Waking Flame Preview—The Dread Cellar

Continue your Gates of Oblivion adventure in the Dread Cellar, a new four-player dungeon arriving as part of the Waking Flame DLC.

AN EMPIRE’S SHAME

Located in the hills of northern Blackwood, the Dread Cellar once served as one of the Empire’s most notorious prisons. Home to dissidents, rebels, and political prisoners, this secret location seldom released those sent to it, and rumors abound of the guard’s brutal treatment of their captives.

Believed to be shuttered years ago, the Dread Cellar just recently began emanating mysterious magical energies and is now occupied by the Dagonic cult, the Waking Flame. Warned of the prison’s reawakening by none other than Lyranth Foolkiller, a Dremora frequently involved in this year’s Gates of Oblivion year-long adventure, the battlemages of the Imperial Legion, including the trainee battlemage Lucilla Caprenia and her master, Martus Tullius, have been dispatched to investigate this troubling news.

“With the Dread Cellar, we wanted to create a sense of mystery around its origins, what is happening there, and what roles the characters previously played,” explains Mike Finnigan, ESO’s Encounters Lead. “While there is a clear Daedric threat at play, nobody’s hands are clean when it comes to this place, and we tried to translate this into the dungeon’s worldbuilding, atmosphere, and audio.”

With your help, the battlemages must make their way deep into the prison and discover the cause of the magical disturbance, but what other horrors await them within this once-feared gulag? And what greater purpose does the Dread Cellar serve for the Waking Flame cultists that now inhabit it?

DAGONIC POWERS

As you escort your Battlemage allies into the prison, you’ll find the devoted minions of Mehrunes Dagon standing in your way. This includes Waking Flame cultists wielding potent fire magics and a host of Daedric beasts, including monstrous daedroth, ogrim, and even more fearsome foes.

“When designing the Dread Cellar’s enemies, we wanted to make use of a large variety of Daedric minions to create a real challenge for players,” explains Finnigan. “For example, there are two kinds of the Xivilai found throughout the dungeon, and they are no pushovers, so your group will need to stay on their toes even in the non-boss areas.”

As you battle your way through the Dread Cellar, you’ll also have to face three bosses, each possessing unique mechanics that you’ll need to learn and overcome in the heat of battle. These bosses include the horrific Scorion Broodlord, a Deadlands-touched arachnid with the power to move about the area via portals.

These challenges await you in both Normal and Veteran difficulties, with a Veteran Hard Mode available for each of the dungeon’s three bosses if you and your allies are looking to truly test your might! 

FORGOTTEN RELICS

Buried deep within the Dread Cellar are a host of collectibles, gear, and more. This includes four unique items sets (one light, one medium, one heavy, and one monster set), each with their own set bonuses and abilities, such as the Scorion’s Feast: