The Claw of Azurah

"The Queen of Dawn and Dusk created us and we will serve her with loyalty. The ones who disrespect her are going to feel the unforgiving cold of the Dusk and the fearless warmth of the Dawn, for we are her Claw and she is our Queen."

Race: Khajiit
Level 30 Status Spread: 240/200/150
Stone: Ritual

"When Nirni is filled with her children, take one of them and change them. Make the fastest, cleverest, most beautiful people, and call them Khajiit."

Skills:

• Alteration, Light Armor.

"The Khajiit must be the best climbers, for if Masser and Secunda fail, they must climb Khenarthi's breath to set the moons back in their courses."

• Illusion, Speech, Sneak.

 "The Khajiit must be the best deceivers, for they must always hide their nature from the children of Ahnurr."

• Destruction, Restoration, Conjuration, One Handed.

"The Khajiit must be the best survivors, for Nirni will be jealous, and she will make the sands harsh and the forests unforgiving, and the Khajiit will always be hungry and at war with Nirni."

• Lockpicking, Pickpocket.

“You see the small figure of the Khajiit stealing the rings off the dead Wood Elf? His back is facing you, but he has a brown and orange striped tail like Cherim's. Cherim does not say that all stereotypes about the Khajiit are fair, but Cherim must sometimes acknowledge them.”

Essential Quests:

• (Thieves Guild) Dampened Spirits.
  This quest is essential to have a Fence in Whiterun, making the selling of stolen items easier.
• (College of Winterhold) First Lessons.
  This quest is essential to enter in the College, allowing you to train with the Teachers and buy Magical items.

 The Claw of Azurah is a Mage, or Priest, with the power to call upon the Dawn and Dusk. The Dawn is represented by the powers of Healing, Protection and Fire, while the Dusk is represented by the Illusion, Necromancy and the Frost.
 While many mages are only Scholars, the Claw of Azurah is an adept thief (Skilled in Sneak with skills in Lockpicking and Pickpocketing) and a reasonable warrior, capable of defending himself with his Claws or his Scimitar.
 Being a Khajiit, the Claw has a hatred for Dunmers, Argonians and Bosmers (With Dunmers at the top of the list). Collaborating with them is possible, but the Claw must win something from it or cheat them for personal pleasure.

• Destruction: Novice Destruction; Apprentice Destruction; Augmented Frost and Flames.
• Alteration: Novice Alteration; Apprentice Alteration.
• Illusion: Novice Illusion, Apprentice Illusion
• Restoration:  Novice Restoration, Apprentice Restoration.
• Conjuration:  Novice Conjuration; Apprentice Conjuration
• One Handed: Armsman 2/5.
• Light Armor: Agile Defender 2/5.
• Sneak: Stealth 3/5, Backstab, Muffled Movement.
• Lockpicking: Novice Locks.
• Pickpocket: Light Fingers 1/5
• Speech: Haggling 1/5, Bribery.

"The Claw is a master of the arts of Dusk and Dawn, but being a Khajiit grants him agility and claws that can save his life in bad moments. Using Destruction magic to overcome his foes may not be the best option, for his Magicka reserve is very limited when he is low level. And, because of that, the Claw must fight carefully preparing each move of his: Will he choose a Sneaky approach or a direct attack? Will he use Fire or Frost? Will he raise a minion to help?... The Claw can do many things, but it is your choice that will determine if you will die or survive..."

 The Claw is a easy character to equip, you can gather your initial armor in the very first level:

• Novice Hood.
  A simple hood found in the torture room, easy to find and grants you 30 Magicka.
• Fur Armor, Fur Boots.
  A nice set, you can find lots of Bandits with this armor. (The Full body variant is the best option for a nice looking combination)
• Gloves of the Pugilist.
  Grants you  10 damage when unarmed. Useful in low levels when you are using unarmed attacks Can be found in the Ratway. (Use unarmed till level 15)

 After some levels, better equipments can be used:

• Apprentice Hood.
  A simple hood that grants you 40 Magicka.
• Fur Armor, Fur Boots and Fur Gauntlets.
  The same armor set, but with the Fur Gauntlets (10 Armor Rating version)
• Scimitar.
  A very nice looking sword, Khajiits are proficient with this kind of Sword. Can be found near Solitude, in the Dainty Sload. (Best used with Armsman 2/5 and Backstab perks, that are best taken after level 15)

 And when high level enough, Glass Armor is the best option.

• Adept Hood.
  A hood that grants you 50 Magicka.
• Glass Armor, Glass Gauntlets, Glass Boots.
  An awesome set of Armor that appears in the Thalmor after level 36. The Adept Hood can be replaced by an Enchanted Glass Helmet, allowing you to take more Light Armor perks.

