TESO: Morrowind: DLC Horns of the Reach – Dungeon Falkreath In The Preview
In August with Horns of the Reach the first DLC released after the release of TESO: Morrowind. In an official preview, developer Zenimax has now taken a look at the dungeon Falkreath, which will wait for buyers of the DLC.
About two weeks ago, there was a general preview of the first paid DLC Horns of the Reach for TESO: Morrowind, now developer Zenimax on the official site of The Elder Scrolls Online takes a closer look at one of the two new dungeons: Falkreath. The 4-player challenge is to save the named city, which is besieged by the hordes of the Dreadhorn Clan. In the following you will learn everything about Falkreath.
TESO: Morrowind: The background of Falkreath
The enigmatic forces that have been attacking the Jerall mountains for months have ultimately attacked a larger city. Falkreath’s lines of defense are under fire from the Dreadhorn Clan, an unusual combination of man and beast, and without your help, the invaders threaten to burn the city down to the ground walls.
The location of the latest dungeon is the city of Falkreath, which you may have already explored in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, but since TESO plays 1,000 years before this time, you will experience the southern Nord city at its prime!
While you are on the way to Falkreath, you may recognize some of the surroundings and buildings of Skyrim, such as the winding forest roads, the high mountain and even the Shriekwind Bastion that surpasses the city.
“When building Falkreath, we started with the actual height map and town layout from Skyrim,” says Dungeon lead designer Mike Finnigan. “We wanted it to feel like the city from the original game, but also feel like a Falkreath at its zenith of power, rather than the smaller township it was in Skyrim.”
The Falkreath of The Elder Scrolls Online is a lot bigger than you will remember, and is protected by giant stone walls. When you arrive, you will find a besieged city. Of course Falkreath does not exist without his protector. Jarl Skjoralmor’s daughter, Eerika, has raised a courageous defense, but the high walls of the city can not stop the invaders forever – and without help it will soon fall. This unique battlefield with its very specific starting position offered the team new possibilities for unique gameplay elements.
“In Falkreath Hold, the siege element allowed us to leverage environmental effects to give the players new experiences,” explains Finnigan. As you move through the city, you will inevitably have to avoid fires from the relentless siege engines of the Dreadhorn Clan and quickly find that the environment plays a very special role while you try to push the intruders back. “We want players to feel like they are actually part of a siege.”
TESO: Morrowind: That’s What Awaits You At Falkreath
While defending their Falkreath, you will meet new enemies, both from the barbaric Reachmen and the fearsome Minotaurs. You may have encountered Minotaurs on the Gold Coast, but be warned: these are even more dangerous than those encountered in the Imperial province, and it may surprise you how hard they strike!
Of course, no dungeon is complete, without one taking it with a few challenging leaders – and Falkreath Hold has quite a few of them. In Falkreath Hold you will meet the war-hearted and powerful beasts, undead monstrosities, and Domihaus the Bloody-Horned, an angry Minotaur chieftain.
“When building Falkreath Hold, we wanted to give players easy-to-discern mechanics that they haven’t seen before,” Finnigan says. “This way, when they approach a new boss, they can think back to what they have seen in the dungeon beforehand that might help them with the coming fight.”
Just like the dungeon itself, the cramped and dangerous environment can be friendships as well as foes when you get to do with Domihaus. Without betraying too much, we can say that you should always keep an eye on the ground if you do not want to end up in a bath of fire. However, the limited range of movement can also work for you when you try to protect yourself from the monster’s attacks. In the defense of Falkreath Hold, the way you move through the city and its unique challenges will contribute to victory or defeat.
TESO: Morrowind: The Rewards of Falkreath
Anyone who remains intransigent in the defense of Falkreath can get a lot of new rewards: three unique armor sets, a mask set, furnishings, collectibles and much more.
You will receive the first three armor sets from the many bosses of the dungeon. There are light, medium, and heavy items, such as the powerful Ironblood set. This heavy armor, which gives you the chance to transform your blood (temporarily) into pure iron, gives you Major Protection in exchange for Movement Speed. This allows you to insert a lot in the middle of the fight, but you lose your ability to move.
Are you a healer from the bottom of your heart? The Draugr’s Rest light set creates a healing circle for you and your allies each time you deal damage with a heavy attack. This allows you to heal and at the same time keep your resources flexible!
But maybe you are interested in the Domihaus monster mask from the Veteran difficulty dungeon? If you complete this challenge and are lucky enough to find the Domihaus shoulders in a Undaunted chest, you will have the chance to create a ring of fire or molten earth around you for ten seconds Flame or Physical Damage over time. And even better, if you stand in the center of the ring, you gain 200 Spell or Weapon Damage.
As with all dungeons, you can unlock a unique mounted trophy for the wall if you complete the normal difficulty level and get a bust if you complete the Veteran version. In addition, when you complete the Veteran difficulty level for Falkreath Hold, you will unlock the “Dreadhorn Shaman” skin, a unique collectible skin in your collection that will give your character pale tattoos in the Nirncrux style. This new appearance is unique in that you can combine it with the unique head cover, the reward from the other dungeon of “Horns of the Reach,” namely the Bloodroot Forge.
Finally, when you complete the dungeon for the first time, you will be able to buy the “Hakkvild’s High Hall” home with gold. This new Nord-styled manor offers a perfect view of the city you have just saved. If you have not finished the dungeon, you can buy it in the Crown Store with crowns.
More about The Elder Scrolls Online is also available on the official site as well as on our ESO news page for TESO: Morrowind.