Azandar Al-Cybiades shares his knowledge concerning the Arcanists and their connection to the mysterious realm of Apocrypha in a new Loremaster’s Archive.




Salutations, sagacious sojourner. And welcome to a distillation of all things arcanist. I have the distinct pleasure of being your scholar-in-residence for this discussion. I have been eagerly anticipating my opportunity to clarify a few things about this most esoteric of mystical pursuits.

But I forget myself: I am Azandar al-Cybiades. Theoretician of fated potential, enigmatum accumulator, and arcanist of the highest order. It was with great pleasure I responded in the affirmative to the University of Gwilym’s invitation. A chance to answer submitted questions for a wider academic audience, how delightful!

Despite, or indeed perhaps because of, their previous refusal to publish my papers, I’m very much looking forward to the chance to speak on the arcanist branch of philosophical and magical scholarship. Let’s sally forth then, readers. There’s much ground to cover and I don’t wish to overstay my welcome. Onward and upward!




Greetings Azandar al-Cybiades,

How does one become an arcanist?

—Lunetta Gleamblossom

There are as many answers to that question as there are arcanists in the world, friend Gleamblossom. A tome travels (somehow) from Apocrypha to Nirn and eventually finds a mortal soul that fits perfectly with its unique infralux resonance. The contents of the tome, circumstances of discovery, and mesh between the mortal and the book are wholly specific to that experience.

The output of that interaction (the arcanist) is also a specific exemplar of the phenomenon. Some arcanists, like myself, view the contents of our tomes with academic detachment. Others see it as a new framework within which to live their lives. Yet others become as thirsty for knowledge as Hermaeus Mora himself, or they shut themselves away in isolated scholarship for the rest of their (usually chaotic) existences.

I hesitate to recount the “discovery tales” of other arcanists I’ve spoken with, but I’m happy enough to relate my own. I was in a very dour place in my life, emotionally and economically. I was in a second-hand bookstore in Sentinel, seeking out an old edition of a cookbook I’d grown fond of. I recall it quite clearly, I was running my hand along a row of spines when my book quite literally bit me. Nipped the end of my finger and drew a spot of blood. My annoyance turned to extraordinary surprise when I beheld the contents within. And the long and storied career of Azandar al-Cybiades, realm traveler and arcanist, began.



What caused so many arcanists to show themselves right now?

—Fonarik the Wood Orc

As always with magic, good Fonarik, perception is reality. The truth of the matter is that arcanists are not a new phenomenon. In truth, I have been studying my tome and the stacks of Apocrypha for several decades now. I believe the prominence we’ve garnered of late—the very reason I was asked to engage in this discussion—stems from a sort of statistical tipping point. Despite the inherent secrecy with which we do our work, there are far more arcanists plying their trade now than ever before. The sheer weight of numbers has drawn attention to our magickal framework, you see.

I also want to note I would be a poor scholar indeed if I didn’t frame the term “arcanist” as a badge we have self-pinned to our proverbial chests. In a previous University discussion panel, I found the response from the Guild Mage Dhulef along these lines quite insightful, when discussing the “wardens.” Magic is magic at the end of the day. The lines we draw around it are mortal constructs, nothing more or less.

Now, as to why there are more arcanists now than ever before? If I had to guess, perhaps some kind of shift in the aetheric fabric of the Aurbis? The Planemeld has been a time for us all, and it will leave each and every one of us with stories to last a lifetime—provided we survive. Perhaps something about this event, or something like it, has changed the relationship between Nirn and the Daedric Realms. And this change, in turn, has prompted more tomes to find their way to mortal hands.



Hello!

I heard Arcanists make use of "Runes" in their spellcasting. Do these Runes have any relation to other runes we know about, such as the Runic language of Runestones?

—Benessa Gibby, Enchanter of The Company

Ah. I suspected an astute observer might ask something about this. Let’s compare and contrast. In the enchantment discipline, an ancient and honored trade going back to the First Era, runes are pathways to power. While new runic developments happen fairly regularly, there is a linguistical common tongue amongst enchanters that allow them to imbue items with mystical properties. Runes have specific, measurable meanings and allow for a repetition of output as well as intent. It is a discipline I myself have some skill at, and one which requires precision and artistry in equal measure.

Somewhat embarrassingly, the “runes” arcanists fling about are nothing more than logographic symbols for subconscious metamagical constructs. Arcanist runes mean nothing beyond their internal significance to the arcanist in question.

While study has shown that the language of arcanist runes is universal, they do not represent the same concepts across individual arcanists. I could draw you a symbol that in my spellwork means “power,” for example. And you, as another arcanist, might tell me that same symbol means “fire.” These sigils are unique to arcanist magecraft, as far as I know, but like the one-to-one relationship between mortal and tome, so too are the uses of these sigils specific to the arcanist.

As a scholar I desperately wish this were not so. It feels as if Mora himself is laughing at me each and every time I consider it.



I have noticed that Arcanist spells appear to be very physically complex, producing intricate sigils and glyphs. I am unclear on the mental processes involved with spellcasting; why do some spells require incantations and sigils and intense ritual, and others simply a wave of the hand—and where upon this spectrum do Arcanist techniques lie, with their tomes and luminous, hovering sigils?

—Blessings of Morwha Upon You, Artun at-Itamen, Alik'r Nomad

An excellent question from Artun, descendant of Itamen! Casting a spell is the act of channeling magicka from within your personal reserves, through your mind and will, into the world. I quite like the appellation “willworker,” actually. It’s a direct way to describe my profession. My brother is a person who farms, therefore he introduces himself as a farmer. I am a person who works via my will. Therefore, a willworker.

The act of changing reality itself with the strength of your personality is exhausting. Every novice mage quickly discovers this upon attempting even the most basic of incantations. The personal reserve of magicka novice mages possess is quite small, and it takes some time for this reserve to recover. As a weathered old hand at this hand-waving nonsense, my reserve is exceptional. But not infinite!

And so, just like even the most junior of mages, I make use of techniques to ground my mind and thinking. To connect with the magic quickly and efficiently. In particular I find that “magic words” are an excellent way to get the magicka flowing. I greatly enjoy coming up with new ones, and find that simple and repeated magics benefit greatly from this technique.

As for why arcanists in particular are prone to hand-waving and logograms, I suspect that has to do with the origin of our power. Apocrypha, if you’ve never been, is a place where undercurrents of power flow quite freely. Arcanist magic is no more or less “powerful” from a subjective point of view, but as magicka flows through my mind, it does so with a vim and vigor I’m not sure other spellcasters regularly experience.

The result is that all extra potentiality needs to be directly *somewhere.* And thus do the logograms, shadowy visions of the Endless Library, and superfluous tentacles enter the world when all we wished to do was heat some water for a nice cup of tea.



Tidings Azandar,

I am curious.… What would happen if one were to come across an Arcanist’s tome? Could its power be invoked by a stray collector?

—Magister Gwenaelle Mathis of the Mages Guild.

Thankfully, no. As I just discussed, the symbology in every tome is unique to the mind (and soul?) of the individual arcanist. If you were to pick up my tome, it would be an incomprehensible book of gibberish. No more dangerous or mystically enlightening than a Wayrest romance novel. Similarly, I can learn nothing from the tome of another arcanist. I and some other studious arcanists have tried, but there is no way to impart knowledge of another tome’s symbology and retain it for any length of time. A disaster for academic rigor, I know.



