As the dragons rise so to does the Mortal Blade (Joor Tuz). Born of the land, forged in the fires war, tempered by honor and honed to a razor sharp edge by the breath of dragons. The Mortal Blade is the spiritual embodiment of the dragon slayers of generations long past, the ancient and mighty wielders of Thu’um who came before. These men and women of legend have entrusted their voices to the one deep enough of spirit and strong enough of will to win the battle they could not. The Mortal Blade stands apart from the people of Skyrim as a bulwark against the rising and apocalyptic agents of corruption that threaten us all.
The Mortal Blade - Philosophy & Outlook "I am the lightening rod. I am the living, breathing snare to the abominations and dominators that would threaten the innocent. The corruptors that stalk Nirn can not help but answer my challenge and when they do I shall crush them with the legendary power of the ancestors. The breath of warriors!”
The Mortal Blade’s belief system is rooted in the ideals of justice, responsibility, self determination, decisive action and honor in combat. The only way to heal the illness that plagues the world is to cut out the corruption and this is not done with words but with steel.
The Mortal Blade embraces the gifts of the Dragonborn and believes them to have been bestowed by the great dragon slayers of ancient times. The Mortal Blade not only hunts the denizens of destruction but believes that he is anointed with powers that attract them as a moth to a flame. This core belief compels the Mortal Blade to live a mostly solitary life as a means of protecting others from the evil that revolves around him, constantly circling and probing for weakness. The Mortal Blade pauses only briefly in settlements and cities believing his presence will attract the agents of corruption that constantly pursue him.
Spirituality & The Mortal Blade The focal point of the Mortal Blade’s spirituality is not the divines but in honoring the memory of dragon slayers of ancient times. Ancestor Worship consists of honoring the legends of those that have come before and the Mortal Blade exercises this theology through daily meditation. Expressions of honor and gratitude for gifts of the voice and the tools of war tend to constitute the mantra of the Mortal Blade.Study of history, military theory, combat tactics and martial skill are hallmarks of the Mortal Blade’s discipline and a recitation of the names and deeds or great warriors are often included in daily meditations.
The meditations of the Mortal Blade usually take place at dawn as the blade kneels with his back to the rising sun. The symbolism of the sun rising behind theMortal Blade is significant and representative of the legions of ancient warriors of the voice marching at the back of the Joor Tuz to bring bloody battle to the corrupt.
The Mortal Blade’s view on the divines is one of distant respect. Viewing himself as a “Warrior of the People” the Mortal Blade rejects the concept of fighting for the glory of the gods and as such, will not pray to or accept the blessing of any god. The only exception to this rule is Talos who the Mortal Blade reveres for his warrior prowess and whom the Mortal Blade would always included in his daily affirmations.
Places of Power The Mortal Blade honors “Places of Power”. All word walls, High Hrothgaar and Sky Haven Temple are among the most honored places of power. The Mortal Blade views each word wall as a monument to a warrior of old and holds them in high regard. The acquisition of a new word is tantamount to a gift from an individual ancestor. There is no specific proof that these walls are in-fact akin to grave markers or crypts but the Mortal Blade will treat them as such. Word wall locations are considered to be desirable locations for meditation and even camping.
High Hrothgaar and Sky Haven Temple are also considered sacred locations and the Mortal Blade will not tolerate incursions by foes in these places and will react violently to being blocked or prohibited from entering them. If shunned by the Blades he will ignore Delphine and Esbern and will conduct his rituals in Sky Haven Temple despite their objections.
Shrines of Talos are also respected places to be visited and protected.
The Personal View - Vulnerability & Weakness A solitary life is a lonely and difficult path but the Mortal Blade’s iron will and unbending dedication to the cause of protecting the weak strengthens his resolve and hides the wounded soul that dwells beneath the stoic shell.
The Mortal Blade is a child of tragedy. A figure driven to succeed, spurred on by past failures, the Mortal Blade is a relentless and fearless warrior who finds meaning and purpose in the clarion call of war, but struggles in the quiet moments. The battle hides the pain, the fight occupies the mind and drives the Mortal Blade ever onward to the next confrontation.
"For as long as the fight continues the past is forgotten."
The Inter-Personal View - Solitary & Unfathomable The Mortal Blade is difficult for others to relate to and, as such, virtually impossible to “truly know”. Forming partnerships mostly from necessity, relationships with the Mortal Blade most often tend to look like alliances or business accords rather than friendships. The fears of such kinship resulting in tragedy are a constant companion compelling the Mortal Blade to keep most everyone at arms length.
It is not unheard of for the Mortal Blade to take up with or lead groups of like minded fighters or mercenaries but the Blade’s highly structured approach to life and spiritual habits often drive a wedge into even these relationships. Whoring, drinking and gambling are considered by the Mortal Blade to be deeply rooted spiritual flaws making it difficult for him to inhabit the same spaces as many soldiers. In addition, the tendency for the Mortal Blade to view everything and everyone as a tool to be wielded in the fight against corruption can make him appear unbending and uncaring. In this way, the Mortal Blade is often misunderstood with his dedication to cause being mistaken for callous disregard.
