So after having played through the Dragonborn DLC for Skyrim, I've decided I need a challenge aside from just upping the game difficulty. Having played virtually every racial archetype character, from the Khajiit master thief, to something far less subtle as the Nord barbarian wearing Nordic Carved Armor with a warhammer, rushing in and somehow, magically beheading my foes.

What I'm looking to do now is a bit more on the RP side of things. I want to make a Skaal shaman like the ones found in Skaal Village on Solsthime. Problem is, you don't get to see much of what they can actually do aside from cast armor spells and fight in melee with heavy armor and apparently dual wield one handed weapons. So this is where all of you come in. I want your advice on what skill trees to level up, to make myself a Skaald Shaman.

Use Spider Scrolls. Lots of them. And All-Maker Powers. Definitely don't do any quests for Herma-Mora. Alteration is a must, and Restoration. Maybe a bit of conjuration and average destruction.

A Nord magic user that rejects Daedric powers and the Imperial Divines and holds nature to be sacred, especially wolves and bears.

Which kinda means..
No Daedric Artifacts, no Lycanthropy or Vampirism and no Shrines or Divines.

and why is that?

Never mind. I got my lore confused.

Illusion is needed to allow the character to avoid uneccessary killing of Animals.

If they attack you I wouldn't say it's unnecessary. Just make sure you use the pelts and take the meat.