Letter from F. to M.
18th of First Seed, 4E 180
Falkreath
We burned the house down as per your instructions. Every member of clan Golden-Glow is dead.
- Festus.
Letter from M. to A.
21st of First Seed, 4E 180
Riften
The deed is yours Aringoth. Just remember whose connections bought you your wealth. And keep the honey flowing. That way we both profit.
- Maven.
This build was made for the event Against Type II: Bloodlines. For this event I chose to build for the Elder Scrolls concept of a Nord Clever Man. A spellcaster shaping the natural world to their will, while making bargains with beings outside of it for knowledge and power.
To interweave this character into the lore of the setting, I set them on a quest for revenge. Inspired by the (frankly disturbingly) thorough posts on how to screw over Maven Black-Briar, I decided that my Nord Clever Man was on a quest for revenge. Specifically, a quest based on the loss of their ancestral home: the island situated in the middle of Lake Honrich. And so Eirikk Golden-Glow, the Beekeeper was born.
Version: Anniversary Edition
Optional Mods: This build does not require any mods. Having said that, I did use All-Maker Stones of Solstheim - Powers Are Permanent to reduce the irritation of having to make repeat trips to Solstheim. I also used a mod called Southern Apiary, which adds an apiary close to Lakeview Manor for one of the screenshots below. Lastly, I used a number of mods that improved Lakeview Manor itself, such as: Lakeview Manor Upgrades SSE, Lakeview Manor Fish Hatchery and Friendly Necromancer and Spell Vendor at Lakeview Manor SE - Lakeview Friendly Necromancer.
Personal Restrictions: No Restoration magic. Based on books like Breathing Water we know that mindset is essential to casting spells in the Elder Scrolls, so I decided that the Beekeeper did not have the required mindset to cast any Restoration spells. As a happy side effect, this forced my Alchemy heavy character to lean even more on their main skill.
Credits: RagnarokHunter on R/Skyrim, where I first found a 'how to screw over Maven Black-Briar' post, and their thorough research. Skypothesis for re-igniting my passion for Skyrim. Skyforge for providing this platform. JazzyJazz, whose builds on this forum I used as a guide for structuring and planning out my own build. And of course you, the reader.
Playstyle: Mage (Merchant)
Race: Nord.
Appearance: A tall, slightly muscled man with stringy blonde hair. One side of their face is covered with a burn mark (using a light red version of the war paint that covers the left side of the face). On the same side, the Beekeeper has lost vision in their eye, with the orb taking on a glassy blue sheen. A remnant of the fire that burned down their childhood home.
Crafting: Yes. Core to the Beekeeper’s thematics is their use of Alchemy. Enchanting is a minor skill and mastering it can be put off for a while, but its use is required for maintaining the Beekeeper’s strength in the late game.
Roleplay: Consumed by their quest for revenge, there is no level of evil or pettiness that they will not stoop to with regards to their enemies. When dealing with children, families or those who have been wronged in some manner, the Beekeeper might show a more humane side.
Major Skills: Alchemy, Destruction, Conjuration.
Minor Skills: Enchanting, Alteration.
Standing Stone: The Steed. The Serpent Stone is equipped on the Aetherial Crown and used in one of the Beekeeper’s special moves.
Attributes: Magicka is heavily prioritized. I only spent five levels in health at the start of the game to make fights manageable. Stamina was completely ignored. I even used the Bittercup to reduce this attribute around the endgame in favour of Magicka.
Level: 38+
Alchemy: The Beekeeper’s main skill, and most important to their progression. Over the course of the game, the Beekeeper will build up three main bases to compete with Maven Black-Briar’s financial domination of the Rift, each with their own alchemical specialties: Goldenhills Plantation, Lakeview Manor and Honeyside. The first is to provide them with the means to create their own brews. Lakeview Manor is built to operate as their own Meadery. Honeyside is lastly constructed to provide them with a way to contest Maven Black-Briar’s power at court.
