The Left-Handed Elf
“The Left-Handed Elves were a race of elves from Yokuda, closely related to the Aldmer, the ancestors to all elven races. It was the Left-Handed Elves who were responsible for building the Orichalc Tower, one of The Towers responsible for supporting Mundus’ reality, and crafted out of orichalcum. They were the enemies of the Yokudans, who were the race of man from Yokuda. During the Mythic Era, the ancient Yokudans declared war on the Elves. Diagna, a Yokudan divine of worship, brought orichalcum weapons to the Yokudan. They fought fire with fire. The Yokudans managed to defeat the Elves through a grueling war. Since their defeat in the war and the subsequent vanishing of Yokuda, they are thought to be extinct."
"However, there was few who escaped. You are one of them. Awaking in the Sea of Ghosts, on the shores of Skyrim, you head into the vast lands to continue living and never forget. Never forget the tragedies inflicted upon your race. Never surrender.”
~~~
Race: Altmer.
Simply because the Left-Handed Elves were close descendants to the ancient Aldmer. The only other close descendants to the Aldmer were the Altmer (High Elves), so we can assume they look alike. Plus, the extra magicka and Highborn racial abilities are very useful to us.
Stone: Lady.
I recommend you chose the Mage or Warrior early on, but switch to the Lady at the first chance you get. The Lord’s magic defense and the Atronach’s magic absorption aren’t really needed with your wards, and the Lady allows for more power attacks and health regenration. Ultimately, you can pick between the Lady, Lord, or Atronach depending on your tastes.
Stat Ratio: 2/2/1
Magicka is needed so you can proficiently cast wards among other spells, and stamina is not needed much as compared to the other stats.
Major Skills:
One Handed: Should be obvious why this skill was chosen. We can wield one-handed weapons in our left hand, and have a fist or spell in our right. Make sure you always equip your sword (or whatever you chose) in your left hand for roleplaying purposes.
Heavy Armor: Also chosen because with a sword in our left, we have a fist in our right. Fists of Steel is a key perk, as is Conditioning. Since the Left-Handed Elves were such talented in using orichalcum, choosing to wear Orcish armor, or at least Orcish gauntlets, does good for roleplay.
Restoration: Not taken for healing nor Turn Undead spells, we use Restoration for the Ward spells, which serve as shields we can equip in our right hand. Other than wards, and the occasional fast Healing cast, we don’t need anything else from here.
Smithing: More for roleplaying than anything else, Left-Handed Elves were very good at smithing with Orichalcum. This means Orcish Smithing is a key perk. It also makes for a great source of income, mining orichalcum ore and forging armor and weapons out of it to sell.
Minor Skills:
Conjuration: This school of magic is considered deceitful by the Redguards, and thus it becomes a great skill to have for roleplaying purposes. Even looking past roleplaying, Conjuration is incredibly useful for conjuring Atronachs to do your bidding. Stay away from Necromancy, you must respect the dead, including the dead of your own race.
Illusion: Another school of magic considered to be deceitful and wrong to the Redguards, we use this skill mostly for the Fear spells, which keep enemies off you, and the Frenzy spells. But this skill is not used as often as your other magic skills, even less used than your fist.
Enchanting: Difficult to avoid on a character who utilizes unarmed combat, this skill helps boost your fist’s damage and reduce the hefty cost of wards. Note we will not be taking Extra Effect, you don’t need it, but you can take it if you want.
Useful Shouts: Marked for Death, Aura Whisper, Whirlwind Sprint, Slow Time
Important Quests:
The College of Winterhold: With the amount of magic skills you have, it would be a good idea to do this questline for the spell vendors and radiant quests you can have access to after the questline is finished.
The Forgemaster’s Fingers: Being accepted by the Orc strongholds is a great perk. The Orcs and Left-handed Elves have a lot in common. They both fight Redguards, are skilled orichalcum craftsmen, and plain just don’t fit in. And the access to Orichalcum mines in many of the strongholds is a great bonus as well.
The Main Quest: You are one of the last survivors of your race, which is thought to be extinct. Who would’ve thought that a Left-Handed Elf would be the Dragonborn? The next question is, will you embrace your power and defeat Alduin, or use the Thu’um for your own gain?
