The Sepulcher of the First Ones is the third and the last instance for the latest World of Warcraft expansion. Apart from everything we might have expected from a new raid, this one will answer the majority of lore questions, we still have. So what shall we find behind the gates of the Sepulcher? The raid environment should be interesting and uncommon. Among all other innovations, the developers tell about the flight paths inside the raid zone, which is quite unusual. EpicCarry tried to gather all possible information about the instance itself, bosses, rewards, etc.
We ask you to remember, however, that since 9.2 Patch has not been released yet, all the information may change due to developers’ decisions. Without further ado, let’s begin.
Raid location and the Entrance
The raid is located on a separated island in the eastern part of a new zone, called Zereth Mortis. To get to the raid for the first time, players have to finish Chapter 4 of the new Patch 9.2 questline and use an Ancient Translocator, which is located east of Pilgrim’s Grace. The corresponding Chapter is called Forging a New Path. You will be able to simply fly to the entrance using your mounts right after you unlock flying ability in Zereth Mortis.
Maps and the Atmosphere of the Raid
The Sepulcher of the First Ones is expected to look exactly like a huge burial vault for some creatures of high standing. There is a number of inner locations; some created in analogous themes, but some look like they have been teleported from elsewhere. Since the instance is large EpicCarry placed a separate article with all accessible maps. Feel free to check it here.
Raid Bosses
There are eleven bosses in the Sepulcher of the First Ones’ raid this time. Here are all of them in the order of appearance with a tiny description to each.
Vigilant Guardian – This eternal guardian lies in wait, keeping a timeless vigil over the entrance to the Sepulcher of the First Ones.
Skolex, the Insatiable Ravener – With the Sepulcher of the First Ones vulnerable, devourers swarm in to feed their hunger. Among these aberrations is the ravenous Skolex. As the great worm consumes vast amounts of ephemera, the Sepulcher is thrown out of balance and threatens to collapse upon itself.
Artificer Xy’mox – After his defeat in Castle Nathria, Artificer Xy’mox sank back into the shadows to plot his next heist. With the Sepulcher of the First Ones now vulnerable, Xy’mox has summoned the full might of the Xy Cartel to plunder the ancient knowledge and powerful relics buried there.
Dausegne, the Fallen Oracle – Dominated by the Jailer, Dausegne leads the Mawsworn in a battle to gain control of the Forge of Afterlives. The Jailer plans to use its power to unleash an eternity of torment upon all of reality.
Prototype Pantheon – Bereft of the cosmic spirits of the Eternal Ones, these incomplete host bodies can only carry out their base directives without mercy or compassion. With the enemy at the gates, Lihuvim has little choice but to activate these dangerous prototypes.
Lihuvim, Principal Architech – With meticulous care, Lihuvim weaves ephemera into being in accordance with the hallowed will of the First Ones. Now, this process is threatened as Mawsworn forces seek to claim this power.
Halondrus the Reclaimer – For eons Halondrus traversed the cliffs of the Sepulcher of the First Ones, fulfilling its sacred purpose of reclaiming ephemera and returning it to the great cycle. With intruders now throwing this pattern into anarchy, the ancient keeper will do whatever it must to maintain order.
Anduin Wrynn – Controlled by Domination magic, Anduin is being forced to aid the Jailer’s plan to remake reality. As time runs out to stop him, the champions of Azeroth must make a difficult choice: defeat the young king to save the cosmos, or risk everything in order to restore his soul.
Lords of Dread – Using subterfuge and guile, the nathrezim have worked for eons to bring the Jailer’s plan to fruition. Now, on the brink of their master’s victory, they only need to complete one final task to ensure none are left to resist the new order of the cosmos.
Rygelon – Drawn to observe the fateful events unfolding within the Sepulcher of the First Ones, Rygelon succumbed to the Jailer’s domination. Now, this constellar turns its cosmic power against any who would oppose the Banished One.
The Jailer, Zovaal – For untold millennia, the Jailer patiently unfolded his plan to reach the heart of the Sepulcher. Now poised upon the precipice of his final victory, the heroes of Azeroth must rally to prevent the Jailer from dominating all of reality.
The last three encounters are going to be released later for all difficulties altogether and will have a higher item level for all the loot.
The Release date and the Unlock Schedule
Even though the 9.2 Patch is being tested at the moment, the exact dates of the release are still unknown. The community, however, has certain predictions and expectations, so possible release should happen at the beginning of March.
The launch experience will also be different this time. All the bosses, as well as parts of the story, will be divided into two halves. The first eight encounters together with Anduin Wrynn will become available on the First week of the raid launch for Normal and Heroic difficulties, while the last three bosses will become ready to face the Champions a week later (together with the opening of a Mythic difficulty). The last statement is even for Normal, Heroic, AND Mythic difficulties altogether. This time the developers want to keep a secret as long as possible, and thus decided not to test the last three bosses on PTR servers. Right now players only speculate on what is going to happen with the main characters of this story.
Meanwhile, the LFR wings will be opening in a usual schedule:
Week 2: Cornerstone of Creation – Dausegne, the Fallen Oracle, Prototype Pantheon, Lihuvim
Week 3: Ephemeral Plains – Vigilant Guardian, Skolex, Artificer Xy’mox, Halondrus the Reclaimer
Week 4: Domination’s Grasp – Anduin Wrynn, Lords of Dread, Rygelon
Week 5: The Grand Design – The Jailer
Raid Loot Item Level
As long as the Sepulcher of the First Ones is the last instance for Shadowlands, the item level of its rewards is the highest. The loot ILvl for the last three bosses is also higher than the previous eight. This is what players should expect by visiting this or that difficulty.
| Bosses 1-8 | Bosses 9-11 | |
| Raid Finder | 239 | 246 |
| Normal | 252 | 259 |
| Heroic | 265 | 272 |
| Mythic | 278 | 285 |
Raid Skip
Collect 4 Mourne Fragments from Anduin Wrynn encounter in order to unlock a raid skipping mechanic.
