Warning! This build assumes you have what some refer to as the common foundation, and this is a modded build. I may tweak the backstory and other aspects as needed. It also relies on mods that don't exist for consoles, so be warned. Also, some of the mods are very anime-like, but they are the best I could find for special Sword Singing techniques like Pankratosword. This build's lore relies almost entirely on headcanon, so don't think these details are entirely factual. Read 'til the end for the mod list. Lastly, add any and all difficulty mods if you want to have a challenge because this character gets very overpowered. I personally used High Level Enemies, Revenge of the Enemies, and Organized Bandits in Skyrim and tested on Legendary Difficulty mode. This build indulges in power fantasy. If you have a problem with that, then drop Skyrim, and pick up an older TES or a different RPG.
The Last Ansei
Name: Cyrus Hunding
Race: Redguard (using Imperious Races of Skyrim)
Gender: Male
Class: Dual Wield Warrior
Standing Stone: Warrior (Using Aurora or Andromeda, both of which are on the same mod page)
Personality and Roleplay: Cyrus is a Saint of the Sword of the Highest Virtue. He is driven by four things. Piety, Honnor, Pride, and a desire to make amends to the world for his wrongdoings. He knows he truly had no choice, but he blames himself, because had he been stronger, his father and brother may have lived, and he wouldn't have needed to unleash the forbidden technique that killed everyone he knew and loved to save himself, even though he was told to do so. He will not lockpick, instead, he will bash things open with Lock Overhaul. He is a morally upright man, and so doing so runs contrary to his warrior code. He will help those in need, even if it means taking a life. He will be willing to claim the life of evil people for the good of the weak, and that includes killing Grelod because he is a utilitarian. Most of what he does is "for the greater good". He will not join the Dark Brotherhood or the Thieves Guild. He will, however, hunt them down. He will destroy the Dark Brotherhood and will disband the thieves guild early on. He finds their practices to be cowardly and scummy. He will study the way of the voice, to reach further towards philosophical enlightenment. He will fully embrace the Dragonblood and will learn every shout from the Vanilla game, the DLCs, and Thunderchild, but since he will not have access to the words found in quest locked dungeons, you will either need to use the console to get them, or install a mod to give you access to the word walls. He worships the Old Yokudan Pantheon, so he will not use the Thu’um to the glory of the Nordic gods, or the gods of the Imperial Cult. He is still very religious and primarily worships the HoonDing, Leki, and Ebonarm. He can summon his Shehai by sacrificing a small amount of his health. He uses his Spirit Sword in tandem with his shouts to bring down the toughest foes. He is quick on his feet and will dodge attacks with TK Dodge and blocking with Dual Wield Parry. He will be coy and sarcastic when frustrated, such as with Delphine while discussing the Horn of Jorgen Windcaller. This is because he uses humor as an avoidance mechanism for his grief. He will join the Companions, as to bring himself honor and to help others, but will spurn the beast blood to remain pure and in reverence for the Old Gods of Yokuda.
