General:Ascending Tide Preview—Coral Aerie
Originally published March 3, 2022. The original article can be found here.
Seaside Sanctuary[edit]
Situated along Summerset's northern coast, the Coral Aerie's colorful caverns and archaic Elven ruins shelter a secret Ascendant Order hideout. Well-secluded from prying eyes, this unique location was selected by the mysterious organization for a very specific reason.
"The Coral Aerie was chosen because of its access to the sky, allowing gryphons free movement," explains Mike Finnigan, ESO's Encounters Lead. "As a result, this allows the local Ascendant Order to use these ruins as a base to launch attacks against their enemies."
Equal parts enigmatic and dangerous, the Ascendant Order base is a threat in and of itself, but that is not the only reason why you and your party venture into this coral lair. If you've played ESO's Daggerfall Covenant storyline, you will immediately encounter some familiar faces when you enter this new dungeon.
"When you arrive, you'll discover that Captain Kaleen needs help," explains Finnigan. "She was hired to find the missing Jakarn, who was on an important mission. What that mission was and why it was entrusted to him is unknown, but Kaleen's personal history with the handsome rogue is why she was called in."
Team up with the enterprising captain, infiltrate the base, find Jakarn, and help him escape. It seems simple enough, but as you explore the Coral Aerie, you'll quickly discover that no shortage of monsters and order agents stand between you and the dashing thief.
Battle Beneath Summerset[edit]
When designing the Coral Aerie's environment and inhabitants, ESO's Dungeon Team relished the opportunity to build something unique for Tamriel's PvE dungeon delvers.
"We have never used Summerset, its Elven ruins, and gryphons in a four-player dungeon before," says Finnigan. "So, this dungeon gave us the perfect opportunity to explore those aspects of the game. That said, we also wanted the side or hidden content within the dungeon to tell its own story, too."
(In the original article, a panorama of the Coral Aerie ruins is embedded here)
As you endeavor into the dungeon's coral cove, you'll clash with vicious sea-born monsters and, as you venture ever deeper, the deadly forces of the Ascendant Order. Of course, these challenges pale in comparison to the dungeon's three bosses, as giant yaghra monstrosities, Ascendant Order champions, and even more dangerous foes stand ready to push your teamwork and skills to the limit.
When coming up with new mechanics for the dungeon's boss battles, the designers used the dungeon's own storyline as inspiration.
"We strive to challenge our players whenever possible, and sometimes that means engaging with monsters they have seen before in new and interesting ways," says Finnigan. "Yaghra and gryphons are both used in the dungeon, but not in a way players have experienced, and the Ascendant Order, being a clandestine organization with more roguish tendencies, really informed how we would design and develop the encounters and bosses within the dungeon."
If you plan on diving into the depths of this new dungeon, Finnigan has some simple advice for you and your party: explore! Not only might you find new challenges and rewards, but you might also learn some of the Coral Aerie's own secrets and history in your investigations.
"Stop and smell the coral," jokes Finnigan. "There are nooks and crannies and areas to explore that can reward those brave enough to venture off the beaten path."
Rewards from the Deep[edit]
As a new four-player PvE challenge, the Coral Aerie is also host to a selection of unique rewards not found anywhere else in Tamriel. These include achievement titles and collectibles, such as the "Gryphon Handler" title, earned by completing the dungeon on Hard Mode difficulty, or the Guardian's Frozen Shard memento, earned by unlocking the Coral Aerie Conqueror achievement.
In addition to the achievement rewards, the Coral Aerie also contains three all-new item sets and a monster mask set for you to loot, bringing powerful new boons to your characters and builds. These include Gryphon's Reprisal, a Medium set that inflicts additional bleed damage on your enemies every time you land a critical hit.
"For getting the most out of Gryphon's Reprisal, I'd suggest comboing it with other sets that buff it directly, such as Deadly Strike or Blooddrinker, or key off using a synergy, like Roar of Alkosh or Tooth of Lokkestiiz," explains Stephen Cerretani, ESO's combat designer behind the dungeon's new sets. "Make sure to also put points into the Undaunted skill line's passive Undaunted Command for the extra restore!"
An Ascending Legacy[edit]
The Coral Aerie dungeon is coming soon as part of the Ascending Tide DLC game pack, and what you discover within this new PvE challenge will set up and inform the ongoing Legacy of the Bretons year-long adventure. Are you ready to begin a journey that will take you to High Isle and beyond? Tell us if you and your party are prepared to venture into the deep caverns of the Coral Aerie via Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook!
The Elder Scrolls Online: Ascending Tide arrives on PC/Mac and Stadia* March 14, and Xbox and PlayStation consoles March 29. You can get access to this new dungeon DLC via ESO Plus™ membership or via purchase with crowns from the in-game Crown Store.
*Available only in limited territories.
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