I’ve long been a fan of conflicted characters in stories. The purely good or the purely evil character doesn’t interest me nearly as much as the character with a complicated past or secret pain that drives them to do what they do. The redemptive journey also stands out to me as a strong character arc. I wanted to create a character who finds synergy in many skills and roleplaying aspects that do not normally merge well.
The Graveknight of the Divines is a fallen knight who slowly regains the desire to atone for his mistakes, but finds it difficult to fully escape his vampiric heritage. He undertakes the Trials of the Divines to become worthy once more. But there is always that nagging doubt that he might not be fully invested in his quest. Will he succeed in restoring the Knights of the Nine? Or will he fall along the way, a lost soul forever damned?
Blog note: I've begun a long story blog for my own Graveknight, Gaspard Renelle. If you're interested in seeing how Gaspard deals with the Trials of the Divines, take a look at The Graveknight's Oath.
Mod note: I play on the PC and keep many mods active, including the unofficial patches, which means that most of the commonly seen exploits are unavailable to me. I’ve tried to make sure that there are workarounds for console players for various parts of this build that utilize mods.
Table of Contents
Graveknight Lore Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 ~~ Divided into three parts throughout the build, the Graveknight himself conveys to Arissa his past as a fallen Knight of the Nine. He finishes by chronicling in his journal the significance of meeting Arissa.
Basic Gameplay ~~ Which skills make the Graveknight such a terrifying force of Divine might? Learn how a Crusader can be a vampire, wear robes, cast magic and wield a greatsword; and how all of that makes the Graveknight a unique experience.
Part 1 – The Desperate Wanderer ~~ What makes a near-starving 200 year old vampire realize he must seek absolution? Which quests should he undertake that will lead him to make the decision to seek out the Nine once more?
Part 2 – The Trials of the Divines ~~ Where will the Graveknight be at level 30 as he quests in the name of the Divines? And just why doesn’t he look like a Knight of the Nine from Martin Septim’s time anyway?
An Overview of the Trials ~~ Learn what quests the Nine Divines require the Graveknight to undergo in order to prove himself worthy of their favor once more.
Part 3 – The Knight of the Nine ~~ Will the Graveknight succeed in his quest and find redemption at the hands of the Nine, or will he fall and remain forever a cursed vampire?
Abilities ~~ Learn about a few moves the Graveknight uses to destroy his enemies.
Closing Notes ~~ Links to all of the art used in this build.
"He betrayed the Divines."
"All of them.
"He was once a member of the Knights of Nine, awash in the reflected glory of the Hero of Kvatch when the Nine Divines granted that worthy their favor and allowed him to recover the lost Relics of the Crusader. That should have been enough for him, but as always happens in these tales it was not.
"A powerful vampire lord plagued the West Weald around Skingrad and the knight was determined to destroy it and show Tamriel the birth of another hero. The knight had good intentions, as they always do, and believed wholly in his own sanctity and ability to defeat the vampire. In his hubris he knew that, like the Hero of Kvatch, he was worthy to wield the Relics of the Crusader. One night as the rest of the Knights slept he stole into the Priory Undercroft in secret and appropriated the Relics for his own righteous quest.
"I'm sure you can see where this story is headed, can't you?" the man shifted in his seat to re-position himself before continuing.
"The Knight girded himself with the Relics and prepared to do battle with the vampire lord. ‘How could he fail?’ he thought to himself. Yet fail he did, utterly and convincingly. The Relics would not allow themselves to be used by the unworthy, for such was the Knight in all of his pride and arrogance. Bereft of any defenses the Knight quickly fell to the vampire, rising days later as one of the hated creatures. "The holy Relics of the Crusader were lost to the ages again, and the Knights of the Nine scattered to the winds, once more becoming a forgotten part of history.
"The Nine cursed the knight to wander the land as a wretched vampire. Legend tells that the Nine decreed that, for his betrayal and failure, he would never be able to become human again. He would live forever with the knowledge that it was his failure that lead to the loss of the Relics of the Crusader."
Basic Gameplay
When we first meet our Graveknight he is a simple wanderer, unconcerned with such things as the “greater good”, only with survival. He has lost much of his vaunted martial power and retains only his considerable skills with magic. Initially concerned with defense the Graveknight relies primarily upon his knowledge of misdirection combined with the icy-cold hands of the dead. If a foe manages to close with him in melee he will pull out his shield and keep all weapons at bay, while letting his companion finish the enemy, or waiting for his own opportunity to strike.
As he grows in power and completes the Trials of the Divines he begins to transform into a powerful knight once more. His focus slowly shifts toward melee offense and leading his followers into the fray, as a true Knight of the Nine should. Yet he never forsakes his magic as it is as much a part of him as his blood-thirst.
Race: Breton or Imperial best suit both the lore and the primary skills, but Nord, Redguard or even Orc would do fine.
Major Skills
Destruction:
Frost spells are the Graveknight’s primary form of direct damage offense at this stage. The Graveknight emanates the deathly cold of the risen dead from his body and is able to channel that deathly energy into spikes of ice. Early in his career the Graveknight does not use any fire spells, even against undead or Nords as fire worries him, but he will eventually realize that he must fight his fears if he is to truly become a great Knight once more. As the Graveknight’s power grows he will begin to focus more on the use of runic magic and projecting a barrier of frost around his body.
Block:
The Graveknight’s primary means of defense considering he wears robes and a hood instead of a full set of armor. Ideally all incoming attacks will be blocked and as the Graveknight will otherwise fall quickly to his enemies. With more experience comes the ability to truly see the battle around him and react with quicker reflexes. The Graveknight’s continued use of the shield starts to wane as he relearns the use of his favored weapon the greatsword, but in concert with that weapon he practices using the greatsword defensively as well as offensively.
