I think that Falinesti, the last of the walking Graht-Oaks taking root some time ago might be a sign of a potential Valenwood game in the near future, though the same could be said of the Bosmeri prophet, which I currently believe to be ESO's Wilderking/Wilderqueen, promising new gifts for Y'ffre's favored people. There is definitely potential for a Valenwood game, with an adequate variety in locations, dungeons and settlements, as well as a main threat in the form of the Wild Hunt.

However, given a number of outside factors and influences, as well as its familiarity, I still think Hammerfell is the most likely province. It is possible that BGS weaves in some LOTR influences as they did with Oblivion and Skyrim, basing some things off Rh?n and Near Harad. The coastal cities, such as Sentinel or Hegathe I believe could be based off the city of Umbar, as well as several other real-life and fictional influences, namely the famous port of Carthage and ASOAIF's Free Cities and Dorne.

I wonder - what 'gifts' would Yffre deliver to the bosmer?

Good question. The Bosmer collectively already possess various abilities and forms of magic, such as the illusion magic of the Spinners, the ability of "shifting" and performing the Wild Hunt, as well as forest-coupling, that being the ability to walk in the shade of a tree and vanish. As for new gifts, that could mean anything from the awakening of the Graht-Oaks to the Wild Hunt to end all Wild Hunts. I suppose it would greatly depend on a range of factors in Valenwood, or should I say Ada-Mor?

Hang on -

If the trees start walking again, how does that benefit the bosmer?

Also - how would a new Wild Hunt help them? The shape shifting they go thru in such an event sounds like a curse to me, since they become raving, destructive monsters against their will (I think.)

I confess I'm puzzled. Yffre can't 'grant' them new land. It doesn't make sense - the bosmer guard and protect Yffre's forest, so unless he has plans to expand it, there's no need for new territory. Also, where would this territory come from? Would the bosmer become conquerors of nearby parts of Cyrodiil, Hammerfell or Elsweyr?

I'm missing something here.

The trees walking means the story goes on. Silent trees means a stagnant story.


As for the Wild Hunt. Joining it seems to be voluntary, but it comes at a price. It's a last-resort thing, and there's no going back. It's sort of like the Predators wrist mounted bomb.

What I think you're saying is that there is Power in the walking trees. Great power.

Perhaps something different from but distantly anologous to the Hist?

If the Trees started walking again, could they transform Tamriel?

Or: could the walking trees be an impregnable defense for Valenwood, allowing the Bosmer - the most numerous of the Mer - to expand?

Depends on how defines power... A story teller has power over their story, but they aren't exactly powerful beyond its confines.

The Green Pact seems to have come during a time where the proto-bosmer were unable to control their own identity, or 'Story'. Maybe it was what became known as the War of Manifest Metaphor. Maybe it was something else. Either way, Yffre gave them a solution. He IMPOSED a story on those who agreed, and sealed those who descented (the Ouze) away. The Graht-Oaks were part of that story. When the trees change, so to does the story.

But theirs is the story of Valenwood, not of Tamriel. The Green Pact has no place or power beyond the borders of Valenwood, nor are the Bosmer bound to its observance outside of their homeland. If it were to spread, it could be a very, very bad sign.

Alright, the topic of Blackmarsh has been brought up elsewhere, with some concerns raised about it being a bland and/or boring location... True, when most people think 'Swamp' they think http://rpgland.com/content/media/2009/06/swamp.jpg, and even ESO's depiction is along that lines (why, i have no idea... But the aesthetic for the game does tend towards the bland).

True, some swamps look like crap. Particularly if you live in the http://i.imgur.com/Nkfts9p.jpg area. But they can also be http://cdn.paper4pc.com/images/swamp-wallpaper-7.jpg places. And they have a tendency to contain a lot of http://www.kierat.de/foto/charleston/blumen.jpg due to a wide range of http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5100/5425515423_6ec7d17f3e.jpg http://ferncreekdesign.org/images/wetlands1.jpg.

Even http://media.moddb.com/images/games/1/18/17564/ON-concept-061.jpg http://elderscrollsonline.wiki.fextralife.com/file/view/Concept%20Art%20Black%20Marsh.jpg (which they seem to have ignored entirely when actually designing the visuals for Blackmarsh...) has a tendency towards vibrant colours. In particular Golds, Blues and Reds.

Then you have the proximity to Morrowind, which is known for it's over-blown http://orig01.deviantart.net/1096/f/2014/103/e/6/elder_scrolls_online_concept_art_by_rayph-d7ec7eu.jpg... Parts of Blackmarsh could very well http://img04.deviantart.net/87c6/i/2014/085/2/2/black_marsh__shroom_land_by_lyntonlevengood-d7bozap.jpg indeed. And that's only considering general influences, not even looking at the fact that the Hist can engineer basically whatever they damned well please.

Combine that with Ayleid, Kothringi, Imperial and Argonian ruins...

Based on what we already know of the provinces, without a major redesign, Blackmarsh probably has the MOST standing diversity.

