Event Build: The Wolf of Sithis

[The Rusty Argonian Blade]

The Five Tenets of the Dark Brotherhood

1. Never Disrespect the Night Mother. To do so is to invoke the Wrath of Sithis

2. Never betray the Dark Brotherhood or its secrets. To do so is to invoke the Wrath of Sithis

3. Never disobey or refuse an order from a Dark Brotherhood Superior. To do so is to invoke the Wrath of Sithis

4. Never steal the possessions of a Dark Brother or Dark Sister. To do so is to invoke the Wrath of Sithis

5. Never kill a fellow Dark Brother or Dark Sister. To do so is to invoke the Wrath of Sithis.

While these five tenets are known far and wide as the official doctrine of the Brotherhood, there are a few other unofficial tenets, which if broken, would invoke the wrath of somebody else.

Never take your life for granted. Never disrespect or defile the deceased and Never laugh in the face of death.

To do so is to provoke an encounter with....

The Wolf of Sithis

 

Backstory:

Those who know of this mysterious Dunmer can only speculate as to where he came from.

Rumors in Morrowind suggest he was a member of the Morag Tong, but struck a deal with Hircine in hopes Lycanthropy would make him a better assassin, and after being expelled from the guild, he betrayed the Tong for their sworn enemies, The Dark Brotherhood.

Some of the Nords of Skyrim say he was a mad greyskin who attempted to learn the ways of Ysgramor by joining the companions, but was driven mad by the beast blood and developed a taste for taking lives so great, even the hardiest warriors of the companions grew uncomfortable in his presence, and they encouraged him to leave.

Other rumors suggest he was born and raised into a pack of werewolves who worshipped Sithis and would give their best hunters to the Dark Brotherhood the same way the Shadowscales of Blackmarsh do for their best assassins.

However, there are whispers among those who study the Ancient Lore of the Dark Brotherhood. Those who still remember the Ancient Tenets know that to break them is to invoke the Wrath of Sithis. Some say the Wrath of Sithis is merely a ghost, but some stories suggest the Wrath of Sithis takes the form of a large grey wolf, stalking the land and taking souls independently of the brotherhood like a wandering reaper, only joining the brotherhood when they are in need of guidance once again.

And if the rumors are true, then that time is now! The Wrath of Sithis has returned to the Dark Brotherhood.

If one were to strike a conversation with the Wolf, ask him how he ended up in Skyrim, he may be inclined to tell a story of a particular Khajiit who invoked the wrath of sithis by mocking him eight times in the past, and eight times he would run away from him in fear. However, on his ninth encounter with the Khajiit, the wolf could see he had changed. No longer did he fear a journey into the void, and on the slopes of the Jerall Mountains, they fought each other with every fiber of their being.

The Khajiit fought valiantly, and even bested the wolf, and so the Wolf did something he had never done before. He decided to let the Khajiit go, telling him he had earned the right to live his life, but warning him they would one day meet again.

Weakened from his battle with the Khajiit, the Wolf stumbled through the mountains until he was caught in a skirmish between the Imperial Legion and the Stormcloak Rebellion and taken to Helgen. At first he believed Sithis was now calling him to the void after his failure to claim the soul of the Khajiit, but then he would ironically be spared from the void by a different Avatar of Death, the World Eater himself.

Race:

Dunmer: Race does not matter too much. This build could in theory be played with any race, but Dunmer works the best for roleplaying.

Dunmer was chosen for aesthetic purposes as the character the Wolf is based on has Grey Skin and Red Eyes and picking a Dunmer allows him to keep the aesthetic outside of his werewolf form.