He will turn Saadia over to Kematu, and do so as soon as he finds her. He knows that she’s full of shit and that her story doesn’t add up, and will lie to her to bring her to justice. He will reject the Daedra whenever applicable. He will corrupt Azura’s star. He will destroy the Skull of Corruption. He will kill the cannibals and save the priest of Arkay. He will reject Hermaeus Mora and never cave to his temptation (although he will acquire the Oghma Infinium). He will give the Razor to Silus Vesuius. He will seek out the Cult of Boethiah to destroy the cultists, as soon as he is attacked by the cultist. He will help Sinding escape Hircine and will give Aurlyn the Ring of Hircine to be destroyed. He will not do Clavicus Vile’s quest, Molag Bal’s quest, Meridia’s quest, Sheogorath’s quest, Malacath’s quest, Mephala’s quest, or Peryite’s quest. In fact, he will kill the afflicted refugee, as Daedra worshipers are scum to him. The only Daedra worshiper that he will spare from his righteousness is Aela. He will cure Serana as soon as the questline is completed. He hates the Thalmor, and will always fight Justiciars he finds on the road. He will join the Stormcloaks, as he sees the Empire as spineless for abandoning his people and as puppets of the Thalmor, whom he hates even more. He will play through the Vigilant Quest mod with the best possible Karma you can manage, and go for the true ending (refer to the guide of the questline for how to achieve that ending). He doesn’t worship Stendarr or anything. He just wants to fight the Daedra and undead. He sympathizes with their cause. He is inept at all magic except alteration and uses only one restoration spell. He will start out with enough Magicka for the only utility alteration spells he can use, and nothing more. He will obviously join the Dawnguard and would leap at the chance. Thunderchild is a priority, as soon as he returns the horn of Jorgen Windcaller. He will make the Blades see reason with the Paarthurnax Dilemma mod. He will fight for the weak and those who cannot defend themselves. He will only be insistent on a reward from those who he knows can afford it. Along the way, he will be joined by Vilja and Inigo, and you can do their quests whenever. The questline order will go as follows, "Main Quest->Compainions (with ESF Companions, so he can reject the Beast Blood)->Dawnguard->Dragonborn-> Vigilant".
Backstory: Born in the Alik’r Region of Hammerfell, in the recently founded village of Baataamn. In the fourth era, the survivors of the Ansei and their descendants have gathered here to live in peace and practice the old ways. The people of the village welcomed them eventually, as the Alik’r desert is a treacherous place, and these were Crown supporters who shared a faith with these outcasts. It took time for the locals to come to terms with these seemingly mythical beings to be taking refuge in their village, but they eventually came around. For decades, this village flourished, with hunters and farmers being the common-folk, and the Ansei survivors being the ones to protect the civilians from the constant raids by brigands, necromancers, daedric cults, goblins, ogres, and many more threats. When the Great War came to Hammerfell in the year 4E 171, This village, remaining mostly unknown to those who weren’t nearby, got by without needing to get involved. As far as these Ansei were concerned, the days of the Saints of the Highest Virtue were long gone. They had to preserve the art of the Shehai, so that once they have grown sufficiently in number, that they may return to aid the people of their homeland and wander the dunes once again. One day, early in the year 4E 180, several months before the Treaty of Stros M’Kai was signed, one of the Farmers made a trip to the trade outpost, Leki’s Blade. While he was there, it was attacked by the Thalmor. He was captured and tortured into revealing the location of the village after accidentally letting it slip that he had ties to the Ansei near a Thalmor spy. The Aldmeri Dominion’s Thalmor Justiciars marched on Baataamn, with the intent of massacring the Ansei who live there. The poor civilian they captured revealed that the last few surviving Ansei there all worship the Yokudan Pantheon, including Ebonarm, the human demigod who became the first god of war. As heretics who worship a man once mortal, they had to die. Cyrus was 13 at the time. The mages in black and gold burst into his bedroom, preparing to electrocute him with Destruction Magic. He called his Shehai, and tried to fight them off, but he was outnumbered and still a child. A prodigious and well-trained child, but still a child. He grabbed his copy of the Book of Circles, the holy book of the Ansei, and jumped out his window. On the way out, he got stabbed in the foot. He ran as fast as he could to find his father or his brother, pushing through