"What a sunrise..." thought Taviah, as she woke up to the sound of chirping birds. As per usual when she'd stop in a village, she would offer to bring back plants and game to the local innkeeper, in exchange for a free, hot bowl of stew. She'd been camping just outside Helgen since the night before. "I'll stay one more day or two", she had told Vilod "But only if you throw in a bottle of that mead of yours tomorrow !". For real, that juniper berry he mixed in did make a world of difference...
After a good hour or so of stalking a hare, she'd finally caught it. She closed her eyes and let out a sigh of satisfaction, only to open them to a pitch black sky. A shadow was cast upon the ground, blocking the rays of the sun. That's when the screaming began. She ran back to her camp as fast as she could.
From there, she saw it all. Helgen, set ablaze. She could hear the arrows flowing towards the sky, to no effect. And then, she saw it.
A dragon. Diving to the ground, scorching the earth, the stones, setting the hay roofs on fire with a mere breath. Relentlessly. She stood there, helpless, hopeless. Powerless.
It all stopped, just as suddenly as it had happened. In a blink, the beast flew away towards Riverwood. Taviah got ahold of herself, and darted towards the Helgen gate. Maybe someone had survived the onslaught of the black-winged monster. She couldn't have helped the people of Helgen, but if she found any confirmation than what she saw wasn't the mead playing tricks on her mind, she would do her all to help those of Riverwood. Of all of Skyrim.
"Goddess, lend me your strength. I'll stop that thing. Whatever the cost. I must."
These mods are mandatory for the build to function as intended
A few suggestions to turn your gameplay experience up a notch
Classic Classes & Birthsigns Reimagined I personally use the optional SetAV scripts. For this build, I picked the classic Scout class and the Warrior birthsign
Anniversary Edition Growable Plants
Thunderchild - Shout Expansion
Arena - Encounter Zones Overhaul
Alternate Start To follow the backstory, start camping in the woods between Helgen and Riverwood
Skyshards Rather than get a perk point modifier from the Ordinator page, I prefer to use this mod, which rewards exploration - very fitting for a Scout
These mods were used for this playthrough, but the build does still work without them
Invisible Ætherial Crown - Because I find that thing extremely ugly
Belt-Worn Dragon Priest Masks - since this mod uses Warmonger Armory assets, this patch designed for the former mod in the list works
Traveler's Backpack along with VishVadeva50's Fixes
Taviah is a Redguard, a descendant of the Yokudan warriors who settled Hammerfell when their homeland sank into the sea. With Imperious installed, Redguards start with a base Health of 100 (regen rate 0.75%), base Magicka of 90 (regen rate 2.875%) and base Stamina of 110 (regen rate 5.25%), and a carrying capacity of 325.
For racial abilities, they have Dust Storm, which increases attack damage and critical strike damage and reduces spell costs by 30% for 5 seconds after killing a humanoïd enemy. They also have Nomadic Heritage, which gives them unlimited Stamina out of combat as well as a 50% resistance to disease , and Tenacity, which makes Stamina and Magicka regenerate up to 100% faster, based on missing Health.
Furthermore, their active ability, Red Sand Dance, is acquired by winning 30 battles against 3 or more people. It is a one use a day Power that allows you to slow time by 90% when sprinting in combat during 45 seconds.
With Andromeda installed, the Steed Stone has two passive properties and one active ability.
For passives, Explorer increases carry weight by 50 and adds random nearby landmarks to your map, while Gallop makes you move 40% faster out of combat. It also allows for 50% faster Stamina regeneration out of combat, but being a Redguard makes this bonus redundant due to Nomadic Heritage.
The active ability, Bag of Holding, is unlocked through discovering every standing stone in Skyrim. It is a power usable at will that lets you access an unlimited storage space.
Wearing the Ætherial Crown lets you pick a second Standing Stone ; I chose the Shadow Stone, as it gives the Shadow Step ability, a power usable at will that dashes to a target for a small Stamina cost, as well as increased movement speed in combat and better sneaking & sneak attacks while near walls or obstacles.
With Wintersun installed, a new game mechanic is introduced : Faith. By choosing Leki, the Yokudan goddess of swordsmanship, as her deity, following her Tenets and Praying once a day, Taviah will get Favor with her deity, which in turn yields increasing benefits.
Leki's tenets are the following : “Bring the Civil War to a conclusion. Make and improve weapons. Master the skills of the Warrior.” The Shrine to Leki, located south of Rorikstead, gives all of your Light Armor pieces 10% extra armor rating. Though you need to meditate at the shrine to receive this buff, you don't need to be at the shrine to Pray. Praying once a day increases Favor.
