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Character Build: Battlelord of Ebonarm

Tags: #Character Build Spellsword  #Character Build Crusader  #Battlemage  #Character Build Elementalist  #Rank:Legendary  #Hall of Fame Build  #character  #Build  #battlelord  #ebonarm  #More…redguard. 
  • Tim
    Member
    August 4, 2012

    The Battlelord of Ebonarm

     

    . . . . The ground shakes. The great armies continue to wage their unrelenting battle. The battlefield is red, the rivers flow crimson, the sky reflects a deep pink. In the distance lightning flashes, and thunder sounds. Two huge ravens begin circling the field; their blackness is vibrant against the various shades of red in this vista of death and suffering. The bright lashes of light and rumbling begin to increase. The redness surrounding the battlefield begins giving way to a golden glow from the east, almost like a summer's setting sun. From the false sunset a massive golden stallion and single rider approach. All become suddenly still on the field of battle as both sides recognize Reymon Ebonarm, God of War, and the companion and protector of all warriors, also known as the Black Knight and his mighty steed War Master.

    . . . . He rides into the middle of the blood soaked field and dismounts. He is a very imposing figure. His very tall and heavily muscled body is encased in ebony armor. His ebony helmet does not hide the flowing reddish blonde hair and beard which appear almost as shimmering gold, nor does it shield the steel blue eyes that seem to pierce all they fall upon. In his left hand he carries a massive ebony tower shield on which is emblazoned a fiery red rose. As he raises his right arm, all see an arm and a magnificent ebony blade which are extensions of each other. The fused arm and sword are a result and symbol of the wounds suffered by this god during titanic battles in the youth of this world.

    . . . . The ravens come to rest on his shoulders. And, as the point of the ebony blade seemingly touches the sky, lightning flashes, thunder roars. Then total quiet descends and a shudder rolls through both armies.

    . . . . The leaders of both armies approach Reymon Ebonarm and kneel. In turn they tell their reasons for this war. Each asks for the favor of the Black Knight for their cause. Reymon Ebonarm listens, but there is no acknowledgment that he has chosen to favor one side or the other in this fight. However, each of the leaders has heard the other state his position. And, each now knows that this war is baseless. They embrace and turn to their armies. They instruct their forces to bury their dead, tend their wounded and return to their homes.

    . . . . Reymon Ebonarm mounts his great golden stallion, War Master, and again raises the ebony blade skyward and extends the huge rose emblazoned ebony shield to both armies. A massive chorus of cheers rises from the armies. The ravens again take to the air. Lightning and thunder follow him as he rides into the sunset followed by the two birds.

    . . . . The armies do as they have been bidden. They care for their wounded and bury their dead. As they retreat towards their homes each warrior is sure that the great God Reymon Ebonarm, the Black Knight, has responded to their individual prayers for intervention. Each side has won, neither has lost.

    . . . . As the armies depart the field, the rivers begin to run clear, and a single red rose begins to bloom near the grave of a fallen hero.

    So that was taken straight from one of the books in Daggerfall, I know it was kinda long but I think it sets the mood nicely. This is a lore heavy build, the mechanics are pretty much just another battlemage/paladin, but I had a lot of fun with the flavor. I know it's wordy, but you can skip past any sections that bore you. This is my first build, hopefully you guys like it!

    Flavor: The Battlelords are sworn to the service of Reymon Ebonarm, God of War, also known as The Black Knight. Whenever a population needs thinning, the Battlelords arrive. Balance must be maintained to preserve order. Ebonarm is the anvil on which the unworthy are crushed, and the Battlelords are his hammer. The patron of wars demands a worthy reason for fighting and despises senseless violence. That said, mercy is not something you will find in him.

    Highly specialized and well-trained within their mosques in the scorching Alik’r Desert, the Battlelords are one man armies. Followers of the Black Knight believe that a warrior should wander the land, searching for opportunities to prove their worth. While their numbers are limited, each member is fiercely devoted and highly resourceful, operating solo, tapping into whatever guilds and resources they can find. Of course, regardless of any guild affiliations that they may pick up, their true allegiance always lies with their patron god. Any follower of Stendarr or Daedra worshiper (except followers of Sheogorath) should be distrusted if not killed outright, for these are the enemies of Ebonarm. Stendarr's path of mercy is too idealistic, death for some can mean life for others. We study warfare to better decide who is worthy of life and who is not.

    Strangely enough, the goddess Mara is an ally, lending her healing blessings to the Battlelords. Even Lady Mara understands that there is not always a peaceful solution and understands that unworthy causes need to be stopped by warriors of conviction. In addition to healing magicks, Ebonarm grants his followers control over electricity, sometimes even allowing them to conjure entire thunderstorms. He also grants them magical protection to supplement their ebony plate armor. Let any headstrong warlord who thinks he can fight his way to the throne beware, for Reymon Ebonarm is watching. Should he prove unworthy to maintain the balance of power, only destruction awaits him.

