This was the concept that inspired the Character Build Event: Against Type. An Altmer build that utilizes none of the skills or special powers of this race, save their height. The build is based on Henantier the Outsider, the first Elven Harbinger. It’s a lore and roleplay-based build that uses underdog mechanics and gear to weave a tale of a weary soul bitterly denied the fellowship of Sovngarde that his Nord Shield-Brothers enjoyed because of his race. Undaunted, he embarks on an epic journey, his own spiritual Song of the Return, using a newly acquired gift, the gift of the Dragonblood, to finally attain his own dream of Sovngarde.
While The Outsider can be thoroughly enjoyed on a playthrough that only has Vanilla and dlc, there are several mods that I would like to call to your attention that I found enhanced the playthrough. I am not including retexturing mods. If you wish to know my modlist for this playthrough, I would be more than happy to send you a more complete list.
USLEEP - The legendary edition unofficial patches. And the equivalent for SE. A series of patches and bug fixes that give Wuuthrad the power truly befitting the legendary axe of Ysgramor.
Dragon Combat Overhaul – This sadly no longer exists on the Nexus, but if you can get your hands on a copy, it makes the battle to Sovngarde more epic with stronger dragons, including Alduin, that possess new and unique abilities and shouts. An alternative for both standard Skyrim and SE would be Diverse Dragons.
Combat Evolved - A small combat overhaul that makes significant changes to enemy AI barring dragons. Small, lightweight, making it easy to combine with other mods that overhaul difficulty and gameplay. Available for both standar Skyrim and SE.
Enhanced Skyrim Factions: Companions: An overhaul of the Companions questline with significant changes to the number of quests you need to do to advance to the next level of the Faction's next level, changes NPCs to be more functional, and introduces both the concept of sparring with your fellow Shield-Siblings and additional dialogue options and quest options that flesh out the Companions. For now, only available for standard Skyrim, but the mod author has indicated that he will port to SE soon. For a realistic game, set the quest requirement to 36. The Companions then becomes a gruling set of quests where you earn the right to be Harbinger.
Archery Gameplay Overhaul: An overhaul of the archery mechanics of the game. (Complete Archery Overhaul for SE)
Convenient Horses - A mod that overhauls how horses are approached in the game. Gives them the ability to store gear, be called through the use of a whistle or horn, and gives them the ability to do damage in combat while you are riding them. Another mod that overhauls horses as well is Immersive horses. I used Convenient, because it allowed for horses in Solstheim. (Convenient Horses SE now available)
Cloaks of skyrim (Also available for SE) - A mod that allows for the crafting of cloaks and capes. It also gives factions cloaks and hand-places special enchanted cloaks throughout all of Skyrim.
Race: Altmer, for roleplaying purposes. Maximum weight slider.
Stats: 0:2:1, Magicka, Health, Stamina.
Difficulty Level: Master or Legendary on Vanilla. Expert with Combat overhauls installed.
Morality: While the Outsider honors his new Skyrim family, he does have one and only one goal.
Standing Stone: Warrior for early leveling, then either Lord, Lady, or Steed. If you do not take the left side perks for heavy armor, Steed is a good option. Lady is good for stamina and health regeneration, but ultimately, I personally picked Lord for late game as the Outsider’s relatively low-tier armor would benefit from the additional 50 points of AR and the magic resistance is welcome.
Shouts: While the Outsider shouts frequently, he only utilizes a few key shouts. Elemental Fury is a high priority as the Outsider’s collection of battle axes are not enchanted save Wuuthrad and Wuuthrad benefits from Elemental Fury. Other shouts used include Fire Breath, frost Breath, Unrelenting Force, Become Etherial, Whirlwind Sprint, Dragonrend, and Clear Skies.
Powers: Blessing of Talos, Agent of Mara, Seeker of Might, Bardic knowledge, Secret of Protection, Force without Effort, Dragonborn Frost, and Bones of the Earth. I preferred passive buffs, however.
Follower & Home: None, but those that are quest-related, a dog, and a horse. This is the Outsider's journey and his goal is Sovngarde, so no lasting attachments or relationships were built, however, Breezehome and Hjaalchen Hall were used for special roleplaying purposes.
