Vigilant of Stendarr characterization

[NeoLithrac]

I'm about to finish the game with my main character, and I'm looking for ways to replay parts of the game with a selected role. One I'd be tempted to try would be a Vigilant of Stendarr, even though there's little support faction-wise for now. I'm trying to figure out how to build that character and its role, and would warmly welcome any input for this little project.

 

Race: With their natural resilience to magic, I think Breton would be one of the best races for the Vigilants to recruit to fight the Daedra. Nord would also be a solid choice, and relevant with the setting (as far as I can remember, most Vigilants in the game are Nords). It also appears that Stendarr was a Nord before becoming one of the Divines. Imperial could be another choice since Stendarr is the patron deity of the legion (source).

 

Goals: "The Vigilants of Stendarr are an order of holy warriors found across Skyrim who are dedicated to eliminating Daedra and any other 'abominations' (such as vampires, werewolves and witches), whom they fight in the name of the divine Stendarr." (source)

 

That would have course imply refusing Daedric quests. This could be a problem because while some quests can be outright refused with dialogue options, some other quests can't end well (the House of Horror comes to mind, for obvious reasons). A mod might be required to give such quests a better outcome possible. That being said, how about the "less evil" daedra princes, such as Meridia or Azura?

 

I can also fairly well imagine this character doing quests for Stendarr's fellow divines. Vaermina/Mara's quest is perfect for a Vigilant, for instance.

 

It would also forbid Companions' quests, at least after discovering the true nature of the inner circle. I don't know if someone can "quit" the faction after this revelation, or if it's possible to slaughter them. Again, a mod to "tweak" this part might be needed.

 

Thief guild or Dark Brotherhood quest lines seem out of place for such a character. The civil war quest line doesn't seem to fit very well either.

 

Build: That's the part I'm most unsure about. Vigilants of Stendarr seem to wear robes, one-handed maces and destruction magic, but the Amulet of Stendarr favors the use of a shield. Hence, I'm tempted to focus on block (with a heavy shield), one handed, alteration, restoration, destruction. Would any other skill make sense for a Vigilant? What about perks? Any advice would be great.