Shroud Lair
Shroud Lairs are winding dungeons deep inside the Shroud, where the Fell raise their brood. The Ancients once used a radiant energy called Archaic Essence to set gems into weapons. The Fell claimed that essence to feed their young, so it now grows in the lairs as golden bulbs and crystal patches. Every biome of Embervale holds at least one lair, and Cinder's Cradle holds the last and strongest. Eight unique weapons drop nowhere else.
Where to Find Shroud Lairs
Each biome has two lairs, and Revelwood has three, one of them in the Blackmire. Cinder's Cradle adds a single lair for level 48 players. The entrances lie inside the Shroud, so the Shroud timer runs for the whole visit. One lair in the Albaneve Summits is hidden inside the Forgotten Tomb. The table names the closest known place to each entrance.
Archaic Essence
Archaic Essence comes in seven tiers, one for each biome. A lair always holds the tier of its own biome. The essence is mined from crystal patches, harvested from golden bulbs and dropped by Shroud Gazers. It powers the Gem Forge, which inserts, upgrades, recycles and removes gems. Tier VII comes only from the Cinder's Cradle lair and also goes into Archaic Infusion at the Infusion Altar.
| Tier | Image | Region | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Archaic Essence I | 
|
Springlands | 5 |
| Archaic Essence II | 
|
Revelwood | 13 |
| Archaic Essence III | 
|
Nomad Highlands | 18 |
| Archaic Essence IV | 
|
Kindlewastes | 25 |
| Archaic Essence V | 
|
Albaneve Summits | 33 |
| Archaic Essence VI | 
|
Veilwater Basin | 40 |
| Archaic Essence VII | 
|
Cinder's Cradle | 45 |
Enemies
The Shroud Gazer is the lairs' keeper. It floats like a large eye ringed with short tendrils. It charges up and fires a Shroud beam that hits hard and burns. Quick melee hits keep it stunned, but it can break free without warning. Spawners inside the lairs keep sending more Fell, and breaking them opens walls that hide extra loot and essence. Some lairs end in a boss fight against a Fell Banshee, a Fell Critter Queen boss or a Fell Sicklescythe boss.
| Enemy | Image | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Shroud Gazer | 
|
Drops Archaic Essence when hit or killed |
| Fell Banshee | 
|
Boss of the Springlands quest lair |
| Fell Critter Queen | 
|
Boss of a Kindlewastes lair |
| Fell Sicklescythe | 
|
Boss of the lair in the Forgotten Tomb |
Unique Weapons
Eight weapons are unique to the Shroud Lairs. Each is a different weapon type, from a one-handed axe to a staff.
| Weapon | Image | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Final Gambit | 
|
One-handed Axe |
| Crown Crusher | 
|
One-handed Club |
| Eclipsed Blade | 
|
One-handed Sword |
| Abysswalker | 
|
Two-handed Hammer |
| Half-Light Halos | 
|
Daggers |
| Winged Shadow | 
|
Bow |
| Voidcaller | 
|
Wand |
| Oracle's Everblue | 
|
Staff |
Quests
The Alchemist leads the way into the first lair. He learns that the Ancients used gemstones to strengthen their gear and sends the player to a Gem Forge in the Springlands. The forge has been ransacked, and the Fell have carried its essence away. Their tracks lead straight into a Shroud Lair. In The Spiral, a worker from the "Maelstrom" Construction Site writes down his hallucinations as he walks into the Shroud. His trail ends at a lair in Revelwood.
| Quest | Image | Given By | Rewards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Finding And Using A Gem Forge |
|
Alchemist | Archaic Essence (5), Gem of Bleeding, 150 XP |
| The Spiral |
|
Lore note | Archaic Essence (13), 75 XP |
Lore Pages
The two notes of "What Grows In The Dark" tell of a traveller who saw a golden plant glowing inside a cave. It felt unnatural, as if it wanted to be found. The second note is written at the entrance itself. The darkness and the thick, nameless air were too much, and the traveller guessed it was a Shroud Lair. The note ends with the hope that someone braver will go in.
| Lore Page | Set |
|---|---|
| The Golden Lure | Page 1 of What Grows In The Dark |
| Held Back By The Shroud | Page 2 of What Grows In The Dark |
Location Categories
Every kind of location in Embervale, from settlements to Shroud Roots:
