

Red Mountain was also known as the Red Tower, Mount Dagoth-Ur, and Sahqo-Strunmah in the Dragon Language. The island actually took its name from the volcano: the original name of Red Mountain was Vvardenfell, which translates to "City of the Strong Shield" in Dwemeris. Red Mountain was a vast volcano that dominated the island of Vvardenfell in Morrowind, and was once the highest mountain in Tamriel. If you’re looking for a place to start, Blackwood will surely still bring a great time.Map of Morrowind, showing Red Mountain and the Inner Sea If you’re invested in the current game, this is a no brainer. In all it’s a return to form in a lot of ways for ESO and a vast improvement over Greymoor. The new region is dense and gorgeous, offering a great selection of content to work through. The new companion system is an awesome gameplay enhancement, and despite their lacking in combat it’s incredibly cool to have a partner to explore these worlds with. The Elder Scrolls Online – Blackwood is an excellent inclusion. It’s properly challenging and complex and definitely a welcome addition to the roster of great raids that ESO has to offer.

This is something which does not get enough attention in The Elder Scrolls and so it’s great to see some kind of focus here. There is also a new trial, which is very interesting involving Argonians and their culture.


It’s always interesting to see the ways that the game creates new equipment. There are also a variety of great new items included and I’ve enjoyed seeing all the Daedric equipment that is possible to nab. These new additions are mostly done pretty well and while the companions are not as useful as I would have hoped, it’s a neat addition nonetheless. There’s also a rapport system, where you can interact and grow a relationship with the character, unlocking quests in the process. You can fully equip these two new recruits with armor and weapons and they also level up independently and unlock new abilities. You see, you can now recruit AI companions that follow and help you along the way. The major new gameplay addition is an exciting one, and is something that on a personal level I have been hoping for. This is beyond cool the first time you see it essentially you are fighting through hell. This can be accessed through red glowing portals throughout the region, which will teleport you straight to the Daedric realm. There are several present, but the one that will certainly be a stand-out is the Deadlands. Generally many of the public dungeons are also fantastic in this expansion. The cast is varied and there are some serious highlights throughout, and whilst there is sometimes a problem with the storytelling in ESO, a good job has been done in keeping you invested in them in Blackwood. The characters are also really interesting and engaging.
