It's the same old story…you're a vampire. You've had a hard day of sucking the lifeblood from innocent victims and dodging adventurers armed with silver short swords. You're tired, you've contracted something nasty from a rat bite, and the sun's about to come up. If only you had a nice safe place to hole up for the day. Now, thanks to those lovely realtors at Bethesda, you do. Welcome to the Vile Lair!

Like the Thieves' Den and the Wizard's Tower, the new Vile Lair plug-in is a dwelling meant to make a particular type of character feel right at home. While the Theives' Den favored the sneaky and the Wizard's Tower was meant for magic users, the Vile Lair is intended for the darker, meaner sort of character, offering a safe haven to would-be necromancers, assassins, and vampires. Set in a system of underwater caves, the Lair is absolutely enormous, and lower level characters be warned: it's extremely expensive to decorate. Players who aren't choosy about how they come by their cash should probably start with the Minion's Quarters first. Your blank-faced and extremely creepy minion will happily head out into the world at your command, slay an unwary victim, rob them of their valuables, and bring the booty on home to you. Sure, it's blood money, but morals are for people who can afford them, right?

The rest of the trappings for the Lair include the usual storage, study, and bedroom options, but a garden dedicated to the toxic plants of Cyrodiil (including the rare Chokeberry) is sure to please players that are especially fond of brewing poison. (If you're not up on your alchemy, the Lair comes equipped with a chest stocked with 14 different poisons of various flavors and strengths.) Located in the depths of the Lair is the Shrine to Sithis, where evil characters can cure their ills while thumbing their noses at the uppity Chapels that refuse to remove curses or diseases from sinners. Lastly, if you've ever wanted to experiment with vampirism, a special pool in the Lair will cure you of that affliction, should you want it to, and if you don't, a "cattle" pen will keep a ready supply of food on hand for you.

Although the Vile Lair is a no-brainer for players living on the dark side, goody-goodies looking for some sweet swag may just want to invest the $2 in the plug-in, anyway. Several skill books are scattered around the living areas, and amongst the yarn, calipers, and corn in the cupboards, you'll also find a delicious little weapon and some tasty armor, too. Oh, and by the way, the front door to the Lair can be a bit tricky to find (look in the log), but there's an above-ground trapdoor nearby that's much easier to use.

- Maj1013