Spire of the Watcher

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Spire of the Watcher
Game:	Season of the Seraph
Player(s):	1-3
Recommended Power Level:	1600
Location:	Ares Spire, Mars
Objective(s):	Prevent Vex from securing Golden Age technology and information

“

Machinations run wild in this dust-ridden ruin. Bring them to heel.

”

Spire of the Watcher is a Dungeon, introduced with Season of the Seraph and released on December 9th, 2022. At a time slip on Mars, Vex from the Sol Divisive have recently taken over a reactivated Seraph-Ishtar Collective facility known as the Ares Spire; aiming to sabotage the Vanguard's efforts to rebuild the Warmind and extract special Golden Age data under the command of the Witness. With aid from Osiris, Guardians must stop the Vex from breaching the Spire's systems and stealing Rasputin's submind data.

Walkthrough

Reestablish Power

Players begin the Dungeon at Ishtar Chronoscopic Analysis, where the facility's Arc supply is located. After moving through some ravines and a cliffside, players emerge at a small outpost guarded by a lone Goblin, overlooking the Ares Spire proper. Upon entering this outpost area, enemies will begin to spawn, including Conduit Minotaurs.

This area introduces the Dungeon's Arc circuit mechanic. On death, Conduit Minotaurs drop a pool that gives players the Arctrician buff when stepped into, which allows Arc nodes to be activated by attacking them with weapons. The buff begins with a 30 second countdown, but is refreshed by a few seconds by activating Arc nodes. Arc nodes are diamond-shaped devices connected to each other by yellow cables in a circuit, which must be activated from a start node to an end node in the correct order to proceed. Nodes will deactivate after a short delay if the previous node in the chain has not been activated. The start node can be identified by illuminated chevron shapes pointing in the direction where one will need to go next.

In this area, four circuits must be completed in order to open a door in the center of the outpost where the end nodes converge. Beware that once a circuit is complete, Supplicants will spawn and chase down players. This can be avoided by leaving each circuit almost done until they can all be finished in quick succession. Each side of the outpost has a circuit on the rooftops of and inside their buildings.

• The circuit inside the left building is started from a ravine accessed through a tunnel. Players must then go back to the main building to activate two more nodes before it is ready to be completed. Do not be tricked by following the path of the cables, as both nodes inside the building can be seen at the same time after returning from the tunnel.
• The circuit on top of the left building starts in a room closest to the side of the outpost that the players started on. From there it snakes around the rooftop then under an overhang which can be seen on ground level.
• The circuit in the right building starts from a node hidden at the bottom of a crawlspace. It must then be followed back outside before completion.
• The circuit on top of the right building starts on the back of the building on the side closest to the Ares Spire. The cables of this circuit sometimes run under an overhang, but the remaining nodes are actually in two rooms on the rooftop which are activated in the order of the one on the opposite side of the building, then the room in the middle.

Once all circuits are completed, all enemies will despawn and the door will open into an elevator shaft which must be carefully climbed down. This shaft leads into an entrance hall with a locked door. To proceed, climb through a ventilation shaft on the upper left side and follow it to the Reactor Firewall.

Begin the Ascent

This area is largely a jumping puzzle, but players should be prepared to face Harpies, Hobgoblins, and Incarcerator Hydras while progressing through it. From the control room, climb into a ventilation shaft on the left side to enter the Reactor Firewall itself. Players must then jump between catwalks and objects suspended from cranes to make it to the large central pillar.

The first secret chest can be found in this area. To find it one must first reach the second high catwalk after jumping between the objects suspended from cranes, then jump around the back of the pillars to reach the other catwalk going away from the central pillar; a small ledge is provided to stand on between the catwalks. The secret chest is on another ledge behind the last pillar.

After reaching the central pillar, enter the gravity lift to continue into a control room and continue to climb by heading into the inactive lift on the other side of the room. When a control room with a Rally Banner spot is found, climb out the window and onto ledges to reach the next area.

