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Event Build: The Crimson Sorcerer

Tags: #Character Build Elementalist  #Character Build Healer  #Character Build Summoner  #Race:Imperial  #SE Rank:Apprentice  #Event:Crossworlds3 
  • Member
    December 15, 2017

    “My Jarl, I do not think that I trust this mage. He refuses to tell us who he is, he will accept no compensation for his efforts, and he seems to know more about occult arts than those that practice them.”

    “Proventus, my friend, I no longer believe we have a choice in the matter.”

    "I understand that you have a problem with the daedra. You have done well to seek me out. Do not leave your houses tonight. Lock your doors, bolt your windows tight, and ignore anything that you see or hear in the dark. By daylight, your troubles will be gone and I will leave. I require no compensation for this, only your cooperation."

     

    -Basic Information

    Race: Imperial

    Gender: Male

    Stat Spread: 1/1/0

    Stone: The Mage ==> The Lord

    Major Skills: One-Handed, Destruction, Restoration, Enchanting, Conjuration

    -Lore

    Mehrunes Dagon is one of the seventeen Daedric Princes of Oblivion and the primary antagonist of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. His spheres are destruction, change, revolution, energy, and ambition. Mehrunes Dagon is the foe of all mortal races, and has attempted to conquer the physical world Nirn many times. The common reasoning behind his many plots is his belief that Tamriel is in fact a plane of Oblivion which is rightly his. He constantly invaded Tamriel relentlessly from the First Era onward.

    Sutch was a settlement located in the Gold Coast region of Cyrodiil. County Sutch extended north towards the Brena River, an area which is now considered part of County Kvatch. Sutch was connected to the Gold Road north of Anvil. By 3E 433, nothing remained of the settlement but the ruins of Fort Sutch Abbey. The fort was home to a band of mercenaries until their leader was poisoned by the Dark Brotherhood, although it was made to appear that he had died of a disease. The fort was attacked by Daedra during the Oblivion Crisis when an Oblivion Gate to the Deadlands opened outside its walls. This portal was destroyed by the Imperial Legion, with the help of the Hero of Kvatch.

    -Backstory

    There were three of us. We were skilled healers; some of the best on the continent. That was before we became the Sealers. The Sealers of Sutch. Perhaps you’ve heard of the place? It was such a beautiful city. Funny thing is, no one really knows what happened to it except for us. It was the Third Era, year forty-nine. We had a good harvest that year, and everyone was preparing for a mild winter. Then, darkness descended. people went missing in the night, their corpses found butchered, dissected, and mutilated in the street. The three of us, Kivari, Alistar, and I, decided to investigate What we uncovered horrified us more than any of us could imagine.

    What you call the oblivion crisis started long before the fifth century. Nearly 400 years before the official event, Mehrunes Dagon began his assault on Tamriel. The first Oblivion gate anyone alive had ever seen appeared in Sutch. It wasn't just an invastion in Sutch; Dagon was prepared to bind Mundus to The Deadlands right then and there. At that moment, my brothers and I made the most difficult decision of our lives: To preserve the lives of everyone on Nirn, we sealed the portal the knights had opened with powerful magics, and used cataclysmic destruction spells to flood the city for a hundred years. We made a pact to keep watch over the seal we had made for as long as we lived. For twenty years, I developed restoration magics that would prevent our bodies from aging.

    Soon after, Kivari left. She said there was something she had to do, and that she would be back soon. I knew as soon as she left that she simply wanted out. I hope she rots in oblivion for betraying the oath she made. A century later, Alistar left to combat an epidemic in Hammerfell. He never returned. I can only imagine he fell victim to the disease himself, or wound up at the end of a bandit’s scimitar. So there I remained, the last of the Sealers, guarding the portal for centuries. I lost count of the days, the years, the decades. Imperial soldiers took up residence in the fort to the west of the gate. I paid them no heed. It didn't matter to me what they did, as long as they stayed away from the portal. One day, it just happened. The gate, inactive for so long, reopened. This time, however, things were different. Along with a mysterious hero, the soldiers stormed the gate, shutting it down permanently. And so, I was left without purpose

    Over the next two centuries, I wandered Tamriel. A mysterious mage clad in crimson robes who would destroy daedric influence and avert catastrophe free of charge. I caught wind in the year 4E 201 of a cult of Vaermina in the town of Dawnstar in Skyrim. And so, I headed north through the Jerall Mountains on foot to destroy them. At the border, I made a foolish mistake, unacceptable for someone of my age and wisdom. I attempted to heal the wounded of a skirmish between two warring factions. The victors tied me up and carted me off to Helgen, calling me a “Stormcloak traitor”. How petty the races of men can be!