We’ve seen that Daedric Artefacts can corrupt people into being puppets or turn them into Daedric creatures. What about the magic Arcanists use?

—Gaius Sulla of the Thirteenth Legion

An excellent question, Gaius. My answer is: it depends. (A pattern in arcanist discussions, as you’ve no doubt begun to see.) I believe the unique comingling of mortal and tome to be a specific expression across a number of axes, both literal and metamagical.

I myself, and a number of others I’ve met, see arcanist magic as a means to an end. A tool we use to achieve other goals or defend ourselves in the pursuit of specific outcomes. In general, I believe this detached framework allows for a distancing between my mind and the siren song of Apocrypha itself. After all, that is the one immutable truth I can tell you about being an arcanist: the font of my power bubbles within Hermaeus Mora’s realm.

Others, with a different outlook on the tome and the power it offers, walk markedly different paths. Some number feel the need to pledge themselves body and soul to the Inevitable Knower, in payment for the power they’ve been given. I felt no such need to do so, I should note, and if the One-Who-Knows comes calling for compensation, he’s going to have a fight on his hands. Err, tentacles.

Yet others find themselves drawn to defending Apocrypha itself, feel the need to retreat far from civilization, or even fling themselves headlong into the far depths of the Aurbis in search of esoterica undiscovered by mortal minds.

My viewpoint is that the power of an arcanist is what you make of it. And Daedric corruption, regrettably, is a potential end state for the pursuit of many types of power. I know of at least one very noble warrior who branded herself a “templar” who now serves as a cult leader for Molag Bal, of all creatures. Power corrupts, as they say, and I suggest vigilance, diligence, and competence to combat that corruption.



Myself and my fellow kwama herders here in Deshaan have been debating for a few weeks on a most dire subject. How does one pronounce "Arcanist"? We have nearly come to blows debating this, so I pray that you can help.

—Golar Arano

While normally I’d be loathe to be drawn into pronunciation pugilism, I feel as though this is really a very simple question to answer. I say the word like “arr-can-ist” for no other reason than because saying the word like “arr-cane-ist” feels unwieldy when speaking out loud.



All the Arcanists I have met thus far have, in some form or another, been affiliated with Hermaeus Mora or the realm of Apocrypha. Are there Arcanists out there who draw power from another realm or Daedric Prince, or is "Arcanist" exclusively referring to those who deal with Hermaeus Mora?

—Mistress Milore Telvanni

Ah, finally a question I can answer somewhat concisely. And an excellent one at that, Mistress.

No. As I said above, I have but one fixed point I can use to determine who is and is not an arcanist: we all draw our power from Apocrypha through a bonded tome. So by definition (as far as one such as this is valuable), a mortal who drew their power from another plane would not be an arcanist. Stylistically (and magic is nothing if not style as well as substance), I believe the apocryphal tome we utilize in our craft heavily flavors this magic. Even before I found the tome, I had many “magical” experiences reading a book and feeling the spark of inspiration. To almost preposterously oversimplify my lived experience, arcanist magic is like that. Only moreso.



Greetings, Azandar al-Cybiades,

While my specialty lies in unearthing the secrets of the past, as a member of the Mages Guild, knowledge of all kinds intrigues me. For arcanists such as yourself, where would you say your talents lie amongst the schools of magic created by the mages of Shad Astula and perpetuated by our esteemed Gabrielle Benele?

Thank you for your time,

—Floritte Vinielle, Archaeologist and Curator of the Wayrest Archaeological Museum

The lady herself, who of course organizes these discussion seminars, is a keen mind and a brilliant flame within the dour mediocrity of the Mages Guild. As you no doubt are as well, Floritte! [Editor’s Note: Flattery in a public forum will get you nowhere, old man.]

Gabrielle’s treatise on magical categorization, “Proposal: Schools of Magic,” is a text well worth reading. Her supporting documentation is fascinating, and my own (admittedly brief) time at Shad Astula reinforces her claim that this classification system does lend itself to novice mages understanding the “types of magic” at a faster rate than in the traditional Mages Guild curriculum.

To your question: I would say the majority of spellworks I’ve observed as an arcanist, and by other arcanists, fall primarily into the schools of Mysticism and Conjuration. If you’ve studied with an arcanist for any length of time, you’ve no doubt seen how adept we are at crafting shields, tentacles, weapons, and other aetheric constructs. A sympathetic alignment exists between our heavily prevalent logographic expressions and the ability to shape magicka into a physical form, I believe.

I myself am largely self-taught in the basics of magic, having spent quite a great deal of my childhood with my nose in a book. This many years after the discovery of my tome, the hard and fast delineations the Shad Astula disciplines imply seem somewhat arbitrary to this old scholar. But not every mage has the aptitude to extemporize mystical formulae off the top of their head, eh?



Azandar al-Cybiades,

In a time when our world has been torn asunder by one Daedric Prince after another, permit me to ask this pertinent question of you, kind sir. Why should the people of Nirn tolerate your kind and not simply destroy you? While many sorcerers traffic with Daedra, few are so overt about their dealings that they show off in such a way, wearing robes of many eyes and covering battlegrounds with their putrid ink.

—Rosaria Draconis

Ah delightful! I find your forthrightness quite bracing! First and foremost, good Rosaria, I would challenge you to try. Quite honestly I’ve been almost-murdered enough times that I wonder if anyone will ever get around to doing it properly.

Disregarding your tone and striking at the meat of your question: you have nothing to fear from an arcanist. Arcanist magic, as I said above, is a tool. It can be used for good or ill in equal measure. Its source is potentially challenging, I understand that. And with all the tentacles? Quite frankly sometimes even I think it’s all a bit much. Performative, you know. But as someone who grew up desperately fearing that the distant horizon around Kozanset was to be the length and breadth of my reality, I strongly believe we should make the best of each and every tool available to us. No matter how it sometimes writhes or sprouts additional eyeballs.

This is all based on the supposition that magic itself is not the source of your ire. If that is the case, I would invite you, again, to readily attempt my destruction. I do not think you will find the experience as entertaining as you might like. I may be an old man, but I’m still feisty.



As a knight myself, I am intrigued by whispers about these so-called "rune knights." What can you tell me about them? Are they Arcanists that happen to be knights, do they follow any codes or belong to any specific knightly order, how does one become one, and how do they compare to knightly traditions present on Tamriel?

—Sir Greensly of the Knights of Saint Eleidon

I have looked at length into the history of arcanist spellcasting, and I fear even I can offer you only a scant few pointers for your own research. You have the right of it, Sir Greensly. The “Rune Knights of the Purgatory Disquisition” appear to have been a very small and very secretive knightly order sometime very early in the Second Era. Founded by an esoteric and enigmatic patron, this order rode forth from Apocrypha to battle across Nirn—or so my research indicates. Perhaps this patron was a Daedra? Or a powerful and less martial arcanist who took on a noble lord's mantle?

Their time from founding to disbanding was not overly long, as far as I can tell, but no doubt you’ve heard of them for the same reason I have. They perfected several warding techniques using arcanist magics that survive, in some cases completely unchanged, to the modern day. Tales of these impressive warriors riding into battle untouched by hundreds of arrows are almost certainly spurious. But then again, perhaps not.




