-Introduction-
Hello! I'm SaturnPM, and I'm here with my first ever build for the Sky Forge community!
This is the first entry in a series of builds I will be making for each of Skyrim's ten races. My goal for these builds is to highlight every race's unique game mechanics, visual aesthetics, and background lore while also introducing a few twists for a more flavorful and engaging playthrough experience. My builds will vary in strength, but they are primarily balanced around Expert difficulty and will mostly fall in the level range of 40-55.
To begin, I feel that it's only right to start with Skyrim's "default" race: the Nord.
This is the story of...
Ryn, Dragon of the Northern Winds.
I hope you enjoy!
-Story-
Alhough Falkreath has been referred to as the "Heroes' Graveyard" by many, it was also the birthplace of the Fourth Era's greatest hero. In the outskirts of the boreal forest lived an unassuming Nord couple. They were far too young and foolish to care for a child of their own, yet they brought their daughter, Brynja, into the world by accident.
When the tides of war dragged her ill-prepared father into battle, Brynja was left in the arms of her distraught mother. Brynja's memories of her early childhood were sparse and distant, living in an isolated cabin with a mother who saw her as little more than a mistake. One day, the news of her father's passing reached the cabin, and her mother was aboslutely devastated by the loss of her lover. Without the will to live, much less raise her daughter, her mother withered away in bed and left Brynja without a family to care for her. Horrified by the sight of her mother's lifeless body under the sheets, Brynja fled into the woods, knowing she would have to fend for herself if she wished to survive.
By neccessity, Brynja quickly adapted to the laws of the wild. Her natural Nordic hardiness protected her from the harsh cold while her innate athleticism allowed her to hunt small game and fish with her bare hands. Through trial and error, she learned to recognize which plants and berries were edible and developed clever remedies to keep herself healthy. Over several years of successfully surviving in Falkreath's wilderness, she wandered closer and closer to the Jerall Mountains, the natural border between Skyrim and Cyrodiil.
Winters were far harsher near the towering mountains, and Brynja searched for a cave to hole up in with the warm animal pelts she had gathered. To her surprise, the cave she decided to settle in housed a mother bear and her cubs. Enraged by her intrusion and the threat posed to her cubs, the bear chased Brynja through the cave. With every ounce of her strength, she fled the mother bear in a desperate sprint through the winding cave system. Somehow, Brynja outsped the beast, losing her in the maze of tunnels and emerging on the other side in Cyrodiil. With the roars of the mother bear still echoing from inside the cave, she continued running into the tall pines of northern Bruma, eventually collapsing in the snow from exhaustion and hypothermia.
By either chance or divine intervention, an apothecary who lived nearby was collecting ingredients and discovered Brynja's body lying still in the winter snow.
When she next opened her eyes, Brynja was lying down in a small, candlelit bedroom, buried in warm blankets. Before she could even process her surroundings, an elderly Nord woman entered the room and stood at her bedside with a potion in hand.
"This is called 'Winterblood'. Drink," the woman told her, putting the bottle to her lips and pouring it down her throat before she had a chance to protest. Once the potent concoction entered her system, Brynja felt a pleasant warmth wash over her and her shivering subsided in an instant.
"My name is Gjarla. What is your name, child?" the old woman asked, a proud smile across her face after she noticed her potion kicking in. Brynja stared at the woman in utter confusion. The feral child was barely able to understand the language the woman spoke after years spent in the wild.
"...Ryn," she hesitantly answered Gjarla, recalling but a fragment of the name her parents had given her so long ago. At this moment, she abandoned her old name, along with the memories of the parents that had abandoned her.
After saving her life, Gjarla took it upon herself to raise Ryn along with her Imperial husband, Larexus.
Ryn was first taught to speak by her adoptive parents, who were patient and supportive while she learned how to communicate with them. Gjarla introduced Ryn to her Nordic faith, mixed with a few tales passed down from her Skaal ancestors, while Larexus offered the Nine Divines of the Empire. Ryn naturally took to the teachings of Kynareth, already respecting and revering the boons of nature from her childhood experiences.
As an experienced apothecary, Gjarla taught Ryn how to properly harvest ingredients and brew simple remedies. She took naturally to alchemy, building upon her knowledge from surviving in the wilderness and devloping a close bond with her adoptive mother. Eventually, Ryn learned to brew Winterblood, the signature recipe that Gjarla used to save her life.
