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Welcome, all, to another Sky Forge Skyrim Building Event! The year is nearly at a close, and with the holidays looming, what better time to start planning a new character build?

So, on to the event. What is it?

Lore of the Ancients. An event centred around an ancient, obscure or faltering race, faction or religion of Tamriel. The possibilities for characters in this event is vast and will be quite open form in terms of how a character can be played. That means anything from the three main playstyles (Thief, Mage, Warrior) goes. 

To sign up for the event, follow this link, and let us know you are interested!

First of all, welcome into the new year! We hope you’ve all enjoyed the festive season. We thought we'd start the year off with a fresh new Skyrim Building Event

So without further adieu on to the event…

As you may have guessed by the name. This event revolves around magic. The premise is simple. Choose your character, and craft them around something to do with the arcane. Is your character a witch who lives in the isolated wilds? Maybe they are an aspiring student at The College of Winterhold. Or are they a shady illusionist who plies their trade for the Dark Brotherhood? With the new additions from the Anniversary Edition, there's never been a better time to be a mage in Skyrim. There are so many possibilities, and plenty of sources of inspiration to pull from, so let’s get building!

To sign up for the event, follow this link, and let us know you are interested!

Welcome one and all the The SkyForge's 4th Skyrim Character Building contest! The previous contests were massive successes we're hoping to repeat with our newest forray into competive Skyrim Character Building

So as always come on in and enjoy a friendly competition among friends and compete for a chance to win fabulous prizes, but only if you prove you're the best of the best. For more details on the contest please click the link below. There you can sign up for the contest. Best of luck to all those who compete!

https://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/character-build-events/gods-mortals-a-skyrim-character-building-contest

Since the success of Bloodlines, we've been asked many times, both here and on Discord, when's the next contest? When, when when? Speculate no longer. We at SkyForge, working together with first contest winner The Long-Chapper, have been brainstorming a theme that will sure challenge you into attaining new levels of creativity, especially with Skyrim entering its ninth year.

So ask yourself this question.  Have you really done it all? Have you? Is there anything new to discover? Fun to explore? Come find out and enjoy a friendly competition among friends and compete for a chance to win fabulous prizes, but only if you prove you're the best of the best. For more details on the contest please click the link below. There you can sign up for the contest. Best of luck to all those who decide to compete!

https://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/character-build-events/back-to-basics-a-skyrim-character-building-contest

Hey guys welcome to another weekly showcase. This week we’ll be diving into the shoes of FishDoubt’s Weeping Angel based off of the creepy beings of the same name from Doctor Who.

Strike in an absolute blur of unmatched precision, tactically control the battlefield through the use of select shouts, spells and skills.  The Weeping Angel is true foe to be feared, for you never no when they will strike.

FishDoubt has combined some very nifty skills together to make one very efficient assassin. If striking with speed, finesse and leaving no witness’s is your kind of playstyle I’d encourage you to take a good look at this awesome character build!

Be sure to keep the characters rolling guys because you very well could find your own work featured on the homepage!

Welcome one and all the The SkyForge's second ever Skyrim Character Building contest! The previous contest was a massive success which brought in some of the best Skyrim builds to ever grace this community, and we aim to repeat that success with our latest contest. 

So come on in and enjoy a friendly competition among friends and compete for a chance to win fabulous prizes, but only if you prove you're the best of the best. For more details on the contest please click the link below. There you can sign up for the contest. Best of luck to all those who compete!

https://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/character-build-events/bloodlines-a-skyrim-character-building-contest

Hail, adventurers! Welcome to another of our weekly Character Build Showcase posts, where we at the Skyforge draw some attention to a build that has gone far more unnoticed than it deserves. Last week we re-publicized The Prodigal Son, the amazing Fallout character build by The Long Chapper (a.k.a. Lissette). Thanks to Curse for writing up that showcase! Last time I wrote a showcase, we covered a necromacy build, so I decided I'd go in a different direction this time around and draw some attention to a build with a healing, life-giving archetype. The Way-Maker by Matt Feeney fit the bill perfectly. An absolute classic originating on the Tamriel Vault, Matt rebooted the build and posted it here on the Forge. The build comes with some awesome lore steeped in Redguard religious tradition:

