Author's note: So first a heads up, I'm taking a few liberties with the world of Skyrim and the Elder Scrolls for this story in order to make it more coherent and enjoyable, hopefully. For example, magic and magic users will be much rarer and much stronger than in the game. Also I haven't played vanilla Skyrim in YEARS so there might be a detail here or there (mostly aesthetic like the armors and weapons) which will be described differently than in vanilla. I'll also be using the condensed timeline made by the lovely lads over at FudgeMuppet on their ideal Skyrim youtube video (with a few minor adjustments) as well as a few other lore-changes touched upon in the same video. (but not all). Secondly, this story takes place before the main questline of skyrim even though Dawnguard came out as a DLC. However, our main character, my oc, will have finished the Dark Brotherhood questline and assassinated the emperor before the start of this story. It can be a bit confusing but bear with me, it's all in service of telling a better story without confining myself to the restrictions of the game. As every other questline I touch in this story (and possible, however unlikely sequels), the DB questline did not go exactly as the game's version did. I will endeavor to slowly reveal our protagonist's backstory little by little. Finally, yes this will be Serana x Dragonborn but slowburn, I wanna give a shoutout to the Serana dialogue add-on as although that version of Serana is wildly different from the one I intend to write here, it still served as inspiration for me to get off my lazy ass and write xD. So Marty and Kerstyn, thank you for all your hard work!
Disclaimer: I don't own the Elder Scrolls universe, that's bethesda's I believe.
"Hey there! Are you here to join the Dawnguard too?" A young man, perhaps two or three years older than himself, approached Halfdan cautiously as he slowly exited the narrow crevice that led the way to Fort Dawnguard. He gave the young man a quick curious inspection before thinking about the best way to reply.
"I suppose I am, is this the right place then?" Halfdan's vibrant purple eyes were the only feature discernible given his face was covered in a black cloth face mask and shadowed by a dark hood. The blonde stranger relaxed a little upon hearing Halfdan's youthful voice and taking in his rather lithe build which wasn't as imposing as most of the men in Skyrim. Little did he know he spoke to the child of Sithis responsible for slaying the emperor of Tamriel. Halfdan felt a pang of guilt and regret at the thought of his past but he quickly pushed it back into the void where he kept the rest of his memories from when he was known as Hati, now he was Halfdan Whitemane a member of the Companions and grandson of Kodlak Whitemane.
"Yeah that's right, my name's Agmaer! Do you mind if I walk up to the fort with you? To be honest, I'm a bit nervous about meeting Isran by myself…" Agmaer smiled sheepishly while nervously rubbing the back of his neck. He wore simple farmer's clothes and a rusty iron axe attached to his belt. Not what would come to mind when you hear the title 'vampire hunter', still the Nord seemed sturdily built and the axe on his belt seemed to still have a bit of dried blood on it which implies he must be somewhat competent with it.
Halfdan nodded half-heartedly and resumed his way to the fort when Agmaer noticed his wolf amulet. "Wait! Is that… are you…" "-a Companion? Yes, I am." Halfdan couldn't help the small proud smile on his face, albeit hidden behind his mask, as he looked down at the amulet that belonged to his mother, his real mother.
"You must've killed lots of vampires then! I'm sure Isran will sign you right up. Not too sure if he'll take me though…" As Halfdan and Agmaer walked past an impressive waterfall they finally got their first view at the fort. Its size was certainly impressive, but it looked worn down and only a single sentry stood watch a shabby wooden tower.
She halted the pair and asked Halfdan to reveal his face before continuing further. Halfdan calmly complied and slowly lowered his hood and mask revealing stark white hair tied in a half-bun with loose strands covering the back of his neck. His skin was very pale and a strange scar branded his cheek. Overall his look and facial shape were that of a Nord but his thin structure, slightly pointy ears, and distinctive purple eyes gave away that he had mixed blood. Agmaer and the sentry, a female nord, stared in stunned silence for a moment. Except for the strange scar and the subtle bags under his eyes, the purple-eyed boy was incredibly beautiful. Without even a hint of stubble, were it not for his voice, and overall demeanor, Agmaer wouldn't be too sure if he was a boy at all.
"My name is Halfdan, I represent the companions-" he lifted his wolf medallion towards the sentry, either not noticing her and Agmaer's stares or actively ignoring them. "- Isran asked for our assistance. May I pass?"