Restoration:
Arkay is the god of life as well as death and the Graveknight has learned to channel the healing powers of Arkay into a form that will restore his undead body, and eventually that of others as well. The Graveknight’s disgust for his own kind eventually will lead him into mastery of the sun spells of the Dawnguard. Like the flame spells, he casts these reluctantly, and always with an eye to making sure that the sunlight does not actually touch him.
Illusion:
Representing the Graveknight's vampiric ability to move silently and strike the fear of the risen dead into the hearts of many, illusion is a mainstay for a Graveknight. The spells used are primarily muffle for moving quietly closer to any enemies, and a vampire-boosted fear spell when attacked by multiple enemies at once. However, the Graveknight will eventually learn the hard lesson that it takes more than himself for a quest to truly be successful. As a leader of Knights, he must inspire his followers with courage to bolster their flagging willpower whenever possible.
Minor Skills
Two-Handed:
A true Knight of Nine is a warrior first, and the Graveknight begins to practice more often with his weaponcraft the more he wanders the land. Though a smaller sword would likely be more practical and fitting as the Sword of the Crusader was a one-handed sword, the Graveknight always preferred to instill the terror of certain doom upon his opponents when they saw a gigantic greatsword swinging for their heads.
Heavy Armor:
Though he does not yet wear a full suit of armor, the Graveknight continually practices his defenses with the armor he does wear. A good heavy pair of steel boots and gauntlets, accompanied by a sturdy steel shield will go a long way in protecting the Graveknight in his early campaigning. Later on the Graveknight may choose whether to forgo robes for a full set of heavy armor. I would recommend training with Farkas early on to keep your skill up as you won't gain a whole lot of ranks while blocking/wearing robes.
Speech:
A Knight of the Nine must be a gifted orator as well as a terror for his enemies on the battlefield. The world must know of the Knight’s holy crusade to recover the Relics. Though speech no longer comes as naturally for the Graveknight as it did when he was mortal, he starts learning how to make small talk again.
Unperked skills:
The Graveknight is predominantly a no-crafting build. A Knight should be out questing on his horse, not constantly stooping to pick up a mountain flower or tear the wings off a butterfly. Alchemy is therefore not even a consideration.
Likewise the Knight usually disdains to spend much time crafting his own weapons or enchanting them, though when he is rebuilding the Priory of the Nine, Zenithar prefers he put in his own elbow grease. Smithing will rise slightly, as will enchanting as the Knight is not averse to disenchanting weak magical items or using the lesser souls of beasts to refill the magic of his weapons.
He is not afraid to sneak around to put himself in a better position to battle his enemies, and also uses it to feed when he must. Sneaking becomes less and less of a priority for the Knight as he gains power and prestige, however he is still a vampire and he must feed, even though he hates doing such. He prefers not to feed upon his followers if he can help it and therefore steels himself to go back to his old ways, if just for an instant, so he can avoid the hunger of his nature.
Alteration armor spells are very useful as the Graveknight wears robes and a hood, but the school will remain unperked. Note that in my own playthrough I did throw in a perk for steel smithing (or rather its modded equivalent) as I needed it to build an item that I couldn’t otherwise purchase.
"It's a good tale isn't it; Quite believable I would think?" The hooded man cocked his head to the side and lowered his coarse voice to barely a whisper, "It's all true of course."
The woman in red lounged carelessly in her seat across from him looking to all the world as if she hadn't a care in the world. The man knew better. Her piercingly bright eyes constantly darted around the taproom, measuring the other patrons anxiously for threats. A skeptical look crossed her face as he finished his tale, which the man caught before she was able to smooth her features back to impassivity.
"I see you don't believe me," the man continued.
"It's not that," she replied, her voice light and airy, "There are dozens of tales about betrayals and fallen knights in the lorebooks. The bards always declare them true tales, but they rarely are. I've learned not to take much of anything I hear at face value anymore." She fidgeted at that before quickly adding, "It's nothing personal of course."
"I...see. Well, I can't blame you of course, but I can prove it is true. If we are to travel together for the time being I need you to know the truth now. I don't want you to discover it when it's...inconvenient, for both of us." The man glanced warily around the rest of the taproom, but no one paid attention to the two seated in the darkest corner. All were lost in their drinks or their revelry. He turned back to her and with a quick shrug he lowered a portion of his hood to show her his face.
Her gasp of surprise was lost in the noise of the bard's song.
Part 1: The Desperate Wanderer
Stone: Mage Stone for early magic skill leveling
Stats Distribution: 4 - 1 - 0 The Graveknight requires a great deal of magicka to function, but health should not be neglected either. Though the build eventually ranges into a greater amount of melee, stamina can easily be restored with the Respite perk later in the build.
Shouts / Powers: None as yet (see suggested quests below)
Suggested mods: Higher magic vampire stones (acquire Sanguinare Vampiris in the prologue in Helgen castle before you descend into the Helgen dungeon) * Enhanced Skyrim Factions – Companions * Dawn of Whiterun * Expanded Cities and Towns * Cloaks of Skyrim
Perk Spread:
Quests/Roleplay
When we meet the Graveknight, he is a down-on-his-luck vampire drifting from city to city with no goals, doing odd jobs to gain the trust of others in order to feed and survive. Accompanied by his only friend, his ghostly familiar Kymbaly, he is a lost soul: hating himself for what he has become and what he has lost. He believes there is no cure for his condition as he has tried unsuccessfully many times, years ago, to end his vampiric torment.