As a Follower of Leki, Taviah receives the passive effect Spirit Sword, which makes her power attack ignore X% of the target's armor, X being based on your Favor with Leki. Once Favor reaches or exceeds 100%, Taviah becomes a Devotee, gaining an additional ability : Battle Meditation. It allows you to spend 5% Favor during prayer to gain a melee damage percentage boost proportional to your Favor for 10 minutes or 5 battles.
Taviah is a Chaotic Good character. She acts as her conscience directs her and makes her own way, but she's still a benevolent and kind soul. She basically combines a good heart with a free spirit ; she has no use for rules and regulations, and is often defiant of authority, as she hates having people telling her what to do, but she can handle it if it serves what she believes to be a greater purpose. Taviah is a fierce, brave and brazen woman, with a quick wit and enough muscle to back up her trash talking. She's very independent and is at ease alone in the wilds just as much as she is having drinks with fellow warriors in a Mead Hall and exchanging adventure stories. Like most Redguards, she harbors a deep hatred of the Thalmor, and has nothing but disdain for the Empire that bowed to them. That being said, she's not too fond of the Stormcloaks either, even though she considers their cause to be just, because of the blatant racism some - if not most - of them often display.
Here are a few examples of quests that make sense role-play wise for Taviah, the Redguard Dragonslayer. As the Last Dragonborn, she will pursue the main quest, however she will not pick sides in the Civil War. Please note, this list is non-exhaustive, in no particular order, and is overall just a way for you to get started into roleplaying the character.
Main Questline – Taviah is the Last Dragonborn, and will take this title very seriously, destroying every dragon she comes across and putting an end to Alduin's plans. After much hesitation, she will however choose to spare the life of Paarthurnax, and convince her fellow Blades to let go of their hatred and see the bigger picture.
Dragonborn Questline – After dealing with Alduin, Taviah will once again stop the return of a great and ancient evil to Tamriel using her Dragonborn powers. Even though she'll have to do his bidding to be able to stop Miraak, she will not swear an oath of service to Hermaeus Mora.
Companions Questline – Taviah joins the ranks of the fabled Companions early in her adventures, and will soon find herself a prominent member of the Circle. After becoming the Harbinger, she will purge herself from the Blood Curse and cure her Lycanthropy.
Served Cold Questline – The Redoran Councilor of Raven Rock is in grave danger, and Taviah will put an end to the plot threatening his life.
Lost To The Ages – Taviah will help Katria uncover the mysteries of the fabled Ætherium Forge, and get the mighty Ætherial Crown as a reward.
Tilted Scales – Taviah will investigate the disappearance of a former highwayman, ultimately getting her hands on her first set of Dragonscale armor, made from the remains of Vithrelnaak.
Destroy the Dark Brotherhood ! – Taviah despises assassins, and will engage and defeat Astrid in single combat when she gets abducted by the shadowy sect.
Retaking Thirsk – Though Taviah will side with the Nords, she will refuse to help Bujold deceive her companions.
The White Phial & Repairing the White Phial – As she helps Nurelion and Quintus recover the fabled White Phial from Curalmil's tomb, and restore it to its full power, she will be allowed to keep this powerful artifact.
The Unquiet Dead & A Farmer's Life For Me – After granting peace to the spirits of Rin and his parents, Taviah will renovate Goldenhills Plantation and use it as her base camp. She will grow most of her alchemical ingredients there and make a decent profit out of it. It is also conveniently located near the Yokudan Pantheon shrines.
A Dying Wish – Taviah will investigate the mysterious altar on the outskirts of Falkreath. She will either pray at the altar of power, or at the altar of nothing. I chose the latter as the quest is the most benevolent out of the three options, plus it rewards you with a follower that you can use as a steward for Goldenhills plantation.
A Return to Your Roots – You actually don’t need to wait until you've made progress on the main quest to do this, and the buff you get completing this quest is very invaluable as soon as you get the Lab Skeever and Green Thumb perks, given the build relies to some extent upon Alchemy.
Radiant Quests – Taviah will gladly take on extra work for the Companions, as well as various bounty work within all the nine Holds, and hunt dragons with her fellow Blades. An explorer at heart, she'll also look to collect all of the treasure maps she can find, as well as rare books, such as the Crimson Dirk saga or Sinderion's Nirnroot Missive.