the pain of his new wound with a limp. His brother pulled him back into the building through a nearby window. There were a few survivors there. His father, a few villagers, and another Ansei. Cyrus begins to panic and cry. His brother bent down to comfort his little brother. Before he could say anything, a group of armored and armed Justiciars kicked in the door. The older Sword-Singers block the soldiers from getting to him. His brother is in the back of this formation to protect Cyrus and turns to him. “Do you know the Pankratosword technique, Cyrus?” “What? Yes. Why?” Cyrus’ family were the keepers of the Pankratosword technique, the power that sank the continent of Yokuda during the War of the Singers and the other forbidden strokes of the way of the sword. They were all instructed in them at a young age, and are trained in the dangers of their use. All of the stories of the suffering these techniques brought to Yokuda kept young Cyrus in line and prevented him from attempting it. “Father and I agreed to use it to wipe out the Thalmor here. The problem is if we were to use it, it could destroy all of Tamriel. You are still young. And there is one of you. You have the most life left to live, and won’t be able to sink the continent. You have to use it!” Before Cyrus can respond, the Ansei with the family is struck down. “Cyrus, you have to! As long as you survive, the Ansei survive. Do it!” “I won’t! You’ll die!” “Cyrus, I know this a lot of pressure to put on a boy your age, but if you don’t, you’ll die with us! If you don’t do it, the Ansei will be destroyed!” “Do it, boy!”, yells Cyrus’ father. “Cyrus. Remember how I told you that our mother died while in childbirth?” “Yes?” “That was a half-truth.. She died while giving birth to me. You are my half brother.” “What?!” “Let me finish. Your mother was the Goddess Leki. You are both a demigod and an aspect of the HoonDing. You were sent to make way for our people, like our great ancestor, Frandar, did before you. You have to live!” “Why didn’t you tell me?!” Their father calls out, “I was going to tell you when you were older. I didn’t want you to start feeling entitled. You have to live. You…” In that moment, Cyrus’ father’s arm is sliced off. His father screams in agony, and Cyrus steels himself, finding the resolve and courage to unleash the Pankratosword. He calls his Shehai, thrusting it into the ground, chanting prayers to the heavens. A pillar of light erupts around him, turning Baataamn to ash, leaving a crater and scorched remains of its attackers and its inhabitants. He limped off into the desert. He hunted animals as he tried desperately to survive. It was a miracle he survived as long as he did. He sold his game for food and water, but he couldn’t afford a healer to treat his wounds. He was a strange child, no one knew where he was from, no one trusted him. He was making his way to Sentinel. He had studied maps of Hammerfell, so he knew where he was going. He was found by a kindly nobleman, having collapsed in an oasis near Sentinel from his untreated wounds. The nobleman took the boy to Sentinel, where he lives and nursed him back to health, at which point, Cyrus told the man his story. This man was named Ennah, cousin of the King of Sentinel. Ennah officially adopted Cyrus, since he and his wife were infertile. Cyrus grew up wanting to ease the guilt he has for what he sees as his mortal sin, the deaths of his brother and father. He decided to devote his life to two causes, helping those in need, and fighting the Thalmor where he could. When he came of age, he left his guardians to travel Tamriel, helping those in need, fighting Justiciars at every chance. He was given a fine set of armored clothing made from Malachite, Leather, Alcantara, and Silk. He had truly become, an Ansei of the Highest Virtue, in terms of both deeds and skill. He went on to defeat a Daedric Demiprince of Molag Bal, God of Corruption, Enslavement, Domination, and Violation known as Xryocus Deathbringer in single combat. He caught wind of a traitor from Hammerfell named Iman, who sold out her family in the noble House Suda to the Dominion, who was responsible for the capture of Taneth by the Dominion, and of the return of the Dragons, both of which were rumored to be happening in Skyrim. He traveled to Skyrim to aid in the search for the fugitive and to help fight the Dragon Menace. After over a decade of Travel and studying the Book of Circles, he developed a limited variation of the Pankratosword ritual, allowing him to unleash it in a controlled area of effect. He wanted to perfect a controllable form of the technique so that he may teach the safer version to those he takes on as students in the future. After a life of helping the needy and the weak, he intends to retire so that he may teach the Way of the Sword to a new generation, and resurrect the old ways.