Here is my thoughts on Black Marsh being in a game, from another thread

"
True but it's questionable if the An-Xileel is anti-foreign policies and independence or if they're openly hostile to all non-Argonians. I forget how the books portrayed them though. Still I'm not completely against the idea of an Argonia game and I wouldn't really care if they retconned the whole "Only argonians are in the central swamplands" but I just think if we're shown Argonia we should get a taste of Morrowind as well given both sides are still launching skirmishes against each other according to Dragonborn and we've yet to get a real taste of mainland Morrowind that could be really fun to see as well as getting involved in a possible war between the two races.

I kinda like the idea that Daggerfall had of showing two countries at once and would really like to see that again "

to add more I'm actually with Lach on the swamp thing, I think we should see southern U.S.-esque Swamps to Amazonian-esque jungle swamps plus something entirely new and alien like how the flora of Morrowind would be in a more swampy area.

I agree with all your points.

If mainland morrowind is included, it would be the best ES game ever. Also, it would allow Morrowind to finally be covered 100% by the ES single player series.

That picture doesn't look bland to me, though I suppose it would benefit from increasing the density of the fog. That way it would feel more menacing because you wouldn't be able to identify threats until you were almost right on top of them.

Anyway, point is that looks fine to me, I wouldn't mind playing there. Or perhaps I should say I haven't minded playing there because that is Point Lookout isn't it?

And I like that photo too. What's wrong with that? You are going to have to do better than that if you are going to get me to hate something .

But then I do tend to prefer muted colors and earth tones over bright garish colors most of the time, one of my favorite colors is brown.

I think bright colors should only be used very sparingly, reserved for big climactic moments when you really need to make an impact on the player. Have bright colors all over and I'll just go "blagh".

Oh, i agree. There's definitely a time and a place for the more earthy, muted tones and heavy obscuring effects.

My point wasn't that you SHOULDN'T have that, but rather that there was far more to the 'Swamp' concept than JUST that.

I always pictured Argonia being a mix of Amazonian rain forests with mushroom trees and unique flora and fauna along Morrowind to florida everglade-esque swamps along cyrodiil.

I joke about the "awful swamp", but I think they could do a good job making such a locale fun to explore.

I don't think all of Black Marsh is, indeed, marsh.

There are highlands in the center. To the east, I would bet there is a savannah.

Also, I suspect there is at least one region that floods only periodically. Most likely that would be close to the savannah area.

Finally, I know for a fact that there are mountains to the NE.

My concern would be that they would go for Skyrim-esque mountains. I think it would be more appropriate, given the overall setting, to go for more of an Appalachian look. Less, jagged, rocky crags, more gentle, rolling green.

It would be particularly striking to have Ayleid or old Dunmeri ruins on the top of the 'Mountains', poking up through the treeline...

Maybe even mountains like in Vietnam or other SE Asian countries.

I like that imagery.

I know I've asked this before, but is there any region which has some unique lore to it that would make it an appealing candidate for selection as the next main land mass? For instance, I assume the Nerevarine was already an idea or staple of in-game lore that they exploited for Morrowind. The CoC struck me as more of a contrivance for Oblivion, but with Skyrim the Dragonborn seems like another character they pulled from the greater lore of the game.

If they pull an Oblivion, I feel like they could throw us anywhere, but if they are looking for the next "chosen-one" I'm certain there must be some threads to pick from. My only hope for the next location is that it taps into that foreign and exotic feel I got from playing Morrowind. That said, I really do not want to go to Black Marsh. In playing ESO, I got my fill of storylines involving The Hist and all the lore that is wrapped up in that. I feel like the popularity of the next Elder Scrolls is going to take a big hit when they move away from the Nordic influences of Skyrim, and especially when they move away from dragons.

Actually, the Nerevarine didn't exist before Morrowind, and the idea of the Dragonborn was expanded on and had no actual relation to Dragons prior to Skyrim (or the information leading up to it).

The only potential I can think of that already has an established presence in the Lore would be the Hoondig, a manifestation of the Redguard's resistance to adversity. There's also a Khjiti 'Hero' I can't remember the name of...

Isn't there supposed to be something special about the Khajiit "Mane"?

The Mane is more like their 'Emperor' than a sort of heroic figure. It's a spiritual leader and mediator, and possibly the avatar of a 3rd moon. But it's a constant. There is always a Mane, or at least there's always supposed to be. It's not really an emergency-solution to epic problems like a Prophesied Hero.

Gotcha

A Hero of Prophecy along the lines of the Last Dragonborn will be VERY tough to develop, but maybe it could be done.

As mentioned previously, the lore of Hammerfell could suit that purpose, with a 'sword singer of destiny' saving the world from dissolution.

There might be something in Valenwood.

For Elsweyr, Summerset and Black Marsh, it gets tougher - at least from what I can remember of the current lore.

Well, there's plenty of setup in Valenwood, things that occurred at the end of the Third Era: the first sighting of Wild Hunt in 500 years, Falinesti rooting itself for the first time in history, a new prophet preaching that Y'ffre is returning with new gifts for his favored people. It's not hard to make a "great hero" out of all of it.

Perhaps a hero for the Bosmer, yes. But what would that matter to the rest of tamriel?

What event could transpire in Valenwood that would have profound implications for everyone else?