Spoilers if you haven't finished DT!
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
This is not actually a bait post, please let me explain.
The questline with Erenville in the Wild West zone was a breath of incredibly fresh air.
For many this encapsulated what they had envisioned when thinking about a new adventure without world-ending stakes:
- We were actively involved in driving the plot/quests forward.
- We adventured and solved problems with our NPC partner. We weren't just a nodding retainer. It was an equal partnership with equal contributions.
- The stakes rose steadily and in a believable way. We started out small, stumbled into trouble and everything unfolded at a natural pace. This made everything more emotionally engaging, too.
- We interacted (a bit) more with the environment than in most other DT quests.
- Erenville is an interesting companion because he is both competent and has been fleshed out quite well during DT compared to the rest of the cast. We are also, as per his own words, his friend and we have already shown we make a good team.
- Unlike the scions Erenville is not bound to one location or by a special duty that limits his availability, so he is "free" for a proper/prolonged adventure story. His own current goals aligns with ours, too: traveling and seeing the world, so he'd have natural room for character development.
At the end of DT Erenville asks us if we want to join him traveling through Tural, so he clearly wants us on his journey.
Erenville's invitation is also the only prospect for further adventure after DT. DT's story has been more or less closed and a new, bigger arc has not really been set up.
Lastly, the dynamic between the WoL and Erenville would be perfect for an adventure that puts us more into the focus again without sidelining our NPC companion: Erenville can't fight!
We'd occupy two very distinct roles in the story/on the team. He can't "steal our (battle-related) spotlight" in cutscenes while we cheer from the sidelines. He can also not be used for solo instances where we have to fight as him.
Lorewise, as a traveler without fighting experience he'd surely appreciate our company while our adventure plans/routes would greatly benefit from his knowledge.
Please let us go on more adventures with Erenville in some shape. Of course, it would be a dream if it could happen in the MSQ, but if that's not possible side quest chains would be incredibly appreciated.
I have hopes that his invitation was indeed an intended set-up for a future story. But I still want to express my wish for this idea. If it's planned anyways then perhaps threads like this one can provide reassuring feedback. (Yes, copium I know. The devs will most likely not see it lol.)