Lycanthropy: Yes and no. If you are playing without mods or the Special Edition, take Lycanthropy to progress through the questline, but do not perk it or use it. Kodlak, through his Lycanthropy is also being denied Sovngarde and that is something the Outsider profoundly identifies with, being unable to go himself due to his race. This time, no one is denied, and The Outsider will work hard to cleanse all his brothers. Do all the related Purity quests (Vilkas and Farkas) and then, finally, cleanse yourself. Totems of Hircine are not done as the Outside wishes to restore Jorrvaskr to its former glory and Hircine's influence is not welcome. If playing with EFC (Enhanced Factions: Companions), the quest Broken Circle will give you the option of joining the circle by through Trial by Combat instead and you fight the other whelps in the group (Njada, Torvar, Athis, and Ria) with a member of the Circle to stand by you. I selected Skjor as my comrade in arms for that battle as it would add poignancy to the later parts of the questline.
Archery: "I cannot deny all of my Elvendom, though it is as a curse to me sometimes. The bow is in my blood." The Outsider is gifted with archery and it is his mode of ranged attacks besides shouts. Most of the tree is taken with the exception of the top tier perk and ranks of steady hand, as the Outsider doesn't need his enemies to slow down for his benefit. That is not to say he does not use archery tactfully. The primary use of Archery in gameplay was against dragons, which, since they fly, are difficult for a predominantly melee build to bring down. Another use for archery was against necromancers and mages. The attack for them was different, however, with the Outsider prefering to use his wile in the form of sneak attacks. Finally, Archery was preferred early-game until key perks in two-handed and Heavy armor were obtain as damage could be done from a distance with less risk to himself.
Two-handed: "My battleaxe is an extension of my arm, it is my final judgement against my foes, and its swing is true." While archery is listed first, two-handed is the Outsider's primary damage output and was used for most encounters on The Outsider's spiritual journey, barring dragons and the situations I explained in Archery. Most of the tree is taken with the exception of those perks specific to greatswords and warhammers. The top-tier perk, Warmaster, was used in conjunction with Ahzidal's armor enchantment and Heavy Armor's Reflect Blows to give the potential to literally paralyze targets with the Outsider's mere physical presence and the power of his blows. Another key perk was sweep, which provides excellent crowd-control and also contributes to the build's notion of staggering and paralysis. While in Vanilla, Wuuthrad does not benefit from the Limbsplitter perks, his other weapons; either a Nordic battleaxe or a Honed Ancient Nord battleaxe do, warranting investment. More on Wuuthrad when I discuss The Outsider's gear.
Block: "Don't think that because I do not have a shield that I am defenseless." Our first defense skill is block. Battleaxes are large and strong enough weapons that The Outsider doesn't need to hide behind a shield. Only Quick Reflexes and ranks of Shield wall were taken, as I myself, am not too great at blocking with a weapon from a mechanical standpoint. If you are good at this skill, however, feel free to replace the left side of Heavy Amor's tree with Block's right side and then take the Steed Stone to simulate the effects of Heavy Armor's left side, you will have the stamina to complete the moves and you will add to the gameplay the ability to disarm your opponents. Warmaster, Azhidal's armor, Reflect Blows, and Disarming bash? It is a great option for those of you with better button-mashing skills than myself. I found block worked particularly against slower enemies, like Draugr, which actually ended up being the enemy the Outsider predominantly dealt with at mid to late game. This was also my first real experience with Quick Reflexes as I had a terrible bug before that made the animation last for hours in game. I understand now what people were raving about.
Smithing: "My hands, my hands do not just destroy, they create, like the Atmorans, like the dragons of old, I also sing mighty forge songs." What worthwhile Companion would be unable to maintain his own weapons and armor? Eorlund cannot fix everything and The Outsider must be a competent enough smith to repair his gear when he is not at Jorrvaskr. The second defense skill is smithing and the only crafting skill in this build. Grinding is kept to a minimum by the continuous fletching of his own arrows (Steel and then Nord Hero, which are allowed with a patched game), the maintenance of his gear, and through the construction of the Museum. Most of the tree is taken with the exception of Glass, Dragon, and Daedric as his weapons and gear tend to benefit from different perks. If you are playing an unpatched game, you can omit ebony and orcish smithing as Wuuthrad is not temperable in your game. Also replace Nord Hero arrows with Nordic arrows.
