When it comes to the upcoming High Isle chapter for The Elder Scrolls Online, there’s a lot of room to make something new to discover. There’s a new official preview of the Systres Archipelago, a new zone in the upcoming chapter, along with some of what you can expect exploring there.
From the beginning, we knew that we'd be going across the sea, and the Systres Archipelago is a key location for the Breton elite, with importance to uncover, of both the ancient, historical kind, and the mystical one. Currently, it's being used as a resort area for the wealthy, but the land is important to the people for its historical significance, as their ancestors settled its volcanic islands when they left High Isle long ago. All of the design is focused around Breton culture, with their use of stones and water, including history around nautical elements and their Navy.
The new zone in the chapter will feature two distinct areas. Both of these areas have different features like delves, public dungeons, world bosses, a whole lot of quests, and of course, rewards. The chapter will let you explore the history of the Breton people, something we’ve never had a focus on before.
Juxtaposed with this is Amenos, an island prison surrounded by the sea. While there is a small safe area, the island is covered in tough jungle and surrounded by rough sea, and the population there mostly consist of prisoners, criminals, and those sent there for political reasons.
The new preview goes behind the scenes on the design principles behind the creation, the settings, the environments, and how they blended that with what they need to have in the zone to support the gameplay and the story they're trying to tell.
Another promised angle of this chapter is political intrigue and conflict. While High Isle has a reputation of neutrality, there is danger and scheming, as well as competition. This is before you take into account any peril from the creatures of the land.
Each of the settings has its own dangers and characteristics that you'll have to sort through and explore. You can read the full preview over at The Elder Scrolls Online.