The Intra-Personal or Societal View - Untamed & Unpredictable The Mortal Blade is respectful to others but even so, holds in contempt those he views as corrupt or abusive. This attitude extends to everyone regardless of station or title. The Mortal Blade as been known to snub Jarls and nobles alike even flouting laws if they are found to impede the path to his goals. Everything is secondary to the mission and any law, decree or order that obstructs or runs counter to the mission of cutting out the disease of corruption is flawed. Political and military leaders found wanting run the risk of being “removed” making the Mortal Blade feared and reviled in equal parts. When he strides into the audience chamber, Jarls become uncomfortable understanding that the Blade is a force of nature and carries with him the admiration of the people.
Because of his deeply held convictions and attitude toward others, the Mortal Blade most often makes a poor "leader of men". Even so, the Mortal Blade has, on occasion, been integrated into larger forces on the battlefield. What the Blade lacks in leadership qualities he makes up for with the intrinsic ability to inspire. The Joor Tuz leads by example always charging at the head of the vanguard. He fights with the ferocity of a demon, the skill of a knight and inspires courage in others. At times these headlong charges into combat may seem foolhardy but the Mortal Blade knows well his capacity for slaughter and does not commit lightly to combat.
The unfortunate side effect of this combination of personal combat capacity and inspired action is that the he is often the only one left standing when the haze of battle lifts. The phenomenon has been called the “Krimaar” or “Blades Suicide” and has been known to cause trepidation among military leaders fearing the presence of the Joor Tuz with cause their troops to over-reach during battle taking on forces they are incapable of defeating. However, despite this reputation, fighting men and women embrace and revere the Mortal Blade and take heart or great fear at his presence depend upon which side of the battle he falls. The Mortal Blade has been known to turn entire battles simply by the effect his presence has on troop morale.
Circles of Character Conflict
Relationship with the Gray Beards The Mortal Blade respects and admires the Gray Beards open minded philosophy but finds their willingness to protect a creature guilty of war crimes objectionable. These objections do not rise to the level of causing him to execute Paarthinax but they make him mistrustful of their motives.
Relationship with the Blades The Mortal Blade respects the martial prowess of the Blades but finds their blanket judgements of the dragons as a whole objectionable. The Mortal Blade does not discard a tool in the war against corruption because of dogma. As such he disagrees with their assertion that Paarthinax must be killed.
In this conflict the Mortal Blade is an island unto himself. He neither agrees or disagrees completely with either faction and finds both to be flawed. The gray beards promote injustice through the sheltering of Paarthinax and the Blades promote injustice through the condemnation of all dragons without proof of their individual worth.
Dragons & The Mortal Blade The Mortal Blade has a somewhat complicated relationship with Dragons. A deeply felt admiration for the creatures is juxtaposed with an abhorrence for their history of domination and subjugation. The Mortal Blade’s philosophy in any situation is that “One’s actions speak to the disposition of one’s soul.” If a leader takes steps to knowingly enact policy that creates injustice then, by extension, that leader is unjust. While the implications of this belief have been sorely tested over the years, the Mortal Blade lives by the code, judging everyone around them through this lens.
The Mortal Blade applies the same standard to Dragons albeit in a bit more nuanced way. Despite the Mortal Blade’s heightened understanding of Dragons, the ancient creatures minds and culture are unfathomable to mortals. However, the Mortal Blade believes himself to be a point upon which the creatures intentions toward mortal kind may be balanced and judged. The Mortal Blade views himself as the ambassador of mortal kind to the Dovah. In times of war, attacking the emissaries of your foe declares your intent to sue for peace or make war. In this way, each dragon is judged individually and each initial attack the equivalent of a declaration of war. This doctrine has made first strikes on dragons very rare unless the beast has committed some previous atrocity making their intentions known.
The deep tie between the Mortal Blade’s powers of Thu’um and the dragons is a significant feature of the relationship. The power of the dragon soul imparts upon him the ability to acquire shouts from the warriors of old. As a result of this relationship the Mortal Blade places a high degree of spiritual significance on the act of killing a dragon making the ritual of fighting dragons the centerpiece of his existence and the thing he was “born to do”. This significance translates into a strict doctrine for dragon combat.
Each dragon is judged individually
The Mortal Blade never strikes first Dragons are only slain with a sanctified blade Dragons are faced in melee combat Dragons may be fought with a sanctified bow of specific design but may not be slain with it No poisons are used against enemies of any kind.
Application of poison to a sacred blade is a desecration of a holy instrument and poisons the honor of the warrior.
Sanctified Blades The Sanctified Blade is a weapon specifically designed for dragon combat. The weapon must be created by the Mortal Blade and all the materials for its construction must be mined or harvested through toil and may not be purchased. The blade is a two-handed or Great Sword with the reach required to pierce the hart of the great beasts. The created blade is sanctified through a ritual taking place before Alduin’s wall in Sky Haven temple in which the blade is presented before the wall followed by a day and night of meditation upon the blade. The ritual is concluded through christening with the Fire Breath shout and is then slipped into its sheath not to be draw again until facing a dragon. The finale step in the process is called “Blooding”. Blooding is achieve when the newly created blade tastes the power of dragon breath for the first time. With it’s first taste of dragon Thu’um the blade is dubbed “Sanctified” and suitable for slaying the mighty creatures.
