ESO Nowhere Vault Secret Objectives are hidden throughout the three wings of the Nowhere Vault, with each challenge room containing an additional secret to uncover. These objectives go beyond completing the usual puzzles and combat encounters, requiring players to find special items, activate hidden interactions and sometimes return to rooms after exploring another wing.
Completing the ESO Nowhere Vault Secret Objectives also leads towards the Ancient Direnni Quasigriff mount, one of the major rewards introduced with Update 51. However, the Vault’s randomized rooms make the secret chains difficult to follow, especially when an item earned in one wing is needed somewhere completely different. Knowing which room provides each item and where to use it makes completing the hidden objectives much easier.
ESO Nowhere Vault Secret Objectives: All Three Wings
Image credit: ZeniMax Online Studios
The Nowhere Vault contains three wings: Arcanum, Lunar Path and Cursed Castle. Each has four challenge rooms connected to hidden objectives, with the final stage of each secret chain requiring something obtained in another wing.
Here’s how the three routes connect:
| Wing | Secret item chain | Where the final item is used |
|---|---|---|
| Arcanum | Watcher Filtration Gills, Fungal Sight, Subjugating Mindspore | Prison of the Unrepentant, Cursed Castle |
| Lunar Path | Resonating Core, Cantor’s Starsong, Astralight Lumen | Custodian’s Repository, Arcanum |
| Cursed Castle | Artist’s Touch, Carafe of Salt Water, Connoisseur’s Vision | The Lakehouse, Lunar Path |
The ESO Nowhere Vault Secret Objectives aren’t guaranteed to appear in the order shown above. Each wing uses a randomized selection and order of challenges, so you may need multiple visits before you can finish every secret.
ESO Nowhere Vault Secret Objectives: Arcanum Wing
The Arcanum wing contains Hunt of the Watchers, Murky Grotto, Fungal Chasm and Custodian’s Repository. Its hidden route begins with an unusual Watcher encounter and eventually unlocks a secret in Cursed Castle.
Hunt of the Watchers: Watcher Filtration Gills
Complete the normal Hunt of the Watchers objective by collecting the five Seeker Glyph Keys and unlocking the sealed area. Before leaving, find the Shrill Whistle resting on one of the hills.
Look for the remaining Watcher marked with a green symbol and lure it towards the Runic Prison near the beginning of the room. Once it’s in position, use the whistle to remove its immunity.
Defeat the Watcher and collect the Watcher Filtration Gills. These are the first secret item associated with the Arcanum route.
Murky Grotto: Fungal Sight
Murky Grotto hides a boss called the Toxic Matron. To make it appear, activate the Toxic Bud and remain on top of it while the encounter continues.
Survive the incoming poison damage without destroying the toxic plants or eliminating every enemy wave too quickly. You need to keep the encounter active long enough for the Toxic Matron to spawn.
Once the boss appears, defeat it to receive Fungal Sight.
Players have reported slightly different results when killing ordinary enemies during this encounter. The key is preventing the waves from ending before the secret boss appears.
Fungal Chasm: Subjugating Mindspore
With Fungal Sight available, enter Fungal Chasm and look towards the left side of the area from the entrance.
The effect reveals a translucent green staircase that would otherwise be difficult to identify. Follow the hidden route upwards until you reach the Subjugating Mindspore.
Interact with it to complete the secret. You’ll need the Mindspore later in Cursed Castle, so keep track of this effect before progressing further.
Custodian’s Repository: Arcanum Seal
Custodian’s Repository contains the final Arcanum secret interaction, but it requires Astralight Lumen from Eclipsed Hall in Lunar Path.
Once you’ve obtained Astralight Lumen, return to Custodian’s Repository and locate the Astral Tear on the right side of the room.
Interact with it to receive the associated Timeward Seal, which contributes to the wider Gryphon Seal objective.
ESO Nowhere Vault Secret Objectives: Lunar Path Wing
The ESO Nowhere Vault Secret Objectives continue through Moonlit Isles, Twilight Maze, Eclipsed Hall and The Lakehouse. This wing introduces platforming, stealth and a bell puzzle, with each secret providing something required for the next stage.
Moonlit Isles: Resonating Core
Progress through Moonlit Isles until you reach the final floating island. There are three bridge switches that control a series of temporary pathways towards a hidden destination.
Activate the switches to create the required bridge route, then move across the temporary platforms before they disappear.
Reach the hidden Corrupted Shrine, destroy it and collect the Resonating Core. This item is needed for the secret objective in Twilight Maze.
Twilight Maze: Cantor’s Starsong
Enter Twilight Maze with the Resonating Core and avoid attracting enemy attention while searching for Little Soft Boots, a hidden senche cub.
Stealth is important here because triggering enemies or traps can interfere with the cub’s appearance and movement.
Once you find Little Soft Boots, follow the cub towards an area concealed by crumbled rocks. Inside, you’ll discover a stone statue that accepts the Resonating Core.
Interact with the statue to obtain Cantor’s Starsong.
Eclipsed Hall: Astralight Lumen
Complete the normal Eclipsed Hall objective by protecting the lanterns and opening the exit. Before leaving, collect the mallet positioned near the exit portal.
Return to the bell chamber and ring the central bell. With Cantor’s Starsong obtained, certain side bells will display a sickly-blue appearance.
Ring the blue side bells to complete the secret and receive Astralight Lumen.
This effect is needed in Custodian’s Repository in the Arcanum wing.
