ESO Chronological Timeline Guide - Best Way to Play the Story

There's a total of three starter islands in ESO (Elder Scrolls Online). There's Stros M'kai, an island much like a little desert which will lead you through the beginning of the Daggerfall covenant storyline. Then there's Bleakrock Isle which will show you the beginning of the Ebonheart Pact storyline and is set on an island just right off the cold northern shores of Skyrim, and Khenarthi's Roost, a very beautiful green and lush island in the south of Tamriel, belonging to the Aldmeri Dominion storyline.

You should always choose the portal which will bring you to your own alliance, as later on, when you start to concurrently play the Main Story quest line, you will be guided through all the alliances, but you will have to do them in a specific order. This way you can experience the game how it was in the beginning.

All quests with this symbol will mean that these are the Zone Story quests, those which will matter for completing the main story arcs of those zones. So if you are lost at any point, just keep an eye out for these.

When you choose to go with the Daggerfall alliance storyline and take the portal to Stros M'kai, you will land at the docks of this island and will get to talk to Captain Kaleen which is just further up the dock. She is looking for Jakarn, a recruit for her planned heist. This will begin the Daggerfall storyline and you just need to follow it across the island to finish with it. You will get to Betnikh after this, which is basically the second part of the Starter Island for the Daggerfall Covenant.

Only if you have quested through there will you be able to get to the mainland. In case this should change, and you should be dropped off on the mainland, take the boat to Bethnik and quest through there. That way you will be able to complete the first part of the chronological order in which to play the game.

If you belong to the Ebonheart Pact alliance you will want to choose the Bleakrock Isle portal. This will bring you to a snow-covered island, but first you will land in an inn of some sort, just having woken up. Captain Rana will await you in this inn, asking you to explore Bleakrock Island and look for people who may need help. If you follow this storyline you will end up getting to the next quest hub.

If you are part of the Aldmeri Dominion alliance and you have chosen Khenarthi's Roost as your portal to step into the world of Tamriel, you will end up by the beach. If you follow the direction your character looks at, or well, towards the ruins, you will find Razum-dar, a very handsome Khajiit. He will tell you that an Aldmeri Dominion fleet was shipwrecked by a hurricane. He asks you to follow him to Eagle's Strand and you will get to talk to Commander Karinith. If you follow this Zone Story quest arc, you will be able to get to the mainland by the end of this story line.