The Battlefield Ruins was the first area I worked on for Embers of Neltharion. Located in the lava field around the entrance of Neltharion’s fortress, the space is intended to represent a long, brutal ongoing battle between the forces of the dragons and their ancient enemies, the Djaradin fire giants. In the area’s questline, the player dives in to help the dragons fight off the Djaradin offensive.

When the story of the POI was described to me, I immediately knew that a key element to create that feeling of an endless battle would be making the space feel like “no man’s land”. The lava field in Zaralek Cavern are actually quite lush, with a wide range of fantastical lava-drinking plants sprouting from the obsidian shores. In the center of the battlefield however, I made a concerted effort to limit the placement of flora to only the scrubbiest bushes growing from cracks in the rock, while the more fortified areas like the Djaradin ballista nests retain some degree of plant life. In this regard, I feel I was able to make the space stand out as particularly desolate amid already harsh surroundings.

I also put a lot of thought into the touches of culture found in the Djaradin sections of the POI. In particular, I’m very proud of the dragon skull shrine pictured above. Narratively, the Djaradin are portrayed as elevating the killing and butchering of dragons to a sort of religious calling, and I thought the idea of a dedicated shrine on a major battlefield where soldiers marching into the fray could leave offerings would be a good way to convey that element of their story.

The level design work for Zaralek Cavern was performed by world builders Victor Cortis, Ian Gerdes, Matt Morris, Michael Esten, Travis Hickman, Esther Love, Taylor Kemp, Ryan Moore, Alexandra Miller, and myself.