Standing Stones:

• Starting after Helgen, the Wolf can either pick the Mage Stone or the Thief Stone. The Thief Stone will level up sneaking faster, while the mage stone will level up Illusion and Alteration faster, especially when combined with Muffle Spamming
• End Game Standing Stone should be either the Shadow Stone or the Lord Stone
• If you feel the sneak attack damage is more than enough without the shadow stone, then pick the Lord Stone
• NOTE: The above recommendations apply for a Vanilla Playthrough or with Evenstar: Minimalistic Standing Stones

Stats and Perk Spread:

• The Wolf will level up with a Ratio of 1 Magicka, 2 Health, 1 Stamina.
• While this build can be played with vanilla, the following perk spread is created with Vokrii - Minimalistic Perks of Skyrim
• One-Handed, Sneak, Illusion, and Alteration are the four main skills needed to make this build work
• Enchanting and Speech are fantastic, but not mandatory, compliments to the build, especially using Vokrii's Speech Perks to buff dragon shouts
• For the Werewolf Skill Perk Tree, take everything you can get, especially if you are using Growl.

Weapons and Armor:

• As the Destruction Enchantment has no value for the Wolf, and the Red Colors with the Black Hand tattoo stick out like a sore thumb, the Wolf will instead wear a set of regular Black Mage Robes or Mourner's Clothes to create a more Grim Reaper like appearance. After all, an assassin must hide in the shadows, and the wolf must walk among the sheep sometimes. Best not to spook the flock, especially those he has no quarrel with.
• Shrouded Hand Wraps, Shrouded Hood and Shrouded Shoes make up the arms and legs of his attire. He will especially benefit from the double backstab damage.
• For his necklace and ring he will wear the Gauldur Amulet for the boost to all three stats and the Ring of the Hunt for increased health regeneration as a werewolf.
• His main weapon of choice is ideally a modded dagger called the Pristine Moon Crescent which comes from the mod Azura Moonlight Blade. The dagger can be found in Evergreen Grove north of Falkreath. However, as the dagger is not a game breaking weapon and the build requires two of them, you can simply item code them into your inventory at the start of the game. For vanilla playthroughs, the Blade of Woe makes for the best subtsitute. Any two daggers will work before you can get it.

Spells and Shouts:

• Illusion Spells 
  • Rout and Pacify are the two main crowd control spells, but mostly Rout as Fear spells fit this character better from a roleplaying perspective. 
  • He will not use Frenzy Spells as he prefers to always kill his targets himself rather than force them to kill each other.
  • Invisibility in combination with sneaking perks is imperative for stealthy approaches.
  • Learn muffle as soon as possible for the muffle spam exploit in order to level up illusion as quickly as possible.
  • Clairvoyance can be used to roleplay the Wolf tracking his prey.
• Alteration Spells
  • As this build wears no armor, flesh spells are paramount for defense, which transfer over to his Beast Form when he transforms.
  • Paralysis is one of the best spells in the game. If you can learn it, then use it. It's expensive, but it's worth it.
  • Telekinesis, while not mandatory, can be used in combination with either the terror perk or the disarm shout to steal dropped weapons.
• Dragon Shouts
  • Marked for Death: Signature Shout and works the best for roleplaying
  • Become Ethereal: This is your lifeline against the toughest of bosses 
  • Aura Whisper, Whirlwind Sprint and Throw Voice: All three are meant to compliment stealth.
  • Dragonrend: As this character does not have many ranged options, this is often your only option against flying dragons.

Followers:

In most cases, the wolf is more than capable of catching his prey without assistance, but his time in the Dark Brotherhood reminded him of a werewolf's natural instinct to be part of a pack. Once the Dark Brotherhood Questline is complete, and he has taken his rightful place as Listener, he may become more inclined to the idea of having a follower at his side.

• Jenassa: A fellow dunmer with an attitude similar to his own, someone who views the taking of lives as a beautiful work of art.
  • Meant to assist against dragons by giving her the strongest bow and arrow you can find.
  • Who knows? If he enjoys her company enough, she would make a fine mate for the wolf.
• Cicero: The jester may be annoying, but he can be useful and his skill with a dagger is only outmatched by his loyalty to his listener.
• Spectral Assassin: Honored to be speaking with the Ghost of Lucien Lachance, the wolf is more than happy to summon him when he requires assistance.
• Dark Brotherhood Initiates: If these two rookies are going to call themselves true children of Sithis, then the wolf needs to see how they function out in the field.
  • He should use each of them at least once during a contract before trusting they can be left to their own devices.