Larexus, a veteran blacksmith of the Imperial Legion, taught Ryn the basics of metalworking and swordplay to protect herself. Although her Nordic athleticism and survival instincts gave her a ferocious edge with a greatsword, Ryn took her adoptive father's teachings of measured discipline and precise technique to heart when developing her fighting style.
With the guidance and love of her newfound family, Ryn finally experienced a normal childhood throughout her teenage years. After struggling to live in the harsh wild, Ryn grew to truly appreciate the peace of a simple life and value the kindness of others.
As the years went by, Gjarla and Larexus' health began to decline, but Ryn continued to care for them in return for everything they had done for her. She learned to cook for them and took up both her adoptive parents' professional trades to provide for them when they couldn't work any longer.
One night, despite all of Ryn's best efforts, they passed away together in their sleep. While she wept for them, she did not feel alone or abandoned in that moment. Gjarla and Larexus lived long lives, and in their final years they had passed on their wisdom, experience, and love to Ryn.
After giving her adoptive parents a proper burial, she set out to wander the wilderness once more in search of a new home, this time armed with everything she had learned over her years in that little cabin outside of Bruma. Ryn headed north, crossing the border once more into her homeland of Skyrim and stumbling right into an Imperial ambush.
Ryn reluctantly accepted her fate when she approached the chopping block in Helgen, hoping to be reunited with Gjarla and Larexus in the afterlife. When her execution was interrupted by a dragon attack, Ryn ran for her life, deciding to follow Hadvar into the keep after he promised to protect her. While escaping the keep, Ryn eventually suited up in heavy plate armor and got her hands on a greatsword, defending herself to great effect and taking her first ever human life when Stormcloak rebels attacked her and Hadvar. In combat, she felt a feral impulse take over her, her body moving with a combination of the practiced technique she was taught and the raw survival instinct she honed in the wild.
After the fighting concluded and she escaped from Helgen to Riverwood, the ferocious manner in which she fought weighed heavily on Ryn's mind. To make up for what she saw as senseless killing, Ryn followed Alvor's directive to warn Jarl Balgruuf of Whiterun about the dragon attack at Helgen and request additional guards for Riverwood.
Once she met Balgruuf, Ryn became entangled in Farengar's research into the dragons' return, eventually culminating in Mirmulnir's attack on Whiterun's western watchtower. Upon learning of her role as Dragonborn and receiving her summons from the Greybeards, Ryn was immensely intimidated by the responsibility she would have to bear with the mythical power she possessed. To combat her developing anxiety, Ryn accepted Aela the Huntress' offer to join the Companions and hone her skills as a warrior.
While training with the Companions, Ryn found a sense of purpose in helping the people of Whiterun, applying her natural talent as a warrior to something beyond senseless killing. However, as her time with the Companions progressed, her acceptance into the Circle set her down a dark path. The blood of the Werewolf compounded with the feral side of herself that Ryn had been trying to suppress. In pursuit of revenge for the death of Skjor, Ryn followed Aela's guidance in a feral trance, joining her in wiping out the Silver Hand. During this time, Ryn uses her lycanthropy to push her physical strength and stamina beyond human limits and slaughter the werewolf hunters who had wronged her fellow Companions.
When she was called to speak with Kodlak Whitemane about her activities, Ryn admitted to what she has done, ashamed that she had succumbed to this beastly side of herself so easily. Ryn honored Kodlak's wish to cure himself of his lycanthropy and led the Companions to Ysgramor's tomb after his death to save his spirit from Hircine. As the Harbinger of the Companions, Ryn decided to retain her beast blood, as the strength it granted her was a necessary evil to accomplish what fate demanded of her. Through great effort, she suppressed the feral urges of her lycanthropy and led the Companions to serve as protectors of Skyrim's people.
After finally making her pilgrimage to High Hrothgar, Ryn found solace in the Greybeards' teachings. The Way of the Voice deeply resonated with her beliefs on the value of peace and harmony with nature. Ryn would often meditate with the Greybeards and developed her Thu'um over time to the point where it became second nature to her. When she finally met Paarthurnax, Ryn felt as though he was a kindred spirit, a creature driven by feral instinct, yet compelled to help others in spite of that impulse.
