The Charnel Seeker
The Charnel Seeker is a juggernaut and a dark priest. They exploit the boon of eldritch knowledge, granted by theirpatron, Hermaeus Mora, and channel sorcery of both life and death. To his foes, the Seeker is a hulking mass of agony, before and after death. They resurrect slain foes, who in turn slay their past comrades. Through arcane wisdom, the Charnel Seeker is a zealous adherent of their Prince - above all, they seek forbidden knowledge and clandestine wisdom.
The Build
The Charnel Seeker is a juggernaut who specializes in heavy armour and two-handed weapons, especially the warhammer. As far as armour goes, your goal is the Daedric armour. The optimal armour path is iron, steel plate, and Daedric. If you feel like you can you pull the roleplay off, use Orcish or Dwarven as well.
The character is quite equivocal when it comes to play styles - whether you prefer direct combat or tanking (by focusing on necromancy and restoration).
This build emphasizes minimalistic use of skills for a satisfying experience of crushing your foes, resurrecting them, and using them as shields while you heal yourself and rejoin the battle. With only three main active skills, you must be vigilant and constantly on guard.
Race: Every race can be used for this build. Imperials, Orsimer, and Bretons have the optimal starting skills, and good abilities. The Breton's conjuration bonus is also a very useful advantage initially, as necromancy may be your best friend in the beginning.
Stone: Your first stone should be either the Warrior stone or the Mage stone. I prefer the Mage stone since it is harder to level magic skills, and your two-handed weapon is your only means of attacking (barring your resurrected minions by proxy), so you'll level it quickly. Your second stone should be the Lord stone. Optionally, you can go for the Atronach stone if you have problems dealing with magic-users, or if you're a Breton and want near-complete magical immunity. A third option is using the Ritual stone for necromancy.
Stat Distribution: The optimal distribution is 2/2/1, until your magicka reaches 250 and your stamina 200. Distribute more magicka and less stamina if you focus on sorcery, or vice versa if you focus on direct combat more.
Major Skills:
- Heavy Armour - Above all, you are a warrior, and warriors that are busy conjuring up the dead must invest in heavy armour, lest they perish at the heat of battle. Take all the heavy armour perks; ignore the left branch if you don't mind being weighed down.
- Two-Handed - Your main (and technically only) method of attack. You must crush your enemies in the name of Hermaeus Mora and to amass knowledge, and the most effective way to do so is to employ two-handed weapons. Take the central branch and the perks relevant to your choice of weapon (greatsword, battle axe, or warhammer).
- Conjuration - Under the guidance of dark powers, you are also a necromancer. You must employ your necromantic skills in battle both to psychologically weaken your opponent and to help you in your domination and quest for knowledge. Necromancy, while not outlawed, is frowned and shunned, and is thus the perfect type of dweomer you use. Perk-wise, invest in the cost reducing perks and necromancy-related ones. Also take dual casting.
- Restoration - As part of your dark dichotomy, you employ healing magic. You cannot heal yourself in the middle of a fight while being attacked, but that's where the necromancy comes in - use your dead servants as decoy while you heal yourself in safety. Restoration is the most effective way of healing yourself. For perks, take the cost reducing perks up to apprentice, regeneration, respite, and dual casting.
Minor Skills: These skills are optional, and are mostly for roleplay and empowerment reasons - smithing and enchanting. If you decide to go for smithing, obviously pick the right branch until Daedric, or go for the left branch for the Advanced Armour perks, but this is not recommended. For enchanting, stick with the central branch.
Shouts: Unrelenting Force, Slow Time, Marked for Death, and Storm Call
Gear: 
- Apocryphal Armor (Fortify Healing Rate): "Through black magic and the craftsmanship of a thousand master-smiths, this armour piece is imbued with sorcerous abilities of healing the wounds of its wearer."
- Apocryphal Boots & Gauntlets (Fortify Two-Handed): "Smithed in the forges Oblivion, these boots and gauntlets are permeated with the might of ancient Daedric worshippers, great warriors of yore whose skeletons fell into dust long ago. The armour has not forgotten its old masters, and through special connection to the earth, the boots and gauntlets amplify its wearers combat abilities."