The sentry shook herself out of her trance before clearing her throat and addressing Halfdan "Well, you look a bit young to be a companion, but that's not my concern I'm only here to make sure no leeches get past and you don't seem to mind the sun too much although I think you could certainly spend more time in it." She pauses for a second perhaps waiting for her light joke to land. Agmaer gives a polite chuckle while Halfdan smiles stoically. "Go ahead, Isran should be just inside." Halfdan and Agmaer give each other a quick look before moving on.
On the way, they walked past the orc that had come to Jorrvaskr asking for the Companion's assistance, who was practicing with a strange weapon Halfdan hadn't seen before that seemed to shoot arrows with more strength than any bow he'd ever used.
The Harbinger seemed visibly disturbed at the news of the vampire attack on the Hall of the Vigilants. With most of the fighting men in Skyrim involved in the civil war, which had grown all the more chaotic after the death of the emperor, organizations like the Companions and the Vigilants found themselves overwhelmed with the task of fighting monsters and bandits to keep the people of Skyrim safe. On the one hand, business was good but on the other, if the rumors of creatures as dreadful as vampires organizing and attacking large villages and settlements in ever increasing numbers were true, Kodlak feared even the civil war and the Thalmor would be the least of Skyrim's worries.
At the time all of the circle were off on jobs and the only members in the hall were mostly whelps and Halfdan who although technically a whelp, Kodlak knew of his past and knew Halfdan was the only one with any experience with vampires outside of the circle and some senior members. Therefore, he asked Halfdan to head there first and meet with Isran until he was able to relay the news to the Circle and they could decide who else to send together.
The duo finally reached the large double doors that served as the entrance to the fort itself where another man greeted them. This one was dressed in fancier and sturdier-looking gear than the other two: a kind of padded gambeson with metal pauldrons on the shoulders emblazoned with the image of a rising sun, a runed axe hung on his belt and the same kind of weapon Halfdan saw the orc wield earlier was strapped to his back.
"New recruits? Hmm. Isran will decide if you have what it takes." He spoke with a hint of gentleness in an otherwise firm tone as he stared at the pair intently, probably noting how young they looked. "Go ahead, he's just inside." The man, a breton judging by his looks and accent, stepped aside letting Halfdan and Agmaer enter. The size of the fort was just as impressive inside as it was outside, for as soon as they entered they walked into a huge hollow chamber with sunlight entering directly from a round opening in the ceiling which was several stories high. The first thing Halfdan and Agmaer noticed was a redguard wearing the same armor as the man who greeted them at the doors, having a heated discussion with another man, a nord wearing the typical armor of a vigilant of Stendarr, however fully covered in dirt, grime, and dark red blotches which Halfdan recognized as dried blood.
"Why are you here, Tolan? The Vigilants and I were finished with each other a long time ago." The redguard man, who Halfdan realized must be the 'Isran' he'd heard so much about.
"You know why I'm here. The Vigilants are under attack everywhere. The vampires are much more dangerous than we believed." Tolan's tone indicated he was losing his patience.
"And now you want to come running to safety with the Dawnguard, is that it? I seem to remember Keeper Carcette telling me repeatedly that Fort Dawnguard is a crumbling ruin, not worth the expense and manpower to repair. And now that you've stirred up the vampires against you, you come begging for my protection?" Isran spoke bitterly at the vigilant.
"Isran, Carcette is dead. The Hall of the Vigilants... everyone... they're all dead. You were right, we were wrong. Isn't that enough for you?" Halfdan noticed tears streaking the vigilant's face. His face held the countenance of a ghost: gaunt cheeks and deep bags under his eyes which seemed to have lost all light in them. The look of a man who had lost everything.
"Yes, well... I never wanted any of this to happen. I tried to warn all of you! I am... sorry, you know." The redguard man seemed unexpectedly remorseful and apologetic, given his earlier tone. His face remained stern however and he finally shifted his gaze to Halfdan who had approached stoically and confidently while Agmaer timidly hung back. A strange sight considering Agmaer was the older, taller, and stronger-looking of the two.
"You lost boy, why are you here?" He gazed coldly at Halfdan trying to intimidate him. Halfdan just gave a polite smile back before calmly answering: "My name is Halfdan, I've been sent by Kodlak Whitemane on behalf of the Companions to assist the Dawnguard against the vampire menace." He spoke in a polite yet emotionless tone, the manner of an obedient servant rather than a proud warrior.
Isran stared dumbfounded at the young man, no child. The boy couldn't have been older than 20 winters. By all accounts, he's considered a man at that age but when Isran sent for the companions he expected a small band of battle-hardened warriors or at the very least someone with experience against vampires like a member of the Circle: the famous twins or Aela the huntress perhaps. Instead, they send a child.