Factions:

• Dark Brotherhood: Without Question, the most important faction of this build. He has always felt a close bond with the Night Mother and the Dread Father and will always be on the lookout to strengthen his connection to them, getting his opportunity when he visits Windhelm and encounters Aventus Aretino. 
  • Mandatory! Top Priority!
• Companions: Upon reaching Whiterun to inform the Jarl of the Dragon Attack, he will observe the Companions killing a Giant. Annoyed at their reckless bravado, he does not think highly of them, until his lycan nose picks up the scent of a female werewolf among them. Still weakened from his encounter with the Khajiit, he sees the companions as an opportunity to regain his full strength, and upon hearing of their skirmishes with a group of werewolf hunters, he relishes the chance to show the Silver Hand the true meaning of fear. However, he will abandon them and reject any idea that he should be harbinger. He is an assassin, not some mead drinking mercenary. 
  • Optional: If you have Growl installed, you can skip this questline and instead become a werewolf immediately via werebeast blood.
• College of Winterhold: They say you cannot teach an old dog new tricks, but the Wolf is always open minded enough to learn new forms of magic, though like with the companions, he will not accept the title of arch-mage. Instead, he will leave the moment Ancano is dead now that he got what he needed from them.
  • Optional: Join for the purpose of learning high level spells and high level illusion and alteration training
• Thieves Guild: The wolf harbors no interest in gold or getting rich. Sneaking around in the shadows for the purpose of petty thievery is beneath him. The very most he would ever interract with the thieves guild is to ask for their help in restoring the Dawnstar Sanctuary.
  • Do not join!
• Civil War: Despite his passion for taking lives, the Wolf does not hold the concept of war in a positive light. The selfish politics of monarchs and governments drag thousands of young souls to their doom long before their time has come. On principle, he has no interest in joining either side.
  • Do not Join!
• Dawnguard: He finds the idea of a race of undead immortals, ABSURD! Harkon is the type who gets on his nerves, an arrogant little legend who thinks he is immortal, a fraud who thinks he can laugh in the face of death. Regardless of whether his time has come or not, the moment he hears of Harkon and his plan, he makes it his mission to take Harkon's soul now!
  • Recommended to start his questline after completing the Dark Brotherhood Questline and becoming the listener
• Main Quest: The Wolf of Sithis and the World Eater, two forces of death, one Anuic and one Padomaic. A fight between them would be the stuff of legends. The Wolf initially does not pay too much mind to the dragon attacks, but as time passes and the repeated incidents begin to grate on his nerves, he soon decides that if nobody else is stepping into the role of dragon slayer, he may as well demonstrate that even dragons cannot escape the jaws of death.
  • Recommended to do this questline last in your quest order and finish the whole playthrough with the death of Alduin
• Dragonborn: If these cultists actually have the nerve to provoke the wolf, then he will show them and their master, Miraak just what kind of assassin they have provoked. Everybody thinks they will be the one to defeat him, but nobody has escaped him yet. Serving Hermaeus Mora is not his priority, but he will do what needs to be done to get the opportunity to kill Miraak in the name of the Dread Father.
  
  • Recommended to do this questline immediately after completing after "The Way of the Voice"
  • However, first try to unlock the build's most important dragon shouts through world wall hunting before going to Solstheim

Personality and Roleplaying: 

