In their “Ask Us Anything” section this week the developers at Zenimax Online Studios answered more questions involving the Daggerfall Covenant; one of the Alliances players will be able to represent in their upcoming MMO, The Elder Scrolls Online. Anyone who wants to play as a Breton, Redguard, or Orc will be a part of this Alliance.
am a huge fan of the Elder Scrolls games and I have played a Breton since Morrowind, so I’m definitely joining the Daggerfall Covenant. My question has to deal with the Forsworn faction. Will they be implemented in the game, either as a faction or through quests? If they are a faction, will they be just an enemy class or will they part of the Daggerfall Covenant, since the majority are indigenous Bretons? I always thought that their story was very interesting and wanted to know if it will be explored in ESO since they have been around at least since the First Era, well within the time the game takes place.
The Forsworn are a faction of the Reachmen that exist in the Fourth Era during the time of Skyrim. While the Reachmen are mainly of Breton stock, they have their own culture and society and don’t consider themselves Bretons – and the Bretons agree. The Reachmen definitely appear in ESO, as they’ve allied themselves with dark Daedric forces that have sacked the Imperial City. Reachmen clans have been giving trouble both to the Bretons of the Daggerfall Covenant and the Nords of the Ebonheart Pact.
Heated politics is an important part of High Rock’s culture. Bretons are known as “shrewd merchants,” and High King Emeric himself is a merchant lord. What is the relationship — if any — between mercantile pursuits and politics in High Rock, and does it define a significant difference between the Daggerfall Covenant’s motives for seeking the Ruby Throne and those of the other two alliances?
Certainly “Free Trade in Tamriel” is one of the stated goals of the Daggerfall Covenant, which to the Pact and Dominion just means “Let merchants from Wayrest and Sentinel dominate all trade.”
According to the “Vampires of the Illiac Bay” book the area is known to have 9 families of vampires. Are they going to be a major threat for the Covenant in the game?
Let’s just say that all of Tamriel is being threatened by the schemes of Molag Bal, the Daedric Prince who’s also known as the Father of Vampires. The Undead are a major threat across the continent!
Will there be books in game, and if so, will the number of books be comparable to the number in past games?
There will be more books in ESO than in previous Elder Scrolls titles, including some that you’ve seen before – if their inclusion is appropriate to the Second Era.
Why is the alliance called the Daggerfall Convenant? What made the Breton town of Daggerfall the main part of the name?
It’s an accident of history. The First, or Breton, Daggerfall Covenant was a treaty of mutual defense signed by the Breton Kings after the defeat of Durcorach’s Reachmen Horde – which took place at Daggerfall. That battle before the gates of Daggerfall was also the first major victory of the young Emeric of Cumberland.
Throughout the Elder Scrolls series, there has been enmity towards the Orsimer on the part of the Bretons and Redguard. Even though the Orsimer are a part of the Daggerfall Covenant, will we see any level of enmity towards Orsimer NPCs and Orsimer players contained in quests, quest-giver dialogue or general NPC chatter/dialogue?
A political treaty like the Daggerfall Covenant doesn’t necessarily change the attitudes of the people whose leaders signed the treaty. Some people, tired of conflict between the races, have embraced the alliance, while others still regard their old antagonists with suspicion, or even open hostility.
Are the Breton, or Menmar as known to the elves, considered as half elves? I know their ancestors were elves, but their appearance is more humanely then elvish.
Though the Bretons have some Elven blood in them, both the Bretons and the Elves consider them to be humans.
Will there be quests for the Gods of Yokudan, like there were in previous games for the Divines?
The old Yokudan gods are definitely worshiped by the Redguards of Hammerfell, particularly the Crowns, who try to maintain the traditions of Yokuda in their new homeland. You’ll find that the priests of Redguard Divines such as Tu’whacca, Zeht, and Ruptga have an active presence in Hammerfell.
Regarding Hammerfell, what’s the relationship between the Crowns and the Forebears like at the time of ESO?
There’s always tension between the Crowns and Forebears in Hammerfell, but when there are outside threats to contend with, the Redguards tend to draw together and focus more on their mutual enemies.
On the Facebook page and on most ‘banners’ we see a Nord man with war paint, an Elf woman, and then a rogue of some sort. I would like to know who or what that rogue-ish character is because it seems to me he represents the Covenant, as the Elf represents Aldmeri and the Nord represents Ebonheart. Is he a Breton? Is he an important character or is he just a placeholder? And why a rogue, why not a mage which Bretons are ‘famous’ for?
The Rogue in our Facebook cover photo is indeed a Breton, representing the Daggerfall Covenant. You’ll be learning more about this character very soon!