Heavy Armor: "All that I am is encased within this shell of metal and leather. My body, my heart, my soul. It is what you see when I walk in the door. And the blurry glint of it is what you see when I bring you to your knees." The final defense skill is Heavy Armor. As The Outsider will be wearing what is considered to be a matching set, we will be going up ranks of Juggernaut and favoring the right side of the tree, through Reflect Blows, which synergizes well with his other "paralyze" attributes. If the steed stone or block is better utilzed, the left side can be ignored.
Unperked Skills: "I will do anything, anything to achieve my Dream of Sovngarde." The Outsider is thrust into this new world without skills, clad only in ragged clothes, his hands are bound. After centuries of begging in the Dreamsleeve, he is given the chance to prove himself worthy of Sovngarde and he will do anything to get there, especically in the early game. Every advantage was sought in combat and since he was alone for much of the game, I incorporated sneak archery into the mix, using it to pick off large crowds to even out the odds for success.
For example, in a quirky move, one of his early-level Companions quests took him to Robber's Gorge to rescue a citizen of Whiterun. Robber's Gorge is difficult at early levels, so Henantier did something unusual. Instead of directly attacking at the bridge, he circled around, looking for an opening and that's when he found it, the cave. Through some clever swimming and then jumping, he was able to rescue that citizen without engaging in any combat. Like I said, the goal is Sovngarde, dying before you are granted permission to enter, that crucial moment in the main quest when Tsun judges you worthiness, isn't going to happen before then. It's the dragon blood that earns him his ticket there but it's being Harbinger again that will earn him the right to enter Shor's Golden Hall.
Others skills that were used, but not perked included Speech, Lockpicking, and Enchanting. Speech for bartering with the vendors for supplies for the Legacy, to intimidate thieves into giving up their dastardly ways, and to solve local problems. This playthrough was all about end-game intimidation. He goes from being a lowly servant to a great Harbinger and it was fun to see him progress of actually having to give money to thieves to being able to intimidate them with his presence. Lockpicking was used as a tool to acquire more items to raise funds for the Legacy. Enchanting simply went up as the Outsider recharged any enchanted weapons that were used.
Finally, I would like to address Mounted Combat here, as it is a skill that the Outsider uses a great deal in his adventures. Having a horse early in the game was advantageous to the Outsider and one was acquired soon after Helgen. His armor set, especially in the beginning, is considered low-tier, only a little better than iron armor. Even Vanilla horses can be used to gain an advantage in a battle by being able to sprint faster than most enemies in the game, so they are used to evade and herd enemies. Archery and two-handed also benefitted from being used on horseback. Two-handed weapons, particularly have excellent reach compare to One-handed weapons, and the Outsider was able to strike at enemies from the relative safety of his horse even in close melee combat. A horse was favored for outdoor battles that involved crowd of enemies (Silent Moons camp, forsworn camps), giants, and dragons.
In addition, this was a no fast-travel build, so the horse was also used as an immersive form of transport. With the mod, Convenient Horses, horses can also carry gear and have the ability to rush an enemy, knocking them down with the force of their hooves. Likewise, if the horse takes too much damage, you can be knocked off the animal, leaving you vulnerable to enemy attack. This encourages a synergy between horse and rider on the battlefield and to know when to reposition to ensure the safety of the Outsider's horse, which was named Ysgramor in my playtests. By contrast, the dog was not utilized as much in combat and served more as a travel companion. If your dog survives your adventures, let him go just before you leave for Skuldafn. As for Ysgramor, leave him at the Legacy's stable so that people may know the horse that carried the Outsider. Below are perkspreads for level 20 and for the endgame at level 51, just to give you a sense of direction on where I went with perks.
Helm of Yngol: "With this helm, I become as brother to Yngol, forger of Storm's Tears, son of Ysgramor, the Harbinger of us all." 30% resistance to Frost and it constitutes to part of the eventual matching set for the Outsider's endgame gear, this powerful helmet can be obtained relatively early in gameplay by obtaining the Coral dragon claw from Birna at Winterhold or by simply going inside Yngol Barrow, a small barrow along the coast near Windhelm. I saw his being there as taking a pilgrimage to the burial place of Ysgramor's son.