    -Roleplaying

    The Crimson Sorcerer is largely disinterested in helping individuals with concerns that are not of a supernatural nature. His mission is of a higher concern than anything the Jarls of Skyrim could trouble him with. Bandits are disrupting trade routes, stopping goods from getting to their destination safely? That's none of his concern. A Troll has been raiding isolated farmhouses outside of Riften? A few lives can hardly compare to the preservation of Mundus. He's willing to sacrifice almost anything or anyone in order to avert catastrophe. People can recover from war, famine, and death. They cannot survive planar destruction; this is what The Crimson Sorcerer is concerned about. Because of this "Ends justify the means" ideology, he can come off to others as stoic and even cruel. He doesn't believe in redemption, only justice. Villains deserve absolutely no quarter. Centuries of living in an unforgiving world have jaded him beyond belief, but he is not incapable of feeling. He loves the world he lives in, which is why he protects it. He has a particular soft spot for young heroes who have set out to save the world, and feels a kind of paternal concern for them. He may even take a youngster under his wing and teach them how to adventure "properly". 

    "No, please don't kill me! I'll give

    you anything that you want-"

    -Last words of Ganzar the Mighty, High Priest of Boethia

    -Recommended Quests and Factions

    After escaping Helgen, The Crimson Sorcerer intends to continue with his original mission to destroy the Cult of Vaermina. On his way, however, he will inform the Jarl of Whiterun about the dragon attack and get caught up in the events of the Main Questline. Vaermina suddenly seems far less threatening than world-eating dragons. Initially, he will be suspicious of people like Delphine and the Thalmor. If Delphine won't tell him what's going on, he'll do his own research at the College of Winterhold, protecting the world from the Eye of Magnus to boot. After learning little to nothing about the dragons, He begrudgingly accepts Delphine's help and ends the threat of Alduin. After this, he is free to seek out whatever Daedric Quests he wants before destroying the artifacts' physical forms (I threw them into the Aetherium Forge). Also, be sure to complete the Dragonborn DLC and end the threat of Miraak over Solstheim.

    -Skills and Perks

    One-Handed-Armsman 5/5, Fighting Stance, Savage Strike

    Destruction-Novice Destruction, Apprentice Destruction, Adept Destruction, Expert Destruction, Augmented Flames 2/2, Augmented Frost 2/2, Augmented Shock 2/2

    Restoration-Novice Restoration, Apprentice Restoration, Adept Restoration, Expert Restoration, Master Restoration, Recovery 2/2, Respite, Regeneration, Avoid death

    Enchanting-Enchanter 5/5, Fire Enchanter, Frost Enchanter, Storm Enchanter, Extra Effect

    Conjuration-Novice Conjuration, Apprentice Conjuration, Adept Conjuration, Expert Conjuration, Summoner 1/2, Atromancy, Elemental Potency, Twin Souls

    -Reccomended perks finalize the build at level 43, but it can be taken far past this point if you want

     

    -Weapons-

    Blade of Sealing

    Ebony Sword, Enchanted with Banish Daedra and Chaos Damage

    Restoration Staves

         - Grand Staff of Turning

         - Staff of Mending

    Destruction Staves

         - Staff of Ice Storms

         - Staff of Flame Wall

         - Staff of Thunderbolt

    Conjuration Staves

         - Staff of Expulsion

         - Staff of Storm Atronach

    -A Note on Staves-

    You may use any staff that you like. As long as you know the spell and it can be applied to a staff, you can make one at Neloth's staff enchanter.

    -Clothing-

    Hooded Mythic Dawn Robes

    -Provides 75% Magicka Regeneration

    -Trademarked look, covers most of the dragon priest hood

    Ahzidal/Dukaan/Zahkriisos

    -Each of these Dragon Priest Masks will provide a massive 50% resistance to an element, as well as a hefty 25% boost to damage from that element

    Crimson Sabatons (Pleated Shoes)

    -Resist Shock, Fortify One-Handed

    -Protects your magicka supply as well as boosting one handed. Use when fighting normal enemies and storm mages.