Though a vampire, the Graveknight still retains one link to his past life: the worship of Arkay. Strange for a vampire to still worship a Divine who despises his kind, but it is the only thing that has kept him sane for 200 years. He is drawn to the city of Falkreath, where the spirit of Arkay is strong. Part of his devotion to Arkay includes never leaving the dead unprepared for their last rites and burial. Therefore he will never strip armor or clothing off of a human or elven body. Weapons, septims, jewelry, etc. are okay to remove as those are rarely buried anyway, but never armor or clothing. If Arkay has directed him to a body that possesses magical equipment (for example: the dead mage in the Helgen torture room) then the Graveknight must cover him with a cloak or wrap him in a non-magical tunic or robe to maintain the dignity of the dead. This does not apply to beasts such as trolls, nor other vampires who “turn to dust” when they die.
Suggested quests: The Companions (up to the end of Proving Honor; do not accept the Circle’s offer to join as a werewolf) * small quests in the Whiterun and Falkreath areas such as recovering Andurs’ Amulet of Arkay * clearing bandit camps or exploring ruins. Avoid progressing in the main quest for now, as he is not comfortable speaking with nobles and prefers to avoid them if possible.
Mod Notes: If you are a console user or otherwise do not use mods you will need to acquire Sanguinare Vampiris from another vampire instead of in the prologue with the Higher Magic Vampire Stones mod linked above. The suggested location is Shriekwind Bastion near Falkreath as it contains several vampires, but is not a difficult ruin to clear.
Also, if you are following my suggested quests and avoiding speaking with the Jarl you will need to find an alternate way to purchase spells such as ice spike that are not available in Whiterun without talking with Farengar. The mod Dawn of Whiterun has a spell merchant available in the city, which I used. Otherwise you may have to travel to another major city if you want the spells before part 2.
Equipment
The Graveknight has never learned to craft or enchant his own equipment so everything he owns must be scavenged from the dead or purchased from merchants. For the most part he tries to avoid merchants in the heavily trafficked cities such as Whiterun, though he will trade with them if necessary.
Weapons: Bolar’s Oathblade * Lunar Iron mace * Skyforge steel sword
Armor/Jewelry: Novice robe of destruction/restoration * novice hood * steel bracers and boots * steel shield * Amulet of Arkay * circlet/ring of destruction
That day changed my life. Before I met her, I was a wretched thing. I never stayed in one place longer than a few nights, making my way across Tamriel, a shadow in the night. I would do a few chores, chopping wood here, gathering crops there, to gain the trust of a farmer or woodcutter until I had a chance to catch them unaware and feed.
I tried to kill myself, but the curse of the Nines robbed me of that escape. I sought the help of mages to attempt to cure myself, but that was denied to me as well. I longed for release, and even began to pray to Arkay once more, that He at least might relent in His pronouncement. I fell into despair and neglect, barely feeding until I could no longer stand the hunger.
Years passed, then decades, then centuries. Nothing changed. I continued to pray to Arkay daily, but received no sign of His presence. My wandering continued. My misery increased.
Then I met HER and everything changed.
Part 2: The Trials of the Divines
Stone: Lord Stone for the boost in protection once you're comfortable with magical skill progression.
Stats Distribution: 3 - 2 - 0 As the Graveknight starts transitioning away from his previous philosophy, he will need more health, though magicka use is still predominant. Stamina continues to remain low and can be restored through the Respite perk.
Shouts / Powers: Become Ethereal * Frost Breath * Slow Time * Dismay * Agent of Dibella * Agent of Mara
Suggested mods: Arissa * Join Dawnguard as a vampire * Dawnguard radiant quests fix * Draco’s Hearthfire Homes upgrades * all other Dawn of… city mods (see Dawn of Whiterun link)
Perk Spread:
Quests/Roleplay:
The Graveknight’s life changes when he meets the wandering rogue Arissa in Falkreath. Though he is a 200+ year old vampire she strikes a chord within him that starts to dissolve his centuries-long malaise of regret and self-pity. He starts taking on quests for others that involve more than just chopping wood. She eventually encourages him to return to Whiterun to warn the Jarl about the dragon. When he receives the accolades from the Jarl for his services he begins to wonder what it would be like to be a famous knight in true service to the Divines again. As he was 200 years ago. Perhaps he could resurrect the Knights of the Nine once more and begin questing to find the lost Relics of the Crusader again.
It will be a difficult task to accomplish, for he must prove himself worthy once more in the eyes of all of the Divines. He must complete the trials given him by praying at the shrines of the Nine Divines. He must spread the word of the reborn Knights to the land and its rulers, and recruit aspiring Knights. He must rebuild a new Priory of the Nine, and perhaps other lesser Priories elsewhere in the land to house the recruits he gathers. And in the middle of all this he still must search for the Relics of the Crusader. Perhaps he will never find the Relics, but if completes his Trials of the Divines and reads up on as much lore of other lost relics and discovers them, then maybe, just maybe, the Divines will grant him the vision to find the Relics of the Crusader and grant him deliverance and absolution from the vampiric taint.
Arissa joins the Graveknight and becomes his semi-permanent companion at this point (barring times when the game forces a different companion on you such as Serana, or if you need to appoint a steward of the restored Priory of the Nine).
Note, for roleplaying sake you should try not to undertake any of the Trials (except the first portion of the main quest) without first praying at that Divine's shrine. If possible, try to stay with that Divine's blessing and wear the Divine's amulet for the entire length of the quest.
