Destiny 2: Shadowkeep guide – All Nightmare Essence items and weapon parts

Destiny 2: Shadowkeep takes players to the moon. The returning Eris Morn, a Guardian hounded by Darkness, needs your help in thwarting the Nightmares. To do that, you’ll need your Dreambane armor set, and maybe even additional weapons from Nightmare Essences. You’ll discover some of these while completing Destiny 2: Shadowkeep‘s campaign, along with the Cryptograph/Lectern of Enchantment, all while searching for various hidden weapon parts on the moon to cleanse the Nightmare Essences. These will be the focus of our mini-guide.

Note: For everything there is to know about Destiny 2: Shadowkeep, you can check out our nifty guides and features hub.

The Cryptograph and the Lectern of Enchantment

You’ll be able to access the Lectern of Enchantment once you’ve completed the mission where you obtain the Cryptograph. The Lectern of Enchantment’s main use is so you can buy various Nightmare Essence quests and obtain their rewards.

Initially, you’ll find Nightmare Essence quests as you do missions or activities on the moon. After obtaining them in your Quests tab, they’ll be available via the Lectern of Enchantment should you wish to pick up the same reward later on.

Some of these rewards are necessary for your progression through Destiny 2: Shadowkeep‘s campaign (ie. Dreambane armor set). As such, this guide is also relevant for those who are still looking to finish the story.

The Lectern of Enchantment also lets you grab bounties:

• Daily bounties reward Phantasmal Fragments
• Weekly bounties reward Phantasmal Cores

Similarly, you can obtain these Phantasmal materials through other means:

• Buying Phantasmal Fragments at the cost of Helium Filaments (planetary materials on the Moon)
• Buying Phantasmal Cores at the cost of 20 Phantasmal Fragments

Note 1: Phantasmal Fragments can also be obtained by killing Nightmares on the moon. These cap at 30 and only have one stack. You cannot gain any more of these in your inventory, so make sure to spend them so they don’t get wasted.

Note 2: Phantasmal Cores, meanwhile, are used to purchase Nightmare Essence quests that reward gear.

Nightmare Essence Armors

If you’ve been playing through Destiny 2: Shadowkeep‘s campaign, you’ll no doubt have some of these Nightmare Essences already. They’re found in your Quests tab and some have slightly similar requirements in order to be cleansed.

For instance, if a Nightmare Essence says you need to complete activities to fill up a progress bar, these activities usually mean public events, patrols, lost sectors, and picking up materials while on the moon (unless stated otherwise), or that you need to kill a certain number of enemy mobs (also on the moon). For activity requirements, here’s how much you’ll fill up your progress bar:

• collecting helium filaments – 2%
• opening chests – 4%
• patrols – 12%
• lost sectors – 15%
• public events – 20%

Below, you’ll find the list of Nightmare Essences in Destiny 2: Shadowkeep as well as the Dreambane armor pieces they provide.

Essence of Despair

• Complete activities on the moon
• Reward: Dreambane class item (cloak, mark, bond)

Essence of Anguish

• Complete three daily bounties from Eris Morn
• Reward: Dreambane leg armor

Essence of Pride

• Kill Nightmares in lost sectors in the EDZ, Titan, Nessus, and Io (Nightmares on the moon don’t add progress)
• Reward: Dreambane helmet

Essence of Isolation

• Kill 100 Fallen on the moon
• Reward: Dreambane gloves

Essence of Fear

• Kill 100 Hive on the moon
• Reward: Dreambane chest armor

Nightmare Essence Weapons and Hidden Weapon Parts

The Nightmare Essence quests for weapons have an additional requirement. You’ll need to pick up the hidden weapon parts in various locations on the moon.

If you haven’t memorized the half a dozen areas on the moon (I don’t blame you because it’s a gigantic destination), you can refer to the map above from Redditor ClaryKitty. All credits go to that awesome fella.

Note: Some of these weapon parts are easier to get to if you load up a Nightmare Hunt activity that spawns you closer to their areas (as opposed to free-roaming). Also, make sure to have the quest tracked so you can see the objective marker when you’re near.

Anyway, here’s the list of Nightmare Essence weapons, including their respective rewards and where to find the hidden weapon parts.

Essence of Greed

• Complete activities on the moon
• Machine gun kills
• Find the Ethereal Charms weapon part
• Reward: A Fine Memorial (an Arc machine gun)

Ethereal Charms Location: Temple of Crota – This weapon part’s fairly easy to obtain. Head to the Anchor of Light zone on the moon. Make your way to the pathway going to the northeast (where the “We’ve woken the Hive” moment happened in Destiny 1). Enter through the doorway and you’ll be inside the Temple of Crota. The Ethereal Charms is in a niche down below. Watch the video below from YouTuber TheBlackLink:

Essence of Vanity

• Complete activities on the moon
• Sniper rifle kills
• Find the Horned Wreath weapon part
• Reward: Tranquility (kinetic sniper rifle)

Horned Wreath Location: Temple of Night – This one takes a while to get to. Fast travel to the Anchor of Light zone and past the Temple of Crota (where you found the Ethereal Charms). After the chasm, head to the right side and follow the path past The World’s Grave and the room where you fought the Omnigul Nightmare. Keep moving along through the long and winding dark corridor until you reach the cavern where you’d end up facing the Crota Nightmare during a Nightmare Hunt activity. This is where the Horned Wreath is.