Ascend the Spire

The Spire Ascent is the first proper encounter of the Dungeon that grants loot. It is a continuation of the Arc circuit mechanic where two circuits must be activated to turn on a gravity lift and continue to the next level of the Spire. During this encounter, Goblins and Incarcerator Hydras will appear to harass players, with Supplicants spawning upon the deaths of Hydras. When following the circuits, be sure to check under catwalks, behind structures, and on the sides of the main structure for nodes. If a player's Arctrician buff expires from the initial Conduit Minotaur on a level, additional Conduit Minotaurs spawn in the same areas as the Goblins.

• On the first level, circuits are relatively straightforward and the Arctrician buff can be acquired from a Conduit Minotaur that spawns on a platform along with the start nodes in the back of the area after climbing from the control room, whereas the lift is on the side opposite the Minotaur.
• The second level is divided in half by Arc gates that shock players if they touch the arcing energy. They can be avoided by jumping around using the platforms on the side. The first Conduit Minotaur will approach from the left side after emerging from the gravity lift, while the next lift is on the opposite side on the outside wall of the Arc gate there. The start nodes are located inside the Arc gate on the left side.
• The third level is a roughly symmetrical area where players emerge right in front of a start node and the first Conduit Minotaur. After following this first circuit, another can be found going the opposite way around.

Once the Arc circuits on this level are completed, players can collect their loot and ascend to the top of the Spire through a control room.

Silence the Siren

Akelous, the Siren's Current is the first boss of the Dungeon. To begin the encounter, destroy the Minotaur that Akelous is holding.

In order to damage Akelous, players must activate four Arc circuits which reveal fuel rods at the end of each of the long covered platforms extending from the central structure of the Spire, which each start in the middle of the arena. During the encounter, groups of Goblins led by a Conduit Minotaur will spawn on platforms opposite each other, supplemented by Harpies and Goblins that spawn over time. Each platform is numbered 1 through 4, marked by signs on their sides.

• Platform 1's circuit starts with a node on a wall under a catwalk on the lower level of the central structure, then a node on the side of the structure right below a piece of machinery. The rest of the Arc nodes can then be seen while simply moving to the end of the platform.
• Platform 2's circuit also starts with a node on a wall under a catwalk on the lower level, then another one on the side of the central structure which can be seen more easily by walking onto a catwalk under the platform. The Arc circuit goes onto the underside of the platform then onto the right side before terminating at the fuel rod. The second last Arc node can also be seen and shot from the lower level.
• Platform 3's circuit is straightforward as all nodes can be easily seen when moving through the covered area, though the final node is still located on top.
• Platform 4's circuit starts with a node on the ground on the lower level, which then goes to a node right under the corner where it connects with the central structure, before going up to the right and then left sides of the platform.

Once all fuel rods have been revealed, Akelous will move in front of the latest one that was activated and reveal several eyes which must be destroyed to begin damaging it. Destroying these eyes quickly will provide more time to damage Akelous proper. High fire rate weapons are recommended for dealing with the numerous eyes, such as Trace Rifles, allowing you to sweep through them quickly. Once all eyes are destroyed, Akelous will begin moving backwards towards the center and be stripped of its armor, revealing its radiolarian core weak point. Due to the pace at which Akelous moves backwards, longer range precision weaponry is recommended, or a splash damage strategy such as rockets. At the end of the damage phase, Akelous will emit a blast which damages and knocks players backwards, whose effects can be avoided or mitigated by taking cover, aligning oneself with the gantry behind you, or going behind Akelous themselves. If Akelous has not yet been destroyed, players must repeat the Arc circuit activations to begin another damage phase.

Once Akelous is defeated, the loot chest will spawn in the center of the arena by the newly-opened door that drops into the Spire.