Starting Setup and Progression: Cyrus will start out with a full set of Redguard Noble Armor (which will eventually be smithed up to legendary and enchanted to add elemental resistances armor rating, and one-handed damage. He will fight with a bound sword spell that uses health, rather than Magicka. It’s his spirit sword, his Shehai. He will use the non-elemental version. He will dual cast the spell to summon these weapons, but not with the perk for it. That would be wasteful of precious perk points. He will automatically be given the lesser powers from Elysees' power mods, without needing to do anything. He will use Tempest, Maximum Drive, Rapid Slash, Mortal Chain Cut, Hell Buster, Hell Buster Launcher, and Whirlwind. Hell Buster and Launcher being representative of his mastered Pankratosword technique. He will have a few alteration spells, Deep Storage, Entomb, and Raise Wall from Apocalypse, and the Forgotten Magic healing spell, Divine Light. These spells and powers will be his main abilities until he starts learning shouts, so Thunderchild and filling out his shout list is absolutely a priority, and in this case, Word Walls Relocated is also entirely necessary. He will have a copy of each volume of the Book of Circles from Legacy of the Dragonborn. Wintersun will be required for the passive effect given by the mod. He will select either The HoonDing or Leki. Between which of the two is your choice? And with that, his journey, and your playthrough can begin. He will eventually acquire the Circle of Omnipotence from either Legendary Rings or Legacy of the Dragonborn, and the Amulet of Kings, from either it's standalone a mod or Legacy of the Dragonborn. Perk Progression will go differently depending on the overhaul, but so long as you go with light armor (which perks is up to you), thu'um perks (from speech), onehanded sword perks, and bound weapon conjuration, you're good, but enchanting is very important. The last thing to invest in is Smithing, to temper your armor to the best level you can.
Gameplay: He will be a dual-wielding warrior, dodging strikes with TK Dodge when he can, and if not, he'll be blocking with Dual Wield Parry. He will use Elysees' powers often, Hell Buster representing Pankratosword, and the others being different Sword Singing Techniques. Maximum Drive lets him fire energy blasts from his swords, Tempest, Rapid Slash, Mortal Chain Cut, and Whirlwind are special moves he can use when crowded. He will acquire all shouts, but will primarily use Fire Breath, Frost Breath, Unrelenting Force, Whirlwind Sprint, Slow Time, Dragon Aspect, Bend Will, Dragonrend, Soul Tear, Frost Form, Turn Ethereal, and Marked for Death from the Vanilla game, and from Thunderchild, will primarily use Kingsbane and The Conquerer, and Earthquake, but will use all other shouts as well. Individualized Shout Cooldowns is a Must. He will use the spells Deep Storage, Entomb, and Raise Wall fro, Apocalypse, and aside from healing and manifesting his Shehai, that is all he can do in terms of conventional magic. He will put his stats 40% into health, and 60% into stamina.
Modlist: All of the primary expansions, and the common foundation aside (find it here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xH0Pj9-0lKQ),
you will need Viglinat https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/67103,
Perkus Maximus https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/59849, or Ordinator https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/68425.
The mods listed in setup and progression from this creator, https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/users/1034867?tab=user+files.
His primary weapon will come from https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/99810.
Thunderchild https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/41376.
Apocalypse https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/16225. ESF Companions https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/22650/?.
Legacy (NOTICE: entirely optional, but if you don't use it, you must install the next two mods.) https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/52248
Legendary Rings https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/57417. Amulet of Kings https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/27504.
Paarthurnax Dilemma https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/18465.
Lock Overhaul https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/29979.
TK Dodge https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/20923.
Disband the Thieves Guild https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/50378?tab=description.
Vilja https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/26393. Inigo https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/40960
Redguard Noble Armor https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/72963.
Imperious https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/61218?tab=description.
Andromeda/Aurora https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/89219.
Wintersun - Faiths of Skyrim https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/95545?tab=posts
Individualized Shout Cooldowns https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/52648
Word Walls Relocated https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/79111.
Dual Wield Parrying https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/9247/?
Replies
Hey there Tekassassin, great to see you jumping on board and posting so quickly!
Looks like you've got some solid ideas here but unfortunately I don't think they have translated too well into your presentation. Firstly I would recommend checking out our Character Building Guide which should give you some guidance on how to better lay out your build, and perhaps have a look over some of the high ranking builds in our Archives for further ideas.
There are a few specifics I wanted to point out here though:
Looking forward to see you improve this one! If you're after further guidance don't be afraid to head back to the WIP section, the Character Building Helpdesk or have a chat to us on the Discord server.
I'll get on that. I have some work-related things to do first.