Amulet of Talos: "Let me show you the power of Talos Stormcrown, born of the North, where my breath is long winter." - Heimskyr. 20% shout cool-down. Upon being given the gift of the dragonblood, the Outsider is ever thankful for the great blessing that allows him to embark on his dream of Sovngarde, therefore he wears the amulet honoring a fellow dragonborn with pride. When not wielding Wuuthrad, this is the Outsider's amulet of choice and the reduced cool-down time is appreciated. I played with Dragon Combat Overhaul, which delevels dragons to some extent and gives them new abilities. Legendary and Revered dragons were encountered early mid-game and often in trios. Having this cool down, along with the blessing of Talos, allowed the Outsider to use the first word of Become Etherial to dodge these dragons' Drain Vitality attacks. It was a combat tactic that synergized extremely well with archery and two-handed because the cool down time was short enough for it to be of very practical use. Another possiblity is the reforged Gauldur Amulet or a resistance amulet when dealing with your standard elemental dragons, but I found the shout cool-down too enticing. In a modded game, you can combine this with the Greybeard's Mantle from Cloaks of Skyrim (Another 20%) to enjoy a 60% shout cool-down, when combined with the Blessing of Talos and the Amulet.
Necromancer's Amulet: "I know all things, all power comes at a heavy price. Storm's Tears was forged to destroy my kind, and I carry this burden whenever I wield it." +50 magicka, 25% cost reduction to Conjuration, and 75% reduction to health and stamina regen. Obtained early through the quest Blood on the Ice in Windhelm. The Outsider has been given the gift of Ysgramor's favor and the boon of his great battle axe; Storm's Tears, Wuuthrad, the Elf-Grinder and he will wield it on his spiritual Song of the Return. However, such power comes with a heavy price as he is not man, but Mer. I used this amulet to simulate the tough penalty that an Elf would possibly experience for denying and insulting his Elven heritage when handling Wuuthrad and it hurt sometimes, but it was worth it for the roleplaying.
Ring of Revival: "The magicks within this ring revitalizes my body, allowing me to push it to its very limits!" 50% health regeneration. Offsets some of the penalties of Wuuthrad. If the Lady Stone is taken, it offsets it completely, at least for Health. If you wish, the rings from Deser's Archery Combat Overhaul may also be used, especially if playing with other difficulty mods.
Ironhand Gauntlets: "The plunders of battle have granted me the gauntlets of the knave known as Ironhand. May I put them to better use for the glory of Ysgramor." 15% increase in two-handed damage. Use these gauntlets until you are able to take the Matching Set perk in Heavy Armor to boost your damage with two-handed weapons. The Outsider wore them through Chapter 2 of his journey. By the time you swap them for Azhidal's Gauntlets of warding, you will already have Wuuthrad, which does more base damage than the battle axe wielded before and there is also a damage glitch with Wuuthrad that I will explain later, so it is fine to no longer use the Ironhand Gauntlets.
Ancient Nord Armor: "I come before you, Companions, in the armor of your forefathers, as your humble servant." The entire armor set can be found very early in the game at several locations including Forelhost in the Rift (you need not go through the entire dungeon, first room will be sufficient) and between 8pm and 4am at Kjenstag Ruins. This is the set worn for Chapter 1 of the Outsider's story.
Wolf Armor: "Fires go out. Others ignite. Skjor inspired many with his life. Perhaps his death can continue to inspire." - Vignar Grey-Mane. Grieved by the loss of the Companion's greatest warrior, once the Outsider joins the Circle, he shows his devotion to his fallen Shield-Brother by donning the mantle of the wolf. This is made especially poingant in EFC, where you can choose Skjor to stand with you when you join the Circle via combat. In Vanilla, his death at Gallow's rock is enough to warrant wearing this armor. You could even take Skjor's own amor and then purchase the wolf gauntlets, truly mantle the warrior that Skjor was while rejecting the Lycanthropy that resulted in his death. This armor carries the Outsider through Chapter 2 of his story.
