Root of Nightmares
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| Root of Nightmares | |
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| Information | |
| Location | Essence, Earth Orbit |
| Players | 6 |
| Recommended Power | 1770 |
| Enemies | Shadow Legion, The Dread (Cabal) |
| Boss | Zo'aurc, Explicator of Planets Nezarec, Final God of Pain |
| Expansion | Lightfall |
| Description | "A sinister threat has taken root." |
Root of Nightmares is a Raid in Destiny 2, released in the Lightfall expansion on March 10, 2023. Guardians board the Witness’s terraformed Pyramid ship to confront an ancient enemy growing within.
Nodes and Buffs
The core mechanic throughout the raid involves interacting with Light and Dark nodes using corresponding buffs.
- Nodes
- There are two types of interactable Nodes: Light (white/splendor) and Dark (yellow/orange/decay). Nodes are typically activated by shooting a small floating sphere above a ripple-like plate while standing on or near it with the correct buff. Activated nodes often emit a trail or beam indicating the next node in a sequence.
- Aura Nodes
- Certain nodes will have a glowing aura around them. Standing within this aura and shooting the node's sphere grants a buff.
- Field of Light: A 15-20 second buff obtained from Light aura nodes. Allows activation of Light nodes and damages Redolence of Splendor enemies.
- Flux of Darkness: A 15-20 second buff obtained from Dark aura nodes. Allows activation of Dark nodes and damages Redolence of Decay enemies.
- Disruption
- If a player shoots an aura node to gain/refresh a buff while another player holding the same buff has not yet activated the next node in the sequence, the nodes can be disrupted ("Nodes of splendor/decay have been disrupted"). This causes a lockout timer (approx. 15-20 seconds) before buffs can be obtained again.
- Refuge Buffs
- These buffs protect players from wipe mechanics. They are created by taking a Light or Dark buff to an *already completed* node of the opposite type and shooting it.
- Light's Refuge: Created by taking Flux of Darkness to a completed Light node. Protects against Overwhelming Light.
- Darkness's Refuge: Created by taking Field of Light to a completed Dark node. Protects against Overwhelming Darkness / Nezarec's wipe / the jumping puzzle wipe.
Cataclysm
Objective
Survive the Onslaught and Activate the Nodes.
Description
The first encounter requires the fireteam to complete four sets of Field of Light node chains. The encounter starts when the initial Light aura node near the entrance is shot.
Players must manage the Sweeping Terror debuff, a 33-35 second timer that wipes the team if it reaches zero ("His hatred blooms once more…"). To extend the timer, the team must defeat Tormentors (Cavum of Nezarec). Tormentors are spawned ("Pain calls forth a Tormentor") by killing two specific, bubble-shielded Psions ("An adherent of torment has appeared"). These Psions must be defeated with a melee attack inside their bubble. Killing a Tormentor extends the Sweeping Terror timer by about 30 seconds ("His hatred is momentarily delayed…"). When a Tormentor spawns, a Barrier Champion Colossus spawns on the opposite side of the arena.
One or two players act as runners, obtaining the Field of Light buff from aura nodes and following the light trail to activate the next node in the sequence by shooting its sphere. Activating a node consumes the buff. The aura node's location shifts as the chain progresses. Completing a full chain temporarily halts the Sweeping Terror debuff ("His hatred halts…") before the next chain begins further down the map. Four chains must be completed to finish the encounter.
Transition & Secret Chest 1
After Cataclysm, players proceed through a short jumping section involving Pyramid structures and light ribbons, eventually leading outside.
Secret Chest 1
Towards the end of this jumping puzzle, before the Scission encounter, players will be sniped by Psions from several open doorways on the right. Jump through one of these doorways. Inside, turn right and defeat a Tormentor and some Shadow Legion enemies. The first secret chest is located behind these enemies.
Scission
Objective
Ascend the Chasm by Activating Nodes across three floors.
Description
This encounter takes place across three floors divided by a large chasm. The fireteam splits into two teams of three: left (Dark) and right (Light). Each floor has a Light node chain and a Dark node chain that must be completed within the Imminent Expulsion timer, or the team wipes.
Runners (one or two per side) must use Launchers (gravity cannons) located along the edges to cross the chasm. Shooting the Pyramid crux/switch in front of a launcher sends a Guardian across. The node sequences require runners to activate nodes on the opposite side. For example, a Light runner grabs Field of Light, launches to the Dark side, activates a Light node there, potentially launches back to refresh, and continues the sequence.
Non-runners (add clearers) must defeat waves of Cabal. Special enemies, Redolence of Splendor (Light-shielded) and Redolence of Decay (Dark-shielded), spawn periodically. These can only be damaged by players holding the corresponding buff (Field of Light for Splendor, Flux of Darkness for Decay). Add clearers should stand in the aura when their runner refreshes their buff to gain the necessary buff to defeat these shielded enemies. Barrier Champion Colossi also spawn towards the end of each floor's sequence.