    Crimson Boots (Redguard Boots)

    -Resist Fire, Resist Frost

    -Great protection against fire and frost. Use against dragons and elemental mages.

    Gloves of Sealing (Mythic Dawn Gloves)

    -Fortify Magicka, Fortify One-Handed

    Arcanist's Band (Gold Diamond Ring)

    -Fortify Magicka, Fortify Magicka Regen

    Sealer's Amulet (Gold Diamond Necklace)

    -Fortify Healing Rate, Fortify One-Handed

     

    The Crimson Sorcerer is an extremely powerful mage. In fact, his restoration magics are on par with the power of aedra and daedra. He has even been able to extend his mortal lifespan through these powers. As such, he is no slouch when it comes to using magic in combat. But, he is also physically fit and proficient in melee combat. The playstyle of the Crimson Sorcerer is relatively simple. Summon two atronachs via staff. Use atronachs appropriate to situation. Fire is generally a good choice. If you are approached by numerous melee opponents, use frost atronachs, and use storm atronachs against archers or enemy mages. Ash guardians are also good choices for powerful enemies. Once your atronachs have been summoned, you may cast your utility spells from the restoration and conjuration schools, such as banish daedra or circle of protection. Blast your enemies from far away with destruction spells. Once you run out of magicka, switch to a staff in your left hand and a dagger in your right. With this setup, you can either cut into your enemies with your blade or continue blasting them with your staff. While he does not have any armor or flesh spells, you should have a fair amount of health, and your restoration staves should keep you alive. Essentially, prepare for battle with restoration and conjuration spells, then blast and slash away to your heart’s content.

    Followers

    The Crimson Mage is a bit of a lone wolf due to his line of work. Not many these days are willing to cross blades with angry daedra or delve into a crypt to root out a necromancer. However, he welcomes those brave enough to provide support and companionship. He cares little for sellswords, but may occasionally be tempted to hire them for a job or two if he needs some backup. Other than that, he respects people who are willing to put their lives on the line for a greater cause. Some great choices for companions are Serana, Frea, Mjoll the Lioness, and Teldryn Sero. All are powerful companions, capping at levels 40 to 60.

    Well, this is a surprise. Not many dare venture into places like this these days, for fear of an untimely demise. Sit, stranger. Let us break bread together, and I will tell you a story…

     

     

    CLOSING NOTES/AUTHOR’S NOTES

    -This build is based of the Certified Badass, Ingward from Dark Souls! Anyone who figured it out gets a nice pat on the back and a digital cookie from me.

    -General feedback is always appreciated!

    -I'm always trying to improve my builds, especially in their roleplaying, backstory, and presentation. If you liked/disliked any of these, I would love to hear why so that I can continue to improve

  • December 15, 2017

    Hmm, yeah. Yeah, this is a pretty great build right here Xenla, the Roleplaying and Backstory have only improved since I last dropped by in the Workshop, and the gameplay sections are good too. Overall, the build is just a great build, really interesting entry that plays with Lore in some very interesting ways, and is a really cool way to work the Dark Souls character into the game

    But, since you asked for it, I shall bring forth the full might of my presentation recommendation powers to bare, and mention a few teeny things that might help, really the presentation is really solid, if not just really good but there's always a few things that can be done (I'm still changing things three years after I started building). The main thing for me, is just my irrational hate of white spaces. I know there's nothing that can be one around some of the images aligned to the sides (sadly text wrapping is really tricky to get 100% right) but there are some bits where it'd just benefit the build, make it a bit neater looking if you went through and took out some extra spaces. I'll grab a section of your build and edit it quickly (in the comment) just to show off some of what I mean.