The Doctrine of Battle In battle with dragons the Mortal Blade does not strike first. Waiting to strike is symbolic of the judging of a dragon’s intent. Upon attack, the judgement is cast and the declaration of war announced. The declaration of war is a shout of the Blade’s choosing and in addition to attack or defense is a declaration of the Mortal Blade’s intent to fight. When combat begins the Mortal Blade may fight with shouts, sword and shield, great sword or melee based ranged weapons such as the Bloodskal Blade. When the time comes to strike the mortal blow the dragon must be slain with the sanctified blade. Souls collected with an unsanctified blade may not be spent on shouts and are tracked with dragon bones
Ranged Weapons and the Mortal Blade The Mortal Blade has a number of options available for bringing down dragons. Shouts to weaken them and Dragon Rend are great as well as the Bloodskal Blade as a melee/ranged weapon alternative. Summoning other dragons to fight with you is also a nice way to bring them to ground and can enhance role play for the Mortal Blade.
When the Mortal Blade reaches high enough level to start finding dragon bone weapons in game, it is possible for the Blade to consider a Sanctified Dragon Bone bow. This mighty bow must be created following the same ritual used for the Sanctified Blade. In order to do this, the Mortal Blade must invest more into the Smithing perk tree to obtain Daedric and Dragon Bone armor perks. The bow may be used in combat with a dragon but may not be used to slay it. The addition of the bow at high level is designed to allow for some variety in bringing dragons to the ground so that the Mortal Blade is not forced to use Dragon Rend over and over.
Bow rules include:
Made from materials gathered in battle Crafted not found May be enchanted Arrows must also be crafted and sanctified Bow may not be used to kill the dragon Consider investing in archery as a late game objective to enhance role play
The Spoils of War When a dragon is killed with a sanctified weapon the Mortal Blade collects a single dragon scale to record the event. If the dragon is not killed with a sanctified blade a single bone is collected. Bones and scales are deposited in Sky Haven Temple and are used to record the kills of the Mortal Blade and pay homage to the beasts and warriors of old. The Mortal Blade must not shed bones and scales for any reason and in any location other than Sky Haven Temple.
Bones and scales are equivalent to holy relics and the Mortal Blade will drop food and gear in order to successfully deposit these items in Sky Haven Temple.
Race & Gender Any race will work for the Mortal Blade but I recommend Nords for the role play as they have more reason to be invested in the civil war and protection of their home province from the agents of corruption. Both Male and Female characters make great Mortal Blades!
Attribute Distribution I recommend distributing attribute points equally between Health and Stamina. I make very heavy use of charging power attacks with this character and this combination has worked well. The Mortal Blade strikes a critical balance between constitution and conditioning.
0/1/1
Major Skills One-handed Heavy Armor Blocking Smithing
Minor Skills Enchanting Alteration Restoration
High Level Specialty Two-handed Archery
Perk Spread - Level 50 One-handed - Armsman (5), Bladesman (3), Fighting Stance, Critical Charge, Savage Strike Heavy Armor - Juggernaut (5), Well Fitted, Tower of Strength Block - Shield Wall (5), Power Bash, Deadly Bash, Quick Reflexes, Deflect Arrows, Elemental Protection Smithing - Steel, Dwarven, Orcish, Ebony, Arcane Blacksmith * Additional investments in Smithing after level 50 will be required in order to craft the Dragon Bone Bow
Two-handed - Anything you can late game Archery - Anything you can get late game * Saving these investments for late game simulate the difficulty required to slay a beast as might as a dragon. Even at high level it takes strength and will to kill a downed dragon.
Standing Stone Lord Stone, Lady Stone or Steed Stone
Recommended Player Homes I recommend any of the player homes from Hearthfire DLC. They are remote, fun to build and perfect for the Joor Tuz. Homes located in the major cities are out of the question as they place the Mortal Blade in populated areas, endangering citizens.
Recommended Gear - Armor I generally recommend crafted gear for this character as it allows you to enchant for protection but if you find good pieces in game use them! This character is a tank and as such you need to be able to walk into those breath weapons. Resist magic and resist fire, frost and shock are all a necessity to make this build work properly.
Ebony Armor - I like ebony for this character but most heavy armors will working leading up to ebony. Armors like steel plate tend to look more fitting for this character than Orish or Dwarven for example. The Ebony armor set has a ritual look to it that seems very appropriate for the Mortal Blade. If you don’t care for the look of Ebony armor, Blades or the Companion’s wolf armor is also quite amazing!
Recommended Gear - Swords Once again, the focus on Smithing and Enchanting makes it possible to make anything you need but there are many weapons in game that will serve well. Since we are emphasizing the right side of the Smithing tree I recommend weapons that can be improved with those perks. Here are some recommendations.
Load-out ideas In playing the character I have put together a set of gear that I think works very well for taking on dragons! The armor emphasizes resist magic and protection from fire, frost and shock. The ring and necklace are focused on offensive enchantments to fortify one-handed. Remember that Magic Resistance maxes out at 85% and then elemental resistance is applied after that. Once you hit that 85% cap without gear you can convert any items previously enchanted for resist magic to other defensive enchantments.
