Very cool build.  I love that the RP and gameplay aspects really mesh well with one another.  Often, RP-focused builds have come with a very restrictive set of "RP rules" that are arbitrary and self-imposed.  You've made a build that lets you play the game naturally while also having a very strong RP feel.  Liked!

Ah excellent. I will be taking this to the end of that DLC then. I thought spoiling Herma's fun by offing his powerful champion would be good fun for a Clever Man, and a good "main quest". 

I haven't made a bonehawk necklace either, but I read that you can shout Kynes Peace at the bonehawks circling above Castle Volkihar and they fall to the ground for collection. If this turns out not to be the case then meh.

I thought the Bear helm and Hawk necklace would fit the theme due to the ancient nordic pantheon consisting of animal worship. Kyne is the Hawk. I forget who the bear represents lol.

I play on adept as well, so probably wouldn't try to improve the helm, just enchant it with fortify magic to match the hood. I want a helm to wear while doing the Stormcloak missions. My RP fashion sense dictates this old man shouldn't face a front line without a proper helm heh.

Also, the links to the stories you've provided here.  Good finds man. I haven't read that little Ice Staff story in forever (funny Nord smut, but classy and epic, really). I'd never heard of the Seven Fights of Aldudagga, but I really think everyone should read it if they decided to play this.   

Yeah, I just ran across that stuff in the course of planning out this character.  Very entertaining!  I love how it stretches the idea of what we think of as "typical" Nordic culture, but seems to fit at the same time. 

Mountain farting isn't typical in Nord culture lol? The last story about painted cows, and Dagon impersonating a clever man, then being tricked by a little nord girl should've made it into a game book.

Well, I guess I'm all pumped up now to the point of needing to play. Soon as I burn out on writing more of my contest build today I'm gonna start it up. 

Thanks for ALL your builds man. +1 at life

Have fun, and glad you're enjoying 'em!

Thanks!  That's great to hear. 

I'm still far from getting Dead Thrall but I was wondering if you used any specific thralls or just went by the moment. I'm thinking of using some dremora right now, just to test something new.

I've been running a character like this. He's actually been my favourite playthrough. Funny, though - despite it stemming from the same idea, of a traditional, Nordic mage, my guy was pretty much a polar opposite to yours. I stayed away from Smithing and Enchanting, and instead brokered pacts with the Daedra for power, i.e. artifacts.

This is pretty much the perfect type of character for me - fits with the theme of the game, and explores the esoteric side of things, rather than rejecting everything but steel, as traditional warriors do. It was profoundly more satisfying to play through some of the more irrelevant side quests as this sort of character. I wasn't running errands for magic weapons so much as building relationships and consolidating my influence through the forces of Oblivion.

The only major quest chain I couldn't really justify completing was the Thieves Guild - and I suppose I could stretch things and claim I'm doing it to win over Nocturnal's influence. It'll be nice to have a character who can do all the quests and remain true to the build.

Not that I'll ever do that, I'm sure. Not when the New Game button is so tempting.

I didn't have any specific thralls in mind, no.  I just raised what was useful (or handy) at the time.  Bandit types, mostly. 

I *did* feel pretty badass when I raised that Dunmer you find in Folgunthur as part of the 'Forgotten Legend' quest, but he turned out to be pretty weak, only casting Flames.  Still, it was neat to raise him after finding his corpse lying there - you could imagine yourself raising him in order to interrogate him about the Gauldur Amulet. 

Yeah, there are so many new characters to try out... it's rare that my characters get as high as this one did! 

I do like it when you can RP these questlines with an unexpected angle.  I can *definitely* see a character like this going systematically through the Daedric quests, testing his wit and will against those demons and coming away with some unspeakable power - and a few new scars on his psyche.