In My Time of Need: This quest is a great opportunity to slaughter some Redguards, but that’s the only reward worth noting. Depending on how often you travel, you might not want to do this quest as completing it stops the Alik’r world encounter to stop occurring.
Perks: Level 10 - Level 25 - Level 45
Endgame Equipment
First Enchantment is the one you use, enchantments in parentheses are in case you decided to take the Extra Effect perk. You should have an orichalcum weapon and orichalcum gauntlets, with the rest of whichever heavy armor set you want, though you should stop at Ebony or Steel Plate, and helmets can be exchanged for circlets.
Orcish Sword/Mace/War Axe: Absorb Magicka, (Soul Trap)
Orcish Gauntlets: Fortify Unarmed, (Fortify Heavy Armor)
Cuirass: Fortify Restoration, (Fortify Health)
Boots: Resist Fire/Frost/Shock, (Resist Fire/Frost/Shock)
Circlet/Helmet: Fortify Restoration, (Fortify Conjuration)
Necklace: Fortify Health, (Fortify One Handed)
Ring: Fortify Unarmed, (Fortify Magicka Regen) or use The Ring of the Beast
Gameplay
For melee skirmishes, equip your sword in your left, and use a fist in your right. The drawing animation is much quicker, and you are essentially dual wielding. Your fist can be used for a quick, but weak strike, while the blade is used for slower, but stronger attacks. Don’t try to do dual power attacks, instead use single attacks with whichever weapon you need.
When facing mages, draugr, or dragons, you should switch your empty hand for a ward spell. Use the ward for a shield, it adds to your physical defense too. Even if the ward breaks, you receive only stagger, no damage, but great stagger. It is advised you meditate on Fus with Paarthurnax, and take the Tower of Strength perk, to offset this stagger, though stagger resistance only affects the duration of the stagger.
If you find yourself overwhelmed, summon daedra to fight for you while you fall back to heal. Cast your illusion spells from the back lines and control the battlefield. When you are strong, and your enemies weak, equip your sword and head back in to finish them off.
~~~
Note: I have pondered about the fate of this build, but for now, it stays. Note that I myself have not even played this build.
The Left-Handed Elf
“The Left-Handed Elves were a race of elves from Yokuda, closely related to the Aldmer, the ancestors to all elven races. It was the Left-Handed Elves who were responsible for building the Orichalc Tower, one of The Towers responsible for supporting Mundus’ reality, and crafted out of orichalcum. They were the enemies of the Yokudans, who were the race of man from Yokuda. During the Mythic Era, the ancient Yokudans declared war on the Elves. Diagna, a Yokudan divine of worship, brought orichalcum weapons to the Yokudan. They fought fire with fire. The Yokudans managed to defeat the Elves through a grueling war. Since their defeat in the war and the subsequent vanishing of Yokuda, they are thought to be extinct."
"However, there was few who escaped. You are one of them. Awaking in the Sea of Ghosts, on the shores of Skyrim, you head into the vast lands to continue living and never forget. Never forget the tragedies inflicted upon your race. Never surrender.”
~~~
Race: Altmer.
Simply because the Left-Handed Elves were close descendants to the ancient Aldmer. The only other close descendants to the Aldmer were the Altmer (High Elves), so we can assume they look alike. Plus, the extra magicka and Highborn racial abilities are very useful to us.
Stone: Lady.
I recommend you chose the Mage or Warrior early on, but switch to the Lady at the first chance you get. The Lord’s magic defense and the Atronach’s magic absorption aren’t really needed with your wards, and the Lady allows for more power attacks and health regenration. Ultimately, you can pick between the Lady, Lord, or Atronach depending on your tastes.
Stat Ratio: 2/2/1
Magicka is needed so you can proficiently cast wards among other spells, and stamina is not needed much as compared to the other stats.
Major Skills:
One Handed: Should be obvious why this skill was chosen. We can wield one-handed weapons in our left hand, and have a fist or spell in our right. Make sure you always equip your sword (or whatever you chose) in your left hand for roleplaying purposes.
Heavy Armor: Also chosen because with a sword in our left, we have a fist in our right. Fists of Steel is a key perk, as is Conditioning. Since the Left-Handed Elves were such talented in using orichalcum, choosing to wear Orcish armor, or at least Orcish gauntlets, does good for roleplay.