Alteration: Though not the Beekeeper’s main school of focus, they are well-trained in the various Alteration spells known throughout Skyrim. Clan Golden-Glow, prior to its destruction, long worked the lands surrounding Lake Honrich. Working with bees required a thorough understanding of the various Flesh spells, to prevent getting stung. Waterbreathing was used to harvest materials from the Lake itself, while transmutations were used both for enriching materials mined from the ground as well as for improving Alchemical Ingredients. The Beekeeper still remembers these teachings, and puts them to use building their economic empire.
Conjuration: Clever Men once served as the councilors of Kings and Jarls for their ability to convey the otherworldly council of Daedric spirits. The Beekeeper can call on these same methods, making deals with Daedric Princes as well as lesser Lords and Ladies. Twin Souls is required for unlocking the full power of one of the Beekeeper’s Special Moves.
Destruction: As a practitioner of ancient Nordic magical tradition, the Clever Men were once famed for their ability to shape their environment. For the Beekeeper, this shows itself in their ability to manipulate the weather itself. Take all Perks related to Shock spells, ignoring the Frost and Fire lines of perks.
Enchanting: Arguably the least of the Beekeepers skills, but the most essential to their late-game strength. This skill is used in assembling the final set of equipment the Beekeeper uses: the Beekeeper’s Suit.
For playing beyond the level cap, I recommend investing further perk points into Alteration to grab ‘Magic Resistance’. Aside from Alteration, I would recommend picking up perks from the Speech tree to progress further into the idea of a ‘Merchant’ Mage. I would roleplay this as becoming increasingly otherworldly and unsettling to the common folk of Skyrim, intimidating them into doing what the Beekeeper wants.
The Beekeeper wears a set of armor I call the Beekeeper’s Suit. It was inspired by a number of sources, including the Man in the Iron Mask, the King in Yellow and actual beekeeper suits. It consists of the following items:
- The Mask of Vivec (renamed the Pallid Mask), enchanted with Fortify Magicka and Increase Magicka Regeneration. Acquiring this mask requires the completion of the Creation Club quest Buyer Beware, which can be done at any level. While I consider the mask essential for the aesthetic of this build, I acknowledge that not everyone has the Anniversary Edition of Skyrim. If you don’t, I would recommend using one of the Dragon Priest Masks, such as Otar, Dukaan, Nahkriin or Miraak. Prior to getting the Mask of Vivec, I covered the Beekeeper’s face with the first fully covered helmet I found.
- An Ancient Nord Amulet (renamed the Golden-Glow Amulet), enchanted with Fortify Magicka and Fortify Destruction. This amulet can be acquired from the Jarl of Falkreath’s Longhouse once you become their Thane.
- Scaled Horn Armor (renamed the Beekeeper’s Garb), enchanted with Fortify Conjuration and Fortify Conjuration and Increase Magicka Regeneration. This item can be acquired at any level if you're willing to kill NPC’s for it. Personally, I picked it up from Vorstag (the mercenary from the Silver-Blood Inn in Markarth) after he died in battle. A more roleplay appropriate acquisition would be killing Hern, one of the vampires running the Half-Moon Mill, after you find out their nature. You can do this after building up Lakeview Manor, as this puts you into regular enough contact with them to justify the discovery of their predation on the locals.
- Scaled Boots (renamed the Beekeeper’s Boots), enchanted with Resist Fire and Resist Shock. Combined with a Nord’s natural resistance to Frost, this is one of the main contributors to the survivability of the Beekeeper. I got these from Vorstag, just like the armor. If you prefer, you can replace these with a set of Forsworn Boots, as both fit the aesthetic equally well. I personally just preferred the extra yellow portions of the item.
- Forsworn Gauntlets (renamed the Beekeeper’s Hands), enchanted with Increase Magicka and Fortify Alchemy. This item can be acquired from any Forsworn enemy NPC, who are all over the Reach at any level. This item was the only item I allowed that increased Alchemy, as Enchanting / Alchemy loops are notorious for breaking game balance. As above, this item could just as easily be Scaled Bracers, I just preferred the look of the Forsworn Gauntlets.
- The Ring of Namira can be acquired from the quest The Taste of Death, which can be started at any level. This item helps with survivability in the early game but is mostly used aesthetically in the later game.