Also, check out the video from YouTube user SirMarr:

Essence of Brutality

• Complete activities on the moon
• Hand cannon kills
• Find the Necromantic Strand weapon part
• Reward: Loud Lullaby (kinetic hand cannon)

Necromantic Strand Location: Hall of Wisdom – Fast travel to Archer’s Line and head to the narrow pathway to the right. Enter the doorway and drop down. Keep going around the cavern until you find the room with the orange glow. The Necromantic Strand is in one of the piles there. Check out a short video from YouTube channel ZaFrostPet:

Essence of Jealousy

• Complete activities on the moon
• Sword kills
• Find the Ralnik’s Hatchet weapon part
• Reward: Night Terror (Arc sword)

Ralnik’s Hatchet Location: Traitor’s Ketch – Head to the Anchor of Light. Instead of going northeast (to the Temple of Crota), go to the crashed ship in the southeast area. This is the Traitor’s Ketch. Make your way past the rooms until you find a Fallen captain known as Ralniks. Kill him and the Ralnik’s Hatchet weapon part will be yours. Watch the YouTube video from Ninja Pups:

Essence of Obscurity

• Complete activities on the moon
• Submachine gun kills
• Find the Withered Plumes weapon part
• Reward: Every Waking Moment submachine gun

Withered Plumes Location: Circle of Bones – Fast travel to the Hellmouth and head through the Gatehouse at the north. Make your way to the Circle of Bones which is the area just before you fight Phogoth (the ogre boss). Instead of heading left to Phogoth’s room, go to the right instead. You’ll find the Withered Plumes at the end. Here’s a video from YouTuber VanillaPuma:

Essence of Failure

• Complete activities on the moon
• Auto rifle kills
• Find the Captive Cord weapon part
• Reward: Arc Logic (Arc auto rifle)

Captive Cord Location: Lunar Battleground – The Lunar Battleground is the area where you started your Destiny 2: Shadowkeep campaign. In order to get back there, simply fast travel to Sorrow’s Harbor. Go through the southeastern passage which takes you to the Lunar Battleground zone. Forge past this area until you’re at the campaign’s starting point. The Captive Cord can be found at the side of the hab building. Check out the image below:

Essence of Insanity

• 100 grenade launcher kills – can be done in Vanguard strikes, Gambit, or Crucible; Guardian kills grant the most progress
• Find the Bound Manacle weapon part
• Reward: Love and Death (solar grenade launcher)

Bound Manacle Location: Gatehouse – The Bound Manacle weapon part is one of the easier ones to get since you don’t have to go too far. Drive your sparrow to the Hellmouth and enter the Gatehouse from the northern section. Move through the cave until you reach the room — you’ll remember this from Destiny 1 as the part of the Phogoth strike where you need to break the three locks. Anyway, there’s a Hive knight here named Ehrathur, Eternal Blade. He’s not so eternal since you can easily kill him. Doing so will net you the Bound Manacle. Here’s a video from YouTuber Hurley Effect:

Essence of Rage

Another week, another Shadowkeep Nightmare Essence to find. Newly added during week 2 is the Essence of Rage. It’s originally obtained by completing Nightmare Hunt: Rage where you do battle against Dominus Ghaul, the final boss of Destiny 2‘s campaign. After you’ve completed this Nightmare Essence, you can just buy it directly from the Lectern of Enchantment.

• Get kills via supers, melee, or grenades
• Find the Fangs of Shun’Gath weapon part
• Reward: One Small Step (kinetic shotgun that can roll with the “One Two Punch” perk)

Fangs of Shun’Gath Location: The World’s Grave – Fast travel to Anchor of Light and make your way to the Hive temple. Simply follow the path as before until you reach the area where you fought the Omnigul Nightmare. You’ll see a unique Hive thrall here named Shun’Gath. Kill it and you’ll get the weapon part. Refer to the video below from YouTuber HurleyEffect:

Essence of Servitude

Destiny 2: Shadowkeep‘s third week brings what might be the final Nightmare Essence quest, unless there are more secrets later on, in the form of the Essence of Servitude. Simply complete Nightmare Hunt: Servitude and you’ll get this after killing Zydron, Gate Lord. The steps are also fairly easy since you can just do a Vex Offensive activity to complete a couple of tallies.

• 100 Vex defeated on the Moon
• 15 fusion rifle kills
• Find the Horned Wreath weapon part
• Reward: Dream Breaker fusion rifle

Horned Wreath location: Catacombs – This one takes a while to get to but, if you’ve been grabbing previous weapon parts, you should remember the way since this is also where the “In The Deep” mission takes place. Fast travel to Sorrow’s Harbor then to Hellmouth -> Gatehouse -> Circle of Bones. Make a right and follow the path to where you found the Withered Plumes/Essence of Obscurity item. The doorway to the side will lead you to the darkened area where a named Hive Wizard will drop the Horned Wreath.

Essence of Envy/Premonition pulse rifle

The last Nightmare Essence according to Destiny 2: Shadowkeep‘s database is the Essence of Envy. These are the quest steps according to Light.gg:

• Get 50 pulse rifle kills
• Complete 50 activities
• Obtain the Claws of Urug’eth from the Shrine of Oryx
• Reward: Premonition pulse rifle

Now, the problem is that no one’s gotten the Essence of Envy to drop yet. The good news, however, is that players have reported getting the Premonition pulse rifle out in the wild. It’s possible for the Premonition to drop as a reward when you complete Eris’ weekly quest. It can also drop in the Pit of Heresy dungeon after you complete an encounter.

That’s our mini-guide for Destiny 2: Shadowkeep Nightmare Essence items and the Lectern of Enchantment. You can download the game and buy the expansion via the Steam store page. For more information and tips, you can also check out our Destiny 2: Shadowkeep guides and features hub.