Have you heard the Story of the Way-Maker? I thought not, few have. They say that when the End Times begins, the great and all-powerful HoonDing shall arise once again. Arise to carry the star children into the next Cycle. The HoonDing has always lead us forward; crown, rebel, or sword, he has always been there. But the next avatar, he shall truly accept his role. He will not stand as Crown, Sword, or Rebel, he shall stand as all. He will be the Thrice-Bled Guide. A Crown, for his faith will be unshakable. A Sword, for he will pierce through all that stand in the way of Morwha's children. And a Rebel, for in his quest he will shake the pillars that bind this world and defy the heathen gods. Now break the shackles, my child, lest your hand be severed when you are freed...

Matt has put together a build with an interesting format. The Way-Maker comes with some of the most interesting and rewarding progression I've ever seen in a build. He begins his quest as a simple acolyte of the HoonDing, named The Wanderer. In this basic form, the Way-Maker relies on clever battlefield maneuvering and hiding behind/buffing any follower that has accompanied him on his journey. As he steps more into his role as HoonDing's Chosen, the Way-Maker becomes The High Priest, a form in which he has unlocked many arcane secrets. He uses many ancient staves to give him the upper hand in battle, and most importantly, uses the Voice of HoonDing to call his enemies to his side. Finally, as the Way-Maker truly becomes the Avatar of HoonDing, he can call upon the power of his God and truly become unstoppable in the form of The HoonDing. 

Matt's build features incredible gameplay mechanics at every stage, and the progression from Wanderer to Avatar is a truly motivating and rewarding experience. If any of this even remotely piques your interest, I highly recommend you click the link above and check out the work that Matt has put into this build.

Well? What are you still reading this post for? Get over there to that epic build and be sure to leave behind a like and a comment. 

As usual, you'll see another highlighted build here on the front page of the Forge next week. Definitely keep an eye out, because that build could even be one of your own. There's a countless archive of incredible builds on here, and we want to see that grow. So, my dear adventurers, continue the great work on character builds. Glory awaits those who seek it!

Welcome one and all to our newest event Stories of Skyrim! This is a unique cross over event between our Skyrim Character Building and Story Corner group where you'll be teamed up with a partner to craft both a short story and a build for an original character of your creation. 

Whether you like making character builds or writing stories theres something in this event for everyone.

Follow the link below to learn more details about this event and sign up to join!

https://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/the-story-corner/featured-works/cross-group-character-build-event-stories-of-skyrim

After much deliberation we have finally determined the winners for The Sky Forge's first ever character building contest. The grand winner coming in at 1st place is The Sea Ghost by The Long Chapper! 

The Long Chapper, also known as Lissette, amazed the contest judges with her stunning build presentation and masteful incorporation of little known lore elements into her build. The end result is a haunting marauder who seeks souls rather than material plunder, set to send chills down your spine. Take a look at what the judges had to say:

"The build demonstrates a very acute and meticulous understanding and implementation of lore, with the in-world text as a foundation. You did a great job bringing it to life with your character. This is a book I hadn’t read before, and you sparked my interest."

"Holy crap, dude. That backstory piece at the top. It immediately drew me in and it amazes me how you took a relatively not well known piece of lore and expanded it into a full build and story. This bit of lore perfectly connected with the other aspects of the build."

"The build has excellent roleplaying aspects. The roleplaying seamlessly connects with the lore and gameplay. You know everything about the character that you need to know from reading and no recommended quest feels out of place. Great job!"

Just reading the build makes it abundantly clear that Lissettee put nothing less than her best effort forward, and the amount of research and testing that went into this build shows just how much pride Lissette takes in her creative work. The Sea Ghost is a definite must play for anyone seeking a deep and involved roleplay heavy character with some really neat gameplay to boot. I for one will certainly be giving this build a try soon!