Recommended Quests
The Civil War - The Mortal Blade is a war hero. I highly recommend completing the civil war quest first. This is a great prologue to the Mortal Blade’s Story and establishes him as a war veteran and hero prior to taking on the dragons. The conflict itself is filled with opportunities to explore the Mortal Blade’s philosophy and relationship to, and views of, injustice in Skyrim. Fighting to return the Shrine of Talos to its rightful place in the Temple of the Divines is also a great story. In my game play I took the side of the Storm Cloaks. It is the one and only time I have ever sided with the Storm Cloaks but this build really helped to frame that conflict in a way that made the choice make sense. I think that Joor Tuz could easily go the other way siding with the Imperials and could serve as a wonderful way to bring a non-Nord character into the role of Mortal Blade! Alduin Quest - Of course! Companions - This one is nice also. It’s a great way for the Mortal Blade to learn a late game skill such as Archery and Two-handed and the companions has a somewhat chaotic view of the world that, in some ways, can mesh with the Blade’s. There is also equal opportunity for conflict with many of the slovenly and questionable members of the group! Miraak - Heck yeah! Another Dragonborn? This quest offers a great exploration of the deeply held philosophy of the Mortal Blade and allows the play to fight directly for the those beliefs by opposing Miraak’s alternate point of view on dragons and how the power of the voice should be used. Dawnguard - What greater threat…what greater injustice could there be! Great quest for the Mortal Blade and the irony of the Mortal Blade locked in combat with the immortal vampires is poetic don’t you think? Mage College - You bet! Go there to train but I would not go as far as becoming the arch mage. Dark Brotherhood - Destroy them for coming after you. They are placing the mission of the Mortal Blade at risk and they must go! Thieves guild - No way! Losers who prey on the hard working people of Skyrim! Bring justice to them when you can!
Side Quests of Note
Agent of Mara - While the Mortal Blade is not a worshiper of Mara he is all about helping the people of Skyrim. This side quest is a great opportunity to do that and also acquire a bonus that will help with that magic resistance objective of 85%! Ancient Knowledge - Cool story and the quest awards a bonus to the rate at which you acquire smithing levels. The Break of Dawn - A great opportunity to root out some of the most vile corruption in Skyrim and obtain a great Sword in the bargain! I think there are some aspects of this story and Meridia’s desire to “claim" the Mortal Blade as her own that offer gripping role play opportunities. Sanuarach Mine in Karthwasten - This location offers an opportunity to save a remote community from a band of ruthless mercenaries, sounds pretty Mortal Blade to me!
Combat Tactics
The Mortal Blade is a melee fighter and this includes dragons. The Blade is a very intense person and looks into the eyes of his enemies as he takes their lives. Bows are out of the question and offensive ranged spells are also out of the question. In difficult situations mage armor spells can provide a nice boost to protection and perks in Restoration help to improve healing spells strength and ability to recover much needed stamina.
The Mortal Blade fighting style makes heavy use of power attacks and shouts in devastating combination!
Joor Asnir (Mortal Rush) - Unrelenting Force to stun your opponent followed by a charging power attack to deliver a devastating killing blow. Joor Sken (Mortal Chain) - Chaining together charging power attacks to destroy multiple opponents while remaining elusive. Joor Baag (Mortal Punch) - Ice Form shout on a mob followed by charging power attack on the boss effectively punching through the front-line defense. Joor Ahgraat (Mortal Vanguard) - Whirlwind Sprint toward opponent followed by an attack from the rear flank. Joor Wiil (Mortal Spiral) - Slow Time or Elemental Fury followed by a series of attacks circling the enemy delivering death from all sides. Joor Sah (Mortal Phantom) - Ethreal Form shout followed by a charging power attack negating ranged attacks.
Conclusion This is a build that I have enjoyed with and without mods. It forces you to think about many aspects of the warrior/priest and creates some very interestings and rewarding role play opportunities. This build has been play-testing very complete and was the subject of an experimental play-through in which I tested the build from all angles with the input of viewers. I hope you enjoy the Mortal Blade as much as I have!
-CW
As the dragons rise so to does the Mortal Blade (Joor Tuz). Born of the land, forged in the fires war, tempered by honor and honed to a razor sharp edge by the breath of dragons. The Mortal Blade is the spiritual embodiment of the dragon slayers of generations long past, the ancient and mighty wielders of Thu’um who came before. These men and women of legend have entrusted their voices to the one deep enough of spirit and strong enough of will to win the battle they could not. The Mortal Blade stands apart from the people of Skyrim as a bulwark against the rising and apocalyptic agents of corruption that threaten us all.
The Mortal Blade - Philosophy & Outlook "I am the lightening rod. I am the living, breathing snare to the abominations and dominators that would threaten the innocent. The corruptors that stalk Nirn can not help but answer my challenge and when they do I shall crush them with the legendary power of the ancestors. The breath of warriors!”
The Mortal Blade’s belief system is rooted in the ideals of justice, responsibility, self determination, decisive action and honor in combat. The only way to heal the illness that plagues the world is to cut out the corruption and this is not done with words but with steel.
The Mortal Blade embraces the gifts of the Dragonborn and believes them to have been bestowed by the great dragon slayers of ancient times. The Mortal Blade not only hunts the denizens of destruction but believes that he is anointed with powers that attract them as a moth to a flame. This core belief compels the Mortal Blade to live a mostly solitary life as a means of protecting others from the evil that revolves around him, constantly circling and probing for weakness. The Mortal Blade pauses only briefly in settlements and cities believing his presence will attract the agents of corruption that constantly pursue him.