    The Build

    Race: Redguard primarily, though any warrior who travels to the Alik'r could also join

    Standing Stone: Start with Warrior or Mage, later on move to the Lord or Steed

    Stats: I raised all 3 evenly, but depending on how you play, feel free to tweak it

    Skills: One-handed, Destruction, Alteration, Restoration, Enchanting, Smithing, Heavy Armor

     

    **Obviously you can play it a little differently, as long as you include lightning, swords and heavy armor. If it suits your playstyle, go with block or two-handed for a more martial character or illusion for a more magical character. What I wrote here is just the build that I felt was most effective. Just remember to stay focused in whatever skills you choose and stay within the lore.


    Gear: Heavy Armor until you hit 80 Smithing, then use Ebony Armor (enchant however works best for you), Scimitar/Ebony Longsword, Adept hood (Ebony helmet can also work, but I liked the look of a hooded battlemage)

    Shouts: Storm Call, Become Ethereal, Elemental Fury, Slow Time

    Special Moves 

    Bladestorm- (Novice) The Battlelord flies into a rage, drawing endless stamina and speed from the Black Knight

    Requires: Elemental Fury + Adrenaline Rush (Redguard only, optional) + Stoneflesh + Dual Swords

    Avatar of Ebonarm- (Adept) The Battlelord becomes an aspect of Ebonarm, taking on godlike immortality. For a brief moment, he becomes a being of pure electricity, lightning bolts crackle around him and lash out at any who approach

    Requires: Lightning Cloak Spell + Become Ethereal Spell

    Lightning Reflexes- (Expert) The Battlelord moves with supernatural speed, giving him time to unleash a cascade of lightning, becoming a conduit for the power of Ebonarm

    Requires: Slow Time + Chain Lightning Spell/Thunderbolt Spell

    Wrath of Ebonarm- (Master) Ebonarm uses his follower as an anchor for a tremendous storm, destroying all life in the area. Anyone nearby will be lucky to not end up vaporized.

    Requires: Storm Call Shout + Lightning Storm Spell

    Sample Backstory: Azani the Battlelord

    My name is Azani and I have been dispatched to Skyrim to help put an end to this rebel uprising, the Black Knight commands it. Anyone with a passing understanding of the delicate political situation knows that weakening the Empire is a foolish strategy. The Aldmeri Dominion threatens to destroy the balance that Lord Ebonarm and his allies fight so hard to maintain. Failure to maintain this balance would cause a war amongst the gods, wreaking unspeakable destruction, not only on Nirn, but throughout all Mundus! Direct intervention should always be a last resort, but this petty war in Skyrim has gone on far too long, and used up valuable resources on both sides.

    Ah, but what fickle thing luck is... just as I was entering this frigid land, who should I spot but Ulfric Stormcloak himself, the leader of the rebels! I seized the opportunity to end this uprising and moved to strike him dead where he stood. I was only a few steps away when I suddenly found myself surrounded by a vast horde of Legion soldiers. I am a mighty warrior, but not a fool; there was no way I could take them all on. I was stripped of my treasured ebony arms and armor, given rags in their stead. There I was, riding in a wagon, right next to the man I needed to kill, about to lose my own head for his crimes. But of course, my luck shifted again rapidly, allowing me to keep my head, but creating just as many problems as solutions... dragons have returned to Tamriel!

    I realize now that I must fix this rebellion on the battlefield, as a true follower of Ebonarm should. I was foolish for thinking otherwise. As penance, I must wield lesser weapons and armor until I am once again worthy to don the ebony plate. In the meantime, this is an excellent opportunity to learn new styles of forging from the master craftsmen of Skyrim that I've heard so much about.

     

    If you liked this, check out my other builds

    The Nord Warmage

    The Daedra Seducer

    The Knight

     

    TL;DR: Be a badass black knight with lightning magic who worships the god of war. My first build, let me know if you have suggestions/criticisms!

  • Member
    August 4, 2012
    You need to go in depth about what perks to get in each tree. Beatiful build though, +1 from me!
  • Tim
    Member
    August 4, 2012

    Thanks! I thought the picture of the perk spread combined with the lore explained it well enough, but I suppose I could go into it a little more

  • Member
    August 4, 2012
    Oh I'm sorry, I didn't notice the photo.
  • Member
    August 5, 2012

    Pretty badass intro there bro! Definitely set the mood for the rest of the build! Really like the lore aspect of it, even if i never played Morrowind. Its a shame the Black Knight is against all Daedra, the Ebony Mail would be perfect for this build. +1, i see this getting a lot of attention in the future

  • Tim
    Member
    August 5, 2012

    Thanks! One aspect that I actually really enjoyed about this build was the very real conflict to break roleplay and use a daedric artifact, and that actually made me relate to the character even more because it mirrors the same internal conflict he has about powerful daedric artifacts. Might be a fun idea to become a fallen Battlelord and turn evil partway through, maybe start using the Ebony Blade or something

  • October 6, 2012

    What might you suggest for distribution of health stamina and magicka?

  • Member
    October 6, 2012

    Very Nice! +1!

    May I just ask how you can add music to a build? I am pretty dumb when it comes to these things 

  • Member
    October 7, 2012

    Very nice, one question though why all daedra except sheogorath?

  • Tim
    Member
    October 9, 2012

    I just levelled them all pretty evenly, I didn't really bother to specify because everyone has a slightly different style. So basically, if you prefer magic, just add more magicka, if you prefer combat, beef up your stamina and health, but if you're like me and can't decide, just do one of each every 3 levels