Note: I used the No Starting Spells mod to begin with no spells.
. [ | Introduction | ] .
Sor Grey-Bear is my attempt at a melee-focused Dragonborn. One who does not rely on magic or trickery to complete his goals, and acts as the warrior to my trifecta of builds alongside the Arcane Eye and the Night Prowler.
. [ | Backstory | ] .
My name is Sor Grey-Bear, but my story starts with my father, Haakon. He was born and raised in the nordic homeland of Skyrim. He left his home to fight under the banner of the Empire and, during the Great War, died under it, but not before he had met my mother and sired a child whose face he had never seen.
I was raised by my mother in Cyrodil as a proud nord. I grew up on tales of my father’s homeland; of Ysgramor of the Companions; of the dragons and the Dragonborn; and of my father’s wish to one day return to familiar soils with my mother and I. My mother made a living as an apothecary, transforming common ingredients into powerful draughts for whatever may ail you. I spent my days learning to hunt, smith, fight, and whatever skills I could to get by.
In my heart I felt a pull. A force calling me back to my father’s homeland that only grew stronger with each passing year. My mother, frail from her years, could not make the journey with me. I kissed her goodbye and made my journey north to a land I did not know. The days grew cold and the nights colder as I grew closer to the border, but nothing could have prepared me for the coldness I would face as I crossed it.
I was met with shouting. Imperial soldiers accusing me of being a traitor; a member of a group whose name I had never even heard. I fought, claiming my innocence, but my words fell on deaf ears. All i remembered was the ground racing to meet me as the world faded to black.
. [ | Gameplay | ] .
Basics
Name: Sor Grey-Bear
Race: Nord
Sex: Male
Level: 60—Perk Calculator
Stat Spread: 0/4/1
Standing Stone: Warrior to Lord
Skills
Two-Handed: A battleaxe—Sor's weapon of choice. To be able to wield his weapon with the deadly might he needs to fufill the quests that lie before him, the various perks allow him to become more devastating in battle with each attack holding enough power to rend flesh and crush bone and maybe even immobilize his foes before they can cause him any harm.
Perks: Barbarian 5/5; Champion's Stance; Limbsplitter 3/3; Devastating Blow; Sweep; Warmaster
Archery: While he does no use his bow to hunt man, his quiver has delivered many meals to his table and has felled many a great beast. As the creatures of Skyrim's wild grow stronger, Sor's archery improves and allows him to take on everything from the weakest skeever to the mightiest frost trolls.
Perks: Overdraw 5/5; Eagle Eye; Critical Shot 1/3; Power Shot; Hunter's Discipline; Ranger; Quick Shot; Bullseye
Light Armor: While he is strong, no warrior is invincible. Heavy armor is too loud and restricting to allow Sor to engage in combat the way he wishes. Light armor is his protection of choice, and with the ability to custom-make armor to fit himself, he can take on any foe relatively unhindered by the layers that protect him from his enemies' attacks.
Perks: Agile Defender 5/5; Custom Fit; Unhindered; Wind Walker; Matching Set; Deft Movement
Alchemy: His mother being an apothecary, Sor picked up on the use of alchemical compounds fairly early onto his life. He uses the various plants, fungus, insects, and animal products found in Skyrim to brew powerful potions to augment his abilites in combat and allow him to overcome foes he otherwise could not.
Perks: Alchemist 5/5; Physician; Benefactor; Experimenter 3/3
Block: Those who can deal mighty blows must also be ready to take them. Investment in the block skill allows Sor to prevent serious injury to himself by blocking, parrying, and deflecting the attacks of his opponents while also making bashes with his battleaxe—and how bow—deadlier than they would be otherwise, even with a chance to disarm his opponent and leave them defenseless.
Perks: Shield Wall 5/5; Quick Reflexes; Power Bash; Deadly Bash; Disarming Bash
Smithing: Sor is a skilled blacksmith from his years of apprenticeship in Cyrodiil. He puts this skill to use forging his own weapons and armor to use in combat, as well as valuable jewelry to sell to help fund his adventures across Skyrim. Dwarven and arcane smithing are skills he learns to develop during his time with the Dawnguard.
Perks: Steel Smithing; Elven Smithing; Advanced Armors; Glass Smithing; Dwarven Smithing; Dragon Armor
Equipment
Weapons: Sor's weapons of choice are a battleaxe—while he uses as his primary weapon in combat—and a dagger. After leaving Helgen, he carries iron weapons, but as his smithing skill improves so does the material of his weapons. His first upgrade is steel weaponry before eventually progressing onto nordic weaponry and later dragonbone when he is able to take their respective perks. Once he claims the title of the Harbinger of the Companions, he also claims wuuthrad as a sign of office and his signature weapon for the majority of the game.