Spirituality & The Mortal Blade The focal point of the Mortal Blade’s spirituality is not the divines but in honoring the memory of dragon slayers of ancient times. Ancestor Worship consists of honoring the legends of those that have come before and the Mortal Blade exercises this theology through daily meditation. Expressions of honor and gratitude for gifts of the voice and the tools of war tend to constitute the mantra of the Mortal Blade.Study of history, military theory, combat tactics and martial skill are hallmarks of the Mortal Blade’s discipline and a recitation of the names and deeds or great warriors are often included in daily meditations.
The meditations of the Mortal Blade usually take place at dawn as the blade kneels with his back to the rising sun. The symbolism of the sun rising behind theMortal Blade is significant and representative of the legions of ancient warriors of the voice marching at the back of the Joor Tuz to bring bloody battle to the corrupt.
The Mortal Blade’s view on the divines is one of distant respect. Viewing himself as a “Warrior of the People” the Mortal Blade rejects the concept of fighting for the glory of the gods and as such, will not pray to or accept the blessing of any god. The only exception to this rule is Talos who the Mortal Blade reveres for his warrior prowess and whom the Mortal Blade would always included in his daily affirmations.
Places of Power The Mortal Blade honors “Places of Power”. All word walls, High Hrothgaar and Sky Haven Temple are among the most honored places of power. The Mortal Blade views each word wall as a monument to a warrior of old and holds them in high regard. The acquisition of a new word is tantamount to a gift from an individual ancestor. There is no specific proof that these walls are in-fact akin to grave markers or crypts but the Mortal Blade will treat them as such. Word wall locations are considered to be desirable locations for meditation and even camping.
High Hrothgaar and Sky Haven Temple are also considered sacred locations and the Mortal Blade will not tolerate incursions by foes in these places and will react violently to being blocked or prohibited from entering them. If shunned by the Blades he will ignore Delphine and Esbern and will conduct his rituals in Sky Haven Temple despite their objections.
Shrines of Talos are also respected places to be visited and protected.
The Personal View - Vulnerability & Weakness A solitary life is a lonely and difficult path but the Mortal Blade’s iron will and unbending dedication to the cause of protecting the weak strengthens his resolve and hides the wounded soul that dwells beneath the stoic shell.
The Mortal Blade is a child of tragedy. A figure driven to succeed, spurred on by past failures, the Mortal Blade is a relentless and fearless warrior who finds meaning and purpose in the clarion call of war, but struggles in the quiet moments. The battle hides the pain, the fight occupies the mind and drives the Mortal Blade ever onward to the next confrontation.
"For as long as the fight continues the past is forgotten."
The Inter-Personal View - Solitary & Unfathomable The Mortal Blade is difficult for others to relate to and, as such, virtually impossible to “truly know”. Forming partnerships mostly from necessity, relationships with the Mortal Blade most often tend to look like alliances or business accords rather than friendships. The fears of such kinship resulting in tragedy are a constant companion compelling the Mortal Blade to keep most everyone at arms length.
It is not unheard of for the Mortal Blade to take up with or lead groups of like minded fighters or mercenaries but the Blade’s highly structured approach to life and spiritual habits often drive a wedge into even these relationships. Whoring, drinking and gambling are considered by the Mortal Blade to be deeply rooted spiritual flaws making it difficult for him to inhabit the same spaces as many soldiers. In addition, the tendency for the Mortal Blade to view everything and everyone as a tool to be wielded in the fight against corruption can make him appear unbending and uncaring. In this way, the Mortal Blade is often misunderstood with his dedication to cause being mistaken for callous disregard.
The Intra-Personal or Societal View - Untamed & Unpredictable The Mortal Blade is respectful to others but even so, holds in contempt those he views as corrupt or abusive. This attitude extends to everyone regardless of station or title. The Mortal Blade as been known to snub Jarls and nobles alike even flouting laws if they are found to impede the path to his goals. Everything is secondary to the mission and any law, decree or order that obstructs or runs counter to the mission of cutting out the disease of corruption is flawed. Political and military leaders found wanting run the risk of being “removed” making the Mortal Blade feared and reviled in equal parts. When he strides into the audience chamber, Jarls become uncomfortable understanding that the Blade is a force of nature and carries with him the admiration of the people.
Because of his deeply held convictions and attitude toward others, the Mortal Blade most often makes a poor "leader of men". Even so, the Mortal Blade has, on occasion, been integrated into larger forces on the battlefield. What the Blade lacks in leadership qualities he makes up for with the intrinsic ability to inspire. The Joor Tuz leads by example always charging at the head of the vanguard. He fights with the ferocity of a demon, the skill of a knight and inspires courage in others. At times these headlong charges into combat may seem foolhardy but the Mortal Blade knows well his capacity for slaughter and does not commit lightly to combat.
The unfortunate side effect of this combination of personal combat capacity and inspired action is that the he is often the only one left standing when the haze of battle lifts. The phenomenon has been called the “Krimaar” or “Blades Suicide” and has been known to cause trepidation among military leaders fearing the presence of the Joor Tuz with cause their troops to over-reach during battle taking on forces they are incapable of defeating. However, despite this reputation, fighting men and women embrace and revere the Mortal Blade and take heart or great fear at his presence depend upon which side of the battle he falls. The Mortal Blade has been known to turn entire battles simply by the effect his presence has on troop morale.