After her status as Dovahkiin became well known by the people of Skyrim through her deeds as the Companions' Harbinger, Miraak's cultists began to seek her out. Wanting to understand more about herself as a Dragonborn, Ryn set off to Solstheim to investigate. During her travels, she encountered Frea and her village of Skaal. Driven by a desire to learn more about her adopted mother's culture and ancestry, she aided the Skaal in their time of need and was rewarded with the knowledge of Stalhrim and the blessing of the North Wind, which she used to defeat Miraak alongside Frea.
Alhough she followed Delphine's investigation into the dragons' return, Ryn was disturbed by the hostile demands of the Blades, especially when they presented her with the ultimatum of killing Paarthurnax, her spiritual leader whom she greatly respected. With the continued guidance of the Greybeards, Ryn pursued Alduin to Sovngarde and brought about his end.
-Build Summary-
In an effort to highlight the unique characteristics of the Nords, I decided to lean heavily into Ryn's status as Dovahkiin while also prominently integrating the Companions questline into her character development throughout this playthrough. By tying her adopted mother's Skaal heritage into her backstory, the Dragonborn DLC was a much more compelling experience, and Frea fits perfectly as Ryn's primary follower. Although Dawnguard isn't a focus of this character's journey, Ryn joining up with the Dawnguard to protect Skyrim's people from vampires and helping Serana to cure her own vampirism fit well enough with her character to pursue the questline.
While the scope of this playthrough is somewhat narrow, skipping out on the College of Winterhold, Thieves' Guild, and Dark Brotherhood entirely, there are plenty of smaller scale quests to complete after resolving the main quest and DLCs.
In terms of gameplay, Ryn is fundamentally a two-handed warrior, one of the simplest baselines for a build in the entire game. However, a few unique pieces of gear introduced by Anniversary Edition inspired me to build an unique playstyle around them. Ryn's gameplay will focus primarily on her high speed, usually the antithesis of a heavily armored greatsword user.
To achieve this goal, let's break down Ryn's stats, gear, and skills along with the unique combos the build relies upon.
-Stats-
Since Ryn does not use any spells at all throughout her journey, her stat spread is very simple:
Magicka / Health / Stamina
0 / 3 / 1
Primarily focusing on health and occasionally adding a point in stamina has proven very effective, since I tend to prefer using vegetable soup for its stamina regen and backpacks for carry weight.
-Standing Stone-
The Steed
For a mobility speed focused build that relies on a set of heavy armor, The Steed is the most obvious choice for Ryn's standing stone. Acquiring this standing stone removes the need for the Conditioning perk and allows Ryn to carry an absurd amount of alchemy ingredients along with her backpack. If you wish to invest the perk points needed to grab Conditioning, The Lord Stone is an excellent alternative for its boost to magic resistance.
-Weapons-
Ice Blade of the Monarch
Ryn's primary weapon is the Ice Blade of the Monarch.
At first, I thought the only thing going for this weapon was its aesthetic. In a game full of cartoonish, paddle-shaped swords, the Ice Blade stands out for its relatively realistic proportions. I was disappointed when I saw the pitiful base damage of this weapon, but I soon learned that it's one of the few weapons in the game with an increased swing speed for its class, roughly that of a war axe. Since I love faster swinging weapons, this greatsword became the base for this build's concept and everything that follows is meant to complement it. My goal is to subvert the typical restrictions of two-handed combat, starting with the nimble handling of the Ice Blade of the Monarch.
Before acquiring this weapon, the Skyforge Steel Greatsword is an excellent weapon to use alongside Elemental Fury. This way, the increased attack speed will feel like a small burst of power as you progress, eventually culminating in the faster Ice Blade of the Monarch. After completing the Companions questline, I like to roleplay that Ryn receives this weapon from Eorlund Grey-Mane as a symbol of her status as Harbinger. With the spirit of Kodlak Whitemane empowering the Skyforge's steel, the Ice Blade is perfectly forged to suit Ryn's agile, dextrous, and technical fighting style.