Restoration: Not taken for healing nor Turn Undead spells, we use Restoration for the Ward spells, which serve as shields we can equip in our right hand. Other than wards, and the occasional fast Healing cast, we don’t need anything else from here.
Smithing: More for roleplaying than anything else, Left-Handed Elves were very good at smithing with Orichalcum. This means Orcish Smithing is a key perk. It also makes for a great source of income, mining orichalcum ore and forging armor and weapons out of it to sell.
Minor Skills:
Conjuration: This school of magic is considered deceitful by the Redguards, and thus it becomes a great skill to have for roleplaying purposes. Even looking past roleplaying, Conjuration is incredibly useful for conjuring Atronachs to do your bidding. Stay away from Necromancy, you must respect the dead, including the dead of your own race.
Illusion: Another school of magic considered to be deceitful and wrong to the Redguards, we use this skill mostly for the Fear spells, which keep enemies off you, and the Frenzy spells. But this skill is not used as often as your other magic skills, even less used than your fist.
Enchanting: Difficult to avoid on a character who utilizes unarmed combat, this skill helps boost your fist’s damage and reduce the hefty cost of wards. Note we will not be taking Extra Effect, you don’t need it, but you can take it if you want.
Useful Shouts: Marked for Death, Aura Whisper, Whirlwind Sprint, Slow Time
Important Quests:
The College of Winterhold: With the amount of magic skills you have, it would be a good idea to do this questline for the spell vendors and radiant quests you can have access to after the questline is finished.
The Forgemaster’s Fingers: Being accepted by the Orc strongholds is a great perk. The Orcs and Left-handed Elves have a lot in common. They both fight Redguards, are skilled orichalcum craftsmen, and plain just don’t fit in. And the access to Orichalcum mines in many of the strongholds is a great bonus as well.
The Main Quest: You are one of the last survivors of your race, which is thought to be extinct. Who would’ve thought that a Left-Handed Elf would be the Dragonborn? The next question is, will you embrace your power and defeat Alduin, or use the Thu’um for your own gain?
In My Time of Need: This quest is a great opportunity to slaughter some Redguards, but that’s the only reward worth noting. Depending on how often you travel, you might not want to do this quest as completing it stops the Alik’r world encounter to stop occurring.
Perks: Level 10 - Level 25 - Level 45
Endgame Equipment
First Enchantment is the one you use, enchantments in parentheses are in case you decided to take the Extra Effect perk. You should have an orichalcum weapon and orichalcum gauntlets, with the rest of whichever heavy armor set you want, though you should stop at Ebony or Steel Plate, and helmets can be exchanged for circlets.
Orcish Sword/Mace/War Axe: Absorb Magicka, (Soul Trap)
Orcish Gauntlets: Fortify Unarmed, (Fortify Heavy Armor)
Cuirass: Fortify Restoration, (Fortify Health)
Boots: Resist Fire/Frost/Shock, (Resist Fire/Frost/Shock)
Circlet/Helmet: Fortify Restoration, (Fortify Conjuration)
Necklace: Fortify Health, (Fortify One Handed)
Ring: Fortify Unarmed, (Fortify Magicka Regen) or use The Ring of the Beast
Gameplay
For melee skirmishes, equip your sword in your left, and use a fist in your right. The drawing animation is much quicker, and you are essentially dual wielding. Your fist can be used for a quick, but weak strike, while the blade is used for slower, but stronger attacks. Don’t try to do dual power attacks, instead use single attacks with whichever weapon you need.
When facing mages, draugr, or dragons, you should switch your empty hand for a ward spell. Use the ward for a shield, it adds to your physical defense too. Even if the ward breaks, you receive only stagger, no damage, but great stagger. It is advised you meditate on Fus with Paarthurnax, and take the Tower of Strength perk, to offset this stagger, though stagger resistance only affects the duration of the stagger.
If you find yourself overwhelmed, summon daedra to fight for you while you fall back to heal. Cast your illusion spells from the back lines and control the battlefield. When you are strong, and your enemies weak, equip your sword and head back in to finish them off.
~~~
Note: I have pondered about the fate of this build, but for now, it stays. Note that I myself have not even played this build.
