ESO Chronological Timeline Guide - Best Way to Play the Story

Welcome to the Chronological Timeline Guide for ESO! If you ever wanted to know how to play ESO in chronological order, you can find the information here!

Table of contents

26 Chapters

Coldharbour

Chapter 1 / 26

Coldharbour is the Daedric Plane ruled by Molag Bal, the Lord of Domination and Prince of Lies. It is a grotesque parody of Nirn, a frozen, desolate wasteland where structures are inverted, buildings are flayed, and souls are tormented for all eternity. It is here that Molag Bal processes the souls he reaps from Tamriel during the Soul Burst, intending to absorb Nirn itself into his dominion.

Having unraveled the schemes of the Daedric Prince across the alliances, your path now leads directly to his seat of power. You will not face this threat alone; the combined might of the alliances, alongside key allies you've encountered throughout your adventures, will converge on this horrifying realm. Your ultimate goal is to disrupt Molag Bal's plan to merge Nirn with Coldharbour, reclaim your soul, and put an end to the Planemeld. This is the final, desperate struggle for the very existence of Tamriel. Prepare for a battle unlike any other, where the fate of the world rests on your shoulders.

Main Story Quests in Coldharbour

The Army of Meridia Story Quests represent the climatic final arc of The Elder Scrolls Online's base game main story, taking place entirely within Molag Bal's realm of Coldharbour.   

If you find yourself unable to get the next quest in this saga, make sure you have completed the main story in the Harborage

The Hollow City

  • The Hollow City: Set up a base of operations in the Hollow City.
  • The Army of Meridia: Build an army to take on a Daedric Prince.

Shrouded Plain

  • Into the Woods: Search a dark forest for signs of the Fighters Guild.
  • An Unusual Circumstance: Rescue the lamias' children from the savage Wood Elves.
  • The Shadow's Embrace: Convince the Shadow Walkers to break their pact with Molag Bal.
  • Light from the Darkness: Free the Last Ayleid King.

Black Garrison

  • Vanus Unleashed: Prevent the Daedra from using Galerion's essence to power the Planemeld.
  • Breaking the Shackle: Destroy Molag Bal's Great Shackle.

Fist of Stone

  • Crossing the Chasm: Secure the Chasm and gain access to Molag Bal's personal domain.
  • The Harvest Heart: Eliminate or ally with the enslaved vampires of the Orchard.
  • The Citadel Must Fall: Storm the Dremora defenses to reach the Endless Stair.
  • The Final Assault: Launch an assault on the Endless Stair and destroy the Planar Vortex.

Cadwell's Almanac

After completing the  Main Quest of The Elder Scrolls Online, Cadwell's Almanac automatically unlocks as a new tab in your Journal menu. This in-game system allows you to track your progress through the main storylines of the two other alliances you didn't choose during character creation. 

Cadwell's Silver and Cadwell's Gold, providing a guided path to experience the narratives of the other factions. Notably, thanks to the One Tamriel update, you can visit any alliance territory immediately after the tutorial, and any progress made in those storylines before unlocking the Almanac will carry over.

The order in which you can experience the alliances if you follow Cadwell's Almanac:

After completing Cadwells Gold, you are awarded with the Cadwell's Helm of Heroism collectible!

Edenprime

Determined to write guides and articles that are easy to read and understand | ESO-HUB and AlcastHQ Content Writer | Playing ESO since Beta | Content Creator | Guildmaster of Dragonborn Inc

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