This totals 74 perks, which might seem like a lot ; however, keep in mind that Skyshards or other perk point modifiers, as well as the last perk from the Alchemy tree, give you bonus perk points to spend. I am currently level 55 on this character (my main skills being maxed out except Sneak, I doubt I will go any further in terms of leveling), and thanks to Skyshard hunting and the natural leveling process, I managed to get all of the perks in the spreadsheet, plus a few luxury ones, that I will list below. For now, let's review the key ones.
ALCHEMY – Scouts are trained survival experts, and can craft powerful potions with whatever they may find in the wilderness
- Physician : As she doesn't use Restoration magic, Taviah needs the extra help from this perk to stay alive in combat. Choose to increase the magnitude of your Health potions.
- Double Toil & Trouble : Combined with Green Thumb and Sinderion's Serendipity, this perk ensures you make the most out of even the smallest batch of reagents.
- Witchmaster : Considering Enchanting was left out of the build, this perk still allows Taviah to receive bonus effects. The whole branch that leads to it is also great for her fighting style.
- That Which Does Not Kill You... : Save before you take the perk. Stock up on Health potions beforehand. Poison Resistance is bypassed. Pray you get the Infinite Health Witchmaster effect. The result you'll get will be worth the hassle.
BLOCK – As opposed to Barbarians, who heedlessly rush into battle, Scouts consider a good defense to be the best offense
- Apocalypse Proof : A key perk to be able to withstand the onslaught of enemy mages, and the breath of Dragons.
- Quick Reflexes : Allows you to reposition in the fight while the enemy is caught unaware.
- Dominion : You'll often find yourself fighting large groups, making this perk a great increase to overall survivability.
- Dragon Scales : Taviah has an exceptional Stamina pool, and many ways to replenish it during combat. You'll feel immortal in any duel with this perk.
LIGHT ARMOR – Taviah prefers to remain quick on her feet and travel light, and her armor of choice allows her to make full use of her mobility
- Windrunner : Speed is a core ability for Scouts, allowing them to dodge the heavy blows rather than block them.
- Evasive Leap : A very handy emergency button if timed properly.
- Wardancer : As you progress, you'll get better and better at barely ever getting hit in combat, due to Taviah's speed and blocking prowess, making this perk a must have.
- Tempting Fate : The movement speed bonus stacks infinitely. Enough said.
ONE-HANDED – Taviah is an expert melee fighter, but unlike most Redguards, she favors the axe over a fancy scimitar
- Disciplined Fighter : Most of your Stamina should be used to block, bash or sprint out of an attacker's range, so whatever little you can save is always invaluable.
- Furious Strength : A massive Stamina pool makes this perk an excellent damage increase.
- Thundering Blow : Most of the time, you'll want to stick to regular attacks unless you have a proc available. It will make full use of Bite Marks, Elemental Fury and Aftershock.
SMITHING – Taviah has mastered this craft out of necessity ; being out in the wilds more often than she is within city walls, she needs to be able to craft and upgrade equipment herself
- Advanced Workshop : Upgrading a Workbench will allow you to hit the maximum armor cap even without a helmet, and even when you have to wield a torch in place of your shield.
- Planar Smithing : Picking Dragonbone Smithing will allow you to temper your gear up to its maximum potential.
SNEAK – While she is no assassin, Taviah knows how to carefully approach a dangerous beast, or get the jump on an unsuspecting enemy
- Sneak Attack : Always a very comfortable addition to a build that uses Stealth, even if it's just a little.
- Light Foot : You'll often run through the corridors of nordic ruins, bandit or Forsworn camps, and these can be riddled with traps.
As mentioned above, you don't need these perks for the build to function ; I found myself using those purely out of convenience, after every essential perk was unlocked. Note that you may need to either powerlevel these skills, or seek out training, as they are not used at all. That being said, Lockpicking and Speech will increase naturally.
ALTERATION (60) - Mastery 1/2, Philosopher's Stone, Alter Self: Resistances (Fire & Frost), Alter Self: Attributes (Health)
ENCHANTING (80) - Mastery 2/2, Gem Dust, Regalia, Twin Enchantment - Good enchantments would be Fortify One-Handed, Block, Health, Stamina and their Regeneration rate, Resist Magic and all specific variants - Frost, Fire, Shock, by order of priority. Also is very useful for crafting a Smithing + Alchemy set to keep your gear and potions relevant in the later stages of the game.
LOCKPICKING (20) - Mastery 2/2, Game of Fate
PICKPOCKET (20) - Mastery 2/2, Blood Money
SPEECH (50) - Mastery 2/2, Kinship, Salesman
Taviah is always well prepared, carrying armor & weapons she crafted and improved herself, potions and poisons of her own making, enchanted jewelry and, of course, always a few lockpicks, just in case.
