The Elder Scrolls Online allows players to explore the world of Tamriel however they choose. I started with the Aldmeri Dominion faction as a Nightblade in this playthrough. Now that I have completed the first faction and my exploration of Coldharbour, it’s time to move on to a new adventure. This short exploration of Bleakrock Isle and Bal Foyen will give an overview of the environments and some of the challenges players will encounter in the Ebonheart Pack’s starting areas.
Bleakrock Isle
Jumping into random portals seems to have a theme, at least for me. After having tired of my adventures in Coldharbour, I was looking for a way back to Tamriel. I finally found a portal home and was promptly dumped into freezing water off the coast of Bleakrock Isle. Located northwest of Morrowind, this island is mainly home to wolves, squirrels, skeevers, spiders, and bears.
Bleakrock is cold and barren. After my unexpected arrival, I was quickly fished out of the sea by members of the local Ebonheart Pack garrison stationed on the island. Captain Rana leads the small group of soldiers and helps to protect the few residents of Bleakrock Village. Her primary task is to watch for invaders.
The island does have a few locations that may be of interest to some travelers. On the east side is Skyshoud Barrow. This burial ground is said to be an ancient Dragon Shrine. Recent reports from locals have spotted unfamiliar figures in the area. With my luck and past experiences concerning the Cult of the Worm, it will likely end up being necromancers if I were to have a look. Thankfully, Captain Rana has scouts dispatched to watch the area.
Anyone looking for a fight might have some luck finding one farther north of the barrow. It’s a typical spot to find bandits and other brigands. While I was out exploring, I did spot a group encamped in this area. One of the locals told me that they were likely members of a group called the Frostedge Bandits. This specific group of bandits is also lurking on the west side of Bleakrock Isle. The bandits recently seized some old mining shacks and drove away any locals that were nearby. They seem to be searching the old mine nearby day and night. One rather interesting rumor has it that the original miners were Daedric cultists.
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To the north of the mining shacks is a hunter’s camp set up by the Fighter’s guild. If you run into trouble or are looking for help dealing with some of the bandits, it may be worth checking in with any guild members present. Just be warned that the area is overrun. The local Frostbite spiders like to grab their prey and cocoon anything man-size or smaller for later.
Between a small fishing camp, a picturesque shrine, and the lairs of a few dangerous beasts, there isn't much else of interest on the island. Ahh yes, I should also mention an ice cave to the north of the village known as Orkay’s Hallow. Local superstition says that a Frozen Man haunts the cave and that those who venture inside never return. These stories have been spread around the island for about ten years now, and when I had a quick look around the area, I could have sworn someone was watching me. But that could have been some of the locals having fun. Most villagers wander the island often, looking for ways to occupy their time. Can’t say I blame them. Bleakrock Isle is aptly named.
Bal Foyen
As soon as I had fully recovered and a ship was available, I left Bleakrock Isle for the mainland and arrived in Bal Foyen. While I planned to travel directly to Stonefalls and the city of Davon’s Watch, ongoing battles between the Ebonheart Pack and the Daggerfall Covenant kept my ship from reaching port. After landing on the western coast of Bal Foyen, I found this new area to be quite the change in environment compared to the frozen island I had just left. For those unfamiliar with the Dumner, entering an area they call home can feel almost alien. Flaura in Bal Foyen shows signs of Dark Elf territory, giant mushrooms are a common site mixed with other more familiar plants and trees.
The terrain in this region is mostly swamp until you reach the western gate. Anyone traveling through the area can expect to see mainly tame guar, betty netches, and nix-hounds. Most of these animals wander freely or work in the fields under the care of locals. Argonians are the primary inhabitants outside of the Pact forces stationed in the nearby fort and dockyards.
Tried and true adventures will find very little of interest to explore in this small region. I would highly advise checking in at Fort Zeren in southern Bal Foyen or at the Dockyards to the north to see if there is any Pact work available. Occasionally there are problems with some of the local animals getting lost or a rare wild animal going rabid. But that seems to be about as much excitement as they get on a typical day.
The only other location of note is the Argonian settlement of Dhalmora which is made up of only a few buildings. Unless you want to man the watchfire at the Dockyards in case of invasion or want to kick back and do some farming, I highly recommend heading for the western gate to Stonefalls. I experienced Bal Foyen as a blur on horseback and was better for it.