Trials of the Nine Divines
Akatosh: Kill Alduin in Sovngarde (complete the main questline)
Arkay: Stop the Wolf Queen Potema from reincarnating (complete the Wolf Queen Awakened quest)
Dibella: Return the Sybil to the temple of Dibella in Markarth (complete the Heart of Dibella quest)
Julianos: Fully master at least one of the magical disciplines (complete a master ritual) or end the threat of the Eye of Magnus (complete the College of Winterhold questline)
Kynareth: Restore the Gildergreen for the temple of Kynareth in Whiterun (complete the Blessings of Nature quest)
Mara: Spread the love of Mara throughout Skyrim (complete The Book of Love quest)
Stendarr: Bring justice to Harkon, the architect of the massacre of the Vigilants of Stendarr (complete the Dawnguard questline in favor of the Dawnguard)
Talos: End the Civil War in favor of the Stormcloaks so that worship of Talos can continue in Skyrim
Zenithar: Build a new Priory of the Nine (fully complete a Hearthfire house including all shrines in the basement) and recruit more knights (at the very least a housecarl, steward, bard and cart driver, but if you use mods you can add more people to guard your Priory).
Other suggested quests: In addition to the Trials of the Divines, the Graveknight will hear of a special artifact that may or may not be a Relic of the Crusader. He will travel to Solstheim to acquire the Bloodskal Blade (complete the Final Descent quest). Discouraged that the Bloodskal Blade is not a Relic he will return to Skyrim; at this point he will not face Miraak.
Quests to avoid: All Daedric quests that involve the Daedric lord requesting something from the Graveknight. He is a devotee of the Nine, not the Daedra. The Waking Nightmare quest is perfectly fine as it involves thwarting a Daedric Lord, as long as the Skull of Corruption is destroyed. Certain quests can be started, but not finished, such as The Taste of Death and The House of Horrors as they involve helping other people. Most of the other quests, including The Break of Dawn, should be avoided.
Mod notes: Arissa can be switched out with any follower you see fit if you do not play with mods. The Join Dawnguard as a Vampire mod is trickier to get around, but Ponty posted an excellent work-around in his build The Nightguard. His notes require you to remove your vampirism when Isran requires it, then allow Serana to infect you before the Soul Cairn, etc. I would view this in a roleplaying way as just a brief abeyance of the Graveknight’s vampirism. He cannot be truly cured until he has found the Relics of the Crusader (which doesn’t actually happen as part of this build).
Equipment
Before his fall the Graveknight preferred the use of a greatsword in order to strike fear into the hearts of his enemies, and as he attempts to become a Knight of the Nine once more he will slowly transition back into using his favored weapon. Over the course of 200 years though he has grown to prefer the freer movement of robes rather than a full suit of bulky armor.
Weapons: Skyforge steel greatsword * Bloodskal Blade
Armor/Jewelry: Adept robe of destruction/restoration or Archmage's Robes * Adept hood * enchanted orcish/ebony gauntlets and boots * Dawnguard Rune Shield or Shield of Solitude * Amulet of the Divine whose Trial you are currently undertaking * Circlet/Ring of destruction
Note: enchanted armor must be discovered or purchased from merchants. Preferably enchantments that increase his spellcasting capability or defenses (fortify block/heavy armor), but later on he will want enchantments that increase his physical damage as well
Part 3: The Knight of the Nine
Stone: Lord Stone and Lady Stone (with the Aetherial Crown)
Stats Distribution: 1 - 2 - 2 The Graveknight has now become much closer to the Knights of the Nine of olden times. His magic use during combat has tapered off somewhat and his use of melee weapons and power attacks has increased. He still uses his magic in combat, but tends to confine it more to ongoing powers such as frost cloaks, or setting up in advance with armor spells and runes.
Shouts: Dragonrend * Call of Valor
Suggested mods: None (well, I use over 100 mods so there are many more I like, but that’s just me and they don’t necessarily affect gameplay for this character).
Perk Spread:
Quests/Roleplay
By now the Graveknight of the Divines has completed several of the Trials and gained much prestige across the land. However his old, “blood and glory” nature has slowly begun to reassert itself. Will he strive to complete all nine trials and fight his old nature, or will the power and prestige go to his head and cause him to fall once more?
Suggested quests: Any Trials he has not yet completed * any quests involving the recovery of old artifacts such as Lost to the Ages and Forbidden Legend * Thane quests across all holds (to boost the prestige of the reborn Knights of the Nine);
Those who care for a dark turn of events could easily lead the Graveknight to abandon the Trials of the Divines before they are complete and descend once more into evil. Perhaps the fallen graveknight would decide to join the Dark Brotherhood and finally give in to the vampiric urges that he was never fully able to suppress.
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Equipment
The Graveknight’s heavier focus on melee has prompted a possible change in armor style as the Knight of the Nine might decide that he must quest as a knight in full armor (though with a hood or a full helmet to shroud his face). Or perhaps the Graveknight may just stick with his master level robes, especially if he is on the verge of another fall.
Weapons: Bloodskal Blade
Armor/Jewelry: Master robe of destruction/restoration or Archmage's Robes or ebony armor *Adept hood * enchanted ebony gauntlets and boots * Dawnguard Rune Shield or Shield of Solitude * Aetherial Crown * Gauldur Amulet * ring of destruction
Abilities
Touch of the Grave
Requirements: Frost Cloak spell * Become Ethereal shout
Description: Using his innate powers the Graveknight dissolves into a cloud of freezing mist that damages all enemies that he comes in contact with.
Reflexes of the Tomb-born Soul
Requirements: Quick Reflexes perk * Slow Time shout
Description: The Graveknight possesses preternatural reflexes. To the untrained eye he almost appears as if he is disappearing from one spot and reappearing in another.
Closing Notes
Hopefully the Vault populace will have as much fun with the Graveknight as I have had creating and playing him. I know this build was kind of lengthy, but I felt that to do justice to my roleplaying ideas for him it needed the three part structure.
Art Credit:
If you liked this build please check out my other build The Silver-Blood Spy and my blog The Graveknight's Oath.