Descend

Players must now travel down inside the Spire, to its reactor core, through the Pillory-0 Cell Stack. After following some ventilation shafts, players will find a large room filled with Goblins, Hobgoblins, and Fanatics, with a Conduit Minotaur spawning shortly after clearing some of the enemies.

A new type of Arc circuit is introduced here, denoted by red cables. The nodes of red circuits can be activated in any order but they must all be activated within a short time or else they will reset to being deactivated. In this room, all nodes can be very easily seen from the middle catwalk.

Once the circuit is activated a door will open in the floor, revealing a large ventilation shaft with spinning fans which must be descended through. Each fan has a platform on top of it that can be stood on. Players can avoid timing jumps between the fan blades by going through the crevices in the walls of the shaft, though they should be careful not to fly back up into the fans when trying to land back on a platform.

The next room plays similarly to the first but nodes are now scattered up high and below and are harder to find, but can all be seen at once from the railed catwalk with a computer and crates right in front of the entrance to this room. Once they are activated and another ventilation shaft is traversed, players fall into the center of a room encircled by Arc gates which must be passed through to find the Conduit Minotaurs and most Arc nodes for this floor. There are three Arc nodes on the outside of the room, and one inside the area encircled by the Arc gates, which will be occupied by an Incarcerator Hydra.

The second secret chest can be found in this area. Underneath the stairs at each corner of the area is a vent cover, and one will open into a ventilation shaft where the chest will be found.

Once the Arc circuit in this room is complete, players can go through one of the newly opened shafts in one of the corners of the room and drop down into the Seraph Reactor Core.

Prompt Critical

Persys, Primordial Ruin is the final boss of the Dungeon. To begin the encounter, shoot at or approach Persys, who will then emerge from the reactor core which will close behind it.

To damage Persys, players need to activate a reactor purge to remove its shields while being harassed by Persys itself, as well as by Goblins and Supplicants. To begin, two Incarcerator Hydras on both sides of the arena must be destroyed, which will then let the Conduit Minotaurs spawn. Obtain the Arctrician buff from the pools left by dead Conduit Minotaurs and activate the four Nodes on the inside-facing faces of the pillars of the room, alongside the fifth Node above the main door to the reactor core. When activated, the reactor core doors will open, both the large middle one and two smaller side sets.

Two out of four possible yellow Arc circuits will now be available to activate during this time, starting from the outside sides of the four pillars in the starting room with clear endings inside the reactor core. Completing both of these circuits will begin a lockdown of the reactor core, and to progress, the circuits must be completed, and then Persys lured inside, if not already present. As with the previous encounters, players should be aware that nodes will appear in inconvenient and misleading places, such as on the sides of the bottomless pit in the reactor core and on the sides of machinery.

Players should try to refrain from completing the last circuit until Persys is inside the core, or else they may not be able to begin the next pre-damage phase section of the fight, forcing a reset of the mechanics back to the start.

• The back-left circuit goes up the left wall, then back down to the floor before going inside the reactor core. The only node inside the reactor core besides the end node will be on the backside of a piece of machinery.
• The front-left circuit has a straightforward path into the reactor core, however the last two will be in between two machines and only visible by going further back into the core.
• The back-right circuit goes into the reactor core along a path close to the floor, but will then go onto the ceiling of the reactor core and then into the bottomless pit from an angle that can only be seen by going behind the end nodes.
• The front-right circuit also has a straightforward path into the reactor core but will then have two nodes in the bottomless pit. The first of the two can be seen right after following the circuit into the core but the next one requires a player to jump onto the central walkway to see clearly, before jumping back to the perimeter of the room to activate a node on the side of a machine.

Once all circuits have been completed with Persys inside the core, players must evacuate the reactor core before it is sealed and refresh their Arctrician buff by killing the Conduit Minotaurs still present in the starting room. Players must then activate the nodes of the red Arc circuit which are located on the inside sides of the pillars, and one on top of the main door. Once complete, the reactor purge occurs and Persys will exit the core, ready to be damaged. Persys does not have a very long damage phase, and has the same small radiolarian core weak point typical of Wyverns like it. If Persys is not defeated by the end of the damage phase, it will overcharge its shields and the reactor purge will need to be repeated.