He also carries a long bow and a maximum of 24 iron arrows with him at all times, which he uses solely for hunting (see "Hunting" in the Roleplay section). Once the Dawnguard's questline progresses far enough, he also claims auriel's bow, which he wields against Harkon as well as other powerful foes who reside outside of the reach of his blade.
When he joins the Dawnguard, he begins carrying a crossbow which be enchances as the upgrades become available. Once he gets his hands on the schematics for a dwarven crossbow, he forges one for himself and carries no more than 20 bolts and 10 exploding bolts of each kind, if he acquires the materials to make them.
Armor: Similarly to his iron weaponry, he leaves Helgen with nothing but some Stormcloak rags. As soon as he can get his hands on enough hide and iron, he forges hide armor with a studded cuirass to protect himself further, only wearing his Stormcloak armor when charging into battle alongside other Stormcloak soldiers. As his smithing skill allows, he tempers stronger hide armor before eventually progressing to scaled and later dragonscale armor. Like with his crossbow(s), Sor also carries a set of light dawnguard armor which he wears on his missions related to the Volkihar vampires.
Potions: As his alchemical might improves, Sor begins to brew more powerful—and useful—potions that he uses in various circumstances. He also carries hawk feathers to aid in the cleansing of diseases he may contract.
Restore X potions are vital potions that Sor carries on his person at all times in case a long-fought battle leaves him weary before the fight is over.
Ingredients (Health): blue mountain flower + butterfly wing
Ingredients (Stamina): purple mountain flower + torchbug thorax
Resist X potions that allow him to stand in the face of burning fire, freezing frost, and electrifying shock are another key brew in Sor's arsenal, and he often keeps a variety of each on hand for when he faces dragons or spellcasters.
Ingredients (Fire): dragon's tongue + snowberries
Ingredients (Frost): thistle branches + snowberries
Ingredients (Shock): swamp fungal pods + snowberries
Berserker's Draught (Fortify Two-Handed + Regenerate Stamina + Frenzy) puts Sor into a beast-like frenzy that turn the swings of his battleaxe into even more deadly attacks while bolstering his stamina to keep him from tiring too easy while in that state.
Ingredients: fly amanita + troll fat + bees.
Troll's Blood (Fortify Light Armor + Regenerate Health) hardens Sor's skin and gives him the regenerative abilites that Skyrim's trolls possess.
Ingredients: juniper berries + luna moth wings + honeycomb
Food: While potions can provide one with great power, Sor also knows that a good, homecooked meal can provide a warrior with the energy they would need to face the challenges that face them. He prefers to cook a hearty venison stew (venison, a salt pile, a potato, and a leek) that restores 15 stamina and regenerates 1 health and 1 stamina per second for 720 seconds.
Spells & Shouts
Alteration: The only spell Sor casts is transmute mineral ore. After going mining, Sor converts any excess iron into more precious metals which he then smiths into more valuable jewelry to sell for extra septims to aid in his travels across Skyrim.
Shouts: Become Ethereal, Bend Will, Call Dragon, Call of Valor, Clear Skies, Dragon Aspect, Dragonrend, Elemental Fury, Fire Breath, Frost Breath, Storm Call, Unrelenting Force, and Whirlwind Sprint
. [ | Combat | ] .
Berserker: In most situations—be it bandit or mage—Sor rushes into battle with his axe's blade primed for slaughter. The Berserker's Draught puts him into a bloody frenzy while his other potions of choice depend on his opponents—Kyne's Kiss for spellcasters and Troll's Blood for melee and ranged combatants. The Call of Valor shout exemplifies his status as a proud warrior, summoning spectral allies of heroes passed to fight alongside him while the Elemental Fury shout turns his normally slow swings into whirlwind-like strikes. The Unrelenting Force shout is used to stagger enemies at range as he makes his approach.
Requires: Battleaxe (any); Berserker's Draught, Kyne's Kiss, Troll's Blood; Call of Valor, Elemental Fury, Unrelenting Force; Blessing of Mara
Hunter: When it comes to his prowess with a bow, Sor uses it exclusively for hunting. While some may see it as a waste of potentinal, Sor sees it as a preservation of dignity. No man shall fall at the point of his arrows, and no deer shall fall to the blade of his axe.
Requires: Longbow or Bow of the Hunt, Iron Arrows; Kyne's Blessing
Dawnguard: When the threat of vampires rears its ugly head across Skyrim, Sor takes up arms with the crossbow(s) he has acquired during his time with the Dawnguard combined with exploding bolts that burn his quarry alive. In combination with his Fire Breath and Unrelenting Force shouts, vampires can rarely get close enough to him to cause him harm as they are assailed with the purging fire.
