High Isle - 2022 Chapter Preview: Everything to Know with Developer Q&A

Note that what we were introduced to on the preview of High Isle was still a work-in-progress meaning that much of what we could play around with were still being in development or in the finishing stages of game development. As it was a work-in-progress, we cannot share specific number values or direct screenshots/footage!

In this article we will also share details from the brief Q&A with ZOS Creative Director Rich Lambert that occurred at the press event for High Isle.

High Isle Chapter Introduction

For the biggest content drop of the year of 2022, players of The Elder Scrolls Online will be introduced to the Systres Archipelago which is located a good distance north of Summerset, a previous Chapter zone that delved into the ancestral home of the High Elves introduced in 2018.

When asked about the scale or size of the Systres as they are supposedly smaller in size compared to previous zones, we were told simply that maps historically have been inaccurate and that such things were taken into consideration when designing the scope and size of the new Chapter zone.

Indeed after previewing the zone, the playable or explorable land seems of similar scale to Summerset and even Vvardenfell despite the Tamriel player map showing it being clearly not as big as other land masses on Nirn.

For ~21 million ESO players, the developer team learned a lot from the past two years in regards to working on and implementing the quarterly content updates from home due to the COVID pandemic. The devs also wanted to take a step away from the typical and rather boring end-of-the-world stories to focusing on more political intrigue and the everyday aspect of living in Tamriel.

High Isle Lore

High Isle is a never before seen area within the Elder Scrolls universe that is home to Breton nobility. The ultimate display of Breton feudal society at its best, High Isle is a monument of Breton culture. It was the launching point of the tremendous All-Flags Navy armada that counter-attacked the Sloads of Thras who had released the Thrassian Plague onto Tamriel that had decimated at least half of the entire population.

The Chapter features two major islands: High Isle and Amenos. While High Isle is a testament to Breton architecture, culture and people, Amenos is the underbelly of the same society that is a prison island home to political prisoners, criminals and political dissidents.

Unlike the more sunflower filled and calmly manicured terrain of High Isle, Amenos is a lush jungle rainforest, its main prison system being located in a caldera.

The story of the Chapter revolves around political intrigue: Secret peace talks organized by the Steadfast who wish to put an end to the Three Banners War. The Steadfast are a humanitarian organization that aids those affected by the Three Banners War. It was founded by a wealthy philanthropist by the name of Bacaro Volorus.

Ascendant Order is a powerful, secret group of organized separatists who are profiting from the war. Ultimate goal is to abolish the alliances and make Tamriel "free". Led by the Ascendant Magus and Ascendant Lord who are very mysterious.

Quality of Life Updates

Notable quality of life updates coming to The Elder Scrolls Online with Update 34 will include the following:

1) Mundus Stones are now able to be used in the Armory System. This new addition will also make it so that the Armory System is compatible with the Twice Born Star item set that lets the player utilize two Mundus Stones at the same time.

2) Leaderboards will be refactored - this means that the leaderboards for Trials, PvP and so on will be improved so that the data/scores from players show more reliably and consistently.

3) NEW Quick Select Wheel - Quick Select now has 5 different wheels a player can swap between which are labeled: Overall, Emotes, Mementos, Allies, Tools. It seems however that you can assign any Quick Slottable to the Overall wheel and vice versa.

4) AMD FSR Support - AMD's super resolution technology that will help boost framerates for those who can use in ESO. This is similar to the recent NVIDIA DLSS tech that ESO added for those who can use it with their NVIDIA GPUs.

5) Spanish as an integrated language will be added to ESO - it joins other available languages such as German, French, Russian, Japanese and English.

6) ESO Accessibility Mode - This new QOL update allows players to use settings such as Speech to Text and Text to Speech for ingame chat. It also allows players an alternative menu navigation although it does force the use of Gamepad UI even for PC players.

Overland

In addition to 30+ hours of questing content, new music, new loot and new achievements, High Isle will feature a return of familiar faces / NPCs from previous storylines. World Bosses will of course be present as usual along with a total of 18 Skyshards to hunt down for players accompanied by a number of delves.

New creatures will be encountered such as mysterious goatmen and amphibious Haj Motas along with other High Isle creatures.