And with that, I think I shall close out this dialogue. I have research to do, planes to explore, and experiments to conduct. It has been a singular honor to speak to arcanist magic in this august framework. And I encourage each and every one of you to reach out via messenger if you have further questions. I am, as I hope is self-evident by now, always happy to talk.

Go carefully, go thoughtfully, and always consider your ultimate goal. Until next time, friends. Onward and upward!

 

Many thanks to the ESO Community for their questions surrounding Tamriel’s enigmatic Arcanists. Do you have additional questions regarding the Necrom Chapter’s all new class? Why not ask the community in our official forums?

Great power awaits those willing to delve into the mysteries of Apocrypha, but great danger also lurks behind every revelation. Are you planning to master the eldritch powers of the Arcanist class when Necrom arrives in June? Share your secrets with us via Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook.

The Elder Scrolls Online: Necrom arrives for PC/Mac on June 5, 2023, and for Xbox and PlayStation consoles on June 20, 2023. Pre-purchase Necrom now to receive unique bonus rewards at launch and immediate access to the Sadrith Mora Spore Steed mount. Don't miss out!

Pursue forbidden knowledge alongside the brash-yet-brilliant Arcanist Azandar al-Cybiades, one of the two new companions you can recruit in the upcoming Necrom Chapter.

 

From the desk of Elydrina Nathriin, Shad Astula Academy

Cousin, I offered you support during your ill-fated bid to become a Bouyant Armiger. I held my tongue during that fiasco with the Telvanni Mage. You recall, the one with the "chin that could crack a shalk's shell?" But I must draw the line at supporting, endorsing, or in any way condoning a collaboration with the arcanist extraordinaire, Azandar al-Cybiades.

Is Azandar a brilliant theoretician? Without a doubt. His transliminal theories are without peer. During his time studying at the Academy, he regularly impressed me with an understanding of Daedric realms that rivaled our most august scholars. One of my colleagues compared his arcanum to that of Morian Zenas, late of the Arcane University in Cyrodiil.

He’s also notable within Academy circles for rising from humble origins. Azandar’s family was of meager means, no history of magical talent to speak of. I’ve seen his invitation for tutorial scholarship, signed and sealed by Archmage Valeyn himself. Not a singular invitation, but one only offered to those of unique and unimpeachable talent.

That’s why the man is so infuriating. If he was some charlatan hedge mage with an overblown ego, he would be so much easier to dismiss. Not so. He’s a world-class talent.

A world-class talent armored in a cocksure attitude, anchored by a devotion to needlessly complex wordplay, and blinded by a complete lack of understanding that his actions have consequences. You know my own academic history with the man, and you still want to pursue a collaboration?

An anecdote, which I can substantiate through a number of letters. You recall Telenger the Artificer? Favored son of the Mages Guild, local celebrity in Auridon, world-traveling researcher. I can picture you furrowing your brow in confusion, so instead recall that debutante ball in Mournhold last year. He was that High Elf? You wanted to be smothered beneath his 'beautiful beard'? I imagine that jogs the memory!

Telenger had for years been excavating a ruin at the center of Skywatch, an Aldmeri construct that was heavy with planar magics and mystic potential. Understandably concerned about unleashing something that might impact the city, he took a careful and measured approach. Requiring a consultant familiar with some of the deep-theory aetheric constructs within the ruin, Telenger invited Azandar to join his team investigating the site.

Two weeks later, Telenger returned to the dig site to find the gates to other planes sealed, most of the magicka wells capped, and Azandar moving some of his belongings onto the premises. I’m unsure of what specifically passed between them, but a friend of mine overheard Azandar proclaiming that the portals had been “pedestrian pablum only interesting to children” and that he was doing the archmage a favor by closing the enigmatum that had existed there (presumably) since the days of the Aldmeri.

The long and short of this is: Azandar al-Cybiades cannot be trusted. He is too self-assured of his own brilliance and too charismatic by half. And while his cooking is divine, he cannot take criticism in either magical or culinary circumstances. Please, cousin, stay well removed. And do remember to write your mother. She worries about you.

Best wishes,

Your cousin Elydrina

 

While Azandar is clearly adept at the arcane arts, his ego appears to be equally exceptional. Perhaps he just needs to meet the right adventurer? One that can best utilize his talents while managing his larger-than-life personality. Do you think you may have what it takes to travel alongside Azandar al-Cybiades? Let us know via Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

The Elder Scrolls Online: Necrom is part of the Shadow Over Morrowind adventure and arrives for PC/Mac on June 5, 2023, and for Xbox and PlayStation consoles on June 20, 2023. Pre-purchase Necrom now to receive unique bonus rewards at launch and immediate access to the Sadrith Mora Spore Steed mount.

Learn about how all of Tamriel’s characters get their voices with this deep dive chat with ZeniMax Online Studio’s own VO Lead, Becky Ichnoski!

We are excited to chat with The Elder Scrolls Online’s own Voice-Over (VO) Lead, Becky Ichnoski, who takes us through the months-long process for preparing, recording, and adding voice to ESO’s many characters. There are approximately 300,000 lines of VO in English alone, and all of that is planned, recorded, and implemented by Becky and her team!



Hey Becky! Could you introduce yourself to us and tell us about your role at ZOS?

Sure, my name is Becky Ichnoski. I'm The Elder Scrolls Online’s Voice-Over Lead, and I have been working on the game since 2012. Basically, I lead the VO team, which includes our two VO supervisors, Jessica Crowe and DB Cooper, plus me.


Let’s jump right into it! Broadly, what is the process for adding VO to our game?

I always have to narrow down the VO process into three separate chunks.

There's pre-recording, which is basically casting, actor assignment, creating scripts, and preparing recording sessions. Then there's recording, which is done either in the studio or, more often these days, remotely. That’s when we record the actual voice-over. Finally, there’s a third stage, post-recording. That’s when we get all the VO that we recorded back, integrate it into the game, and polish everything.


What do you do during the pre-recording phase?

So, to begin, we jump into the game and play through the content. Things are a work in progress, but we want to get a feel for the quests and meet the characters ourselves.

We also work with writers to get an idea of who the major characters are and who we want special casting consideration for. For those characters, we’ll create sides (audition information with art, descriptions, and some lines) and send them out to agencies. We work with a lot of different agencies. And within a few days, we’ll get a whole bunch of auditions back.

In some cases, a writer has written a character with a specific actor in mind, so we’ll also request a read from that actor.


Do you have a recent example of a time when a writer wanted a specific actor?

Yeah! Dhulef from the High Isle Chapter, whom we got Phil LaMarr to play. The writer had LaMarr in mind, and it all worked out really well.

Dhulef of the Mages Guild, voiced by Phil LaMarr

What happens after auditions come in?

We listen to them all! We often take turns, pulling out our top three favorites and then passing them to each other to compare favorites. We’ll also reach out to writers and other developers to weigh in before picking an actor.

We’ll do that for the major characters first. We kind of put the characters into tiers. At the top there’s major characters that might have 300 lines per release, and then there's side quest main characters who might have 100 lines, so they're important too.