Requires: Crossbow (any), Bolts (any), Exploding Bolts of Fire (any); Fire Breath, Unrelenting Force
Dragonslayer: Tasked with protecting Skryim from dragons, Sor has become an incredibly effective dragonslayer. Esbern's concotion has allowed him to stand toe-to-toe with the might of dragons, and his various alchemical creations have only bolstered his resilience. When faced with the breath of dragons, Sor uses the Become Ethereal shout to completely nullify it while then returning the favor with his own Fire/Frost Breath shout—dependant on the dragon he faces. The Dragonrend shout allows him to take away the dragon's ability to avoid his martial prowess, and the elemental fury shout combined with his battleaxe makes short work of their scaley hide.
Requires: Battleaxe (any); Berserker's Draught, Kyne's Kiss, Troll's Blood; Become Ethereal, Dragonrend, Elemental Fury, Fire/Frost Breath; Dragon Infusion
. [ | Roleplay | ] .
No Fast Travel: Sor wishes to witness the entirety of his father's homeland with whatever wonders—and horrors—it may bring, and so will you! Unless travelling between hold capitals by cart, Sor does not fast travel.
Food & Drink: Besides the adventure-related food listed in the Gameplay section, Sor always carries:
• Bread
• Goat Cheese Wedges
• Red Apples or Green Apples
• Nord Mead or Honningbrew Mead where available
Sor eats two pieces of bread, one cheese wedge, one apple, and drinks one bottle of mead per day, and restocks on supplies whenever he stops in a town while travelling.
Hunting: Sor hunts his own game for meat and hides, and always carries a Long Bow with no more than 24 Iron Arrows with him at all times. He uses this bow ONLY for hunting, never choosing to disgrace Kyne by using it to take the life of another man.
Crafting: After escaping Helgen, Sor makes all of his own equipment, and does not steal from others or loot slain enemies for anything other than gold, gems, or other valuables—because a dead bandit won't be needing them anymore. He mines his own ores for metal, chops his own fire wood for arrows, gathers his own ingredients for alchemy, and hunts his own game for food and hide. He does not buy materials from vendors unless they cannot be obtained otherwise.
Ingredients: Sor tastes all of his ingredients to learn what properties they have. Sor does not use an ingredient in alchemy unless he has eaten one beforehand, and only uses that ingredient if the desired effect of the potion is the same as the properties he knows (this gives incentive to invest in the Experimenter perk and not rely on googling ingredients).
Enchanted Items: While he does not spend the time to enchant his own equipment—and would not give up his own handiwork for a piece of armor or a weapon scavenged from a ruin or looted from a slain foe—he does make use of any enchanted rings he finds, but always wears his Amulet of Talos.
Transmuting: Growing up in Cyrodiil, Sor is no stranger to magic and does not share the native Nords' fear of it. By personal preference alone, magic does not interest him and he chooses not to use it—with one exception. While clearing Halted Stream Camp of bandits, be it by bounty hunting or some other quest, he is intrigued by the spell tome that he finds there, Transmute Mineral Ore. He learns to use the spell and uses it to convert excess iron or silver ore he mines into gold to forge into jewelry and sell to help fund his endeavors across Skyrim. It is the ONLY spell he learns.
Note: Users playing Special Edition will play in Survival Mode.
. [ | Quests | ] .
Questlines
Civil War (Stormcloaks): After escaping from Helgen with Ralof, but before travelling to Whiterun to deliver Gerdur's message, Sor travels to Windhelm to question Jarl Ulfric about joining the Stormcloaks. The injustice the Empire has brought upon Skyrim is more than he can handle, and he is more than ready to fight for its independence. The Civil War questline should be completed before he makes the pilgrimage to High Hrothgar or travelling to the Dustman's Cairn to aid the Companions.
Main: After delivering Ulfric's axe to Balgruuf, Sor discovers he Dragonborn. While he readily accepts his role in defeating the dragon threat, he knows he has another duty to attend to before he can face his fate. Sor will finish the fight against the Imperials before he makes his journey to High Hrothgar.
Dragon Research: Before the path of fate leads him away from the blades, Sor helps Esbern with his research into the dragons, earning him a new ability to be able to better face the dragons of Skyrim in combat.
Paarthurnax: When the members of the newly-reformed Blades give Sor the ultimatum to kill Paarthurnax or lose their alliance, Sor forsakes the Blades without a second thought. Delphine is too near-sighted, overlooking the deeds Paarthurnax has done simply because he is a dragon.