Nipping right at the heels of The Sea Ghost and coming in at 2nd place is The Sea of Ghost Siren by Kendrix Trixie. Among the contest's numerous impressive entries it was the Sea of Ghosts Siren along with the Sea Ghost that stood out the most. Kendrix is well known for her attention grabbing writing and her latest venture, a long dead argonian lost at sea and hell bent on revenge, is no different. Take a look at what the judges had to say: 

"Amazing interpretation of real-world mythology. Lore fits neatly into TES lore and accomplishes everything it needs to. Informs the reader how the character would act whilst allowing interpretations of that background. Story is well crafted and shines with polish and thought."

"Build clearly presents a complex and authentic character with rules and motivations that feel consistent and appropriate. Some minor hand waving to make the different elements combine, but overall it’s pretty effective and interesting to me."

Kendrix has done a wonderul job of integrating elements of Argonian lore and real world siren myths into her build. In a contest where one would expect no shortage of scimitar waving rabble rousers, Kendrix went a completely different direction. A vengeful undead marauder driven to seek vengeance against those who enslaved and doomed her to die at sea is a far departure from what I expected, but a very welcome surprise nontheless. 

The gameplay is as unique and involved as the roleplay and lore, possessing quite a lot of different poison, bleed and disease aspects that compliment each other well. Perfect for exacting the revenge the Hist demands in the most gruesome ways possible. If you're looking to sow some chaos in the name of the Hist then I think you've found the right build!

Coming in at 3rd place is the Cutthroat by Lee Fiskilis Carpenter . I'd be remiss if I didn't note how tight the race for 3rd place was. 3rd place was was a very close call with at least 4 builds of exceptionally high quality vying for the spot, each no more than 2 points apart. But coming out on top was the Cutthroat, beating out the Dead Tide by NomadDash by just a fraction of a point!

As the first build submitted for the contest the Cutthroat set a very high bar and made for a tough contender to beat. Lee's build took the quintissential pirate and married it to the worst things everyone expects out of Khajiits - the theivery, the piracy, and skull-duggery and turned into this awesome pirate cat.   

Here's what the judge's had to say:

"While the concept isn’t super unique, it's still compelling and executed very well"

"The build does a very good job integrating a fringe lore faction in a believable and creative manner"

"I really like the use of mods. It feels mild, but also fits the build and the explanations of perks and how they fit the character."

The Cutthroat cleverly combines the unique pickpocket, one-handed, and stealth perks found in the Ordinator perk overhaul mod to create an underhanded duelist who sets his enemies up to fail well before the sabers start clashing. Lee's done a brilliant job creating a fun, fast paced build that rewards quick reaction, decisive strikes, and skillful sabotague. You couldn't ask for a build that feels more like a pirate than the Cutthroat!

And there you have it folks, the winners of the Pirates of Tamriel Character Building Contest. Take a moment to say congrats to the winners and let them know what you think of their builds. If you missed the chance to take part in this contest dont sweat it, we have many more contests planned for the future! 

Check out our contest thread to read the full break down of the judge's decisions and scores for the contest. 

 https://theskyforge.ning.com/groups/tes-character-building/character-build-events/pirates-of-tamriel-a-skyrim-character-building-contest

Everyone here on the Skyforge seemed to really enjoy our previous “Tales of Tamriel” character building event, so here we are with another one, as promised!

With this one we wanted to answer a fairly simple question: “How will the nature of a character build be affected by making it into a collaborative effort?” In the “Elder Scrolls Teams” event, you’ll discover what teamwork can do for your builds. The builds you’ll create will be done in teams of two (or more than two if you’re feeling ambitious!).

Even more interestingly, there are no other stipulations on what sort of build you and your team can create. The world of the Elder Scrolls is a pretty big one, so you may find it overwhelming to narrow it down to one concept. This is where you’re group comes in! Bounce ideas off of one another, play to each members strengths, and have loads of fun creating a character build that represents several weeks of a team effort.

We are truly looking forward to what comes out of this event. With so few restrictions, the end results will be wildly different. More exciting, though, is that this is an opportunity for some of you who have always wanted to get into building but never knew how. Our veteran builders here on the Forge will be more than willing to group up and help you out. So for those of you who are experienced character builds: enjoy this exciting group event. For those of you who are new: welcome to the world of Skyrim character building, and enjoy!

