
:Serana: "Come on, let's go home."
:Serana: "The sooner we get the scroll home, the sooner we deal with my father."
:Serana: "I'm glad we found the scroll, but I... I wish she could come with us."

Unseen Visions
You can ask her about her feelings.



Inside the grove of the Ancestor Moths:
:Serana: "Hmph... not very impressive, is it? If this ends up being a wasted trip, your friend Dexion and I are going to have some words when we get back."
:Serana: "Wow. Look at this place. No one's been here in centuries. I doubt there's any other place like it in Skyrim. It's beautiful."

If spoken to:
:"What now?"
:Have you ever seen anything like this?
:"It's not like anything else in Skyrim, I can tell you that much. From now or... before. There's probably groves like this all over Tamriel. Most people just don't even know what to look for."

:Serana: "Well, we got the knife... now all we need to do is track down one of those Canticle Trees."

After collecting bark from a Canticle Tree:
:Serana: "Hope the moths like that bark as much as Dexion said they would."

After collecting one swarm of moths:
:Serana: "Look at them... they've definitely taken a liking to you. And unless I'm seeing things, you're starting to... glimmer."

Speaking to her after collecting one group of moths:
:"Yes?"
:Damn moths! Why are they doing that?
:"Ha ha. They seem quite taken to you now that you're carrying some of the tree bark. I guess we should have seen this coming... Moth Priests, moths... they're apparently related in some way. Couldn't hurt to gather more I suppose."
:How many more?
:"Well, unless my vision's playing tricks, there seems to be some sort of magical effect around you. Seems like we're on the right track. Otherwise, I don't have the faintest idea."

After collecting seven swarms of moths:
:Serana: "Woah! I think that might have been what we were waiting for. Let's head back up there and see if we can read the scrolls."

Speaking to her here:
:"Yes?"
:Now what?
:"The effect around you looks an awful lot like that huge column of light shining on the dais. Let's check that out."

Speaking to her after reading the Elder Scroll:
:"Are you okay? Almost thought I lost you there... you went white as the snow."''
 

The conversation continues regardless of how you respond.
:It's in a place called Darkfall Cave.
:"Then it's almost over. We can finally rewrite the prophecy as we see fit. Where is this "Darkfall Cave?""
:The scrolls gave me its exact location.
:"Then let's get going. I want to get there before my father has a chance to track us down."

Touching the Sky
You can ask her a few questions inside the Ancestor Glade.
:What do you know about Auriel's Bow?
:"Not much. If you read any history, it shows up from time to time, but it's a hard thing to track. As far as I know, though, it's never been held by a vampire. That would be a new one."
:What does it have to do with the sun?
:"Auriel is one of the elven gods. He's with the rest of them in Aetherius. The way I've heard it, the sun represents the connection from our world to theirs. Supposedly, the bow draws its energy from the sun itself, which is why it shows up in that prophecy."
:What exactly does it do?
:"That part, I don't know. Once we have it, hopefully it'll be obvious."''

If you try to part ways with her, she'll meet you at Darkfall Cave instead of going to Castle Volkihar or Fort Dawnguard; you cannot progress through the rest of Dawnguard's main quest without Serana.
:"Yes?"
:I think we should part ways.
:''"All right. I'll meet you at Darkfall Cave."

Past the bridge in Darkfall Cave:
:Serana: "Something's not right here. Be careful. I think we may be in for some trouble."

Passing the campsite:
:Serana: "I wonder what happened to them. These people were... why would anyone want to set up camp here?"

Coming upon the wayshrine:
:Serana: "I don't like the look of this..."''

Touching the Sky

As you approach the throne in Auriel's Chapel, Arch-Curate Vyrthur will address you.

:Serana: " "
:Arch-Curate Vyrthur: "Death first!" 

He will then use all his power to destroy Auriel's Chapel with you inside and run outside to the Temple Balcony. Exhausted from using all of his power he will begin to talk to Serana, allowing him time to recover.
:Serana: "Enough, Vyrthur. Give us the bow!"
:Vyrthur: "How dare you. I was the Arch-Curate of Auri-El, girl. I had the ears of a god!"
:Serana: ''"Until the "Betrayed" corrupted you. Yes, yes. We've heard this sad story."
:Vyrthur: "Gelebor and his kind are easily manipulated fools. Look into my eyes, Serana. You tell me what I am."
:Serana: "You're... you're a vampire? But Auriel should have protected you..."
:Vyrthur: "The moment I was infected by one of my own Initiates, Auri-El turned his back on me. I swore I'd have my revenge, no matter what the cost."
:Serana: "You want to take revenge... on a god?"
:Vyrthur: "Auri-El himself may have been beyond my reach, but his influence on our world wasn't. All I needed was the blood of a vampire and his own weapon, Auriel's Bow."
:Serana: "The blood of a vampire... Auriel's Bow... It... it was you? You created that prophecy?"
:Vyrthur: "A prophecy that lacked a single, final ingredient... the blood of a pure vampire. The blood of a Daughter of Coldharbour."
:Serana: "You were waiting... all this time for someone with my blood to come along. Well, too bad for you... I intend on keeping it. Let's see if your blood has any power to it!"

