Life in Cyrodiil can be challenging enough, filled with monstrous creatures, political intrigue, and treacherous dungeons. But for some adventurers, a far more insidious problem lurks: vampirism. Contracting this dreaded affliction in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion brings with it a host of powerful abilities, but also crippling weaknesses, none more debilitating than the sun’s searing touch and the mistrust of the very people you’re trying to help. If you’ve found yourself walking the path of the undead and yearn to feel the sun on your skin once more, you’re likely searching desperately for the Oblivion Cure Vampirism. The good news is, a cure exists! It’s not a simple potion you can buy off a shelf, but rather a complex quest involving a powerful mystic, rare ingredients, and a bit of legwork across Cyrodiil. This comprehensive guide will walk you through every step needed to shed your fangs and reclaim your mortal life by obtaining the definitive Oblivion cure for vampirism.
Understanding Vampirism Before Seeking a Cure
Before diving into the specifics of the Oblivion cure vampirism quest, it’s helpful to understand exactly what you’re dealing with. Vampirism in Oblivion begins with contracting the disease known as Porphyric Hemophilia. This typically happens when fighting vampires; they have a chance to transmit the disease upon hitting you. There’s a crucial 3-day window after infection where Porphyric Hemophilia acts like any other disease – a simple Cure Disease potion or spell will completely remove it, preventing the full transformation. If you miss this window, however, the disease progresses, and after three days, you will become a full-fledged vampire.
Once transformed, you enter the different stages of vampirism, progressing based on how long it’s been since you last fed. Each stage amplifies your vampiric powers (like Strength, Willpower, Speed boosts, and Resistances to Normal Weapons, Frost, and Disease) and grants new abilities (Vampire’s Sight, Seduction, Embrace of Shadow). However, the sun damage becomes increasingly severe, potentially burning you to death within seconds at stage four. Additionally, NPCs become less friendly and may even refuse to talk to you. It’s these severe drawbacks that typically drive players to seek the challenging but necessary Oblivion cure for vampirism. The inconvenient truth is, while vampiric powers are alluring, the practicalities of navigating the world of Oblivion while constantly avoiding sunlight and feeding can become tiresome, making the Oblivion cure vampirism quest a high priority for many.
Starting the Vampire Cure Quest
The journey to secure the Oblivion cure vampirism begins, perhaps unsurprisingly, by simply being a vampire and asking around. Most NPCs, particularly innkeepers and beggars who are often repositories of local gossip and rumors, can initiate the quest. Once you are a vampire (at any stage), talk to these characters. They will eventually express concern or comment on your appearance, subtly hinting at a possible solution or directing you to someone who might know more. The most common path is being directed to the Mages Guild. Members there, steeped in arcane knowledge, are considered the best source of information regarding strange afflictions like vampirism.
Upon visiting a Mages Guild hall and inquiring about your condition, members will suggest speaking with someone who specializes in obscure magical knowledge. This will eventually lead you to the name of Melisande. Melisande is a powerful mystic rumored to possess the knowledge required to brew a potion that can permanently remove vampirism. Your next objective in the Oblivion cure vampirism quest chain is to find her. Melisande resides in Darkfathom Cave, located northeast of Bravil, along the shore of Niben Bay. Travel to Bravil, then head northeast, keeping an eye out for the cave entrance near the water. Be prepared, as the cave itself may contain some low-level undead or creatures, though nothing too formidable for a vampire character. Once inside, locate Melisande. Explain your predicament and your desire to rid yourself of vampirism. She confirms she has the knowledge but requires specific, difficult-to-obtain ingredients to create the unique potion needed for the Oblivion cure vampirism.
Gathering the Essential Ingredients for the Vampire Cure
Melisande’s potion for the Oblivion cure vampirism is no simple brew. It requires a collection of rare and potent components. She will provide you with a list of necessary items, and your next task is to scour Cyrodiil (and potentially the Deadlands) to collect them all. Successfully gathering these materials is the longest and often most challenging part of obtaining the Oblivion cure for vampirism. The required ingredients are:
- Five Grand Soul Gems (Must be filled with a Grand Soul)
- Two portions of Nightshade
- One portion of Garlic
- One portion of Bloodgrass
- One portion of Argonian Blood
Let’s break down where you can find each of these crucial components for the Oblivion cure vampirism:
Grand Soul Gems (Filled): This is perhaps the most challenging requirement. Grand Soul Gems are the largest and rarest soul gems, capable of holding the souls of creatures level 20 and above (like Minotaurs, Ogres, Storm Atronachs, Daedroth, etc.). Finding empty Grand Soul Gems can be done in high-level dungeons, Ayleid ruins, Daedric shrines, or sometimes purchased from Mages Guild vendors. The difficulty lies in filling them. You will need the Soul Trap spell or an item enchanted with Soul Trap. Cast the spell on a high-level creature before killing it to trap its soul in an empty Grand Soul Gem. You need five such filled gems. This requires finding five suitable creatures and successfully trapping their souls. This step alone can take significant time and effort, making these arguably the most valuable components for the Oblivion cure vampirism.
