A Comprehensive Guide to the Treasures of Zereth Mortis – 9.2

With every new zone, I’m excited by the prospect of new treasures to uncover. Originally, the Treasures of Zereth Mortis only had about 12 items so I was happy to see that number grow over the next two builds. Most are pretty straightforward except for a good handful that requires a bit of progression through the campaign to access certain teleporters, unlock the console companion Pocopoc or solve various puzzles.

A number of them can be accessed via teleports like the Warlock talent or Door of Shadows but what’s the fun in that? Sure, maybe when you’re looting it on your second toon but why not give yourself a bit of a challenge?

Unique loot will be listed below with a small number containing only common items like catch-up gear, anima and Cyphers of the First Ones (the currency used to power up the Cypher Research Console in Exile’s Hollow). The gear tends to be zone drops unless otherwise indicated.

For a video guide, click on any of the treasures below.

The Enlightened Hearthstone was a secret puzzle discovered two years later. It requires six people to summon the Ponderer’s Portal but anyone can click the portal while it’s up.

Curious Collections

Discover 5 hidden treasures of Zereth Mortis. These are the easiest ones to collect.

• Offering to the First Ones – contains the Enlightened Offering (75 reputation with The Enlightened)
• Stolen Scroll – contains a Spatial Opener and Teachings of the Elders (75 reputation with The Enlightened)
• Overgrown Protofruit – contains 20x Protofruit Flesh
• Damaged Jiro Stash – contains the Percussive Maintenance Instrument (cosmetic 1H mace)
• Crushed Supply Crate – contained nothing unusual

Treasures of Zereth Mortis

Discover the 27 hidden treasures of Zereth Mortis.

Architect’s Reserve – quest unlocked once Sopranian Understanding under the Dealic tree is fully researched. Contains the Dapper Pocopoc customization. Completing this questline also rewards the schematic for the Deathrunner (mount).

Bushel of Progenitor Produce – gain 5 stacks of a buff to interact with the door. Contains the Chef Pocopoc customisation and Bushel of Mysterious Fruit (toy).

Domination Cache – requires the Dominance Key to unlock. The cache contains the Tormented Mawsteel Greatsword (cosmetic 2H sword) and a Spatial Opener.

Hotfix: (04/04/2022) Domination Key drop rate has been increased and now additional Mawsworn elites in the desert have a chance to drop the key. Certain desert elite encounters now also have a chance to drop the key at an even higher rate.

Drowned Broker Supplies – requires Pocopoc (third chapter of the campaign). Contains the Pirate Pocopoc customisation.

Fallen Vault – contains a Spatial Opener

Filched Artifact – contains a Spatial Opener

Forgotten Proto-Vault – contains the Schematic: Prototype Leaper. Wait for the world quest: Frog It! If you loot the treasure before unlocking Protoform Synthesis (Mounts), the schematic will spawn nearby but you may need to wait for it to respawn if someone just looted it.

Gnawed Valise – contains the Cypher-Etched Torque

Grateful Boon – contains the schematic for the Adorned Vombata (mount)

Library Vault – contains the schematic for the Viperid Menace (pet)

Mawsworn Cache – nothing unusual although it can contain a Progenitor Essentia

Mistaken Ovoid – contains the schematic for the Multichicken (pet)

The Lost Ovoids were initially very small but the image shows what they look like on live servers. For my locations, check out the video.

/way Zereth Mortis 34.31 66.56 Lost Ovoid – inside Haven (see video and image)
/way Zereth Mortis 34 63 Lost Ovoid – inside Haven behind innkeeper RHS of the left cart
/way Zereth Mortis 34.51 49.71 Lost Ovoid – inside Exile’s Hollow in the crate
/way Zereth Mortis 35.17 49.05 Lost Ovoid – inside Exile’s Hollow on the pile of dirt
/way Zereth Mortis 35.97 46.20 Lost Ovoid

/way Zereth Mortis 43.22 84.90 Lost Ovoid – Catalyst Gardens back sphere by cliff
/way Zereth Mortis 48.15 73.57 Lost Ovoid – Dimensional Falls (see video)
/way Zereth Mortis 49.18 71.53 Lost Ovoid – behind the NPC at Dimensional Falls (see video)
/way Zereth Mortis 50.80 70.81 Lost Ovoid – on sphere near NPC (see video)

/way Zereth Mortis 52.42 73.64 Lost Ovoid – just inside Dimensional Falls cave
/way Zereth Mortis 53.83 64.86 Lost Ovoid
/way Zereth Mortis 55.20 76.85 Lost Ovoid – big sphere
/way Zereth Mortis 60.84 75.92 Lost Ovoid – Untamed Verdure by the lake

Thx to Matjz and Feldsomethin for the locations

Pilfered Curio – contains the Pepepec customization for Pocopoc. Looking for more Pepe costumes?

Protoflora Harvester – contains the Protoflora Harvester (cosmetic off-hand)

Protomineral Extractor – requires progress into chapter 5. Contains the Protomineral Extractor (cosmetic 1H axe)

Ripened Protopear – quest unlocked once Sopranian Understanding under the Dealic tree is fully researched. Contains the Peaceful Pocopoc customisation.

