Follower of Azura Class

Sigourney_Frost

Hi all. Would someone help me choose the right class for a Dunmer that follows Azura? I also want to make him a Vampire. i was thinking of Making a Nightblade with some Psijic spells. I want to be Magicka too. I can't wait to see what you all come up with! Thank you in advance.

Aigym_Hlervu

Sigourney_Frost wrote: »

Hi all. Would someone help me choose the right class for a Dunmer that follows Azura? I also want to make him a Vampire. i was thinking of Making a Nightblade with some Psijic spells. I want to be Magicka too. I can't wait to see what you all come up with! Thank you in advance.

Hello, OP. What type of education do you need to have in order to follow the commands of your god ? This is a type of question you have asked actually.

Anyway, here is what I think on that:
Preferable faction: the Ashlanders (that Clanfriend title you can acquire living with them);
Preferable classes: Warden, Nightblade, Dragon Knight, Sorcerer;
Restrictions: no to necromancy, no to vampirism, no to templar class.

These are only preferences, not the requirements of the lore. Also keep in mind, we are not just commoners there, we are Heroes of an Elder Scroll, so we can be anyone of any class and affiliation. Moreover, as I've mentioned above, you don't need to be an ashlander or be of any specific class to express your beliefs, to perform certain rites of Daedric communion. Remember those Daedric cultists are of various classes. If you feel those preferences suit you, then read below for a more detailed information on my opinion I've stated above.

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First, we have to define what a character class is. As I've written my opinion on it earlier, the Sorcerer, Nightblade, Dragon Knight, etc. are neither classes nor estates and not even professions. A character's class is a predefined complex of skills and knowledge, a result of a particular course of study which grants a character the ability to perform certain functions within the social division of labour in any system so that a character may specialize. In other words, a character class is what we call a type of education IRL.

Secondly, a Dunmeri follower of Azura might be an ashlander since the majority of the House Dunmer are the Tribunal worshippers while the ashlanders worship the Three Good Daedra, those whom we call the Anticipations, with Azura among them. So you might also want to use that Ashlanders Crafting Motif 48: Ashlander Style. But you can also be like any other Dunmer like those Dissident Priests, or the Telvanni. The game allows us to become a Dres who are known to be the most conservative of all the Great Houses, so it is up to you to decide. Even the Tribunal priests still revere Azura, though she herself calls Vivec an arrogant impostor and murderer - that depends on how are you going to "follow" Azura. The Daedric Rites, the ways of worship and Azura's features different worshippers endue Azura with - this is what differs the Khajiiti, the House Dunmeri, the Breton, the Ashlander's and etc. Azura's worshippers from each other.

Thirdly, regarding the most appropriate education. Almost any class. If you choose to be an ashlanders' Clanfriend, thus almost an ashlander, you can be a Nightblade. Ashlanders also do have shamans among them, so they can be Sorcerers. But keep in mind that the majority of the ashlanders fear sorcerers like those ones of House Telvanni. Ashlanders also live in the wilds and thus are perfectly fit to use those Warden skills they could acquire living in the Ashlands that alow them to use Cliff racers, shalks, fetcherflies, netches. The ashlanders can also be Dragon Knights since those skills are taught by the former Dragonguard soldiers in spite of the student's race, religion, etc.

Fourthly, I think they are not fit to be Templars, Necromancers and especially Vampires. Templars use Aedric magic, though it does not contradict anything much (e.g. the Ancestor Guardian in TES III is likewise some sort of an aedric spell, so what?..), I think the templar's skills fit more some Stendarr's cults' needs then those of a Daedric one. Necromancers and vampires are hated throughout Tamriel, especially in Morrowind. You want to be an outcast?.. Only the Telvanni are tolerant to them. For any Dunmer it is blasphemy to raise a dead Dunmer, but it is fine to raise a corpse of a non-dunmer being. Though as far as I remember, Azura was allied with Molag Bal in TES II, she has never been fond of those abominations and foul wizards.