I used a modded backpack (weaker than the AE ones but it looks amazing), weapon and shield for aesthetic purposes, feel free to replace them with a regular backpack, a Dragonbone War Axe and a Dragonscale Shield, should these mods not be available to you.
HEADGEAR : Ætherial Crown - Use the Steed & Shadow Stones
ARMOR : Studded Dragonscale Armor - Crafted & Tempered
GLOVES : Studded Dragonscale Gauntlets - Crafted & Tempered
BOOTS : Studded Dragonscale Boots - Crafted & Tempered
NECKLACE : Necklace of Health - Highest available variant. I didn't use the Nordic version as it clips with the armor and triggers my OCD big time
RING : Nordic Ring of Stamina - Highest available variant
MAIN HAND : Hrothmund's War Axe - Crafted & Tempered
OFF-HAND : Light Iron Dragon Shield – Crafted & Tempered
TRINKETS : Stone of the Forebears, Traveler's Backpack, Volsung (belt-strapped)
MAGICAL EFFECTS : Bonuses and powers gained from completing quests that can be of use to the build
Agent of Dibella, Agent of Mara, Agent of Kynareth, Devour Dragon, Dragonslayer, Force Without Effort, Harbinger's Saga, Sacrament, Sinderion’s Serendipity, Spectre, Supremacy
HIDDEN KNOWLEDGE : Abilities granted by reaching the end of a Black Book area
Mora's Boon, Seeker of Might, Secret of Protection, Black Market, Lover's Insight (Replace by Companion's Insight if you're using a follower)
I used a mod listed above to let me grow the plants from Rare Curios, as well as a few vanilla ones that didn't have a world model. Recipes have been designed to not use the same ingredient twice, and provide the highest possible value. Note that, as a self-imposed restriction, I didn't use any potion I didn't craft myself, with the exception of the White Phial.
RESTORE HEALTH - Corkbulb Root & Blisterwort
RESTORE STAMINA - Purple Mountain Flower & Mudcrab Chitin
FORTIFY BLOCK, RESIST MAGIC - Tundra Cotton & Bleeding Crown
FORTIFY SMITHING - Glowing Mushroom & Spriggan Sap
FORTIFY ONE-HANDED, LIGHT ARMOR & SNEAK - Bear Claws, Hawk Feathers & Beehive Husk
DAMAGE HEALTH, WEAKNESS TO POISON - Deathbell, Crimson Nirnroot & Giant Lichen
DAMAGE HEALTH, LINGERING DAMAGE HEALTH, PARALYSIS - Fire Petal, Imp Stool & Scathecraw
As the Last Dragonborn, Taviah will learn to wield the power of the Voice, mainly focusing its application on offense. I didn't end up using any Thunderchild Shout, however, the ability to reinforce one through the Pillars of the Voice is invaluable. Should you be playing with this mod, I recommend empowering Marked for Death.
BECOME ETHEREAL - Words are found in Ustengrav, Ironbind Barrow and Lost Valley Redoubt
BEND WILL - First Word is found at Særing's Watch, the next two are learned from Hermaeus Mora during the Dragonborn Questline
DRAGON ASPECT - Words are found in the Temple of Miraak, Bloodskal Barrow, and at the end of the 'Waking Dreams' Black Book
DRAGONREND - All three Words are learned at once during the Main Quest
ELEMENTAL FURY - Words are found in Dragontooth Crater, Shriekwind Bastion, and near the Statue of Meridia
MARKED FOR DEATH - Words are found in the Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary, Autumnwatch Tower, and the Forsaken Cave
WHIRLWIND SPRINT - Words are found in Dead Men's Respite, Volskygge, and the last is learned from the Greybeards early in the Main Quest
Evasive Maneuvers (Passive) : Windrunner + Tempting Fate + Gallop
Be it in or out of combat, Taviah's speed is one of her greatest assets.
Tip : Knowing when to block and when to sprint out of an attack is key to mastering this build. As a general rule, you'll want to dodge slow power attacks, and counter while the opponent is striking
Elusive Charge : Become Ethereal + Wardancer + Overrun + Shieldbiter
Taviah shrouds herself using the Thu'um, and performs a jump attack so powerful it breaks through any defense.
Tip : You can also use this technique to get to distant opponents such as archers and mages, rather than to engage on an enemy that carries a shield
Eye for an Eye : Poke the Dragon + Dragon Tail + Skull Rattler
Taviah swiftly deflects a blow and retaliates with her shield, dealing devastating damage in one smooth motion.