We don't audition everybody, but I'd say for a Chapter, for example, we might audition for 10 characters and then fill in the blanks with the rest of the cast.

We've been working with voice actors for so long, we just kind of have a feel for who would be right for a role, who is good at what accent, and who likes to do what. And sometimes there might be an audition that we really like, but we don't pick, so we put it to the side in case they may be good for a different role in the future.


Oh? Can you tell us about a VO actor you brought back for a later role?

So, the Lark of Rosgard in Necrom was played by Bumper Robinson, who auditioned for us before. When it came time to meeting the Lark in game, I thought “Oh, he would be great for this.” I think he sounds perfect, so can't wait for everybody to hear him. Juli Comstock, one of our writer-designers, did a nice job with his writing.


Do you start recording right after you’ve completed your auditions?

Not yet! So, as you may know, there are thousands of NPCs in the game. We have a lot of little roles in the game like merchants or mob enemies. So, we’ll get a pool of what we call atmospheric actors. These actors are super versatile and can do up to 20 different voices per session.

For a Chapter package, we probably end up with almost 50 voice actors in total. Once we have our 50ish actors selected, we do actor assignment. That’s where every NPC in this package is assigned to one of the 50 voice actors we're bringing in.

Once all the actors are set, and once the writers have put pencils down, that’s when we start generating actor scripts, which is a part-automatic, part-manual process. We make sure an actor’s lines are in chronological order, make sure scripts include read-ins if their characters are talking to other characters, and prepare art and character bios.

Nico Garofolo (Voice Director), Jessica Crowe (VO Supervisor), Becky Ichnoski (VO Lead)

We must provide a lot of background information on their characters and the world, right?

Yeah. All three of us really take our time to know the content, detail all of our scenes, and make sure that the actors have as much context as possible. We probably go overboard!


Do you ever get a voice actor who is already familiar with The Elder Scrolls or ESO?

Yeah, we definitely have some players. Kellen Goff, Jonah Scott, and Todd Haberkorn. Gosh, there are so many I can't name off the top of my head.

Julianne Beuscher has been a big Elder Scrolls fan since the beginning. She was so stoked to voice the Black Dragon in our Dark Brotherhood release, as that was her favorite in Skyrim!


How does recording work?

Once we have our cast list, we reach out to the agencies for negotiations and scheduling, and we build a gigantic session schedule. For example, our Chapter packages will run almost a month straight starting in mid-February and going until almost mid-March.

We record at Salami Studios in Burbank, CA. Since COVID there’s been a lot of remote sessions. For those, actors connect to Salami Studios from their home booths through Source Connect while everyone else connects through Teams. Finally, we start recording.

Jon Abelardo (Salami Studios Engineer), Christopher Smith (Razum-dar), Jessica Crow (VO Supervisor), Rene Veilleux (Voice Director), Becky Ichnoski (VO Lead)

What kind of direction do you typically provide during a recording session?

We start out by telling them about their character. Often a writer will join us for this. And then we establish their voice. Sometimes they’ll nail it the first time, and sometimes we’ll ask for adjustments.

Then we start with line one. We’ll go over any pronunciations for lore words. We may ask for an A and B take and if they’re not quite there or if the director thinks they can get a better performance, we’ll get a C and so forth.

Eventually we get into a flow and it’s like back-and-forth acting between the actor and the director who is reading in the player responses and other NPC lines.


When recording, how tricky is it to get things like pronunciations right?

It's challenging! After 10 years of recording, we have over 9,000 words in our Pronunciation Guide. Each new update, the writers will enter any new lore words into our guide, and our Loremaster will record how to say them. Then we chop them up into little .wav files so that when we are in session, we can quickly search for them and play them.

We also have our tools highlight those words in our scripts so that when we’re recording, we know they're coming up so we can queue them up and keep the flow going.


Is there any one group or race that's especially fun or frustrating for a voice actor to work with? [/url]

It varies for different actors, but the Nords and Argonians might be the trickiest. Some actors love doing Argonians and nail the voice effortlessly while others have a more difficult time. I don’t know if it’s the rasp or the sort of emotionless monotone vibe.

Want to know something funny about Argonian sessions with actors who really nail that smooth-but-sandpaper voice? After hours of recording, you get really sleepy. It’s kind of hypnotic because the voice is so soothing, like white noise. I don’t know how to describe it but everyone who is in those sessions gets so sleepy and relaxed.*


Who else joins in the recording sessions?

We normally have a writer join the sessions, too, just in case we're all confused and don't know what's going on! Sometimes there’s a typo or the actor is simply having trouble getting a sentence out and the writer will rewrite the line on the spot.

Typically, in a session, there’s an engineer, the actor, the director, one of us VO ladies for support and pronunciation, and a writer.

Brad Derrick (Audio Director), Mark Mercado (Salami Studios Engineer), Becky Ichnoski (VO Lead)

Once recording is over, do you immediately go into the integration and polish stage?

As we are recording a four-week Chapter package, we’ll already be receiving VO back from the recording studio. So, once we’re done, we’ll have a whole pile waiting for us already nicely cut up with filenames so that we can integrate it right into the game.

We do a bit of cleanup first because changes will have happened, run it through a batch tool, and begin the integration process.


Is it possible to make late changes to the scripts and VO?

It happens! Bugs will come in as we're recording, and sometimes a writer or designer might contact us and ask if it’s possible to get a change in. If we have not already recorded with that actor, then sure, we make some changes on the fly.

We try to avoid extremely late changes if we can, but if it's something that we cannot launch with, then we schedule a pickup session.


Once the files have been formatted, is it your team that adds them into the game? 

Yeah. We integrate them. Jessica Crowe has taken on that task. She’s great at organizing everything quickly and maintaining our clean VO database.

We usually have a lot of alts (alternative line reads) to go through first. Sometimes we’ll get several reads of a line back from the studio, so we have to pick which ones we actually launch with.

Then we have a lot of polish to do! We play through all of the in-game content for a number of reasons. A lot of VO files will need voice-over post-production—we call it VOPP—so we’ll work with the sound designers for this. For example, Factotums or Daedric Princes will get special effects. Or we may have lines that trigger from super far away that we’ll need to work on to make them audible. Or somebody might be saying something from behind a door, so we’ll need to make it sound muffled. That kind of thing.

There’s also VO and text mismatches to fix–where the actor says something slightly different than the text. We make sure VO is timed properly so there isn’t an overlap or seven-second pause between two characters talking to each other. There’s a lot of tiny cleanups.

That’s pretty much it from start to finish!


Is there any one character whose voice actor you thought was just perfect?

I definitely have a few. For example, I love Sotha Sil who is voiced by Matthew Jayson Cwern. He just really enjoys playing the character, and he's so good at it, so I really enjoy those sessions. I think Leamon’s writing for him is brilliant.

I also love Mark Whitten’s Arox the Mutilator. I loved his audition and really pushed for him. Mark made him so fierce and funny and made us all laugh constantly in those sessions.

The mighty Arox the Mutilator, voiced by Mark Whitten

Are there any voice actors you’d love to work with again in the future?

I liked Captain Siravaen a lot. I thought she was a wonderful character, and I always love working with Anna Graves. She's just so talented and fun to work with.

