About Time: The Psijic Order Returns in The Elder Scrolls Online: Summerset

Ever wish you could just freeze your enemies in time?

Or speed yourself up to run circles around them? How about getting yourself out of a jam by jumping a few seconds backward in time? Well, in Summerset, the latest Chapter in The Elder Scrolls Online, you can do all that – and more – thanks to a newly-available guild: the Psijic Order.

But before we get down to the details of this time-bending new Skill Line, let’s take a look back at the history of the Order.

Ancient Power

The Psijic Order has long been a part of Tamriel lore, often rumored but rarely seen (in fact, it wasn’t until The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim that players were able to witness the Order’s activities firsthand). That mystery has been by design; the Order has access to great mystical power, and millennia of hidden wisdom. In order to protect that knowledge, the Order devised a method of transporting its home island of Artaeum out of Tamriel entirely, to...someplace else. Maybe technically no place. Reports vary.

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This is the kind of thing that happens when you have vast resources of mystical power.

When it comes to the Psijic Order, rules don’t necessarily apply as directly as they do for others in Tamriel. That’s in part because the Order has been around for an absurdly long time. No firm record exists of the exact date of its founding, but reputedly it took place long before the start of the First Era (possibly quite long before), which puts the Psijics at an absolute minimum of around 3500 years old at the time of the events in The Elder Scrolls Online, around the time the Ancient Elves first arrived in Tamriel. The venerable Mages Guild is a group of young whippersnappers by comparison, having been founded by a member of the Psijic Order early in the Second Era – that is, at least 3000 years after the Order’s founding.

And it was right around the birth of the Mages Guild that Artaeum vanished off the face of Nirn.

What Was Once Lost...

With the Psijic Order playing such a large role in the story of Summerset, it should come as little surprise that you’ll get a chance to visit this mystical island yourself. You see, a Daedric conspiracy is threatening the Summerset Isles – and, in fact, all of Tamriel – and in order to take on this particular challenge you’re going to need some very serious help.

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That means you’ll get the opportunity to travel to...wherever Artaeum actually is and consult with the brightest minds in the history of magic. As it turns out, though, the Order has encountered some hardships of its own. So in order to get their help, you’re going to have to offer yours. Now, there’s no reason to spoil the details of the epic story here, but you can expect this adventure to bring you face-to-face with a number of Daedric Princes, and you’ll be able to do some sight-seeing on a few different Planes of Oblivion as part of the bargain.

Fortunately, you get to have one (or more!) of the Order by your side for some of the more serious battles. That means you get to see the benefits of their time-twisting powers up close and personal, bringing your enemies down with the kinds of abilities that haven’t been seen in Tamriel in centuries.

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Killing Time

But of course, that’s not all; you’ll also get the opportunity to join the Psijic Order yourself, becoming a member of a very exclusive club. This opens up a brand-new Skill Line, with some seriously powerful spells waiting to be unlocked. Take Time Stop, for example, which freezes the passage of time in an area, slowing enemies over time and eventually stunning them in place. Accelerate does sort of the inverse, granting your character increased movement speed and critical damage. And Imbue Weapon channels power into your next light attack, adding a massive damage bonus. On the more defensive side, you can transform your weapon into a healing tool with Mend Wounds, or recharge your Health, Magicka and Stamina with Meditate.

The passive abilities that come with initiation into the Psijic Order are nothing to sneeze at, either. First comes See the Unseen, which gives you the ability to perceive Psijic Rifts all over Tamriel – and pull some serious loot through them. Clairvoyance reduces the cost of any of your active Psijic abilities, while Deliberation automatically applies Major Protection any time you use a Psijic ability. Spell Orb operates during combat, generating an automatic magical attack any time you cast five Psijic abilities within a certain timeframe. And Concentrated Barrier augments your standard block with a shield that can absorb a hefty amount of damage.

Then there’s the Ultimate Skill of the Psijic Order Skill Line: Undo. This is a spell with enormous defensive potential, because it essentially causes your character to jump back in time. The leap is a mere four seconds backward, which may not seem like much. But since it causes your Health, Magicka, Stamina and position to reset to where they were four seconds prior, it can make an immeasurable difference in life-or-death moments. Imagine dashing in close to a dangerous enemy, letting loose with all you have while getting pummeled, and then just...popping back to your perfectly healthy state from moments ago while your enemy struggles to patch up its wounds.

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That’s the kind of power the Psijic Order provides. And it’s an example of the kind of forces you’ll be working with as you go up against some of the most nefarious foes yet seen in The Elder Scrolls Online. Sure, going head-to-head with Daedric Princes and their very best minions may sound daunting. But just remember: In this new Chapter, time is literally on your side.