• Above all, the Wolf views himself as an instrument of Sithis will. He uses his own judgement as to whether somebody's time has come or when somebody deserves to be sent to the void and once he has found his prey, he will sadistically enjoy the hunt.
• Using this logic, one can justify carrying out particular quests, joining certain factions or killing certain NPCs by roleplaying that they do indeed have contracts out on their life, that they have been marked for death by the Night Mother and the Dread Father. 
• While not a paladin or a servant of the divines, the Wolf harbors a respect for those who have passed onto whatever afterlife they have earned. As such, he despises vampires, liches, and necromancers. Any who believe they can laugh in the face of death must be taught a lesson, and therefore, any quest that involves killing the above should be taken. Babette and Serana are the only vampires he gets along with, as Babette has dedicated her immortal life to serve Sithis, while Serana was forced into her vampiric condition by her parents.
• The Wolf enjoys relishing the look on his target's face before he takes their lives. He prefers to scare his prey before chasing them down and sending their souls to the void. He wants his prey to know they were killed by him. As a result, he only assassinates his prey from the shadows if the situation absolutely calls for it or if there are too many witnesses nearby. The wolf knows better than to scare the sheep.
• The Wolf is not really a cat person. He will not be doing any business with the Khajiit Caravans or recruiting any Khajiit followers.

Recommended Quests:

• Ill Met by Moonlight - His true loyalty is to Sithis, but he is still a werewolf, and nobody gets away with stealing from the Father of Manbeasts. Sinding has marked himself for death in his foolish desperation to control his curse, so by the will of Hircine and Sithis, he must die.
• The Black Star - While he no longer associates himself with the Dunmer of Morrowind, he holds great respect for the Goddess of Dusk and Dawn and he would never betray Azura and corrupt her star. Even if he wasn't awarded with the star, he despises necromancers on principle so slaughtering an entire nest of them to recover the star is a good day for him.
• Boethiah's Calling - An opportunity to send another unsuspecting soul to the void while also earning the favor of the Warrior of Darkness, and on top of that, getting another opportunity to send an entire clan of worthless bandit vermin to the void as well? Now that is simply a treat for this old dog.
• The Break of Dawn - His intention is to kill Malkoran and send his rotten soul to the void, nothing more and nothing less. Should he touch the beacon and agree to do this quest, he would do so due to a hatred for Necromancers rather than any desire to serve the unworthy Meridia.
• The Taste of Death - These cannibals have no respect for the dead or those who tend to them. By feasting on the bones of those who rest in the void, they have marked themselves for death. The Wolf relishes seeing the look on Eola's face when she realizes he only helped her clear out the draugr for a chance to introduce himself to every member of the coven, and then kill them all.
• Laid to Rest: It was sadly the child's time, but her spirit is restless due to the machinations of a group of vampires. The child calls out to the wolf from the void to make a contract. Movarth and Alva have marked themselves for death, and so these hunters of the night will soon become the hunted.
• Dark Ancestor: All Dengeir needed to say was the word "vampire" to receive aid from the Wolf. The contract is made. Vighar the vampire is marked for death, and the wolf will take great pleasure in reminding these bloodsuckers that nobody is truly immortal.
• Ancestor Worship - All Golldir needed to say was the word "necromancer" to receive aid from the Wolf. The contract is made. Vals Veran is marked for death, and for his attempts at defiling those who rest in the void, he shall join the very corpses he tried to resurrect.
• Served Cold - Ah, the Morag Tong, or rather a splinter faction of what little is left of them, now trying to find work wherever they can get it. The Wolf is more than happy to assist Councilor Morvayn on Solstheim if it means getting a chance to put these failures out of their misery.
• Dragon Priest Masks - Over a dozen undead liches who thought they could escape the clutches of Sithis. Killing them and claiming each of their masks as trophies would make for an excellent hunting game for the Wolf.
• The Gauldurson Brothers - Three evil Nords guilty of heinous crimes who thought they could escape death by taking the form of powerful draugr. Slaying them in their undead forms and taking the three fragments of the Gauldur Amulet would not only please the Dread Father but allow the Wolf to take the amulet for himself.