Circles of Character Conflict
Relationship with the Gray Beards The Mortal Blade respects and admires the Gray Beards open minded philosophy but finds their willingness to protect a creature guilty of war crimes objectionable. These objections do not rise to the level of causing him to execute Paarthinax but they make him mistrustful of their motives.
Relationship with the Blades The Mortal Blade respects the martial prowess of the Blades but finds their blanket judgements of the dragons as a whole objectionable. The Mortal Blade does not discard a tool in the war against corruption because of dogma. As such he disagrees with their assertion that Paarthinax must be killed.
In this conflict the Mortal Blade is an island unto himself. He neither agrees or disagrees completely with either faction and finds both to be flawed. The gray beards promote injustice through the sheltering of Paarthinax and the Blades promote injustice through the condemnation of all dragons without proof of their individual worth.
Dragons & The Mortal Blade The Mortal Blade has a somewhat complicated relationship with Dragons. A deeply felt admiration for the creatures is juxtaposed with an abhorrence for their history of domination and subjugation. The Mortal Blade’s philosophy in any situation is that “One’s actions speak to the disposition of one’s soul.” If a leader takes steps to knowingly enact policy that creates injustice then, by extension, that leader is unjust. While the implications of this belief have been sorely tested over the years, the Mortal Blade lives by the code, judging everyone around them through this lens.
The Mortal Blade applies the same standard to Dragons albeit in a bit more nuanced way. Despite the Mortal Blade’s heightened understanding of Dragons, the ancient creatures minds and culture are unfathomable to mortals. However, the Mortal Blade believes himself to be a point upon which the creatures intentions toward mortal kind may be balanced and judged. The Mortal Blade views himself as the ambassador of mortal kind to the Dovah. In times of war, attacking the emissaries of your foe declares your intent to sue for peace or make war. In this way, each dragon is judged individually and each initial attack the equivalent of a declaration of war. This doctrine has made first strikes on dragons very rare unless the beast has committed some previous atrocity making their intentions known.
The deep tie between the Mortal Blade’s powers of Thu’um and the dragons is a significant feature of the relationship. The power of the dragon soul imparts upon him the ability to acquire shouts from the warriors of old. As a result of this relationship the Mortal Blade places a high degree of spiritual significance on the act of killing a dragon making the ritual of fighting dragons the centerpiece of his existence and the thing he was “born to do”. This significance translates into a strict doctrine for dragon combat.
Each dragon is judged individually
The Mortal Blade never strikes first Dragons are only slain with a sanctified blade Dragons are faced in melee combat Dragons may be fought with a sanctified bow of specific design but may not be slain with it No poisons are used against enemies of any kind.
Application of poison to a sacred blade is a desecration of a holy instrument and poisons the honor of the warrior.
Sanctified Blades The Sanctified Blade is a weapon specifically designed for dragon combat. The weapon must be created by the Mortal Blade and all the materials for its construction must be mined or harvested through toil and may not be purchased. The blade is a two-handed or Great Sword with the reach required to pierce the hart of the great beasts. The created blade is sanctified through a ritual taking place before Alduin’s wall in Sky Haven temple in which the blade is presented before the wall followed by a day and night of meditation upon the blade. The ritual is concluded through christening with the Fire Breath shout and is then slipped into its sheath not to be draw again until facing a dragon. The finale step in the process is called “Blooding”. Blooding is achieve when the newly created blade tastes the power of dragon breath for the first time. With it’s first taste of dragon Thu’um the blade is dubbed “Sanctified” and suitable for slaying the mighty creatures.
The Doctrine of Battle In battle with dragons the Mortal Blade does not strike first. Waiting to strike is symbolic of the judging of a dragon’s intent. Upon attack, the judgement is cast and the declaration of war announced. The declaration of war is a shout of the Blade’s choosing and in addition to attack or defense is a declaration of the Mortal Blade’s intent to fight. When combat begins the Mortal Blade may fight with shouts, sword and shield, great sword or melee based ranged weapons such as the Bloodskal Blade. When the time comes to strike the mortal blow the dragon must be slain with the sanctified blade. Souls collected with an unsanctified blade may not be spent on shouts and are tracked with dragon bones
Ranged Weapons and the Mortal Blade The Mortal Blade has a number of options available for bringing down dragons. Shouts to weaken them and Dragon Rend are great as well as the Bloodskal Blade as a melee/ranged weapon alternative. Summoning other dragons to fight with you is also a nice way to bring them to ground and can enhance role play for the Mortal Blade.
When the Mortal Blade reaches high enough level to start finding dragon bone weapons in game, it is possible for the Blade to consider a Sanctified Dragon Bone bow. This mighty bow must be created following the same ritual used for the Sanctified Blade. In order to do this, the Mortal Blade must invest more into the Smithing perk tree to obtain Daedric and Dragon Bone armor perks. The bow may be used in combat with a dragon but may not be used to slay it. The addition of the bow at high level is designed to allow for some variety in bringing dragons to the ground so that the Mortal Blade is not forced to use Dragon Rend over and over.
