19th of Evening Star, 4E 195
The wind whipped through the tall ash-covered trees. Wolves howled at the full glory of Masser and its shadow. An arrow shoots through the darkness, embedding itself in the haunch of a stag; blood splattering the rock behind. A tall, feminine figure emerges from the shadows, clad in white furs with an ashwood longbow.
"Go to the All-Maker, my friend." The woman whispered. She knelt, removed her bloodied arrow, and said a quick prayer of thanks to the All-Maker for this bountiful hunt.
They had traveled farther into the wilds this hunt, careful not to exhaust the nearby woods of its game. Soon, a young Nord man appeared beside the woman.
"Nice shot, sister." He complimented.
"You know it." She replied.
The pair were efficient hunters, trained from a young age by their village's Master Hunter. They spent most of their time in the wilds, tracking the elk and ash hoppers alike.
"We should get back to the village." The woman stated. "It is not wise to be out on the full moon."
"Come now sister, do you really believe the shaman's tales?" He chided. "They're children's stories."
"You say that brother, but you've heard the howling. No mere wolf cries like that." She defended. The tales of werecreatures were commonplace in the Skaal Village. They warned of the corrupted creatures and their claws, capable of spreading their curse.
"Those are just tales, sister. We have nothing to be afraid of."
"If you say so." The woman replied, defeated. The Nord man was never really one to put much stock in magic. He would never believe in something he hadn't seen with his own eyes. The tales the shaman told to them as children were just that. Tales. Stories made up to scare the children into behaving.
The siblings started the hours-long hike back to their coastal village. Even with their skill and knowledge of Solesteim's forests, the trek took a bit over 2 hours, now even longer with their heavy cargo.
The moons shone brightly overhead when the pair heard a deafening howl. Then another. And another. Before they could even draw their bows, a trio of monstrous black figures pounced from the shadows, eager to feast on their prey.
"Werewolves!" The Nord woman cried. As she drew her bow, the Lycan rammed into her sending the helpless form into a nearby tree.
"Oona!" The brother cried, but it was too late. The wolves descended on him, snarling and red-eyed. Ash billowed as he was knocked to the ground; the air left his lungs with a sharp gasp. Tried as he might, the man was no match for the vicious power of Hircine's beast. While the werewolves were focusing on the doomed brother, the woman found her feet and scrambled towards her dropped bow. At the sight of her brother, she quickly found her strength and shot two of the horrid beasts dead. One managed to evade her arrow, quickly closing the distance between woman and beast. The human was quick, she rolled to the left side of the wolf, evading the brunt of the attack, but the beast managed to graze her with its blood-stained claws. The beast made another attack, this time with almost deadly precision. Again the Nord managed to retreat from the blow, which surprised the werewolf giving her an opening to shoot it between the eyes, ending the battle once and for all.
She rapidly appeared by her dying brother's side, both bloody and bruised.
"Nice shot, sister" he slurred.
"You know it" the sister replied, barely able to contain her tears. The brother gasped as blood spilled from his mouth while he struggled to speak.
"End of the line for me." He whispered.
"Don't say that brother" she begged; grasping for all of her limited magicka to fund a healing spell. She came up short.
"Don't waste your strength; save it for someone who will use it, not a dead man."
"You are not a dead man, Odell." The sister could not accept her brother's death, she never would.
"You always were one to believe in fantasies." He managed a small laugh.
"Now is not the time for jokes brother." She scolded.
"Too late." He remarked, flashing a weak, bloody grin.
The woman could help but chuckle. Even facing death, her twin always found a way to make her smile. He looked up at her, beaming with pride for his sister. Slowly, his eyes shifted ever so slightly to the distance behind her. A few seconds later, the man's expression softened, eyes glazed over, and he was gone.
A deafening wail blended with the winds, her tears wetting the ashes under her. Nothing could compare to the pain she felt that day, her soul would forever be broken. After what seemed like hours of holding her dead brother, the woman carried him home to the village. She left him there, just outside of the compound. She couldn't bear facing her people after what happened, after her failure to protect her only remaining family. Something foul coursed through her veins, a force she had never felt before. The only thing she knew for sure was that her people wouldn't like it. She could only pray to the All-Maker that he might guide her through the darkness she was so desperately lost in. When she called out to him, she felt no answer. Only hunger. Rage. Sadness.
Hircine.