•  The Claw of Azurah is a Khajiit that follows Azurah, he must honor her in battles by using the powers of Dusk and Dawn.
   Dusk: Necromancy, Illusion (Except Frenzy and Fear spells), Frost Magic.
   Dawn: Restoration (Except Sun spells), Alteration (Except Equilibrium and Transmute), Fire Magic and Flaming Familiar.
• Avoid Windhelm, Solstheim and other places filled with Bosmers, Argonians or Dunmers.
• You can enter in corrupt cities whenever you want (Riften, Falkreath and Whiterun. You can bribe the Whiterun's guard to enter in the city).
• Morthal, Dawnstar and Solitude. You can only enter in these cities when it's night time.
• When in cities, steal small things like gems, rings and small coin purses.
• Help the Empire if you want to.
• Elsweyr Fondue is very helpful and Lore wise.

 Special thanks to Kyrielle, Henson, Ponty and any other one that I have bothered with my random ramblings about this build.

The Blood Mage

Every mage can feel the dark lure of blood magic. Originally learned from demons, these dark rites tap into the power of blood, converting life into Magicka and giving the mage command over the minds of others. Such power comes with a price, though; a blood mage must sacrifice his/her own health to fuel these abilities. 
 Mages of this type take the raw energy of life and twist it to their own purposes. They can corrupt and control, and sustain their power by consuming the health of others, willing or not. The effects can be vile, but this specialization isn't limited to madmen and monsters. Many see it as the only form of magic that is truly free, because it's tied to the physical, not favors to spirits or demons. It remains an undeniably violent and self-destructive discipline, however, the Blood Mage must be careful...
 The temptation to take just a little more is always there.

Level 26 Stats - 300/200/100

Sometimes, the Magicka ends... But you always have your blood, waiting to be used.
Mages are always looking for enchantments, to fortify their power or to increase their Magicka regeneration. Why? To cast more spells, of course.
Some different mages want those things, too... But, they use other source of power.
Their own Blood
In ancient times this power was used with more frequency, but time is treacherous, and with it, many things are lost. Some say that things lost with the time are meant to be forgotten, a wish of Akatosh.
Some things are meant to stay in the Labyrinthian.

Altmer
 Their Highborn power is a life saver. When you don't have any more Magicka and you can't use your Health, activate it.
 The 50 extra magicka is everything you need, with it, you can increase your health to 150 in the first 5 levels. Also, High Elves have the Fury spell.

     One Handed
 This kind of mage relies on the spell "Equilibrium", effectively increasing your magicka pool... But dangerously reducing your Health. That's why blood mages often practice the art of fighting with daggers.
 Daggers are deadly and especially fast. With this kind of blade you can use the Absorb Health enchantment with full potency.
 Level 26 - Armsman 2/5, Fighting Stance, Savage Strike.
 Level 51 - Armsman 3/5

     Illusion
 For many years blood mages have used this kind of magic, with its use they can manipulate their "friends" and foes like puppets and hide their powers from society... Or even control Jarls and Nobles without too much effort.
 In battle this kind of magic tends to be the most used, allowing to control foes from a safe distance.
 Level 26 - Novice Illusion, Apprentice Illusion, Adept Illusion, Illusion Dual Casting, Hypnotic Gaze, Animage, Kindred Mage, Quiet Casting.
Level 51 - Master Illusion, Aspect of Terror, Rage.

     Conjuration Blood mages can control the blood of enemies when they are alive... or dead. Reanimating their corpses can win the fight for you, most persons cannot kill the people they care, even when they are dead.
 Still, blood mages can make pacts with Daedric Lords (especially Molag Bal) or the Ideal Masters. These pacts can grant them extremely powerful dremoras, fire atronachs and undead minions.
 Level 26 - Novice Conjuration, Apprentice Conjuration, Adept Conjuration, Necromancy.
Level 51 - Expert Conjuration, Dark Souls, Twin Souls.

      Destruction
 Killing foes with icicles and lightning bolts may be not the best option in a long fight, but when the foe is weak, this kind of power is very useful.
 Blood mages may prefer to invest in others kinds of magic, but some of them are intelligent enough to learn basic spells. And intelligence is what makes a blood mage survive.
 Level 26 - Novice Destruction, Apprentice Destruction.
 Level 51 - Adept Destruction, Dual Casting, Impact,  Augmented Frost 2/2, Deep Freeze.

     Enchanting
 Blood mages are good enough with daggers, but they can always be better. With enchanting blood mages can create Blood-Absorbing Daggers, allowing them to tap into their blood for more time. These Daggers, often enchanted with a Black Soul, are called "Blood Daggers". Blood Daggers are a blood mage's best friend, they use them in rituals of sacrifice and common battles. 
 They use armors and jewelry that fortify they Health or their Healing rate, increasing their amount of blood available.
 Level 26 - Enchanter 3/5, Insightful Enchanter.
 Level 51 - Enchanter 5/5, Corpus Enchanter, Fire Enchanter, Frost Enchanter, Extra Effect.