Getting around the island will consist of Wayshrine porting or using boat access points to get to areas of the map that would be impossible by traveling on foot such as Amenos and the islet in the middle of High Isle.

The main city on High Isle will be Gonfalon Bay which has all the amenities of a capital city including Respec shrines, Stables, Bank, Crafting Stations and 6 Guild Traders.

It will also serve as an introductory point to the new Tales of Tribute, the upcoming card game system being added into The Elder Scrolls Online.

Crafting Writs Location

Upon some investigation, the Crafting Writs turn-in boxes are not too far from the city's crafting area. However unlike Vivec City and Leyawiin, two of the most popular crafting writ locations for many players, Gonfalon Bay's crafting area is enclosed in a building that forces the player to go through a brief blackout loading screen.

World Events

Volcanic Vents are arriving as a new type of world event for players to tackle on. It is similar in difficulty to the Geyser events in Summerset and will of be the same nature as other world events in ESO such as the Dolmens, Harrowstorms, Dragons and Oblivion portals.

Public Dungeons

Spire of the Crimson Coin is one of the two public dungeons that will be available to players exploring High Isle.

Ghost Haven Bay is the other. Both seem quite large in size after brief exploration.

New Motifs

Ancestral Breton Style and a new style called "Steadfast Society" in reference to one of the two factions in the High Isle Chapter will be arriving.

Tales of Tribute (Card Game)

It was made very clear with much emphasis that the Tales of Tribute will not be monetized - meaning that no Crown Store purchases can be made for any cards or card decks. All cards are only earnable through ingame activity!

It's quite hard to summarize the card game's nature and rule system succinctly as it has aspects that were surprisingly unexpected.

Tales of Tribute is basically ESO's take on pub and tavern games. No questing or killing is involved in the system. It has both "PvP" and "PvE" in it.

The "PvE" aspect is the presence of a PvE storyline where you must beat NPC opponents along the way.

The "PvP" aspect is the ranking system where you must face off against other players.

Tales of Tribute is a turn based, 2 side, deck building/resource building card game.

Your goal is to essentially strategize during the match with the system featuring four "Patrons" per game.

There are two ways to win this card game: accumulate up to 40 resources called "Prestige Points" or make all four Patrons during the game favor your side. This means it is entirely possible to be at 38 Prestige Points out of the 40 required but still lose if your opponent somehow turns all four Patrons.

What are Patrons or Patron Decks? Basically a series of cards thematically tied together (think suits).

There will be 8 unique Patron decks to collect out in the world with 20+ cards making up each deck with their own stats/mechanics. Each deck has upgradable cards that you can upgrade simply by playing Tales of Tribute. Unique locations of cards can be found throughout the world of ESO.

For example, the Duke of Crows is a Patron Deck which is focused on drawing cards and generating "combos".

Saint Pelline's deck focuses on generating "Power" and slowing down the accumulation of your opponents' Prestige Points.

Hunding's deck is focused on flexibility.

There will also be four different types of cards amongst the decks including: Starter, Action, Agent and Contract.

When asked if any inspiration was taken from The Elder Scrolls: Legends, the answer from the developer-end was that they looked at that and many other sources. Our initial impressions is that it's a weird mix between Uno, chess, Magic the Gathering and Yu Gi Oh.

There will be a queue system introduced for these card games so that players can either walk up to players to initiate card games or go through a queue for Unranked Casual or Ranked Competitive for matches. There may also be a guild option for card games?

An average game once both players understand the rules is estimated to take about 15 minutes.

Rewards for playing Tales of Tribute will include the following:

• Gold
• Consumables
• Base Crafting materials
• Crafting Upgrade Materials
• Furniture Crafting Materials
• Cosmetics
• Recipes (Provisioning & Furnishings)
• Motifs
• Transmute Crystals
• Emotes
• Furnishings

Dreadsail Reef (New Trial)

The other big piece of content besides the zone and card game will be the new 12 player raid or "Trial" as it's known in The Elder Scrolls Online.

It is similar in size and scope to Rockgrove but after going through all of it, we believe that it's actually bigger in scale and quite a bit more interesting than the previous three Trials (Sunspire, Kyne's Aegis and Rockgrove).