Great Vault Raid Objectives
The usual Great Vault scheme works for this raid as well. You have to defeat at least three bosses on any difficulty to get access to an additional item at the beginning of the next week. The higher is the raid difficulty, the better rewards you will get. Please, keep in mind that you may choose only one reward, no matter how many options you have.
Class Tier Sets and Models
Raiding tier sets make their glorious return with the release of the Sepulcher Raid. Not only are they class-related this time, but have also specialization nuances. This innovation makes each set even more suitable for each player than it had always been. All sets will have a 2 set and a 4 set bonus. Moreover, bonuses will swap once you will change your spec.
It is also confirmed that there are going to be several color variations to each set, depending on the source of getting the concrete one. The sources are the following:
- LFR, Heroic, Normal, or Mythic difficulty of the last raid;
- PvP activities;
- Elites.
Below you may take a closer look at the most probable variations of the Mythic tier sets for each class. We remind you, however, that these are not final models though and the details may change.
In addition, tier sets may be obtained throughout other in-game facilities in case you cannot visit the instance for some reason. You always have a chance to get a tier piece via a Great Vault reward. This works for the Mythic+ and PvP activities as well. You may also craft the whole set or any of its parts using a new Creation Catalyst system. Unfortunately, this system will not be available from the very beginning, so the audience will have to wait for a little.
The very idea of letting other groups of players receive the tier set is a huge step forward, and we are looking forward to its realization.
Sepulcher of the First Ones’ Rewards
And now we are ready to focus upon the most interesting and long-awaited part of our overview – the rewards. Let us start with new titles and achievements.
Sepulcher of the First Ones’ Raid Achievements and Titles
Titles come first; there are no surprises this time, meaning we have the usual two raid-related titles.
<name>, Guardian of the Pattern – for defeating the Jailer in the Sepulcher of the First Ones on Mythic difficulty.
<name>, Famed Bane of Zovaal, the Jailer – for being among the first one hundred Horde/Alliance guilds worldwide to defeat the Jailer on Mythic difficulty.
There is also nothing particularly new with the raid achievements this time. There are going to be three categories of them. The simple “completion” achievements; the First Wonders achievement. This one is given to those players, who have managed to gather a complete armor set from the raid. And the Glory of the Sepulcher Raider meta-achievement, which includes eleven smaller ones. Note, that all Glory achievements should be completed on Normal difficulty or higher inside the Sepulcher of the First Ones’ instance zone. Below you may find a complete list of “Glory” achievements.
Power ON. Defeat the Vigilant Guardian after defeating the Depleted Automa.
Wisdom Comes From the Desert. Defeat Skolex, the Insatiable Ravener after getting it to burrow under and destroy all four Memorial Pylons.
Xy Never, Ever Marks the Spot. Defeat Artificer Xy’mox with all players under the effects of pilfered artifacts.
Four Ring Circus. Defeat Dausegne, the Fallen Oracle, while a player is carrying the Afterlife Core.
Where the Wild Corgis Are. Defeat the Prototype Pantheon after each player has petted 5 Corgis during Wild Stampede.
The Protoform Matrix. Defeat Lihuvim after synthesizing and defeating a Reaving Automa: Neo.
Shimmering Secrets. Defeat Halondrus the Reclaimer after collecting six strange artifacts and defeating their constructs.
Coming to Terms. Defeat Anduin Wrynn after defeating Anduin’s Grief.
Amidst Ourselves. Defeat the Lords of Dread after finding and completing one simple task during Infiltration of Dread.
We Are All Made of Stars. Defeat Rygelon with all players under the effects of Herald of the Cosmos.
Damnation Aviation. Defeat the Jailer after collecting 6 Progenitor Orbs.
Sepulcher of the First Ones’ Loot
The Patch 9.2 is going to be released in about a month and a half, so there is no approved information about the majority of loot items, mounts, and pets yet, as well as about their final quantity. Luckily we do know about Trinkets, which drop from the raid. We have gathered all the info in a separate article for easier use. Take a look at it here.
Although there are still lots of speculations of all sorts, we may presume that the final boss, the Jailer, will drop the Zereth Overseer mount on the Mythic difficulty of the raid. Even though everything may change, we hope, this will be a final decision, as the mount looks gorgeous. Take a look yourselves.
Another approved reward is a plate shoulder piece that drops from Skolex, the Insatiable Ravener – the second boss in the raid. The Gluttonous Gardbrace lets you eat the food much faster, which is surely great, as restoring health and mana has always been one of the most time-consuming processes. By wearing this armor piece player gets an Insatiable Ravening buff that halves the total eating time; the restorative ticks are happening twice as often; each restorative tick’s value is doubled. Unfortunately, these shoulders will not become very popular, as they are plate, and must be put on.
Artificer Xy’mox seems to have the same 32-slot bag, as he had in the Castle Nathria raid. The item is called Portable Pocket Dimension and has two slots less than the two largest bags in the game.
This is everything we could find so far, but as soon as the information concerning loot tables for the Sepulcher of the First Ones are confirmed, we will deliver it to you. Till then!