Greetings and bienvenue my fellow Skyrimmers. Happy Spooky Month, and welcome to my submission for the Ghouls and Goblins Event! After some mental roulette wheels for what to do, I decided to look to my ancestral folklore. Welcome to the tale of a wandering viscera eater, a silent devourer of blood and flesh, welcome to the bloody tale of…
“The Manananggal, no one knows where they came from. Midwives claim they are the wraiths of women who lost their babes, others say they are the wicked who made a pact with Namira and Molag Bal both. Whatever the case, make sure to bring with you daggers, salt, and garlic, as well as blessed items.
These foul beings take the guide of beautiful maidens by day. By night, they unhinge themselves from their lower bodies, taking flight. With their sharp, tendril-like tongues, they eat the viscera of the sleeping, particularly enjoying the flavor of pregnant women. May the Nine help you if you run afoul of the Manananggal ....”
The Viscera Sucker-Yousef Nepomuceno
Build Overview
Race: Dunmer Vampire. Not only do they have a natural +50% resistance to fire, mitigating at most half of the Weakness to Fire, as well as a +5 Bonus to Illusion and Sneak.
Standing Stone: Start out with the Mage for leveling purposes, then swap over to the Lover once you feel you’ve leveled magical skills enough, then finally over to the Serpent.
Stat Spread: 3/1/3 in Magicka, Health, and Stamina. Cap health at 170. While this character can last a bit in a straight fight, she’ll primarily keep her distance and use Fear and Frenzy spells to have her enemies dance to her tune.
Veneration Namira and Molag Bal.
Inspiration: The Mananaggal (Filipino Folklore)
Alignment: Lawful Evil during the day, Chaotic Evil come nightfall. During the daylight hours, the viscera eater is capable of appearing as an ordinary, if supernaturally beautiful, civilian.
Playstyle: Nightblade
Skills
Illusion-Whether it be calming her would be targets so she can slip by unseen, rallying her thralls, or sending the weak willed on the run for a hunt, Illusion can aid the Mananggal well.
Conjuration-Whether wolves or wraiths, the Mananaggal is often accompamied by other horrors to aid her in her morbid feasts.
Enchanting-Harnessing the souls as well as the blood and flesh of her foes, the viscera sucker makes up for her relatively low defense with enchanted gear.
One-Handed: Wielding Miraak’s sword in lieu of her tongue, the Mananaggal is capable of defending herself when need be.
Lockpicking-Whether it be a simple hut to a fortified manor, a combination of her claws and tongue allow the Manananggal to slip in to any residence, or chest if she’s feeling avaricious.
Sneak-While Illusion has Invisibility and Chameleon, sometimes you need a little sneaking, either to break the flow of combat and heal up, or to scout out locales.
Speech-Taking the visage of a beautiful maiden in the daytime, the viscera sucker is able to leverage her feminine wiles to get better deals from merchants, or persuade/intimidate others when needed.
Gameplay
Combat as the Manananggal starts slowly and steadily. Drop into Stealth and scope out any potential battlefields at first. You’ll want to pick off any ranged enemies, such as archers first. Following on from that, use a mix of Fear and Frenzy spells to turn your enemies against each other, thinning the herd, especially given how much of a glass gun you are.
Fitting with the inspiration, I personally chose to try and heal primarily via the Ring of Namira and feeding, using Fear to both get some breathing room to heal
Against dragons, your Atronachs and follower, in this case I chose the wonderful Teldryn Sero, equipped with the best armor I could find and enchantment by the by, followers are only affected by a select few enchantments which are:
- Fortify Health
- Fortify Heavy Armor
- Fortify Light Armor
- Fortify Magicka
- Fortify Stamina
- Fortify Unarmed
- Muffle
- Resist Fire
- Resist Frost
- Resist Magic
- Resist Poison
- Resist Shock
- Waterbreathing
In this game, the endgame was some Ebony Armor with a Daedric Piece or two I got via the Bittercup CC, and equipping him with Goldbrand from the well, Goldbrand creation. But yes, back to dragons, using Courage spells on my minions to buff them up, waiting for the dragon to land, or once you get up to there, Dragonrend. Alongside this, make use of cover when possible, like a tree, a rock, or a wall to deal with their breath, or use Become Ethereal once its acquired.
Otherwise, in all other fights, you’ll want to hit and run to strike enemies, while occasionally resummoning your conjured mooks, or buff Teldryn with the occasional healing spell or Courage, taking the odd slash or two at a foe and moving back into the backlanes, only going into full combat
Quest wise we’ll be doing all three of the Main Quests, IE Main Game, Dawnguard (Siding with the Volkihar Clan and supplanting Harkon), and Dragonborn. Alongside this we’ll be doing the Dark Brotherhood, the College of Winterhold, Blood on the Ice, Taste of Death, and Laid to Rest.
Equipment
*Early on in my gameplay, and eventually during daytime hours in Skyrim, I garbed the Mananaggal in a mixture of Thalmor Gloves and Boots, courtesy of the dead Thalmor Justiciar by Helgen at the Shrine of Talos, coupled with the Tavern Clothes you can nab from Alva’s body while investigating her abode. Don’t forget to feed on her and Hroggai too. Diablerie will be a norm for this vampiric lady.
Special Moves
Separation-As in folklore, when night falls, the Mananaggal is able to seperate her lower half from her upper, allowing her to swiftly glide through the darkened skies. (Bloodcursed Elven Arrows+Auriel’s Bow+Become Ethereal+Eternal Spirit (Meditate with Paarthurnaxx on Become Ethereal).
Dark Feast-Unleashing an aura of fear amongst her foes, the Mananggal uses the opportunity to slake her hunger for the flesh of the dead. (Dual Cast Fear or Rout/Hysteria+Ring of Namira+Feed)
Roleplay
- Stay away from salt, garlic, daggers, and holy places, for they are anathema to you.
- Try and only feed at night, for then you have the cover of darkness to hide your morbid feasting.
- Focus on feeding on women, or those who won’t be missed, such as beggars and mercenaries. Also primarily heal via feeding on corpses or Vampiric Drain/the Arcane Accessories Drain spells.
- On occasion, return to the shrine of Molag Bal in either Castle Volkihar or the house in Markarth, as well as Reachcliff Cave, to offer veneration to Bal and Namira.
- Collect Hawk and Chicken Eggs, for the Mananaggal loves feasting on the embryos within.
Wrap Up
Well, as Porky Pig famously says, "T-T-That's all folks!" OK, Looney Tunes reference aside, thank you for reading my build, which even before the Event I've toyed with here and there. I hope you've all enjoyed this little build based off a blood and viscera devouring beast from ancient Filipino folklore. Thanks again to Jazzy for the spreads, and you all for reading. Till next build!
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