Click Here to see additional details & sign up!

Hello and welcome once again to our weekly Character Build Showcase, where we take a look at some of the high quality builds that you can find within the Skyrim Character Build Group.

This weeks showcase we're presenting the Morag Tong Assassin by Histcarp, and always to get you interested here is an excerpt written by Histcarp from the built itself:

The Morag Tong Assassin is a versatile and deadly assassin, skilled in multiple forms of combat and elimination. A master of martial prowess, sharpshooting, resourcefulness and arcane skill. Her diverse array of training leaves no obstacle in her way.

No doubt many of you have seen more than your fair share of stealthy Morag Tong builds, but Histcarp's rendition of this ever popular character build theme stands out from the rest. 

The Morag Tong Assassin is capable of far more than just silent kills, boasting a wide array of options for cold calculated elimination. Versatility is the name of the game here, and unlike most assassin builds the Morag Tong Agent is just as capable of fighting her enemies head on as she is at dispatching them silently. 

If you're still not convinced that this is THE assassin build to play then we've got a video by our good friend PCOutcast to give you a taste of what this build is capable of:

As always, go check this build out and check back soon for another Character Build Showcase. Keep on building and it may just be your build we feature next! 

Welcome back to The Sky Forge's Character Build Showcase, where we take a look at some of the awesome and unique builds you can find within the Skyrim Character Building Group.

This week we've chosen a Vigilants of Stendarr build by Joe entitled The Keeper of the Vigil. You've likely read more than a few Vigilant of Stendarr builds, but this build stands out from the rest with a very unique and interesting take on the ever popular daedra hunting faction.

The Keeper of the Vigil was at one point in time leader of the Vigilants of Stendarr, but a chance encounter with the Daedric Prince Meridia changed everything. The Keeper swears to serve Meridia and aid the prince in eradicating the undead, but while few would consider Meridia to be evil, a daedra is still a daedra, and the Vigilants code leaves little room for negotiation. 

Its always refreshing to see a build that takes a tried and true theme like the Vigilants and flip it on its head. The Keeper of the Vigil presents you with two separate and opposing entities who share very similar goals. If you are looking for a fresh and interesting roleplay experience we highly recommend this build. 

So check out the Keeper of the Vigil and check back soon for another Character Build Showcase. As always keep on building and it may just be your build we feature next!

Welcome to The Sky Forge's first ever Character Build Showcase, where we take a look at some of the high quality builds that you can find within the Character Build Group.

For our first showcase we've chosen a rather popular build with some pretty unique mechanics at work, and its the Crystallurgist by John a.k.a.  Teccam. And to pique your interests here's an excerpt from the build itself. 

Crystallurgists are mysterious artificers who seek to gain an understanding of the relationship between souls, gems, and magical energy. Ancient techniques passed down through the reclusive guild grant Crystallurgists the unique ability to harness latent energy from souls and spells. This energy can be converted into pure Magicka, or stored in focused crystals for later use.

Very few political and social circles in Tamriel understand the subtle nature of soul artifice. Most would view it as an offshoot of Necromancy -- and in some ways, perhaps it is. To protect themselves from persecution, Crystallurgists must obtain proficiency with all of the tools at their disposal, gaining not only a theoretical aptitude but a practical one as well. 

A master Crystallurgist is capable of using soul energy to incinerate her foes, bolster her own defenses, restore her own magical energy, call forth warriors of spiritual energy, and control entire armies. Furthermore, she can create truly godlike weapons through secret arcane techniques. In short, the Crystallurgist is a force capable of dismantling an entire kingdom single-handedly.

Builds that seek to incorporate unique styles of magick not present in the game are always among the most creative, and the Crystallurgist is arguably the most creative of them all. If you've been looking for an excuse to try out an altmer spell sword then do yourself a favor and give this build a look.. Through clever use of alchemy John has created a uniquely capable spellsword able to take enchantment and destruction damage to unfathomable heights. 

So check out the Crystallurgist and check back soon for another Character Build Showcase. Keep on building and it may just be your build we feature next!