Bloodlines have been judged, and after much deliberation the judges have determined the winners of the Bloodlines Character Building Contest. This was a contest filled with a multitude of quality submissions and it was a tough call for the judges. But a grand winner has been chosen and coming in at 1st place is The Chimera by Erinoth!
Erinoth amazed the contest judges with an absolutely wonderful build presentation and brilliant incorporation of Reachmen lore into his build. It's clear Erinoth went the extra mile to produce quite possibly one of the best werewolf builds the community has ever seen. Take a look at what the judges had to say:
"Absolutely wonderful job, and not just for a first build. This is top tier. You clearly went above and beyond, especially with the artwork and visual design."
"You’ve clearly gone the extra mile here with your images and formatting. Everything is well set out and flows brilliantly."
"Strongly written backstory. The artwork is lovely, fitting with the aesthetic of the build..."
Its hard to believe that this is only Erinoth's first ever skyrim build. He came out of nowhere, and not five minutes into joining the commnity jumped into the contest, and came out ahead in a contest filled with talented character builders. He's just one build in and already it's clear he's set a very high bar for himself. I think I speak for many when I say I'm looking forward to what he produces in the future.
Coming in right behind the Chimera and placing 2nd is The Blood & Moonlight by Kendrix Trixie. Anyone who knows Kendrix is already more than familiar with the quality she puts forth in everything she does. So its not surprising that for the second time Kendrix has placed in the top three in the contests, which is no small feat. For this contest Kendrix dared to try something entirely new with her submission and created two builds, a werewolf and a vampire, meant to be played simultaneously. Kendrix has been known to craft memorable characters you just cant help but fall in love with, and the supernatural duo of Blood and Moonlight are no different. Here is a sampling of what the judges had to say:
"I confess, I was looking forward to seeing another build of yours after how much I liked reading the last contest entry of yours, and this holds up just as well in this category"
"As you said yourself the roleplay is the star of the show here. The motives and morality of the characters both individually and together are well established and made for a very entertaining read"
"I like the idea of a two-in-one that isn’t just a “paths build”, and also where the two styles are meant to actually be played together in a mod that may actually allow that to happen."
Kendrix has done a wonderul job of integrating elements of her build's short story into the gameplay. Her characters couldnt be more different. The reclusive, blood magic wielding nightblade presents a stark contrast to her carefree and headstrong companion, but the inseparable pair compliment each other well both in ability and personality. In a contest filled with blood thirsty lycanthropes and power hungry vampies, Kendrix's build stands out among the pack with its endearing tale of an unlikely friendship born of a shared desire to survive.
Coming in at 3rd place is the Sanguine Protector by JustJam. Just like Kendrix, JustJam has quickly established a strong reputation for quality Skyrim builds. As the first build submitted early into this contest, the Sanguine Protector set quite a standard for the other contenders. Jam combined unlikely archetypes and uncommon roleplay together to create possibly one of the most unique vampire builds I've read in a long time.
Here's what the judge's had to say:
"The “benevolent vampire” is a fun and often under-represented archetype, and you’ve brought a pretty good take of it. It’s easy to just say that the sheer nature of being a vampire that hunts other vampires makes for an interesting enough character, but that is a disservice to the potential subtlety of this archetype. Your character is more compelling because of the recurring theme of the “greater good” being used to justify harming innocents -- this is a fun and twisted sort of ethics that works in a very ironic sense for a vampire"
"Like I mentioned in my comment I’m a big fan of the unconventional vampire roleplay you’ve got set up. The character growth around how they become more disciplined and overcome their vampiric nature certainly made things more believable."
The Sanguine Protector cleverly combines assets from the Ordinator and Sacrosanct overhaul mods to create an unconventional stealthy vampiric shield mage playstyle possessing a multitude of tools to destroy her enemies. Jam has done a remarkable job creating a fun, fast paced, and versatile build, but where the build truly shines is its roleplay. Playing as a benevolent vampire who struggles to fight for the greater good while controlling her hunger is an unexpected but welcome departure from the typical evil vampire build.
And there you have it folks, the winners of the Bloodlines 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!
Comments
Gotta admit, not really surprised at the winners; they went above and beyond here. Congrats to them!
But that's not to say the rest of the builds weren't amazing in their own rights. I sure as heck can't imagine the tough time the judges had with these. Great job to everyone who participated in the contest, and here's to many more!
Congrats, everyone! Honningbrew mead all-round!