-Armor-
Stalhrim Fur Armor
Ever since I saw this set in Anniversary Edition, it has been one of my favorites in terms of looks, and who better to wear it than a Nord warrior with a heavy focus on frost damage? As a relatively light set of heavy armor consisting mostly of furs and cloth, Ryn moving nimbly with this armor on is perfectly believable. However, if you would like to pace your playthrough to avoid gunning for endgame gear, I find the Silver Armor is an excellent set to wear in the mean time that captures a similar aesthetic.
Nordic Circlet
Fitting with her Stalhrim armor, the Nordic Circlet is a thematically appropriate piece of headwear for Ryn. I prefer to see my characters' faces after spending time finely tuning them, and thankfully the Stalhrim Fur set offers more than enough protection without its helmet.
Armor Enchantments
While I chose to level enchanting and buff this build's gear, this is far from necessary and can easily be omitted if you prefer. These are the enchantments I decided to use for this build to push it into viability in higher difficulties.
Nordic Circlet: Fortify Destruction 25% + Waterbreathing
Stalhrim Fur Armor: Fortify Destruction + Fortify Health
Stalhrim Fur Gauntlets: Fortify Two-Handed + Fortify Block
Stalhrim Fur Boots: Fortify Two-Handed + Muffle
Skaal Armor
As an aside, I opted for the Skaal set when creating a set of crafting gear for this build. This was purely for flavor, but I like the idea of Ryn having a large Skaal coat as a sort of casual attire while not wearing her armor. This set of gear uses Fortify Alchemy and Fortify Smithing enchantments wherever possible and also uses the Nordic Ring, Nordic Amulet, and Nordic Circlet.
-Accessories-
Ring of the Wind
Since the Ice Blade of the Monarch has increased attack speed for its weapon class, the obvious next step was to increase the build's mobility as well. Thankfully there are several ways to boost the 15% fast enchantment this ring gives you, allowing you to move with absurd speed. Perking Kindred Mage grants an additional 10% while Potions of Fortify Illusion allow you to boost it even higher. Without abusing Fortify Restoration or excessively looping Alchemy and Enchanting, I managed to reach a 47% boost with the Watcher's Eye ingredient from the Saints and Seducers creation.
Unfortunately this item does require RNG to obtain (or console commands on PC), so you'll want to start fishing for it as soon as you can to get this build rolling. I managed to get very lucky on this playthrough and fished it up in less than an hour, so I wish the same for whoever decides to follow along!
For roleplay purposes, Ryn is a devout follower of Kynareth and learned to fish while living off the land, so her stumbling upon this divine artifact is perfectly in line with her character. As an alchemist, the potions that Ryn brews to enhance the Ring of the Wind's effects are also in character.
Amulet of Talos
The final limitation of a greatsword is the inability to use magic while you're wielding one. Thankfully, Shouts are bound to a different button. If you've played on console and explored Skyrim's various exploits, you probably saw this one coming, but I will be using the Beast Form exploit to equip five Amulets of Talos for infinite Shouts. This allows for an extra dimension to two-handed combat, giving your character consistent ranged options without having to switch weapons.
In combat, Ryn will primarily use Frost Breath as a mid range damage tool that slows down enemies who are trying to charge at or flee from her. With the Dragonborn Frost
Justifying this for roleplay is relatively simple, as Ryn spends much of her time training and meditating with the Greybeards and actively utilizing shouts in combat. Over the course of the playthrough, as Ryn naturally discovers Amulets of Talos, her Shout cooldown decreases to represent the time she has spent honing her Thu'um.
Adventurer's Backpack
This piece of equipment serves as a perfect final accent to Ryn's aesthetic as a character who collects a lot of ingredients for her potions. Visually, it matches well with the pouches and bedroll on the Stalhrim Fur Armor, and it also covers up some unfortunate clipping issues with the Ice Blade of the Monarch on her back.
Mechanically, the backpack works in tandem with the Steed Stone to grant her a ridiculous +175 to her carry weight without any investment into stamina.
-Combat Skills-
Two-Handed
Perks: Barbarian (5/5), Champion's Stance, Great Critical Charge, Devastating Blow, Sweep, Warmaster
Since this build revolves around using the Ice Blade of the Monarch, the two-handed skill is an obvious inclusion. In the spirit of having the most options possible while wielding a greatsword, I opted to take all of the power attack related perks. Great Critical Charge is especially important for gap closing against archers and mages. Before acquiring the Ice Blade, I used Elemental Fury to achieve the same effect of increased attack speed.
