Dual Daggers

Lore & Background

Forged in the hidden glades of Athel Loren, these paired daggers are said to be blessed by Kurnous, the elven god of the hunt. Each blade is etched with winding vine patterns that catch the light like whispers of the forest, and their edges are honed to a razor's fineness—capable of parting fur, flesh, and armor with equal disdain. Among the Asrai, such weapons are not mere tools but extensions of the wielder's will, passed down through generations of waywatchers who stalk the dark places between the trees.

In the hands of Kerillian, the Dual Daggers become instruments of surgical violence. She wields them with a dancer's grace, carving through Skaven and Chaos rotbloods alike with a fluidity that borders on the supernatural. The blades seem to hum with a faint, predatory song, and those who have faced them speak of a cold, fleeting kiss before the world goes dark. For the Shade career, these daggers are particularly lethal, channeling the shadowy arts of Nagarythe to strike from invisibility with devastating backstabs.

Though less effective against heavily armored foes or hordes of chaff, the Dual Daggers reward precise positioning and timing. They are the weapon of choice for elves who trust in their own speed and cunning over brute force—a philosophy that Kerillian embodies with every contemptuous flick of her wrist.

In Their Own Story

The rain-slicked cobbles of Ubersreik's merchant quarter glistened under a sliver of moon, each puddle a dark mirror to the sky. Kerillian pressed her back against a damp stone wall, the twin daggers in her hands feeling cool and alive—like extensions of her own sinew. Ahead, a patrol of Stormvermin clanked past, their halberds gleaming with rust and malice, their armored tails scraping the stones. She waited, counting heartbeats. The last rat's tail disappeared around a corner, and she moved—a whisper of leather and steel, a breath stolen from the night.

Her first target never saw her. The dagger slid between his helmet and gorget with a wet, yielding sigh, and he crumpled with a gurgle that died before it began. The second turned, snout twitching, but too late; her other blade found his throat in a flicker of silver. Two down, three to go. She stepped over the bodies, leaving no trace but the faint scent of pine and blood, her footfalls softer than a falling leaf. In the shadows, she was the forest's vengeance, and these vermin were merely kindling for the pyre—each life snuffed out with the cold precision of a hunter who has long forgotten mercy.

Reader's Guide

The Dual Daggers are a high-skill, high-reward weapon for Kerillian, specializing in single-target damage and critical hits. Their light attacks are extremely fast and chain into a rapid flurry, ideal for applying bleed or poison effects via talents. Heavy attacks deliver a powerful stab that deals bonus armor-piercing damage and can headshot reliably. The push-attack is a wide slash useful for creating space, but the daggers lack cleave, making them poor against hordes without support.

For the Shade career, Dual Daggers are a top-tier choice. The 'Infiltrate' ability combined with backstab damage from daggers can one-shot most elites and even some monsters. Pair them with the 'Assassin' talent for increased critical hit chance and 'Vanish' for stealth resets. Waystalkers can use them for quick skirmishing, while Handmaidens benefit from the stamina regeneration to spam pushes. Key stats to roll are Attack Speed, Crit Chance, and Crit Power. The daggers drop from any loot chest or commendation crate, and their red (Veteran) version, 'The Spiteful Dancers,' features a unique vine-wrapped hilt. Flavor text: 'Each step is a promise, each strike a memory.'

Did You Know?

• The Dual Daggers have the fastest light attack chain of any weapon in Vermintide 2, allowing for rapid stacking of damage-over-time effects—perfect for turning a rat into a pincushion before it can squeak.
• In the game's files, the daggers' model is shared with the 'Dual Swords' but uses a distinct animation set focused on stabbing rather than slashing; the difference is the difference between a surgeon and a butcher.
• The weapon's critical hit sound effect is a high-pitched shriek, which some players interpret as the blades 'singing' in battle—a song that ends in a funeral dirge for the Skaven.
• During the beta, Dual Daggers had a unique 'bleed' on heavy attacks that was later removed for balance reasons, leaving only the memory of a more brutal, blood-soaked era.