Who are these druids in ESO: High Isle? Everything you need to know about this faction
In the big new chapter “High Isle” by ESO you can meet druids on the Systren archipelago. But who are they and where do they come from?
What are druids anyway? Druids are an integral part of many fantasy systems. The inspiration behind them came from a group that actually existed in real life. Ancient sources tell of a kind of “caste” of nature-loving priests and soothsayers, which were represented in many Celtic peoples of that time. The druids were therefore wise men whose advice and omens were listened to even by powerful tribal chiefs.
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In fantasy games, druids are often mysterious figures as well, using a type of religious-inspired magic that draws on the forces of nature. They can often rule over plants and animals and may even transform themselves into wild beasts.
The history of the druids in Elder Scrolls
In the online role-playing game ESO there were no druids, at least not as a playable class. And the other Elder Scrolls games don’t seem to have any druids in their repertoire either. But in the High Isle expansion you can suddenly meet druids. What’s it all about?
Where have the druids been so far? In fact, there have been druids in an Elder Scrolls title before. Namely in Daggerfall, the second part of the series from 1996. There you could already hang around in the land of the Bretons and meet druids.
They were a mysterious group of nature-loving sorcerers who were also interested in human sacrifices and took care of the rites of the dead. If you died in-game, your character was then carried into a crypt by a procession of druids.
Apart from that, other Elder Scrolls games no longer featured druids. The only thing that came close to them were the Wyrd, a sort of witch faction that actually evolved from a spin-off from druids. But there are actually still the real druids in the game.
What exactly are druids in ESO now? In Elder Scrolls lore, the “Druids of Galen” are a group of nature-loving wizards who follow the teachings of the god Y’ffre. This is the god of storytelling and nature.
Therefore, druids seek to live in harmony with the environment and honor the cycle of life. Incidentally, this does not exclude violence and destruction, because according to the druids these are also part of the natural cycle.
The Druids had their origins in the area around the Breton homeland of Glenumbra. From there they migrated to the Systren archipelago and remained hidden there for a long time. Only based on old stone circles and some idioms of the Breton language can one guess that there must have been druids once.
What is the role of the druids in ESO? In The Elder Scrolls Online: High Isle, “real” druids do appear again. The islands of the Systren Archipelago are the retreats of these mysterious sorcerers and you will be drawn right into the politics of the druid coven.
Because things get hot on the islands and fiery abysses open up everywhere. This worries some of the druids. Other druids have joined your foes, and others are joining as an entirely new threat. The druids in ESO are anything but a unified faction that only has good intentions.
What groups are there? The druids disagree on how to interpret Y’ffre’s commands. Therefore, since the disappearance of the legendary “Druid King”, there have been several different circles, some of which have conflicting goals and plans:
- Ancestral Circle: The Circle of the Ancestors can be found on the Isle of Amenos in places like the coral cliffs and other places where the magic that the druids of old used to balance nature never really thrived. They believe that human and elven civilization has put nature in chains. So they try to balance the natural world and mortal greed by literally “washing it away”.
- Stone Gauge Circle: The Stone Lore Circle is the “nicest” of the three Druidic Circles in High Isle. Non-Bretons can also belong to the circle. The Circle seeks to restore the “soul” of the Bretons by bringing their city-dwelling brethren back to their Druidic roots. They also seek to show other races the virtues of the True Way of Y’ffre, but are not hostile to those of other faiths.
- Firesong Circle: The Firesong Circle is the oldest and arguably most hostile of the three known Druidic Circles in the Systren Archipelago. These fierce druids live on Y’ffelon. Outsiders are not welcome there and a terrible fate awaits them. Their beliefs revolve around the island’s volcano, Firesong Mountain. In the rumbling of this volcano, they think they hear Y’ffre’s voice.
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The power struggles and machinations among the druid circles come out especially in the current DLC “Lost Depths”. This is also where the firesong druids appear for the first time and cause trouble. The druids make up a large part of the plot at the end of the Year of the Bretons.
You can find out more about the druids and their plans – especially in relation to the firesong coven – in the upcoming DLC ”Firesong” at the end of the year. Learn more about this upcoming content in The Elder Scrolls Online here.
Reference-mein-mmo.de