Bow rules include:
Made from materials gathered in battle Crafted not found May be enchanted Arrows must also be crafted and sanctified Bow may not be used to kill the dragon Consider investing in archery as a late game objective to enhance role play
The Spoils of War When a dragon is killed with a sanctified weapon the Mortal Blade collects a single dragon scale to record the event. If the dragon is not killed with a sanctified blade a single bone is collected. Bones and scales are deposited in Sky Haven Temple and are used to record the kills of the Mortal Blade and pay homage to the beasts and warriors of old. The Mortal Blade must not shed bones and scales for any reason and in any location other than Sky Haven Temple.
Bones and scales are equivalent to holy relics and the Mortal Blade will drop food and gear in order to successfully deposit these items in Sky Haven Temple.
Race & Gender Any race will work for the Mortal Blade but I recommend Nords for the role play as they have more reason to be invested in the civil war and protection of their home province from the agents of corruption. Both Male and Female characters make great Mortal Blades!
Attribute Distribution I recommend distributing attribute points equally between Health and Stamina. I make very heavy use of charging power attacks with this character and this combination has worked well. The Mortal Blade strikes a critical balance between constitution and conditioning.
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Major Skills One-handed Heavy Armor Blocking Smithing
Minor Skills Enchanting Alteration Restoration
High Level Specialty Two-handed Archery
Perk Spread - Level 50 One-handed - Armsman (5), Bladesman (3), Fighting Stance, Critical Charge, Savage Strike Heavy Armor - Juggernaut (5), Well Fitted, Tower of Strength Block - Shield Wall (5), Power Bash, Deadly Bash, Quick Reflexes, Deflect Arrows, Elemental Protection Smithing - Steel, Dwarven, Orcish, Ebony, Arcane Blacksmith * Additional investments in Smithing after level 50 will be required in order to craft the Dragon Bone Bow
Two-handed - Anything you can late game Archery - Anything you can get late game * Saving these investments for late game simulate the difficulty required to slay a beast as might as a dragon. Even at high level it takes strength and will to kill a downed dragon.
Standing Stone Lord Stone, Lady Stone or Steed Stone
Recommended Player Homes I recommend any of the player homes from Hearthfire DLC. They are remote, fun to build and perfect for the Joor Tuz. Homes located in the major cities are out of the question as they place the Mortal Blade in populated areas, endangering citizens.
Recommended Gear - Armor I generally recommend crafted gear for this character as it allows you to enchant for protection but if you find good pieces in game use them! This character is a tank and as such you need to be able to walk into those breath weapons. Resist magic and resist fire, frost and shock are all a necessity to make this build work properly.
Ebony Armor - I like ebony for this character but most heavy armors will working leading up to ebony. Armors like steel plate tend to look more fitting for this character than Orish or Dwarven for example. The Ebony armor set has a ritual look to it that seems very appropriate for the Mortal Blade. If you don’t care for the look of Ebony armor, Blades or the Companion’s wolf armor is also quite amazing!
Recommended Gear - Swords Once again, the focus on Smithing and Enchanting makes it possible to make anything you need but there are many weapons in game that will serve well. Since we are emphasizing the right side of the Smithing tree I recommend weapons that can be improved with those perks. Here are some recommendations.
Load-out ideas In playing the character I have put together a set of gear that I think works very well for taking on dragons! The armor emphasizes resist magic and protection from fire, frost and shock. The ring and necklace are focused on offensive enchantments to fortify one-handed. Remember that Magic Resistance maxes out at 85% and then elemental resistance is applied after that. Once you hit that 85% cap without gear you can convert any items previously enchanted for resist magic to other defensive enchantments.
Recommended Quests
The Civil War - The Mortal Blade is a war hero. I highly recommend completing the civil war quest first. This is a great prologue to the Mortal Blade’s Story and establishes him as a war veteran and hero prior to taking on the dragons. The conflict itself is filled with opportunities to explore the Mortal Blade’s philosophy and relationship to, and views of, injustice in Skyrim. Fighting to return the Shrine of Talos to its rightful place in the Temple of the Divines is also a great story. In my game play I took the side of the Storm Cloaks. It is the one and only time I have ever sided with the Storm Cloaks but this build really helped to frame that conflict in a way that made the choice make sense. I think that Joor Tuz could easily go the other way siding with the Imperials and could serve as a wonderful way to bring a non-Nord character into the role of Mortal Blade! Alduin Quest - Of course! Companions - This one is nice also. It’s a great way for the Mortal Blade to learn a late game skill such as Archery and Two-handed and the companions has a somewhat chaotic view of the world that, in some ways, can mesh with the Blade’s. There is also equal opportunity for conflict with many of the slovenly and questionable members of the group! Miraak - Heck yeah! Another Dragonborn? This quest offers a great exploration of the deeply held philosophy of the Mortal Blade and allows the play to fight directly for the those beliefs by opposing Miraak’s alternate point of view on dragons and how the power of the voice should be used. Dawnguard - What greater threat…what greater injustice could there be! Great quest for the Mortal Blade and the irony of the Mortal Blade locked in combat with the immortal vampires is poetic don’t you think? Mage College - You bet! Go there to train but I would not go as far as becoming the arch mage. Dark Brotherhood - Destroy them for coming after you. They are placing the mission of the Mortal Blade at risk and they must go! Thieves guild - No way! Losers who prey on the hard working people of Skyrim! Bring justice to them when you can!