Once Persys is defeated, the final chest will appear and the Dungeon will be complete.

Bosses

• Akelous, the Siren's Current
• Persys, Primordial Ruin (Final Boss)

Unique Enemies

• Conduit Minotaur
• Incarcerator Hydra
• Overload Minotaur (Master mode only)

Rewards

Weapons

• Hierarchy of Needs - Exotic Bow
• Long Arm - Legendary Scout Rifle
• Liminal Vigil - Legendary Sidearm
• Terminus Horizon - Legendary Machine Gun
• Wilderflight - Legendary Special Grenade Launcher
• Seventh Seraph Carbine - Legendary Auto Rifle
• Seventh Seraph Officer Revolver - Legendary Hand Cannon

Armor

• TM-Cogburn Custom Suit
• TM-Earp Custom Suit
• TM-Moss Custom Suit

Other rewards

• Into the Sunset - Exotic Sparrow

Devil in the Details

In the first areas of the Dungeon there are recordings left by Eramis, Kell of Darkness, denoted by blue computer screens with the symbol of the House of Devils.

Recording 1

This recording can be found on a monitor bank directly to the right and up when first dropping down the elevator shaft after restoring power.

• Eramis: Welcome, Machine-servant. I knew your City would send warriors. Do you think you are here to face me?

Recording 2

This recording is found right under a catwalk when first entering the Reactor Firewall.

• Eramis: In old duels, House rivals met with honor. The first blooded blade ended the duel. But now we do not look to Houses or enemies with honor. I am alone, watching your Traveler as I was the day it fled Riis... my blade gripped in challenge. But I have not come for a drop of blood.

Recording 3

This recording is found on the way to the first secret chest in the Reactor Firewall.

• Eramis: House Salvation understands your Collapse: a whirlwind left in the wake of gods. We wade through it still. The sigil on the screen: an old House. An old ideology. A failed tradition, swept away in that wake.

Recording 4

This recording can be seen from a distance when approaching the gravity lift out of the Reactor Firewall on a platform to its left, which can be reached with a long jump.

• Eramis: The Devils are gone. At times, I feel like I am with them. That this is my penance... To remain lucid, as the chill creeps into my flesh, and my heart grows numb. As on Europa, to survive, I must kindle flames where I find them.

Recording 5

This recording is found right behind the Rally Banner spot before beginning the Spire Ascent.

• Eramis: Step away from your "Traveler" before its machinations rend you limb from limb. We have no need of gods.

Recording 6

This recording is found in the control room right before the encounter with Akelous, in the back of the room when entering it.

• Eramis: The people here feared a future of gods so much, they created their own... to enslave themselves to it. Absolve themselves of will—for protection, for certainty—as you have done. As I have been forced to do. But does your future feel certain in this moment? Do not struggle in loss. You would only cause untold bloodshed and pain. I know this.

Gallery

• 

  Ares Spire seen at distance.

• 

  A small abandoned village appears in a gorge.

• 

  Watch out for the rolling hay ball.

• 

  Moss-2 draws his Liminal Vigil sidearm.

• 

  Cogburn draws his Long Arm scout rifle.

• 

  Moss-2, Earp and Cogburn in action.

• 

  The well-known Warmind aesthetic of Old Russia.

• 

  Heavily Warmind environment of Old Russia.

• 

  Huge windows and old computers everywhere.

• 

  Vex enemies appear beneath the Ares Spire.

Trivia

• Spire of the Watcher is the first Dungeon to feature the Vex.
• Rarely before the beginning the final encounter, Osiris may remark that failure would result in a "Vexplosion of immense magnitude".

Appearance

• Destiny 2: Season of the Seraph (First appearance)