The Lakehouse: Lunar Path Seal
The Lakehouse requires Connoisseur’s Vision, which comes from Haunted Undercroft in Cursed Castle.
Once that effect has been earned, return to The Lakehouse and look for the Creative Transcendence secret interaction.
Using the interaction with Connoisseur’s Vision available awards the Timeward Seal associated with this route.
ESO Nowhere Vault Secret Objectives: Cursed Castle Wing
Cursed Castle contains Gallery of Curios, Sinking Courtyard, Haunted Undercroft and Prison of the Unrepentant. Its secret chain involves examining a destroyed painting, manipulating the weather and summoning a hidden boss.
Gallery of Curios: Artist’s Touch
Search the smaller rooms in Gallery of Curios until you find the Destroyed Painting tablet. Read the clue and investigate the nearby rubble to collect the Artist’s Lens.
Take the lens into the larger gallery area and locate the telescope interaction near the stairs leading towards the crypt.
Use the Artist’s Lens there to obtain Artist’s Touch.
This secret effect is required for the next objective in Sinking Courtyard.
Sinking Courtyard: Carafe of Salt Water
Enter Sinking Courtyard after obtaining Artist’s Touch and search the area for three Rain Totems.
Activate all three totems to enable the Brackish Fountain. Once the totems have been activated, interact with the fountain to receive the Carafe of Salt Water.
The fountain interaction is important. Activating the three Rain Totems is only part of the secret, and you still need to collect the Carafe before leaving.
Haunted Undercroft: Connoisseur’s Vision
Take the Carafe of Salt Water into Haunted Undercroft and locate the central cauldron.
Interact with the cauldron to alter the stew and summon the Stewmaster, a hidden boss associated with the room’s secondary objective.
Defeat the Stewmaster to obtain Connoisseur’s Vision.
You’ll need this effect to unlock the secret interaction in The Lakehouse in Lunar Path.
Prison of the Unrepentant: Cursed Castle Seal
The final Cursed Castle secret requires Subjugating Mindspore from Fungal Chasm in Arcanum.
Once you’ve collected the Mindspore, enter Prison of the Unrepentant and search the adjoining rooms for the Physical Escape interaction.
Use it with Subjugating Mindspore available to obtain the corresponding Timeward Seal.
Completing the ordinary Prison encounter without the Mindspore won’t unlock this additional secret.
How the ESO Nowhere Vault Secret Objectives Unlock the Gryphon Seals
The three secret chains eventually connect through the Timeward Seals. You must complete the cross-wing interactions and dispel the final barrier to earn the Heir to the Sage’s Legacy achievement.
The final interactions are:
- Custodian’s Repository: Use Astralight Lumen from Lunar Path at the Astral Tear.
- The Lakehouse: Use Connoisseur’s Vision from Cursed Castle at Creative Transcendence.
- Prison of the Unrepentant: Use Subjugating Mindspore from Arcanum at Physical Escape.
After obtaining the seals, return to Sage’s Trove and use the corresponding seal interactions to break the barriers.
Completing all three and dispelling the final barrier unlocks the Ancient Direnni Quasigriff mount.
ESO Nowhere Vault Secret Objectives Not Working
Several things can prevent a hidden objective from progressing, even when you’ve reached the correct room.
The most common problem is a missing prerequisite. For example, Fungal Chasm requires Fungal Sight to reveal its hidden staircase, while Eclipsed Hall needs Cantor’s Starsong for the secret bell interactions.
Randomized room order can also cause confusion. Finding a room before earning its required item doesn’t mean the objective has failed. You may need to revisit that challenge on another run.
There have also been player reports of progression problems, including an Eclipsed Hall issue where the mallet failed to reappear after someone left midway through the secret. These reports shouldn’t be confused with the intended puzzle mechanics.
ZeniMax addressed several secondary-objective and Gryphon Seal progression issues during Update 51 testing, although older PTS bug reports don’t necessarily describe the current live version.
If an interaction isn’t appearing, check the required secret effect and any associated Rumor progression before assuming the room has malfunctioned.
- ESO Nowhere Vault Gryphon Seal
- ESO Nowhere Vault Lunar Path Puzzle
- ESO Nowhere Vault Cursed Castle Puzzle
- How to Get Wondrous Nowhere Keys in ESO
- ESO Nowhere Vault Arcanum Wing Puzzle: All Rooms and Secret Route
- ESO Moonlit Isles Puzzle: Star Bridge and Pillar Solution
- ESO Twilight Maze Little Soft Boots Location: How to Find the Secret Cub
- ESO Eclipsed Hall Bell Puzzle: Cantor’s Starsong and Astralight Lumen
The ESO Nowhere Vault Secret Objectives are designed to connect all three wings rather than being completed through ordinary room clears alone. Once you’ve collected the Resonating Core, Cantor’s Starsong, Astralight Lumen, Fungal Sight, Subjugating Mindspore, Artist’s Touch, Carafe of Salt Water and Connoisseur’s Vision, the final cross-wing interactions become accessible.
With the three Timeward Seals collected, the remaining objective is to break the barriers in Sage’s Trove and claim the Ancient Direnni Quasigriff. You may need several Vault visits to reach every required room, but the secret-item relationships remain the same regardless of the order in which the challenges appear.
Official source: ZeniMax Online Studios, Update 51 PTS Patch Notes.
Official source: ZeniMax Online Studios Update 51 launch issues report and the official ESO Update 51 patch documentation.