As for the helmet, you have two options: The Adept Hood or a Daedric helmet. Personally, I use a mod which enables me to use the heavy armour perks that require a full set with only three pieces. For aesthetic and roleplay reasons, I prefer to use a hood and a circlet (through a separate mod). It is up to you if you want a circlet + hood combination through modifications, or the helmet. Either way, enchant either with magicka regeneration.
As for jewellery, use the Gauldur Amulet and occasionally the Necromancer Amulet, whenever you need to resurrect a corpse and you're low on magicka. Switching between these two may only benefit you, as using only the Necromancer Amulet greatly handicaps warriors. Use a ring enchanted with Fortify Conjuration.
Weapons: A matching two-handed weapon (a warhammer, preferably), based on your current armour set. If you choose to use enchanting, make to sure to enchant your weapon with Soul Trap.
Spells: As you level up your conjuration, you should switch to the higher level resurrection spells, until Dread Zombie and Dead Thrall (by using Twin Souls, you can have a permanent "bodyguard" and the occasional minion). Restoration-wise, get Fast Healing and stay with it.
Perks: This perk distribution is the optimal one for level 50. Based on your character's story or choice, you may disregard the smithing and enchanting trees, and perhaps invest in speech or lockpicking, since they'll level up anyway. If you're using the Atronach stone (or not) you may also invest in recovery. This is a good level 25 perk distribution. I've chosen to keep enchanting for later in the game, but you may do otherwise.
Quests: Avoid choosing sides in conflicts such as the civil war. Finish all the Daedric quests however you seem fit, but try and "respect" the Daedra (choose the more servile speech choices, especially with Hermaeus Mora). Complete Dawnguard however you seem fit but remember that the Dawnguard is lead by an ex-Vigilant, and Vigilantes hate Daedra.
With that said, complete all the Daedric quests (especially Discerning the Transmundane), for that is why you were chosen by Hermaeus Mora in the first place. After that, complete the main quest. After all, the Lord has not chosen you for your looks. You are the Dragonborn, and through the Voice comes knowledge.
Gameplay
A problem I've encountered early in the game is finding a conjuration spell. Your first necromancy spell is Raise Zombie, and it can be found in Fellglow Keep. There is always a Raise Zombie spellbook, as well as a conjuration skillbook. It is relatively easy to complete (I've tested it myself on level 5 with this build). You have to get this book, or at least get a hold of Reanimate Corpse if you manage to do so. If you play on Expert and above, you'll find that necromancy is very helpful against initial enemies, especially other necromancers. Optionally, you can just buy it from Lucan or Farengar. By the time you should reach Farengar, you should have enough to purchase Reanimate Corpse, so keep that in mind.
Make good use of your favourites list and keys - switch quickly between your weapon and spells. Avoid employing any other skills except for your six. You can use potions that you find out there, but try and use only magicka ones - resurrect a corpse and leave the combat zone for a quick heal, and then jump back in. If you lack enough magicka, quickly switch to the Necromancer Amulet - its conjuration reduction and mana addition will most likely be enough for you to cast a spell.
If you have any scrolls or staves that you can use - use them. Knowledge unspent is knowledge wasted. By learning your enemies and finding out which race and which enemy is weak to what, you can potentially develop a strategy for every foe and adapt at whim. Surrounded by draugar? Use a flame cloak scroll and burn through them. Encountered ice wraiths or necromancers? Use a frost resistance potion. Adapting to your enemies' weaknesses and strengths is half of the battle.
In most battles, be it in dungeons, forts, or whatnot, start with slaughter. Employ appropriate potions and scrolls, and try to kill at least one fiend so that you may raise him. Don't risk your life and sprint to it through other enemies, try and subjugate them first. Resurrect the corpse, and if you're low on health or stamina (if you have Respite), back down a bit, avoiding enemy arrows or spells, and heal yourself, letting your minion do some damage. Try and take down a powerful one, but not too powerful so that you wouldn't be able to resurrect him.
Fights with dragons are probably the hardest until you get Dragonrend. Use your surroundings to hide from the dragon's fire/frost breath, and heal yourself when needed. When it descends, strike it down and if you can, resurrect a nearby corpse. Against dragon priests, the whole necromancy business is trickier. They can turn your minions against you, and things may become ugly. Consume the appropriate resistance potion, activate any special abilities your race may have (the Breton, Redguard, and Orsimer abilities play well here).
