Ascendant Venomstones: Raise Your Item Level Cap in Midnight

Ascendant Venomstones are the Midnight 12.1.5 currency that raises the item level of fully upgraded Season 2 Hero, Myth, or maximum-quality Tidal Crafted weapons, trinkets, and necklaces. You unlock them by finishing the Orin Straylight quest chain, which starts with "Ancient Depths, Ancient Venom" during the week of October 13 and ends with "Ascending with Venomstones" during the week of October 20. The 12.1.5 content update itself goes live October 13 with weekly maintenance.

How to unlock Ascendant Venomstones

The chain runs through Orin Straylight in Silvermoon City and takes three weekly steps:

1. During realm maintenance the week of October 6, Orin begins offering one additional Nebulous Voidcore a week to bonus roll for extra loot.
2. During realm maintenance the week of October 13, Orin offers "Ancient Depths, Ancient Venom". Once you complete it, he starts his research into Ascendant Venomstones.
3. During realm maintenance the week of October 20, Orin finishes that research and offers "Ascending with Venomstones".

Completing "Ascending with Venomstones" is what lets you acquire Ascendant Venomstones as drops.

How to prepare during the October 6 mid-season refresh

You can get ahead on the Nebulous Voidcore chain before 12.1.5 goes live:

• Accept "In the Catalyst's Shadow" from Decimus in Voidstorm.
• Travel to Silvermoon City and pick up "Prismatic Potential" from Orin Straylight.
• Complete both quests before weekly maintenance during the week of October 6.

Once "Prismatic Potential" is turned in, Orin begins his research and a progress timer appears above his head. When that research finishes during the week of October 6, he offers "Umbral Blessings of the Catalyst". Completing it unlocks the ability to trade gold, Voidlight Marl, or Veteran Mistcrests to Orin for one additional Nebulous Voidcore a week.

Where Ascendant Venomstones drop

After you complete "Ascending with Venomstones", Ascendant Venomstones drop from:

• Every Heroic or Mythic raid boss
• Mythic+ Keystone dungeons at +10 and above
• Tier 11 Bountiful Delves
• Nightmare Prey Hunt Champion gear chests

How to spend Ascendant Venomstones

Collect 10 Ascendant Venomstones, then use them near the Catalyst in Silvermoon City. The turn-in raises the item level of a fully upgraded Season 2 Hero, Myth, or maximum-quality Tidal Crafted weapon, trinket, or necklace. The same week of October 20, the crest cap is lifted.

If you want the gear those stones upgrade without running the content yourself, the Midnight Leveling Boost takes a character up to level 90 so it can enter that content.

What else arrives in 12.1.5

The update ships alongside the Venomstone chain and changes what you can farm for upgrades:

The Keystone Myth achievement rewards the "the Venomous Contender" title and a Timelost Saddle. The update also continues the story campaign "The Promise of Tomorrow" and adds Aqir Invasions, zone-wide public events in Eversong or Zul'Aman that run for ten minutes each hour. For more on the upgrade systems these stones build on, see the Voidforge guide.