Although it's never caught on like its mainline entries, The Elder Scrolls Online is a fairly successful MMORPG that's been steadily putting out new content over the past six years. The newest DLC, Stonethorn, recently released on PC, PS4, and Xbox One. It's the latest story update to a year-long narrative that sheds light on the past history of Skyrim.
Like most Elder Scrolls Online DLC, Stonethorn comes with new dungeons, loot rewards, and characters for players who are exploring Skyrim once again. This newest DLC also continues the "Dark Heart of Skyrim" story that's been going on throughout the year. As the title suggests, the story explores the darker side of Skyrim, the northern kingdom of Tamriel.
It makes perfect sense to allow players to explore the northern parts of Tamriel, since The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim was a hugely successful mainline entry. Elder Scrolls Online hasn't been afraid to retread old fan-favorite zones, with the full Morrowind expansion releasing in 2017. At the beginning of the year, Elder Scrolls Online started its year-long "Dark Heart of Skyrim" arc, which started with Harrowstorm and continued with Greymoor. Now, with Stonethorn, the MMO is continuing to take fans through one of the most popular aspects of Skyrim's story.
How Stonethorn Builds On Skyrim's Lore
The "Dark Heart of Skyrim" arc concerns the Gray Host, an ancient army of vampires and werewolves. The war between werewolves and vampires was a favorite questline in Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim for many players, and the latest Elder Scrolls Online DLC allows users to explore these aspects of Skyrim's dark history even further.
Players can explore two new dungeons in the latest content update for Elder Scrolls Online. The first, Castle Thorn, is home to Lady Thorn, who's busy gathering her army of vampires. The second dungeon concerns the werewolves. Players can explore Stone Garden to learn more about the werewolves in the same way Castle Thorn involves vampires. The two new dungeons each focus on one aspect of the Gray Host, and it allows players to learn more about the history and lore of Skyrim in a multiplayer setting.
It's great exploring old lore in Skyrim, and this is one of the ways Elder Scrolls Online really succeeds. By taking players to old locations through new ways, it creates an experience that feels both original and comfortably familiar. The "Dark Heart of Skyrim" arc featured in Stonethorn is expected to end when the final DLC drops in November.