Tip : This is most effective whilst under the effects of the Wardancer passive
Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken : Dragon Aspect + Unstoppable force + Into the Mælström
Taviah heedlessly rushes into a group of enemies, harnessing the power of her Dragon blood, casting them aside while neglecting almost any damage.
Tip : Works wonders against groups of melee opponents, such as bandits. Be sure to record yourself rushing through the bridge of the Valtheim Towers, you'll see, the feeling is worth it
Dragon of the Sands : Elemental Fury + Red Sand Dance + Dust Storm
Taviah seemingly blinks across the battlefield, culling down entire groups without giving them time to react.
Tip : This can also be used against very powerful enemies in order to keep dodging spells or blows that would kill you instantly otherwise, letting you focus on sheer damage output rather than timing your blocks
STRENGTHS : Surprisingly tanky, good at all stages of the game and in any difficulty setting, decent crowd control, great burst and even greater damage over time, doesn't rely on enchantments, can easily be played in Survival Mode
WEAKNESSES : No magic or ranged options aside from Shouts, reliant on two crafting skills in order to be effective, lack of sustain aside from potions, dragon fights can be tedious before getting Dragonrend
Taviah, the Wyrm's Bane
Taviah is a Scout, a nimble and durable fighter that is most at ease in elongated fights, out in the open. While her skillset is similar to that of a Barbarian, Scouts are usually more calculated and focused on having a rock solid defense, to in turn deliver deadly, lightning-fast counter attacks.
Depending on the type and number of opponents, you should open combat with either Elusive Charge or Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken, making sure your weapon is coated in poison, and you've swallowed a vial of a beneficial potion. I ended up using the Fortify Block & Magic Resist potion before practically every battle, as the two ingredients it takes to make can be found and grown in abundance. Even after the defensive part of either of these techniques runs out, Evasive Maneuvers should give you an extra layer of safety in combat. Stick to regular attacks until you get a Thundering Blow proc, to maximize the bleeding damage from your axe, and don't hesitate to use Elemental Fury or Marked for Death quite liberally. Eye for an Eye is both a great defensive and offensive tool, and you should look to make use of it whenever you can ; focus on blocking and dodging rather than attacking blindly, and you'll yield the best possible results with the build. Dragon of the Sands, while it shines most against large groups, is also an excellent tool to close out a boss battle quickly, combined with your enhancing potions and the side effects Witchmaster will provide. Always keep an eye out for the best ones and adapt your fighting style ; those would be any Health or Stamina related bonus, any melee or bashing damage bonus, and, of course, the amazing Unlimited Shouts and Ouroboros effects.
This concludes the twelfth build I'm posting on The SkyForge as part of my Project 21 series, namely my Scout build. Thank you very much for reading ! This very character holds a special place in my heart, as her appearance and skillset are largely based on the first character I ever played, on that fateful day that was November 11th, 2011.
I would like to extend special thanks to Enai Siaion, creator of Ordinator, Andromeda, Imperious, and many more gameplay-enhancing mods, for making Skyrim an even more amazing game than Bethesda already had, and one I still enjoy playing after over a decade, as well as to Furrion 17. I tried all of his builds when I got into character building and really had a blast, and the dedication he shows in crafting a good backstory for a good build inspired me to try my hand at it as well. Since I joined this community, Furrion has given me nothing but constructive input, words of encouragement, and sincere friendship, for which I am immensely grateful. This project I’m having so much fun working on simply would not exist without him, his work, his advice and his support.
That's all from me for now, expect more soon ! Don't hesitate to comment and share your experience playing Taviah, I hope you'll have as much fun playing her as I had creating, playing and writing the build she is the star of !
MY OTHER BUILDS
ARCHER : Kastav, the Turncoat
ASSASSIN : Thogra gra-Karosh, the Crimson Dirk
BARBARIAN : Ulfgar, the Lone Wolf
HEALER : Alska, She of the Wild
KNIGHT : Acilius, Alessia's Chosen
NIGHTBLADE : Caesia Tremellius, the Imperial Inquisitor
ROGUE : Thessia, the Rascal
SORCERER : Lanathel, the Bloodsworn
SPELLSWORD : Ariane, the Skystrider
WARRIOR : Kazan, the Lion of Bangkorai
WITCHHUNTER : Taren Verelas, the Beckoner of Retribution
Replies
Glad your continue this classes build. Always inspiring and fool of good ideas thank you
I appreciate the support ! Glad to be back to it after almost a year =)
An awesome adaptation of the original classes ideas. Great work