While training with Larexus as a child, Ryn grew accustomed to using swords larger than her and developed a preference for greatswords. Over time, Ryn becomes quicker and quicker with these large blades, eventually culminating in the increased swing speed of her primary weapon. I also like to roleplay that Ryn passively uses her Elemental Fury Shout once she has the Ice Blade of the Monarch.
Block
Perks: Shield Wall (1/5), Power Bash, Deflect Arrows, Quick Reflexes, Deadly Bash, Elemental Protection, Disarming Bash, Block Runner
Blocking is the second half of two-handed combat, and I've invested into it accordingly. The most important perks to grab are Quick Reflexes and Block Runner, as they both contribute to this build's core gameplay loop. Rather than counting on the weak damage mitigation of a greatsword, this build makes use of these evasive skills to quickly react and counter enemy attacks with powerful bashes.
Unfortunately, block is a rather tedious skill to level naturally, so I like to roleplay that Ryn has a peaceful relationship with the giants outside of Whiterun and regularly trains with them by parrying their strikes with her greatsword. Quick Reflexes and Block Runner build upon Ryn's natural athleticism, speed, and reaction time that make up the core of her fighting style.
Heavy Armor
Perks: Juggernaut (5/5)
Heavy armor is hardly mandatory for this build to function, but I adore the look of the Stalhrim Fur Armor added in Anniversary Edition. Since this build runs the Steed Stone for mobility, it's up to personal preference which style of armor you wish to use, and the light variant of Stalhrim is just as thematically fitting.
I roleplay that Ryn gravitates towards heavier, more protective armor when given the choice due to her background of forging plate armor by Larexus' side.
Illusion
Perks: Novice Illusion, Animage, Kindred Mage, Quiet Casting
You may be wondering why I've put illusion in the "combat skills" section, but the entire reason I've invested into this tree is for Kindred Mage to boost the Ring of the Wind, which is instrumental to combat. Since it also affects Shouts, I decided to grab Quiet Casting for flavor. Truthfully, I couldn't find a good roleplay explanation for leveling this skill, but at least spamming Courage or Muffle doesn't take particularly long!
I like to imagine that Ryn eventually becomes so attuned to the Thu'um that she can whisper her Shouts and make use of them without alerting entire dungeons full of enemies to her presence.
Destruction
Perks: Novice Destruction, Augmented Frost (2/2), Deep Freeze
Since I found the damage output of the Ice Blade of the Monarch lacking, I decided to invest into Destruction for the sake of Augmented Frost and picked up Deep Freeze for flavor. Grinding this skill up is difficult to justify for roleplay, especially without actually using any destruction spells in combat. I simply used the Unbounded Storms fast travel exploit to power level it whenever I felt my greatsword needed an extra punch. This is completely optional if you play on lower difficulties or if you have reservations about abusing exploits, but I thought it was worth mentioning.
-Crafting Skills-
Alchemy
Perks: Alchemist (5/5), Physician, Benefactor
To maximize the potency of the Ring of the Wind, strong Fortify Illusion potions are a neccessity, so I've decided to invest into alchemy for this build. In addition, crafting your own potions to heal and boost your damage is incredibly useful, but I don't need to convince you how powerful this skill can be.
While questing and exploring Skyrim, Ryn will frequently collect beneficial ingredients out of habit from her years spent surviving in the wilderness, using them to brew potions just like Gjarla taught her.
Smithing
Perks: Steel Smithing, Dwarven Smithing, Orcish Smithing, Arcane Smithing, Ebony Smithing
Smithing is another perk I've taken for the sake of optimizing the Ice Blade of the Monarch. Low base damage matters a lot less when you can smith the sword to legendary quality, especially after a Fortify Smithing potion.
Since this is the trade taught to her by her adoptive father, Ryn values improving her smithing skills and learns from the guidance of Eorlund Grey-Mane during her time with the Companions.