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These mods are more or less required to play the build. Originator is absolutely required to get the full effect of this build as it uses some specific perks that are not found in vanilla Skyrim. Other werewolf mods like Moonlight Tales are great for this build as well.
Required Mods:
Imperious
Andromeda
Ordinator
Growl Werebeasts
Thunder Child
These mods are not required to play this build, but I always use them to enhance gameplay. The build can also wear fur armor or skaal clothing.
Recommended Mods:
Archery Gameplay Overhaul
Apocalypse
Nordic Tribal Armor (UNP based)
ArteFakes Unique Item Replacer
Wildcat
Frostfall
Campfire
Triumvirate
Wintersun Faiths
Hello everybody! This is my first (posted) Skyrim build. I wanted to create a build that fits well in the role of Dragonborn, but also is able to fit into the Dragonborn DLC (which I have never played until now). I am working on a full backstory at the moment, so that will be here later. There are several optional features of this build to maximize the roleplay ability, so without further rambling, here is The Snow Hunter!
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Born to Skaal hunters in Solesteim, Oona and her twin brother Odell grew up following the All-Maker, as most Skaal do. They spent most of their childhood in the wilds, tracking game and gathering ingredients to help their village survive. The family lived a simple life, never taking more than they needed to survive. In the winter of 191 when the twins were 15, their father was taken by rockjoint. The next fall their mother died; some in the village say of a broken heart. Orphaned at 16, the two were thick as thieves. They did everything together; hunting, fishing, trips to Raven Rock or foraging in the ashlands. The master hunter of the village took them in, gave them a roof to sleep under, but they were already self-sufficient. Oona was always the more calm and cautious of the two, while Odell was the feisty, and sometimes impatient, one. After Odell died*, Oona never went back to the village. She traveled around the island for a few months and joined Manji's pack. There she learned how to better control her new daedric condition. In 198 she left the island for Vardenfell where she worked as a hunter for various dinner nobles. In 200 she made her way to western Morrowind; making a living hunting in the mountains bordering Skyrim. In 201 she traveled across the border to Darkwater Crossing where she was caught in the Imperial ambush and, well, you know the rest.
"Hey you, you're finally awake."
*i build this character as a female, Oona, but it can also fit the backstory to play a male, Odell and reverse their roles. For the purposes of writing this, I will be referring to the PC as female, Oona.
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Perks of Note
Windrunner - speed is very important to Oona's plsystyle. She needs to be light and a quick on her feet so she can place runes and bear traps without being attacked
Lockjaw - this allows Oona to place traps on the battle field, helps her control the enemies who are resistant to frost
Ranger - allows Oona to be quick while shooting her bow
Physician (Health) - Oona can use a bit of restoration magic, but her main source of healing is through potions
Elemental Potency - Oona only uses frost atronachs (animated ice) and ash guardians (animated ash), so anything that will make them tougher is useful
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Stats, Stones, Spells, and Shouts
1M/1H/1S
You can stop perking health at 150, magicka at and stamina at 250
Use the Thief stone for levels 1-12, Apprentice for 12-25, and then it's up to you
Oona is not a master mage. She uses very few spells and they are all thematic, not necessarily the most powerful spells.
Frost Atronach. Healing
Frost Rune. Eye of the All-Maker*
Stoneflesh Ash Guardian
Oona embraces her job and abilities as Dragonborn. She uses a variety of shouts, but mainly ones themed around ice or frost
Ice Form Become Ethereal
Shroud of Snowfall* Kyne's Peace
Elemental Fury Iceborn*
True shot* Wanderlust*
*Spells from Triumverate Spells mod
*Shouts from Thunderchild Shouts mod
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Playstyle
Oona has very fast-paced combat archer gameplay. She controls the battlefield by placing ice runes and bear traps, while her frost atronachs take damage for her. With no real enchanting or smithing, this build is quite the glass cannon. She starts combat by summoning a frost atronach(s) then quickly darts about the field firing arrows. With AGO she can add spells to arrows. While not often, she can use beast form in tough situations, but when she does, she must spend time meditating and praying to the All-Maker to regain her composure.