Azhidal's Armor of Retribution & Other Relics: "In my quests to acquire artifacts for the Legacy, I stumbled across a Kjolborn barrow in Solstheim, the site of an excavation..." Acquired during the quest Unearthed, most of Azhdal's gear are used by the Outsider with the exception of the Helm of Vision and the two rings. While the Boots of Water-walking allowed the Outsider to use his ability to walk on water to an advantage with land-bound enemies, it is the cuirass that grants the Outsider the greatest boon. A 5% chance to paralyze enemies who use a melee attack against you. This worked well combined with Heavy Armor's Reflect Blows and, when combined with Azhidal's Boots and Gauntlets, and the Helm of Yngol, allowed the Outsider to benefit from Heavy Armor's Matching set, signficantly boosting his AR. This, with smithing perks, saw the Outsider surpass the Armor cap by end-game and thus, became the Armor set used for Chapter 3 of his story.
Ancient Nord weapons and their honed counterparts: "Trembling from the rush of battle, I picked up the battle axe from the fallen Guardian of Bleak Falls Barrow, felt the weight of it in my hands, and I knew, I knew that I had held this weapon before." The weapons used during Chapter 1 of the Outsider's story. Roughly the equivalent of Steel weaponry or Dwarven in the case of the honed counterparts, they benefit from their respective smithing perks, save the Supple bow, unless you have a patched game. These weapons, however, weigh significantly more and therefore swing slower or have a slower draw speed in the case of the bows. The Guardian of Bleak Falls Barrow occasionally will drop a Battleaxe, but what he drops is random and can be anything from a one-handed sword, axe, or greatsword. It always bears a frost enchantment though. If you are lucky enough to get the battleaxe, then by all means use it in the beginning of your journey as the Outsider, as this is a great roleplaying weapon.
Skyforge, Nordic, Nord Hero, and other weapons: "Yes, lad, you've been raised into the Companions, I hear. I can fashion whatever kind of weapon you want. Finest forge in Skyrim, right here before you." - Eorlund Gray-Mane. Once the Outsider has completed Proving Honor, he receives a Skyforge Battleaxe as a gift from Eorlund Gray-Mane. It does the damage of an Elvish battleaxe, but is falls under the Steel smithing perk for improvements. In addition, once the questline is complete, you can create Nord Hero weaponry by converting an Ancient Nord weapon and other ingredients at Skyforge. A patched game allows Nord Hero arrows to be constructed as well, which do the same damage as Elven arrows. With the Advanced Armors perk, Nordic weapons could also be created and if you are not playing a patched game, I either recommend that you make Nordic arrows or continue with Steel and Ancient Nord arrows. Another weapon around the same tier as these is the Steel Battle Axe of Fiery Souls, which can be acquired at Ironbind Barrow by defeating Warlord Gathrik. It does 10 points of fire damage for one second and soul traps for five seconds. If you don't end up using it, place it on display in the Legacy.
The Gauldur Black Bow: This is the Outsider's End-game bow. One of the rewards from the quest Forgotten Legends, it is a leveled bow acquired by defeating Sigdis Gauldurson at Geirmund's Hall. It is a supple Nord bow with an absorb magicka enchantment. This was the Outsider's endgame weapon against dragons and magic-based creatures. No, it is not the best bow in the game, but when it is obtained past level 36, it absorbs 30 points of magicka. The bow can be tempered with steel and benefits from both the Arcane and Dwarven smithing perks, so it can be upgraded well. I found this particular useful in conjunction with De Ser's Archery overhaul, which gives four rings (obtained by defeating bosses; dragonpriest, wispmother, and warlocks) that allow you to fire elemental bows at the cost of magicka. The absorb effect from this bow allowed me to replenish magicka as I was spending it while shooting.
"So great was the grief of the Harbinger that, instead of salty sorrow, Ysgramor wept tears of purest ebony. His eldest, Yngol, collected the tears in a stein and held his father in a warm embrace. He poured mead down the Harbinger's great throat, wrapped furs around the Harbinger's great shoulders, and slung the Harbinger into a great hammock below decks.
Then he set to work. For Yngol, eldest son to the Harbinger of us all, was the greatest smith our people have ever known. There, on the sea, Yngol set to work with his tools. He used lightning to heat the Night's Tears, the ocean's swell to cool them, and always his hammer-blows rang in concert with the rising wind.
When Ysgramor awoke the next morning, Yngol presented him with a mighty axe, hewn from the sorrow that had laid him low just the night before. And the Harbinger of us all embraced his son. He cried out in joy, sadness, and rage. And there on the deck of the last ship from Saarthal, Ysgramor named his Axe Wuuthrad, which means "Storm's Tears in the language of Atmora.