Enchanting
Perks: Enchanter (5/5), Soul Squeezer, Soul Siphon, Insightful Enchanter, Corpus Enchanter, Extra Effect
Enchanting is by far the least crucial crafting skill to this build's functionality. If the idea of grinding up all of your crafting skills sounds tedious, you can forgo this skill altogether and still experience the core facets of this build working as intended. The main allure of enchanting gear was to craft stronger Fortify Illusion potions to enhance the Ring of the Wind's mobility buff. Aside from the obvious strengths of enchanting, the Soul Squeezer and Soul Siphon perks combined with Fortify Destruction armor enchants reduce the cost of upkeep for the Ice Blade of the Monarch's frost damage immensely.
For roleplay, enchanting does still fit Ryn's affinity for crafting and is logical for her to pursue under the guidance of Farengar after establishing herself as Thane of Whiterun.
-Potions-
"Ice Blade Draught"
Ingredients: Dragon's Tongue + Fly Amanita + Mora Tapinella
Effects: Fortify Two-Handed + Regenerate Stamina + Resist Fire + Fortify Illusion
Ryn's signature potion is the Ice Blade Draught, a brew of humble ingredients that provides useful boosts to her damage, stamina, and fire resistance while also increasing the effect of the Ring of the Wind. I like to imagine this is the first potion Ryn discovered on her own without being taught by Gjarla, since its effects are practical and its ingredients readily available.
"Trusty Remedy"
Ingredients: Blue Mountain Flower + Wheat
Effects: Restore Health + Fortify Health
This is Ryn's standard healing potion. While it's possible to create much more potent healing potions with the ingredients introduced by Anniversary Edition, the simplicity of this recipe makes it feel like the first ever potion Ryn was taught to brew.
"Winterblood"
Ingredients: Ash Creep Cluster + Snowberries + Steel-Blue Entoloma
Effects: Fortify Destruction + Resist Frost + Resist Fire
This is Gjarla's signature potion, the very brew that saved Ryn's life in the Jerall Mountains. Tying back to her Skaal heritage, this concoction uses ingredients from Solstheim that Gjarla would regularly have imported to Bruma. Ryn uses this powerful potion sparingly to boost the potency of her Ice Blade's frost damage, her Frost Breath, and the North Wind power she learned from the Skaal.
-Special Moves-
"Flowing Stance"
Block Runner + Quick Reflexes
With the Ring of the Wind's mobility and Block Runner removing the movement penalty from blocking, this is Ryn's primary stance in combat that allows her to rapidly approach while also maintaining her defensive options. Quick Reflexes allows her to respond to power attacks with a bash to interrupt her enemies or disarm them. She can also easily counterattack with a swing of her own or use the opening to retreat and drink a potion.
"Feral Rush"
Ice Blade Draught + Vegetable Soup > Great Critical Charge
Feral Rush is the inverse of Flowing Stance, instead fully commiting to a reckless assault with all of her beastly might. Vegetable Soup grants Ryn infinite power attacks while using Great Critical Charge to close any gaps and build up momentum.
This attack relies upon a bug where the player will maintain forward momentum after a sprinting power attack and rapidly chain together additional power attacks. The unwieldy handling caused by this bug actually works to the build's advantage in terms of immersion, as it feels like a headlong rush driven by a werewolf's feral instincts. Though this combo is difficult to reliably use on regular enemies, it works perfectly for taking down large, tanky targets.
"Frost Dragon's Domain"
Winterblood > North Wind > Dragonborn Frost Breath
This is what I consider to be Ryn's ultimate move as the Dragon of the Northern Winds, summoning a blizzard and using the full power of her Frost Breath while boosted by Gjarla's signature Winterblood. Though she uses it very sparingly, this powerful combination allows Ryn to hold her ground against a horde of enemies, freezing them solid before they can even reach her.
-Conclusion-
If you read this character build all the way through, I would like to thank you very much for your time! Since this is my first ever build, I'm sure there's plenty of room for improvement in terms of both content and presentation. I'd love to hear any feedback you have to offer so I can apply it to my next project!
Replies
welcome and congratulation for your first build. This one is really nice i'm ha^ppy that you had a skaal heritage to the character.
Thank you! Had a lot of fun putting this one together.
I would recommend adding in more pictures to help break up the text, even ones you find onlien
Good suggestion! I was having a hard time putting together good looking screenshots on the Switch, so I may have to use some images from outside the game next time.
Yah can also tweak and edit this build with images too