I love Velsa from the Thieves Guild. Any chance to bring back Debra Wilson!

There was a Dremora necrologist in Fargrave, Miksotet, who barely spoke English. Imari Williams played him. He was a minor character but I thought he was the cutest. I’d love to bring him back.


When the content launches, do you try to keep an eye out for player feedback?

Just speaking personally, I enjoy keeping an eye out for that stuff. I'm always on the forums seeing what people are saying.

A lot of players probably know this, but any time someone on the forum asks who voiced a character, I jump in and respond. I enjoy that.



A big thank you to Becky for taking the time to share her work with us and lifting the veil on the voice-over process for ESO. Do you have a favorite character whose voice you absolutely love**? There’s a good chance Becky was one of the developers responsible for making that happen! Let us know which characters are your favorites via Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook!

*Argonian ASMR coming right up!

**Don’t ever leave me, Seht.

Learn more about the new Arcanist class with special guests from the ESO development team!

Tune in to https://www.twitch.tv/bethesda this Friday, May 19 at 3PM EDT, as Senior Community Managers Gina Bruno and Amy Schlueter host ESO’s Lead Combat Designer Brian Wheeler and a series of special guests from the development team to talk about the Necrom Chapter’s new Arcanist class.

These special guests include Associate Combat Designer Stephen Cerretani, Senior FX Artist Brian Hahn, and Senior Sound Designer Dylan Hairston. Together, they’ll dive deep into the new class, discussing its unique design, mechanics, and aesthetics. If you’re excited to wield the weird powers of Apocrypha itself, don’t miss this show!

Twitch Drops will be enabled during the livestream, so be sure to link your ESO and Twitch accounts here. We’re conjuring up an exciting new show, so save up that crux and tune in to https://www.twitch.tv/bethesda this Friday, May 19 at 3PM EDT—we’ll see you there!

ESO Live is your official Elder Scrolls Online stream, hosted on Twitch.tv/Bethesda by ESO’s Community Team.

Watch two amazing livestreams and support Alzheimer’s research during Voiceapalooza, a charity drive from Wes Johnson and the Fallout For Hope team.

Established in 2020, Fallout For Hope has raised almost half a million dollars for organizations such as St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, the American Heart Association, and others. As part of their support for the Alzheimer’s Association fundraising drive The Longest Day, the Fallout For Hope team worked in tandem with the Elder Scrolls’ legendary voice actor Wes Johnson to create Voiceapalooza. This incredible charity drive hosts a series of livestreams raising funds to help support research into Alzheimer’s disease.

After their extremely successful 2022 campaign, we are thrilled to help support Voiceapalooza 2023 by taking part in two unique ESO-themed livestreams, hosted by our own Stream Team Partner, Zero Period Productions. Check out everything you need to know about both livestreams below and be sure to tune in, but if you’d like to donate to the cause directly, you can do so here.


Voice Cast Reunion of The Elder Scrolls Online! Hosted by Zero Period Productions

Join Zero Period Productions, Wes Johnson, and some of the stars of The Elder Scrolls Online to discuss their characters, talk voice acting and work, and more!

Guests include Keith Szarabajka, Calvin Joyal, Casey Mongillo, Ellen Dubin, Paul Guyet, Chris Smith, Cindy Robinson, Kellen Goff, Anna Graves, Steve French, Noshir Dalal, Sharon Muthu, and Tasia Valenza.

When: Friday, May 19 at 4PM EDT / 9PM BST


Where: https://www.twitch.tv/0periodproductions




The Elder Scrolls Online Developer Dive with the ZeniMax Online Team! Hosted by Zero Period Productions

Zero Period Productions and Wes Johnson chat with members of the development team from The Elder Scrolls Online for a dive into the game’s journey to date, the return of Hermaeus Mora, and what awaits you in Necrom! Special guests include Rich Lambert (Creative Director), Bill Slavicsek (Lead Writer), and Becky Ichnoski (Voice-Over Lead).

When: Friday, May 26 at 4PM EDT / 9PM BST

Where: https://www.twitch.tv/0periodproductions

There’s a huge amount of incredible Voiceapalooza livestreams planned throughout the month of May, so be sure to check out the full schedule on their official website. We hope you’ll join us in supporting Wes Johnson and the Fallout For Hope team as they work together with the Alzheimer’s Association to help bring an end to this dreadful disease—we’ll see you on Twitch!

Learn more about some of the horrific monstrosities that call the Daedric realm of Apocrypha home.

In the upcoming Necrom Chapter, you can visit Apocrypha, the twisted realm of Hermaeus Mora. However, endless knowledge is not all that awaits within the Daedric Prince’s dominion. Creatures ranging from the bizarre to the terrifying litter the ethereal landscape and threaten those who journey too far in search of Mora’s secrets.

Take a quick look at four of these cursed creatures and learn more about what roles they play in the vast sea of forbidden knowledge that is Apocrypha.

Perhaps first and foremost among the denizens of Mora’s realm are the Seekers. You’re likely to come across these levitating, tentacled Daedra anywhere treasured knowledge may be found, as they tend to the endless stacks of tomes and loose pages scattered throughout Apocrypha.

“Seekers are the Daedric creatures most loyal to Hermaeus Mora, resembling spawn from the Inevitable Knower himself,” says Michael Zenke, ESO’s Loremaster. “While some sources (often tomes of ill repute written by half-mad scholars) indicate that Seekers can speak out loud, reliable witnesses claim that Seekers make only the most basic and uncanny of sounds as they silently prowl their Master’s realm.”

Seeker


Seekers are said to be the administrators and guardians of Apocrypha’s Endless Library, and they will reportedly go to extreme lengths to protect their lord’s trove of unfathomable lore.

“Indeed, the average Seeker will not pause to engage a mortal in Apocrypha in pleasant conversation,” says Zenke. “They instinctively feel that intruding mortals are a danger that should be destroyed immediately.”

You can find Seekers throughout much of Apocrypha, but it is said one uniquely mighty variant resides in one of the realm’s most unholy sites.

“A particularly ancient Seeker, the Prime Cataloguer, makes its home in the Libram Cathedral, waiting for groups of daring adventurers to challenge it,” warns Tom Murphy, Necrom’s Zone Lead.

Mortals curious about what knowledge they can procure from within Mora’s realm should be careful, lest they fall victim to a Seeker ready to punish any intruders for their trespasses.


While Seekers may guard Apocrypha’s libraries, Lurkers stalk its shores, ready to devour any unfortunates that cross their paths. These unsightly beasts are rumored to be birthed from the abyssal pools that make up the very foundation of Apocrypha. It is said that they represent the evolution of life pushed to its very extreme, resulting in a hideous monster that barely resembles any natural lifeform.

“Looking at these beasts, it’s easy to see their physiology was inspired by some of the strangest creatures of Nirn,” says Zenke. “Perhaps it’s this tenuous link back to the Nirn that makes them so truly disgusting, because deep down we recognize the shapes that inspired the Lurker. And we fear them.”

Lurker

The Lurker’s hulking frame disguises their unnatural speed, and its unending desire to feed drives them forward to consume whatever poor soul draws their attention.

“They feast equally on the flesh of trespassers and on the detritus of moldering libraries that are pulled into their dark waters,” explains Murphy. “Players will find them in Apocrypha’s mires and lowlands, hiding and basking in the sinister waters of their Prince’s domain.”

