The Elder Scrolls Online: Elsweyr

Earlier this year, ZeniMax Online Studios and Bethesda Softworks brought us the Wrathstone DLC. This kicked off their year-long Season of the Dragon event. Players were challenged with completing two new dungeons. Completing a dungeon rewarded the player with one half of the Wrathstone. Upon reuniting the pieces of the Wrathstone, Abnur Tharn, an imperial battlemage, released dragons into Elsweyr.

In the Elsweyr chapter expansion for The Elder Scrolls Online, players are presented with a plethora of new content. Players get to explore the gorgeous land that is Elsweyr and may do so from level 1. The expansion adds a new tutorial questline that takes place in Elsweyr. Even veteran players may wish to start a new game because now there is now a new playable class.

The expansion brings the Necromancer class to The Elder Scrolls Online. Players can take control of the undead in a multitude of ways; they are not limited to one playstyle. The Necromancer class allows players to act as a healer, tank, or DPS.

Take a look at Elsweyr in the phenomenal cinematic E3 trailer:

 

The Environment

I said it before when we saw the Murkmire expansion come to The Elder Scrolls Online and I will say it again here: the game is gorgeous. Everything looks fantastic, the characters and their culture is rich, and the sound design is wonderful. The Elsweyr expansion brings a new zone for players to explore, full of wonder and intrigue.

If you start from zero when going into Elsweyr, you are greeted with a completely new tutorial segment. Players wake up in the Star Haven Adeptorium. They informed that they survived a dragon attack and were brought here to recover. As the player moves through the adeptorium, it becomes evident that this zone is quite unique.

The player is brought out into a courtyard where the Grand Adept asks the player to spar with them. He states that this is the best way for him to see that they have recovered. And he hasn’t sparred in a while. The influence of Eastern culture (from our world, not necessarily theirs) is apparent as soon as the player steps into the courtyard. It feels like one large zen garden, with much of it resembling a rock garden with raked patterns in the sand.

I was so excited when I saw this for the first time because it felt so unique from any other zone in The Elder Scrolls Online. Most of the other zones made me feel as if we were playing in a European setting. When Murkmire came out with its South American inspired zone, I was excited. Elsweyr’s design made me ecstatic. The environmental design makes the Khajiit culture feel so alive.

The Khajiit

The Khajiit were pretty much my go-to race ever since I picked up Skyrim. I was always in for playing a rogue type character. The Khajiit, with their racial abilities, always seemed like a logical choice. The Elsweyr expansion brings the Khajiit into an entirely new light.

The adeptorium in the tutorial was full of peaceful Khajiit that made sure the player recovered from a dragon attack no matter their race. When the adeptorium falls under siege by the Euraxians, followers of the Usurper Queen Euraxia, most of the adepts must flee and only a few are ready to engage in combat. Those who do fight do so with such power that it is apparent that they completely believe in defending what they believe. This seems to be a defining trait of the Khajiit.

Of all the Khajiit I encountered, the best is probably Khamira. ***Spoilers for the rest of the paragraph*** Khamira is introduced in Elsweyr when you speak with Abnur Tharn, the battlemage who released the dragons. He asks for your help to fight back the dragons and help liberate the Khajiit from the rule of his half-sister Euraxia. Khamira is wary of Tharn, and you can’t really blame her. He did release dragons into Elsweyr. It is revealed later that Khamira is actually the rightful heir to the throne, and has been in hiding after Euraxia took control. Even though she is royalty, she is no less of a badass (she is the one in the trailer above) and is willing to fight to free her people from Euraxia and the dragons.

One thing that I was not prepared for was how many different types of Khajiit there are. I first noticed in Riverhold when a Khajiit towered over my character. Only later did I realize that Khajiit are not limited to the bipedal felines of Elsweyr. In a tavern in Riverhold, there is a quadripedal Kahjiit to whom you can speak. Until this point, I was under the impression that all quadripedal felines were not sentient in the way the bipedal ones were. This was absolutely eye-opening, though, it didn’t make the ones that resemble house cats any less adorable.

The Dragons

These aren’t you 2011 Skyrim dragons, nor are you the Dragonborn. The dragons in Elsweyr pose so much more of a threat, and you better make sure that you are prepared. These dragons believe that Elsweyr is theirs, and will make sure nobody is in the way to stop them.

The first time the player gets to see a dragon up close and personal is in the tutorial. The dragon is brought down by a horn the player blows that grounds them for a bit. A couple of the adepts and the player go to confront the dragon while it is grounded. It becomes rapidly apparent that the player is not yet ready to kill a dragon. The dragon is called away by a voice on the wind, and honestly, that was a lucky break. For the player and adeptorium alike.

***This paragraph contains spoilers*** As the player progresses it becomes clear that Euraxia controls the dragons. After the player and Tharn make a failed attempt at peace with Euraxia, they realize that they must prepare for the inevitable battle. Tharn sends the player out to take down a source of necromantic power in the hope that it will help level the playing field (Euraxia employs many necromancers, more on that below). When the player succeeds, a dragon – Mulaamnir – tells the player that Euraxia is actually their puppet and the dragons are the true rulers of Elsweyr. Hearing a dragon speak in a common language caught me off guard, but it gave me chills.

The first “real” fight with the dragon is not an easy one. In fact, the fight is more like a dance. The player must dance around the dragon and make deft strikes between the dragon’s attacks. The dragon will use everything it has in an attempt to stop the player. Fire and tail attacks are par for the course when fighting a giant fire breathing lizard. However, there was one attack that I did not expect to be used against me.

Fus.

Ro.

Dah.

It is a shout from Skyrim that almost everyone is familiar with. However, it isn’t very nice to be on the receiving end of said shout. Though, it made me giddy to hear it. Elsweyr felt more like an expanded part of a bigger universe. It was incredible. It also killed my character. Remember kids, as awesome as dragon fights are, make sure you don’t stop moving.

 

The Necromancer

I was never a big fan of caster classes, but I had a great time with the Necromancer class. This class lets the player take control of the undead, but does not limit them to a particular playstyle. The Necromancer lets players decide if they want to play as healer, tank, or DPS. This freedom from a new class makes it much more accessible to newer players of The Elder Scrolls Online or even to a new role.

As fun as this class is to play, there is one thing to watch out for. When you select this class, a warning comes up. Some of the powers of the Necromancer are illegal in some places. Casting spells in certain towns means trouble for the player. People aren’t super fond of the dark-magic wielding class. And rightfully so.

In Elsweyr, the player encounters many enemies of this class. They are all under the employ of the Usurper Queen Euraxia and are terrorizing the Khajiit. For most Khajiit, the connection between necromancer and enemy is already deep-seated. This becomes apparent in some dialogue options that are only available to those playing as Necromancers.

If you want to try out a new in your party or even a caster class, I would recommend trying out the Necromancer class. Necromancers are unique in their abilities, and playing with dark magic is always fun. As your progress, your abilities can morph into stronger versions. These morphs change the ability in some way, but will always benefit the player.

After spending some time with this class, I can say that it is, without a doubt, my new favorite class.

The Elder Scrolls Online: Elswyer is now available on PC, Xbox, and PlayStation.