On January 27, the new expansion High Isle for The Elder Scrolls Online was announced. The focus of the expansion is on the Bretons. They are a mix of humans and elves living in a classic medieval setting. In an interview with MeinMMO, two of the biggest minds from the story team reveal why the Bretons are so interesting.
What is this about? The new expansion High Isle has been extensively introduced. It takes you to the High Isle and highlights the life of the Bretons, a playable race in ESO, in more detail.
Prior to this announcement, we were able to speak with Bill Slavicsek, the lead writer of ESO, and Leamon Tuttle, the “lore master”. We discussed the significance and characteristics of the Bretons as well as the new card game. Lore enthusiasts should especially look forward to this new feature.
Medieval, magic, and intrigues through noble houses
MeinMMO: The last DLC in 2021 ended with a victory over Mehrunes Dagon. What happens next and how are you bringing the Bretons into focus?
Tuttle: Well, the way we structure our content is that theoretically everything could happen at the same time. We don’t structure our events to directly follow one another because we want players to be able to play the content in any order. There is no direct narrative connection between what happens to the player and Mehrunes Dagon and what happens in the High Isle, as you could play the High Isle first.
Bill: At the start of the new DLC, you will receive a notification from a new character named Lady Arabella, who needs help with a problem she has, namely the Ascendant Order. This is a group of rogue knights causing trouble on the High Isle. Lady Arabella has appeared in books in the game but has never been a real character with whom you can talk and embark on adventures. So that will be quite exciting, I believe.
MeinMMO: The Bretons have not had a spotlight like the other races of Tamriel. How will it feel to learn about their heritage and culture?
Tuttle: I think it will be exciting. I believe the Bretons have unfortunately gained a bad reputation over the years as a boring race, but they are anything but that. There are a lot of exciting things happening beneath the surface. There is much about their history to explore, such as their feudal society, how their various noble houses wage war on each other, and also where they come from. It is a very old story.
The Bretons are a hybrid race, a mix of humans and elves, and they walk a fine line regarding their identity and which part of it is in the foreground. They have the hardworking, almost sinister society they work on. And they also possess many magical abilities, which, however, are not often addressed. Even the lowest peasant, who is chained to his plow, has some magical talent and is resistant to magic because of the elven blood.
So yes, it’s a really interesting race that allows players to explore all sorts of possibilities regarding class roles and how politics work. And, you know, that’s an exciting thing. I think people will like it.
Bill: And it is our biggest political story since the release of Orsinium.
An expansion made for fans of Orsinium
MeinMMO: And what does this political intrigue look like? Can you tell us more about the story content and quests in general?
Tuttle: I don’t want to give too much away, but a little. The Bretons are part of the Daggerfall Covenant, led by King Emeric. The war between these three alliances, the Daggerfall Covenant, the Ebonheart Pact, and the Aldmeri Dominion plays a quite significant role in the story.
MeinMMO: Will players who have chosen Bretons as their playable race experience special content, such as during interactions or throughout the story?
Bill: There will be a bit of that. But we don’t have the capacity to develop a separate storyline for each race; that’s just how it is. We simply do not have the breadth for that.
Tuttle: Occasionally, we have dialogues in which the character is identified based on their class or race. But we want everyone to feel welcome.
Bill: You will learn a bit more if you are part of the Daggerfall Covenant, as this concerns several playable races.
MeinMMO: What are the biggest differences when you compare High Isle with other regions of Tamriel? What makes it special and interesting?
Bill: Well, it’s an island archipelago, so you will be hopping around some islands throughout the year. The High Isle itself is an environment that the Bretons enjoy. Gentle hills, plenty of water, lots of forests.
The other island in the package for the chapter is called Amenos. It is a jungle island and will be somewhat different. We try to design each environment to be a little new and a little different. So there will be some similarities but also some cool new things to explore.
MeinMMO: If you had to sum it up in a few words: How do the High Isle bring a new twist to the worldbuilding of ESO?
Bill: Well, it is of course a new area that has not been explored or seen in any other game, although the place was mentioned as the point from which the “All-Flags-Navy” set out thousands of years ago.
I think you will learn a lot more here. Interesting things about the Bretons, their culture, their history, their heritage, and I really believe that the political story will resonate with fans, especially those who loved Orsinium.
Redguard will play a small role
MeinMMO: Some players hoped in advance of the announcement that the expansion could revolve around the Redguards. Why did you choose the Bretons, and do you possibly have a positive message for the fans of the Redguards?
Tuttle: I personally love the Redguards and they are one of my favorite races.
Bill: To be honest, the Bretons and the Redguards have not had much new content since the base game, so this time we went with the Bretons. It made sense to place them on the sister archipelago, and it made sense for our story.
You will also encounter Redguards in the story, as they are part of the alliance. Part of the alliance and some wealthy characters return, which you have already met as a Redguard.
Tuttle: There is also a bit about the history of the Redguards on the archipelago. It does not play a significant role in the overall story, but it is one of the things we thought about when developing the island.
The card game is worth it for lore fans
MeinMMO: Can you tell us something about the future content of the expansion?
Tuttle: Yes, one of the other things we are really looking forward to is the new card game. I have been working a lot on our new card game called Glory Tales. It’s really cool because it gives players another way to interact with the world of Tamriel. It’s also exciting from a lore perspective because I address different parts of Tamriel with various decks and cards, such as smaller historical events or specific other things.
That’s pretty great. And I think the actual gameplay is a lot of fun. And I believe people will really enjoy engaging with it. And there’s also a collecting aspect where you can run around and find things. So yes, that’s really what we are about.
MeinMMO: And does the card game take place directly in-game?
Tuttle: Yes, the card game takes place in-game. Everything in the card game is designed to feel as if, when I walk around in the game and see a few people at a table playing a card game, I can play that too. So we have put a lot of value in making it feel authentic and not too much like a game.
Bill: The new chapter also adds two new companions to the system. Players who have already unlocked Bastian and Mirri will be able to secure new companions.
MeinMMO: Thank you both for taking the time for this interview.
What do you think about the Bretons as a race in focus? Are you looking forward to the stories, or do you find a medieval political intrigue unspectacular? Feel free to write it in the comments.
All details about the expansion can be found here:
ESO: All about the new expansion High Isle and the content of 2022
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