    Note: My comments are long, so I do apologize if seeing this instantly makes you think I'm being super negative, I'm not, the build is really, really good, just presentation in builds is my main passion and I get too enthusastic about it at times :D

    ------------------------------------------------------

    -Basic Information

    Race: Imperial

    Gender: Male

    Stat Spread: 1/1/0

    Stone: The Mage ==> The Lord

    Major Skills: One-Handed, Destruction, Restoration, Enchanting, Conjuration

    -Lore

    Mehrunes Dagon is one of the seventeen Daedric Princes of Oblivion and the primary antagonist of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. His spheres are destruction, change, revolution, energy, and ambition. Mehrunes Dagon is the foe of all mortal races, and has attempted to conquer the physical world Nirn many times. The common reasoning behind his many plots is his belief that Tamriel is in fact a plane of Oblivion which is rightly his. He constantly invaded Tamriel relentlessly from the First Era onward.

    Sutch was a settlement located in the Gold Coast region of Cyrodiil. County Sutch extended north towards the Brena River, an area which is now considered part of County Kvatch. Sutch was connected to the Gold Road north of Anvil. By 3E 433, nothing remained of the settlement but the ruins of Fort Sutch Abbey. The fort was home to a band of mercenaries until their leader was poisoned by the Dark Brotherhood, although it was made to appear that he had died of a disease. The fort was attacked by Daedra during the Oblivion Crisis when an Oblivion Gate to the Deadlands opened outside its walls. This portal was destroyed by the Imperial Legion, with the help of the Hero of Kvatch.

    -Backstory

    ------------------------------------------------------

    So, I didn't change all that much with the edits. One thing I would recommend is changing it so your larger titles are centred rather than off to the left. You've already got the sub-sections there, and it just kind of crowds the side of the page a bit (if that makes sense). Having them in the middle draws the eye to them very easily when your scrolling through, and can be immensely helpful for people who might be playing your build. They can just jump from section to section depending on which part they need to read again. I also just went through and took out a few white spaces that made the section feel larger, and broke it up a bit too much. It's hard to notice with just a part of the build, but if you do go through and change it, then there's a real difference (IMO) in how neat everything looks.

    Oh, I also increased the size of the sub-sections to 10, this just makes them stand out a bit more you know, again to make it easier to read/play. Othger then that, I'd think about the idea of increasing the size of your wider pictures (like the one above). Really got no logic behind it, just something to try out (and something that I obsess over with my own builds, mostly because I can't get the text-wrapping right to save my life and I'm anal about getting everything to be the same size :P).

  • December 16, 2017

    I've never played Dark Souls, so I can't really judge it, but the backstory is well written and the overall build is nice.

    Plus you use staves, and that alone is a good enough reason to upvote this guide.

  • Member
    December 16, 2017

    This build looks good, the introduction really had me hook!

  • Member
    December 18, 2017

    I've never played Dark Souls, but this character sounds really cool! The build itself looks like a lot of fun, and I love that you regularly use some of the Conjuration school's lesser-used utility spells--you don't see Command/Expel Daedra spells getting a lot of mention in builds. I also really like your weapons equipment spread and your spellbook image. The spellbook in particular is a clever way to get that information across in an easy-to-access and aesthetically pleasing way.

    What more can I say other than this is yet another fantastic build in what has already been a fantastic event!

  • Member
    December 18, 2017

    ShinJin said:

    What more can I say other than this is yet another fantastic build in what has already been a fantastic event!

    How about, "This build is currently being featured on the TV Twitter page"?

  • Member
    December 18, 2017

    Thanks for the feedback and help, all. I appreciate it!

  • Member
    December 24, 2017

    Before reading this I'm going to make a guess from the picture on the main page: this build is inspired off Sealer Ingward from Dark Souls.

    Edit: After reading I think I was right. It was basically the same situation, there was a multitude of Sealers that kept New Londo flooded in order to keep the Darkwraiths at bay until the Chosen Undead came and opened the floodgates, thus finishing his mission for the last few hundred (or was it thousand?) years. The only difference is this was out of the Tamriel version's control whereas Ingward gave the key willingly.

  • December 25, 2017

    Did you have two sets of mythic dawn gloves each with a single enchantment, or did you take extra effect? That left me a little confused, but otherwise cool build. I'm tempted to start Dark Souls. 

  • Member
    December 25, 2017
    Each of items have two enchantments. It's not in the perk spread visual because that was a lvl 30 perk spread and not the final spread, but you can see in the text underneath the visual that I did indeed take extra effect. Sorry for any confusion!