Companions: After removing Balgruuf from his position as Jarl, Sor seeks to make a name for himself by joining the Companions of Jorrvaskr. Before he travels to the Dustman's Cairn with Farkas, however, he completes his current commitment to freeing Skyrim from Imperial hold. When he is given the choice to accept the beast's blood and join the Circle, he accepts without hesitation. As the conflict with the Silver Hand grows, he begins to question his so-called "gift," and after a discussion with Kodlak, chooses to cure himself as well as the other member of the Circle who wish for be cured. The Companions questlines should be completed before he meets Delphine in Riverwood.
Dawnguard: After witnessing the growing vampire attack on the settlements of Skyrim, Sor is approached by a hold guard/Durak about joining the Dawnguard, a group of vampire hunters. After reclaiming Sky Haven Temple for the Blades, but before making his return to High Hrothgar to meet their leader, Sor investigates the Dawnguard further, learning of the Volkahir Clan and their plans for Tamriel. He sides with the Dawnguard in their efforts, and the Dawnguard questline should be completed before he meets with Paarthurnax for the first time.
Ancient Technology: When Sorine tells Sor of the schematics that could teach them to create more powerful crossbows and bolts, he jumps at the opportunity, and takes the Dwarven Smithing perk to be able to forge a Dwarven Crossbow of his own.
Dragonborn: After defeating Alduin and returning from Sovngarde, Sor is attacked by mysterious cultists with commands to assassinate him. He follows the clues they leave behind to the island of Solstheim where Miraak, the first Dragonborn, lies in wait for his arrival.
Misc. Quests
Bounties: Wherever bandits or dragons lurk, Sor is there to lend a hand and earn his pay. Whenever he enters a new town or hold, one of his first tasks is to visit the local inn to look for any bounties the Jarls have put out.
The Golden Claw: After hearing from Orgnar that the Riverwood Trader was broken into, Sor offers to help Lucan by recovering the claw, and collects the Dragonstone once he reaches the end of the barrow.
Missing Action: The way the Battle-Borns treated Fralia in the marketplace left a sour taste in Sor's mouth, and it took all of his willpower not to loosen a few of their teeth. After talking to Fralia, he is on a mission to prove that her son is alive and stick it to the Empire, the Thalmor, and the Battle-Borns all at once.
The Blessings of Nature: The plight of the temple in Whiterun, whether they worship Kynareth or Kyne, strikes a chord with Sor. As his travels take him across Skyrim, he offers to collect Nettlebane and help restore the Gildergreen to its former glory.
Thane of Whiterun: When Sor is first offered the title of thane by Jarl Balgruuf, he refuses him and drops the gifted axe on the floor before him before walking out, brushing off Lydia as she approaches. After claiming Whiterun for the Stormcloaks, he reinstates himself as thane when the option presents itself to him once again.
Thane of Falkreath: Falkreath Hold, its abundant wild game, and relative privacy amongst the hold's wilderness are all appealing to Sor. After the Stormcloaks capture the hold from the Imperials, he works towards becoming the thane as to purchase a plot of land to build a home for himself.
Loss of Innocence & Destroy the Dark Brotherhood!: While in Windhelm to join the Stormcloaks, Sor looks into the rumors of Aventus Aretino, and is enraged to find out about the conditions he lived in at Honorhall. After the Stormcloaks retake the Rift, his first order of business is to dish out the punishment that Grelod the Kind deserves. After waking up in an abandoned cabin, being forced by a mysterious figure to kill three other hostages, he takes matters into his own hands and slays his capturer, which leads to the downfall of the Dark Brotherhood in Skyrim.
Book of Love: Despite his rough personality and imposing presence, Sor is a kind-hearted man. Since he is headed to Ivarstead soon anyway, he offers to assist the priestess in helping the girl there with her love problem.
Kyne's Sacred Trials & Composure, Speed, and Precision: During his travels across Skyrim, word of a pair of bowmen—Froki and Angi—reach his ears. One offering to train those who seek her out in archery, and the ohter a mentor in proving themselves a true hunter of Kyne. During his travels, Sor seeks them out and accepts their quests to improve himself.
A Return to your Roots: As Sor's quest takes him deep into the reaches of Blackreach, he discovers the remains of a man by the name of Sinderion, a master alchemist. Hoping to uncover whatever alchemical skill he may have had, he delivers the nirnroot to Sarethi Farm once he makes his way out of Blackreach with the Elder Scroll in hand.
. [ | Conclusion | ] .
I have worked on this build bit-by-bit to completion, and I am incredibly proud with how it, the Arcane Eye, and the Night Prowler have turned out thus far. I hope that Sor turns out to be as much fun to play for all of you as he is to me!
Note: See Sor's Roleplaying Profile for more information about him.