TheNuminous1

You could be a khajiiti necromancer that worships azurah. A priest/ess of the hidden moon.

RaddlemanNumber7

From a lore perspective, if it was me doing this...

I think Necromancer is the best class choice. One of Azura's most prominent followers in the game is Vastare, who is a necromancer. In Elsweyr we learned that Azura can act as a psychopomp for Khajiit, and she seems to have some access to the realms of Aetherius used by Khajiit souls. Azura may have had the same relationship with the Chimer of old (like Nerevar), and she clearly has no trouble collecting up the souls of dead false incarnates.

Necro fits very well with Dark Elf culture too. It is normal, polite behaviour among Dark Elves to raise the spirits of dead ancestors for post-mortem communication. There are lots of Dunmer necromancers in the Pact military. In other TES games summoning ancestral spirits for combat was the standard Dark Elf racial ability. And in the future Dark Elves will eventually use their dead ancestors' souls to build the ghost wall.

Keeping in mind that Azura is all about love, the only restriction I'd place on an Azura-following Necromancer would be to avoid using the Colossus and Goliath ultimates. They seem more the kind of things a consciously evil necro would use. I don't see any problem with the other undead summons though, they don't have to be seen as coercive.

My second choice for class would be NB. Azura is "keeper of all gates and keys, all rims and thresholds". This fits well with the shadow magic, and with the liminal and transliminal descriptions of NB skills in lore.

I wouldn't choose Sorc, despite the winged twilight, because nothing else a Sorc has seems to fit well with Azura or her realm. I would consider Warden but only if it was for a Bosmer or Khajiit. Not Templar or DK as they just don't seem to fit at all.

Don't see much linkage between Azura and Psijiic skills, despite the fact that Azura is associated with some aspects of mysticism. Time manipulation spells don't look a good fit. Meditation and healing might feel OK though.

Vampire is problematic, especially with the Update 26 changes incoming. Azura doesn't seem to favour any vampires. I would only consider playing this as an ethical vampire (like House Ravenwatch). I'd stay at stage 1 always, and only for the cosmetic effects. Even then the new Vampire penalties may be too much to bear. Being an NB might help with simulating vampirism as some of the NB active skills are very similar to the new Vampire active skills.

Aigym_Hlervu

RaddlemanNumber7 wrote: »

Necro fits very well with Dark Elf culture too. It is normal, polite behaviour among Dark Elves to raise the spirits of dead ancestors for post-mortem communication. There are lots of Dunmer necromancers in the Pact military. In other TES games summoning ancestral spirits for combat was the standard Dark Elf racial ability. And in the future Dark Elves will eventually use their dead ancestors' souls to build the ghost wall.

You're not a Dunmer, yes?.. If you were a Dunmer you wouldn't have written that blasphemy. A typical human delusion and anti-dunmeri propaganda. There is a big difference between forcing a mer's corpse to get back to "life" and the ancestral rites of communion we perform - the will of the ones you call back from the otherworld. Our Dunmeri Pact military necromancers raise animals only. The western necromancy is mostly about raising the dead sentient beings in spite of their will - those practices are a pure abomination in Morrowind. Here are some excerpts from a guide for foreign visitors to Morrowind I leave here to those who wouldn't like to follow that typical human races' propaganda you've written.

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"...as a sign of great honor and sacrifice, an ancestor may grant that part of his remains be retained to serve as part of a ghost fence protecting the clan's shrine and family precincts. Such an arrangement is often part of the family member's will, that a knucklebone shall be saved out of his remains and incorporated with solemn magic and ceremony into a clan ghost fence."

"The Great Ghost Fence created by the Tribunal to hold back the Blight incorporates the bones of many heroes of the Temple and of the Houses Indoril and Redoran who dedicated their spirits to the Temple and Clan as their surrogate families."

"Spirits do not like to visit the mortal world, and they do so only out of duty and obligation."

"The human populations of Tamriel associate Dunmeri ancestor worship and spirit magic with necromancy; ... This is generally an ignorant misconception, for necromancy outside the acceptable clan rituals is a most abhorrent abomination in the eyes of the Dunmer.