     Light Armor
 Everyone needs protection, especially this kind of mage. A cut from a random sword can potentially decrease their amount of blood to be used, reducing their power.
 A good blood mage knows how to use Light Armors, they don't weigh too much and are comfortable, allowing them to dodge most attacks.
 Level 26 - Agile Defender 1/5.
 Level 51 - Agile Defender 3/5.

     Speech
 Even blood mages need to make "friends", be a noble or peasant. With friends, you can hide easily and avoid creating suspicion about you.
 Still, being influential in some cities can be rather beneficial.
 Level 26 - Haggling 2/5
 Level 51 - Haggling 3/5, Bribery, Persuasion.

• Blood Mage's Armor (Fortify Healing Rate)
       "Worn by an ancient blood mage, there is an almost electric power in this armor. Potent blood magic enchantments protect its wearer and enhance the blood mage's abilities."
• Maleficarum's Boots (Resist Fire)
        "These boots were worn by a blood mage that was never caught. When he died of old age he left the boots to his daughter. She shoved it in the attic."
• Maleficarum's Gauntlets (Fortify Magicka)
       "Embroidered with Daedric symbols of the occult,  it was recovered in Cyrodiil, amid the dusty bones of it's previous owner. Ancient bloodstains on the item are a grisly reminder of why certain magics are forbidden."

• Circlet of  Sacrifice (Fortify Destruction)
       "An ancient and powerful circlet with a sad story, it is said that was being used by a mage while he was sacrificing his lover"
• Blood Ring (Fortify Health )
       "Images of dragons adorn this ring. Anyone who wears it gets the nagging sensation that someone is whispering nearby, just a little too softly to make out."
• Lifedrinker (Fortify Health)
       "The emblem of the Imperium decorates this ancient golden torc. It is studded with garnets the color of dried blood, and feels bitter cold to the touch."
• Blood Dagger (Absorb Health )
       "Any mage can sense the undeniable power of this dagger, but also corruption that infuses it, as if infected by the essence of the Blood Magic itself. The surface is slick, as if coated with a foul oil that will never quite come clean, making it all the more unnerving to wield."

 
     The Blood Mage is a glass cannon: You can deal a great amount of damage (and misdirection with illusion), but your health is finite. Surprisingly, health potions are cheaper than magicka potions, allowing you to use health potions and equilibrium together creating a "magicka potion"
     Equilibrium can kill you (and will) if you lose your concentration, always tag a Health Potion. You don't need to have equilibrium at lower levels because  in the first 15 levels you are going to spend points in magicka. (You are going to do the Mages College quest line at level 20.)

     When using Equilibrium remember to save 25% of your health bar.

     Followers may be used (but I don't recommend), you can use them as "health slaves", hitting them 2~3 times with your Blood Dagger, allowing you to use equilibrium for more time.

     As a Blood Mage, you must avoid restoration spells (Game-breaking).
     In combat, always use a spell in the left hand and your blood dagger in the right hand, so you can switch your spells easily. Illusion spells cots lots and lots of magicka, only use high-level illusion spells in critical circumstances.
     Destruction spells are "ok", but they can save your life if you know how to use them:

• Novice spells in close combat.
• Apprentice in ranged combat.
• Frost magic against "two-handed" warriors.
• Shock against and Mages.
• Fire is a big no-no!

     Necromancy + Fury Spell is the best way to damage enemies, cast a fury spell to create fresh corpses and raise them. If you have Soul Cairn summons or a Dremora, cast a fear spell and summon one of them.     Marked for Death and Soul Tear, two shouts that you must learn soon as possible. With them you can create nasty combos like: MfD + Fear, Calm + Soul Tear, MfD + Blood Dagger, etc... (These combos are powerful, keep them in mind.

     Vampirism: With vampirism you gain a nasty illusion boost and the spell Vampiric Drain + Vampire Lord Form. With Vampiric Drain (+ "Blood of the Ancients" ability) you can absorb health/Stamina/Magicka  from enemies when you are in "ranged mode". The weakness to fire is a real problem, and you need to avoid the use of Equilibrium when fighting "fire" enemies.     Ring of Namira: +50 Health and health regeneration when you feed on corpses.

Blood Magic
The caster sacrifices health to power spells.
Requires: Equilibrium.
(Use Equilibrium when your magicka is low.)

Blood Wound
The blood of all hostile targets in the area boils within their veins, inflicting severe damage and reducing armor.
Requires:  Marked for Death + Rout.
                      (Use the MfD first and then cast Fear, giving you time to back up and prepare to fight again. And when the fear effect ends, the enemy will have less health pool and defense)

Blood Nightmare
Hostile targets are unwittingly trapped in a real nightmare, attacking anything nearby and being raised as zombies when dead.
Requires: Frenzy + Necromancy Spell
                      (This one is fun. When you are fighting a large group of enemies use the spell Frenzy or Hysteria. When they are fighting under the frenzy effect, reanimate the ones that are dead. With this combo you can cause nasty damage to foes and win battles without effort)

~ Thank you for reading >3