Originally published May 16, 2023. The original article can be found here.
In The Elder Scrolls Online: Necrom, arriving June 5 for PC/Mac and June 20 for Xbox and PlayStation consoles, you can challenge your teamwork and persistence with two unique group activities: Bastion Nymic and Sanity's Edge. Each group activity features its own mechanics, environments, enemies, and rewards, putting Necrom's PvE champions to the test.
Bastion NymicEdit
Bastion Nymic is a new type of world event for groups of up to four players. Counted among Apocrypha's most mysterious and heavily defended fortresses, the bastion is rumored to protect some of Hermaeus Mora's greatest and most dangerous secrets.
"Nymics are the 'true names' of Daedra. If you know a Daedra's nymic, you can banish it or potentially bend it to your service," says Richard Baker, the Senior Writer-Designer behind the Bastion Nymic writing. "That makes nymics some of the darkest and most powerful secrets it’s possible to know. Hermaeus Mora is the greatest hoarder of secrets in Nirn or Oblivion, so naturally he’s very interested in nymics, and he wants to be sure that they are very well-protected indeed."
If knowing a Daedra's true name grants power over them, Hermaeus Mora is rightfully revered and feared as the Prince of Knowledge. However, the unthinkable has occurred, and a sinister force has corrupted the bastion's defenders and seized control.
"Rival princes have invaded Bastion Nymic, turning his own servants against him," says Baker. "The invaders located the places where the nymics of the bastion's guardians were held and now use them to compel or suborn Mora’s own protectors."
Hermaeus Mora requires brave mortal champions to drive the invaders out and destroy the Herald leading the attack. However, before you can retake the bastion, you must first locate a method of entering this hidden part of Apocrypha.
"Players need to seek out Ordinator Tandasea in Necrom city, who tasks them with collecting Daedric Ichor from special monsters called Herald's Seekers," explains Alex Covert, the Senior Encounter Designer who worked on Bastion Nymic’s design. "Once the player has enough, they can head to one of the portal edifices in either the Telvanni Peninsula or Apocrypha to finally gain entrance to the bastion."
Be warned, the Herald’s Seekers are challenging encounters that might require you to team up with other adventurers to take them down—similar to world bosses in difficulty. Once you finally make it into the fortress, Mora’s corrupted minions stand ready to defend it. However, while the encounter itself is designed for groups of four, it is a little more forgiving than a typical dungeon.
"Bastion Nymic is designed to be a moderately challenging experience for a group of four players," says Covert. "In the final confrontation with the Herald, players should expect to contend with a few unique boss mechanics."
Of course, like ESO's previous world events, you’re not intended to complete this activity just once, and repeated assaults on the fortress will result in additional rewards and challenges!
"Bastion Nymic is a very large space, and we want players to experience everything it has to offer. Since the quest associated with it requires players to complete only one of the districts, plus the start location and end boss are random, this gives them a potentially new experience each time they enter the instance."
In addition to the boss battles, there are no shortage of secrets and side puzzles for you to discover in each of the fortresses’ three quarters. Good luck!
Sanity's EdgeEdit
The Necrom Chapter’s 12-player Trial, Sanity's Edge, is a new challenge for large groups that sees you and your allies enter the fractured mind of a reckless mage.
"A Mages Guild researcher, Warlock Vanton, is trapped in his own mind by a terrifying Daedra called Ansuul the Tormentor," explains Helena Wachhaus, the Writer-Designer behind this Trial. "It’s up to the players to go into Vanton’s nightmares and fight back."
You and your allies must battle your way through Vanton's ransacked psyche and contend with the minions of Ansuul before more damage is done. As the battle takes place within the mage's mind, you must overcome a bizarre variety of dangerous foes, and the Trial's unique setting inspired the Encounters team to get creative in new ways.
"The Trial's setting informed the team immensely," explains Shane Slama, one of ESO’s Senior Content Designers. "Warlock Vanton is a powerful mage with ties to the Mages Guild, and Ansuul the Tormentor uses this knowledge to stage twisted imagery involving the guild and well-known locations."
"When designing the enemies, we considered what Vanton would be horrified to see within his mind and how the different fragmented parts of his memory could challenge players. The nightmarish elements allowed for a great mix of monsters."
However, it’s not just the twisted invaders that make this new Trial so unique. As you delve deeper into Vanton’s mind, youdiscover [sic] that even the world around you bends to the Tormentor’s corrupting influence.
"Ansuul controls just about every aspect of the Trial’s settings," explains Wachhaus. "She twists familiar locations into grotesque realities and populates them with her own scenes of terror. Until the players arrive, there isn't a piece of Sanity's Edge that Ansuul doesn’t have control over. The only way to save Warlock Vanton is to stop Ansuul before she can break him completely."
As with other Trials, this one requires your party to ultimately defeat a series of challenging bosses. Given this particular PvE activities' fantastic setting, the team implemented a wide variety of gameplay elements into each encounter.
"What’s fantastic about Sanity's Edge is that each of the boss battles has a unique flow and presents their own challenges," says Slama. "There are puzzle elements, group coordination moments, and instances of chaos that, with the proper plan of attack, you can conquer."
As a result, Sanity’s Edge challenges you and your team in new and perplexing ways.
"One bonus piece of targeted advice: don’t try to pet the wamasu!” In fact, if you find yourself locking eyes with a wamasu, have your dodge button on standby!"
High Risk, High RewardsEdit
If you and your allies brave these two group activities, you can earn all-new item sets and collectibles, found only in the Necrom Chapter. Bastion Nymic, for example, bestows players with enough strength and perseverance to earn the Keeper of the Bastion achievement with the Obsidian Dwarven Sphere pet.
Completing this PvE group challenge also helps contribute to numerous zone rewards, including the Berylglow Nix-Ox Steed, the legs for the Shroomtender's Garb outfit, and even a fragment of the Almalexia Tales of Tribute deck.
As a Trial, Sanity's Edge provides even more powerful rewards, including four distinct item sets, unique furnishings, body and face markings (earned via completing two different Trial Achievements) and, most notably, the daunting Ram of Dark Dreams mount (earned via completing the Sane and Clearheaded meta Achievement).
These new item sets include the Peace and Serenity light set, which grants a different buff based on whether you’re stationary or moving about.
When designing the Trial's new sets, the team set out to make them emphasize certain gameplay mechanics that help players tackle this particular encounter.
"We looked at a lot of the mechanics and design intents of the encounters much more closely and tried to tailor sets that either helped overcome some of those challenges, or really doubled down on strategies we thought players would devise in the encounters," explains Alec Verish, the Combat Designer behind the Trial’s new sets. "We wanted the set to feel specially crafted to help the player overcome the Trial while still being usable in other places in the game, as well. Additionally, each Trial attempt unlocks more gear to help them tackle it again."
Gather Your ForcesEdit
News challenges await Tamriel's adventures within the Necrom Chapter. If you choose to brave these new PvE activities, you may also earn a host of unique in-game rewards! Be sure to ready your allies and prepare to dive into both Bastion Nymic and Sanity's Edge when they arrive this June. Are you excited to tackle some of Necrom’s most challenging group content? Let us know via Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
The Elder Scrolls Online: Necrom is part of the Shadow Over Morrowind adventure and arrives for PC/Mac on June 5, 2023, and for Xbox and PlayStation consoles on June 20, 2023.
Pre-purchase Necrom now to receive unique bonus rewards at launch and immediate access to the Sadrith Mora Spore Steed. Don't miss out!