- The Ring of Kynareth can be fished up. This ring only has one use, which is providing the Beekeeper with the means to summon up rain, which is required for one of their special moves.
- Mage’s Backpack can be acquired from level one by buying it from a blacksmith or a general goods merchant. The Increase in Magicka helps in the early game, while the extra Carry Weight is useful for the many potions the Beekeeper carries.
Alchemy
- Bear’s Brandy:
A potion of Fortify Health, Restore Health and Fortify Conjuration.
This brandy was used in ancient days by the Clever Men of old to provide them with the strength to summon powerful creatures of the wild and bind them to their will - or, if required - to survive when such bindings failed.
Ingredients: Blue Mountain Flower, Lavender, Wheat.
- Golden-Glow Mead:
A potion of Regenerate Magicka, Fortify Magicka and Restore Stamina.
This drink is crucial to the Beekeeper’s financial domination of the mead market. Made from ingredients mostly sourced from the Beekeeper’s apiaries and farms, this mead provides the drinker with a feeling of untapped potential.
Ingredients: Honeycomb, Salmon Roe, Jazzbay Grapes.
- Apis Venom:
A poison of Slow, Ravage Stamina and Weakness to Shock.
This poison will, when introduced to a victim, inflame the nerves and create small bruises and welts. As a result, the victim will be increasingly sensitive to pain and have difficulty breathing. A brew that distills the pain of getting stung by a swarm of bees.
Ingredients: Bee, Trama Root, Deathbell.
Spells: Sparks, Lightning Wall, Lightning Rune, Lightning Storm, Choking Grasp, Hangman’s Noose, Touch of Death, Oakflesh, Stoneflesh, Ironflesh, Transmute, Master Transmute, Raise Zombie, Banish Daedra, Banish Undead, Expel Daedra, Soul Trap, Pride of Hirstaang, Fenrik’s Welcome.
Shouts: Call Storm, Clear Skies, Animal Allegiance.
Powers: Battle Cry, The Serpent Stone, Conjure Werebear, Waters of Life.
Passive Abilities: Turn of the Seasons, Sinderion's Serendipity.
Hidden Knowledge: Black Market.
This build primarily focuses on the destructive power of Lightning spells in combat. Survivability is maintained through judicious application of Flesh spells, tactical summonings used for distractions and the use of the Beekeeper’s unique drinks. Like all mages (especially those that engage in crafting), the Beekeeper is a bit of a glass cannon in the early game, while becoming rather overpowered in the late game. Change the difficulty as you see fit to maintain difficulty while keeping a sense of progression.
Shouts and powers are covered mostly in the special moves below, but I would like to mention the use of Clear Skies during normal combat, as it staggers enemies from a large distance (as long as you are outdoors). This provides an alternative to combat shouts that don’t fit the roleplay as well, while leaving Call Storm for appropriately special occasions.
Special Moves:
- No Mask!
An emaciated hand reaches out from a ragged robe, removing a mask of brittle stone. What lies beyond is…
Requirements: Mask of Vivec, Aetherial Crown, Serpent Stone, Battle Cry.
The Beekeeper removes their Pallid Mask, inflicting the full force of their wretched face on unsuspecting onlookers. Those directly looking at the Beekeeper are frozen in place, their mind self-destructing as they try to understand what they have seen. Those catching fleeting glimpses are imbued with a supernatural sense of dread, as they run away from the fight. Once the Beekeeper is done, they re-equip their mask, once more infusing them with the extra magicka it provides.
- Storm on Lake Honrich
The thief he expected never came. Instead, it was a storm, conjured by a mage cloaked in power far beyond what he had ever imagined. For over an hour, Aringoth trembled, hidden behind the door he had barricaded. It had been so loud before, when the storm had just started, but now it was almost quiet. Just the rain lashing at his windows and the occasional flash of lightning. Then he heard a click from his door. His hands trembled as he pulled his dagger from his sheath - and then with a thud from his chest - everything stopped.
Requirements: Apis Venom, Call Storm, Lightning Wall, Waters of Life.