Nightshade: This is a relatively common alchemical ingredient, but you need two samples. Nightshade plants can be found growing in various locations, often in darker woods or near ruins. Alchemist shops often stock it as well. Look for purple flowers with dark leaves.
Garlic: A very common ingredient, often found hanging in bunches in homes, inns, taverns, and farms across Cyrodiil. Most alchemists and general goods merchants will also sell it. Finding one portion of garlic is usually trivial.
Bloodgrass: This ingredient is unique to the realms of Oblivion. You will need to enter an Oblivion Gate to find Bloodgrass. It grows commonly on the ground within the Deadlands environment. If you have already closed some Oblivion Gates during the main questline, revisit one of the sealed gate locations – sometimes, the plant life persists near the structure. Otherwise, you’ll need to find an active gate or load a save from before you closed them. This ingredient adds a dangerous element to the ingredient hunt for the Oblivion cure vampirism.
Argonian Blood: This is the most unique ingredient and cannot be gathered from a random Argonian. Melisande requires the blood of a specific individual: Count Janus Hassildor, the reclusive Count of Skingrad. Janus Hassildor is secretly a vampire himself, and his blood is necessary for the cure. You will need to travel to Castle Skingrad and gain an audience with the Count. Accessing the Count requires speaking to his steward, Nerussa, first. If you have already completed or progressed in the “Information at a Price” quest involving the Count, you may have easier access. Explain your quest for the Oblivion cure vampirism and your need for his blood. Being a fellow vampire (or seeking the cure from being one) often prompts him to assist you. He will provide you with a sample of his blood.
Once you have successfully gathered all five filled Grand Soul Gems, two Nightshade, one Garlic, one Bloodgrass, and the Argonian Blood from Count Hassildor, you possess all the necessary components for the Oblivion cure vampirism.
Completing the Cure: Crafting and Using the Potion
With all the rare and powerful ingredients in hand, the next step is to return to Melisande in Darkfathom Cave. Locate her and present her with the collection of items. She will confirm that you have brought everything she needs to brew the intricate potion for the Oblivion cure vampirism.
Melisande is a skilled mystic, but brewing such a powerful potion that alters the fundamental state of your being takes time. She will inform you that she needs precisely twenty-four in-game hours to complete the process. At this point, you can either wait there in the cave (using the wait function from your inventory) or leave and return after a full day has passed in the game world.
After waiting the required time, speak to Melisande again. She will have finished brewing the unique potion – the potent Oblivion cure vampirism. She will give it to you. This potion appears in your inventory like any other. To complete the process and remove your vampirism, simply select the potion from your inventory and use it.
Upon drinking the potion, you will experience a brief magical effect as the vampiric curse is lifted. A notification should appear on your screen confirming that you are no longer a vampire. You will immediately feel the effects – sun damage will cease, and NPCs will react to you normally again. Congratulations, you have successfully achieved the Oblivion cure vampirism!
Important Notes and What Happens After the Cure
Successfully completing the Oblivion cure vampirism quest and drinking Melisande’s potion permanently removes your vampirism from that instance of the disease. However, it’s important to note that you can potentially become a vampire again. If you are reinfected with Porphyric Hemophilia after being cured via the quest, the disease will not progress into full vampirism again automatically. The game prevents this second, un-cured transformation via the natural progression. However, if you deliberately seek out the questline again by talking to specific NPCs or using console commands, it is technically possible to become a vampire and complete the Oblivion cure vampirism quest a second time.
For players on the PC version of Oblivion, there are also console commands that can instantly cure vampirism, bypassing the entire quest. The command `setstage VLCure 100` can advance the quest to the completed stage, sometimes curing you. A more direct command is `player.removespell 0003A17F`, which directly removes the vampirism spell effect. While these offer a quick fix, they should be used with caution. Using console commands can sometimes lead to unexpected glitches or break questlines, and they completely bypass the experience of completing the intended Oblivion cure vampirism quest.
Remember the initial 3-day window of Porphyric Hemophilia. The easiest way to avoid the entire quest is to simply cure the disease using a standard Cure Disease item or spell before the transformation occurs. Prevention is much simpler than the cure, but if you miss that window, seeking the Oblivion cure vampirism through Melisande’s quest is the legitimate way to reverse the condition.
Conclusion
Becoming a vampire in Oblivion presents an interesting dilemma – a balance of powerful boons versus crippling banes. For most players, the struggle against sunlight and NPC hostility eventually outweighs the advantages, making the search for the Oblivion cure vampirism a necessary endeavor. The quest is a memorable part of the game, involving exploration, ingredient hunting across Cyrodiil and Oblivion, and interaction with unique characters like Melisande and Count Janus Hassildor.
While gathering the filled Grand Soul Gems and obtaining the Argonian Blood might pose challenges, completing the Vampire Cure quest and finally drinking that potion is incredibly satisfying. Reclaiming your ability to walk freely under the sun, interact normally with townspeople, and avoid the constant need to feed offers a significant quality-of-life improvement in your adventures.
We hope this guide has provided a clear roadmap to achieving the Oblivion cure vampirism. Have you completed this quest in Oblivion? Which ingredient was the hardest for you to find? Did you encounter any difficulties or bugs along the way? Share your experiences with the Oblivion cure vampirism in the comments below!