Once both the Light and Dark chains on a floor are complete, the Imminent Expulsion timer stops, and a message "Your ascent is blocked by interlopers" (or similar, like "The Interlopers Block Your Ascent") appears. A wave of shielded enemies, including a miniboss, spawns on each side. Both sides must coordinate obtaining their respective buffs *after* this message appears and defeat these final enemies. If one side grabs the buff too early, it can cause a softlock. After defeating the enemies ("Energy travels upwards, beckoning you"), the launcher at the end of the floor activates, allowing the team to ascend to the next level. This process repeats for three floors.
Note: The launchers can be affected by high frame rates on PC, potentially causing physics-related deaths. Limiting FPS to 60 or using movement abilities like Strand grapple or Eager Edge swords can mitigate this.
Jumping Puzzle & Secret Chest 2
After Scission, players complete another node activation puzzle (linking Light and Dark chains) to open the way to the next jumping puzzle.
Objective
Navigate the jumping puzzle while surviving the periodic wipe mechanic.
Description
This puzzle requires players to constantly refresh the Darkness's Refuge buff to survive a lethal energy pulse that occurs roughly every 15-45 seconds. To create a safe zone, a player must grab the Field of Light buff from a Light node and then shoot a nearby inactive Dark node. This creates a temporary pool granting Darkness's Refuge. Players need to leapfrog between these safe zones. The path forward is marked by the Light and Dark nodes.
Two large doors block progress and require the entire fireteam to be present near them (typically in a Refuge pool just outside) to open.
Secret Chest 2
After passing through the first door that requires the full fireteam, walk up the steps inside the large arena. Turn right and look over the edge of the platform. A Darkness crux will be visible below. Shoot this crux to open a hidden door high up on the wall back towards where you entered the arena. Jump up into this room to find the second secret chest.
Macrocosm
Objective
Defeat Zo'aurc, Explicator of Planets.
Description
This encounter involves aligning planets to initiate a damage phase against the boss, Zo'aurc. Split the team: two players clear adds in the middle, and four players act as "planet movers," one assigned to each of the four corner triangular platforms (for example Top Left, Bottom Left, Top Right, Bottom Right).
The encounter starts when players approach the middle. Solar-shielded Centurions spawn near the back; defeating them spawns a Terrestrial Lieutenant (Colossus) on each of the four platforms. The player who lands the killing blow on a Lieutenant gains the Planetary Insight buff for a short time, allowing them to see the true color (Light or Dark) of the planets above their platform.
Normally, all planets on the left side should be Light (white), and all planets on the right should be Dark (orange/black). With Planetary Insight, movers identify the *one* planet on their side that is the *wrong* color (a Dark planet on the left, or a Light planet on the right). They interact with the small orb beneath this mismatched planet to pick it up, gaining the Planetary Affinity buff and starting the Planetary Shift timer. Planet movers must then quickly coordinate with their counterpart on the opposite side (for example Top Left swaps with Top Right, Bottom Left swaps with Bottom Right) and deposit their carried planet into the empty slot left by the swapped planet. If done correctly, the planets move into position, and the text "The indexed planets reveal themselves" appears.
After the first swap, another wave of Centurions and Lieutenants spawn. Planet movers kill their Lieutenant again to gain Planetary Insight. This time, they look at the three planets floating above the central plates. There will be two planets of one color and one of the other. Players whose side *matches* the planet color needed must grab *any* planet from their side's outer platforms and deposit it into the corresponding central plate (for example if the middle plates need two Light and one Dark, two players from the Left side grab any Light planet and deposit them in the Light plates, and one player from the Right side grabs any Dark planet and deposits it in the Dark plate).
Once all three central planets are correctly placed, shoot the Darkness crux floating between them to start the damage phase (DPS).
DPS Phase
Zo'aurc gains a shield that is either Light (white) or Dark (orange). To damage the boss, players must first step onto one of the three central plates that *matches* the boss's shield color. This grants a temporary buff (Field of Light or Flux of Darkness). Players do not need to stay on the plate to deal damage after getting the buff. After dealing a certain amount of damage (approx. 10% of total health, indicated by a notch on the health bar), Zo'aurc becomes immune and changes shield polarity. The shield polarity follows an A-B-A pattern (for example Dark-Light-Dark or Light-Dark-Light). Players must move to the correct plate for the new shield color and continue DPS. Once all three plates/phases are used, the encounter mechanics reset.
If the boss's health is low enough, a Final Stand phase begins. Players must defeat Zo'aurc quickly, still needing to match the plate color to his shield to deal effective damage, before a wipe occurs.
Transition & Secret Chest 3 (Deepsight)
After Macrocosm, complete another Light and Dark node chain puzzle to open the path. Follow the path up towards the final encounter area.
Deepsight Resonance Puzzle #3
Near the end of this transition, as you ascend large structures/roots towards the final arena, look down from the main path before the final platform. Jump onto floating debris below. Look up to find a hidden opening/room in the structure above. This contains the third Deepsight puzzle node. (See #Secret Deepsight Puzzle for full details).