--from Song of the Return, Volume 5
Wuuthrad: An incredible account of the abilities and effects of this weapon already exists with Paul England's in-depth article - Investigating Wuuthrad . What I can add to this, however, are the additional effects that occur when one is running a game with the Unofficial Patches installed. The patches give Wuuthrad a tempering ingredient. Ebony. This means several things. First, Wuuthrad is now able to be tempered, benefitting from the Ebony smithing perk, which I found, doubles it's improvement. Second, since it now has an ingredient, Wuuthrad now benefits from the Limbsplitter perks in Two-handed. While it was not much damage, it was significant enough to warrant investment. Finally, there is a glitch when Wuuthrad is wielded by an Elf. Instead of only inflicting 1.2x damage against Elves, when wielded by an Elf, the axe across the board deals and additional 1.2x damage, really enhancing the roleplaying aspects of this Build. These extra benefits, along with it being effected by Elemental Fury, made this weapon the Outsider's end-game battleaxe. In a Vanilla game, it's 25 point base damage, the wielded by an Elf glitch, and its ability to be used with Elemental fury, still makes this a decent choice for the Outsider's endgame weapon. If you are concerned about higher damage output at higher difficulties, consider an ebony battleaxe as an alternative to represent Wuuthrad in your game.
"I wake with a start, hands bound in a cart. Feeling the life course in me again, the stench and pain of mortality, but I rejoiced. I knew then that my prayers had been answered. That I had been given a second chance to prove myself worthy to enter Sovngarde. Black dragon, world-eating flames, I escaped the confusion that was to be my death sentence. I split from him, he said to split up, to go our separate ways. So while he wandered to the North and something in me wanted to follow, I, instead, wandered east. Ferned forests became freezing mountains became Autumn's Aspen gold. For days I wandered, following the dreams of my mantling until I appeared before one of my kind at a large temple of stone, who, in the mountain snow, bore falsly the blue banner of the white bear. I agreed to his plan to retrieve a mask of power, stepping into the ruined temple of ritual suicide of those who mourned the death of their wing-gods. One, who I first met inside, spectral blue, turned to me, his axe in the air. I swung faster, mantling complete. His became mine and as I lay spent from battle, a new vision came to me. What went east must now go west, west to the tundra, upon a grey steed bearing the name of the Harbinger of us all. I go west, west to the vessel that stands capsized upon a hill of stone-walled glory. The ship Jorrvaskr calls me home and I, the old captain go, singing the song of my return." - Henantier the Outsider
"Servant am I, work-slave to my Shield-Brothers. I endure and am deemed worthy, but dark secrets are discovered, the Huntsman and Jorrvaskr unholy lovers. I must right the wrongs of the Mead Hall, but the Jarl before the dragon's head, beckons me to another temple instead. Dragon Stone buried with Guardian strong, with axe of ice and breath of Kyne's song. I vanquish, from deep strength drawn. Tower of the Western watch, mighty scaled god. Arrows fly, axes swing, breath of fire, and my wheel turns. It turns and a gift is given... A dream of Sovngarde, realized." - Henantier the Outsider
- Seige on the Dragon Cult: Only through the first chamber to retrieve a set of Ancient Nord armor.
- Main quest: Unbound through Dragon Rising.
- Purchase Breezehome: Henantier is seen as little more than a servant, not even able to sleep at Jorrvaskr until he completes Proving Honor. To emphasize your servitude, do errands for the local populace. Chop wood for Hulda at the Bannered Mare, hunt game to sell at the market stalls, and do every smallscale quest.
- Blood on the Ice
- Book of Love
- Companions: Take up Arms through Proving Honor.
- Other quests: If you do not have EFC, do all the bounty quests for Whiterun, Rift, & Falkreath Holds. If you have EFC, usually, you'll need to do around 14 quests before you are given Proving Honor.
"From Vaermina's Nightmare forlorn, Jorrvaskr's Legacy is born, upon the Pale's Heljarchen Hall adorn.
Elven wile gives me advantage, to Jorrvaskr's lore, I provide addage.
A building built of my own hands, A place where Nord's true history now stands
Sent me, they did, to Skyrim's corners, to scour for artifacts that do our ship honors.
Masks, weapons, and staves have gathered I, even to the land of Solstheim my ship did fly.