Gameplay and Combat:

• While this character's skill set is tailor made for a Nightblade Playstyle, the Wolf actually will not be sneaking around that much. Sneak is only mandatory for populated areas where killing somebody out in the open or transforming with a witness would incur a bounty. Most of the time, this build is more than capable of surviving in open combat and does not need to rely on stealth to avoid combat altogether like traditional Nightblades.
• Nightblades often struggle against dragons and other bosses. The werewolf gameplay is meant to be this character's main lifeline for open combat, while Flesh spells are meant to compensate for the lack of armor both in beast form and outside of beast form.
• Rout is the most important spell for the build, both in open combat against massive groups of enemies and for roleplaying a character who has high noteriety. As Skyrim does not have a repuation system, the nature of fear spells allow you to roleplay that enemy NPCs know who your character is.
• Ebony Flesh combined with dual wielding daggers and fear spells for crowd control and paralysis as an emergency allow for open combat without Beast Form.
• As this character is lacking in ranged attacks, Become Ethereal allows the Wolf to ignore the damage from dragon breath while he waits for the dragon to land. Once he has unlocked the dragonrend shout, he can take a more aggressive approach and force the dragon to land.

Special Moves:

• The Smell of Fear: (Rout + Ebonyflesh + Beast Form) Relishing the look on the faces of his victims when they realize just who they are dealing with, the Wolf gives his prey a ten second head start to run away while his inner beast comes to the surface.
• Whistle of Death: (Aura Whisper + Throw Voice + Rout) The second they hear that whistling tune, they know their time has come. They know the Dread Father has sent the wolf to take their soul to the void. As they investigate the strange whistle, praying to their Gods it comes from mortal lips, the Wolf approaches closer, waiting for them to figure out who is hunting them.
• Last Chance (Spectral Assassin + Become Ethereal + Invisibility) Useful for emergencies. If the Wolf finds himself overwhelmed, then he can call on Lucien LaChance to serve as a distraction while he retreats in his invulnerable Ethereal state and then finds cover to enter stealth and recover his health.
• Predator's Challenge: (Dragonrend + Ebonyflesh + Beast Form) The wolf issues a challenge to the minions of Alduin, goading them into coming down from the sky while he prepares to tear them limb from limb with his claws and teeth. Hircine would be proud.
• Pick It Up! (Rout + Terror + Telekinesis) It is quite easy for the wolf to disarm his prey in a duel, but more often then not he enjoys seeing his prey drop their weapons once they lose their will to fight back. Afterwards, he can steal those weapons and claim them as additional trophies.

Recommended Mods:

• Growl - Werebeasts of Skyrim - Enhances what it means to be a Werewolf while also giving you the chance to become a werewolf without joining the companions and the chance to turn your followers into werewolves as well. As this character roleplays being a werewolf at the beginning, this is the most important mod.
• Vokrii - Minimalistic Perks of Skyrim - My personal perk overhaul of choice. While this character can function just fine with a vanilla playthrough. However, the perk spread was created with Vokrii perks in mind.
• Wintersun - Faiths of Skyrim - Very fun for roleplaying purposes. Obviously your Deity of choice should be Sithis.
• Opusglass Werewolf Mods - Allows you to retexture the skin of your characters werewolf form to change the fur and eye colors. In order for this build to more closely resemble the character he is based on, you can play with this mod and select a grey or white fur color with red eyes.
• Azure Moonlight Blade - Adds a sickle dagger called the Pristine Moon Crescent into the game, which allows the use of a weapon that far more closely resembles the weapon of choice of the character this build is based on. There are other mods out there which add Shotels and Khopesh blades into the game, but this one is my personal favorite and matches the look the best.
• The Dark Brotherhood Initiates  - Changes the two new recruits for the Dark Brotherhood you receive at the end of the Dark Brotherhood Questline from Nameless NPCs to true characters with proper names and unique personalities.
• Restoring the Aretino Residence - Every wolf needs a den to call home, and this mod will allow the wolf to live in Windhelm without needing to complete the Civil War Questline and unlock Hjerim. As an added roleplay bonus, through his tutelage, both Aventus Aretino and Sophie will grow into fine assassins one day. 

Character Reveal and Closing Remarks: 

This character is based on the Death Wolf from Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, one of the best villains I've seen in an Animated Movie in a long time and a great source of inspiration for my very first build on this website!