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Equipment
White Nordic Tribal Armor* Savos Aren's Amulet
white fur backpack* Ring of Hircine
Gauldr Blackbow
Poachers Axe
*modded
Until you get Gauldr Blackbow, use any rugged, natural bows you can find. I recommend a forsworn now. Use only forsworn, iron, or dragonbone arrows
If you don't use the armor mod, fur armor, scaled armor, or the skaal outfit work perfectly
Oona uses the poachers axe because it's thematic as well as a woodcutters axe for campfire, so it cuts down on weight (hehe get it? Cuts down? I'll see myself out)
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Quests and Factions
Oona will complete the main quest line and dragonborn questline to their entirety. She will negotiate in favor of the Stormcloaks during Season Unendeding and will refuse to do what Delphine wants you to do to Parthunax
The civil war quest line is not integral to the character, but if done she will side with the storm cloaks. She may not be from skyrim, but she will defend her lineman right to worship a God of Man (like the All-Maker). Oona doesn't hate much, but she hates the Thalmor
College of Winterhold - Oona was reluctant to join the college, but after the appearance of dragons and herself being Dragonborn, she decided that she could use all the help she could get. Oona believes in balance and was taught from a young age about the dangers of too much knowledge and how Herma Mora tempts mages that hunger for power. Oona's frost atronach isn't an atronach from oblivion, it is magically animated ice. She learned the technique from her village's shaman. At the college, she learns more about frost magic and alteration as well as building on her base knowledge of restoration. She steers clear of illusion and necromancy, believing that it is one of the worst practices as she believes that mind control is one of the worst things to do to a person. She also stays away from enchanting as she hates the idea of binding an unwilling soul to oblivion forever. She will reject becoming the archmage and instead give the title to Tolfdir, her most trusted and beloved mentor.
Dawn guard - Oona joined the dawnguard to fight the spreading evil of the vampires. They harm the All-Maker's balanced world and gladly hunt them. She has no hatred for them personally and wishes that they could heal. She is plagued by a daedric prince and understands the feeling of not controlling her afterlife. She never appreciated the Dawnguard's total hatred for vampires, she thought it was unnecessary. She tries to get Isran to see reason and not be blinded by his hatred.
Optional - Companions*
Oona also has the capability to join the companions, if you so choose to take her in that direction. She will be happy to find a family again, if not a little hesitant. She will try her best to guide the companions down an honorable path, not one so fueled by coin and reputation. I leave it up to player preference whether or not to cure her lycanthropy at the end of the Companions questline, both fit her personality. Either she is saved by the All-Maker from eternity in the Hunting Grounds, or she fully embraces her lycanthropy as a way of protecting others.
Other Quests -
Ill Met By Moonlight. Blood on Ice
Waking Nightmare. Clear Moss Mother Cavern
Man Who Cried Wolf. The Blessings of Nature
Forsworn Conspiracy Kyne's Sacred Trials
*join the companions if you cannot use mods so you can be a werewolf
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Personality and Faith
Oona is quite pious. She is calm and quiet around most people, preferring solitude in the outdoors to the busy towns and taverns. She is a kind soul who will always help out a person in need and refuses rewards. She prefers to live a simple life, free of excess and material items. Oona's faith in the All-Maker is what drives her; she travels and restores balance to the broken world of Skyrim. She has a tragic past and no blood family of her own, but she finds solace in the wilderness and the few friends she makes on her journey. Oona was at odds with her lycanthropy for a long time, angry that her soul is bound to Hircine. Over several years spent in relative solitude, she came to terms with her condition. She now uses it as a means of staying connected to the wild and the animals in it. Because of her lycanthropy, she has to be careful about her emotions, specifically rage.
Oona was hateful and resented her condition as a werewolf for several years before she eventually found peace with herself, still strongly believing in and worshiping the All-Maker. She believes that the Adversary put her through these trials of lycanthropy and that the All-Maker will pull her through them, despite her blood connection to the daedric prince Hircine.
I use Wintersun faiths to allow Oona to worship the All-Maker. I use a console command* at the start of the game to enchant an amulet with "Do you want to worship the All-Maker" so Oona can be a follower from the beginning. If you can't use commands, then just roleplay it until you can get to Solesteim and clear one of the All-Maker stones.
* PlayerEnchantObject 000cc842 xxebd8f
(xx is the first number and letter you get when you type help "The All-Maker". For example mine is 2c)
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And that's a wrap my friends! Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy!
Replies
Hello, I think you've got all the elements of a fun and unique build but I think you may want to adjust the formatting to be a little clearer, I'm having to squint to read the perk image! I also think there's a lot of text thrown at the reader immediately that could do with some images to break it up.
Good stuff!
Thanks for the reply!
I wrote this build on my phone, so the formatting is definitely a disaster. I'll work on fixing the perk image and add some more pictures too.