Where hidden underground, in the barrow Kolbjorn to be found, Azhidal's powerful relics become unbound."
-Henantier the Outsider
- Main quest: The Way of the Voice through The Horn of Jurgen Windcaller. Seek out Dragon lairs and word walls.
- Waking Nightmare: gives the Outsider the right to purchase Helcharchen Hall, the Legacy the Outsider is referring to.
- Build your Homestead: The Legacy. Build the Main Hall, the Trophy Room, The Armory, and the Enchanting Tower. This will house all the artifacts the Outsider obtains in his quest to earn continued respect from his Shield-Brothers and to find favor to enter Sovngarde. In this grand museum to the Legacy of Ysgramor and his 500, store the following; Dragon priest masks, dragon claws, special weapons and artifacts, and all the books that pertain to Nord history, paying special attention to the volumes of the Song of the Return, the Wolf Queen, and Song of Pelinal.
- Silenced Tongues: the unique weapons Edjui and Okin that were wielded by Kvenel the Tongue
- The Pale Lady: The Pale Blade
- Free the Ancient Nord Lovers Fjori & Holgeir: The Ghost Blade at Ansilvund
- A Scroll for Anska: Vokun
- Forgotten Legends: The Gauldur amulet, The Gauldur Blackblade, the Gauldur Blackbow
- Siege on the Dragon Cult: Finish this quest and defeat Rahgot
- Evil in Waiting: Hevnoraak
- Companions: Radiant quests until the Silver Hand if EFC is installed or do the bounty quests of the Reach, Hjaalmarch, and Haafingar Holds.
- Unearthed: Azhidal's Relics
- Begin the Dragonborn DLC
- Don't feel the need to do these quests in exactly the order presented. They merely serve as a guideline for experiencing the events of Chapter 2.
"When I return from my many journeys, the Circle beckons. Nord and Mer stand together and through combat the Circle gains another. Nord stands with Mer in brotherhood, eons of hatred turning to love. But great joy gives way to terrible dispair when wolfen brother is dangled from Gallow's Rock by Silver Hands. New family threatened, a life destroyed. Just as I mantled the warrior of the ruin before, I now mantle my wolfen brother by donning his armor in memory. A fire goes out, but another ignites. The fire of Revenge."
-Henantier the Outsider
- Companions: The Silver Hand and Radient quests until Blood's Honor. If playing without EFC, do the bounty quests for the Eastmarch, Winterhold, and the Pale; including Dragons and Giants.
I'm amazed that Aela thinks she can keep a secret among this drunken rabble. Especially with the loss of Skjor (my heart aches), emotions are fraying, and the walls of discretion are the first to fall.
Apparently she and the Outsider are waging their own separate war against the Silver Hand, in retaliation for Skjor's death. Their hearts are noble, but the course of vengeance is running hot, and I fear the counterstroke that may come if they do not rein in their fury.
The Outsider shows valor, though, even in this more underhanded time. We have not had cause to speak much, and that is something I deeply regret. I have high hopes for the Outsider's destiny, as I realized that his appearance in my dream may indeed mark him as the Harbinger to succeed me.
I have received few dreams over the course of my life, but when they come, I have learned to trust them. I have also learned to trust the instincts of my heart, which tells me that the Outsider can carry the Companions' Legacy as truly as any residing in Jorrvaskr, especially with the loss of Skjor. Aela is too solitary, Vilkas too fiery, and Farkas too kind-hearted. Only the Outsider stands as a true warrior who can keep a still mind amidst these burning hearts.
I will not speak to him of any of this, though. It is too much to burden another with. My hope is that he and I can keep counsel over the coming years, that I can impart the wisdom of the Harbingers. All things in time. Firstly, I will seek his assistance in the matter of the witches of Glenmoril. It would appear that our path to the cure is not without some poetic justice for the tricksters who first cursed us.
--Kodlalk Whitemane's journal, final entry
- Companions: Purity of Revenge through Glory of the Dead, giving Henantier Wuuthrad and the Shield of Ysgramor. The shield holds a special place of honor at the Legacy.
- Purity: Cleanse Vilkas, Farkas, and yourself (Vanilla), so that all may join Kodlak and Ysgramor in Shor's Golden Hall.
- Missing in Action: Repay the smith of the Companions for being so kind to you when you first joined by finding his son.