Roleplay
You are still a worshiper of a Dedric prince. Regardless of your morality and affiliations, you are still hated by the Vigilants of Stendarr and other groups that hunt down Daedras and their worshipers. You do not seek to wreck havoc and destroy the world, but knowledge. You seek knowledge for the sake of power and knowledge itself. Hermaeus Mora is the Daedric prince of memory, fate, and surprisingly, knowledge. This gives you the opportunity to play your character under a relatively lax set of guidelines.
I chose to avoid portraying my character as a soulless husk, soaked with the Apocryphal void and acids. He expresses emotions and retains his set of values before entering into Mora's service.
Some guidelines for your character:
- Avoid using skills other than your main six. You are a "necromantic crusader," and you should behave as such. Do not stop and pick some flowers on the road or try and shoot a dragon with a bow since you are naturally bad at it (being clad in heavy armor doesn't help your shooting arm either).
- Just because you are not purely evil does not mean you approve of blind Aedric worship. After all, how can peasants worship someone without any benefits? Keep that in mind, but also remember that Arkay is the god of life and death, which fits your dichotomy perfectly (although most of his priests hate necromancers).
- Stay true to your choices. If you made a bad decision, pay the price and not shrug it off.
For general roleplay, try and avoid fast travel. Camp at nights (or days) and stay at inns. Purchase food and enjoy a meal and drink once in a while. Have your character react to various races according to his story. Avoiding fast travel may yield surprising results.
Also, without spoiling Dragonborn, to truly experience the perks of being a worshiper of Hermaeus Mora, get Dragonborn and play it.
Special Moves
Due to a limited amount of proper skills (you only have access to two-handed weapons, restoration, and conjuration), the moves consist of various windows of opportunities to heal yourself and/or resurrect a corpse to fight for you.
Shift of the Void
The Charnel Seeker invokes his connection to the Apocrypha, thus slowing time, allowing him to quickly bring about the resurrection of a slain foe and healing himself, before his enemy can strike - thus achieving the upper hand in the melee.
Use Slow Time, switch to a conjuration spell, using it on a nearby corpse, and then switch to Fast Healing and replenish your health (and later, stamina).
Summoning Storms
The Charnel Seeker summons a deadly storm in the midst of a battle. By damaging all that surround him, the lightning sends a shock through a corpse, thus reviving him to fight for the Charnel Seeker.
Use Storm Call and cast a conjuration spell on a corpse.
Apocryphal Domination
By chanting eldritch psalms, the Charnel Seeker debilitates his enemies and crushes them with only a single swing of his war hammer.
You must have the Skullcrusher and Sweep perks. Active Marked for Death when an enemy or a few before you are weakened, and perform a sweep.
Necrotic Twilight
Through complete devotion to Hermaeus Mora, the Charnel Seeker invokes the might of his Apocryphal beasts who spread their acid on his foes, reanimating them as his servants in the wake of their death.
For this move, you must have Dragonborn and access to the black book called "The Hidden Twilight." Active Mora's Agony and resurrect a fallen foe during the turmoil.
Ritual of Atonement
The Charnel Seeker excises the soul of his foe and later resurrects him as a mindless minion as punishment.
Use a weapon with the Soul Trap enchantment, trap a soul, and resurrect its corpse.
Final Notes
This is my first build ever. I created it by beginning to play as a Dark Templar, a legendary build on this site, but later developed my own style, abandoning illusion and destruction, and going for only six skills. I don't count speech and lockpicking since they are raised automatically and are merely side effects of exploration and bartering.
I think I might have overdone the whole modding thing, but eh. Perhaps I've also given the people who would decide to try this build too much freedom to do as they will, and not a "pure Hermaeus Mora knowledge zealot" kind of a guy. Oh well. I appreciate criticism, and I definitely want to make better builds in the future, since Skyrim is my favorite game. Thanks for reading this, if you did.
P.S. I fear that this build is somewhat lacking in substance due to a simplistic choice of skills and gameplay. I haven't really seen too many builds here that utilize both necromancy and restoration in a juggernaut on this site, but still - it just seems... lacking.
P.P.S. 1st edit - I'd like to thank Vazgen and Ben C for their ideas.
2nd edit - Some typos and grammar fixes (not all of it).