Call up a storm with a shout, before rushing at your opponents with poisoned dagger in hand, weakening them up before rushing off. As your enemies are forced to locate you through sheets of rain, leave walls of lightning to cover your escape. Should their wild swings reach their mark, regain your vitality by swallowing the power of the storm itself.
I personally used a Dragon Priest Dagger enchanted with Drain Magicka and Damage Magicka as my main means of applying Apis Venom, as I found the dagger most fit with the aesthetic of the Beekeeper. I ‘’borrowed’ this dagger from Collete Marence’s room in the Hall of Countenance.
- Foul Weather Friends
Building an empire was more difficult than the Beekeeper had initially expected. The help from their allies was, of course, appreciated. But the need for new sources of money had never stopped. Still, there were certain places in the world where such means were easier to acquire than others. The Beekeeper cast their line on the little island on Lake Ilinalta. Just a short distance away from Lakeview Manor, its foundation already built and taking the shape they had envisioned for it so long ago. The sky darkened, and as rain started falling, their acquaintance finally spoke up. “So soon? You must be hungry for a deal.” Putting down their fishing rod, the Beekeeper stood up, ready to start haggling.
Requirements: Fishing Rod, Ring of Kynareth, Turn of the Seasons (Rain), Black Market.
Optional: Other blessings / items increasing barter, such as the Mask of Clavicus Vile, Blessing of Zenithar, Amulet of Zenithar or the Amulet of Articulation.
Turn of the Seasons has the unique effect of increasing your bartering ability by 10% when it rains. Combining this with the Ring of Kynareth, you can make it rain whenever you want. Since this obviously has the downside of limiting the merchants you can reach in a timely fashion, the Beekeeper also picks up their own personal merchant through contracts made with Hermaeus Mora. This ability provides the Beekeeper with a way to sell all of the gear that they get adventuring, which in turn is invested in the acquisition and cultivation of more land. The Beekeeper’s sale of their mead and brandy are instead limited to innkeepers and alchemy shopkeepers.
- Bears and Bees
Sibbi looked up at the figure that had now visited his jail cell twice. “So, are you finally going to show your face? Or are you still too cowardly to talk to me without a mask on?” Sibbi took a sip of his drink as the stranger tilted their head at him, before a soft chuckle started emanating from the mask. “You don’t want to see what is under here.” the stranger softly spoke. “Besides, I’m not here to talk.” Though Sibbi could not see their face, the stranger was now clearly smiling. “Oh? Then what could you possibly be here for?” Sibbi said, his irritation growing visible as he swatted at what he thought was a fly passing over his head. “I’m here to teach a lesson.” the stranger said before he turned away. Sibbi tried to reply, before what he now realised was a bee flew into his mouth. As he coughed, he heard a roar from behind him.
Requirements: Bear’s Brandy, Dwarven Drone Fly, Pride of Hirstaang, Conjure Werebear (Twin Souls), Choking grasp / Strangulation / Hangman’s Noose / Touch of Death, Ring of Namira.
The Beekeeper, when pressed in a fight, has a few ways to increase their survivability. Their favourite way is summoning their most loyal allies, the Bears and the Bees. Drink Bear’s Brandy to heal and increase your endurance while improving the potency of any summoning spells. Then, summon a Werebear before casting the Pride of Hirstaang (as the other way around doesn’t apply Twin Souls for some reason). The Dwarven Drone Fly increases the Beekeeper’s stamina regeneration, while also providing a roleplay reason to use the various Drain Health spells added by the Creation Club. I roleplayed these spells as bees the Beekeeper summoned, choking their opponent. Once you have finished off your opponents, join in the feast your bears eat with the Ring of Namira.
Thieves Guild: Joining this faction is the start of the Beekeeper’s quest, as it normally serves as a player’s introduction to Maven Black-Briar. Do the first jobs until Maven requests you infiltrate the Golden-Glow estate. Then, kill everyone there and burn down the beehives. This sets the stage for the Beekeeper’s revenge. For the job immediately following this, leave the insane man under the Honningbrew Meadery alive to further complicate Maven’s businesses. After these two quests, you can leave the Thieves Guild questline alone for a long while.
