Dungeon · 4 players · Deshaan · Base game
Darkshade Caverns I
VetEasyHMEasy
Kwama mine taken over by the Pit Rats, leading down to the Dwemer ruin of Rkugamz. Three bosses (Foreman Llothan, the Hive Lord, the Sentinel of Rkugamz) plus minibosses. Easy; the Sentinel's color phases are the only real mechanic.
- Optional fights (per ArzyeL): Head Shepherd Neloren, the Hive Lord and the Cutting Sphere can be skipped. Foreman Llothan and the Sentinel are required.
- Cavern Patriarch (big bull netch, miniboss): tank and spank. Block its heavy, step out of its poison cloud.
- Hard mode: read the Scroll of Glorious Battle before the Sentinel (veteran only). A wipe turns it off.
Head Shepherd Neloren
MinibossEasy. The only job is interrupting her heals.
Tank
DPS
- Interrupt Remembrance (channeled group heal) and Focused Healing right away, or the fight drags on.
- Kill her two Pit Rat Menders fast; they heal too.
Healer
👁 Watch for
- Dunmer mage with a staff. Fire Rune: two fireballs land as red circles. Heat Wave: fire runs along the ground toward her target.
Foreman Llothan
BossEasy, but he runs around. Don't chase him.
Tank
- Keep taunt and gather the kwama scribs he summons onto the group.
DPS
- When he crouches and charges, get out. Explosive Diversion is a big shock burst with knockback, then he runs off. He only uses it on players in melee for a while.
- AoE the scribs where the tank stacks them. Don't chase them individually.
Healer
- Don't follow him through his poison pools; let him come back.
👁 Watch for
- Dunmer in Dwemer-style robes. Poison vials leave green pools (red circle first) that linger.
The Hive Lord
BossTank
- Face him away. Block Overhead Smash (fast frontal cone, stagger + snare).
- Stack the scribs he summons on him.
DPS
- Stay close. He leaps on players who are far away (stun).
- Interrupt Defensive Instinct (he pounds the ground; damage in a very large circle).
- Don't stand on a red circle where scribs are about to burrow up.
Healer
👁 Watch for
- Large kwama warrior. Scrib spawns show as small red circles on the ground.
Cutting Sphere
MinibossTank
- Block Steamwall (heavy) and the dart. Clear the trash in front of it before pulling.
DPS
- Blade Storm: it spins and chases a random player. If that's you, kite it away from the group. Everyone else stays clear.
- Step out of Quake (it jumps and slams; red circle around it).
Healer
👁 Watch for
- Dwarven sphere with blades. Blade Storm is a spinning red circle moving across the room.
Sentinel of Rkugamz
Final boss☠ Wipe mechanic
- Red phase (Steel Cyclone): it spins and chases a random player. If you're chased, kite it away from the group. Everyone else stay out of its path.
- Green phase: tank must block Decapitating Swing (big charged hit + knockback).
Tank
- Green: face it away (Smash is a frontal cone). Drag it out of the Centurion Spiders' green healing circles.
DPS
- Green: kill the Centurion Spiders fast. If the boss stands in their green circles it heals a lot.
- Blue (Barrage): it stands still and fires shock bolts that land in red circles. Move out.
Healer
👁 Watch for
- A Dwarven Centurion whose glow/face changes color: red = spin, blue = shock barrage, green = melee + healing spiders.
Hard mode · veteran only
Activate: Veteran only. Read the Scroll of Glorious Battle near the Sentinel's arena before pulling. A full wipe turns it off.
- More health and more damage. No new mechanics.
More detail & images
It cycles between the three colors for the whole fight. Read the color and react; the rest is tank and spank.
Red phase: spinning, chases a player · view on UESP ↗ Green phase: kill the healing spiders · view on UESP ↗
Not fully confirmed:
- Phase colors: UESP and ArzyeL say red = spin, blue = shock barrage. Xynode says blue = spin. Watch for the spin itself, not just the color.
- Exact scroll location wasn't found in any source. UESP's general rule is 'on the floor near the last boss arena'.