I’ve long been a fan of conflicted characters in stories. The purely good or the purely evil character doesn’t interest me nearly as much as the character with a complicated past or secret pain that drives them to do what they do. The redemptive journey also stands out to me as a strong character arc. I wanted to create a character who finds synergy in many skills and roleplaying aspects that do not normally merge well.
The Graveknight of the Divines is a fallen knight who slowly regains the desire to atone for his mistakes, but finds it difficult to fully escape his vampiric heritage. He undertakes the Trials of the Divines to become worthy once more. But there is always that nagging doubt that he might not be fully invested in his quest. Will he succeed in restoring the Knights of the Nine? Or will he fall along the way, a lost soul forever damned?
Blog note: I've begun a long story blog for my own Graveknight, Gaspard Renelle. If you're interested in seeing how Gaspard deals with the Trials of the Divines, take a look at The Graveknight's Oath.
Mod note: I play on the PC and keep many mods active, including the unofficial patches, which means that most of the commonly seen exploits are unavailable to me. I’ve tried to make sure that there are workarounds for console players for various parts of this build that utilize mods.
Table of Contents
Graveknight Lore Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 ~~ Divided into three parts throughout the build, the Graveknight himself conveys to Arissa his past as a fallen Knight of the Nine. He finishes by chronicling in his journal the significance of meeting Arissa.
Basic Gameplay ~~ Which skills make the Graveknight such a terrifying force of Divine might? Learn how a Crusader can be a vampire, wear robes, cast magic and wield a greatsword; and how all of that makes the Graveknight a unique experience.
Part 1 – The Desperate Wanderer ~~ What makes a near-starving 200 year old vampire realize he must seek absolution? Which quests should he undertake that will lead him to make the decision to seek out the Nine once more?
Part 2 – The Trials of the Divines ~~ Where will the Graveknight be at level 30 as he quests in the name of the Divines? And just why doesn’t he look like a Knight of the Nine from Martin Septim’s time anyway?
An Overview of the Trials ~~ Learn what quests the Nine Divines require the Graveknight to undergo in order to prove himself worthy of their favor once more.
Part 3 – The Knight of the Nine ~~ Will the Graveknight succeed in his quest and find redemption at the hands of the Nine, or will he fall and remain forever a cursed vampire?
Abilities ~~ Learn about a few moves the Graveknight uses to destroy his enemies.
Closing Notes ~~ Links to all of the art used in this build.
"He betrayed the Divines."
"All of them.
"He was once a member of the Knights of Nine, awash in the reflected glory of the Hero of Kvatch when the Nine Divines granted that worthy their favor and allowed him to recover the lost Relics of the Crusader. That should have been enough for him, but as always happens in these tales it was not.
"A powerful vampire lord plagued the West Weald around Skingrad and the knight was determined to destroy it and show Tamriel the birth of another hero. The knight had good intentions, as they always do, and believed wholly in his own sanctity and ability to defeat the vampire. In his hubris he knew that, like the Hero of Kvatch, he was worthy to wield the Relics of the Crusader. One night as the rest of the Knights slept he stole into the Priory Undercroft in secret and appropriated the Relics for his own righteous quest.
"I'm sure you can see where this story is headed, can't you?" the man shifted in his seat to re-position himself before continuing.
"The Knight girded himself with the Relics and prepared to do battle with the vampire lord. ‘How could he fail?’ he thought to himself. Yet fail he did, utterly and convincingly. The Relics would not allow themselves to be used by the unworthy, for such was the Knight in all of his pride and arrogance. Bereft of any defenses the Knight quickly fell to the vampire, rising days later as one of the hated creatures. "The holy Relics of the Crusader were lost to the ages again, and the Knights of the Nine scattered to the winds, once more becoming a forgotten part of history.
"The Nine cursed the knight to wander the land as a wretched vampire. Legend tells that the Nine decreed that, for his betrayal and failure, he would never be able to become human again. He would live forever with the knowledge that it was his failure that lead to the loss of the Relics of the Crusader."
Basic Gameplay
When we first meet our Graveknight he is a simple wanderer, unconcerned with such things as the “greater good”, only with survival. He has lost much of his vaunted martial power and retains only his considerable skills with magic. Initially concerned with defense the Graveknight relies primarily upon his knowledge of misdirection combined with the icy-cold hands of the dead. If a foe manages to close with him in melee he will pull out his shield and keep all weapons at bay, while letting his companion finish the enemy, or waiting for his own opportunity to strike.
As he grows in power and completes the Trials of the Divines he begins to transform into a powerful knight once more. His focus slowly shifts toward melee offense and leading his followers into the fray, as a true Knight of the Nine should. Yet he never forsakes his magic as it is as much a part of him as his blood-thirst.
Race: Breton or Imperial best suit both the lore and the primary skills, but Nord, Redguard or even Orc would do fine.
Major Skills
Destruction:
Frost spells are the Graveknight’s primary form of direct damage offense at this stage. The Graveknight emanates the deathly cold of the risen dead from his body and is able to channel that deathly energy into spikes of ice. Early in his career the Graveknight does not use any fire spells, even against undead or Nords as fire worries him, but he will eventually realize that he must fight his fears if he is to truly become a great Knight once more. As the Graveknight’s power grows he will begin to focus more on the use of runic magic and projecting a barrier of frost around his body.
Block:
The Graveknight’s primary means of defense considering he wears robes and a hood instead of a full set of armor. Ideally all incoming attacks will be blocked and as the Graveknight will otherwise fall quickly to his enemies. With more experience comes the ability to truly see the battle around him and react with quicker reflexes. The Graveknight’s continued use of the shield starts to wane as he relearns the use of his favored weapon the greatsword, but in concert with that weapon he practices using the greatsword defensively as well as offensively.