The Main Quest: While Alduin isn’t the Beekeeper’s first, second or even third concern, they don’t want the world to end. Perform quests as they make sense to you, but ensure that you reach Season Unending as one of the final steps on your journey. While here, give Riften to the Empire. While this may seem counter-intuitive, as it makes Maven the Jarl of the city: the higher she climbs, the harder she falls.
The Power of Nature: As you progress in Skyrim’s main quest, the Beekeeper increasingly finds methods to use the natural world around them. You should intersperse quests from the main story with quests such as A Scroll for Anska and Siege on the Dragon Cult to unlock words from the Call Storm shout. Uncover the Turn of the Seasons by delving into Runoff Caverns during the quest Forgotten Seasons, as well as the Dwarven Drone Fly. Learn of the Pride of Hirstaang from the Lost Library in Hob’s Fall Cave. Fish up the Ring of Kynareth and . You can also make a brief detour to Solstheim to investigate the All-Maker Stones of Power and acquire a contact in the Black Market.
Deaths in the Family: As the Beekeeper starts uncovering the powers of nature, they also start uncovering darker powers. Go to Markarth and have a Taste of Death to acquire the Ring of Namira. This represents a further turn in the life of the Beekeeper, as they become even more obsessed with destroying Maven Black-Briar. At this point in the story, you should meet and complete the quests of Ingun Black-Briar and Sibbi Black-Briar.
Ingun wants you to gather multiple ingredients commonly used in poisons. Deliver these to her. Then, sneak into the Black-Briar Manor. Her room is downstairs, next to an Alchemy Lab. Kill her (and if you want, trap her soul in a black soul gem), and stage her death. It seems she accidentally killed herself with one of her own poisons, what a shame. Nothing burns an ambitious woman like Maven quite as much as the incompetence of her own family.
Continue by meeting Sibbi Black-Briar after learning of his incarceration from Louis Letrush, who has Promises to Keep - and so do you. Sibbi wants you to meet his old flame for a Lover’s Requital. Acquire Frost from the Black-Briar lodge while killing all NPC’s inside, then refuse to hand over the horse to Louis. Frost will serve as your steed for the rest of the game (although you can use the dwarven vanidium from The Dwarven Horse if you prefer). Spare Lynly Star-Sung and return to Sibbi. Once you do, kill him with Bears and Bees, then eat his corpse. Of course, there’s no shame if you can’t stomach an entire Black-Briar.
Dark Brotherhood: While Maven threatens people with her connections with the Dark Brotherhood, the Beekeeper’s assassination of Ingun reveals that Maven’s connections aren’t quite as strong as she claims. Either infiltrate to learn who destroyed your home, or kill them with the help of the Penitus Oculatus. Both fit with the roleplay of the Beekeeper. Personally, I chose to destroy them.
Lost to the Ages: The Beekeeper’s multiple forays into Dwemer ruins have left their mark on them. Meet with Katria in Arkngthamz and recover the Aetherial Crown to unlock the full power behind the Beekeeper’s mask. While it can’t be guaranteed, this tale also has a nice potential moment where Katria’s treacherous old apprentice attempts to waylay you on the road. Kill him to provide closure to Katria’s spirit, just as you attempt to bring an end to the Black-Briar family to provide closure to your own clan.
Land Ownership:
Building up an economic rival to the Black-Briar meadery takes money, effort and time. Start with acquiring Goldenhills Plantation through the quest The Unsleeping Dead. Build up the farm, as it provides you some of the main ingredients for your own brews: Wheat, Blue Mountain Flowers and Lavender. All things that also grow naturally in Whiterun’s Tundra and are therefore suitable for mass cultivation. The farm also has three apiaries which naturally restock every week or so, as long as they aren’t loaded in.
Recruit Angrenor Once-Honored and a generic farmhand to work the fields. If you decide to destroy the Dark Brotherhood, you can instead pick Narfi to serve as the second farmhand. I personally found Bruin and Embry to not be good fits for the farm, but your tastes may vary.