Those who have braved the marshlands of Apocrypha talk of a titanic Lurker, “Vro-Kuul-Sha,” who has made its home in an area referred to as Deepreave Quag. Facing this beast is a reckless pursuit, but if it can be killed, great rewards await its slayer.

Unlike Seekers and Lurkers, the Hushed do not appear to be naturally occurring residents of Apocrypha. Instead, they are theorized to be the husks of mortal loreseekers who have been degraded both mentally and physically after peering too long into the Lord of Knowledge’s darkest secrets.

“The Hushed are the result of prolonged exposure to the boundless secrets of Mora’s realm,” says Zenke. “Once dedicated researchers and scholars, these misshapen, mouthless beings are now driven only by a thirst for knowledge. They are hostile in the extreme to mortal interlopers.”

Hushed


These horrific reflections of our own mortal form wander across the wastes of Apocrypha, supposedly in search of the very knowledge that led to their ghastly transformation. Despite their pitiful appearance, the Hushed are not to be underestimated.

“Though their minds are destroyed, they retain the skills and abilities they wielded in life–and in some cases, have unlocked new powers at the cost of mind and body,” warns Murphy. “Don’t treat them as mindless zombies.”

Hermaeus Mora’s gifts may appear tantalizing at first, but remember that few dealings with Daedric Princes come without a price.


The last and most disturbing creature you may encounter in your travels throughout Apocrypha are the nightmarish Mind Terrors. Everything about these unnerving monstrosities seems to be designed to instill terror into the minds of mortals. Fear is their weapon, and they wield it expertly.

“They are nightmares out of childhood,” says Zenke. “The shadows on the wall of our bedrooms given flesh, intellect, and a mouth full of hundreds of pointed teeth.”

Mind Terror

Although Mind Terrors prowl across various regions of Apocrypha, they seem oddly distinct from the realm’s other inhabitants. They appear almost alien when compared to Mora’s spawn and seem to act in opposition to the Prince’s goals.

“Mind Terrors have arrayed themselves against Hermaeus Mora,” explains Murphy. “They are nightmares given form, feasting on mental anguish and terror.”

While each these monsters are extremely dangerous, one is feared above all others and has reportedly escaped from Oblivion.

“A particularly virulent Mind Terror, the Walking Nightmare, has broken free of any control and now runs rampant in the Telvanni Peninsula,” says Murphy. “Groups of adventurers can tackle this monstrosity in the Nightmare Den.”

Are you prepared to face your greatest fears and banish this abhorrent creature back to Oblivion?

Now that you’ve glimpsed the sort of adversaries you can encounter during your journeys through Apocrypha, do you feel prepared to plunge into the accursed realm of Hermaeus Mora when Necrom launches next month? Do you have a favorite monster from the horrors above? Let us know via Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. 

The Elder Scrolls Online: Necrom is part of the Shadow Over Morrowind adventure and arrives for PC/Mac on June 5, 2023, and for Xbox and PlayStation consoles on June 20, 2023. Pre-purchase Necrom now to receive unique bonus rewards at launch and immediate access to the Sadrith Mora Spore Steed mount.

Discover the mysteries and dangers of the Telvanni Peninsula and Apocrypha in this new gameplay trailer for The Elder Scrolls Online: Necrom.

In the upcoming Necrom Chapter, arriving June 5 on PC/Mac and June 20 on Xbox and PlayStation consoles, you can explore both Morrowind’s Telvanni Peninsula and the Prince of Fate’s realm of Apocrypha. Check out what kind of dangers you can expect from these two new zones and get a glimpse into the conspiracy that threatens the fates of both Nirn and Oblivion in this latest trailer.


You can discover so much in the upcoming Necrom chapter—from the mushroom-filled valleys of the Telvanni Peninsula, the somber catacombs of Necrom, and the endless libraries of Apocrypha. Which new zone are you most excited to begin your adventures in? Let us know via Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook!

The Elder Scrolls Online: Necrom is part of the Shadow Over Morrowind adventure and arrives for PC/Mac on June 5, 2023, and for Xbox and PlayStation consoles on June 20, 2023. Pre-purchase Necrom now to receive unique bonus rewards at launch and immediate access to the Sadrith Mora Spore Steed mount. Don't miss out!

Learn about Sharp-as-Night, one of the two new Companions you can recruit during your adventures in The Elder Scrolls Online: Necrom!


A letter from Reynila Treviri to her associate, Cyril Caro

Cyr,

I regret I haven’t made it out your way in some time. Mevei sent a care package. Did you receive it? Been terribly busy since last we spoke. Hopefully no news is good news, and that you and the family still keep two lanterns in the farmhouse window.

I’m not writing for a favor this time. I’m looking for a friend of mine, someone I’ve been seeking for ages. When I knew him, he was called Sharp, short for Sharp-as-Night. He may be going by another name these days. In fact, I pray that he is.

As I’m sure you guessed, he’s Argonian. He’s tall for his kind, with deep blue scales, black horns and jaw spines, and a crest of black feathers. You’d know him instantly by the distinctive red markings around his eyes. He told me they were bestowed by his tribe—a signifier of his aptitude in nature magic. Such magic was never allowed to flourish when I knew him. Perhaps things have changed in the years since.

Sharp was my friend, and the first of our clients. I’m ashamed to say he suffered because of my inexperience. I’ll never forgive myself for those early mistakes, but I’m committed to making things right. Part of me always hoped Sharp found his way to a new home in Black Marsh and now spends his days fishing in tranquil waters. If he was happy and safe, I’d be content to never hear from him again.

I’m writing because I received word that a client came across an Argonian fitting Sharp’s description while waiting for extraction. The client caught said Argonian in the act of killing a member of the guard in the estate. The client assumed he was with us (if only), then quickly realized he was there on other business. They parted ways without altercation. A strange coincidence, and it’s the most I’ve heard concerning Sharp in ages. Other whispers speak of him taking on mercenary or assassin work from some sort of job broker for patrons in House Telvanni.

Hearing these accounts fills me with a sorrow I can’t begin to explain and a fear that Sharp will end up right back where he started. For the time being, no one can seem to pin him down, which I suppose is a blessing and a curse.

I should warn you that in general, Sharp is not very approachable. By which I mean if you find him, do not approach him even with the intention of a friendly handshake if you wish to keep your hand. He’s antisocial and slow to trust, as anyone with his history might be. He doesn’t take well to crowds, and especially doesn’t do well with figures of authority. But under his icy exterior is a caring companion, a true and loyal friend who deserves a life of peace and dignity.

Unfortunately, Sharp will not know my name if you mention it. It’s a long story. If by some miracle you or someone you trust comes across him, tell him that someone from his past dearly wishes to see him again. Not only me, but someone he made a promise to a long time ago.

More than anything, Cyr, please treat him with kindness. I can only imagine how lonely he’s been while trying to find his place in the world alone.

Your friend,

R.T.



You’ll have the opportunity to encounter Sharp yourself when exploring the Necrom Chapter’s Telvanni Peninsula this June. The Argonian’s history is shrouded in mystery, but should you get to know him, you’ll find Sharp-as-Night to be a faithful, stalwart ally. Will you be recruiting Sharp as you tour the peninsula and worlds beyond? Tell us via Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook!