Restoration:
Arkay is the god of life as well as death and the Graveknight has learned to channel the healing powers of Arkay into a form that will restore his undead body, and eventually that of others as well. The Graveknight’s disgust for his own kind eventually will lead him into mastery of the sun spells of the Dawnguard. Like the flame spells, he casts these reluctantly, and always with an eye to making sure that the sunlight does not actually touch him.
Illusion:
Representing the Graveknight's vampiric ability to move silently and strike the fear of the risen dead into the hearts of many, illusion is a mainstay for a Graveknight. The spells used are primarily muffle for moving quietly closer to any enemies, and a vampire-boosted fear spell when attacked by multiple enemies at once. However, the Graveknight will eventually learn the hard lesson that it takes more than himself for a quest to truly be successful. As a leader of Knights, he must inspire his followers with courage to bolster their flagging willpower whenever possible.
Minor Skills
Two-Handed:
A true Knight of Nine is a warrior first, and the Graveknight begins to practice more often with his weaponcraft the more he wanders the land. Though a smaller sword would likely be more practical and fitting as the Sword of the Crusader was a one-handed sword, the Graveknight always preferred to instill the terror of certain doom upon his opponents when they saw a gigantic greatsword swinging for their heads.
Heavy Armor:
Though he does not yet wear a full suit of armor, the Graveknight continually practices his defenses with the armor he does wear. A good heavy pair of steel boots and gauntlets, accompanied by a sturdy steel shield will go a long way in protecting the Graveknight in his early campaigning. Later on the Graveknight may choose whether to forgo robes for a full set of heavy armor. I would recommend training with Farkas early on to keep your skill up as you won't gain a whole lot of ranks while blocking/wearing robes.
Speech:
A Knight of the Nine must be a gifted orator as well as a terror for his enemies on the battlefield. The world must know of the Knight’s holy crusade to recover the Relics. Though speech no longer comes as naturally for the Graveknight as it did when he was mortal, he starts learning how to make small talk again.
Unperked skills:
The Graveknight is predominantly a no-crafting build. A Knight should be out questing on his horse, not constantly stooping to pick up a mountain flower or tear the wings off a butterfly. Alchemy is therefore not even a consideration.
Likewise the Knight usually disdains to spend much time crafting his own weapons or enchanting them, though when he is rebuilding the Priory of the Nine, Zenithar prefers he put in his own elbow grease. Smithing will rise slightly, as will enchanting as the Knight is not averse to disenchanting weak magical items or using the lesser souls of beasts to refill the magic of his weapons.
He is not afraid to sneak around to put himself in a better position to battle his enemies, and also uses it to feed when he must. Sneaking becomes less and less of a priority for the Knight as he gains power and prestige, however he is still a vampire and he must feed, even though he hates doing such. He prefers not to feed upon his followers if he can help it and therefore steels himself to go back to his old ways, if just for an instant, so he can avoid the hunger of his nature.
Alteration armor spells are very useful as the Graveknight wears robes and a hood, but the school will remain unperked. Note that in my own playthrough I did throw in a perk for steel smithing (or rather its modded equivalent) as I needed it to build an item that I couldn’t otherwise purchase.
"It's a good tale isn't it; Quite believable I would think?" The hooded man cocked his head to the side and lowered his coarse voice to barely a whisper, "It's all true of course."
The woman in red lounged carelessly in her seat across from him looking to all the world as if she hadn't a care in the world. The man knew better. Her piercingly bright eyes constantly darted around the taproom, measuring the other patrons anxiously for threats. A skeptical look crossed her face as he finished his tale, which the man caught before she was able to smooth her features back to impassivity.
"I see you don't believe me," the man continued.
"It's not that," she replied, her voice light and airy, "There are dozens of tales about betrayals and fallen knights in the lorebooks. The bards always declare them true tales, but they rarely are. I've learned not to take much of anything I hear at face value anymore." She fidgeted at that before quickly adding, "It's nothing personal of course."
"I...see. Well, I can't blame you of course, but I can prove it is true. If we are to travel together for the time being I need you to know the truth now. I don't want you to discover it when it's...inconvenient, for both of us." The man glanced warily around the rest of the taproom, but no one paid attention to the two seated in the darkest corner. All were lost in their drinks or their revelry. He turned back to her and with a quick shrug he lowered a portion of his hood to show her his face.
Her gasp of surprise was lost in the noise of the bard's song.
Part 1: The Desperate Wanderer
Stone: Mage Stone for early magic skill leveling
Stats Distribution: 4 - 1 - 0 The Graveknight requires a great deal of magicka to function, but health should not be neglected either. Though the build eventually ranges into a greater amount of melee, stamina can easily be restored with the Respite perk later in the build.
Shouts / Powers: None as yet (see suggested quests below)
Suggested mods: Higher magic vampire stones (acquire Sanguinare Vampiris in the prologue in Helgen castle before you descend into the Helgen dungeon) * Enhanced Skyrim Factions – Companions * Dawn of Whiterun * Expanded Cities and Towns * Cloaks of Skyrim
Perk Spread:
Quests/Roleplay
When we meet the Graveknight, he is a down-on-his-luck vampire drifting from city to city with no goals, doing odd jobs to gain the trust of others in order to feed and survive. Accompanied by his only friend, his ghostly familiar Kymbaly, he is a lost soul: hating himself for what he has become and what he has lost. He believes there is no cure for his condition as he has tried unsuccessfully many times, years ago, to end his vampiric torment.