Stolen Relic – make sure you’ve opened up the gateway back to Oribos if the treasure is phased.

Symphonic Vault – contains a Spatial Opener. You won’t be able to see the chest until Pocopoc leads you into the cave for the quest Surveying Cyphers during the second chapter of the campaign.

Submerged Chest – contains a Spatial Opener and the Admiral Pocopoc customisation

Syntactic Vault – (requires progress into chapter 4) contains the Protopological Cube (toy)

Template Archive – contains the Cypher-Etched Ring and Adventurous Pocopoc customisation

Undulating Foliage – contains a Spatial Opener and the Infested Automa Core

So you’ve looted all the treasures of Zereth Mortis. What now?

Zereth Mortis Flying

In addition to Curious Collections above, a few other achievements are required to unlock flying in Zereth Mortis including:

Tales of the Exile – Read the volumes of “Firim in Exile” found in Zereth Mortis

Small Pet Problems – not treasure related but one of the storylines for the Path to Enlightenment achievement

Treasure Alcoves

To access five additional treasure rooms, you need to unlock the Alcove Arrangements associated with each location. This can be done after you’ve unlocked the initial six cyphers during the 5th chapter of the campaign.

1. Research Aealic Understanding and Metrial Understanding
2. Complete A Means to an End from chapter 6

Unlock the Dormant Alcove from the Dormant Alcove Arrangement (51, 32) in the Resonant Peaks. From there, a new Locus Shift will become available from the Inner Chamber in Gravid Repose. (see video)

The Dormant Chamber contains 7 different sand piles scattered around the room. You will need to collect 7 Spacial Openers to loot each treasure.

Spacial Openers can be looted from the following treasures.

1. Filched Artifact
2. Symphonic Vault
3. Undulating Foliage
4. Stolen Scroll
5. Submerged Chest
6. Domination Cache
7. Fallen Vault

Hotfix (24/03/2022): Players can now purchase additional Spatial Openers from Olea Manu if they have not already earned the “Sand, Sand Everywhere!” achievement.

Unlock all the sand piles for the achievement Sand, Sand Everywhere! Each sand pile contains a unique piece of gear as well as the usual loot.

• Glinting Sand Pile
• Humming Sand Pile
• Lumpy Sand Pile
• Misshapen Sand Pile
• Shifting Sand Pile
• Sparkling Sand Pile
• Ticking Sand Pile

Rondure Cache – this cache can be found inside the Rondure Alcove. The Rondure Alcove Arrangement at 50.5, 27.6 is located between two platforms, on the side of a pillar (accessible from flying or near the Tertius Locus)

Blizz knows how much we love jumping puzzles so they added a couple more including a simpler one for the Omnipotential Core schematic. :P

The Torn Ethereal Drape is located inside the Fulgore Alcove. Unlock the Fulgore Alcove Arrangement at 47.8, 30.4 on an upper platform, on the side of a pillar (accessible by flying or near the Secundus Locus)

There’s a small chance to receive an Unalloyed Bronze Ingot from the 4th option of the Requisites Originator in the Repertory Alcove. The Repertory Alcove Arrangement can be found at 49.6, 31.0, inside the Terrestrial Cache, on the left wall.

Examples of what you can receive from all options each week.

1. 2x Thrumming Powerstone and 94g
2. two of the following: Anima Matrix and 2x Anima Webbing or 15x Anima Gossamer
3. 9-16x Cyphers of the First Ones
4. 20-25x Genesis Motes, and ~10% chance to get an Unalloyed Bronze Ingot
5. two of the following: 9-16x Cyphers of the First Ones, 10-20x Genesis Motes, 6x Anima Webbing, or 19-87g
6. Random Cypher Equipment appropriate to your character and research level

The Camber Alcove is the only one that requires additional console research and questing since it contains a mount schematic.

1. Research Metrial Understanding, Aealic Understanding, Dealic Understanding, and Sopranian Understanding
2. Unlock Protoform Synthesis (Mount) by completing The Final Song & A New Architect
3. Complete A Means to an End

Completing the puzzle inside the Camber Alcove rewards the Schematic: Unsuccessful Prototype Fleetpod

Fashion of the First Ones

There are 9 Pocopoc customisations to collect from 7 Treasures of Zereth Mortis (see above). The last two sources are below.

• Admiral Pocopoc comes from the Submerged Chest
• Adventurous Pocopoc comes from the Template Archive
• Chef Pocopoc comes from Bushel of Progenitor Produce
• Dapper Pocopoc comes from the Architect’s Reserve
• Peaceful Pocopoc comes from the Ripened Protopear
• Pepepec coms from the Pilfered Curio
• Pirate Pocopoc comes from the Drowned Broker Supplies
• Pocobold comes from the Prying Eye Discovery
• Wicked Pocopoc requires the Kismetric Disc. It starts from the Kismetric Circlet which is an item collected from the abandoned forges of Zereth Mortis.

Collecting all 9 rewards the achievement and final Lovely Regal Pocopoc costume.