Note: I used the No Starting Spells mod to begin with no spells.
. [ | Introduction | ] .
Sor Grey-Bear is my attempt at a melee-focused Dragonborn. One who does not rely on magic or trickery to complete his goals, and acts as the warrior to my trifecta of builds alongside the Arcane Eye and the Night Prowler.
. [ | Backstory | ] .
My name is Sor Grey-Bear, but my story starts with my father, Haakon. He was born and raised in the nordic homeland of Skyrim. He left his home to fight under the banner of the Empire and, during the Great War, died under it, but not before he had met my mother and sired a child whose face he had never seen.
I was raised by my mother in Cyrodil as a proud nord. I grew up on tales of my father’s homeland; of Ysgramor of the Companions; of the dragons and the Dragonborn; and of my father’s wish to one day return to familiar soils with my mother and I. My mother made a living as an apothecary, transforming common ingredients into powerful draughts for whatever may ail you. I spent my days learning to hunt, smith, fight, and whatever skills I could to get by.
In my heart I felt a pull. A force calling me back to my father’s homeland that only grew stronger with each passing year. My mother, frail from her years, could not make the journey with me. I kissed her goodbye and made my journey north to a land I did not know. The days grew cold and the nights colder as I grew closer to the border, but nothing could have prepared me for the coldness I would face as I crossed it.
I was met with shouting. Imperial soldiers accusing me of being a traitor; a member of a group whose name I had never even heard. I fought, claiming my innocence, but my words fell on deaf ears. All i remembered was the ground racing to meet me as the world faded to black.
. [ | Gameplay | ] .
Basics
Name: Sor Grey-Bear
Race: Nord
Sex: Male
Level: 60—Perk Calculator
Stat Spread: 0/4/1
Standing Stone: Warrior to Lord
Skills
Two-Handed: A battleaxe—Sor's weapon of choice. To be able to wield his weapon with the deadly might he needs to fufill the quests that lie before him, the various perks allow him to become more devastating in battle with each attack holding enough power to rend flesh and crush bone and maybe even immobilize his foes before they can cause him any harm.
Perks: Barbarian 5/5; Champion's Stance; Limbsplitter 3/3; Devastating Blow; Sweep; Warmaster
Archery: While he does no use his bow to hunt man, his quiver has delivered many meals to his table and has felled many a great beast. As the creatures of Skyrim's wild grow stronger, Sor's archery improves and allows him to take on everything from the weakest skeever to the mightiest frost trolls.
Perks: Overdraw 5/5; Eagle Eye; Critical Shot 1/3; Power Shot; Hunter's Discipline; Ranger; Quick Shot; Bullseye
Light Armor: While he is strong, no warrior is invincible. Heavy armor is too loud and restricting to allow Sor to engage in combat the way he wishes. Light armor is his protection of choice, and with the ability to custom-make armor to fit himself, he can take on any foe relatively unhindered by the layers that protect him from his enemies' attacks.
Perks: Agile Defender 5/5; Custom Fit; Unhindered; Wind Walker; Matching Set; Deft Movement
Alchemy: His mother being an apothecary, Sor picked up on the use of alchemical compounds fairly early onto his life. He uses the various plants, fungus, insects, and animal products found in Skyrim to brew powerful potions to augment his abilites in combat and allow him to overcome foes he otherwise could not.
Perks: Alchemist 5/5; Physician; Benefactor; Experimenter 3/3
Block: Those who can deal mighty blows must also be ready to take them. Investment in the block skill allows Sor to prevent serious injury to himself by blocking, parrying, and deflecting the attacks of his opponents while also making bashes with his battleaxe—and how bow—deadlier than they would be otherwise, even with a chance to disarm his opponent and leave them defenseless.
Perks: Shield Wall 5/5; Quick Reflexes; Power Bash; Deadly Bash; Disarming Bash
Smithing: Sor is a skilled blacksmith from his years of apprenticeship in Cyrodiil. He puts this skill to use forging his own weapons and armor to use in combat, as well as valuable jewelry to sell to help fund his adventures across Skyrim. Dwarven and arcane smithing are skills he learns to develop during his time with the Dawnguard.
Perks: Steel Smithing; Elven Smithing; Advanced Armors; Glass Smithing; Dwarven Smithing; Dragon Armor
Equipment
Weapons: Sor's weapons of choice are a battleaxe—while he uses as his primary weapon in combat—and a dagger. After leaving Helgen, he carries iron weapons, but as his smithing skill improves so does the material of his weapons. His first upgrade is steel weaponry before eventually progressing onto nordic weaponry and later dragonbone when he is able to take their respective perks. Once he claims the title of the Harbinger of the Companions, he also claims wuuthrad as a sign of office and his signature weapon for the majority of the game.