Though a vampire, the Graveknight still retains one link to his past life: the worship of Arkay. Strange for a vampire to still worship a Divine who despises his kind, but it is the only thing that has kept him sane for 200 years. He is drawn to the city of Falkreath, where the spirit of Arkay is strong. Part of his devotion to Arkay includes never leaving the dead unprepared for their last rites and burial. Therefore he will never strip armor or clothing off of a human or elven body. Weapons, septims, jewelry, etc. are okay to remove as those are rarely buried anyway, but never armor or clothing. If Arkay has directed him to a body that possesses magical equipment (for example: the dead mage in the Helgen torture room) then the Graveknight must cover him with a cloak or wrap him in a non-magical tunic or robe to maintain the dignity of the dead. This does not apply to beasts such as trolls, nor other vampires who “turn to dust” when they die.
Suggested quests: The Companions (up to the end of Proving Honor; do not accept the Circle’s offer to join as a werewolf) * small quests in the Whiterun and Falkreath areas such as recovering Andurs’ Amulet of Arkay * clearing bandit camps or exploring ruins. Avoid progressing in the main quest for now, as he is not comfortable speaking with nobles and prefers to avoid them if possible.
Mod Notes: If you are a console user or otherwise do not use mods you will need to acquire Sanguinare Vampiris from another vampire instead of in the prologue with the Higher Magic Vampire Stones mod linked above. The suggested location is Shriekwind Bastion near Falkreath as it contains several vampires, but is not a difficult ruin to clear.
Also, if you are following my suggested quests and avoiding speaking with the Jarl you will need to find an alternate way to purchase spells such as ice spike that are not available in Whiterun without talking with Farengar. The mod Dawn of Whiterun has a spell merchant available in the city, which I used. Otherwise you may have to travel to another major city if you want the spells before part 2.
Equipment
The Graveknight has never learned to craft or enchant his own equipment so everything he owns must be scavenged from the dead or purchased from merchants. For the most part he tries to avoid merchants in the heavily trafficked cities such as Whiterun, though he will trade with them if necessary.
Weapons: Bolar’s Oathblade * Lunar Iron mace * Skyforge steel sword
Armor/Jewelry: Novice robe of destruction/restoration * novice hood * steel bracers and boots * steel shield * Amulet of Arkay * circlet/ring of destruction
That day changed my life. Before I met her, I was a wretched thing. I never stayed in one place longer than a few nights, making my way across Tamriel, a shadow in the night. I would do a few chores, chopping wood here, gathering crops there, to gain the trust of a farmer or woodcutter until I had a chance to catch them unaware and feed.
I tried to kill myself, but the curse of the Nines robbed me of that escape. I sought the help of mages to attempt to cure myself, but that was denied to me as well. I longed for release, and even began to pray to Arkay once more, that He at least might relent in His pronouncement. I fell into despair and neglect, barely feeding until I could no longer stand the hunger.
Years passed, then decades, then centuries. Nothing changed. I continued to pray to Arkay daily, but received no sign of His presence. My wandering continued. My misery increased.
Then I met HER and everything changed.
Part 2: The Trials of the Divines
Stone: Lord Stone for the boost in protection once you're comfortable with magical skill progression.
Stats Distribution: 3 - 2 - 0 As the Graveknight starts transitioning away from his previous philosophy, he will need more health, though magicka use is still predominant. Stamina continues to remain low and can be restored through the Respite perk.
Shouts / Powers: Become Ethereal * Frost Breath * Slow Time * Dismay * Agent of Dibella * Agent of Mara
Suggested mods: Arissa * Join Dawnguard as a vampire * Dawnguard radiant quests fix * Draco’s Hearthfire Homes upgrades * all other Dawn of… city mods (see Dawn of Whiterun link)
Perk Spread:
Quests/Roleplay:
The Graveknight’s life changes when he meets the wandering rogue Arissa in Falkreath. Though he is a 200+ year old vampire she strikes a chord within him that starts to dissolve his centuries-long malaise of regret and self-pity. He starts taking on quests for others that involve more than just chopping wood. She eventually encourages him to return to Whiterun to warn the Jarl about the dragon. When he receives the accolades from the Jarl for his services he begins to wonder what it would be like to be a famous knight in true service to the Divines again. As he was 200 years ago. Perhaps he could resurrect the Knights of the Nine once more and begin questing to find the lost Relics of the Crusader again.
It will be a difficult task to accomplish, for he must prove himself worthy once more in the eyes of all of the Divines. He must complete the trials given him by praying at the shrines of the Nine Divines. He must spread the word of the reborn Knights to the land and its rulers, and recruit aspiring Knights. He must rebuild a new Priory of the Nine, and perhaps other lesser Priories elsewhere in the land to house the recruits he gathers. And in the middle of all this he still must search for the Relics of the Crusader. Perhaps he will never find the Relics, but if completes his Trials of the Divines and reads up on as much lore of other lost relics and discovers them, then maybe, just maybe, the Divines will grant him the vision to find the Relics of the Crusader and grant him deliverance and absolution from the vampiric taint.
Arissa joins the Graveknight and becomes his semi-permanent companion at this point (barring times when the game forces a different companion on you such as Serana, or if you need to appoint a steward of the restored Priory of the Nine).
Note, for roleplaying sake you should try not to undertake any of the Trials (except the first portion of the main quest) without first praying at that Divine's shrine. If possible, try to stay with that Divine's blessing and wear the Divine's amulet for the entire length of the quest.
