New Elder Scrolls Online: Murkmire details

It's become a running joke in the Elder Scrolls games that, among the tomes of spells, journals, and... well, scrolls of Tamriel, some of the world's inhabitants prefer pulp romance novels to history and magic. The one players can read is titled "The Lusty Argonian Maid" and hoo boy, don't let Daddy Dovahkiin catch you reading that one, because it is steamy. And yet, it seems like the upcoming Elder Scrolls Online: Murkmire DLC might top it, because Murkmire has a quest that features Argonian mating rituals.

That's according to Zenimax Online creative director Rich Lambert, who walked us through Murkmire behind closed doors at Quakecon 2018. While it was clear Murkmire would add the the stuff you expect from MMORPG DLC - a new storyline, regions, dungeons, gear, etc. - we wondered what else would bring players into this Argonian-focused content.

"We focused a lot on, outside of the main story - and even in the main story - you learn a lot about Argonian lore and the culture," Lambert said. "So there's an objective, a couple of objectives, in here that focus just on the mating rituals and things like that. We wanted to tell the story... why are the Argonians so weird, and kind of explore that."

Don't worry though, Murkmire isn't all lizard-people sexy times. Since the Argonians themselves have a deep connection to the land they hail from, Lambert said the team wanted to focus on making the environment be more "meaningful". That means new flora and fauna (including some carnivorous plants that function as traps), but also designing dungeons in such a way that you have to pay more attention to your surroundings.

For instance, in our playthrough, we were shown a large chamber that was reminiscent of an Uncharted / Tomb Raider set piece, plus a slimy boss monster that needed to be fought using fire traps spread around the arena. And once the dungeon was complete, we had only a short amount of time to make for the exit as fast as possible to avoid deadly gas.

Last but certainly not least, Murkmire will introduce the Naga, a sort of offshoot from the main Argonians we know and love. Instead of the sleek and pointed look of the typical Argonian, Naga are more fish-like in appearance, with puffy cheeks, webbed appendages on and around their faces, and wide, grumpy lips. All Lambert would say about these grotesque creatures is that they are the result of an Argonian losing a connection with its Hist Tree.

What's a Hist Tree, you ask? Well, see, they're these sentient plants that produce a psychic sap and... you know what, you're probably better off playing Murkmire when it comes to PC, PS4, and Xbox One later this year.

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