Did you miss the Bretons? After a year dedicated to tradition and chivalry, The Elder Scrolls Online is ready to conclude the adventure of High Isle e The Legacy of the Bretons with the latest DLC scheduled for 2022: Firesong. As with the previous year, this content was also donated to all players who participated in the last community event, so if you're one of the lucky ones you'll find yourself exploring a whole new zone without needing to buy anything or subscribe to ESO+ ( the latter is the best way to enjoy the myriad of DLCs that the game offers, now more expansions to Dungeons & Dragons than anything else).
The release of Firesong is scheduled for the date of publication of this article, November 1, 2022 for PC and November 4 on consoles, just a few hours away. To pique your curiosity, I have the opportunity to tell you the Galen Island tour that two developers of The Elder Scrolls Online have organized in recent weeks, a decidedly tempting opportunity to discover a little about the ecosystem of the area and the thematic inspirations behind it.
Away from the knights
The first impact I had is to be faced with an environment thematically similar to the Mediterranean of High Isle, but still very far from what is instead the culture of the vacation island (or prison) on which we have spent the greatest chapter. In fact Galen, even just opening the general map, is a sort of mixture of natural elements and forces of nature. The areas of the island are divided into some of the main factors of naturalness, like fire or water or grass, and make it a cornerstone in terms of building the different biomes. For example, there is a completely volcanic area filled with lava, another is a large mysterious swamp and yet another is a forest with gigantic trees, which are tall enough to completely cover the sky. The beauty of this composition is not only in the diversity, but in the fact that one or the other element "affects" the neighboring ones, giving the right impression in realizing the connection that binds these forces in the Druidic context.
Well, as you may have noticed from the latest dungeon pack, Lost Depths, the Legacy of the Bretons has moved from alliance skirmishes to Druid lore, which will get the full focus in Firesong. The developers took me to temples and small towns hidden in the rocks, ancient ruins and particular rituals that animate the many points of interest on the map. Seeing diversity in the themes, I took the opportunity to ask where the inspiration for Galen came from and clearly, in terms of landscape, the lands beaten by the Celts were a great starting point, along with places like Stonehenge and Mesoamerican sculptures.
But, as always, what was dominant in the making of the scenario for Firesong was also the rich tradition of The Elder Scrolls and Tamriel towards nature and the relationship that magical forces have with it, as can be that of races that decide to be led by it or bend it. Galen is a melting pot of beliefs: how is this possible find black magic horrors and tangles, it is also possible to find beauty in the serene ritual of a small community of druids. The thread to lead one or the other will be the campaign and the mystery of the King of the Druids, who will also become the new Patron for the card game Tales of Tribute.
Cozy forest, or maybe not?
One way or another what Galen and Firesong in general stand for is the desire to continue investigating the culture of the Bretons and the history of the Systres archipelago, which is detached (and fortunately) from the journey of the hero kills Daedra. A feeling that I shared with the developers, who confirmed their desire to insist on this type of story and not only on those where the world is in danger and needs a savior. Of course, even those stories have a charm and a role within The Elder Scrolls Online, but the beauty of collective Tamriel is precisely that it has something for everyone and the more we go forward in the years the more it is possible to experiment, divert or consolidate thematic threads or stories undertaken.
And speaking of the latter, the old players they will find familiar faces such as Razum-dar and other NPCs with new feats to experience on Galen, as well as new players will be able to start from here to get to know these heroes and then find them again in their previous adventures with an apparent thematic continuity, word of the development team. Clearly, as we often point out, everything in The Elder Scrolls Online is accessible from moment zero of your character creation, including Firesong, but we recommend you play at least High Isle before proceeding with this expansion.
One of the advantages of doing this is to have a natural evolution of the danger posed by the archipelago's volcano, which evolves according to the story and has an increasing climax the further you go on in the main quest. beyond that, Galen is full of bosses and dungeons to overcome, including some very badass like the Chimera that inhabit the island. You might like to have some companions, both real and artificial such as those recruitable in the lands of High Isle. Don't worry though: the story will be fully playable at any level, there is nothing to block your path in this regard.
To find out more about Galen, however, we will have to wait for his official release. The sensation given by the expansion is that of being in front of an excellent product that respects the quality standards that the years of Annual Adventures have given us. My favorite point is undoubtedly the care in the setting, which with High Isle has skyrocketed with enchanting horizons capable of speaking for themselves for their quality. Just go back to one of the initial areas and then move to High Isle to realize the gap between the launch of the game and the current products. Even more Galen, favored by a perhaps smaller size, testifies to the ever-increasing skills of the artistic team and visual. The forest of giant trees, in particular, is jaw-dropping and makes me very hopeful about what the future of The Elder Scrolls Online can be in the years to come.
