ESO High Isle: How To Unlock Isobel And Ember Companions In Elder Scrolls Online

The Elder Scrolls Online: High Isle expansion is now out for PC players, giving them their first chance to explore the Mediterranean-inspired region of the Bretons. There are lush landscapes scattered with water, dozens of new locations, and a few different islands to explore. As with any new ESO expansion, there's a ton to do right off the bat, including finding all available Skyshards and completing the various quests that are found throughout the region. This is all accomplished easier with a friend or members of your guild but not every player will travel with friends. Luckily, there is an easy way to avoid going at High Isle solo, which is to unlock the two new companions, Isobel and Ember.

Companions were introduced with the ESO Blackwood expansion in 2021. They're basically the same as they were in Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, though slightly less talkative (looking at you Lydia). In High Isle, there are two companions that are available for players to unlock. Upon doing so, players can travel with that companion, who can be extremely helpful during combat. The two companions in High Isle are Isobel and Ember and they're unlocked in two different areas of the region. Each one has a distinct personality and voice lines, so it might be best to experiment with each to see which one you like traveling with more.

Below, you can see exactly how to unlock each one. However, keep in mind you can only have one companion active at a time, so you'll have to choose between Isobel and Ember at some point.

Unlocking Ember

First up is Isobel, since they're closer to the starting area of High Isle. Like with any companion in ESO, you need to start a quest to gain the opportunity to add Ember as a traveling member of your party. Ember's quest is located near Gonfalon Bay, which is essentially the first place you'll find yourself in High Isle. From Gonfalon Bay, head northeast to the middle bridge crossing the river. Cross over the huge bridge to find an NPC named Ladlow Merchant on the other side. Speak with Ladlow to begin the quest "Tower Full of Trouble."

Track this quest from your journal and after going to a map marker or two, you will meet Ember, a Khajiit with a witty personality. Talk to Ember and they will tell you about a certain tragedy that has taken place at Tor Draioch. After you help out Ember with this quest, which shouldn't take more than 30 minutes to an hour, you will be able to add them as a companion.

Unlocking Isobel

Once you have Ember unlocked, you can travel back to Gonfalon Bay and head directly west. Go across the river bridge on the west side of the island and keep walking until you reach the brown wreckage that's seen on the map of High Isle. Here, there will be the Castle Navire Wayshrine, which you can discover. At the wayshrine, there is an NPC named Lord Remard DeFulley. Speak to them to hear about problems happening in Castle Navire. This interaction begins the quest "Tournament of the Heart."

By tracking this quest and following the first map marker, you'll find Isobel right outside of Castle Navire. Speak to her and she will offer more details about what's happening inside of the castle. She will also join you as you complete the quest, which will likely take around 30 minutes to an hour. At the end of the quest, Isobel is unlocked as a companion. As mentioned before, you can only have one companion active at a time, so you'll need to pick between Ember and Isobel.

If you want to use one of them for a bit and then summon the other, you can easily do so through the Collections menu. Go to this menu from the Inventory screen and click on the Allies tab and then Companions. Here, you will be able to select any companion you have previously unlocked to join you on your travels. The companion you were traveling with before will be sent back to the menu, allowing your new one to join.

Traveling with a companion makes the journey through High Isle in Elder Scrolls Online much more enjoyable, so don't be afraid to use either Isobel or Ember.