The Charnel Seeker
The Charnel Seeker is a juggernaut and a dark priest. They exploit the boon of eldritch knowledge, granted by theirpatron, Hermaeus Mora, and channel sorcery of both life and death. To his foes, the Seeker is a hulking mass of agony, before and after death. They resurrect slain foes, who in turn slay their past comrades. Through arcane wisdom, the Charnel Seeker is a zealous adherent of their Prince - above all, they seek forbidden knowledge and clandestine wisdom.
The Build
The Charnel Seeker is a juggernaut who specializes in heavy armour and two-handed weapons, especially the warhammer. As far as armour goes, your goal is the Daedric armour. The optimal armour path is iron, steel plate, and Daedric. If you feel like you can you pull the roleplay off, use Orcish or Dwarven as well.
The character is quite equivocal when it comes to play styles - whether you prefer direct combat or tanking (by focusing on necromancy and restoration).
This build emphasizes minimalistic use of skills for a satisfying experience of crushing your foes, resurrecting them, and using them as shields while you heal yourself and rejoin the battle. With only three main active skills, you must be vigilant and constantly on guard.
Race: Every race can be used for this build. Imperials, Orsimer, and Bretons have the optimal starting skills, and good abilities. The Breton's conjuration bonus is also a very useful advantage initially, as necromancy may be your best friend in the beginning.
Stone: Your first stone should be either the Warrior stone or the Mage stone. I prefer the Mage stone since it is harder to level magic skills, and your two-handed weapon is your only means of attacking (barring your resurrected minions by proxy), so you'll level it quickly. Your second stone should be the Lord stone. Optionally, you can go for the Atronach stone if you have problems dealing with magic-users, or if you're a Breton and want near-complete magical immunity. A third option is using the Ritual stone for necromancy.
Stat Distribution: The optimal distribution is 2/2/1, until your magicka reaches 250 and your stamina 200. Distribute more magicka and less stamina if you focus on sorcery, or vice versa if you focus on direct combat more.
Major Skills:
- Heavy Armour - Above all, you are a warrior, and warriors that are busy conjuring up the dead must invest in heavy armour, lest they perish at the heat of battle. Take all the heavy armour perks; ignore the left branch if you don't mind being weighed down.
- Two-Handed - Your main (and technically only) method of attack. You must crush your enemies in the name of Hermaeus Mora and to amass knowledge, and the most effective way to do so is to employ two-handed weapons. Take the central branch and the perks relevant to your choice of weapon (greatsword, battle axe, or warhammer).
- Conjuration - Under the guidance of dark powers, you are also a necromancer. You must employ your necromantic skills in battle both to psychologically weaken your opponent and to help you in your domination and quest for knowledge. Necromancy, while not outlawed, is frowned and shunned, and is thus the perfect type of dweomer you use. Perk-wise, invest in the cost reducing perks and necromancy-related ones. Also take dual casting.
- Restoration - As part of your dark dichotomy, you employ healing magic. You cannot heal yourself in the middle of a fight while being attacked, but that's where the necromancy comes in - use your dead servants as decoy while you heal yourself in safety. Restoration is the most effective way of healing yourself. For perks, take the cost reducing perks up to apprentice, regeneration, respite, and dual casting.
Minor Skills: These skills are optional, and are mostly for roleplay and empowerment reasons - smithing and enchanting. If you decide to go for smithing, obviously pick the right branch until Daedric, or go for the left branch for the Advanced Armour perks, but this is not recommended. For enchanting, stick with the central branch.
Shouts: Unrelenting Force, Slow Time, Marked for Death, and Storm Call
Gear:
- Apocryphal Armor (Fortify Healing Rate): "Through black magic and the craftsmanship of a thousand master-smiths, this armour piece is imbued with sorcerous abilities of healing the wounds of its wearer."
- Apocryphal Boots & Gauntlets (Fortify Two-Handed): "Smithed in the forges Oblivion, these boots and gauntlets are permeated with the might of ancient Daedric worshippers, great warriors of yore whose skeletons fell into dust long ago. The armour has not forgotten its old masters, and through special connection to the earth, the boots and gauntlets amplify its wearers combat abilities."