He also carries a long bow and a maximum of 24 iron arrows with him at all times, which he uses solely for hunting (see "Hunting" in the Roleplay section). Once the Dawnguard's questline progresses far enough, he also claims auriel's bow, which he wields against Harkon as well as other powerful foes who reside outside of the reach of his blade.
When he joins the Dawnguard, he begins carrying a crossbow which be enchances as the upgrades become available. Once he gets his hands on the schematics for a dwarven crossbow, he forges one for himself and carries no more than 20 bolts and 10 exploding bolts of each kind, if he acquires the materials to make them.
Armor: Similarly to his iron weaponry, he leaves Helgen with nothing but some Stormcloak rags. As soon as he can get his hands on enough hide and iron, he forges hide armor with a studded cuirass to protect himself further, only wearing his Stormcloak armor when charging into battle alongside other Stormcloak soldiers. As his smithing skill allows, he tempers stronger hide armor before eventually progressing to scaled and later dragonscale armor. Like with his crossbow(s), Sor also carries a set of light dawnguard armor which he wears on his missions related to the Volkihar vampires.
Potions: As his alchemical might improves, Sor begins to brew more powerful—and useful—potions that he uses in various circumstances. He also carries hawk feathers to aid in the cleansing of diseases he may contract.
Restore X potions are vital potions that Sor carries on his person at all times in case a long-fought battle leaves him weary before the fight is over.
Ingredients (Health): blue mountain flower + butterfly wing
Ingredients (Stamina): purple mountain flower + torchbug thorax
Resist X potions that allow him to stand in the face of burning fire, freezing frost, and electrifying shock are another key brew in Sor's arsenal, and he often keeps a variety of each on hand for when he faces dragons or spellcasters.
Ingredients (Fire): dragon's tongue + snowberries
Ingredients (Frost): thistle branches + snowberries
Ingredients (Shock): swamp fungal pods + snowberries
Berserker's Draught (Fortify Two-Handed + Regenerate Stamina + Frenzy) puts Sor into a beast-like frenzy that turn the swings of his battleaxe into even more deadly attacks while bolstering his stamina to keep him from tiring too easy while in that state.
Ingredients: fly amanita + troll fat + bees.
Troll's Blood (Fortify Light Armor + Regenerate Health) hardens Sor's skin and gives him the regenerative abilites that Skyrim's trolls possess.
Ingredients: juniper berries + luna moth wings + honeycomb
Food: While potions can provide one with great power, Sor also knows that a good, homecooked meal can provide a warrior with the energy they would need to face the challenges that face them. He prefers to cook a hearty venison stew (venison, a salt pile, a potato, and a leek) that restores 15 stamina and regenerates 1 health and 1 stamina per second for 720 seconds.
Spells & Shouts
Alteration: The only spell Sor casts is transmute mineral ore. After going mining, Sor converts any excess iron into more precious metals which he then smiths into more valuable jewelry to sell for extra septims to aid in his travels across Skyrim.
Shouts: Become Ethereal, Bend Will, Call Dragon, Call of Valor, Clear Skies, Dragon Aspect, Dragonrend, Elemental Fury, Fire Breath, Frost Breath, Storm Call, Unrelenting Force, and Whirlwind Sprint
. [ | Combat | ] .
Berserker: In most situations—be it bandit or mage—Sor rushes into battle with his axe's blade primed for slaughter. The Berserker's Draught puts him into a bloody frenzy while his other potions of choice depend on his opponents—Kyne's Kiss for spellcasters and Troll's Blood for melee and ranged combatants. The Call of Valor shout exemplifies his status as a proud warrior, summoning spectral allies of heroes passed to fight alongside him while the Elemental Fury shout turns his normally slow swings into whirlwind-like strikes. The Unrelenting Force shout is used to stagger enemies at range as he makes his approach.
Requires: Battleaxe (any); Berserker's Draught, Kyne's Kiss, Troll's Blood; Call of Valor, Elemental Fury, Unrelenting Force; Blessing of Mara
Hunter: When it comes to his prowess with a bow, Sor uses it exclusively for hunting. While some may see it as a waste of potentinal, Sor sees it as a preservation of dignity. No man shall fall at the point of his arrows, and no deer shall fall to the blade of his axe.
Requires: Longbow or Bow of the Hunt, Iron Arrows; Kyne's Blessing
Dawnguard: When the threat of vampires rears its ugly head across Skyrim, Sor takes up arms with the crossbow(s) he has acquired during his time with the Dawnguard combined with exploding bolts that burn his quarry alive. In combination with his Fire Breath and Unrelenting Force shouts, vampires can rarely get close enough to him to cause him harm as they are assailed with the purging fire.