Side Quests of Note
Agent of Mara - While the Mortal Blade is not a worshiper of Mara he is all about helping the people of Skyrim. This side quest is a great opportunity to do that and also acquire a bonus that will help with that magic resistance objective of 85%! Ancient Knowledge - Cool story and the quest awards a bonus to the rate at which you acquire smithing levels. The Break of Dawn - A great opportunity to root out some of the most vile corruption in Skyrim and obtain a great Sword in the bargain! I think there are some aspects of this story and Meridia’s desire to “claim" the Mortal Blade as her own that offer gripping role play opportunities. Sanuarach Mine in Karthwasten - This location offers an opportunity to save a remote community from a band of ruthless mercenaries, sounds pretty Mortal Blade to me!
Combat Tactics
The Mortal Blade is a melee fighter and this includes dragons. The Blade is a very intense person and looks into the eyes of his enemies as he takes their lives. Bows are out of the question and offensive ranged spells are also out of the question. In difficult situations mage armor spells can provide a nice boost to protection and perks in Restoration help to improve healing spells strength and ability to recover much needed stamina.
The Mortal Blade fighting style makes heavy use of power attacks and shouts in devastating combination!
Joor Asnir (Mortal Rush) - Unrelenting Force to stun your opponent followed by a charging power attack to deliver a devastating killing blow. Joor Sken (Mortal Chain) - Chaining together charging power attacks to destroy multiple opponents while remaining elusive. Joor Baag (Mortal Punch) - Ice Form shout on a mob followed by charging power attack on the boss effectively punching through the front-line defense. Joor Ahgraat (Mortal Vanguard) - Whirlwind Sprint toward opponent followed by an attack from the rear flank. Joor Wiil (Mortal Spiral) - Slow Time or Elemental Fury followed by a series of attacks circling the enemy delivering death from all sides. Joor Sah (Mortal Phantom) - Ethreal Form shout followed by a charging power attack negating ranged attacks.
Conclusion This is a build that I have enjoyed with and without mods. It forces you to think about many aspects of the warrior/priest and creates some very interestings and rewarding role play opportunities. This build has been play-testing very complete and was the subject of an experimental play-through in which I tested the build from all angles with the input of viewers. I hope you enjoy the Mortal Blade as much as I have!
Maybe describe why the skills are important to the build? A list doesn't exactly tell us how they work together.
Also,
As the dragons rise so to does the Mortal Blade (Joor Tuz). Born of the land, forged in the fires war, tempered by honor and honed to a razor sharp edge by the breath of dragons.
is a classic misuse of "To" and "Too".
Maybe describe why the skills are important to the build? A list doesn't exactly tell us how they work together.
Also,
As the dragons rise so to does the Mortal Blade (Joor Tuz). Born of the land, forged in the fires war, tempered by honor and honed to a razor sharp edge by the breath of dragons.
I believe I have explained everything I need to in detail. The combat section at the bottom of the document talks about the relationship of some of these items but I think if you read this build and think about it you will see how it all works.
I believe I have explained everything I need to in detail. The combat section at the bottom of the document talks about the relationship of some of these items but I think if you read this build and think about it you will see how it all works.
Looks great. I like how you put those small pictures next to each other. It´s something I started doing with skill icons, but I was worried about doing that with pictures that have different backgrounds and such, but those you used match perfectly.
Good job.
Looks great. I like how you put those small pictures next to each other. It´s something I started doing with skill icons, but I was worried about doing that with pictures that have different backgrounds and such, but those you used match perfectly.
Damn, I watched many hours of let's plays for this build and so am really glad it's posted and presented so well. I am going to have to digest it in chunks, it's Alduin in size. I love the detail in all areas and how you've included The Circles of Character Conflict. This is not just a build but a character and a story. Well played CW!
Damn, I watched many hours of let's plays for this build and so am really glad it's posted and presented so well. I am going to have to digest it in chunks, it's Alduin in size. I love the detail in all areas and how you've included The Circles of Character Conflict. This is not just a build but a character and a story. Well played CW!
Also I think you fixed some of the spacing? Am I right? I like this much better. New site's a bit tricky, so much more space than the little MacIntosh box we got at Ning (boy did I just tell everybody my age there).
Looking great and I enjoyed the Circles of Character Conflict. Nice to see a heavy roleplay build.
Also I think you fixed some of the spacing? Am I right? I like this much better. New site's a bit tricky, so much more space than the little MacIntosh box we got at Ning (boy did I just tell everybody my age there).
Looking great and I enjoyed the Circles of Character Conflict. Nice to see a heavy roleplay build.
Yes, I took a lot of trial and error to get the formating to work. I could not get ordered lists to work or text to wrap correctly around my images so I had to make some changes and re-render some pictures to get it all working. I was quite painful but I expect that this will improve over time.
Yes, I took a lot of trial and error to get the formating to work. I could not get ordered lists to work or text to wrap correctly around my images so I had to make some changes and re-render some pictures to get it all working. I was quite painful but I expect that this will improve over time.
