I want to make a character for the main if not sole purpose of exploring Dwemer ruins, collecting the artifacts, weapons and armor, and doing anything else associated with the Dwemer. What type of character do you think would be best suited for this (race, skill set)? I would think Imperial, Altmer, Dunmer and Breton would be the most likely. As far as skills, I'm thinking heavy armor, 1h or 2h, smithing (just for Dwarven) and enchanting, with some supplementary magic.

Any ideas as to how to roleplay this type of character?

I believe the race should be whatever you feel most intrigued by. As far as the Dwemer go I would role play an avid researcher and collector of Dwemer artifacts. You could also be in competition with that bloak from Markarth.

Sounds like you want to make Indiana Jones.

I'd say sneak and light armour as you need to be quick and silent, maybe Illusion magic also.

As far as RP you could be a hired treasure hunter and you don't know your employers. Maybe the Thalmor hired you and when you find out you take it upon your self to kill them all.

EDIT: OOPS, DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED THERE

I am doing an Altmer scholar that has come to skyrim to study the Dwemer and investigate the disapearence of both them and the SNow Elves.

Curiousity comes in every race, but Imerial's have the chance of increased gold, make good battlemages or warriors. But any race is cool. An Orc scolar would be kick @$$.

That said my Breton is a mage/scolar whose parent's specalized in Ayleid culture, but had found some Dwemer artifact's which intrigued him, So he came to Skyrim to both study magic at the college and explore the many Dwemer ruin's.

That's how I'm playing it anyway... will have a follower, Probably Argis once I get to the point of exploreing the ruin's.

This.

Also I'd join the college and get access to their library.

Any race will work, but Dunmer, Nords, Redgaurds, and Bretons come from areas where Dwemer ruins actually exist. There are a few mods if you are on a PC that can enhance the experience, like a Dwemer ruin as a player home, or the ability to consruct your own animicula as followers.
I have a character that is obsessed with the Dwemer, but only wears armor found as loot from inside Dwemer ruins. Scavenging metal and turning it into ingots is a way to make money in this game, if you want to RP a smuggler/looter.

Orcs are to dumb to even know what a scholar looks like. They'd just eat them. I hate that they are part of the Mer family.

That's why it would be amazing, like that Gremlin in Gremlins 2, the one that can speak.

My upcoming Altmer is going to be a Mage and a Scholar. I will read any books I come across, even if I have read them already. Besides mastering the arcane, Lerondil's goal will be to obtain as many Daedric and Dwemer artifacts as he can come across. Eventually, he will start his own personal library in his house at either Markarth or Solitude.

In my opinion the best Scholar-type character would be either an Imperial or High Elf, and they would most likely be a mage, battle mage, or spell sword.

Only the tribal ones.

What about Urag gro-Shub? You can't discount him, he's an Orc scholar, albeit a glorified librarian. From what people have said I would reccommend an Orc, male or female, with light armour, sneak and illusion.

Good luck, have fun!

That's one of the reason's I decided on a mage/scholar.

RE: the OP, I have a Dunmer nightblade, who is presently devoting himself to the study of the Dwemer. The worlds foremost expert on the Dwemer is Divayth Fyr. Look him up. That might give you some inspiration.

I actually laughed out loud and my whole office looked at me oddly.

I remember him from Morrowind. Thanks for the tip, I'll check out uesp.
I made an Imperial with this concept in mind, but I might go in another direction with him.
Cool to hear that others have made characters for studying the Dwemer.

I actually made the character first, and then as I was playing him and trying to decide what direction he wanted to go in life, I stumbled upon Marketh and decided the feel of that City really matched up well with my Dunmer. Then, surrounded by Dwemer artifacts in a City built on a Dwemer ruin, it hit me that my character should devote his long life to studying the Dwemer in an effort to unlock some secret arcane power to advance his agenda of establishing a reborn House Telvanni in Skyrim.

I have never read enough books cause late at night when I play I cannot focus enough to read more than a few pages and some of those books are pretty long. It is also overwhelming because there are so many books in the game. Now, when I find a book, I skim it. If it references the Dwemer, I take it home and read it carefully, put it on the shelf and keep it. Playing this way, I actually read and understand a lot more books than I did before where it was just sort of randomn which books I read.

I hear you on not always being able to focus on reading the books. I too find it helps to select certain ones based on what type of character I am playing.

altmer and imperials seem to have a fasination with the dwemer so i would suggest making your character one of those and usually the advanced in age are the ones who take an interest in the dwemer so make your character slightly old or middle aged.and scholars of the dwemer are almost invariably mages.

That is actually a very cool idea for a character. Threads like this makes me want to start a new character and roleplay a cool backstory and goal, and ignore most of the quests that won't do the character any good... I already have ideas bubbling in my mind.

Granted, my Orc warrior is after power and making a name for himself, but playing him is not as immersive since he doesn't really have a detalied backstory or a specific goal other than becoming powerful. I've started playing in my mind with the thought that he's determined to become so powerful he may start uniting the Orc tribes and strongholds, but his story is sort of something that has been made up as I played.

Love your idea. Markarath is also a great place for such a character, full of Dwemer architecture, and you can study it without fear of being stabbed in the back by pesky Falmer...

It makes the game so much more fun. I have one for each race. See links below.

It's a good excuse to explore all the Dwemer ruin's. Which is why I started my mage/scholar. Other than the nessasary I didn't explore Blackreach at all, that way my mage/scholar could do it.

Do whichever race that interests you most, but a Breton or Altmer seems most appropriate, being the most intellectually gifted of the races.

If you plan on exploring Dwemer ruins you need two thing; heavy armor and two-handed weapons. As for the race, it really doesn't matter. You don't need "classic" races for each type of character (khajiit thief, bosmer archer, nord warrior etc). I for one am currently playing an orc priest of Kynareth. Go figure.