Assign Roggi Knot-Beard as your steward. Not only is he hard working and honorable, he also has a taste for mead and has canonically tried brewing his own. A fitting choice for sourcing your ingredients. I also purchased the dog Vigilance to guard the farm, as it otherwise has little in the way of protection.
Continue by building up Lakeview Manor. With the recommended mods, this build takes a bit longer, but has significantly more in the way of protections. I chose to expand the Manor by building a Greenhouse, a Kitchen (which I headcanon as the meadery) and an Alchemy Tower where the Beekeeper and their employees experiment with different tastes for their brews.
I planted Jazzbay Grapes in the little garden outside, while I filled the Greenhouse with Trama Root and Deathbell.
The steward I chose for the Manor was Adelaisa Vendicci, who is unlocked as a follower from the quest Rise in the East. As a member of the East Empire Company, I found her to be the most likely person capable of running the day-to-day operations of a meadery. I also married Avrusa Sarethi after completing Smooth Jazzbay, although I roleplayed this as hiring her to be in charge of brewing the actual mead in the Beekeeper’s absence. She’s just really friendly. If at any point you want to go through a redemption arc with the Beekeeper (WHY?) you can give into her advances and eventually adopt Sofia from Windhelm. The Beekeeper would admire her entrepreneurial spirit.
Purchasing Honeyside represents one of the last steps in the Beekeeper’s journey. It gives them an opportunity to contest Maven’s presence in Riften’s court before they remove her completely. Perform a couple of quests to get your Thaneship, but remember to include Under the Table as one of the favours you do for Riften’s citizens, as this further devalues the Black-Briar brand.
The Civil War: The Beekeeper is, against all odds, still a proper Nord. Take revenge against an Empire that has turned its back on Skyrim and fight for your country. But this also culminates in the final step of your revenge against Maven Black-Briar. After giving Riften to the Empire, Maven becomes its Jarl. Over the course of the Civil War questline, she gets removed from her position as Jarl and exiled to Solitude. Sadly, even when she is no longer required for any quest, she does not lose her essential status. This does not mean that the Beekeeper’s revenge is meaningless however. You have removed her economic dominance from Skyrim, taken her criminal connections from her, stolen her assets, destroyed her family in horrible ways and banished her from her seat of power. All that is left is introducing yourself to her.
“Who are you?” Maven asked the stranger in the mask. “Who I am is not important,” the stranger replied. “Only my actions matter.” There was something unnatural about the movements of the… creature in front of her, Maven thought. A jerkiness, as if something otherworldly was puppeteering the being. “And what have you done? Speak quickly before I have Falk remove you from the Palace.” Maven spoke, hiding her discomfort.
“I am the one who destroyed you.” The creature said, low-pitched laughter bubbling up in their voice. “I turned your allies against you,” the thing said, spreading their arms wide and moving closer with those unnatural little movements. “I ruined your business,” It said as it moved its hands to its mask. “I killed your family.” It whispered with a smile as its hands gripped the top of its mask. “Then you never should have come here!” Maven shouted, as she backed up against the wall, preparing to defend herself until the guards arrived.
Look at mȩ̴̭̹̙̜̖̤͙͕̪̱̲̭͍̞̏̂̅͛́͜,̸̨̭̰̮̬̂̇̔͋̀̌̅̏̂̆́͋̄͛̚͝ ̸̨̢̢̬̬̳̺͖̘̮̫̾̏M̴̳̮͎̯̺͎̩̉̓́å̵̢̫͖͈̤͍͖͕̪̝̹̱͎̼̀͊́̐͌̈́̒̾̌̚̕̚͘͝v̵̲̰̆̑̏͛̉̂̊̕͝e̸͔͗͐͂͋͂̆͂̈͂͌̕n̸̯͕̱̜͔̜͝.̵̧̗̪͖͇̦̦͓͕̉̀̉͌̀͛͆̚͝ͅ
Replies
Wow this is AWESOME I really like it. This is the type of build that keeps skyrim alive. It also appears to be your first build here which makes it far more impressive!