As for the helmet, you have two options: The Adept Hood or a Daedric helmet. Personally, I use a mod which enables me to use the heavy armour perks that require a full set with only three pieces. For aesthetic and roleplay reasons, I prefer to use a hood and a circlet (through a separate mod). It is up to you if you want a circlet + hood combination through modifications, or the helmet. Either way, enchant either with magicka regeneration.
As for jewellery, use the Gauldur Amulet and occasionally the Necromancer Amulet, whenever you need to resurrect a corpse and you're low on magicka. Switching between these two may only benefit you, as using only the Necromancer Amulet greatly handicaps warriors. Use a ring enchanted with Fortify Conjuration.
Weapons: A matching two-handed weapon (a warhammer, preferably), based on your current armour set. If you choose to use enchanting, make to sure to enchant your weapon with Soul Trap.
Spells: As you level up your conjuration, you should switch to the higher level resurrection spells, until Dread Zombie and Dead Thrall (by using Twin Souls, you can have a permanent "bodyguard" and the occasional minion). Restoration-wise, get Fast Healing and stay with it.
Perks: This perk distribution is the optimal one for level 50. Based on your character's story or choice, you may disregard the smithing and enchanting trees, and perhaps invest in speech or lockpicking, since they'll level up anyway. If you're using the Atronach stone (or not) you may also invest in recovery. This is a good level 25 perk distribution. I've chosen to keep enchanting for later in the game, but you may do otherwise.
Quests: Avoid choosing sides in conflicts such as the civil war. Finish all the Daedric quests however you seem fit, but try and "respect" the Daedra (choose the more servile speech choices, especially with Hermaeus Mora). Complete Dawnguard however you seem fit but remember that the Dawnguard is lead by an ex-Vigilant, and Vigilantes hate Daedra.
With that said, complete all the Daedric quests (especially Discerning the Transmundane), for that is why you were chosen by Hermaeus Mora in the first place. After that, complete the main quest. After all, the Lord has not chosen you for your looks. You are the Dragonborn, and through the Voice comes knowledge.
Gameplay
A problem I've encountered early in the game is finding a conjuration spell. Your first necromancy spell is Raise Zombie, and it can be found in Fellglow Keep. There is always a Raise Zombie spellbook, as well as a conjuration skillbook. It is relatively easy to complete (I've tested it myself on level 5 with this build). You have to get this book, or at least get a hold of Reanimate Corpse if you manage to do so. If you play on Expert and above, you'll find that necromancy is very helpful against initial enemies, especially other necromancers. Optionally, you can just buy it from Lucan or Farengar. By the time you should reach Farengar, you should have enough to purchase Reanimate Corpse, so keep that in mind.
Make good use of your favourites list and keys - switch quickly between your weapon and spells. Avoid employing any other skills except for your six. You can use potions that you find out there, but try and use only magicka ones - resurrect a corpse and leave the combat zone for a quick heal, and then jump back in. If you lack enough magicka, quickly switch to the Necromancer Amulet - its conjuration reduction and mana addition will most likely be enough for you to cast a spell.
If you have any scrolls or staves that you can use - use them. Knowledge unspent is knowledge wasted. By learning your enemies and finding out which race and which enemy is weak to what, you can potentially develop a strategy for every foe and adapt at whim. Surrounded by draugar? Use a flame cloak scroll and burn through them. Encountered ice wraiths or necromancers? Use a frost resistance potion. Adapting to your enemies' weaknesses and strengths is half of the battle.
In most battles, be it in dungeons, forts, or whatnot, start with slaughter. Employ appropriate potions and scrolls, and try to kill at least one fiend so that you may raise him. Don't risk your life and sprint to it through other enemies, try and subjugate them first. Resurrect the corpse, and if you're low on health or stamina (if you have Respite), back down a bit, avoiding enemy arrows or spells, and heal yourself, letting your minion do some damage. Try and take down a powerful one, but not too powerful so that you wouldn't be able to resurrect him.
Fights with dragons are probably the hardest until you get Dragonrend. Use your surroundings to hide from the dragon's fire/frost breath, and heal yourself when needed. When it descends, strike it down and if you can, resurrect a nearby corpse. Against dragon priests, the whole necromancy business is trickier. They can turn your minions against you, and things may become ugly. Consume the appropriate resistance potion, activate any special abilities your race may have (the Breton, Redguard, and Orsimer abilities play well here).