"I feel my time growing short. Sovngarde beckons me. I can hear the songs of Shor's Hall as I sleep at night, consuming me, asking me to join them. Am I ready? Am I worthy? So many doubts run through my mind as it comes time to confront the World-Eater, Alduin."
- Henantier the Outsider
- Main quest: Diplomatic Immunity through The Fallen. Do Season Unending.
- Finish the Dragonborn DLC to acquire any additional powers.
- Finish acquiring any artifacts you may have missed for display at the Legacy. This is your final Legacy to Bear
- Finish locating any final word walls.
- Temper your endgame gear a final time.
- Dismiss any followers you may have, including dogs and horses.
- In addition to your gear, when you go to Skuldafn, carry with you only two books; Great Harbingers and Dream of Sovngarde.
- It is time... to escape the Dreamsleeve that traps your soul.
"A Nord is indeed judged not by the manner in which he lived, but the manner in which he died. So here now, I, Henatier the Outsider, stand before you with Ysgramor's very axe, the Elf-Grinder, Wuuthrad, beating my weary, battle-scarred breast in restlessness and supplication. Rejecting all that the Gods created me to be for this very moment. For my moment to escape the Dreamsleeve and join my Shield-Brothers in honor. I have sung through the Song of my Return and I stand before you, Tsun, judge-god of the Whale-Brige to the Golden Hall, that you may judge me worthy to enter. That I may finally have what long has been denied me. Let us do battle for my entry. Let us do battle to show you my worth. Let our axes' metallic rings shatter through the Auroras of Sovngarde.
And let Alduin hear this, this battle worthy of the Gods... and tremble."
-Henantier the Outsider
Main quest: World Eater's Eyrie through Dragonslayer. Slay the World-Eater who has descrated Sovngarde.
And then?
Stay in Sovngarde, do not go back to Skyrim. No, the quest will not be complete, but that was not the point. It was never the point.
For Henantier's Dream of Sovngarde... has been realized.
Oh, wow, almost a year in making. Thanks to Karver, Phil, Teineeva, Goldie the Perkspread Nazi, and my support group that put up with me bitching and moaning through this build. Thanks to the wonderful Workshop Team for helping me with their comments and feedback. This build would not be possible without your support. Thanks to Paul England for his wonderful article on Wuuthrad. Words cannot express this journey that Henantier and I have been on in capturing his journey through Skyrim, in bringing him from a small snippet in a dusty book, to granting him what I think he always wanted. Thanks.
Retrospection for a new site: This build was originally posted in February 27, 2017. It is probably my greatest legacy as a builder, earning a whopping 48 likes for a Sociel Engine build, and I am happy now to port this build to Skyforge. While now probably dated to some extent, it still reflects my overall philosophy and approach to building as the merger of gameplay with story-telling. I was literally in tears at the end of Henantier's playthrough, proud that he had, through determination achieved his goal. Yeah, he's a tiny snippet of a lore book you find in Kodlak's quarters, but in that snippet you get a truly amazing character who defies the odds for a second time through this build. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed making it.
Replies
I am absolutely loving the story telling that goes into these builds and your presentation skills are top notch!
Thank you very much.
Henatier looking as good as ever. I still remember one time, i clicked on thenlink to the build, and it took me to porn
Plus, I honestly love how he's basically an Altmer who has adopted Nord culture as his own
Thanks Chris. Sorry, I didn't respond earlier, my internet's been pretty shoddy lately.
Hey Long Chapper, I truly love your builds. Don't forget to add that Expert Rank, you earned it
Thank you, I appreciate it, I really do, and usually I don’t especially care about rankings and what not, but this was a special build in its place of origin. As far as I’m concerned, it’s a novice build until it achieves what it’s achieved before. And that may not happen here, so it is what it is. Not up to me anymore.
Considering its already sitting at 17 likes in just a few days Im sure it will get there and beyond sooner than you think.
Wooo! Congrats on master rank!
I joined this forum to say that (hopefully) I am installing Requiem to play this. On TV your writings and builds have brought me much joy and inspiration. Well, when I say this build, still deciding between Hentantier and the other old mary. But basically following...ugh...I dunno, some sad old elf with fire in their/ his belly and girt with the steel of the Forge. This build, this pathway.
Many thanks