The story of the Dreadsail Reef is that pirates have grown bold over the years and the noble Breton houses of the Systres Archipelago have finally decided enough is enough sending a fleet of warships to attack.

You will accompany the fleet on a warship and make landing to fight past all of the Maormer pirates' defenses, monsters and magic traps to get to Taleria, the queen pirate of the Dreadsail Reef.

Trial Titles and Rewards

The time required for speed run is 30 minutes. "Trifecta" means No Death, Hard Mode, Speed Run in the same run.

The Stormsurge Howler mount is described ingame as "Creating a smooth traveling experience for its riders. Some speculate that Kyne crafted them from a sea storm and sent them to land to find those who revere her."

Trial Bosses

Lyanar and Turlassil

Bow Breaker

Sail Ripper

The Reef Guardian

Tideborn Taleria

NefasQS Artistic Rendering of the Trial

For more details refer to the video:

New Companions

In addition to two new Companions that players can recruit, there will be improvements made to the Companion AI and voice dialogues! Ember is based on the player class Sorcerer while Isobel is based on the player class of Templar.

Ember

Ember is a talented Mage and former street kid, Ember is a chaotic, earnest, notorious troublemaker. In short, she's a certified disaster. Call this companion to your side for a bit of chaos and help her fuel her endless curiosity for mystic knowledge.

Ember's Keen Eye: When pickpocketing, bestows a chance to acquire hidden wallets your mark hoped to keep secure. Hidden wallets may contain additional gold.

Cunning Passive: Increases Critical Chance by X% and Damage Done by X%

Lightning Caller Skill Line

Raging Storm (Ultimate) - Ember creates a thunderstorm that follows her enemy in an X meter radius, striking all enemies within X times over X seconds with each strike dealing X Shock Damage. The final strike deals X% additional damage to enemies under X% health.

Hail Blast - Ember hurls a shard of hail at their target, dealing X frost damage.

Shocking Burst - Ember creates a nexus of storm energy at an enemy, instantly dealing X Shock Damage to all enemies in the area and an additional X Shock Damage over X seconds.

Thunderous Strike - Ember calls down an explosion of lightning to finish off an enemy, dealing X Shock Damage and an additional X Shock Damage to other nearby enemies when enemy is below 25% health.

Mischievous Caster

Entomb - Ember uses binding magic to immobilize enemies in front of them for 4 seconds and healing themselves for X Health over X seconds.

Hurricane Visage - Ember manifests themselves as pure lightning, zapping nearby enemies with electricity dealing X Shock Damage over X seconds. While in this form their damage taken is reduced by X%.

Trickster's Trap - Ember dazzles an enemy in a ball of magic, stunning them for X seconds.

Playful Schemer

Quick Fix - Ember patches themselves or an ally with restorative magic, healing for X health.

Shared Wards - Ember conjures wards made of energy for protection, granting a damage shield for them and their nearby allies that absorbs X damage for X seconds. Targets affected by the shield are also healed for X health over X seconds.

Second Wind - Ember uses their backup resources, reducing the cooldown of all their other abilities by X seconds.

Isobel Veloise

Brave, forthright and just a little dorky, Isobel Veloise is a knight errant sworn in your service. Call this companion to your side and lead her forth in search of glorious tales, wrongs to right, and delicious candy sweets.

Isobel's Grace: Bestows a chance, after defeating a World Boss, to recover the pack of a slain knight. Packs may contain additional loot.

Enchanted Passive: Decreases ability cooldowns by X% and damage taken by X%

Blazing Might

Baneslayer (Ultimate) - Isobel Veloise channels their energy and conjures a weapon made of sunlight before striking downward, dealing X Magic Damage to all enemies in front of them. Enemies damaged by Baneslayer have particles remaining on them for X seconds that detonate for X Magic Damage when a player deals damage to them.

Penetrating Strikes - Isobel attacks four times with a magic spear, dealing X Magic Damage to all enemies in front of them with each strike. After their assault, Isobel grants themselves and nearby allies a boon that increases the damage of their next Light or Heavy Attack by X%.

Sun Brand - Isobel hurls a blazing ball of fire at an enemy, dealing X Flame Damage on impact and an additional X Flame Damage over X seconds.