Trials of the Nine Divines
Akatosh: Kill Alduin in Sovngarde (complete the main questline)
Arkay: Stop the Wolf Queen Potema from reincarnating (complete the Wolf Queen Awakened quest)
Dibella: Return the Sybil to the temple of Dibella in Markarth (complete the Heart of Dibella quest)
Julianos: Fully master at least one of the magical disciplines (complete a master ritual) or end the threat of the Eye of Magnus (complete the College of Winterhold questline)
Kynareth: Restore the Gildergreen for the temple of Kynareth in Whiterun (complete the Blessings of Nature quest)
Mara: Spread the love of Mara throughout Skyrim (complete The Book of Love quest)
Stendarr: Bring justice to Harkon, the architect of the massacre of the Vigilants of Stendarr (complete the Dawnguard questline in favor of the Dawnguard)
Talos: End the Civil War in favor of the Stormcloaks so that worship of Talos can continue in Skyrim
Zenithar: Build a new Priory of the Nine (fully complete a Hearthfire house including all shrines in the basement) and recruit more knights (at the very least a housecarl, steward, bard and cart driver, but if you use mods you can add more people to guard your Priory).
Other suggested quests: In addition to the Trials of the Divines, the Graveknight will hear of a special artifact that may or may not be a Relic of the Crusader. He will travel to Solstheim to acquire the Bloodskal Blade (complete the Final Descent quest). Discouraged that the Bloodskal Blade is not a Relic he will return to Skyrim; at this point he will not face Miraak.
Quests to avoid: All Daedric quests that involve the Daedric lord requesting something from the Graveknight. He is a devotee of the Nine, not the Daedra. The Waking Nightmare quest is perfectly fine as it involves thwarting a Daedric Lord, as long as the Skull of Corruption is destroyed. Certain quests can be started, but not finished, such as The Taste of Death and The House of Horrors as they involve helping other people. Most of the other quests, including The Break of Dawn, should be avoided.
Mod notes: Arissa can be switched out with any follower you see fit if you do not play with mods. The Join Dawnguard as a Vampire mod is trickier to get around, but Ponty posted an excellent work-around in his build The Nightguard. His notes require you to remove your vampirism when Isran requires it, then allow Serana to infect you before the Soul Cairn, etc. I would view this in a roleplaying way as just a brief abeyance of the Graveknight’s vampirism. He cannot be truly cured until he has found the Relics of the Crusader (which doesn’t actually happen as part of this build).
Equipment
Before his fall the Graveknight preferred the use of a greatsword in order to strike fear into the hearts of his enemies, and as he attempts to become a Knight of the Nine once more he will slowly transition back into using his favored weapon. Over the course of 200 years though he has grown to prefer the freer movement of robes rather than a full suit of bulky armor.
Weapons: Skyforge steel greatsword * Bloodskal Blade
Armor/Jewelry: Adept robe of destruction/restoration or Archmage's Robes * Adept hood * enchanted orcish/ebony gauntlets and boots * Dawnguard Rune Shield or Shield of Solitude * Amulet of the Divine whose Trial you are currently undertaking * Circlet/Ring of destruction
Note: enchanted armor must be discovered or purchased from merchants. Preferably enchantments that increase his spellcasting capability or defenses (fortify block/heavy armor), but later on he will want enchantments that increase his physical damage as well
Part 3: The Knight of the Nine
Stone: Lord Stone and Lady Stone (with the Aetherial Crown)
Stats Distribution: 1 - 2 - 2 The Graveknight has now become much closer to the Knights of the Nine of olden times. His magic use during combat has tapered off somewhat and his use of melee weapons and power attacks has increased. He still uses his magic in combat, but tends to confine it more to ongoing powers such as frost cloaks, or setting up in advance with armor spells and runes.
Shouts: Dragonrend * Call of Valor
Suggested mods: None (well, I use over 100 mods so there are many more I like, but that’s just me and they don’t necessarily affect gameplay for this character).
Perk Spread:
Quests/Roleplay
By now the Graveknight of the Divines has completed several of the Trials and gained much prestige across the land. However his old, “blood and glory” nature has slowly begun to reassert itself. Will he strive to complete all nine trials and fight his old nature, or will the power and prestige go to his head and cause him to fall once more?
Suggested quests: Any Trials he has not yet completed * any quests involving the recovery of old artifacts such as Lost to the Ages and Forbidden Legend * Thane quests across all holds (to boost the prestige of the reborn Knights of the Nine);
Those who care for a dark turn of events could easily lead the Graveknight to abandon the Trials of the Divines before they are complete and descend once more into evil. Perhaps the fallen graveknight would decide to join the Dark Brotherhood and finally give in to the vampiric urges that he was never fully able to suppress.
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Equipment
The Graveknight’s heavier focus on melee has prompted a possible change in armor style as the Knight of the Nine might decide that he must quest as a knight in full armor (though with a hood or a full helmet to shroud his face). Or perhaps the Graveknight may just stick with his master level robes, especially if he is on the verge of another fall.
Weapons: Bloodskal Blade
Armor/Jewelry: Master robe of destruction/restoration or Archmage's Robes or ebony armor *Adept hood * enchanted ebony gauntlets and boots * Dawnguard Rune Shield or Shield of Solitude * Aetherial Crown * Gauldur Amulet * ring of destruction
Abilities
Touch of the Grave
Requirements: Frost Cloak spell * Become Ethereal shout
Description: Using his innate powers the Graveknight dissolves into a cloud of freezing mist that damages all enemies that he comes in contact with.
Reflexes of the Tomb-born Soul
Requirements: Quick Reflexes perk * Slow Time shout
Description: The Graveknight possesses preternatural reflexes. To the untrained eye he almost appears as if he is disappearing from one spot and reappearing in another.
Closing Notes
Hopefully the Vault populace will have as much fun with the Graveknight as I have had creating and playing him. I know this build was kind of lengthy, but I felt that to do justice to my roleplaying ideas for him it needed the three part structure.
Art Credit:
If you liked this build please check out my other build The Silver-Blood Spy and my blog The Graveknight's Oath.
that is what I am thinking of, this build is pretty cool.