Requires: Crossbow (any), Bolts (any), Exploding Bolts of Fire (any); Fire Breath, Unrelenting Force
Dragonslayer: Tasked with protecting Skryim from dragons, Sor has become an incredibly effective dragonslayer. Esbern's concotion has allowed him to stand toe-to-toe with the might of dragons, and his various alchemical creations have only bolstered his resilience. When faced with the breath of dragons, Sor uses the Become Ethereal shout to completely nullify it while then returning the favor with his own Fire/Frost Breath shout—dependant on the dragon he faces. The Dragonrend shout allows him to take away the dragon's ability to avoid his martial prowess, and the elemental fury shout combined with his battleaxe makes short work of their scaley hide.
Requires: Battleaxe (any); Berserker's Draught, Kyne's Kiss, Troll's Blood; Become Ethereal, Dragonrend, Elemental Fury, Fire/Frost Breath; Dragon Infusion
. [ | Roleplay | ] .
No Fast Travel: Sor wishes to witness the entirety of his father's homeland with whatever wonders—and horrors—it may bring, and so will you! Unless travelling between hold capitals by cart, Sor does not fast travel.
Food & Drink: Besides the adventure-related food listed in the Gameplay section, Sor always carries:
• Bread
• Goat Cheese Wedges
• Red Apples or Green Apples
• Nord Mead or Honningbrew Mead where available
Sor eats two pieces of bread, one cheese wedge, one apple, and drinks one bottle of mead per day, and restocks on supplies whenever he stops in a town while travelling.
Hunting: Sor hunts his own game for meat and hides, and always carries a Long Bow with no more than 24 Iron Arrows with him at all times. He uses this bow ONLY for hunting, never choosing to disgrace Kyne by using it to take the life of another man.
Crafting: After escaping Helgen, Sor makes all of his own equipment, and does not steal from others or loot slain enemies for anything other than gold, gems, or other valuables—because a dead bandit won't be needing them anymore. He mines his own ores for metal, chops his own fire wood for arrows, gathers his own ingredients for alchemy, and hunts his own game for food and hide. He does not buy materials from vendors unless they cannot be obtained otherwise.
Ingredients: Sor tastes all of his ingredients to learn what properties they have. Sor does not use an ingredient in alchemy unless he has eaten one beforehand, and only uses that ingredient if the desired effect of the potion is the same as the properties he knows (this gives incentive to invest in the Experimenter perk and not rely on googling ingredients).
Enchanted Items: While he does not spend the time to enchant his own equipment—and would not give up his own handiwork for a piece of armor or a weapon scavenged from a ruin or looted from a slain foe—he does make use of any enchanted rings he finds, but always wears his Amulet of Talos.
Transmuting: Growing up in Cyrodiil, Sor is no stranger to magic and does not share the native Nords' fear of it. By personal preference alone, magic does not interest him and he chooses not to use it—with one exception. While clearing Halted Stream Camp of bandits, be it by bounty hunting or some other quest, he is intrigued by the spell tome that he finds there, Transmute Mineral Ore. He learns to use the spell and uses it to convert excess iron or silver ore he mines into gold to forge into jewelry and sell to help fund his endeavors across Skyrim. It is the ONLY spell he learns.
Note: Users playing Special Edition will play in Survival Mode.
. [ | Quests | ] .
Questlines
Civil War (Stormcloaks): After escaping from Helgen with Ralof, but before travelling to Whiterun to deliver Gerdur's message, Sor travels to Windhelm to question Jarl Ulfric about joining the Stormcloaks. The injustice the Empire has brought upon Skyrim is more than he can handle, and he is more than ready to fight for its independence. The Civil War questline should be completed before he makes the pilgrimage to High Hrothgar or travelling to the Dustman's Cairn to aid the Companions.
Main: After delivering Ulfric's axe to Balgruuf, Sor discovers he Dragonborn. While he readily accepts his role in defeating the dragon threat, he knows he has another duty to attend to before he can face his fate. Sor will finish the fight against the Imperials before he makes his journey to High Hrothgar.
Dragon Research: Before the path of fate leads him away from the blades, Sor helps Esbern with his research into the dragons, earning him a new ability to be able to better face the dragons of Skyrim in combat.
Paarthurnax: When the members of the newly-reformed Blades give Sor the ultimatum to kill Paarthurnax or lose their alliance, Sor forsakes the Blades without a second thought. Delphine is too near-sighted, overlooking the deeds Paarthurnax has done simply because he is a dragon.