Kindred Judgment

Combat Dialogue


Notes
Serana is voiced by noted voice actress Laura Bailey. (IMDb)
During the quest Chasing Echoes , you can ask Serana to marry you. However, she will refuse indefinitely, stating that even walking near a temple scares her. Despite this, she will follow you into any of the temples during normal travel. She will not marry you even if she has been cured of vampirism.
If Serana is a follower and you have lycanthropy, corpses she has reanimated can still be killed and fed on before they vanish completely. Bloodlust will still be extended and perk progress will still be made.
While following you, Serana interacts with most activators, which sometimes results in odd behavior. She tends to use any nearby crafting apparatus, sit in most chairs on her own or even on the floor, mine ore veins, eat food, dance, drink, and clap for bards at taverns. Hilariously, if she has reanimated a corpse, it will join in and perform similar tasks.
When indoors, Serana's reanimation spell is able to penetrate walls and revive dead bodies you cannot see.
Even after you finish the Dawnguard main questline, Serana remains an essential character and can never be killed. This can make her a very valuable follower, as she is already quite powerful.
If Serana is cured of her vampirism, she will still wear her hood outside, and still complain about the weather.
When Serana is initially rescued, she will join you in addition to whatever follower you currently have. However, during the quests Chasing Echoes and Beyond Death, she will replace any follower you currently have active, and will be unable to be dismissed until those quests are over, though the option to do so is present.
If you're a normal vampire, Serana will still be willing to turn you into a Volkihar vampire. However, she will not offer to do so during the quest Chasing Echoes.
If you are already a vampire before meeting her at Dimhollow Crypt, she will have a different dialogue with you and ask why a vampire like you doesn't know about her father.
Serana cannot be asked to join The Blades.
If you kill an undead creature with Dawnbreaker while Serana is nearby, she may turn invisible. 
If she is wearing her default armor, she will automatically wear or take off her hood depending on where she is. If she is given new armor to wear, then she will not automatically switch back and forth, but will constantly wear her hood if she had it on when she was given the new armor, unless she is given a helmet. She will wear new armor if it has a higher armor stat than Vampire Royal Armor; if she is given new boots or gauntlets to wear, but still has the Vampire Royal Armor, she will continue to wear and take off her hood.
If she is given tempered Vampire Royal Armor, her displayed inventory for trading will not show it being worn. However, her Damage Resist value in the console will increase by the tempered amount.
If the player declines to become a vampire and finishes the Dawnguard expansion, after killing Harkon, his sword can be used by the player, but only without its enchantments active.  The best option to take advantage of the absorption enchantments is to provide it to Serana, the only vampiric follower a Dawnguard can have.
During the quest Bloodline, she will refuse to take any orders from you or trade items with you. The dialogue options are still there, however.

Bugs
 
You can use the console to teleport past the gate if Serana was bugged when you get there. The command is to get in is (change any number by 1 to get out): cow Tamriel -44,36
Going to the sneaking position yourself, then changing instance (fast-traveling or changing zones), then going back to the walking position may cure this, at least until the next time she gets stuck in sneaking position. If that doesn't work, you can order her to perform an action on an object, forcing her to switch her animation. If you are unable to command her, you can also stand around without taking action near an interactible object for a few moments, such as a chair, or enchanting table, her idle behaviour will cause her to use nearby objects which will fix the issue.
 Disabling and re-enabling her with the console also fixes this.
 
Use the Unrelenting Force shout on her, or attack her until she falls to her knees.
A powerful Pacify spell such as Pacify or Harmony also fixes it, but requires the Master of the Mind perk unless she has been cured of her vampirism. For Imperials, Voice of the Emperor will also work, without the need for Master of the Mind.
Open the console, select Serana by either clicking on her or entering the code  , then try these codes to fix her behavior:   followed by  ,  , or  .
 
Travel to Castle Volkihar and enter using the side Undercroft entrance. Wait a few seconds and Serana should appear behind you (and following already).
 To bring back the "Come with me" dialogue after dismissing Serana, enter the code   in the console. You are given a long list of information. Scroll down the list using the page up and page down keys, and make sure that the following codes: CanFollow_var = True / IsFollowing_var = True / IsWaiting_var = True / TurnOffComeWithMe_var = False / LockedIn_var = False are in order by looking at the false/true (i.e., if LockedIn_var was set to true then you need to put it to false). To do this, enter the following command:  . Once you do this you should be able to recruit Serana to be your follower again. 
To get Serana following again after asking her to "Wait", go somewhere far away (like inside Fort Dawnguard) and wait three to five days.
 To fix this issue, enter the code   in the console. Scroll using the page up and page down keys to see whether  . If so, set the value to "false" with the following console command:  . Serana should then follow at the distance set by her   variable values.
 
 
 
 
 
 
To remedy this effect, get infected with vampirism. Then, after telling Serana to wait somewhere, proceed with the quest to cure it.
This is often a result of having been hit by her Drain Life attack while engaging in close combat with an enemy, or simply from being between her and the enemy when she attacks it. Wearing a Necklace of Disease Immunity seems to prevent this bug from happening.
 
Advance the primary questline of the College of Winterhold. The issue will be fixed when Quaranir freezes time.
This can also be fixed when the fight with Vyrthur commences. It seems that both he and Serana get set to ghost mode when the 'cutscene' starts, and restored to normal once it's over.
 Highlight Serana in the console and type  .
 
 You can temporarily fix this using the console: clicking on Serana, and then typing   and look for an item called Serana Hood. The number of hoods she has will be shown on the console and using  , where xx is the code for the Dawnguard add-on (probably 02 or 03, and is shown by the returned results of  ) and # is the number of hoods she has, should be able to get rid of the extra hoods. Unfortunately, the game will start adding new hoods after that, necessitating using this fix again.
 
 
She returns to you when you enter Ancestor Glade during the Unseen Visions quest.