Divine Destruction - Isobel unleashes a concentrated beam of divine energy at an enemy, dealing X damage over X seconds.

Brilliant Shield

Solar Ward - Isobel summons the power of the sun to defend themselves from harm, reducing incoming damage by X% and granting a damage shield that absorbs up to X% of their Max Health for X seconds.

Gallant Blitz - Isobel charges toward their enemy with a vibrant spear that bursts in a flash of light, setting all enemies in the area Off Balance for X seconds.

Spear of Light - Isobel hurls a barrage of spears made of radiant light at all targets in front of them dealing X Magic Damage and knocking them down for X seconds. This attack ignores the enemy's Resistances.

Healing Grace

Blessed Sacrament - Isobel sends out a burst of soothing light, healing themselves or a nearby ally for X Health, and an additional X Health every X seconds for X seconds as the light momentarily lingers.

Holy Ground - Isobel consecrates the ground under them for X seconds, healing themselves and nearby allies X Health every X seconds and snaring enemies by X%

Beam of Reproach - Isobel bathes an enemy in a beam of sunlight, immediately dealing X Magic Damage and healing allies nearby for X Health. The residual light will then continue to heal allies near the enemy for X Health every X seconds for X seconds.

New Champion Points

Two new Champion Points have been added to the Warfare (blue) constellation of the CP 2.0 system. Both of these new Champion Points are Slottables meaning they are not passives and must be slotted on your Champion Point bar for them to be active on your character.

Force of Nature - Increase your Offensive Penetration by x for every status effect your target has.

Exploiter - Increases your damage done against Off Balance enemies by X% per stage.

Some damage Warfare Slottables' values also seem to have gone down with Update 34 slightly including those of Thaumaturge, Deadly Aim and so on. We will know more with the Public Test Server!

New Houses

Ancient Anchor Berth is your typical inn room located right in Gonfalon Bay.

Highhallow Hold seems to be a Notable home located in Gonfalon Bay as well with 3 to 4 floors of rooms and a beautiful terrace that seems to be the main feature of the house.

New Item Sets

Accompanying High Isle will be 4 Trial item sets, 5 Mythic items, 3 Overland sets and 3 Craftable sets.

Trial Sets

Pillager's Profit (Light Armor)

Whorl of the Depths (Light Armor)

Coral Riptide (Medium Armor)

Pearlescent Ward (Heavy Armor)

Mythics

Dov-Rha Sabatons (Heavy Sabatons)

While sprinting gain a stack of Draconic Speed every x seconds, granting you x Armor, up to x stacks max. Upon stopping you deal X Physical Damage per stack in an X meter shockwave and retain Draconic Speed for X seconds but cannot gain new stacks. At X stacks, this damage will also stun for X seconds. The damage from this ability scales off the higher of your Physical or Spell Resistance.

Lefthander's War Girdle (Medium Belt)

Dodge Roll no longer evades attack and instead grants a Damage Shield that absorbs up to X Damage over 1 second. This damage shield is unaffected by Battle Spirit.

Mora's Whispers (Light Epaulets)

Gain up to X Critical Chance and X% increased Inspiration, Alliance Rank, Alliance skill, and monster kill experience based off how many books of Shalidor's Library have been collected.

Oakensoul Ring (Ring)

Adds X Weapon and Spell Damage, Adds X armor, Adds X Health Recovery, Adds X Magicka Recovery, Adds X Stamina Recovery, Adds X Max Health, Adds X Max Magicka and Adds X Max Stamina. While equipped you are unable to swap between your Primary and Backup Weapon sets.

Sea-Serpent's Coil (Necklace)

While at full Health, you gain X% damage resistance. After taking damage while at full Health in combat, you gain Serpent's Rebuke for X seconds, snaring yourself by X% and gaining Major Berserk and Major Courage, increasing your damage done by 10% and Weapon and Spell Damage by 430.

Overland Sets

Blessing of High Isle (Light Armor)

Steadfast's Mettle (Medium Armor)

Systres' Scowl (Heavy Armor)

Craftable Sets

Serpent's Disdain

Order's Wrath

Druid's Braid