Herbane ' s Bestiary Herbane ' s Bestiary is a series of books relating to Hagraven s , Ice Wraith s , and Automaton s . Content . Herbane ' s Bestiary : Automatons . " Herbane ' s Bestiary : Dwarven Automatons " 9 The Dwarves have been extinct for many an age , and perhaps for the best . To see men and women the size of large children , all with beards , would be a most disturbing sight . Still , whatever wrath the Dwarves brought from the gods that consumed an entire civilization surely must have been an awe - inspiring thing to witness . The remnants of their civilization lie buried in the hearts of mountains , and scholars and thieves the world over descend on the skeletal remains of dwarven cities like vultures , to scrape clean the bones of the past , old knowledge waiting to be exhumed and treasures to be discovered . But many men lay murdered in those halls of the damned , because those dwarven ruins do not release their treasures without a fight . My kin would tell the stories long ago , when I was just a child , about how adept the Dwarves were at building machines . They would say that before our time , dwarves harnessed the power of the earth , and wielded fire and hammers to reshape steel and bronze with a mechanical brilliance that breathed life into these now ancient constructs of metal and magic . In the dark halls and chambers amid the ceasless droning of grinding gears and venting steam , they lie in wait to confound or destroy would - be plunderers of the dwarven sanctums , as the grim watchmen of the last vestiges of culture from a dead race . I descended into the humid darkness of Mzulft . The slow hiss of steam , creaking of metal and the rattle of old gears powering an empty city would unnerve most men . I could hear things in the darkness , skittering across the floor just out of sight and as I stepped over the bodies of plunderers or scholars who had not made it far , I knew it was not rats wandering these halls . Small mechanical spiders set upon me with rapid movements , and machines sprouted from the walls and uncurled from spheres into contraptions that rolled on top of gears for legs and crossbows for arms . I could not help but marvel at these single purpose machines built for the murder of men . My sword and my shield are my strength and I am undeterred by such things because I had heard of greater things that roam these depths , and indeed something else in these chambers stirred , and it echoed with massive weight . As it lumbered closer , its feet struck the ground as if walking on massive pistons and as it loomed out of darkness , I could see it clear for the first time , axe for one hand , hammer for the other , as tall as five men , made of dull bronze with a face molded in the image of its masters . A Steam Centurion . The stories were true , these were the guardians of the greatest dwarven treasures . We fought , and the dwarves must truly be extinct because our battle was surely booming enough to wake the dead . It came at me with hammer and axe , inhuman strength and great fortitude , and a purpose of nothing but murder . I dodged as it crushed the stone around me with futile strikes and I thrust and slashed at it with my blade and took every opening afforded as we shook the halls with violence . I refuse to be undone by a machine . Where the average man would be long dead , I stood over the husk of this dead automaton , its steam escaping like a final gasp . I could have taken the dwarven artifacts and metal but left them there for others , for I would not hex my journey with the possessions of dead men and maybe that is where countless others go wrong . I will continue to my journey across the lands , And perhaps one day will meet a worthy challenge , for I have yet to see what would make me tremble . Herbane ' s Bestiary : Hagravens . 5 Sun ' s Dawn I have heard a tale most bizarre - a beautiful young woman cast out of town by the thrown stones of accusers for giving in to the dark arts . They say she fled into the Reach and never reappeared , and justly so because they say the devilry of her magic had grown stronger with each new day . Shortly after , a witch of half woman and half bird had been sighted deep in the mountains , and as the sightings increased the young women began to disappear . This tale has brought me to the Reach , where this witch they call a Hagraven makes home . With sword and shield at the ready , for I must see this creature and I must slay it . 24 Sun ' s Dawn The stomach of an average man would turn at the cruelty set before me - I first saw the thatch and bone , the human skulls , the dead goat head mounted on pikes , filthy animals pelts , loose entrails , and leathers matted in blood . I had heard that Forsworn revere and protect these Hagravens , and all around were their small , crude trinkets and to these witches on which sat dull , empty soul gems . What vile creature would live where all things are dead ? Deeper into the lair , I heard it first - an unsteady shuffling , followed by a heaving , unforgettable stench . I thrust the torch in front of me and waited for my eyes to adjust to the tunnel of darkness ahead of me . I saw the silhouette of what I thought to be a frail woman on an awkward gait , but the light of the torch revealed something else . This Hagraven was horrifying , almost human but more an abomination of woman and creature fused together , nothing more than a husk of humanity surrendered in exchange for possession of the powers of dark magic . This magic corrupted her greatly , and her dull , glass eyes stared with hate from the visage of an old crone sat atop the body of a contorted , misshapen human body adorned with black feathers . It bristled as it let out a piercing scream , and as vivid red light began to form in the palm of its talons , it was all I could do to raise my shield in defense of magic most foul . I fought through devilry that seemed to snatch life from me , and the thought that this thing was once a woman seemed to play on my nerves . Most men would have crumbled , but I do not bend . The Hagraven is a most repulsive creature , and deserving of its fate and its claws that are my trophy will tell the story of triumph . I have naught but to continue my travels and my conquests , for I have yet to see what would make me tremble . Herbane ' s Bestiary : Ice Wraiths . 17 Last Seed When chill descended on me as I traveled further north through the frozen plains and mountains , I settled in at the inn at Dawnstar for a moment of respite and a warm meal . Another traveler there told me to be cautious , that there are creatures who settle into the powder white of the snow with nary a clue to the careless , until it is too late . He went on and on , with wild gestures and fantastic tales of entire merchant expeditions being killed by the beasts . His stories frightened the other inn patrons , but I will not be turned by a coward ' s tale , I will see these for my own eyes , for those icy caves and peaks of the north are exactly the type of places that call to an adventurer like me . It did not take me long to find what I sought . These Ice Wraiths are lucid , serpentine creatures of magic , as if conjured from the frozen tundra and glaciers of Skyrim itself . At one with an environment that makes them nearly invisible , these ethereal apparitions are the death of many Nords , if not by their sudden , unholy strike that casts their entire body through their target , then by the malady of Witbane , a curse of infection that dulls the intellect and makes the target even more the victim . As deadly as they are , Ice Wraiths are simple minded in their determination , and combat is a straight forward affair and brute force and a sharp blade are enough to fell these savage creatures . Only the heartiest of men would hope to survive just one of these beasts , but I have slain two with general ease . It ' s good that I ' ve found I can make decent coin selling the Ice Wraith ' s teeth , as they are a prized ingredient in alchemical potions . That will continue to afford me the opportunity to search these lands for a challenge worthy of story , for I have yet to see what would make me tremble .