Repeatable Treasures

These treasures offer a consistent source of Cyphers of the First Ones but they only contain 2 or 3 cyphers while quests and puzzle boxes reward up to 28. Most are straight loot boxes, except for the  Pulp-Covered Relic which involves fighting through three waves of bugs. They’re not hard, just tedious.

• Avian Nests – can contain the Poultrid Lattice needed for 3 different pets
• Cypher Bound Chests
• Tarachnid Eggs – can contain the Glimmer of Cunning needed for 2 different pets
• Mawsworn Supply Chests – small chance to contain the Spectral Mawrat’s Tail (mount)
• Discarded Automa Scraps – can contain 2 body customisations for Pocopoc
• Forgotten Treasure Vaults
• Pulp-Covered Relic – small chance to contain the Buzz mount schematic

The Sandworn Chest can spawn in multiple locations within the Endless Sands of Zereth Mortis. To loot it, you need to farm 5x Sandworn Chest Key Fragments from the Mawsworn. The respawn time seems to be ~15 – 20 min. This cache can be looted once a day. It has a small chance to contain the Makaris’s Satchel of Mines (toy) as well as 2 body customisations for Pocopoc.

Tip: Even though you can only hold 5 fragments at a time, you can hold up to 10 keys so make sure you covert them as soon as you can while you’re farming the Dominance Key for the Domination Cache above.

Sandworn Chest locations:
/way #1970 60.02 25.83 Sandworn Chest by the large forge near the Dread Portal
/way #1970 60.86 37.86 Sandworn Chest behind the building where the Architect’s Reserve is
/way #1970 61.40 17.64 Sandworn Chest (see video)
/way #1970 63.18 26.04 Sandworn Chest (location mentioned in the middle of the pit)
/way #1970 64.75 33.70 Sandworn Chest on top of sand dune where Akkaris (rare elite) spawns
/way #1970 65.97 26.96 Sandworn Chest down the hill near the Protoform Repository

Olea Cache – can be purchased from Olea Manu once you’ve completed the Jiro to Hero questline and completed all of your Cypher Research for 700x Cyphers of the First Ones. The cache can contain a mixture of gold from <1 (yes, really!) to 3.5K gold and 10-25 Genesis Motes. It can also contain any of the protoform synthesis materials (lattice, glimmer or the various rare mount components), Progenitor Essentia and cosmetic items below.

• Jiro Tuning Hammer
• Mace of Renewed Purpose
• Greatmaul of the Ancient Sentinels
• Emerald-Heart Protomaul
• Halo-Stave of the Oracles
• Stave of the Eternal Cycle

Firim’s Forge-Tap

The Locked Provis Cache is another repeatable chest you can loot daily as long as you have a Provis Cache Key to unlock it. It starts with the daily Materials of Creation offered by Firim. Once you collect 15x Ephemera Strands, there’s a chance for a key to be inside the Ephemera Orb.

The cache can contain Geordy (pet) and Pocopoc’s Ruby and Platinum Body, as well as another source of Cosmic Flux if you loot it each day.

Once you’ve completed the daily, you can pick up Firim’s Spare Forge-Tap for a chance at other rewards like Geordy (pictured) and rare items for the achievement below.

Traversing the Spheres

Use Firim’s Forge-Tap on Progenitor Forges throughout Zereth Mortis to obtain the following rare proto-materials. Rewards the Mortis Mover toy.

• Pollinated Extraction
• Anima-charged Yolk
• Empyrean Essence
• Volatile Precursor
• Wayward Essence – finally found it at the floating forge at 36, 71. Stand in the indented part to tap the essence.
• Honeycombed Lattice
• Unstable Agitant
• Incorporeal Sand
• Energized Firmament
• Serene Pigment – in the mountains at 44, 80

Puzzle Boxes of Zereth Mortis

Once you’ve completed the third chapter of the 9.2 campaign and three protolock quests offered by Farim in Exile’s Hollow, research the Cachial talent under the Metrial branch of the Cypher Research Console. This will allow you to interact with the five types of puzzle boxes in Zereth Mortis.

When you’re close to one, Pocopoc will highlight it on your minimap making the object glow for easy targeting. Completing a Protolock puzzle rewards 10-15 Cyphers of the First Ones but on occasion, you can get ~24-26 when it appears as a world quest.

• Cantaric Protolock – turn off all the lights in the grid by toggling on or off a whole row or column
• Mezzonic Protolock – turn off all the lights by toggling a cell as well as the one above, below and to the left and right of it
• Fugueal Protolock – deactivate all the runes by matching them into a phrase of three runes that are syntactically aligned
• Glissandian Protolock – match 3 or more of the same coloured rune to clear the board.
• Toccatian Protolock – untangle the wires by clicking on two points to switch their positions

If you’re crappy at these sorts of puzzles, get a tricky board or are pressed for time, you can select Pocopoc’s first option to bypass the puzzle completely – as long as you don’t mind using 9 energy for around 4 Cyphers of the First Ones and not a world quest that day.

Did I miss anything from this Treasures of Zereth Mortis post? Let me know below.