The Elder Scrolls Online: Necrom is part of the Shadow Over Morrowind adventure and arrives for PC/Mac on June 5, 2023, and for Xbox and PlayStation consoles on June 20, 2023.

Pre-purchase Necrom now to receive unique bonus rewards at launch and immediate access to the Sadrith Mora Spore Steed. Don't miss out!

Discover the weird and wonderful worlds you can explore within the upcoming Necrom Chapter.

The Elder Scrolls Online: Necrom, arriving June 5 on PC/Mac and June 20 on Xbox and PlayStation consoles, introduces two brand-new zones for Tamriel’s adventurers to experience: the Telvanni Peninsula and Apocrypha. Both new zones include their own unique locations to explore, quests to complete, challenges to overcome, and rewards to earn. 
Currently ruled over by House Telvanni, the Telvanni Peninsula with its towering mushroom forests, bizarre creatures, and craggy steppes might feel familiar to those who have ventured into Vvardenfell or Stonefalls, but this region remains politically distinct from the rest of Morrowind.

“The Telvanni Peninsula is isolated from Dunmer politics and the Three Banners War,” explains Tom Murphy, Necrom’s Zone Lead. “The leaders of House Telvanni saw little to gain by throwing in with the Ebonheart Pact. While the main leadership has centered itself on Sadrith Mora in Vvardenfell, a handful of masters rule over the peninsula in a conclave.”

While House Telvanni controls most of the peninsula, Necrom, the region’s largest city, remains independent. Also called the City of the Dead, the ancient city serves as a spiritual hub for Dark Elves across Morrowind.

“The city of Necrom arose as Dark Elf (formerly Chimer) culture carried ancestral worship to the region in the First Era,” says Michael Zenke, ESO’s Loremaster. “The edicts and suggestions of their living gods, the Tribunal, led this region to be a hub for veneration of the dead and departed—a confluence on the mortal plane of Nirn to commune with the spirits of Aetherius.”

The City of the Dead

The city allows all the Dark Elves to participate in their traditions, and it hosts great pilgrimages from all over Nirn. Due to its importance, Necrom enjoys a kind of neutrality when it comes to the political machinations of the Great Houses.

“Necrom is a holy city for Dark Elves of all houses and affiliations,” explains Murphy. “All acknowledge that such a place belongs to the Dunmer, and the Keepers of the Dead—the order that maintains the city—have fought tooth and nail to fend off the few conquerors foolish enough to try to claim it.”

The streets of Necrom

For would-be adventurers and explorers, Necrom features all the amenities and opportunities of any major Tamrielic city, and it is home to daily quest NPCs, crafting stations, an Outlaw’s Refuge, and vendors.  

The city bustles with traders, explorers, and hidden dangers, and yet there’s greater adventure beyond its high walls. With a host of delves and a public dungeon to experience, world bosses to conquer, side quests to discover, and all manner of wonderous sights, you’ll find no shortage of excitement within both Necrom and the Telvanni Peninsula.
The second explorable zone in the Necrom Chapter allows ESO’s undaunted adventurers to venture to the Daedric realm of Apocrypha. As the dominion of Hermaeus Mora, Apocrypha houses the collected knowledge of the Prince of Fate, and all manner of native Daedra and knowledge-seeking mortals call it home. 

“Mortals have long sought the forbidden secrets of Apocrypha for their own gain, leading to a number of factions that vie for control of the stacks,” explains Zenke. “The Ciphers of the Eye, the favored of Hermaeus Mora, are a particularly powerful and well-established group. Their settlement, Cipher’s Midden, is one of the few areas that can be said to be ‘safe’ for mortals in this twisting realm.”

Venture into Apocrypha

This warped Daedric realm is also home to a tentacled host of Daedra and Dremora, all (mostly) loyal to the Prince of Knowledge.

“Daedra abound in Apocrypha, as in any Daedric realm, with the most numerous being the floating Seekers–archivists of the endless library,” says Zenke. “Lurkers also slouch and squelch through the abyssal pools of Apocrypha. Adventurers can discover that these heavyweight soldiers defend Mora's secrets at all costs."

You might be an agent of Hermaeus Mora during your adventures in this part of Oblivion, but don’t let that lower your guard—many dangers prowl the shadows of Apocrypha, and all who walk its paths in search of knowledge should be wary.

“Knowledge is power, and power corrupts,” warns Murphy. “Mortal adventurers will almost certainly run afoul of the Hushed–ill-fated readers of forbidden lore that have mutated into monsters. Eerie and horrific Daedra, like Seekers and Lurkers, prowl in the shadows of books. And new invaders have established footholds in Apocrypha.”

Beware Apocrypha’s dangers

You can experience these dangers for yourself when you venture into this strange world. However, when exploring Apocrypha in the Necrom Chapter, you can also discover an all-new part of Mora’s realm: Chroma Incognito.

Distinct from the rest of Apocrypha, Chroma Incognito is home to fates that never came to pass. It is a world of unclaimed potential, missed opportunities, and impossible futures that, for whatever reason, the Prince of Fate hoards within his ream.

“Hermaeus Mora is not just one thing—he is many,” states Zenke. “Chroma Incognito is a reflection of that, as all Daedric realms are a reflection and extension of the Prince that rules it. Chroma represents the ‘color out of space’ from Lovecraftian lore—the twisting threads of fate that Mora views and judges. Think of it as that feeling of being very, very small you get from gazing up at the night sky on a cloudless night. As a result, this ever-shifting region of Apocrypha contains multitudes: a crucible of faded fates, a drifting vortex of lost ships and sunken vessels, and a menagerie unlike any seen in all of Aetherius.”

Chroma Incognito

This bizarre piece of Apocrypha becomes yours to explore at will, but be warned: like any other part of Oblivion, it exposes you to new mysteries and dangers that you need to overcome throughout your journeys. Between these two portions of Mora’s realm, you encounter unique delves to explore, a public dungeon to clear, world bosses to confront, and side quests to complete.
As you quest throughout the Telvanni Peninsula and Apocrypha, you can earn rewards specific to the Necrom Chapter. This includes a host of Achievements, six item sets (three crafted, three that drop in the world), three powerful mythic items (dug up via antiquities), a new Tales of Tribute deck (Almalexia), and a huge mix of astonishing collectibles.

Check your in-game Achievements

These collectibles include the Shroomtender’s Garb armor style (earned by completing various Necrom achievements), the Graht-Oak Squirrel pet (earned via both of Necrom’s public dungeons), the Obsidian Dwarven Sphere pet (earned via the new Bastion Nymic world event), unique outfit styles, mementos, emotes, and much more.

Complete almost every Necrom Chapter Achievement and you receive the stunning Berylglow Nix-Ox Steed—the ideal mount for your adventures across the peninsula and Apocrypha.