The Dark Elves would never think of practicing sorcerous necromancy upon any Dark Elf or upon the remains of any Elf. However, Dark Elves consider the human and orcish races to be little more than animals. There is no injunction against necromancy upon such remains, or on the remains of any animal, bird, or insect."

"The Telvanni are adept masters of necromancy. They do not, however, practice necromancy upon the remains of Dark Elves. Sane Telvanni regard such practices with loathing and righteous anger. They do practice necromancy upon the remains of animals and upon the remains of Humans, Orcs, and Argonians -- who are technically no more than animals in Morrowind."

- Ancestors and the Dunmer

"...the Arts of Necromancy are only illegal in the province of Morrowind..."

"In Morrowind, the outlawing of Necromancy would make its practice impossible were it not for the fortunate institution of slavery. While the Temple will investigate obvious signs of Necromancy such as hastily emptied graves or ash stolen from one of their ashpits, a careful and discrete Necromancer can thrive in Morrowind by taking slaves at a modest rate. Most will assume the slave escaped or died in the Ashlands."

- On the Preparation of the Corpse

noblecron

Sorc. The Twilight is Azura's prefered daedra. However, Templar would also work

Ajaxandriel

Sorcerer mainly

Sane sorcerers (that are the playable ones by default) deal with "good" Daedra so mostly with Azura.

Sinlar

If you find yourself knocking around Northern and Southern Elsweyr.
This one suggests that looking into the old Khajiiti religious mythology regarding Azurah may be of benefit.
It tells a considerably different tale.

TheShadowScout

Sigourney_Frost wrote: »

Hi all. Would someone help me choose the right class for a Dunmer that follows Azura? I also want to make him a Vampire...

...and that's your first problem, since Azura doesn't like vampires much, and vampires kinda swear off both daedra and aedra.
If you really want to keep to the lore, you may want to seperate those things and make one decent azura follower, and one evil bloodsucking fiend...

The "best" for an "azura follower" dunmer would be a magica sorceror for the winged twilight and daedric magics, with loads of mage guild and psijic skills to spice things up.
Possibly with an "ashlander" background, tho you can also be a secretly "heretical" house dunmer... (There is always the "ashlander ancestors/childhood friend/etc." shtick to explain where you learned about azura after all)

Sigourney_Frost wrote: »

...I also want to make him a Vampire. i was thinking of Making a Nightblade with some Psijic spells...

Vampire and magica nightblade meshes -very- well!
Psijic and Vampire... not so much. Just sayin.

RaddlemanNumber7 wrote: »

Necro fits very well with Dark Elf culture too...

As has been posted, actually no.
Ancestor ghosts are not raised by necromancy, they come on their own to see how their families are doing. And necromancy is rather frowned upon in dunmer lands -exactly- because of that, as it enslaves spirits that ought to be honored instead. This is displayed in -several- quest stories, actually... heck, the daedra most associated with necromancy IS part of the "house of troubles" in dunmeri mythology, so...

In fact, even the most powerful dunmeri sorcerors will feel insulted if you imply they cast necromancy spells!
https://www.imperial-library.info/content/sorcery-not-necromancy

noblecron wrote: »

However, Templar would also work

Ehhh... I would say that one is more for followers of the divines - or meridia of course.

VaranisArano

Depending on your interpretation of Azura's quest in Oblivion, she may not be a fan of vampires. https://elderscrolls.fandom.com/wiki/Azura_(Quest)

As mentioned, Sorcs can summon a twilight, which is a daedra associated with Azura.

Dunmer also do a fair bit of necromancy, either of the "appealing to my ancestors totally ISN'T necromancy even though I'm summoning ghosts" or the "if it's human or beast-folk remains, it's fair game" type of necromancy.
So calling on an ancestor spirit to aid you in battle or raising non-mer spirits and bodies to fight is appropriate for a Dunmer given the lore and gameplay in past TES games.