Roleplay
You are still a worshiper of a Dedric prince. Regardless of your morality and affiliations, you are still hated by the Vigilants of Stendarr and other groups that hunt down Daedras and their worshipers. You do not seek to wreck havoc and destroy the world, but knowledge. You seek knowledge for the sake of power and knowledge itself. Hermaeus Mora is the Daedric prince of memory, fate, and surprisingly, knowledge. This gives you the opportunity to play your character under a relatively lax set of guidelines.
I chose to avoid portraying my character as a soulless husk, soaked with the Apocryphal void and acids. He expresses emotions and retains his set of values before entering into Mora's service.
Some guidelines for your character:
- Avoid using skills other than your main six. You are a "necromantic crusader," and you should behave as such. Do not stop and pick some flowers on the road or try and shoot a dragon with a bow since you are naturally bad at it (being clad in heavy armor doesn't help your shooting arm either).
- Just because you are not purely evil does not mean you approve of blind Aedric worship. After all, how can peasants worship someone without any benefits? Keep that in mind, but also remember that Arkay is the god of life and death, which fits your dichotomy perfectly (although most of his priests hate necromancers).
- Stay true to your choices. If you made a bad decision, pay the price and not shrug it off.
For general roleplay, try and avoid fast travel. Camp at nights (or days) and stay at inns. Purchase food and enjoy a meal and drink once in a while. Have your character react to various races according to his story. Avoiding fast travel may yield surprising results.
Also, without spoiling Dragonborn, to truly experience the perks of being a worshiper of Hermaeus Mora, get Dragonborn and play it.
Special Moves
Due to a limited amount of proper skills (you only have access to two-handed weapons, restoration, and conjuration), the moves consist of various windows of opportunities to heal yourself and/or resurrect a corpse to fight for you.
Shift of the Void
The Charnel Seeker invokes his connection to the Apocrypha, thus slowing time, allowing him to quickly bring about the resurrection of a slain foe and healing himself, before his enemy can strike - thus achieving the upper hand in the melee.
Use Slow Time, switch to a conjuration spell, using it on a nearby corpse, and then switch to Fast Healing and replenish your health (and later, stamina).
Summoning Storms
The Charnel Seeker summons a deadly storm in the midst of a battle. By damaging all that surround him, the lightning sends a shock through a corpse, thus reviving him to fight for the Charnel Seeker.
Use Storm Call and cast a conjuration spell on a corpse.
Apocryphal Domination
By chanting eldritch psalms, the Charnel Seeker debilitates his enemies and crushes them with only a single swing of his war hammer.
You must have the Skullcrusher and Sweep perks. Active Marked for Death when an enemy or a few before you are weakened, and perform a sweep.
Necrotic Twilight
Through complete devotion to Hermaeus Mora, the Charnel Seeker invokes the might of his Apocryphal beasts who spread their acid on his foes, reanimating them as his servants in the wake of their death.
For this move, you must have Dragonborn and access to the black book called "The Hidden Twilight." Active Mora's Agony and resurrect a fallen foe during the turmoil.
Ritual of Atonement
The Charnel Seeker excises the soul of his foe and later resurrects him as a mindless minion as punishment.
Use a weapon with the Soul Trap enchantment, trap a soul, and resurrect its corpse.
Final Notes
This is my first build ever. I created it by beginning to play as a Dark Templar, a legendary build on this site, but later developed my own style, abandoning illusion and destruction, and going for only six skills. I don't count speech and lockpicking since they are raised automatically and are merely side effects of exploration and bartering.
I think I might have overdone the whole modding thing, but eh. Perhaps I've also given the people who would decide to try this build too much freedom to do as they will, and not a "pure Hermaeus Mora knowledge zealot" kind of a guy. Oh well. I appreciate criticism, and I definitely want to make better builds in the future, since Skyrim is my favorite game. Thanks for reading this, if you did.
P.S. I fear that this build is somewhat lacking in substance due to a simplistic choice of skills and gameplay. I haven't really seen too many builds here that utilize both necromancy and restoration in a juggernaut on this site, but still - it just seems... lacking.
P.P.S. 1st edit - I'd like to thank Vazgen and Ben C for their ideas.
2nd edit - Some typos and grammar fixes (not all of it).