Companions: After removing Balgruuf from his position as Jarl, Sor seeks to make a name for himself by joining the Companions of Jorrvaskr. Before he travels to the Dustman's Cairn with Farkas, however, he completes his current commitment to freeing Skyrim from Imperial hold. When he is given the choice to accept the beast's blood and join the Circle, he accepts without hesitation. As the conflict with the Silver Hand grows, he begins to question his so-called "gift," and after a discussion with Kodlak, chooses to cure himself as well as the other member of the Circle who wish for be cured. The Companions questlines should be completed before he meets Delphine in Riverwood.
Dawnguard: After witnessing the growing vampire attack on the settlements of Skyrim, Sor is approached by a hold guard/Durak about joining the Dawnguard, a group of vampire hunters. After reclaiming Sky Haven Temple for the Blades, but before making his return to High Hrothgar to meet their leader, Sor investigates the Dawnguard further, learning of the Volkahir Clan and their plans for Tamriel. He sides with the Dawnguard in their efforts, and the Dawnguard questline should be completed before he meets with Paarthurnax for the first time.
Ancient Technology: When Sorine tells Sor of the schematics that could teach them to create more powerful crossbows and bolts, he jumps at the opportunity, and takes the Dwarven Smithing perk to be able to forge a Dwarven Crossbow of his own.
Dragonborn: After defeating Alduin and returning from Sovngarde, Sor is attacked by mysterious cultists with commands to assassinate him. He follows the clues they leave behind to the island of Solstheim where Miraak, the first Dragonborn, lies in wait for his arrival.
Misc. Quests
Bounties: Wherever bandits or dragons lurk, Sor is there to lend a hand and earn his pay. Whenever he enters a new town or hold, one of his first tasks is to visit the local inn to look for any bounties the Jarls have put out.
The Golden Claw: After hearing from Orgnar that the Riverwood Trader was broken into, Sor offers to help Lucan by recovering the claw, and collects the Dragonstone once he reaches the end of the barrow.
Missing Action: The way the Battle-Borns treated Fralia in the marketplace left a sour taste in Sor's mouth, and it took all of his willpower not to loosen a few of their teeth. After talking to Fralia, he is on a mission to prove that her son is alive and stick it to the Empire, the Thalmor, and the Battle-Borns all at once.
The Blessings of Nature: The plight of the temple in Whiterun, whether they worship Kynareth or Kyne, strikes a chord with Sor. As his travels take him across Skyrim, he offers to collect Nettlebane and help restore the Gildergreen to its former glory.
Thane of Whiterun: When Sor is first offered the title of thane by Jarl Balgruuf, he refuses him and drops the gifted axe on the floor before him before walking out, brushing off Lydia as she approaches. After claiming Whiterun for the Stormcloaks, he reinstates himself as thane when the option presents itself to him once again.
Thane of Falkreath: Falkreath Hold, its abundant wild game, and relative privacy amongst the hold's wilderness are all appealing to Sor. After the Stormcloaks capture the hold from the Imperials, he works towards becoming the thane as to purchase a plot of land to build a home for himself.
Loss of Innocence & Destroy the Dark Brotherhood!: While in Windhelm to join the Stormcloaks, Sor looks into the rumors of Aventus Aretino, and is enraged to find out about the conditions he lived in at Honorhall. After the Stormcloaks retake the Rift, his first order of business is to dish out the punishment that Grelod the Kind deserves. After waking up in an abandoned cabin, being forced by a mysterious figure to kill three other hostages, he takes matters into his own hands and slays his capturer, which leads to the downfall of the Dark Brotherhood in Skyrim.
Book of Love: Despite his rough personality and imposing presence, Sor is a kind-hearted man. Since he is headed to Ivarstead soon anyway, he offers to assist the priestess in helping the girl there with her love problem.
Kyne's Sacred Trials & Composure, Speed, and Precision: During his travels across Skyrim, word of a pair of bowmen—Froki and Angi—reach his ears. One offering to train those who seek her out in archery, and the ohter a mentor in proving themselves a true hunter of Kyne. During his travels, Sor seeks them out and accepts their quests to improve himself.
A Return to your Roots: As Sor's quest takes him deep into the reaches of Blackreach, he discovers the remains of a man by the name of Sinderion, a master alchemist. Hoping to uncover whatever alchemical skill he may have had, he delivers the nirnroot to Sarethi Farm once he makes his way out of Blackreach with the Elder Scroll in hand.
. [ | Conclusion | ] .
I have worked on this build bit-by-bit to completion, and I am incredibly proud with how it, the Arcane Eye, and the Night Prowler have turned out thus far. I hope that Sor turns out to be as much fun to play for all of you as he is to me!
Note: See Sor's Roleplaying Profile for more information about him.