Nezarec
Objective
Defeat Nezarec, Final God of Pain.
Description
The final encounter requires completing Light (left side) and Dark (right side) node chains simultaneously while managing the boss, Nezarec. Each side has six nodes to activate. Two players (or more) act as runners for each chain. The encounter begins when players approach Nezarec's sarcophagus or when the initial aura nodes are shot.
Nezarec actively attacks the fireteam. He will periodically target a random player with Nezarec's Hatred, a debuff causing constant damage and knockbacks. Two players should act as "taunters." When a player has Hatred, a taunter can shoot Nezarec's glowing weak spots (shoulders or chest) to steal the Hatred debuff for 10 seconds. Taunters should alternate taking aggro and kite Nezarec around the arena to keep him away from the runners. Colossus enemies also spawn and should be prioritized by add clearers.
Nezarec also has a wipe mechanic ("Overwhelming Darkness" or "Overwhelming Light"). To survive, the team needs a refuge buff. When a taunter breaks one of Nezarec's shoulder weak points, it explodes with a specific color (Dark/Orange or Light/Blue). This color indicates the *type* of wipe attack coming and thus the *refuge needed*.
- If the shoulder breaks Dark/Orange, the team needs Darkness's Refuge. A runner takes Field of Light to a completed Dark node.
- If the shoulder breaks Light/Blue, the team needs Light's Refuge. A runner takes Flux of Darkness to a completed Light node.
All players must stand in the created refuge pool to gain the protective buff. If runners complete the node chains quickly enough, this wipe mechanic can sometimes be skipped for the first cycle.
Once both the Light and Dark node chains are completed simultaneously (indicated by energy pulses and Nezarec being hit by a beam), the DPS phase begins. Nezarec becomes vulnerable for about 30 seconds. Players should group up (often on one of the completed node platforms) and deal damage. Well of Radiance is highly recommended. Nezarec can still attack during DPS, including a slam attack that can suppress Guardians. After the DPS phase, Nezarec becomes immune, performs a suppressing slam, and the mechanics reset. The time before the wipe mechanic triggers becomes shorter on subsequent cycles.
When Nezarec's health is critically low, a Final Stand phase begins. The team must defeat him quickly before he wipes them.
Secret Deepsight Puzzle
Root of Nightmares contains a hidden puzzle that rewards a guaranteed Deepsight Resonance weapon upon completion. This can be done once per account per week.
The Legend
At the very start of the raid, before entering the first main structure, go left behind some buildings. Find a small display with three seeds. Note the color (Light or Dark) of each seed from left to right. This sequence determines which node type must be activated in three hidden rooms throughout the raid.
Puzzle Room 1
Before the Cataclysm encounter, in the large room with iridescent light ribbons where you first enter the Pyramid structure, turn around from the main path upwards. Go through rubble/roots into a hidden room below. Activate the node matching the *first* seed color from the legend. A message "Your actions take root…" confirms success. "Your spoils suffer irreparable damage…" indicates failure for the run.
Puzzle Room 2
During the jumping puzzle between Scission and Macrocosm. Progress until you reach a launcher that normally sends you towards a large room/stairs. Before using it, look left across the gap to a separate, floating structure. Reach this structure (using Strand, Eager Edge, or careful jumps) and find the puzzle room inside. Activate the node matching the *second* seed color.
Puzzle Room 3
During the transition between Macrocosm and Nezarec. As you ascend the final large structure/roots, instead of going straight to the top platform, look down and jump onto floating debris below the main path. Look up to find an opening in the structure above. Enter this hidden room. Activate the node matching the *third* seed color.
If all three puzzles were completed correctly, the message "A great harvest awaits…" will appear. A special chest containing the guaranteed Deepsight weapon will spawn next to the final vendor chest after defeating Nezarec.
Rewards
Each encounter has a specific loot pool. Additionally, there are two hidden chests which drop Root of Nightmares Raid Mods and random rolls of gear the player has already acquired. Completing the last encounter gives access to a final chest vendor where Spoils of Conquest can be spent to purchase specific gear already obtained, or random rolls. Adept weapons can be earned from completing weekly challenges on Master difficulty.
All Legendary weapons from this raid feature the Harmonic Resonance Origin Trait and have Weapon Patterns unlockable via Deepsight Resonance, allowing them to be crafted using Weapon Shaping. The first weapon purchased from the final vendor chest each week is guaranteed to have Deepsight Resonance if its pattern is not yet complete.
Cataclysm
Scission
Macrocosm
Nezarec
- Drops any weapon or armor piece from previous encounters.
Armor Sets
- Palate of Agony Suit (Titan)
- Bite of Trepidation Suit (Hunter)
- Breath of Detestation Suit (Warlock)
Extra
- Inspiral (Lore book)
Mods
References