Necrom’s Unique Collectibles

The Telvanni Peninsula and Apocrypha might hold untold mysteries and dangers, but those brave or foolhardy enough to dive deep into these two spectacular worlds find no shortage of in-game rewards awaiting them. Good luck!
Whether you’re excited to delve into the volatile political world of House Telvanni and Necrom or the unknowable wonders and horrors of Apocrypha, the Necrom Chapter’s two unique zones provide explorers with all manner of adventures, challenges, and rewards. Are you ready and willing to venture to the Telvanni Peninsula, the city of Necrom, and Hermaeus Mora’s realm of Oblivion? Let us know via Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

The Elder Scrolls Online: Necrom is part of the Shadow Over Morrowind adventure and arrives for PC/Mac on June 5, 2023, and for Xbox and PlayStation consoles on June 20, 2023.

Pre-purchase Necrom now to receive unique bonus rewards at launch and immediate access to the Sadrith Mora Spore Steed. Don't miss out!

Clash across Cyrodiil, the Imperial City, and Battlegrounds during the Whitestrake’s Mayhem in-game event and you’ll earn bonuses to Alliance Points and XP gains, in-game rewards, and more!
The Whitestrake’s Mayhem in-game event returns Thursday, May 11 at 10AM EDT, and runs until Tuesday, May 23 at 10AM EDT. During this period, you and your fellow adventurers can enjoy big boosts to both your Alliance Point and XP gains while earning awesome in-game rewards by participating in ESO’s PvP modes.

Ready and eager to join your fellow warriors? Simply follow the steps below:

1. Visit the in-game Crown Store to acquire the “Details on the Whitestrake’s Mayhem" quest
2. Travel to your Alliance War faction's main gate in Cyrodiil using the Alliance War menu or a Battlegrounds camp outside major cities

• You are not required to travel to Cyrodiil to kick off the event

• Find the NPC named “Predicant Maera" and continue the quest
• If you already completed the quest in a previous year, you won't need to do it again
• Complete the quest to receive your Scroll of Pelinal's Ferocity and a Pelinal's Boon Box
• Use the scroll to enjoy a two-hour, 100% buff in the Alliance War, Imperial City, and Battlegrounds to:
• Alliance Points gained
• XP gains for PvP player kills
• In addition, enjoy a 100% boost to Tel Var Stones gained throughout the course of Whitestrike’s Mayhem; no scroll required!
Battle to claim Cyrodiil You can use the Scroll of Pelinal’s Ferocity throughout the Whitestrake’s Mayhem event period. If for whatever reason the scroll is lost or destroyed, return to Predicant Maera to obtain another, or use the Basin of the Gore Virtuous. Be aware that the Scroll of Pelinal's Ferocity is an inventory item, not a memento.
Claim the Spoils
As you battle throughout Tamriel, gaining fame and glory beyond compare, you can earn event-specific loot. House Dufort Banneret Outfit Styles Brandish your chivalric pride for all to witness through the armament of the Knights of the House of Dufort, dropped by Imperial City sweepers and bosses. NEW—Gloamsedge Armor Style Blend into the shadows as you stalk your prey in the Gloamsedge armor, dropped by Imperial City sweepers and bosses. Ambush your foes in Gloamsedge armor Pelinal’s Boon Boxes As you compete across Cyrodiil, Battlegrounds, and the Imperial City, you can earn Pelinal’s Boon Boxes in addition to your regular Rewards for the Worthy containers and PvP daily quest rewards. You can receive these boxes from participating in the activities listed below:
• Battleground quests from Battlemaster Rivyn
• Scouting, Battle, Warfront, and Conquest Missions
• Elder Scroll capture and recapture quests
• Town quests in Vlastarus, Bruma, Cropsford, Cheydinhal, and Chorrol
• Imperial City daily quests
Within Boon Boxes, you have the chance to receive the following items:
• Parcel of Tel Var Stones
• Cyrodiil repair kit
• Soul Gems
• A guaranteed drop of ONE of the following:
• Alchemy ingredients
• A style item for your Alliance's armor style
• A style item for Akaviri armor style
• A Daedric siege weapon
• A Whitestrake's Mayhem book furnishing
• A Forward Camp for your Alliance
• A Chapter of your Alliance's armor motif
• There is a small chance that the full book may drop instead of a single chapter
• A Prismatic Runestone
• A Chapter for the Akaviri armor motif (or very rarely, the full book) (0.5%)
• Fragment of the Alliance Breton Terrier pet
• There is a small chance you discover two fragments instead of only one
• Transmute Geode
• Tools of Domination Weapon Style Page
Bonus Resources & The Golden Players making use of harvesting nodes during the Whitestrike Mayhem event will loot extra resources. Additionally, the Cyrodiil merchant Adhazabi, “The Golden” Aba-daro will update her shop’s stock to contain jewelry from Cyrodiil’s item sets, in CP160 Legendary quality. Aba-daro’s Bazaar will offer valuable necklaces during the first weekend of the event and rare rings during the second. Purchase PvP jewelry from Aba-daro Note that during Whitestrake’s Mayhem, Aba-daro will not be selling Monster Masks and all purchases in her shop must be made with Alliance Points. She will not accept gold.
Event Tickets & Rewards
During this event, you can earn up to three Event Tickets each day by completing two different PvP activities:
• Two Event Tickets from the first Cyrodiil or Battleground daily repeatable quest
• Note that these can include Bounty Board quests, a Town Daily, the Conquest Board quests, or the daily Battleground quest
• One Event Ticket from a District daily quest within the Imperial City
This means by the end of Whitestrike’s Mayhem you could accumulate a mighty 39 Event Tickets! Keep in mind that you can hold up to a maximum of 12 Event Tickets at a time. If you happen to earn more while already at the cap, those tickets will not be added to your inventory. Once you’ve collected enough tickets, head on over to the Impresario merchant to barter for some exclusive event collectibles:
• All three Passion Dancer Blossom pet fragments
• Chartreuse Lily Petals
• Enchanted Silver Flute
• Mystical Sheet Music
• All three Passion's Muse personality fragments
• Bottle of Silver Mist
• Delicate Dancer's Baton
• Pressed Lily Petal Insoles
• The first two Meadowbreeze Memories skin fragments
• Bottled Skin Dyes
• Ground Jade Lily Powder
• Bound Gloamsedge armor style pages
• Bag of Veteran's Glory containing one guaranteed drop of a previous Whitestrake's/Midyear rewards that you haven’t already collected
• Black Drake Clanwrap style pages
• Second Legion style pages
• Legion Zero style pages
• Legion Zero Vigiles pages
• Ebonsteel Armor pages
• Black Drake's body or face markings
• Battle-Scarred body or face markings
• Standard-Bearer emotes
• Standard-Bearer staves and shields
• Group Repair Kits
• Companion Guild Commendations for Fighters Guild, Mages Guild, and Undaunted
The Meadowbreeze Memories skin Finally, the Impresario’s colleague, Nenulaure the Indrik Vendor, has the following items available for purchase with Event Tickets:
• Nascent Indrik Feathers
• Luminous Indrik Berries
• Icebreath Indrik Berries
• Shimmering Indrik pet
• Rimedusk Indrik pet
Glory and Honor Awaits!
Compete across Tamriel’s many battlefields during the Whitestrake’s Mayhem in-game event, and you can earn special rewards as compensation for your epic deeds. Are you ready to test your mettle against your fellow players? Let us know via Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.  The Whitestrake’s Mayhem in-game event begins Thursday, May 11 at 10AM EDT, and runs until Tuesday, May 23 at 10AM EDT.