"I've clearly overestimated the Companion's commitment to the people of Skyrim if all they send is a whelp like you to help. Can't they see the direness of this situation! Look at the vigilants; they underestimated the vampire threat and now overnight they've been all but destroyed…" He gestures at Tolan before glaring back at Halfdan and stepping closer to him. "These aren't some slow, mindless draugr we're facing. These are Vampires! You get sloppy or careless and you're dead. Or worse, you become one of them, and then I'll have to make sure to personally destroy you." Isran's face was now an inch away from Halfdan as he spewed his words. "These aren't the kind of foes whelps like you should test their teeth with; so go along now, run back to Whiterun. Tell Kodlak to either get serious or get out of the way, lest he wishes to end up like the vigilants…" Isran was about to turn away and dismiss the boy but a glint in Halfdan's eyes caught his attention. Throughout Isran's tirade, Halfdan's face never showed a hint of fear, only slight confusion at first before returning to a polite smile as he replied.
"Oh don't worry, grandfather sent me because I have experience fighting vampires. In fact, I quite enjoy killing them, they are very fun prey!" Halfdan's smile widened slightly, now an unsettling grin, leaving Isran taken aback. Did he say 'grandfather'. Only now did Isran pay note to the boy's signature white hair, a signature of the Whitemane clan. Let alone that, the boy's seemingly genuine excitement at the prospect of killing vampires baffled him. His tone indicated no fear and Isran detected no insincerity, which only further astounded him. "Besides, I'm only here ahead of the others, because they were busy handling other contracts, the Harbinger will likely send more members and maybe even come here himself, after he's discussed things with the Circle." Halfdan finished nonchalantly.
After a few moments of stunned silence, a chuckle erupted from Isran causing Halfdan to frown in confusion. "You have some backbone, at least, kid. I'll give you that; Tolan, tell him about, what was it, Dimhollow?"
Tolan, who stood to the side staring vacantly into space during the exchange, finally snapped from his trance. "Yes, that's it. Dimhollow Crypt. Brother Adalvald was sure it held some long-lost vampire artifact of some kind. We didn't listen to him any more than we did Isran. He was at the Hall when it was attacked..."
"That's good enough for me." Isran turned to Halfdan "I'm still busy setting up the fort and following up on other leads, so you go see what the vampires were looking for in this Dimhollow Crypt." His mouth curved into a mocking smirk. "With any luck, they'll still be there and you'll get to have your… fun. That is of course if you're as good as you say you are and don't die stupidly."
Tolan stepped forward with a determined look "I'll meet you at Dimhollow. It's the least I can do to avenge my fallen comrades."
Isran quickly interjects "Tolan, I don't think that's a good idea. You Vigilants were never trained for..."
"I know what you think of us. You think we're soft, that we're cowards. You think our deaths proved our weakness! Stendarr grant that you do not have to face the same test and be found wanting... I'm going to Dimhollow Crypt. Perhaps I can be of some small assistance to you." He finishes the last part looking at Halfdan before quickly exiting the fort ignoring Isran's calls behind him.
Halfdan is just about to follow after the strange man when Isran stops him.
"You there, boy. Stop skulking in the shadows and step up here. What's your name?" He finally addresses Agmaer.
"I'm, uh... my name is Agmaer, sir."
"Do I look like a "sir" to you, boy? I'm not a soldier, and you're not joining the army."
"Yes, si... Isran."
"Didn't I tell you to step forward? Hmm... Farmboy, eh? What's your weapon?"
"Uh, my weapon? I mostly just use my pa's axe, when wolves are attacking the goats or something."
"My pa's axe", Stendarr preserve us. Don't worry, I think we can make a Dawnguard out of you. Here, take this crossbow, and let's see how you shoot. You too." Isran goes to a chest in a corner of the room and when he comes back, hands Agamer and Halfdan a crossbow each. So this is what that orc was using earlier.
"Uh, crossbow? I've never..." Agmaer started uncertainly.
"Yes, a crossbow. Best thing for killing vampires. Just take a few shots at those crates over there. Watch the recoil. Takes some getting used to. That's it. Take a deep breath and let it out as you fire. You'll get the hang of it." He then proceeds to give them a quick lesson on how to use it. Halfdan found it slightly bulky but still easier and more convenient to carry than his elven bow so he decided to swap them out before grabbing a few silver bolts and heading off to Dimhollow Crypt.
End of Chapter 1, Feedback welcome and encouraged!