Serana Serana is an ancient pure - blood vampire and the daughter of Lord Harkon and Valerica . She is known as one of the " Daughters of Coldharbour , " and because of this she is central to the main questline in . After being encountered , she can be recruited as a follower , unlocking a multitude of interactions . Background . Origins . Her year of birth is unknown , but she was originally locked away in the mid - late Second Era , in between the rule of the Reman and Septim Empires . She is one of the few pure - blood Vampires known to exist . Pure - blood vampires are individuals who are granted vampirism directly from Molag Bal , the creator and patron deity of Vampires . The process is somewhat similar to the creation of the first vampire , Lamae Beolfag . Serana gained her vampirism through a ritual in which members of her family pledged themselves to Molag Bal . Females like Serana and her mother , Valerica , who survive the horrific ordeal are dubbed " Daughters of Coldharbour . " Prophecy . Her father , Lord Harkon , is leader of the Volkihar Clan based in Castle Volkihar . He discovered an ancient prophecy called the Tyranny of the Sun which , if enacted , would allow Vampires to roam the world freely without the fear of weakness from the sun ; but to do so , he required two Elder Scrolls , Auriel ' s Bow , and Serana for a ritual sacrifice . In response to this , her mother hid her away with one of the Elder Scrolls in a sealed sarcophagus within Dimhollow Crypt for thousands of years to protect her from her father . She then fled to the Soul Cairn with the other Scroll . Personality . She is enterprising and friendly , but also lonely due to her troubled childhood and her mother ' s self - exile , which is why she confides in the Dragonborn . She is wary of the Dragonborn at first meeting , refusing to share inventories , answer questions in detail , and not letting him / her travel too far ahead alone when told to wait . Because of her Vampiric weakness and time spent in Dimhollow , she will also complain to the Dragonborn about caves and the sun , yet also complain when the weather is anything but sunny as the sun is her preference . Although she complains a lot , she also acknowledges the beauty of Skyrim , especially areas featuring groves and rivers , stating that she is happy to be there with the Dragonborn . She harbors a degree of resentment towards her mother , Valerica , for locking her away for centuries and is angry that her feelings weren ' t taken into consideration . As a child she was close with her mother , but once her parents began to fight , she felt trapped between both . Her mother would often feed her negative opinions of her father and after a time Serana began to believe them . She was never very close with her father , Harkon , before her family became vampires , but once they became followers of Molag Bal , her relationship with him only worsened as her parents became drunk with power and were always in conflict . Her father started to see her as a means to an end and would often state that " " power takes precedence " " . Despite this she still admits to loving him as he is still her father . She feels trapped between the conflict that consumes her parents and sees herself as a pawn that they are using against each other . Deep down she wishes they were able to reconcile and become a family again , but realizes that it ' s not possible . When questioned about her vampirism , she can be defensive . She doesn ' t like to talk about the actual ceremony as it was degrading , but she doesn ' t seem to regret the power it has granted her , and rather sees it as a gift that she earned . The only regret she does seem to have is how it tore her family apart . Interactions . Awakening . After the Hall of the Vigilant was attacked by vampires , the Dragonborn is sent to Dimhollow Crypt to investigate further . Serana is discovered in the crypt and set free . She asks the Dragonborn to help her get home to Castle Volkihar . Chasing Echoes . Serana indicates her desire to locate her estranged mother , Valerica . She believes that she may have left a clue to her whereabouts somewhere in the courtyard of Castle Volkihar . The Dragonborn must travel with Serana and infiltrate the castle to discover the whereabouts of Valerica . Beyond Death . It is discovered Valerica fled to the Soul Cairn via a portal in Castle Volkihar . The Dragonborn and Serana must travel there to retrieve the Elder Scroll Valerica took with her . Unseen Visions . As Dexion Evicus , the Moth Priest who read Serana ' s Elder Scroll is now blind , the Dragonborn and Serana must travel to Ancestor Glade and learn how to read the Elder Scroll that will show them where to obtain Auriel ' s Bow . Touching the Sky . Serana travels with the Dragonborn to the Forgotten Vale to seek Auriel ' s Bow . Upon reaching the Inner Sanctum and meeting Arch - Curate Vyrthur , she discovers her role in the ancient prophecy her father was pursuing . Kindred Judgment . Serana travels with the Dragonborn back to Castle Volkihar to confront her father , Lord Harkon . Follower interactions . Unlike regular followers , Serana displays advanced behavior and situational awareness : Serana also displays specific reactions in some locations . When approaching Molag Bal ' s altar in Markarth ' s abandoned house , Serana kneels and protects her head with her arms . If taken to the High Hrothgar , she will also kneel on the ground , but in a posture of prayer similar to the Greybeards . Initially , Serana has fewer follower commands than other followers during the Dawnguard questline . Once the questline is completed , she can serve as a regular follower with the same set of commands that other followers have . In some circumstances , however , she may refuse to follow a command , or accept it conditionally . She will equip enchanted rings , chains and circlets , as well as both light and heavy armor . When outdoors , however , she wears her hood which displaces any circlets . Bloodcursed Elven Arrows . Upon completion of Touching the Sky , Serana will offer to make Bloodcursed Elven Arrow s for use with Auriel ' s Bow . Note that if the Dragonborn cured Serana of her vampirism , this ability to make such arrows will be lost . This limits the supply of these arrows to the ones made before she was cured . Confer vampirism . She can also be asked to bite the Dragonborn , which grants the ability to become a Vampire Lord , however this cannot be done if she has been cured of vampirism . While she is a follower , the Vampire Lord ' s Drain Life spell is weakened . Vampirism cure . Once the Dawnguard questline is complete , she can be asked about curing her Vampirism . Should she agree , she leaves to see Falion for a cure . She will return to Fort Dawnguard after a few days , cured , however will still exhibit certain traits of her previous Vampirism : The option to get her cured can be permanently lost by choosing the wrong dialogue options . If this occurs , every time she is asked about getting cured she replies " " I ' m not talking about this with you anymore . " " If this happens , the console command codice _ 1 can reset the cure conversation , allowing the Dragonborn to ask her about a cure again . Then choose the option saying , " " You could be your own person again . " " Combat . In battle , Serana proves herself to be a powerful necromancer . She will frequently raise the corpses of both humanoids and creatures , even very powerful ones such as Dremora Caitiffs . She prefers to dual wield Vampiric Drain and Ice Spike spells , but may use Lightning Bolt for attacking at range . At higher levels , she also uses Chain Lightning . She will switch to melee combat when her magicka runs dry , with her default weapon being an Elven Dagger . She will equip stronger daggers and swords if given to her and will even wield two - handed weapons . Bows seem to be her least favored weapon . She will equip a shield if given one , but unequips it as soon as combat starts , so she can use a spell in each hand . She also uses a staff if given a powerful enough one . She has a high Sneak skill — much more than many other followers . She also prefers light armor and her level is capped 50 .