Murkmire is the next upcoming DLC for The Elder Scrolls: Online; Bethesda’s Elder Scrolls MMORPG. The expansion is set to send players to the Murkmire region of Black Marsh, homeland of the Argonians. It will be the first time players can explore a new area of Black Marsh since the game’s initial release. The DLC recently released on ESO’s PTS servers, suggesting that a public release is coming soon. Now, Bethesda has published a preview of Blackrose Prison, a new four-player Arena which features in the Murkmire DLC.
Blackrose Prison, the New Arena in ESO’s Murkmire DLC
“Gather your party for Blackrose Prison,” says Bethesda; “an all-new four-player arena coming with The Elder Scrolls Online: Murkmire”. Blackrose Prison was once a penal colony built by the Imperial mage Pelladil Direnni and a host of Stone Atronachs. Now abandoned, the prison ruins have been taken over by the descendants of those imprisoned in its walls; a tribe of Naga Argonians who call themselves Blackguards.
“You and your group enter Blackrose Prison in order to help the thief Erilthel free her master Seeks-the-Dark,” explains Mike Finnigan, the game’s Dungeon Lead; “who has been captured and forced to run the arena. Erilthel has tracked him down (she’s kind of a super sleuth) to this location, but in order to save him, she needs you to face the gauntlet of Drakeeh’s making.”
How the New Arena Works
The actual arena part of Blackrose Prison will pit teams of players against waves of enemies. There are five separate arenas, each of which contains a different kind of enemy. These include vampires, monsters captured in the swamps, Imperial deserters, and Blackguards. Players will need to win five consecutive rounds, which end with a boss-fight, to win an arena.
Finnigan explains that the team looked at successful elements from the game’s previous arenas to design Blackrose Prison; “With Blackrose,” he says; “we wanted to incorporate the kind of environmental traps or dangers that Maelstrom Arena has, but at the same time, we didn’t want to use the same ones players had already experienced. So, we varied the ways you can avoid or mitigate their effects while also integrating some of them mechanically into the boss battles, too.”
Players will able to use four new Sigils during fights; the Sigils of Resurrection, Shielding, Sustain, and Healing. Resurrection heals fallen teammates and protects the user, while Shielding reduces damage from all attacks on all teammates. It also deflects ranged attacks. Sustain grants boots of Magicka and Stamina to all players. Finally, Healing heals all players. While these are useful, players can only use each Sigil once. Moreover, using them deducts points from your Veteran Leaderboard score.
Blackrose Prison Rewards
All of the bosses found in Blackrose Prison drop parts from the Murkmire DLC’s three zone gear sets. Players who complete the arena can also get unique Blackrose Weapons, which buff a player’s weapon abilities. Players can even earn “Perfected” versions of these weapons by completing the arena on Veteran difficulty. Doing this will also earn players the Marshmist Palescale Skin collectible. Completing the Veteran Blackrose Prison without dying or using any Sigils will earn players “The Unchained” title.